Where did this come from?  As I pointed out last issue, because of my web site, I get a lot of e-mail. This is the second part of an essay I wrote after a columnist for a national children’s magazine e-mailed me with a question one his readers had asked: What if Napoleon had a B52 at the Battle of Waterloo? I gave him my answer, and figured that since I had already done a great deal of thinking about the issue I would write up a brief scenario on it.

Last issue, I figured out a reasonably plausible way to get an intact B52 complete with crew and weapons into Napoleon’s hands. I hadn’t found a way to get that B52 back in the air without possibly aborting the Battle of Waterloo. Give Napoleon the plane long enough before the battle for him to build a runway, and the French or the Allies might change their patterns of activity enough to make the battle somewhere else, if it happened at all. 

I said at the end of last issue’s essay: Let’s say Napoleon doesn’t have enough time to improvise a way of getting his B52 off the ground. I say he still wins the battle. I’ll let you know why next issue. (There are actually probably a number of reasons. See if you can guess mine). 

Well, in case you hadn’t already guessed, I say that Napoleon would win by using the crews’ tactical radios. The crew-members would almost certainly each have one in case of a crash. The radios would give Napoleon an enormous advantage in coordinating the movements of his forces. Given his genius at battle, the radios would win Waterloo for him and probably any other battle he chose to fight until the batteries went dead. 

So, does that mean that we would all live in a French-dominated world? My first thought is: probably not. Napoleon’s downfall came about not just from losing a battle, but also and primarily from not knowing when to stop fighting. France, even led by Napoleon, could not indefinitely dominate Europe in the face of hostility on the part of all of the other Great Powers. Napoleon could have had a peace that left him in control of France and even some areas around it several times, even after his disastrous invasion of Russia. He wouldn’t take it, and so he lost everything. Eventually the batteries would run out, and a situation would arise where not even Napoleon’s military and organizational genius could save him. 

On the other hand, the B52 and its crew could be a continuing source of advantages for the French. French gunsmiths would be intrigued by any handguns captured from the crew. They probably wouldn’t be able to duplicate them immediately, but I would be willing to bet that they would come up with some kind of relatively rapid-fire weapon once they knew that such a thing was possible. The B52’s engine and tires, and suspension would inspire solutions to hundreds of previously insolvable problems. 

If any of the crew was carrying a pocket calculator, French science would be in a position to dominate the world. A scientific calculator would be better, but even a ‘4-banger’ would put an enormous amount of calculating firepower at the disposal of French mathematicians. If any of the crew had even a casual acquaintance with code-breaking, even to the extent of knowing or thinking and saying that any code can be broken, then the French could gain a very large edge over their opponents. 

What do you think? How would the world develop? What would it look like 185 years or so down the road in the year 2000? .

If you enjoyed this scenario, or if you are disappointed with it, please let me know. I always read and enjoy any feedback I can get.  

Note: I'm still planning to start an 'e-mail to the editor' section soon.  If you do e-mail me, please tell me if you want me to use your e-mail in that section. I respect your privacy and will not use your comments unless you tell me it is okay to do so.