VIVE L'EMPEREUR!
1792
Campaign Game (back)
France: Paul
Rae (8)
Great Britain: Patrick Thurston (12)
Austria:
Patrice Cloutier (10)
Prussia:
Rami Sader (5)
Russia: Olivier Ahad (16)
Turkey:
Pierre-Emmanuel Baril (5)
Spain: Thomas Robert (5)
Session 1: April-June 1792
Session 2: July-December 1792
Session 3: January-December 1793
Session 4: January-June 1794
Session 5: July-September 1794
Session 6: October 1794-January 1795
Session 7: February-April 1795
Session 8: Coming soon!
SESSION
1: April 13th, 2013
April 1792
Declarations of War:
Ru -> Poland (Fr)
Sp -> Portugal (Fr)
GB -> Denmark/Norway (Ru)
Pr -> Saxony (Fr)
Pr -> Duchies (Fr)
Tu -> Tunisia (Fr)
Combined Movement:
Au + Pr
Ru + Sp
Turn events:
- French
army of 3 corps under Dumouriez assaults Turin, destroying the Piedmont
corps in the city and occupying it (1m Fr : 8i, 1c Pie). French troops
successfully assault Brussels, occupying it (1i Au).
- Russian troops enter Vilna, Minsk and Nemirov unopposed
- Turkish troops land in Tunisia and besiege Tunis but cannot
breach the walls
- Austria moves the bulk of its army into Lombardy
- Prussian
army of 2 corps under Brunswick assaults Dresden but the Saxon
defenders repel them (5i Pr : 4i Sax). Prussian troops occupy Erfurt.
- Great
Britain lands a corps under York in Copenhagen, beating the Danish
corps in a 2-day field battle and occupying the city (2i GB : 6i 1c
Den)
- Spanish troops besiege Lisbon but cannot breach the walls
May 1792
Declarations of War:
GB -> Ru (no call)
Ru -> Sweden/Finland (Fr)
Sp -> Papacy (GB)
Combined Movement:
Au + Pr
Turn Events:
- A
strong British Fleet takes up station in the Baltic Sea causing Russia
to cancel their planned invasion of Sweden. The Danish fleet attacks a
British fleet in the Channel (29 : 12) but is beaten (Linear Attack vs
Linear Attack, 3 Dan : 2 GB). GB retains 3 hulks, Denmark 1.
- Russian corps marching from St. Petersburg take Sveaborg by
coup de main.
- Dumouriez
concentrates 4 corps to attack Wurmser's 3 corps west of the main
Austrian force in Milan, taking significant foraging losses (5m). The
battle (54 Fr : 29 Au) goes poorly (Escalated Assault vs Defend, 10m,
2i, 1c Fr : 8i Au) and Dumouriez retreats to Piacenza.
- Mack
counterattacks with 6 corps, sending a further corps to retake Turin,
which it successfully does. The battle in Piacenza (54 Au : 41 Fr) is a
hard fought Austrian victory (Echelon vs Defend, 10i Au : 6m, 1c Fr),
Dumouriez retreats to his depot in Grenoble. General Dumouriez is
brought before the Directory on two charges of treason and cowardice
but is exonerated.
- Prussia is unable to break into Dresden.
- Turkey is unable to break into Tunis, despite a large
number of Tunisian troops starving.
- Spanish
troops break into Lisbon, destroying the Portuguese corps and occupying
the city (2i Sp : 8i, 1c Por), while Neapolitan troops occupy Rome.
Conquests:
GB -> Denmark/Norway (Ru)
Ru -> Lithuania, Polesia, Poldolia (P)
Fr -> Flanders (Au)
Pr -> Duchies (Pr)
June 1792
Declarations of War:
Tu -> Au (no call)
Fr -> Palatinate (Au)
GB -> Mecklenberg (Ru)
Peace:
Ru lapse of war -> Poland
Combined Movement:
Au + Pr
Turn Events:
- Turkish
troops cross the Austrian frontier, 1 corps force marching to the gates
of Vienna and one besieging Ofen. A follow-on force of two corps under
Achmed Pasha encounter an Insurrection Corps and are forced to retreat
after a short battle. Turkish forces are unable to break into Tunis.
- The
Austrian garrison of Vienna starves (1i) just as an Austrian corps
arrives and beats the besieging Turkish feudal corps, saving the
capital. The Turkish corps at Ofen is similarly defeated by the
Insurrection corps and forced to retreat. The main Austrian army of 7
corps concentrates in Turin.
- A force of two Prussian corps
annihilates the Polish army in a lop-sided field battle (Escalated
Assault vs Cordon, 2i Pr : 5i, 3c Pol), Prussian troops then assault
and occupy Warsaw. Dresden holds out for another turn, however.
- Hanoverian troops occupy Lubeck.
- French troops occupy Mainz.
Conquests:
Sp -> Portugal (Fr), Papacy (GB)
Economic Turn:
GB trades with all eligible ports, does not deny US trade.
France conducts Levée en Masse, triggering Vendée revolt.
SESSION
2: June 8th, 2013
(back to top)
July 1792
Declarations of War:
Fr –> Switzerland (Au)
Sp –> Tuscany (Au)
Sp –> Romagna (Au)
Peace:
Ru informal –> GB (accepts)
Alliances:
Sp + GB
Free States:
Sp frees Portugal
Combined Movement:
Au + Pr
Ru + Sp
Turn Events:
- Russia
and Great Britain reach a settlement in their brief Baltic war,
returning to the status quo ante bellum. Russian troops mass in Baltic
ports in preparation for transshipment to Sweden.
- His ranks
swollen with “volunteers”, Dumouriez’ command expands to 6 corps.
Wasting no time he throws this force at the 7 battered Austrian corps
under Mack outside Turin. The subsequent battle (82 Fr : 49 Au) is the
first French victory of the war by the narrowest of margins (Echelon vs
Defend, 9m Fr : 11i, 4c Au). So in doubt was the outcome that after
watching a large part of his force rout, Dumouriez withdrew his command
and gave instructions for the lines of retreat. The day was carried
when a young 24 year old chef de brigade Lazar Hoche spotted a gap
created by a routing Austrian unit and on his own initiative led his
cavalry division to exploit the gap. Within 20 minutes the Austrian
position had crumbled and only a heroic sacrifice of Austrian light
cavalry screened the retreat of the main Austrian body from an
energetic pursuit. A courier was quickly sent to interrupt Dumouriez,
as he wrote yet another letter of apology to the Directory, informing
him that he had won the battle. French troops enter Turin. Another
corps of militia enters Zurich and informs the people they are now free
citizens of the glorious French Republic.
- Image: French
Army attacks Mack at Turin
- Fresh
Turkish forces march deep into Austria and Hungary. The 1st
Insurrection Corps defeats 3 Turkish corps in a 2-day battle at Ofen
(Assault vs Cordon, Assault vs Defend, 5fi, 1c Tu : 4m Au) and the 3
Austrian corps defending Vienna drive off 3 Turkish corps under Achmed
Pasha (Probe vs Defend, 3fi, 2fc Tu : 2m Au). The only Turkish success
comes in southern Hungary, as a follow up force of 3 corps under the
grand Vizier smashes the 2nd Insurrection Corps (Assault vs Escalated
Counterattack, 2fi Tu : 8m, 3c Au) outside Ezsek. Rumours of chaos in
the Turkish government abound (Tu enters the fiasco zone).
- Image: Turkish
high water mark
- Mack
pulls his army back to Mantua, forcing a French corps to take shelter
inside the city. Prussian troops march south into Bohemia to bolster
their hard-pressed ally. Conditions in the besieged city of Dresden
worsen but the garrison holds. Poland is dismantled, the provinces of
Posen and Masovia are reintegrated into the kingdom of Prussia, with
West Galicia as a protectorate.
- Image: The
siege of Dresden
- Spanish troops land in Leghorn and a Neapolitan corps
marches towards Bologna.
Conquests:
Fr –> Palatinate (Au)
GB –> Mecklenberg (Ru)
Pr –> Poland (Fr)
August 1792
Declarations of War:
Fr –> Kleves (Pr)
Pr –> Berg (Fr)
Sp –> Algeria (Pr)
Peace:
Pr sues –> Fr (conditional, accepted, A.1, B.3 1x1/2)
Au sues –> Fr (conditional, accepted, A.1, B.7 Piedmont)
Au sues –> Tu (conditional, accepted, A.1, B.3 2x1/3, B.5)
Alliances:
Tu + Fr
Sp + Fr
Combined Movement:
Au + Pr
Ru + Sp
Turn Events:
- With
their interior overrun by Turks and their dwindling army in Italy
pursued by Dumouriez’ masses of conscripts, Austria sues for peace,
joined at the peace table by their Prussian ally. French gains along
the Rhine and in Italy (Piedmont is officially ceded to France) are
recognized as a fait accompli. The Treaty of Mantua stipulates that
Holland is to be in the French sphere of interest, while everything
east of the Rhine falls into the German sphere. The prestige won at the
peaces table enable France to conclude treaties of friendship with
Turkey and Spain, and give a shot in the arm to Grand Vizier Mehmed
Pasha’s beleaguered government. A cabal of Janissary officers plotting a
coup are quickly uncovered and shot after a brief show trial, restoring
some semblance of peace to the Ottoman Empire.
- French troops occupy Cologne. The Vendee revolt ends.
- Turkish and Egyptian troops finally capture Tunis.
- After
a long siege Dresden capitulates to the Prussians; Prussian commanders
“lose control” of their troops and the city is sacked. Frankfurt is
occupied.
- Spanish troops occupy Bologna and Florence, and lay siege
to Algiers.
- 2
Russian corps under Suvarov (including the Imperial Guard) land at
Stockhom but are driven off by the Swedish field army (Assault vs
Defend, 2m, 3i Ru : 1i Swe). The Swedes drive Suvarov north but a 2nd
battle is inconclusive (Assault vs Defend, 2i Ru : 1i Swe) as a the
Swedes can make no impression on the stalwart Russian defence. Contact
is broken after the first day as both sides withdraw in good order.
- Image: Suvarov
is driven back by the Swedes
Conquests:
Fr –> Switzerland (Au)
September 1792
Combined Movement:
Ru + Sp
Turn Events:
- Austrian troops mass on the Bavarian border.
- Spanish troops break into Algiers and take the city.
- Dumouriez’ army arrives in Flanders
- Suvarov
keeps his distance from the Swedish army and requests more troops. A
perturbed Catherine the Great agrees and 2 more corps ready for
transport.
Conquests:
Sp –> Romagna (Au), Tuscany (Au)
Fr –> Kleves (Pr)
Pr –> Berg (Fr), Saxony (Fr)
Tu –> Tunisia (Fr)
Economic Turn:
GB trades with all eligible ports, does not deny US trade.
France suffers crop failure, losing half it's income
Spanish Gold Convoy arrives, adding 20 money to the Spanish purse
October 1792
Declarations of War:
Pr –> GB (no call to allies)
Fr –> Holland (Pr)
Tu –> Tripolitania (GB)
Tu –> Cyrenaica (Au)
Sp –> Sardinia (Au)
Au –> Bavaria (Fr)
Au –> Wurttemberg (Fr)
Combined Movement:
Ru + Sp
Turn Events:
- Prussian
tensions with Great Britain come to a head all of a sudden as Prussia
claims that the northern German territories east of the Rhine should be
brought under exclusive Prussian protection according to the treaty of
Mantua. William Pitt the Younger scoffs at the Prussian claims and is
unanimously supported by parliament. Prussia wastes no time in
declaring war and their troops invade Hanover and Hesse, capturing
Kessel and laying siege to Hanover.
- The French army storms into
Holland, capturing Breda and breach Amsterdam but are repulsed by the
Dutch after a bloody fight (4m : 7i)
- Austrian corps assault Munich and Stuttgart but are
repulsed.
- Turkey
moves to reconstitute the glory of the Ottoman empire, invading
Tripolitania and Cyrenaica. Benghazi falls quickly but Tripoli holds
out.
- Spanish troops land in Sardinia, occupying Cagliari.
- Suvarov moves south, bypassing Stockholm and linking up
with 2 freshly landed Russian corps at Norrkoping.
Conquests:
Sp –> Algeria (Pr)
November 1792
Declarations of War:
Au –> Baden (Fr)
GB –> Malta (Pr)
Sp –> Morocco (Tu)
Combined Movement:
Ru + Sp
Turn Events:
- The siege of Munich continues, but Austrian troops capture
Stuttgart and Freiburg after their garrisons run out of provisions.
- Prussia captures Lubeck and Hanover.
- The
reinforced Russian army in Sweden marches on Stockholm once more. With
some luck, Suvarov manages to break the Swedes (Echelon vs Cordon, 3m,
1i Ru : 6i, 1c Swe) in the ensuing battle, who retreat south to Malmo
to lick their wounds. Stockhom swiftly capitulates. The Swedish fleet
weighs anchor to escape capture but is destroyed in the ensuing battle
with the much stronger Russian fleet. 2 Russian hulks make it to Riga,
3 Swedish ships are sunk and 9 Swedish hulks make it to the protection
of friendly shore batteries and are moved south to Malmo.
- A
Spanish army under De La Union lands in Morocco and beats the Moroccan
army in a short fight (Assault vs Cordon, 1i Sp : 3i, 1c Mor),
occupying Tangiers.
- The siege of Tripoli drags on.
- British
troops take possession of the strategic island of Malta. An
expeditionary corps lands in Konigsberg to annoy the Prussians.
- Amsterdam surrenders to the French, finally accepting the
freedom of their people under benevolent Republican rule.
Conquests:
Pr –> Hesse (GB)
Tu –> Cyrenaica (Au)
Sp –> Sardinia (Au)
December 1792
Turn Events:
- Munich holds out for a third month under siege by Austria.
- Turkish troops storm Tripoli, capturing it.
- The redcoats take possession of Konigsberg.
Conquests:
Ru –> Sweden/Finland (Fr)
Au –> Wurttemberg (Fr), Baden (Fr)
Pr –> Hanover (GB), Mecklenberg (GB)
GB –> Malta (Pr)
Sp –> Morocco (Tu)
Fr –> Holland (Pr)
Economic Turn:
GB trades TBD
SESSION
3: July 6th, 2013
(back to top)
January 1793
Turn Events:
- Chaos erupts in the British government as King George III,
plagued since 1788 by bouts of madness (leading him to be dubbed in
many circles the "Matt King"), suffers a complete relapse. With the
King unable to give the speech form the throne or fulfill any of his
official capacities, Pitt the Younger (oft-times called Pat
affectionately by his friends) proposes a regency by the Prince of
Wales lest the British government fall into paralysis. Privately Pitt
blames the foreign policy failures of 1792 on the King's erratic
behaviour, and seeks via the Regency bill to stabilize the government
under his firm hand. This proposal, widely supported by Parliament
nevertheless meets stern resistance from the Prince himself. Seeing the
Regency bill for what it is as a deliberate attempt by Parliament to
undermine the remaining powers of the Monarchy, he declares that Pitt's
proposal "will produce weakness, disorder and insecurity in every
branch of administration".
- Austrian troops continue to besiege Munich without success
Conquests:
Tu -> Tripolitania (GB)
February 1793
Peace:
Pr informal -> GB (accepts)
Alliances:
GB + Au
Combined Movement:
Fr + Tu
Turn Events:
- With the catatonic George III showing no sign of recovery,
Pitt and the other ministers arrange to have the Great Seal of the
Realm affixed to a document instructing the Lords Commissioners to
deliver the speech from the throne, without which Parliament could not
legally operate. This technically illegal act (the Great Seal of the
Realm cannot be affixed without prior consent of the Sovereign) opened
the 1793 session of Parliament and the first item up for vote was the
Regency Bill. The Royalist faction bitterly opposed the measure ("a
glaring falsehood, a forgery, a fraud, a very palpable absurdity!!"
they shouted from the floor of parliament), but the majority of
Parliament had rallied behind Pitt and the Regency bill passed, making
an unwilling Prince of Wales Regent and giving Pitt the latitude he
desperately needed.
- Recognizing the fait-accompli of the Prussian occupation of
Hanover, Hesse, and Mecklenberg, Great Britain agrees to peace with
Prussia without any further terms or conditions. Pitt the Younger
immediately opens a dialogue with the Prussian government in order to
swiftly repair the breach in relations.
March 1793
Alliances:
Sp + Tu
GB + Pr
Combined Movement:
Fr + Tu
Turn Events:
- Pitt the Younger's deliberate diplomacy bears fruit as
Prussia and Great Britain pledge their allegiance. The Prince of Wales
opposition to Parliament and bitterness over the Regency bill is great
mollified by an agreement with Parliament to help pay off his
substantial gambling debts; Parliament increases his yearly allowance
by a hefty 65,000 pounds.
- Turkey re-affirms the Ottoman Empire, officially
incorporating the re-conquered North African states into the Imperial
system with Sultan Selim III at the head.
- Austrian troops finally decisively breach the walls of
Munich and capture the city.
Economic Turn:
GB trades with all eligible ports, does not deny US trade.
April 1793
Combined Movement:
Fr + Tu
Turn Events:
- King Charles IV of Spain, long disinterested in affairs of
state, suffers a serious hunting accident and is officially indisposed.
In his stead the liberal leaning Count of Aranda rules on as Prime
Minister.
- Bavaria is officially absorbed into the Austrian Empire.
Conquests:
Au -> Bavaria (Fr)
May 1793 - November 1793
Turn Events:
- The summer and autumn of 1793 were marked by peace and
commerce, thinly masking a steady arms build-up in Europe. The conscript
peasant army of France was drilled and trained and re-organized into
formations of well-equipped regular infantry. The military expansion
and the Directory's refusal to allow soldiers in training to return to
their homes for the harvest contributed to crop failure and a very
meagre harvest in France, significantly increasing tensions in Europe. By
November already the drums of war could be distantly heard as both
banks of the Rhine river became armed camps.
December 1793
Turn Events:
- Spanish Prime Minister Count Aranda is revealed to have
several Imperial Russian agents as his top advisors. Aranda is arrested
and confined to house arrest, and is replaced by Manuel Godoy, a firm
royalist who is rumoured to have struck up an affair with Queen Maria
Luisa during the King's long and difficult recovery.
- The French Directory new policy of supporting Spanish
interests in Italy leads to the cessation of Piedmont to Spain; the
Directory hopes that Spain will act as a buffer against Austria south
of the Alps, thus allowing the French army to concentrate on Germany.
Economic Turn:
GB trades with all eligible ports, does not deny US trade
SESSION
4: August 3rd, 2013
(back to top)
January 1794
Alliances:
Ru + Pr
Ru + Au
Free States:
Sp frees Piedmont
Combined Movement:
Au + Pr + Ru
Turn Events:
- With
war potentially looming, Russia signs an alliance agreement with
Austria and Prussia, and delivers stern warnings to Turkey that they
are not to interfere with Austria. Their eastern borders thus secure,
the Austrian and Prussian armies concentrate on the Rhine, amassing a
large force at Freiburg in preparation for the expected conflict.
- French
troops vacate the now-Spanish possession of Piedmont. Spain grants
Piedmont "protectorate" status with it's own civil government;
overjoyed Piedmontese celebrate in the streets.
February 1794
Free States:
GB frees Denmark/Norway
Combined Movement:
Au + Pr + Ru
Turn Events:
- Tensions build along the Rhine as the August 1792 armistice agreements expire
- 2 French Fleets leave the channel ports headed for Toulon, shadowed by slightly larger British fleet
- 4 Russian corps march to Warsaw from their depot in Brest-Litovsk
March 1794
Combined Movement:
Au + Pr + Ru
Turn Events:
- Russian corps arrive in Posen after building a depot in Warsaw
- Spain ferries corps to Piedmont and Romagna
- French troops move away from the Channel & North Sea ports and take up positions along the Rhine river.
- Image: Buildup along the Rhine
Economic Turn:
GB trades with all eligible ports, does not deny US trade.
April 1794
Combined Movement:
Au + Pr + Ru
Turn Events:
- Russian corps arrive in Wittenburg after building a depot in Posen
- Spain ferries corps to Piedmont and Romagna
May 1794
Declarations of War:
Fr -> Pr (calls Au)
Au -> Fr (called from Pr)
Combined Movement:
Au + Pr + Ru
Turn Events:
- The
Directory, sensing their increasing isolation and the growing relative
power of their opponents issue a declaration of war on Prussia. Austria
immediately declares war on France in support of Prussia.
- French fleets sail to blockade Venice and Trieste. The Emperor's pleasure yacht shall not be allowed to sail!
- The
French army, echeloned along the Rhine, surges forward into the
Prussian lines. Avoiding the large Austro-Prussian concentration
further south, Hoche concentrates 9 corps at Frankfurt while Pichegru
besieges Wesel with 2 corps. III Corps (12I, 2M, 2c) makes a flank
march to attack a Prussian corps (9i) north of Kessel in Hesse, losing
2M and 1i to attrition due to foraging. Nevertheless the Prussian corps
is beaten and forced back towards Magdeburg (Echelon vs Counterattack,
2i Fr : 3i Pr). Hoche takes the city of Stuttgart bloodlessly as the
defending Prussian corps surrenders it's full strength (9i, 3c).
Pichegru meets stiff resistance at Wesel, as the Prussian corps
defending the fortress repel his first assault (4M Fr : 5i Pr)
- Mack
wastes little time in setting the main concentration of Austrian and
Prussian troops in motion. 8 Austrian corps and 4 Prussian corps march
north through Baden, crossing the Main river into Duchies before
swinging west to meet the waiting French host at Frankfurt. Wurmser
takes 4 Austrian corps and marches south to Zurich, capturing the city
easily. 3 Prussian corps converge on III corps in the Hessian forest
which fights a brief rearguard action against this superior force
(Probe vs Defend, 2i Fr : 2i Pr) and withdraws in the night to join
Pichegru at Wesel.
- The Battle of Frankfurt (9 Fr corps, 86i,
14m, 10c vs 8 Au, 4 Pr corps, 11g, 65i, 1m, 26c) opens with the
Austro-Prussian force deploying for a rapid assault. Hoche elects to
detach a third of his force, 4 corps, to flank the attacking columns
but the French are taken off guard by the rapidity of the attack and
take serious losses before the flanking force can arrive. For a time it
seems the unexpected arrival of 4 French corps on the Austro-Prussian
flank will unhinge Mack's battle plan entirely, however Mack spots a
weakness in Hoche's line opened up by the chaos of the initial attack
and immediately commits the Prussian guard while sending rapid fire
orders to his brigade commanders to re-align their forces to meet the
flank threat. By 2pm the battle is all but over as the French positions
crumble and the flanking force is bloodily repulsed. Allied cavalry
wreaks terrible havoc amongst the retreating French as they withdraw to
Cologne in disarray [Guard committed 2nd round after French flank force
arrival, Allies needed a 5 or 6 to win and rolled a 6, French needed a
6 and rolled a 5; Allies rolled a 6 for pursuit with 26 cavalry]
(Assault vs Outflank, 25i, 14m, 4c Fr : 13i Au, 9i Pr) and Prussian
troops re-occupy Frankfurt. Pichegru was unable to assist in the battle
due to the garrison of Wesel attempting to break out (3i, 1c Pr : 2i
Fr).
- Image: Battle of Frankfurt
- The Russian detachment arrives in Erfurt after building a depot in Wittenberg.
- After
reports that Hoche was trying negotiate an armistice after the battle,
he is arrested and brought to Paris for trial on charges of treason and
cowardice. Stung by the bloodiest defeat in the Revolution's short
history, the Directory is not inclined to mercy, and after a brief show
trial Hoche is sentenced to death. He is sent to guillotine before the
end of the month.
June 1794
Combined Movement:
Au + Pr + Ru
Turn Events:
- French fleets sail to blockade Stettin and Danzig
- The
Directory orders Pichegru to take command of the army and win a victory
at any cost. Losses from June are offset by a fresh wave of trained
infantry, but the cavalry losses cannot be replaced. Looking at his
options in the face of a superior Allied force, Pichegru decides a
change in tactics is needed. Taking his 6 best corps he marches rapidly
south to attack Wurmser's inferior force at Zurich, while sending small
raiding forces to attack the Austrian depots in Baden and Wurttemburg.
Dumouriez takes 3 corps and retreats to Lille to observe the northern
front. One French force is repelled by an Austrian Depot garrison at
Ulm, but the other two detachments manage to destroy Austrian depots at
Freiburg and Stuttgart, occupying those cities. Pichegru's attacks
Wurmser with overwhelming force (6 Fr corps, 80i, 8c vs 4 Au corps, 5g,
29i, 5c), inflicting a bloody defeat (Echelon vs Counterattack, 4i Fr :
12i, 2c Au) and sending him reeling back to Ulm. Though the Directory
is irritated that Pichegru did not engage the main allied force under
Mack, they are happy to have a clear victory to bolster the flagging
morale of the French people.
- Image: Pichegru pushes Wurmser back from Zurich
- The
Lombard corps arrives on the scene and besieges a small French force in
Freiburg. Wurmser moves north to attack the French corps at Stuttgart
but the French withdraw successfully to Strasbourg. The main
Austro-Prussian body crosses the Rhine to Cologne and invests the city,
while 2 Prussian corps under Brunswick besieges Breda.
- The Russians build a depot at Erfurt and send 3 of their 4 corps on to Nuremburg.
- Image: Europe at the end of June
Economic Turn:
GB
expresses it's displeasure at the trade disruptions caused by the
French blockades of Austrian and Prussian ports by partially embargoing
trade with France (no trade with Le Havre, Antwerp or Amsterdam),
otherwise trading with everyone.
SESSION 5: September 7th, 2013
(back to top)
July 1794
Combined Movement:
Au + Pr
Turn Events:
- The
Directory, displeased with Pichegru's caution, cast about for a new
leader. They settle upon the aggressive young Jean Victor Marie Moreau,
who gained recognition commanding the right wing at Zurich. To the
Directory's chagrin, Moreau chooses to pursue Wurmser's battered
command to Stuttgart instead of engaging the main body under Mack,
detaching Pichegru with 2 corps to attack the Lombards at Freiburg.
Pichegru drives back the Lombard corps from Freiburg, relieving the
French corps besieged there (3 Fr corps, 23i vs Lombard corps, 7i, 1c;
Echelon vs Defend, 2i Fr : 1i, 1c Lom). In the north, French troops
capture Frankfurt (1i pr) in an attempt to disrupt supply to Mack's
combined army.
- Moreau engages Wurmser at Stuttgart, where a
small French garrison is under siege (4 Fr corps, 56i, 8c, vs 5 Au
corps, 7m, 24i, 5g, 5c). Confident of his large advantage in
numbers, Moreau launches piecemeal attacks all along the Austrian line
waiting for a weak spot to appear. Despite heavy casualties the
Austrians cling tenaciously to their positions throughout the day.
Finally late in the day the Austrian positions start to crumble.
Wurmser, sensing the crisis, commits the Austrian Grenadiers straight
into the center, breaking the exhausted French troops. Moreau and his
staff become involved in a wild cavalry melee as Austrian cavalry
charge his position. With command & control temporarily gone the
French army goes into full retreat, leaving the equally broken
Austrians in control of the battlefield. Losses are heavy on both sides
(Echelon vs Cordon, 10i, 1c Fr : 7m, 12i, 1c, 1g Au), with Moreau
successfully withdrawing his army back across the Rhine to Strasbourg.
The Directory, greatly displeased at this retreat, immediately recall
Moreau to Paris where he is imprisoned awaiting trial.
- In a
note of good news for the French fortunes of war, cracks start to show
in the Russo-German alliance. The Prussians and Austrians accuse the
Russians of being dilatory and condemn Russian diplomacy as being
insufficiently anti-French. In return, the Russians accuse the
Prussians of fermenting revolt in the Polish provinces with promises of
a Prussian sponsored Polish state. As the bickering intensifies, the
Russian army at Erfurt is observed withdrawing north to Wittenburg,
dismantling their supply lines behind them, greatly diminishing the
threat of their entry into the conflict.
- Before his departure,
Moreau instructs his commands to dig in outside Strasbourg in
preparation for the inevitable Allied counterattack and dispatches an
appeal for assistance to Dumouriez, then just arrived in Zurich with 2
relatively fresh corps. Mere days after Moreau's departure, the
combined Allied army under Mack descends upon the leaderless French
army at Strasbourg as Wurmser throws his battered command against
Pichegru at Freiburg.
- Pichegru (2 corps, 21i) expertly defeats
Wurmser (3 Au, 1 Lombard corps, 14i, 4g, 4c) at Freiburg (Assault vs
Defend, 3i, 1c Lom, 3i Au : 2i Fr) but is too heavily engaged to render
any assistance to the main army at Strasbourg. Austrian troops retake
Stuttgart (1m Fr captured), 2 Prussian corps assault Frankfurt but are
repulsed by the French corps there (1i, 1m Pr : 2i, 3m Fr), and a token
Prussian force attempts to take Cologne but is also repulsed. An
Austrian corps destroys a small French screening force in northern
Baden. (1m Fr).
- With great confidence, Mack commits his forces
(8 Au, 4 Pr corps, 66i, 1m, 10g, 26c) into an all out assault on the
four French corps (46i, 7c) at Strasbourg. Convinced that the inferior
French force must break under the pressure, Mack sends in wave after
wave of infantry assaults against the French field works and redoubts,
but the difficult terrain and the strong French position confound the
Allied attacks. French morale remains high as the day wears on, hotly
contesting every inch of ground, despite mounting losses on both sides.
By late afternoon, Mack receives word from his scouts of the imminent
arrival of 2 fresh corps (24i) under Dumouriez having marched with all
haste from Zurich. Realizing that the French were far from broken and
his advantage was being quickly worn away, Mack orders the Prussian
guard into a direct assault. With fresh French infantry formations
reinforcing the defensive redoubts, the attack quickly falters. Seeing
the Prussian guard turned back so easily spreads panic through the
Allied ranks, and as Dumouriez takes control of the army and starts
launching counterattacks the Allied army retreats into the gathering
dusk in disarray (Escalated Assault vs Defend, 6i, 1c Pr, 10i Au : 15i
Fr). Mack withdraws his force across the Rhine to Ulm to re-establish
supply.
- On the home front in France, the National Convention
stages a coup against the Directory and Robespierre is arrested and
executed along with his Jacobin cohorts, ending their reign of terror.
Moreau is freed immediately and his general strategy and that of
Pichegru is endorsed by the new regime. Nevertheless, Moreau remains in
Paris to help organize the new government and embark on diplomatic
efforts that would soon bear fruit.
August 1794
Declarations of War:
GB -> Pr (calls Ru)
Ru refuses, Pr forces Ru to break alliance
Combined Movement:
Pr + Au
Turn Events:
- Great
Britain, citing the illegal occupation by Prussia of Hanover and Hesse,
declares war. With relations already strained, Prussia demands Russia
honour their alliance and join the war against Britain. Russia issues a
cold refusal, closing their embassy in Berlin and withdrawing their
ambassador and staff.
- The French garrisons of Frankfurt (1i Fr) and Cologne (1m Fr) are starved out.
- Pichegru
assumes overall command of the army once more and decides to take the
fight to the Prussians, leading 4 corps to Frankfurt to attack the
small force under Brunswick that just captured the city. Dumouriez is
ordered to Liege with 2 corps to attack a Prussian corps there, with
additional corps being sent to besiege Cologne and Kessel. The still
powerful main Allied army under Mack at Ulm is carefully screened from
interfering in these moves.
- Dumouriez defeats the Prussian
corps at Liege (Echelon vs Escalated Counterattack, 2i Fr : 2m Pr),
while Pichegru compels Brunswick and his troops to surrender at
Frankfurt after a brief siege (7i, 5m, 5c, Brunswick captured).
- The four Russian corps in Wittenberg march to Posen, following their supply line back to Russia.
- Mack
marches his reorganized and resupplied army north in pursuit of
Pichegru, destroying a small French delaying force in southern Duchies
(Trivial, 5i Fr : 1i Au). Wurmser sieges Freiburg with 3 corps, while
another Austrian corps and the Lombard corps assault and capture Zurich
(1m Fr).
- Great Britain lands 5 corps at Stettin, laying siege to the city.
September 1794
Declarations of War:
Sp -> Au (calls Ru)
Ru refuses, Au forces Ru to break alliance
Alliances:
Fr + Ru
GB + Ru
Combined Movement:
Au + Pr
Turn Events:
- The
new French Directory's diplomatic efforts bear fruit as Spain declares
war on Austria, perceiving that the time is ripe to complete their
conquest of Italy. Austria calls upon Russia to honour their alliance,
but as with Prussia before the call is flatly refused and the Russian
embassy in Vienna is similarly recalled.
- Exploiting the rift in
German-Russian relations, France concludes a treaty of friendship with
Russia. With Spain successfully brought into the conflict, Russia
neutralized, and a co-belligerent Great Britain, French fortunes had
greatly improved, and the German Allies had become increasingly
isolated.
- Continuing his strategy of attacking where the Allies
are weakest, Pichegru marches south, bypassing Mack and attacking
Wurmser once more at Freiburg (4 Fr corps, 56i, 7c vs 3 Au corps, 27i,
4g, 4c). Although the French attack inflicted casualties to negligible
losses, the Austrians held firm throughout the day and were able to
withdraw during the night to Ulm (Probe vs Cordon, 0 Fr : 6i Au).
Dumouriez simultaneously lays siege to Zurich with 2 corps, assaulting
the city but ultimately being repulsed by the Austrian and Lombard
defenders (4i Fr : 7i Lom). French forces destroy a garrisoned Austrian
depot in northern Baden (1i Au) and lay siege to Nuremburg.
- Mack
marches south once more into northern Baden, a small French delaying
force successfully withdrawing before him. Wurmser marches to Stuttgart
within supporting range of Mack's army and lays siege to the French
garrison. The garrison of Stettin starves out (1i Pr) while the
Austrian corps trapped in Zurich suffers losses as well (2i Au).
- General
York leading the British force at Stettin, having secured the port,
marches 4 of his corps inland and besieges the Prussian capital of
Berlin. A Prussian sortie inflicts some casualties (1i Gb).
- Spanish
troops disembark at Venice, linking up with an army led by Ruby
marching from Romagna. Spanish troops occupy Mantua and Piacenza, and
Ruby successfully assaults Venice, destroying the garrison and
capturing the city (1i Au).
- Image: Europe at the end of September
Economic Turn:
GB trades with all eligible ports, does not deny US trade
SESSION 6: November 23rd, 2013
(back to top)
October 1794
Combined Movement:
Au + Pr
Turn Events:
- French
troops take Munich after suffering some attrition (1m Fr : 1i Au).
Dumouriez captures Zurich, accepting the surrender of the defending
Austrian corps (1i, 1c Au captured). The main army under moreau marches
on Cologne, capturing that city (1i Pr captured).
- Wurmser
counter marches on Munich, driving away the French corps there and
recapturing the city (1m Fr). The main Austrian body under Mack marches
to Stuttgart and lays siege.
- Despite great hardships for the population and garrison of Berlin (3m Pr lost foraging), the defenders
manage to repel a major assault by York's redcoats at great cost (5i Gb
: 12i Pr). To the west, the Danish corps assaults Hanover, taking the
city after a difficult fight (2i Dan : 4m, 1i Pr).
- The last Russian troops exit Prussia, joining an ominous concentration of Russian power in Lithuania.
- Image: Europe at the end of October
Conquests:
Sp -> Venetia (Au)
Fr -> Baden (Au)
Fr -> Berg (Pr)
November 1794
Declarations of War:
Su -> Pr
Peace:
Pr sues –> Fr (conditional, accepted, A.1, B.2, B.7 Hanover)
Pr sues -> Ru (unconditional, refused)
Pr sues -> Gb (unconditional, refused)
Au sues –> Sp (conditional, accepted, A.1, B.5, B.7 Lombardy, Illyria)
Au sues –> Fr (unconditional, refused)
Combined Movement:
Au + Pr
Gb + Ru
Turn Events:
- After
several weeks of diplomatic wrangling, a peace agreement is signed at
Geneva between the Franco-Spanish alliance and the German powers.
Austria agrees to hand over Lombardy and Illyria to Spain in exchange
for return of Baden by France and monetary reparations. Prussia agrees
to cede Hanover to France and sign an extended non-aggression pact. An
armistice between French and Austrian troops is signed while the troops
withdraw to their own territory and the details of the peace are
hammered out.
- The Prussian contingent of the combined German
army breaks off and marches north to Erfurt. Brunswick and some 30,000
Prussian troops recently released from French captivity march to Kassel.
- Russian
troops flood across the Prussian border. Fersen with 4 corps assaults
Konigsberg, capturing the city (2i, 1m Pr captured). Thorn and Warsaw
are similarly assaulted and captured (1i, 3m Pr). The Russian fleet
unloads two Russian corps into the British controlled port of Stettin,
as the Danes move north to Mecklenberg, capturing Lubeck (1i Pr
captured).
- Due to a logistical oversight, the French garrison of Stuttgart starves (1m Fr)
December 1794
Peace:
Fr sues –> Au (conditional, accepted, A.5, B.3 2x1/3, B.7 Baden)
Alliances:
Fr + Au
Fr + Pr
Sp + Au
Sp + Pr
Au + Tu
Combined Movement:
Gb + Ru
Turn Events:
- With
the Geneva treaty finally ratified and put in force, the French,
Spanish, Austrians and Prussians sign a treaty of friendship and mutual
cooperation in the hopes of staving off another European bloodbath.
- Austria
and Turkey sign a treaty of mutual assistance. Turkish troops enter
Transylvania and Galicia, marching northwest through Austrian territory
apparently at the invitation of the Emperor.
- Prussia marches 4
corps to Theresienstadt in Austria as the Austrian army marches north
through Bohemia. Brunswick and his two corps march south into Bavaria
out of reach of the British and Russian forces around Berlin.
- The
Russian army extends it's supply line and concentrates 8 corps north of
Warsaw, sending a contingent to lay siege to Danzig. York captures
Berlin after being reinforced by Russian corps (4i Pr). British troops enter Posen (1i, 1m Pr)
- Image: Russian Invasion
Economic Turn:
GB trades with all eligible ports excluding French controlled, does not deny US trade
Spain forms the Kingdom of Italy
January 1795
Combined Movement:
Au + Pr
Gb + Ru
Turn Events:
- An
Austro-Turkish army starts massing in West Galicia, as the Prussian
army marches west inside the Austrian frontier to join them. Austrian
and Turkish intervention to save Prussia now seems like an
inevitability.
- The invading Russian army, now massing 9 corps,
moves north to Pomerania to minimize the the potential threat this new
force poses to their flank. Fersen takes command of the combined
Anglo-Russian troops at Berlin and marches to Kustrin. Danish and
Russian troops lay siege to Magdeburg. Danzig falls to the Russians
(1i, 1m Pr captured)
- Image: Occupied Prussia
SESSION 7: January 25th, 2014
(back to top)
February 1795
Declarations of War:
Au -> Ru
Tu -> Ru (calls Gb)
Gb -> Tu
Alliances:
Pr + Tu
Combined Movement:
Au + Pr + Tu
Gb + Ru
Turn Events:
- The
conflict expands as Austria and Turkey declare war jointly on Russia.
Great Britain declares war on Turkey to support their Russian ally but
maintains it's peace with Austria for the moment.
- Suvarov
arrives in Pomerania to take command of the main body of Russian troops
while York takes charge of the siege of Magdeburg. Mack and Wurmser
arrive at the front to take command of the Austro-Turkish forces.
- British
troops from Malta are conveyed to Tunisia under cover of the British
Navy. After a successful landing they take Tunis in short order.
- Turkish
and Austrian corps enter Russia, destroying supply depots and raiding
the countryside as far north as Kovno, capturing Grodno and
Brest-Litovsk. Mack links up with the Prussian army at Breslau, uniting
a force of 5 Prussian, 4 Austrian and 3 Turkish corps. Additional
Turkish corps steadily march north through Galicia.
- Brunswick
leads a single Prussian corps to Berlin, destroying a British depot and
recapturing the capital under the nose of the Anglo-Russian army (2i Gb). Austrian troops liberate Warsaw (1i Ru captured).
- Suvarov,
realizing his supply lines are dangerously compromised, orders his
troops to concentrate on Berlin where supply can still be brought in
via Stettin and Lubeck. An overwhelming force of 8 Russian and 4
British corps arrives at Berlin, prompting the surrender of Bunswick
and his corps (9i, 3c Pr) and putting the city once more under Anglo-Russian control.
- The fortress of Magedeburg holds out as British troops capture Wittenberg (1m Pr captured). The garrison of Kovno attempts to drive off the Turks around the city but cannot lift the siege (4i Ru : 2fi Tu)
March 1795
Combined Movement:
Au + Pr + Tu
Gb + Ru
Turn Events:
- Austrian
and Turkish corps move from Russia into eastern Prussia, retaking
Konigsberg (1i Ru captured) and Thorn (1i Ru) and starving out the
Danzig garrison (1i Ru). The Austrian Light Infantry catches a cossack
brigade outside Koniggratz and destroys it. A secondary Turkish army of
4 corps under the Grand Vizier masses in Bessarabia. Mack marches his
combined force from Breslau to Glogau, threatening Berlin.
-
Suvarov focuses on securing his perimeter and establishing proper
supply, sending a corps to capture Colberg (2m Pr) and another
detachment of 2 corps to attack the Austrians at Danzig, forcing the
surrender of an entire Austrian corps after a bloody assault (3i Ru :
4i Au; 7i, 1c Au captured) The British take Kessel with a tiny force of
redcoats, defeating and capturing a garrison of militia 3 times it's
size (3m Pr captured). The Danes break into Magdeburg but are repulsed
(1i Dan : 1m Pr).
Conquests:
Gb -> Tunisia (Tu)
Economic Turn:
GB trades with all eligible ports, does not deny US trade
Spain cedes Illyria back to Austria
April 1795
Combined Movement:
Au + Pr + Tu
Gb + Ru
Turn Events:
- Catherine
the Great falls into a coma after suffering a severe stroke
while on the toilet. The Imperial court is thrown into disarray by
this event and command and control of the army suffers. Documents
indicating that Catherine intended her grandson Alexander to succeed
her instead of her semi-estranged son Paul come to light, threatening to trigger a succession crisis.
- British troops from Tunis arrive off the shores of Tripoli, landing and making short work of the garrison.
- Mack marches on Suvarov at Berlin as skirmishing
forces advance to try and interdict Anglo-Russian supply. A Turkish
feudal corps force marches to Lubeck, capturing the city from the
British garrison (1fi : 1i Gb captured), while a Prussian corps lifts
the siege of Magedeburg, driving off the Danes (Echelon vs Defend, 1m
Pr : 1c Dan, Danes break 1st round). An Austrian corps moves to
Prussian-held Kustrin on the right flank of Mack's advance.
- Wurmser
marches north to Vilna at the head of 2 Austrian, 1 Egyptian and 1
Turkish cavalry corps to attack 2 Russian corps there; the Russians are
caught badly unprepared (Echelon vs Defend, 1i Egyt : 20i Ru,
Russia breaks 3rd round, suffering 6 pursuit losses) and although
fighting lasts much of the day, the Russian infantry is badly
outmaneuvered and broken, chased down by Turkish and Egyptian cavalry
and destroyed utterly as an effective fighting force. To the southeast,
the Grand Vizier advances on Kiev, leaving a detachment to starve out
the Nemirov garrison (1i Ru). Kovno is under siege with some starvation
amongst the defenders (1i Ru).
- Mack commits 11 corps (4 Pr, 4
Au, 3 Tu) to attack Suvarov's 12 corps (8 Ru, 4 Gb) at Berlin.
Mack's battle strategy is cautious, a stance that pays off as
Suvarov's powerful flank attack is detected early and bloodily repulse
over the course of several hours. The Allied force suffers minimal
losses however the flank attack turns into a creeping envelopment.
Realizing that the tactical situation is deteriorating and facing
superior Russian numbers, Mack commits the Prussian Guard in the late
afternoon in a last ditch attempt to break Suvarov's center, but this
attack also is repulsed. Mack realizes he must withdraw; the slow
compression of the Allies position makes this maneuver difficult and
army cohesion is lost as units begin retreating as best they can.
Russian and British cavalry harrass the retreating Allies all the way
back to Wittenberg where Mack manages to rally his troops (Probe vs
Outflank, 1fi, 1fc Tu, 1m, 1c Pr, 1i Au : 11i Ru, 8i Gb, Allies break
3rd round after guard committal, suffer 2 pursuit losses).
Anglo-Russian casualties are relatively severe but with the Allies in
full retreat Suvarov immediately plans a counter-attack on his own
initiative.
- Image: Suvarov prepares to pursue Mack into the forests of Saxony
- After
a brief pause to reorganize and deal with the threats to his supply
lines, Suvarov follows on the heels of the Allied army to Wittenberg.
Fersen takes two corps to attack the Austrians at Kustrin on the left
wing, driving them into the fortress. A quick assault is repulsed (3i
Ru : 1m Pr, 2m Au). York and the Danes, stiffened by British troops,
attack the Turks at Lubeck, defeating them after a short violent fight
(Assault vs Counterattack, 1i Dan : 4fi Tu).
- His flank secure,
Suvarov advances with confidence on the Allied army at Wittenberg,
pitting his 11 corps into a head on attack against the spread out
Ausrians, Prussians and Turks. The thin cordon Mack had managed to
establish is swept aside by the attacking columns and the Allied troops
are forced back through the forested countryside. The difficult terrain
impedes the Anglo-Russian army somewhat and prevents them from
delivering the killing blow, and ultimately Mack is able to withdraw
his battered units in good order before nightfall allows him to break
contact and retreat to Glogau (Assault vs Cordon, No Ru/Gb losses : 4fi tu, 9i Pr, 6i Au, no break, Allied army withdraws at night).
Conquests:
Gb -> Hesse (Pr)
SESSION 8: March 8th, 2014
(back to top)
Coming soon!