French Empire

Napoleon Bonaparte, the founder of the French Empire. (TV: The Reign of Terror)

The French Empire was a period of early 19th century Earth history.

History

19th century

The Empire was created by Napoléon Bonaparte. It covered a large area of mainland Europe before his downfall at the Battle of Waterloo. (TV: The Last Sontaran, PROSE: World Game)

Davros tried to help Napoléon win the Battle of Waterloo, but was stopped by the Sixth Doctor. (AUDIO: The Curse of Davros)

20th century

The Empire still existed into the 20th century. (PROSE: Just War, AUDIO: Just War) The Sixth Doctor reflected that, in the 1900s, Europe was "bulging at the seams — Germany, France, Britain, all with their little empires, all wanting to expand", "a powder keg that resulted in the First World War". (AUDIO: Jubilee ^[+]Loading...["Jubilee (audio story)"])

In 1934, France held territory in the South Pacific, including French Polynesia and Salutua. (PROSE: The Eye of the Giant) French Guinea and the city of Casablanca were among French territories in North Africa. (PROSE: The Turing Test)

During World War II, Nazi Colonel Oskar Steinmann claimed Germany would sweep away the French and British Empires, as they represented a corrupt old order destined to give way to fascism. (PROSE: Just War, AUDIO: Just War) After the fall of France in 1940, France's African territories fell under German control through a puppet government, Vichy France, until the Axis was driven out of Africa in 1943. (PROSE: The Turing Test)

Alternate timelines

In the Game of Napoleon and Wellington, in which Napoléon's French Empire prevailed in the Napoleonic Wars, it evolved into a World Empire which counted the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Spain among its conquered nations. The Empire collapsed upon Napoleon's death, after which the conquered countries were discreetly encouraged by the Players to "revert to type", splitting up into separate mini-states, with the United Kingdom splitting into the separate kingdoms of England, Scotland and Wales. (PROSE: World Game)