Suffren would have been sixty-five at the Glorious First of June, an age that did not necessarily exclude active command. The counterfactual replaces Villaret de Joyeuse with an admiral proven at extracting strategic value from difficult circumstances. It also grants him the choice of whatever capable captains remained available after the Revolution. The unanswered closing question invites viewers to weigh whether his aggression and selections could overcome the fleet's institutional and personnel problems against Richard Howe.
Notable Point · 57:21-59:30
Could Suffren have changed the Glorious First of June?
The conclusion asks whether a surviving Suffren, commanding chosen captains, could have performed better against Howe in 1794.