Q&A ยท 1:37:36-1:38:38

Anglo-French rivalry without the French Revolution

The ideological dimension would change, but dynastic and strategic rivalry would probably keep Britain and royal France fighting.

Question

How would Anglo-French relations change if the French Revolution were crushed at an early stage?

Short answer

The ideological dimension would change, but dynastic and strategic rivalry would probably keep Britain and royal France fighting.

Notes

Crushing the French Revolution would remove much of the ideological edge from the next Anglo-French war. Royal France had already intervened against Britain in the American Revolutionary War and helped circulate ideas that later destabilised its own regime. Britain and France also had longstanding dynastic, imperial, and maritime reasons to compete. Those older interests would probably keep them fighting under royal governments.