Napoleon wins at Waterloo, then what?

[Dog Soldier]

I would have to agree with Al.

Napoleon's campaign at Waterloo was an effort to by time to forestall the coming allied invasion of France to depose him. The monarchy's in Europe were united in preventing Republican ideals being exported from France. They were certainly united in not having Napoleon on the stage of European politics in any form. A weakened and docile France was all they were interested in after decades of war.

If Napoleon won at Waterloo he would have done so by breaking that "thin red line". Thus the core of the Anglo-Allied Army would have suffered much larger casualties in the British contingent as result of that line being broken and the eventual retreat / route? Conversely the French would not have suffered as many casualties and disruption to thier army that resulted from their historical rout.

Wellington and Blucher would have retired to fight another day. The forces gathering in Hapsburg and Romanov empires would have eventually made their way west to form a ring around France.

The most curious question would be for me, is could Napoleon broker a peace before the Allied ring was formed that left him in power in France? What divisions in the coalition could he have exploited to buy such a peace? This political aspect would have been his best chance to rebuild France, its military, and treasury to fuel his ambitions at a later date.

Dog Soldier