Sat May 21, 2016 6:05 am
With the closing of 1805 The Time has come the Walrus said to speak of many things.............well at least the French version of affairs.
I began the game with no set plan. A major mistake players make in the Napoleonic period is that it is not just a wargame. Players could do well practicing a few games of Diplomacy or Machiavelli before embarking on playing WON. There is a reason Tolstoy named his tome "War and Peace". If you don't win the peaces and utilise them effectively, then your periods of war are doomed to disaster before the first wagon wheel begins rolling.
Hence the militarily no set plan. My first main aim was diplomacy, who was who, who would be trustworthy, who was greedy, who was in need of help, who had common interests, who were opponents skilled in diplomacy and /or warfare.
GB of course would be the most persistent of foes, I had to determine whether his invention (both military and diplomatically) would be solo or in unison with an ally or allies. It would be pointless to have a military plan until that was known.
Prussia I pursued the good neighbour policy. This was at a degree of risk given that the Kaiser died (of sloth) and a new Kaiser was crowned in the first few months of the game.
Turkey I observed was consistently bullied by the Russian Bear, so I knew there would be fertile grounds for diplomacy there. The Sultan is also a new player so I knew he would move cautiously).
Russia tete te'd but then declared war over wanting compensation for not acting on a casus belli. Paying the $2 compensation seemed the most appropriate action given I had not yet ascertained everyone's true colours.
Spain Talked the talk of an ally, but self interest and a desire for colonialism was more at the King of Spain's heart than getting engaged in fighting either of the superpowers. (Spain is played by a new player and it was a rather impressive game open given his inexperience).
Now the real enemy Austria. The Emperor simply did not communicate. I cannot over emphasis what a mistake it is in diplomatic games not to communicate. Relationships constantly change and if you don't keep dialogue open (even when you at war!) you have not built any diplomatic foundations for any future change of relationships. I soon discovered from other powers that Austria hardly communicated with anyone. Net result? Austria became increasingly isolated.
With the above diplomatic setup and being winter, France decided to basically do nothing other than build up Le Grande Armee.
Watching what unfolded in Europe would soon dictate to me the military path I would follow.