Dortmund wrote:[ATTACH=CONFIG]36319[/ATTACH]
[color="#ADD8E6"]Friedland, 1807. Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier.[/color]
After the French Revolution the absolutist kingdoms of Europe gather together in the first two coalitions to deal with the newly established Republic of France in what is known as the revolutionary wars. A young Napoleon arrives in France in these turbulent times and helps in the Italian campaign to defeat with his wit and courage the armies of the coalitions and to consolidate the government.
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[color="#ADD8E6"]Bonaparte in Arcole’s bridge. Antoine Jean Gros. [/color]
However, with Napoleon in Egypt, the situation in France gets worse by a series of defeats to the Second Coalition, while the fame of the corsican continues to increase. Thus, the government brings him back to France to face an apparent invasion. However, despite when he returns the situation has improved militarily, France’s economy is ruined and the government is unpopular, which gives Napoleon and his followers the excuse for a coup and he places himself at the forefront of the country as Prime Consul, lifelong Consul and, eventually, Emperor.
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[color="#ADD8E6"]The crowning of Napoleon. Jaques-Louis David. [/color]
A citizen of humble origins had reached the top with his courage and intelligence. In his short life he had gone from being a young revolutionary man to an absolute monarch. His contradictory figure provoked both praise and criticism, love and hate. What was obvious was his great intelligence and ego. Enthroned like a roman emperor, Napoleon made and unmade at will, was venerated by french soldiers and citizens and feared by his enemies. Those were the days of Napoleon’s glory.
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[color="#ADD8E6"]Napoleon in his imperial throne. Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres.[/color]
Welcome to one of the three 7 player PBEM games that we have initiated in Punta de Lanza forum. The players are:
1-Maulet: Russia
2-Haplo:Patryn: Great Britain
3-Xtraviz: Prussia
4-Dortmund: France
5-Fsansir: Spain
6-Gonzalo: Austria
7-Antonyo: Turkey
Fsansir and I will narrate the campaign from the point of view of our side, the Franco-Spanish. From here we'll talk about our plans and how the campaign unfolds. We hope that you like it.
" wrote:Haplo, Is it possible for you to talk about GB's campaign please? If it is problem I understand.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. Long live the King
" wrote:one question. Given the stack selection routine for combat are you not taking a bit of a chance with so many relatively small stacks in your army? You could get unlucky and have an elite formation targetted by a large enemy force.
Fsansir wrote:GIBRALTAR (4)
The assault quickly turns into a slaughter of Spanish and British soldiers.
Inside the fortress is the Malta British Army (disappeared in previous battles) and the fort garrison. They are surpassed by 5 to 1, but they plant an stubborn defence. So stuborn that almost all the British are death at the end of the battle, but the British flag remains over the rock. Their bravery and better positioning are not enough to stop 58,000 Spanish.
I've lost one fivth of my army which has passed from 1,000 power to 655. This means that with Spanish economy, my army will not recover the losses of this battle in a year. But I've to continue the pressure, as far as I know, right now a British fleet may be bringing here elief expedition. I've to finish this siege now, no matter the shape of my troops, the enemy's is worst. There is no rest, I order another assault for the next turn.
4,000 more soldiers died, but now Gibraltar is Spanish again
I gain 10 NM and a lot of PVs. Also, the fort batteries and the coastal guns are mine now.
For the British this means a drop in their NM, Pvs and -10 of war score (-1 more for each turn they not control Gibraltar), so I have to plan the defense because they can take an army here whenever they want. I join the most damaged brigades in a weak division and take them inside the fort with all the captured artillery. That should work for now.
The army returns to Cadiz for the ceremony of hand over of the Spanish Army Commander in Chief. At last Castaños, now a three star general, has more seniority than Godoy and now Spain have a proper Chief for the Army (maybe not the best, but anything is better than Godoy)
This army, weak and understrengthed, has recover the proud an glory with this campaing. It has not been easy at all, 28,000 men have died and it will be months before the army is near the 100%, but for sure now they are more selfconfident and ready for any future campaing, wherever it would be...
Dortmund wrote:[color="#008080"]July 1805[/color]
Grande Armee.
Napoleon's army follows the route plan divided in two: a force that progress into Bohemia to take Prague and keep moving eastward to surround the army that clogs in the foot of the Alps, cutting the road to Vienna south of the Danube.
Those who move to Prague are: Napoleon, Bessières, Lannes, Bernadotte, Marmont and Murat. They move cautiously awaiting opposition in Prague, but already at the end of the second week they are almost at the gates of the city and there are no visible enemy troops...
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[color="#008080"]Situation in Bohemia in mid-month.[/color]
So Napoleon decides to assault and send explorers to Tabor: no trace of Austrian troops. The taking of a city like Prague may seem important but it’s not really that much. In Napoleon's plans it’s only a strategic city. Not among the objectives of France.
At this point I start to observe a worrying shortage of supplies in Napoleon's army that has penetrated into Bohemia. It seems that for some reason they do not flow to Prague. Does it have something to do with the disappearance of those two Level 1 cities that I mentioned in my previous post? I am about to create and expand existing deposits in Pilsen and Eger to see if the supplies begin to flow… or the emperor’s plans will go to ruin.
Just in case the supplies don’t flow and to reduce the consumption of these in Prague, Bernadotte and Murat are sent to these cities. Lannes advances and takes Tabor without firing a shot.
At these moment I decide to move Soult and Ney to the border. These corps were located in Bavaria with the mission to contain the powerful Austrian force north of the Alps. The war started several weeks ago and the Austrians have not penetrated into Bavaria, so it seems safe to move to a better place. Ney penetrates into Austrian territory and puts under siege the city of Salzburg, while the body of Soult is near Passau, where the powerful Austrian army has disappeared this same turn...
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[color="#008080"]Situation at the end of July. The supplies’ green bars of the forces in Bohemia are almost down to zero. [/color]
Army of Italy
Massena and his commanders move through the Veneto towards the present Slovenia. This is a main road, but due to the rivers and poor civilized areas progress is slower than elsewhere. In the second week they finally detect in Trieste its Austrian equivalent: the Italianische Armee, led by Archduke Karl, a general who stands out in the Austrian army with values of 4 on all of his characteristics: strategic, offensive and defensive.
His forces are entrenched behind the Isonzo River in a steep terrain. However the entrenchment level is not too high yet and if I do not attack at this time the forces of the archduke will be more difficult to expel, so Massena commands the most advanced corps, Gabriel Molitor’s "Flanc Droit", crossing the Isonzo through the mountains of Caporetto and from there down to Trieste in order to avoid the difficulties of a direct river crossing into the city. The corps of Massena, Partoneaux and Duhesme will support Molitor from across the river... if I have luck in the "march to the sound of guns" dice throw.
Thus the battle of Trieste takes place between 97,000 french and 59,000 austrians. The battle is short but bloody, with nearly 11,000 French and 7,600 Austrian casualties. Although the result is a victory for my side, it seems a pyrrhic victory that gives me no national morale. Molitor's corps has suffered a lot and two of its divisions have lost half of their troops and are tired after walking through the mountains and fighting. The soldiers are worn out in an extreme situation and the Austrian army seems in better condition. However after the battle we have achieved 52% of the regional military and therefore I can put Molitor’s force in a defensive stance so he can recover. I hope he can resist with the support from the rest of the army...
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[color="#008080"]The Battle of Trieste. I hope that the enormous French losses have some sense and this Pyrrhic victory allows me to move forward.[/color]
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[color="#008080"]Situation after the battle of Trieste. You can see how the blue bars (cohesion) are very low in some units. Shown in detail are the elements of the division of Count de Valence, which is the one that has suffered more. [/color]
But fortunately (or unfortunately, you never know) Gonzalo takes the Italianische Armée out of Trieste and there’s no fight. Perhaps that abandoning of the city by the Austrian nobleman leads to the surrender of Trieste the same turn. These are great news because it is a strategic and vital city if I want to advance to Vienna from Italy. Massena smiles slyly and fills himself up of wine and women in Trieste.
When the hangover ends, he continues his advance with the fresh forces. Molitor’s soldiers are recover themselves in Trieste. Partouneaux arrives to Fiume and puts it under siege, while the explorers approach to Laibach but find no trace of Archduke Karl... Where is he gone? Towards Vienna, Hungary or the Balkans?
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As you can see in general everything goes ver well for the French side and both Napoleon's army as Massena have made significant progress. The only drawback is the problem of supplies in Bohemia, which can be very annoying.
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