An Alternate Liberty: Steampunk Statue of Liberty

In a universe parallel to our own, a few key moments of history played out slightly differently. These subtle changes rippled through history and the world, changing the face of what many of us would expect.

On October 20th, 1805, the army led by general Karl Mack von Leiberich was not defeated by the French as it was in our universe. This was a turning point in the conflict between Napoleon's forces and the Austrian Empire. As Napoleon's forces suffered the defeat near Ulm, it allowed the Austrian Empire to regroup, and the force from Ulm was able to flank Napoleon in the Battle of Austerlitz on 10 December 1805*. Without the Treaty of Pressburg, the Austrian Empire did not abandon the Third Coalition, and it continued to grow and exert pressure across Europe. With Napoleon's execution under the order of Emperor Francis II, the First French Empire ended, and thus a major shift occurred in the history of the world.

This completely altered the relationship between the United States, France, and all of Europe, as well as the development of many of the technologies that started the Industrial Age. The Statue of Liberty, a gift from the Holy Austrian Empire, was to celebrate America's love and tribute to one of the Austrian Empire's greatest and most talented creators. The date on the Statue commemorates his birth.

Just a quick note. The * up above is to let people know that I specifically changed the date on the Battle of Austerlitz. I thought it would be fun to come up with a actual, somewhat historical reason for a Steampunk Statue of Liberty. I personally am not a writer, but if someone is willing to do a collaboration, and finish the story, it would be fun.