Haiti, a lost opportunity?

I guess everyone has spent some time reading through articles, watching documentaries and feature films on Napoleon and his exploits.
And I bet everyone has his or her favorite historic moment during the Napoleonic wars.
The game manages perfectly to present almoust every single campain and phase during the napoleonic wars.
The big "European continent" campain, Italy, Egypt and the Iberian Penisular. Adding to that, the historical battles also give a flair to the game which no other gaming title set during that erea is capable to give.

But I write "almoust", because my favorite part of the Napoleonic wars (and post french revolution wars) is not presented. The Haitian revolution under the leadership of Toussaint Louverture and the expedition of Charles Leclerc to Haiti, in order to regain it as a French colony and to help Napoleon rebuild a French colonial empire in America.


The Hatian revolution is an event in history of which hardly anyone knows anything about. Of which I believe the main reason is simply racism. Haiti had to repay reperations to France up until the 20th century and many countries in the american continents werent exactly comfortable with a nation founded by slaves who had revolted against their masters.
Especialy considering that slavery was pritty much the motor of the 18th and 19th century economy on the american continents. Haiti was neglected well up to the 20th century.

I am not going to post some long text explaining the history of events that took place there, I am simply going to post a 12 minute vid (which actually is for a younger audience) which gives a short but informative summery of events:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A_o-nU5s2U


So as you can see, this entire event in American history would have given a perfect background for an additional dlc.


With four factions being Great Britain, France, Haiti and Spain. One could chose to eighter fight for Independence, or take the colony for ones empire.
It would have also given the opportunity to interduce a new gameplay feature which has gone missing after Medieval II: Disease, in the form of Yellow fever, especially when considering that thousands of French troops were killed through it. New units would have also been possible which would have been unique. Freed Slaves armed with machetes or muskets and other very simple guerillia units for Haiti and "Maneating dogs" (which the french used to fight this war) aswell as the famous Polish Legion for France (Yes the Polish Legion was also in Haiti):






Adding to that, the Brits and the Spanish would have also tried to gain that valuable Island. It would have been a completly different campain from all others in the game, in which Napoleon (and all other European factions) was clearly the bad guy. Napoleon didnt personaly comand troops during the French campain in Haiti, but he is also not playable in the Iberian Peninsular campain. But Toussain Louverture and Charles Leclerc aswell as others (Jean Jacques Dessalines and Jean Baptist Brunet) would have been great additions to the games set of generals.

A map of the caribbean would have also been great:




Maybe streching from Guadeloupe to the Cayman Islands and from the Bahams to barely including the Antilles, such a map would have given some awsome opportunities for modders, such as creating a "pirat campain" or "Spanish American war" campain.

But as most of you have probably noticed I am dreaming here and sodding arround over something that doesnt exist.

I simply wanted to express, that I think, CA lost a great opportunity here by focusing mainly on Europe and ignoring that the Napoleonic wars and wars of the French revolution were also fought in the Americas.

Thanks for reading.

yes unfortunatelly is lost. because like i always say it's the only thing missing in this game. the only napoleonic campaign they hadn't added. because it was a napoleonic campaign. just without his presence. i've gave such idea here http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...Revolution-mod but was almost ignored. as they country of haiti itself unfortunatelly is today.

I definitely agree with you. The Haitian revolution was an event which not just effect the French but another major country; United States of America. Without the Haitian revolution, Napoleon's dream of a French colonial Empire would be much easier to achieve and the Louisiana purchase may never of happened, thus leaving the USA the same as it was right after the American revolution. It definitely would of given us a chance to feel a different type of warfare. It may of not been done well though. The "Road to Independence Campaign" in ETW didn't feature any of the guerrilla warfare that made Lafayette famous and indeed possibly won the revolution. Guerrilla warfare is incredibly hard to recreate and would need a whole readjustment of the gameplay mechanics. I guess we can only dream......

I wonder to what extent actual belief in slavery had to do with this war and not just simply because Napoleon was pissed off at Toussaint for not acknowledging his orders (aside from the issue of money and producing sugar).

"The Hero of the Two Worlds" fought for General Washington under the rank of Major General (only one of the truly awesome things he did in his life) and he did so bravely and with much honor. He was wounded once (Brandywine) that I know of off the top of my head but I am drawing a complete blank on why you would describe him as a guerrilla fighter. I am not saying I am right and you are wrong but as I cannot recall anything about it myself I would be pleased to know what source you gleaned this information from. Sincerely!

PS Anyone looking for interesting reading should learn more about the Marquis as he was a truly amazing man who did truly amazing things!

Oh and by the way I would like to have the british war of 1812. It does not matter, haiti is insgnificant in world history

^I'll have to agree.

I think the attempted French occupation of Mexico had far more potential consequences than the Haitian re-occupation. Had the US not have been engaged in full scale civil war, it would have been at war with France. When US troops began drilling along the border in 1865 when the civil war came to a close, the French were forced to abandon their imperial pursuit despite having invested thousands of men and occupied a large part of the Mexican infrastructure.