I just finished reading "Crucible of Command", a dual biography of Grant and Lee by William C. Davis. I learned a lot about the early years of both men I didn't know before. (I recommend the book, but if you're a fan of Lee - make sure you're sitting down when you read it!
)Anyway, near the end, I found this gem: "In 1862 the French invaded and occupied Mexico, and by 1863 controlled most of the country. The following year they installed their puppet Maximilian as emperor. Grant felt from the first that the French invasion was almost part of the Southern rebellion, for what he believed to be French aid to the Confederacy was 'little more than open war'."
This reminded me of an idea that once rattled around in the place I use to hang my hat.
The French supported the original 13 colonies during the Revolutionary War, providing the additional forces (primarily naval) that ended up tipping the scales in favor of the colonists. What if Grant's fears had been realized and the French had moved north from Mexico to aid the Confederacy? I'm thinking the French/Mexicans could have been enticed to support the Confederacy with the promise of getting back California and some of the other territories they lost to the U.S. in the Mexican War. (Of course, being allied with the Confederacy the French/Mexicans probably could not count on getting Texas back.)
Yes, I know the French were too unstable in Mexico to mount any sort of invasion into Texas, but wouldn't it be a fun "What if"?
These games don't model political situations (such as France recognizing the Confederacy), and representation of naval forces is far too simplistic (so having French fleets bust up the blockade wouldn't be feasible). Ground forces are the focus of these games. I'm thinking of just a few French/Mexican forces, added to such Western campaigns as Vicksburg, Shiloh, or Corinth (depending on the hypothetical time frame of the French intervention). Or maybe some new "Forgotten Campaigns" scenarios out west?
It seems to me that the French/Mexicans would focus primarily on what we refer to as the Trans-Mississippi theater, but I suppose there's no reason a French/Mexican division or two couldn't be added to the mix in Chickamauga or even to battles further east.
I just play the games - I haven't dabbled into editing/crating scenarios myself. But I wanted to toss this idea out there, to hopefully stir the creative juices of those who do.
