Q&A · 1:37:47-1:38:42

An 1860 coalition war turns on British sea power

A nineteenth-century alliance counterfactual uses colonial attacks, Mediterranean naval superiority, and pressure on France to explain the coalition balance.

Question

Who wins an 1860 war pitting Austria, France, and Russia against Britain, Prussia, and Italy?

Short answer

Britain's navy and Italy's Mediterranean position put France under severe pressure, with French colonies and naval forces vulnerable while Prussian and Italian armies engage the continental coalition.

Notes

The Royal Navy would attack French colonies around the world and help the Italian Navy defeat French forces in the Mediterranean. On land, Prussia and Italy add pressure against Austria, France, and Russia, with British troops potentially landing in northern France. France is the key coalition member that Britain and its allies must defeat first. Global sea power would therefore shape an otherwise continental coalition war.