Columbia, Federal District, the United States of America
May 15th, 1836
Nathaniel Bonapart was a man of many accomplishments. He was one of the highest-ranking American generals during the Anglo-American War, personally leading tens of thousands of American soldiers in combatting the invasion of North America. He was a former House Representative for his home district in New York, proposing various laws to improve the nation's infrastructure and economy during the height of the inter-war era. And he was a graduate of West Point, where he was lauded as a military genius and wrote several theories and doctrines that were applied during the Anglo-American War. Now, he was the frontrunner for the upcoming presidential elections and was seen as the nation's best hope to recover and rebuild. Despite his party's rather small voting base, his popularity and promise of a better, stronger America had appealed to millions nationwide. He wasn't certain that he would win, but he was confident in his chance of becoming the next president of the United States.
However, no matter what he had achieved or seen in his lifetime, nothing quite prepared him for.... this meeting.
The presidential candidate was in the famed Kim House, which sat in the middle of the Manhattan business district. It was a common meeting place for influential figures, and many visitors to the city passed by the house at least once to see the former home of the first president. In the sitting room, Nathaniel was seated uncomfortably in a leather chair with a book in his hand. There was a cup of coffee that sat on a saucer in front of him, but it was untouched despite it being served an hour ago. A heavy silence engulfed the room, and while the city outside was alive with the sounds of people going about their daily lives, all Nathaniel could hear was the soft ticking of the table clock behind him.
He carefully looked at Justin Kim, the eldest son of the man he greatly respected throughout his life. The Korean-American's face was unsolvable, his hands clasped firmly together and his eyes trained intently towards the book that Nathaniel was holding. He waited silently like a statute, his complicated thoughts carefully hidden from the only other occupant of the room.
Nathaniel looked down to see the cover of the book. The dark blue cover was blank, but he knew that it had information that he would've never imagined seeing. Information of a very different world and a very different life. His aged fingers hesitantly opened the tome and skimmed through the table of content. The book wasn't just about him, but of France during the 19th century... in the 'Mississippi,' as Justin mentioned earlier. His eyes bore in on a chapter labeled 'Napoleon' and flipped through the pages to read the entry's first page.
"Napoleon Bonaparte, born on August 15th of 1769, was a French military and political leader. He rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led several successful campaigns during the Revolutionary Wars. As Napoleon the First, he was the Emperor of France from 1804 until 1814, and again in 1815. Napoleon dominated European and global affairs for more than a decade while leading France against a series of coalitions in the Napoleonic Wars. He won most of these wars and the vast majority of his battles, building a large empire that ruled over continental Europe before its final collapse in 1815. One of the greatest commanders in history, his wars and campaigns are studied at military schools worldwide. He remains one of the most celebrated and controversial political figures in human history."*
He read through the chapter carefully, starting from the point his life had changed in this world. In the Mississippi, his father was never invited to move to the United States with his family. He never solved his debt, leaving his family in financial ruins after dying when his 'other' self was 16 years old. He attended a French military academy, supported the French Revolution, and then overthrew the government after it was clear that the Republic had failed despite its promising beginnings. He won scores of military victories against France's enemies, established an empire, and was defeated by his own ego after his failed attempt to invade Russia. The invasion of the Iberian Peninsula and the never-ending war in Haiti also contributed to his eventual downfall.
Technically, he was supposed to have died fifteen years ago, in 1821. But after noting that there was a real chance that he was poisoned or assassinated during his final years in exile, Nathaniel wasn't too surprised that he had managed to live to his current age.
It took nearly two hours to read his 'life' in detail, and by the time he closed the book, his thoughts were in chaos.
"So," Justin stated, his hands still clamped tightly together.
"It was quite a read."
"I think you can see the reason why some people were hesitant to inform you of the Mississippi."
Nathaniel nodded curtly and placed the book on the table in front of him, "Quite."
There were many differences between himself and the person he read in the book, but he could clearly see the reasons why the Society feared him for the past several decades. Despite all the changes, he was still Napoleon. Much like his Mississippi counterpart, he was still a tactical genius and a general that struck terror in his enemies. He was still ambitious and popular, as he was elected into Congress and was now aiming for the presidency. He could imagine the numerous reasons why the Society had put off his membership for his entire life.
They were afraid he would overthrow the Republic, something that the Society had painstakingly built for the past several decades. Yes, it was a Republic that was nothing like the powerless French Directory of the Mississippi. Even still, with his popular support and the nation's current situation, he could begin numerous changes that would doom the young nation and potentially set it down an authoritarian route. No matter how 'perfect' a republic was, it was not immune to collapse or corruption. As Jefferson once stated, "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty."
Despite the slight that the Society had inflicted on him, Nathaniel wasn't angry or frustrated. He understood why he had been left in the dark; he had to prove that he was different from his counterpart. And even then, there were far too many similarities between the two that the Watchers could not ignore. The fact that they were willing to give him a chance before the elections meant that they trusted him... somewhat.
"On behalf of my father and everyone in the Society, I apologize for leaving you clueless about the Mississippi," Justin declared as he stood up and formally bowed.
Nathaniel motioned for the man to sit down, "There is no need for apologies, I understand. My other self might have been offended, but I am a bit wiser than him." Or at least, I sincerely hope so.
"But we robbed you of your place in history, a history in which you changed the course of Europe forever and ruled an empire."
The Corsican smiled at the remark and straightened his back, "There, I conquered but a small portion of Europe, and challenged Russia only to lose, then lose again to the British. Here? I am about to be elected to command over an entire continent. We have shattered Britain, Spain, and the French 'Empire.' Our nation's military, industry, and government are second to none in this world. As for Russia, perhaps I will one day purchase Alaska to fulfill my 'Russian ambitions.'"
"My country has grown faster than Alexander's, will soon be wealthy enough to make the Pharaohs weep in shame, and encompasses far greater than Genghis Khan's at its height. Also, which is better? Eight years as President, God willing, in peace & stability, then to step down while holding the lasting respect of our country for doing so, compared to fifteen in turmoil as Emperor and finally, abdication and exile in disgrace?"
"A man's reach should exceed his grasp, it is said. We have grasped enough to span between two oceans and know it is unquestioned. Hopefully, I will soon preside over a country where its people are happy, free, wealthy, and content. That is enough for me."**
Justin blinked and rubbed his eyes. For a moment, he almost saw his father sitting next to Nathaniel's side with a smile on his face. He shook his head to focus and looked back at the man who was Nathaniel, not Napoleon. "Then America is in good hands."
++++++
AN:
*This is a direct entry from Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon
**This is a quote written by Barricade from SpaceBattles. I edited it slightly to fit the scene, but all credits go to him for this wonderful piece.
Дякую за вашу роботу:) дуже цікаво читати, буду з нетерпінням чекати на наступну главу:)
Від читача з України
Ps. Перший коментар мій:):):)
As a French amateur of military history, I want to make a correction : no, the failure of the Russian campaign is not due to the pride of Napoleon. His plan was rational and reasonable and only failed thanks to the talent of General Barclay de Tolly, who practically saved Russia despite the Tsar and the Russian generals.
Napoleon prepared the campaign well, with even more supplies than in any previous war to compensate for the country's lack of resources and the Russian winter (unlike Nazis who combined the lack of supplies of winter, contempt for logistics, and absurd objectives requiring an advance of the armed forces impossible even without encountering resistance). Napoleon's goal was not to conquer Russia but to inflict a defeat or two to wipe out his army and force it to negotiate on his terms. Barclay, who knows Napoleon was convinced that the solution was to avoid direct confrontation, he spends his time backing down, and every time Napoleon is about to retreat he gives him the impression of finally accepting the fight, until the balance of power is reversed after the destruction of Moscow. Napoleon gave up, too late to save his army without heavy loss, while Barclay, who struggled with the Tsar and the Russian military to prevent them from attacking before, was dismissed for "excessive caution".
Napoleon did not make stupid mistakes, his adversary was simply better than him in the art of deception.
Noted! And I am aware it wasn't just "lol Napoleon didn't bring winter clothes, what a scrub."
But one could argue that Nathaniel is correct in his assessment. In the end, Napoleon made the necessary preparations and plans to invade and defeat Russia, but his pride wouldn't let him quit even as the invasion faltered and it became clear that the Russians weren't surrendering any time soon.
His anger towards Russia refusing to reinforce the Continental System was what led to the failed invasion. Had he left it alone, he would've still succeeded in edging out Britain from all of continental Europe except Russia. But his supremacy over Europe, and his desire to bring the British to ruins by any means, was exactly what led to his downfall in the end. And the invasion of Russia wasn't even the only nail in the coffin; the rest of Europe was also being pressured by the Continental System and it eroded a lot of Napoleon's support.
In fact, the continental expansion of the French Empire is directly linked to Napoleon's maritime strategy. It was a question of securing as many ports as possible, of the infrastructure for the production of maritime supplies, and of procuring the experienced vessels and sailors he lacked. Moreover, the control of the coasts of Europe obliged the Royal Navy to patrol all along the Atlantic, with an exorbitant financial, material and human cost. From 1792 to 1815, the Navy lost 6,540 sailors in combat for 84,440 illnesses and accidents, as well as 17 heavy vessels and 40 frigates by the fortunes of the sea.
At the same time, Napoleon modernized the French navy, even if it did not have time to correct its biggest handicaps, notably the negligence of the carronade (devastating short-range artillery piece) in favor of boarding, and the lack of experience of its sailors due to the English blockades. The French Empire's navy is the second in the world, far ahead of all the others. But the first remains British.
Some historians believe that his strategy would have borne fruit without the defeat in Russia. Impossible to say, but contrary to popular belief, France still had chances of outclassing England on the sea after Trafalgar.
P.S: I get most of my knowledge from the magazine "guerres & histoire". Including a 10-page dossier on Napoleon's naval strategy. I'm not sure there is such a comprehensive document on this specific subject in your language, so verifying my assertions might be difficult.
Finally
Ah yes, even being revealed of his alternate past fate, he still exudes the charismatic aura befitting of a great leader. America truly in good hands, this is the Early years of Pax Americana xD
Well, he is still "Napoleon," just a different type.
How close is the US to developing tanks? I think read a few chapters ago that DARPA has created a car or something.
Probably around 50 years off still. ARPA doesn't want to rush that monster yet...
Your chapter is great.
I apologize for leaving you clueless about the Mississippi,
I still don't understand about this Mississippi thing. Is he talking about the territory/state?
cant wait for the next update