Alternative History
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The French Republic[]

After 1795, France organizes as a unitary republic with a presidential model. After having lost most of her colonies and a great deal of her fleet in the war against Britain, the French focus their resources on consolidating the republic internally and externally.

Internally, France combined a number of authoritarian measures with reinforcement of the democratic institutions and the building schools and opening universities. In 1802, an agreement is reached with the Pope whereby France becomes a secular state, although it is consecrated by the Roman Catholic faith and recognises a number of special rights for the clergy and the church.

Externally, France trained her army to defend her borders, and rebuilt her fleet to defend her coastal line. Also, while the president wants to rebuild the blue waters fleet he does not feel that France is currently strong enough to provoke British sensitivities in this area.

There is a kind of cold war against Britain, but diplomatic channels are kept open, especially while the French islands in the Caribbean are administered by the British they still nominally belong to French, which hopes to recover them in the medium term. A more cordial relationship exists between Spain, Austria and Russia. France ensures that the Revolution is not exported, although there is a friendly position with regard to revolutionary and liberal leaders from other countries.

In 1808, a sick Louis Bourbon relinquishes the pretensions of himself and his heirs towards regaining the throne of France. Once this decaration has been made an the long term future of the "Revolutionary" governemnt assured, negotiations begin with Britain over the return of a number of the occupied French colonies. By 1810, the French tricolore flies over Guadalupe, Martinique and Guyana with General (R) Bonaparte presiding at the ceremony that inducts him into the role of the new General Governor of the American French Territories.



 
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