Introduction
This timeline speculates how events would have turned out if Marshal Grouchy had arrived before Marshal Blucher at the battle of Waterloo. In the real battle, the Prussians led by Blucher arrived first and destroyed Napoleon's army. But what if Grouchy, who Napoleon entrusted with a third of his army arrived first. Some of the events in this timeline could be construed as slightly fantastic. Also, the flags are of real world countries as I don't know how to upload or make my own images.
Waterloo
During the battle of Waterloo the point of divergence when Grouchy arrived before Blucher, and Napoleon successfully crushed Wellington. Then Napoleon went on to defeat Blucher at Bulzwalzer, three days later. This allowed for the Survival of Imperial France. Blucher was killed at Bulzwalzer when he was hit by a cannon ball. Wellington returned home in disgrace.
The French Imperial Flag 1816-1920
The Second Napoleonic War
1816: Due to attacking him, the eighth coalition threw away any Chance of peace. Napoleon forcibly annexed Belgium and Holland. He also marched into Switzerland and took over Government there.
1817: Napoleon crushed the Austrians at Vilnsburg killing 35,000 Austrians. He took over the Tyrol and Marched into Italy where he easily conquered the small and Ineffective republics there. He then went North again and lay siege to Vienna. He captured it in one Month.
1818: The Austrian Emperor, Franz sued for Peace. Napoleon marched North and conquered Westphalia. He then defeated a weak Prussian army at Bulnheim. He took control of Munich and Then Berlin itself in December. Prussia also sued for peace. Britain and Russia however were still fighting. General Baird from Britain attempted a half-hearted invasion of France.
1819: Napoleon rushed back and easily Defeated Baird at Clauquesos. Baird retreated back to Britain. Napoleon began planning for an invasion of Britain. The Russians realized that they were no Match for France and offered peace. An exhausted Napoleon readily accepted.
1821: After two years of planning Napoleon gave the go ahead for the Invasion of Britain. The English fleets was running around the North Sea at this point, chasing after the decoy Invasion that Napoleon had sent to distract their fleet. The Invasion was led by Marshal Soult. They easily defeated a poorly trained army at Maidstone and advanced upon London.
1822: However, fate smiled upon Britain for Napoleon suffered a grievous riding accident in Aquitaine and died aged 53. Soult recalled his army in mourning for the dead emperor.
The war of Napoleonic succession
1823: The empire splintered into three parts. One was ruled by Napoleon's son, Napoleon. The Germanic part was ruled by Marshal Ney and the Italian part was ruled by Murat.
1831: The 19 year old has inherited his father's genius and declares war on Ney's Empire.
1832: Ney's army is smashed at Jajieben. Ney is captured and executed very quickly. Murat recognized that he would be unable to defeat Napoleon II and he offered up his country to him. As a reward, Murat was made the chief commander of the French Imperial army, much to the chagrin of Soult.
The 20 years of Peace
1833: Napoleon II was at peace with everyone. Britain saw no need to continue fighting and made peace.
1849: Two power blocks begin to emerge within Europe. Russia, Prussia, Austria-Hungary and Sweden have formed the 9th Coalition and France, The U.S.A and Spain have formed the Western Pact. Britain remains neutral. Also in this year Murat dies and is succeeded by Marshal Grouchy is made chief Commander of The French Imperial Army.
1852: The disastrous Palermo Conference pushes France and Austria Hungary to war. The Other powers join in in the First World War.
The First World War
Austro-Hungarian Flag 1830-1910
1853: Austria Hungary is badly beaten at Uttenschmidt. They lose 31,000 men and 29 cannon. Prussia is also badly beaten at Ferenne losing 27,000 men and 50 cannon.
1854: The Prussian and Russian armies combine and defeat Marshal Soult at Lzejecki in Poland.
1855: Howitzers are developed and used with devastating affect at Reinhard in Prussia by the French. Spain lands an army in Southern Italy to seize it from Austria Hungary. However they army is pushed back into the sea at Giomono. Marshal Schmidt also attacks France at Marseilles.
1856: A Spanish relief force defeats Marshal Schmidt. Marshal Grouchy makes inroads to Budapest but is driven back at Honigsburg. Russian Colonies in Alaska come under attack From the U.S.A and they are captured. Seeing this as a threat to Canada, Britain declares war on the Western Pact.
1857: There are skirmishes between British and French ships of fthe coast of Morocco in June. With Austro-Hungarian backing Antonio Vespucci of Naples drives the French out of Italy and unifies it. However, furtive attempts by Italy to establish colonies in Tunisia are thwarted by the French.
1858: At the battle of the Gardienne Ridge, Marshal Von Zeller of Prussia succeeds in driving the French back to Paris. However the famous Imperial Guard drives them back to Strasbourg. The Ottomans enter the war on the side of France and Invade Austria Hungary. They are beaten at Onbersog and lose a staggering 60,000 men. Austria-Hungary then takes control of Albania.
1859: The Russians launch a surprise attack on the French fleet anchored at San Francisco, routing it. The battle of Cinsburgh occurs in May when the Americans are slaughtered by the British. British troops march all the Way to Washington and take it.
1860: After the capture of Washington the U.S sues for peace and France is left with only two allies. The Ottomans surrender to Marshal Grozgonii of Russia after the siege of Sinope. France eventually agrees to make peace and the treaty of Milan.
The Colonial Era
1867:After suffering severe territorial reversals in Europe France begins expansion into Africa. OTL Chad, Niger, Tunisia and Algeria are seized.
The Yellow River War
1868: French Merchants trading Opium are massacred on the Yellow River. France declares war.
1869: French troops land in Canton and take the city.
1870: Hong Kong is Captured. The Chinese beg Japan for assistance and the Oriental Pact is Formed. The French are defeated by the Chinese in the town of Sanwon.
1871: French ships blockade Kyoto. Then landing forces attack and kill the emperor. His brother Kahito develops the Japanese navy much more quickly than in OTL.
1872: The French navy is beaten by the Japanese of the coast of China. The Chinese adopt Japanese style tactics and troops and defeat the French and recapture Canton.
1873: Phillipe Grouchy, the son of Marshal Grouchy invades and captures much of Kyushu in a surprise attack on Japan. In March the battle of Fakhita-Songa is fought where Japan loses 112,000 men to a small French force of 34,000.
1874: Phillipe Grouchy is killed at the battle of Gangokara when his horse is shot from under him and his head is hacked off with a Katana.
1875: The Japanese lose Tokyo and Kyoto to the French and are reduced to a small puppet state in Hokkaido.
1876: Offensive Napoleon is launched at Peking and after 7 months of fighting General Jacques Chernier triumphs and captures Peking.
1877: Peace is signed and China cedes all of its territory west of Chengdu to France.
Phillipe Grouchy at the Kyushu Campaign of 1873
The Russian Campaign
1884: In response to aggression from Tsar Alexander III of Russia France invades its eastern territories in Kamchatka.
1885: The battle of Vladivostok sees the death of 167,000 Russian soldiers in a poorly coordinated attack by the Tsar himself.
1886: The Tsar dies of Hypothermia on the way back to Russia. Nicholas II succeeds him. The Battle of Chagbinsk is another catastrophic defeat for Russia.
1887: Russia signs a peace treaty with France and France gains all of the land east of Omsk.
The Second World War
1890: The 10th Coalition is formed by Great Britain, Spain and Austria Hungary. It declares war on the expansionist France.
1891
- January: This sees the battle of Heingrim between Austria Hungary and France. The Austro-Hungarians are smashed.
- July: The Battle of Ceterez between Spain and France. Again the coalition is unable to stand up to the military might of France.
1892
- February: The British blockade of France comes into being.
- April: Trench warfare begins between France and Spain. The Pyrenees becomes a battleground and thousands are killed in the tactical maneuvers of both sides.
- June: The famous Push of Redeux occurs when general Redeux sends 100,000 men into open battle against the Spanish and they manage to break through reaching Barcelona. The casualties are so high though that they are unable to push any further without reinforcements.
- November: British troops land in Hokkaido and with Japanese support successfully push the French out of Honshu. The famous battle of Kanowa destroys most of the French oriental Colonial Army in Japan.
1893
- January: The nationalist revolution in China lead by Hong Miong Wen.
- July: Hong Miong Wen launches a surprise attack on French Chinese colonies.
- August: General Soong the commander achieves some major successes against the French and they are driven from southern China in 3 months.
- November: General Soong launches his assault upon Northern China.
1894
- March: Peking is captured after a two month siege.
- May: A truce is drawn up leaving France with very limited land in China.
The Red shows the extent of French territory by November 1893
1895
- April: Britain's blockade is broken by the French fleet lead by Admiral Le Coux.
- May: British ships manage to land in France and take the town of Caen. France begins building a series of trenches to defend Northern France from Britain making further inroads.
- July: The British break through the French Defenses and capture Paris.
- August: The war ends with France having to sign the treaty of Southampton. They are forced to give away their Asian and Russian possessions.
French Decline and Prussian Rise
1896: Napoleon II dies at the age of 84. His son Napoleon III succeeds him at the age of 54.
1899: There is an economic collapse in France and living conditions get as bad as in 1789.
1901: Wilhelm II of Prussia unites all the German states into a new Country called Germany.
The Austro-German War
1904: Austria Hungary declares war on Germany fearing her military might.
1905: The well trained German army easily defeats the Austrians and captures Vienna.
1906: Most of Austria Hungary has been conquered but a rump remains at Trieste.
The Franco-German War
1909: Seeing France as a ripe target for conquest, Germany invades and quickly defeats the French at the battle of Strasbourg.
1910: Britain, seeing Germany as a threat amazingly sides with her old enemy France and declares war on Germany.
1911
- April: The French and British drive the Germans back at the battle of Ferrou. They establish a series of Trenches shielding France from further attacks.
- August: Italy enters the War on the side of France.
- November: The Italians rout the Germans at the Battle of Kraxel in The Northern Alps.
- December: The Germans and the Allies fight the huge battle of Haguenau. 58,000 Germans, 47,000 British and 60,000 French are killed. The Battle ends in a stalemate.
1912
- February: The Battle of Saverne is another great stalemate. Around 200,000 men are killed during the battle.
- April: German scientists begin researching the possibility of an atomic bomb.
- July: The battle of Phalsbourg is a major reversal for France and they are pushed back to Nancy.
- November: German Scientists working on an atomic bomb realize that the device is unattainable at the current level of technology.
- December: The British rout the Germans at the Second Battle of Saverne. 67,000 Germans are killed.
1913
- January: The Battle of Pfaffenhoffen degenerates into a stalemate with thousands dying every day.
- March: British and French scientists begin a race with Germany to build an Atomic bomb. The RAF is also created in this year.
- April: The Third Battle of Saverne is a stalemate and the British are pushed back into France.
1914
- March: The allies drop an Atomic Bomb upon Berlin. Kaiser Wilhelm, Otto Von Bismarck (Who lived to the age of 99 in ATL) and General Von Tirpitz.
- May: The Germans retaliate and drop an atomic bomb on Paris but the population had been evacuated in case Germany had atomic bombs.
- July: The allies begin to push into Germany and Capture Bonn.
- December: Cologne is taken after a three month siege in which the inhabitants were reduced to eating dog meat.
1915
- February: General Kausen of the German 3rd Army builds a long set of defences around Hamburg the new German Capital to protect against allied attack.
- April: Marshal Zoubrier of the French army attacks Hamburg. He is beaten back suffering 45,000 casualties.
- June: The allies throw all their military might in Germany at Hamburg. The Germans still hold firm.
- August: The allies disperse from Hamburg and drop another atomic bomb on Hamburg.
- September: The last fleeing remnants of the German army are defeated in a Skirmish near Chemnitz.
- October: General Von Schaert of the German army formally surrenders to the Allies near Dussel. The war ends.
The Aftermath of War
1916: At the Treaty of Dussel Germany was partitioned into four parts. Prussia, Saxony, Bavaria and Baden. Austria-Hungary was granted independence under Franz Ferdinand. France received Germany's oversees colonies in Mali and Ethiopia whilst Italy was Granted Switzerland. Britain gained no land.
1917: Paris is rebuilt by the engineer Jean Le Davet. Napoleon III has a new palace, the Bonaparte-Palaise built on the Island of the River Seine.
1920: Napoleon III dies and is succeeded by Louis XIX his son and heir. The French change their flag and mourn the end of the "Napoleonic Era".
Imperial French Flag 1920-
1923: Saxony goes to war against Prussia and conquers it.
1925: Bavaria and Baden create a Union between them calling it the Southern German Reich. They are led by a fascist called Erwin Rommel.
1926: Rommel invades Saxony and uses his Blitzkrieg tactic upon them defeating them in three Months.
The American War
1928: An isolationist U.S sinks a French trading ship. Louis XIX declares war.
1929
- January: General Theodore Roosevelt executes a daring operation: landing troops in Mali.
- February: The French defeat Roosevelt at Camballaise. Roosevelt and his son are both killed that day.
- May: Herbert Hoover surrenders and gives Alaska to France.
The Great Depression
1930: France goes through a catastrophic period of Recession. Charles Martineq begins to stir up a revolution.
1931: Riots break out on the streets of Paris. Police fire into the crowd in the incident of "four bullets".
1932: Martineq attacks Versailles and has Louis XIX shot. France is declared a republic.