AW: [DL] Re: European Sourcebooks

["Markus Finster" <markus.finster@chello.at>]

> Hi,
>     A point I've been wondering about Europe is whether or not the French
> lost the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71?  The South o' the Border
> sourcebook
> suggests that Napoleon III is still in power in the Deadlands Universe
> (unlike the real world).  This in turn implies that the French at least
> managed to defend themselves against the Prussians (as Napoleon III lost
> power because he lost the war).  This is also significant as the
> Franco-Prussian War was the last part of Bismarck's plan to unify Germany
> under the Prussian king.  If Prussians lost the war, is there a united
> Germany?

I'd say, yes, Germany won that war - because if they didn't then Austria
might have been eager to retaliate for the lost war in 1866.
I think in the Deadlands Universe, Germany won both wars because of their
advanced weapons.
In our History, the Austrian troops, though more disciplined, lost the
Battle of Königgrätz because of their old-fashioned rifles, while the
Prussians attacked with repeating rifles.
Now think what Prussian inventors (read: Mad Scientists) could have createdm
backed up by a government (Emperor William as well as Bismarck) which was
willing to invest in new technologies.

If, OTOH, there is no united Germany, then the rest of Europe major powers
would be on each other throats - mainly Austria and France, with Russia as
the Threat From The East.
Europe's Face would look pretty much the same it did in the era of Napoleon
Bonaparte, I guess.

Markus