Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 38:26-39:28

Why an 1820 Bourbon federation would trigger war

Britain would treat a French-led federation of Bourbon realms as a balance-of-power emergency and organize a coalition to break it apart.

Balance Of PowerBourbon RestorationCounterfactual HistoryFranceKingdom Of The Two SiciliesSpain
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Question

How would Britain react to an 1820 Bourbon federation led by the king of France?

Short answer

Britain would go to war, fund Prussian and Austrian partners, and attack the federation's overseas empire to break the bloc apart.

Notes

A federation of France, Spain, the Two Sicilies, Parma, and Lucca under the French king is treated as an immediate balance-of-power threat to Britain. Breaking it apart would become a British war aim before it could expand further. Prussia and Austria are expected to seek British subsidies for a continental campaign. Britain would combine those payments with attacks on the federation's overseas empire.