#historical speculation

Writing a post to de-stress in between one of the most annoying to research university assignments I've done in a while (what historians don't tell you is that research can be the biggest pain in the ass aspect of writing I guess).

Anyways, today in the Napoleonic Bubble server I was talking to some friends about Bessieres's mystery correspondence and reasons why he could've burned them (as his motive for doing such wasn't entirely clear, nor can we be certain of the contents of the many letters he burned). Here's a couple of the theories I came up with, I'm listing them off just for fun and to see what you guys think, I might be a history major but please don't take these too seriously as I literally came up with them on the spot as we were talking.

Let's start with the Murat related theories to get my BessiMu obsession out of the way first: 1 - Bessieres had been secretly corresponding with Murat This one is pretty self-explanatory, especially after Murat's betrayal, Bessieres himself could've been accused of treason had he had been corresponding with Murat. Furthermore, neither seemed to hold disdain for each other following Murat's betrayal. One point I will need you to keep in mind is that Murat grieved for Bessieres death, something I sincerely believe he wouldn't have done had they been in bad terms. In this case, their correspondence may not have been political, instead being general conversation between the two which Bessieres was still scared of being caught for. 2 - Bessieres had been corroborating with Murat in some other way - Bessieres was making plans with Murat either for Murat's return to France or for a potential attack from Murat. Bessieres, as Murat's long-time friend, would've been an excellent source of insider information for Murat if we're to believe they were still communicating. Where this theory falters is where you believe Bessieres's laid his loyalty more strongly/sincerely (with his boss and friend Napoleon, or with his long time friend and coworker Murat), additionally, I am unsure (regardless of Murat's access to insider info and his notorious stubbornness) how viable it would've been for Murat to literally fight his way into good graces again so...

Now for the other theories 3- Bessieres was working with France's enemies (betrayal theory) - Bessieres may have burned evidence of him providing information to France's enemies or requesting to switch over to their side. The realism of this theory once again depends on where you believe his loyalty was and how strong said loyalty was by the later years of his life.

(CW: DISCUSSIONS OF SUICIDE/POOR MENTAL HEALTH FOR THE NEXT 2 THEORIES)

4- Bessieres was planning to commit suicide - Bessieres in 1813 was reportedly in an incredibly depressive state. Although I do not believe his death was nor could've been planned/orchestrated, there is a possibility that him burning his correspondence was him preparing for such. He may have been planning to commit suicide at a later point, and his actual death may have happened to come earlier than he had planned. By 1813 Bessieres had become an incredibly hopeless and broken person, his friends were dying left right and center, one of his best friends had been entirely banned from France, the empire he had sworn loyalty to was on the edge of crumbling apart, he was in extreme debt, he wasn't short of reasons for suicidal behaviour/ideation. 5 - Bessieres was not in a sound state of mind - Bessieres burning his correspondence was an irrational decision. His mental state had been deteriorating and him burning the correspondence was evidence of him thinking illogically as a result of this. Said mental strain could've been caused by his depressive state or by PTSD he had developed along the course of his career.

(END OF CW)

6 - The correspondence was related to the blackmailing which he fell victim to - As you may or may not know, Bessieres's debt was largely caused by blackmailing involving affairs he had. The correspondence he burned could've been related to said blackmailing. Either as fuel for more blackmail or as evidence that he was being blackmailed.

Imagining an alternate reality where the American Revolution was lost and the United States did not gain independence is a fascinating exercise in historical speculation. While it is impossible to predict with certainty how events would have unfolded, we can explore some possible scenarios.

Continued British Rule: If the American Revolution failed, the American colonies would have remained under British rule. This would have meant that the British Crown would have continued to govern the American territories, and the American colonists would have been subject to British laws, taxes, and regulations.

Limited Autonomy: It is possible that the British government, recognizing the discontent among the colonists, might have granted them some limited autonomy or representation in the British Parliament. However, it is unlikely that the colonies would have enjoyed the same degree of self-governance as they eventually achieved through independence.

Economic Implications: Without independence, the American colonies would have remained part of the British mercantile system. This system placed restrictions on colonial trade and favored British interests. As a result, the American economy may have been more dependent on British trade, limiting opportunities for domestic industrialization and economic growth.

Slavery: The issue of slavery, which played a significant role in the lead-up to the American Revolution, would have likely continued. The British Empire abolished slavery in 1833, so it is possible that slavery may have been abolished earlier in the American colonies under British rule. However, this would have varied depending on the specific circumstances and pressures within each colony.

Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion: The idea of Manifest Destiny, which drove westward expansion and the growth of the United States throughout the 19th century, would not have emerged in the same way. The British Empire had a different approach to territorial expansion, and it is uncertain how it would have shaped the development of the American territories.

International Relations: The geopolitical landscape would have been vastly different. Without the United States as a separate nation, the balance of power in North America and the world would have shifted. Other European powers, such as France and Spain, may have had a greater influence in the American territories.

Alternative Paths: It is important to note that the desire for independence was not limited to the American colonies alone. Other regions of the world, inspired by the American Revolution, also sought self-governance and independence. The success or failure of the American Revolution may have influenced these movements in different ways.

1. Katherine of Aragon survived Henry

2. Henry had not executed Anne Boleyn but had her imprisoned or sent away like Katherine of Aragon

3. Henry had had his other marriages and failed to have any living legitimate sons 

4. If Henry Fitzroy had survived Henry

Hi! Yes, in terms of survival I think that being a woman was essential for Margaret. Like the Milanese Ambassador said, Edward IV had decided to ‘crush the [Lancastrian] seed’. After Tewkesbury Edward dragged her Beaufort cousins out of sanctuary and summarily executed them, and it’s possible he would have done the same to her, had she lived to that point. More under the cut!

Imagine a world of fish

211108 Welcome to a world where we can guess what you are doing at any moment of any day. Right now, we guess you might be reading this. Or maybe you’re going to the shops to buy cigarettes and mints. Or maybe you’re on your way to your mother’s house. Thinking about it now, this hypothetical world isn’t actually any different to the one we’re in right now. Let’s try another…

This is a gross oversimplification, but the philosophical trends that ended in Japanese Buddhist clergy advocating/participating in the worst excesses of WWII cropped up about a hundred years prior. The shogunate turned practical power over to the Emperor, and for a number of reasons that included state resource consolidation and continuing resistance to colonization by Western Christian powers, Japan began a round of examining and ultimately suppressing or regulating into non-existence any institution that wasn’t adjudged to be sufficiently, truly Japanese.

Buddhism, an Indian export by way of China and Korea, was the target of a number of those reforms. The state disrupted the millennia-long coexistence of Buddhist and native Shinto religious practices, communities, and sites, dissolved monasteries and shrines, destroyed or sold a lot of religious art and artifacts, and conscripted the clergy to serve in the military or teach in state-run, predominately Shinto schools. Those strictures were gradually relaxed as the Meiji era wore on, but there was always the implicit threat that Japanese Buddhism must either uphold and evangelize for the state as its first priority or be relegated to obscurity. That threat fueled, among other things, increasingly unified, strident assertions in every medium that wars of conquest (and the structural violence required to wage them) were totally compatible with Buddhist teachings on compassion, selflessness, and non-violence.