Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-4923787-20131012165847/@comment-4923787-20131012171326

Here's kind of a double-scenario.

The French Revolution occurs close to OTL, except the King and Queen abdicate in favour of Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orleans, because Louis Charles came down with a sickness around the time, which made the prospects of succession dubious.

Would Louis Philippe be crowned as Louis XVII or Louis Philippe I? Could he keep the constitutional monarchy alive in France? Say in 1792, Louis and Marie Antoinette flee to a neighbouring country succesfully, and try to mount an attempt to retake the throne?

Say in the initial attacks, Napoleon, or a similar figure, gains prominence, and becomes first leader of the military, and than uses that position to become a Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. Would he attempt to usurp the throne, or would he be content being the literal power behind it?

Say this France, like OTL, is victorious, and establishes his form of authoritative liberalism across Europe. Would other peoples and monarchies be interested in adopting their ideals, since it has been demonstrated that the people can rise up, and succesfully repel, the forces of absolutism?

Say the Orthodox countries do not follow suite in reforms, but remain as is with few hiccups, until European countries have new revolutions based on new teachings of liberalism.