Re: could france have won trafalgar and how would it have been posible to invade england?
Welcome to TWC, navalad. If the French/Spanish navy had won at Trafalgar, I imagine that whether they could have invaded England would depend on a number of things, including:-
- the condition of the British, French and Spanish fleets after Trafalgar (if the British fleet had been defeated and many of the ships were taken as prizes, then invasion would be easier compared to a scenario where many ships of the defeated British navy managed to escape)
- the weather conditions when they attempted to invade. As I understand it, weather played a big part in defeating the Spanish Armada in the 16th century, but weather did not stop William of Orange from landing troops in the south-west of England in 1688.
I wonder if they would have landed in England first or Ireland. When playing France in Empire Total War, I have successfully invaded Britain by taking Ireland first (sailing to Ireland reduces but does not eliminate the chance of a French fleet being intercepted by the British navy, in my experience.) I'm thinking of King James II's attempt to regain the British throne after being overthrown by William of Orange in 1688; King James started his attempt in Ireland. If I remember correctly, French troops were sent (unsuccessfully) to Ireland, to support at least one Irish rebellion against the British.