MjM
Deity
I thought the deadline was today. 
HarlNESIII - The Decline of France
- Thread starter Harleqin
- Start date
KrimzonStriker
Master of the Dawn
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2005
- Messages
- 1,933
Send the orders in anyway MjM, so long as it doesn't affect anyone elses orders too bad it should be fine... hopefully...
Harleqin
Hippo Power
Yeah, get them in. I've only just had breakfast and I won't be home from work until 10 hours from now. Then dinner etc and then back to work. So, get them in 
Harleqin
Hippo Power
Orders sent last night, and I do say...they at least look cool
You make the best maps I've seen yet, though Contempt has some very, very clear and detailed orders as well that are easier to read than yours
The update is going well. I only need to do two more campaigns, but they must wait for tomorrow. It will be an update full of blood, conflict and betrayals
Such fun.Anyway, just did another 3 hours of work on it... on Europe alone... and I still need to do two things involving France. It will be up tomorrow.
MjM... what about those orders
Luckymoose
The World is Mine
My maps are clear and cool.
I seperated tactics from manuevering strategy as well, but used lists to make it easy to understand. I also did not bother to make a map, as it wasn't useful to illustrate any particular point. Although maybe I should have for the place I wanted fortifications. You didn't have any trouble with finding where I wanted those, did you HQ?
MjM
Deity
I cannot send any orders from 10pm - 5om (the next day) school, sleep, etc....
I used lists based on the specific battalion I was talking about, but I just think I have less of a grasp of military strategy so it's harder to convey it to someone else.
Hence, all the prettiness in the map to "make up" for it.
Amon Savag
The Great
lol.. I can't remember a single time I used a map in giving orders.I give pretty good description on where my guys go and what they do.
KrimzonStriker
Master of the Dawn
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2005
- Messages
- 1,933
MjM, you still didn't send orders!!!?? Get moving man, I see you, send them now!!! For the love of Allah send them now!!! 
MjM
Deity
I'm not ignoring you, but I missed the deadline. I reap what I sow.
I reap what I sow.
KrimzonStriker
Master of the Dawn
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2005
- Messages
- 1,933
You can still add them if they don't interfere with the completed parts of the update...
Harleqin
Hippo Power
Update 4 - October-March 1828/29
Domestic events
In China the strong leadership of Emperor Daoguong continues to strengthen the nation. The repairs on the Grand Canal are completed to the delight of many in the nation as the distribution of food picks up leading to an increase in living standards. At least amongst those in the area affected by this. The pleasure of having the attention of the emperor and his efforts to improve life for his people causes a rise in confidence and delight. (+1 confidence)
In other areas the crack-down on the opium trade continues. Propaganda, spies and regular army units are involved in the manhunt and several people are arrested and executed. It does cause some increased unrest amongst the users of the drug, but the swift arrests of the most outspoken does much to put a dampener on it. Aid from the British also has a positive effect the problem seems to be coming under control now.
The bureaucracy is also under continued investigation. Several administrators are accused of corruption and publicly beheaded. This has a very positive effect on the economy as less money now vanishes across the country. Combined with some lower taxes in Canton this has a positive effect on the economy (+1 eco-centre, placed in Tianjin, also affected by the increased use of the Canal).
Elsewhere, the Chinese start incorporating the areas under their protection. The locals arent completely pleased with the influx of Chinese settlers and administrators, but with the Chinese army occupying strategically important positions there is little they can do, at least at present.
In Mexico a nobleman by the name of Don Sheepo has risen above the rest and achieved a strong grasp on the power. Initially he does a lot of work for the betterment of Mexico including aiding people to settle in the northern provinces as there is lots of unclaimed land there and trouble finding enough land in the south.
Reforms are also started with the purpose of changing the nation into a monarchy. This is heavily resisted by many of the nobles though who fear a loss of power. Negotiations and discussions are occupying a lot of the time of the nobles right now which has had the side effect of the peasants actually having a bit more freedom.
To create work for many of the new settlers in the north, construction has also started on a series of defensive fortifications along the border with the United States.
In Argentina the old president is violently disposed off by his colleagues who are less than happy with the way he was governing, including the almost-war with Portugal. Under the new president, de Rosas, prospectors are sent into Patagonia and claims are laid down on the unpopulated territory. Heavy propaganda is spread to inform the population of the blunders made by the old government and the changes the new one will make. The propaganda/news also tell the people that things are going to change and that theyll get a bigger say in matters unlike under the new government. Not knowing any better, the people actually believe it. (+1 confidence)
The borders are also opened to refugees from Bolivia who are welcomed into the nation and given land in unclaimed areas of Argentina. At the same time the government launches a strong, verbal attack on the aggression of Paraguay, criticizing them heavily for upsetting the balance and brotherhood shared by the people of the continent. Just to underline how displeased they are, military units move into position close to the Bolivian/Chilean/Argentine border.
Whether the Argentines had some part in it or not is unknown. What is known is that the Paraguayans did suddenly stop their advances and signed a peace treaty with Bolivia. Several provinces changed hands causing Bolivia to drop drastically in size, but not knowing if any help would be forthcoming it was deemed better than risking annihilation, particularly considering their army was more or less wiped out.
Having completed the conquest of the Maratha Empire, the peshwa is kept as leader of his nation though his leadership now only extends to his own city.
With the majority of the Indian subcontinent now under their rule, the British start to reform the system. While it will take time before it is completely up and running, the first steps having been taken. Amongst the new is the establishment of schools for the elite, both native and British. For the rest, the old schools are kept running; English language is added to the schools though. Also, rather than just appoint the nobility to positions of power in their new territories, the English appoint the people who are the most talented, regardless of their status. Though this is still mainly the nobles, some commoners are appointed to the massive annoyance of the members of the higher castes. As more people are educated and learn English this shift in local power might become even more prominent. It is a daring move by the British as they do risk alienating many Indians with the resources to cause serious trouble for the Empire.
Elsewhere, the British form an Australasian Trade Company as well to focus on the new territories. At the same time they start putting pressure on the Hudson Bay Company to make them use their income and start doing something constructive. The president of the company has promised that things will happen soon.
Military events
Not content with merely expanding into uncivilized areas the Omani has detected the presence of something much more important, namely the nation of Merina. Heathens who do not follow the true faith and occupying a location that could, in time, become a threat to Oman, they declare a jihad against Merina. Their fears were strangely prophetic as the Merinans had actually launched an expansion attempt on the African mainland. Luckily for the Omani though, that meant that there where even less troops back on Madagascar.
The parts of the Merinan fleet that were not out exploring were easily sunk by the Omani navy and the landings of troops went largely unopposed. The invasion actually went surprisingly well as half the Merinan army was absent. The only real battle came at Antanarivo where a single division met the invading army and was crushed. In a stunning campaign Merina has been wiped of the map apart from a few stragglers in Africa. As it is, the biggest problem for Oman will be keeping control of the island and preventing infighting from the different tribes. The departure of many people to work as slaves has culled some of the most unruly, but theyll need to maintain their vigil.
Further north the Fedayeen once again proved their quality and skill as they laid claim to land on the horn of Africa despite resistance from the locals.
(Oman: +1 morale)
The Mexicans also spot an opportunity to expand their territory. With the French occupied in Europe their American possessions are under-strength and easy pickings. Dastardly the Mexicans initially offer to buy the possessions, but whilst negotiations are ongoing they land an army instead and easily take over the undefended island, or at least they tried to. Advancing they ran into regular Spanish units and after a few clashes the two forces did pull back in order to await further instructions. They arrived soon though and as the Spanish withdrew, the Mexicans took control of the entire island.
As if the sudden Mexican attack wasnt enough, the Americans also declare war on France, citing the Monroe doctrine as their casus belli. Moving into Acadia and Quebec the American troops encounter only light resistance. The British troops in the area arent entirely sure what to make of this as American troops start approaching but officers quickly meet and inform the British that it is an attack on France and not on them. Having received no information from London they refuse to yield the territory they hold and despite the mix of British and American troops no hostilities erupt between them.
The remaining French areas are quickly seized though, technically, some areas are not under occupation. Considering the lack of any people living there it doesnt really matter though. The French Quebecois arent too pleased, but incapable of resisting the American numbers and deciding that it is better than being under British occupation they accept the situation for now. Feeling abandoned several citizens are already discussing the possibility of declaring independence from France, though that would depend on American and British cooperation and acceptance.
In Greece, the rebel commanders can barely believe their own eyes when the Ottoman forces suddenly start pulling back, including abandoning Athens. Proclaiming victory, a military junta is set up as government led by general Dimitris Gregorios. Establishing a government in Sparta calls go out for volunteers to take advantage of the Ottoman retreat and free the remaining Greek lands from the occupation. Encouraged by the events many Greeks join up with the army and as foreign advisors arrive, belief in victory soars.
With the Ottomans retreating in apparent hurry, leaving behind supplies and even cannons, the Greeks advance quickly. Expecting the Ottomans to be pulling back due to other trouble and urged by the foreign advisors to move as quickly as possible to get to good, defensive positions the Greek force march north.
For two weeks all goes well. The army swells as cities and villages are liberated and soon it has doubled in size. Then disaster struck. Advancing forward into a hilly region the army came under sudden attack by artillery. Pushing forward to take out the guns, a desperate action by the retreating Ottomans (according to the advisors), the army increased the pace and were then brutally surprised as several divisions of well rested Ottoman troops stood ready to greet them. The stunned Greeks were shocked at this but, nevertheless, valiantly charged forward. The ill-advised attack was easily beaten back and as the army started retreating they discovered, to their horror, that the Ottomans had landed troops behind them and that they were caught. The following was less a battle and more a massacre, as the Greek forces were slaughtered.
With the Greek force eradicated, the Ottomans moved quickly, landing forces in several key places. Both to punish the Greeks and to prevent others from getting any ideas, cities and villages were burned to the ground. Sparta got the worst of it, with barely two stones remaining on top of each other. The head of Dimitris Gregorios was taken to Istanbul and mounted on a stake there. The Greek rebellion is at an end.
(Ottomans: -1 division)
In Egypt the Ottomans also start pulling troops out and, with them having already pulled out from many regions, this is the chance Bey Muhammed Ali has been waiting for. Having already taken over several military installations, his forces now rise up in open rebellion. The entire south quickly falls, but as the army moves north they notice that Alexandria has not been abandoned. Rather than risk an outright attack on the city the forces move east instead seeking to cut off supplies to the city, though that might be hard considering that it can be supplied from sea. The lack of grain from Egypt itself could become problematic though.
In Scandinavia the commanders are temporarily confused as they are ordered to attack north towards Scotland. Wondering how the Scottish had gotten involved they eventually decide to push towards Stockholm instead.
Abandoning land in the west, they regrouped their forces in the east and initiated a strong push up the coast supported by naval bombardment and landing small groups of infantry in coastal villages to help secure supplies and prevent the villagers from causing trouble for the main army. This worked well despite heavy resistance as the Swedes started a fighting retreat towards the capital. The efforts of the Swedish troops combined with the snows slowed down the Danish advance immensely. Stockholm still stands free, but as the blockade continues and the Danes sit on the farmland, it is starting to have supply problems.
(Denmark + Sweden: -2 divisions. +some training)
In Gran Granada the Spanish continue their efforts to put an end to the rebel forces. The spread of the rebellion is successfully contained, but their efforts to dislodge the rebels meet with only minimal success. Oddly enough the rebels seem to be better and better equipped and some units are showing exceptional battle prowess.
Domestic events
In China the strong leadership of Emperor Daoguong continues to strengthen the nation. The repairs on the Grand Canal are completed to the delight of many in the nation as the distribution of food picks up leading to an increase in living standards. At least amongst those in the area affected by this. The pleasure of having the attention of the emperor and his efforts to improve life for his people causes a rise in confidence and delight. (+1 confidence)
In other areas the crack-down on the opium trade continues. Propaganda, spies and regular army units are involved in the manhunt and several people are arrested and executed. It does cause some increased unrest amongst the users of the drug, but the swift arrests of the most outspoken does much to put a dampener on it. Aid from the British also has a positive effect the problem seems to be coming under control now.
The bureaucracy is also under continued investigation. Several administrators are accused of corruption and publicly beheaded. This has a very positive effect on the economy as less money now vanishes across the country. Combined with some lower taxes in Canton this has a positive effect on the economy (+1 eco-centre, placed in Tianjin, also affected by the increased use of the Canal).
Elsewhere, the Chinese start incorporating the areas under their protection. The locals arent completely pleased with the influx of Chinese settlers and administrators, but with the Chinese army occupying strategically important positions there is little they can do, at least at present.
In Mexico a nobleman by the name of Don Sheepo has risen above the rest and achieved a strong grasp on the power. Initially he does a lot of work for the betterment of Mexico including aiding people to settle in the northern provinces as there is lots of unclaimed land there and trouble finding enough land in the south.
Reforms are also started with the purpose of changing the nation into a monarchy. This is heavily resisted by many of the nobles though who fear a loss of power. Negotiations and discussions are occupying a lot of the time of the nobles right now which has had the side effect of the peasants actually having a bit more freedom.
To create work for many of the new settlers in the north, construction has also started on a series of defensive fortifications along the border with the United States.
In Argentina the old president is violently disposed off by his colleagues who are less than happy with the way he was governing, including the almost-war with Portugal. Under the new president, de Rosas, prospectors are sent into Patagonia and claims are laid down on the unpopulated territory. Heavy propaganda is spread to inform the population of the blunders made by the old government and the changes the new one will make. The propaganda/news also tell the people that things are going to change and that theyll get a bigger say in matters unlike under the new government. Not knowing any better, the people actually believe it. (+1 confidence)
The borders are also opened to refugees from Bolivia who are welcomed into the nation and given land in unclaimed areas of Argentina. At the same time the government launches a strong, verbal attack on the aggression of Paraguay, criticizing them heavily for upsetting the balance and brotherhood shared by the people of the continent. Just to underline how displeased they are, military units move into position close to the Bolivian/Chilean/Argentine border.
Whether the Argentines had some part in it or not is unknown. What is known is that the Paraguayans did suddenly stop their advances and signed a peace treaty with Bolivia. Several provinces changed hands causing Bolivia to drop drastically in size, but not knowing if any help would be forthcoming it was deemed better than risking annihilation, particularly considering their army was more or less wiped out.
Having completed the conquest of the Maratha Empire, the peshwa is kept as leader of his nation though his leadership now only extends to his own city.
With the majority of the Indian subcontinent now under their rule, the British start to reform the system. While it will take time before it is completely up and running, the first steps having been taken. Amongst the new is the establishment of schools for the elite, both native and British. For the rest, the old schools are kept running; English language is added to the schools though. Also, rather than just appoint the nobility to positions of power in their new territories, the English appoint the people who are the most talented, regardless of their status. Though this is still mainly the nobles, some commoners are appointed to the massive annoyance of the members of the higher castes. As more people are educated and learn English this shift in local power might become even more prominent. It is a daring move by the British as they do risk alienating many Indians with the resources to cause serious trouble for the Empire.
Elsewhere, the British form an Australasian Trade Company as well to focus on the new territories. At the same time they start putting pressure on the Hudson Bay Company to make them use their income and start doing something constructive. The president of the company has promised that things will happen soon.
Military events
Not content with merely expanding into uncivilized areas the Omani has detected the presence of something much more important, namely the nation of Merina. Heathens who do not follow the true faith and occupying a location that could, in time, become a threat to Oman, they declare a jihad against Merina. Their fears were strangely prophetic as the Merinans had actually launched an expansion attempt on the African mainland. Luckily for the Omani though, that meant that there where even less troops back on Madagascar.
The parts of the Merinan fleet that were not out exploring were easily sunk by the Omani navy and the landings of troops went largely unopposed. The invasion actually went surprisingly well as half the Merinan army was absent. The only real battle came at Antanarivo where a single division met the invading army and was crushed. In a stunning campaign Merina has been wiped of the map apart from a few stragglers in Africa. As it is, the biggest problem for Oman will be keeping control of the island and preventing infighting from the different tribes. The departure of many people to work as slaves has culled some of the most unruly, but theyll need to maintain their vigil.
Further north the Fedayeen once again proved their quality and skill as they laid claim to land on the horn of Africa despite resistance from the locals.
(Oman: +1 morale)
The Mexicans also spot an opportunity to expand their territory. With the French occupied in Europe their American possessions are under-strength and easy pickings. Dastardly the Mexicans initially offer to buy the possessions, but whilst negotiations are ongoing they land an army instead and easily take over the undefended island, or at least they tried to. Advancing they ran into regular Spanish units and after a few clashes the two forces did pull back in order to await further instructions. They arrived soon though and as the Spanish withdrew, the Mexicans took control of the entire island.
As if the sudden Mexican attack wasnt enough, the Americans also declare war on France, citing the Monroe doctrine as their casus belli. Moving into Acadia and Quebec the American troops encounter only light resistance. The British troops in the area arent entirely sure what to make of this as American troops start approaching but officers quickly meet and inform the British that it is an attack on France and not on them. Having received no information from London they refuse to yield the territory they hold and despite the mix of British and American troops no hostilities erupt between them.
The remaining French areas are quickly seized though, technically, some areas are not under occupation. Considering the lack of any people living there it doesnt really matter though. The French Quebecois arent too pleased, but incapable of resisting the American numbers and deciding that it is better than being under British occupation they accept the situation for now. Feeling abandoned several citizens are already discussing the possibility of declaring independence from France, though that would depend on American and British cooperation and acceptance.
In Greece, the rebel commanders can barely believe their own eyes when the Ottoman forces suddenly start pulling back, including abandoning Athens. Proclaiming victory, a military junta is set up as government led by general Dimitris Gregorios. Establishing a government in Sparta calls go out for volunteers to take advantage of the Ottoman retreat and free the remaining Greek lands from the occupation. Encouraged by the events many Greeks join up with the army and as foreign advisors arrive, belief in victory soars.
With the Ottomans retreating in apparent hurry, leaving behind supplies and even cannons, the Greeks advance quickly. Expecting the Ottomans to be pulling back due to other trouble and urged by the foreign advisors to move as quickly as possible to get to good, defensive positions the Greek force march north.
For two weeks all goes well. The army swells as cities and villages are liberated and soon it has doubled in size. Then disaster struck. Advancing forward into a hilly region the army came under sudden attack by artillery. Pushing forward to take out the guns, a desperate action by the retreating Ottomans (according to the advisors), the army increased the pace and were then brutally surprised as several divisions of well rested Ottoman troops stood ready to greet them. The stunned Greeks were shocked at this but, nevertheless, valiantly charged forward. The ill-advised attack was easily beaten back and as the army started retreating they discovered, to their horror, that the Ottomans had landed troops behind them and that they were caught. The following was less a battle and more a massacre, as the Greek forces were slaughtered.
With the Greek force eradicated, the Ottomans moved quickly, landing forces in several key places. Both to punish the Greeks and to prevent others from getting any ideas, cities and villages were burned to the ground. Sparta got the worst of it, with barely two stones remaining on top of each other. The head of Dimitris Gregorios was taken to Istanbul and mounted on a stake there. The Greek rebellion is at an end.
(Ottomans: -1 division)
In Egypt the Ottomans also start pulling troops out and, with them having already pulled out from many regions, this is the chance Bey Muhammed Ali has been waiting for. Having already taken over several military installations, his forces now rise up in open rebellion. The entire south quickly falls, but as the army moves north they notice that Alexandria has not been abandoned. Rather than risk an outright attack on the city the forces move east instead seeking to cut off supplies to the city, though that might be hard considering that it can be supplied from sea. The lack of grain from Egypt itself could become problematic though.
In Scandinavia the commanders are temporarily confused as they are ordered to attack north towards Scotland. Wondering how the Scottish had gotten involved they eventually decide to push towards Stockholm instead.
Abandoning land in the west, they regrouped their forces in the east and initiated a strong push up the coast supported by naval bombardment and landing small groups of infantry in coastal villages to help secure supplies and prevent the villagers from causing trouble for the main army. This worked well despite heavy resistance as the Swedes started a fighting retreat towards the capital. The efforts of the Swedish troops combined with the snows slowed down the Danish advance immensely. Stockholm still stands free, but as the blockade continues and the Danes sit on the farmland, it is starting to have supply problems.
(Denmark + Sweden: -2 divisions. +some training)
In Gran Granada the Spanish continue their efforts to put an end to the rebel forces. The spread of the rebellion is successfully contained, but their efforts to dislodge the rebels meet with only minimal success. Oddly enough the rebels seem to be better and better equipped and some units are showing exceptional battle prowess.
Harleqin
Hippo Power
Spotlight
Hell is getting overcrowded - King Frederick William III of Prussia
With the number of nations declaring war on France increasing, Napoleon II knew that he had to act and act fast if the situation was to be saved. With France open to attack from several flanks, he knew that even his forces could not hold all of it against determined opposition. Something needed to be done to decrease the problem. The solution was found in Naples. Noting how his fathers marshal, Murat, had reached agreement with the Papacy and expanded the sphere of Neapolitan influence in Italy, an ambassador was dispatched with urgent messages.
The diplomat returned just two weeks later having made the hoped deal with Murat. Oh, and killed several horses on his wild ride. Pleased with the agreement Napoleon started to pull his entire force out of Lombardy. Even before the withdrawal had begun the first elements of the Neapolitan army had already crossed over the Po-river. Emissaries were sent to the allied commanders on Corsica and in Vienna along with copies for the courts in Lisbon, London, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Berlin, Valencia and Istanbul. All of the messages read the same, namely that Naples were maintaining the neutrality in the current conflict, but had reached an agreement with France under which the French forces would withdraw from Lombardy and let the region be joined with Naples. The people of Italy would be rules by the Italians. The people of Lombardy-Venetia would be under the protection and rule of Naples from now on and would be fed and protected by them. It further stated that the intrusion of any foreign troops, regardless of nationality would be considered an act of war against the kingdom of Naples.
Furthermore, the documents were also signed by Pope Leo XII stating his support to the union of Naples for the betterment of all the people of Italy and announcing that his forces would be under the temporary command of Naples. Unconfirmed rumours claim that the pope was only too happy to do this as Murat offered the Papal investigators full access to their entire territory to continue their search for heretics.
This announcement came as a shock to many commanders who had already drawn up plans of attack and even launched the first expeditionary forces, forces which couldnt just be recalled. Furthermore, directions from their respective kings had not considered this move from Napoleon so they had massive trouble deciding what to do. Figuring to better be safe than sorry and risk alienating the pope, several offensives were called off, though the forces who had already set sail could not be called back.
The most furious were the Austrians who had their own eyes on Lombardy. Having already hatched plans for an offensive the Austrian commanders decided to go ahead with it rather than let the lands fall into the hands of a no-good former French cavalry marshal. The first plan met up with a hitch though as the Tuscans refused the Austrians a right of passage citing neutrality and the fact that they didnt want to see their land become a battleground. The Austrian insistence that Naples were going to attack didnt meet much support, possibly due to fears of provoking the Neapolitans.
Attacking with overwhelming force, the Austrians were soon forced to change their plans as the Neapolitan fleet hindered the troop landings. Instead, the Austrians had to come over land. The Neapolitans were still transferring troops and were thus unable to stop the Austrian advance and Venice fell after a brief period. Some minor battles did take place though and the better skill of the Neapolitan commanders did much to even out the battle. Most disconcerting to the Austrian troops though was the presence of Papal Zouave divisions. Many troops simply refused to attack the Papal forces.
A second attack came from the north and took much land before turning east to join up with the main Austrian force as they were threatened to be cut off by the Neapolitan forces and unable to retreat into Tuscany. The Austrians did come out better and are now holding Venice and much of the surrounding lands.
Things were complicated further as Portugal joined the war and attacked the exact same area. Propaganda against the French had been intense in Portugal for several weeks and a declaration of war had been honorable delivered to Paris.
The first strike came against Malta though and the island was easily taken as the garrison present had no means of defending against the force the Portuguese brought. After this the army re-supplied and the set sail up in the Adriatic Sea. To the delight of the Portuguese troops, Venice had already been taken by the Austrians, but they were dismayed to learn that the Austrians had no intention of attacking further, preferring instead to repair the city defenses. They were even more dismayed to find that the French had abandoned the province and that Papal and Neapolitan forces were now present in force. The Austrian commanders tried to persuade the Portuguese to attack them, but the commander refused to attack a nation that he was not at war with. His arguments that the neutrality of Naples should be respected and that the fact that Murat used to be allied with France didnt mean that he still was. As an example he mentioned that Spain was now aligned against France. This met with massive disapproval from the Austrians, and tensions are high now in Venice between the Austrian and Portuguese troops.
Things were soon to take a worse for the Austrians though. Concerned about the Prussian attack on Bavaria and eager to help their allies, they positioned large forces on the Prussian border and launched an attack. Their plans soon fell apart though. Strikeforce C ran into trouble as the Saxons refused them a right of passage. Not accepting this, the Austrians then launched an attack on them, but this was a mistake of epic proportions. The Austrian force might have a slight, numerical advantage, but the Saxons were much better trained, their commanders better and the terrain favored them. The two forces met in bloody battle in late October and the result was devastating for the Austrians. Having lost was bad enough, but as they tried to retreat they ran into Prussian elements who had attacked further west and pushed east towards Prague. Caught between two forces many troops surrendered with only a few making it back to Austria. Pursued by the Saxons, Bohemia soon fell to the attackers.
An attack into Silesia went much better for the Austrians. The Prussians were only defending that section of the border lightly and after an initial battle, good progress was made. The advance was brought to an unexpected halt though as a new enemy presented itself.
Before seeing who that might be, we need to have a look at Bavaria though. Surprised, but by no means defeated, the Bavarians regrouped their forces and launched a counterattack. The battles fought between the two armies were a true study in modern tactics as the commanders fought hard to outwit each other and the troops of both armies had high morale. Eventually though, the Prussians broke as the superior numbers of the Bavarians enabled them to launch a successful flank attack. The stiff resistance of the Prussian troops combined with the onslaught of winter meant that they didnt liberate quite as much land as they were hoping for.
The new enemy was the Russians. After the final surrender of Poland, the Russian forces in the region swooped south into Galicia. With only militia and small garrisons defending the area to keep the Poles suppressed, the force encountered close to no resistance. In fact, it soon became clear that the primary enemy for the Russians was not the Austrian forces, but the weather. With the temperature dropping rapidly and snows starting to fall the offensive soon slowed down to a crawl. Even so, the objective had been met and the Russians could start preparing for the second phase of their plan.
The second phase involved the Ottoman Empire. Unfortunately for the Russians, the Ottomans had been tipped off about the high likelihood of a Russian attack. This was the reason why their forces had begun pulling out in many areas as they redeployed to face the invaders. Luckily for the Russians, the Ottomans expected the attack to come in the east over the Caucasus, but the Russians werent stupid enough to attack fortified mountain strongholds in the middle of winter. Instead the two large forces in the area, the Russian and the Ottoman, both improved their defenses just in case.
Even so, the Ottomans had also positioned large forces in Bulgaria in the event of a Russian attack from that direction and their vassals had contributed a few divisions to aid in the defense, though one of those were redirected to aid the defense of Alexandria.
Even so, the majority of the Ottoman troops were in the right place as the Russians came and, apart from a few elite Russian divisions, the Ottomans were of roughly equal quality, in higher numbers and better led.
The initial attack went well for the Russians as the Ottomans were conspicuously absent. Eager to advance, yet cautious, the Russians continued their attack. After about a week the advance elements of both forces clashed and these resulted in early wins for the attackers. No decisive victories were accomplished though as the Ottomans repeatedly retreated before the oncoming forces. The first serious clash came near the trade centre of Sfântu Gheorghe. The initial Russian attack was repulsed by the defenders and they were forced to pull back to regroup. Before they could finish a second Ottoman force was spotted approaching from the west. Moving quickly towards them, the Russian commanders realised that they had falled into a trap. Already disorganised from the lost attack they had no option but to pull back. The weaker elements were sacrified in a hopeless delaying action to allow the elite to to make it back to better defensive positions. As the Ottoman flankers were joined by elements of the second army, the Russians were so hard pressed that the retreat turned into a rout. By now winter had truly set in and though most of the Russians were forced out of the Ottoman Empire again, they still hold small pockets here and there.
In the west, the French were quite annoyed at losing Barcelona to the French. With forces returning from Lombardy a quick attack was launched south to retake the city. This went surprisingly well as the Spanish had only a token force left in the area and Catalonia was soon back in French hands.
The missing Spanish were not missing for long though. Only days later a dispatch rider arrived informing the emperor that large forces had landed near Bordeaux and were moving along the Garonne river towards Toulouse. Gathering what forces could be spared, the French quickly turned around and moved back north. Riders from the army of General Jean Bicheleau confirmed the attack and informed the emperor that they were moving to intercept the invaders. It would be close though as the attacking allied forces were some distance away from both French forces, but they would be slowed down by local garrisons and by being forced to protect their supply lines. The real battle came on the 29th of October when British-Spanish forces were met in battle some 6 kilometres west of Toulouse. Slightly outnumbered and weary the French nevertheless attacked the allied forced. Led by the Imperial Guard the attack was focused on the Spanish elements as they were deemed the easier to break. The task was made harder than expected though as the Spanish had sent their best troops. Even so, the French artillery fire had a devastating effect on the already poor morale of the Spanish troops and as the cream of the French army executed a devastating bayonette charge on the centre of the Spanish troops they soon started faltering. Within two hours of the start of the battle the first Spanish troops were fleeing and after four hours almost the entire Spanish army was in flight.
The better disciplined British troops fought valiantly inflicting heavy casualties on the French, but with their allies breaking they too were forced to pull back or face complete destruction.
Despite their win the French were too exhausted to initiate an immediate pursuit and this allowed the allied to get away. The British soon evacuated, but the Spanish still hang on to Bordeaux.
That attack wasnt the only one launched against the French though. In the north the army of the United Provinces was heavily reinforced with British units. Gathering the forces the army launched a new attack on France. This time the force was led by Hanoverian generals rather than Dutch ones and the change in leadership had a massive impact on the effectiveness of the army. Whilst the units still had some trouble due to differences in language and method, it did improve their odd immensely. The attack came with overwhelming force and despite being slowed a bit by the French garrisons, they had no real trouble breaking through the first line of defense.
A sizable French force was detected entrenched further south and whilst the Hanoverians argued for an attack on them to crush them, the British pulled rank and insisted that the force should rather secure the border region and capture Lorraine. Reluctantly the Hanoverians agreed and let the force split with some kept back to secure the captured area and others, mainly British, heading east to secure Lorraine. This would have been a great opportunity for the French to take on the weakened attackers and preparations were made when express riders arrived informing that British troops had started to land at the mouth of the Seine.
The French fortifications there were well guarded though and rained destruction on the invaders. Needing to take them in order to secure the lines of supply the British were forced to spend time besieging them. The naval guns did a lot of work on battering down the walls, but the damage had been caused; the army was delayed. First the English needed to deal with the fortress at Le Havre and then, once through, the one at Rouen. Before they had even made it to Rouen the French divisions started arriving and as the British were occupied with the fortress the French fell upon them. Unable to stand against the numbers, attacked from both the north and the south and with the fortress in front of them, they were forced to retreat. The retreat was orderly though and most of the British made it back to their fleet intact.
Despite the changing fortunes of war and the ever increasing pressure on the French, they still stand. A decisive victory is needed soon for the French though as they will be much harder pressed to replace losses than the allies. To make matters worse some unrest has started happening in France as some areas are going hungry due to food being stolen by foreign armies or taken to feed the French forces. They can draw some consolation from the fact that a few British ships were sunk in the Biscay due to heavy winter storms, but the blockade is stronger than ever.
As the war drags on the economies of the warring countries are starting to suffer.
(Naples: -2 divisions, Austria: -11 divisions, Bavaria: -3 divisions, Prussia: -5 divisions, Saxony: -2 divisions, Russia: -6 divisions, Ottoman Empire: -3 divisions, Spain: -6 divisions, United Kingdom: -8 divisions, -4 ships, France: -8 divisions, United Provinces: -2 divisions, Hanover: -1 division)
Hell is getting overcrowded - King Frederick William III of Prussia
With the number of nations declaring war on France increasing, Napoleon II knew that he had to act and act fast if the situation was to be saved. With France open to attack from several flanks, he knew that even his forces could not hold all of it against determined opposition. Something needed to be done to decrease the problem. The solution was found in Naples. Noting how his fathers marshal, Murat, had reached agreement with the Papacy and expanded the sphere of Neapolitan influence in Italy, an ambassador was dispatched with urgent messages.
The diplomat returned just two weeks later having made the hoped deal with Murat. Oh, and killed several horses on his wild ride. Pleased with the agreement Napoleon started to pull his entire force out of Lombardy. Even before the withdrawal had begun the first elements of the Neapolitan army had already crossed over the Po-river. Emissaries were sent to the allied commanders on Corsica and in Vienna along with copies for the courts in Lisbon, London, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Berlin, Valencia and Istanbul. All of the messages read the same, namely that Naples were maintaining the neutrality in the current conflict, but had reached an agreement with France under which the French forces would withdraw from Lombardy and let the region be joined with Naples. The people of Italy would be rules by the Italians. The people of Lombardy-Venetia would be under the protection and rule of Naples from now on and would be fed and protected by them. It further stated that the intrusion of any foreign troops, regardless of nationality would be considered an act of war against the kingdom of Naples.
Furthermore, the documents were also signed by Pope Leo XII stating his support to the union of Naples for the betterment of all the people of Italy and announcing that his forces would be under the temporary command of Naples. Unconfirmed rumours claim that the pope was only too happy to do this as Murat offered the Papal investigators full access to their entire territory to continue their search for heretics.
This announcement came as a shock to many commanders who had already drawn up plans of attack and even launched the first expeditionary forces, forces which couldnt just be recalled. Furthermore, directions from their respective kings had not considered this move from Napoleon so they had massive trouble deciding what to do. Figuring to better be safe than sorry and risk alienating the pope, several offensives were called off, though the forces who had already set sail could not be called back.
The most furious were the Austrians who had their own eyes on Lombardy. Having already hatched plans for an offensive the Austrian commanders decided to go ahead with it rather than let the lands fall into the hands of a no-good former French cavalry marshal. The first plan met up with a hitch though as the Tuscans refused the Austrians a right of passage citing neutrality and the fact that they didnt want to see their land become a battleground. The Austrian insistence that Naples were going to attack didnt meet much support, possibly due to fears of provoking the Neapolitans.
Attacking with overwhelming force, the Austrians were soon forced to change their plans as the Neapolitan fleet hindered the troop landings. Instead, the Austrians had to come over land. The Neapolitans were still transferring troops and were thus unable to stop the Austrian advance and Venice fell after a brief period. Some minor battles did take place though and the better skill of the Neapolitan commanders did much to even out the battle. Most disconcerting to the Austrian troops though was the presence of Papal Zouave divisions. Many troops simply refused to attack the Papal forces.
A second attack came from the north and took much land before turning east to join up with the main Austrian force as they were threatened to be cut off by the Neapolitan forces and unable to retreat into Tuscany. The Austrians did come out better and are now holding Venice and much of the surrounding lands.
Things were complicated further as Portugal joined the war and attacked the exact same area. Propaganda against the French had been intense in Portugal for several weeks and a declaration of war had been honorable delivered to Paris.
The first strike came against Malta though and the island was easily taken as the garrison present had no means of defending against the force the Portuguese brought. After this the army re-supplied and the set sail up in the Adriatic Sea. To the delight of the Portuguese troops, Venice had already been taken by the Austrians, but they were dismayed to learn that the Austrians had no intention of attacking further, preferring instead to repair the city defenses. They were even more dismayed to find that the French had abandoned the province and that Papal and Neapolitan forces were now present in force. The Austrian commanders tried to persuade the Portuguese to attack them, but the commander refused to attack a nation that he was not at war with. His arguments that the neutrality of Naples should be respected and that the fact that Murat used to be allied with France didnt mean that he still was. As an example he mentioned that Spain was now aligned against France. This met with massive disapproval from the Austrians, and tensions are high now in Venice between the Austrian and Portuguese troops.
Things were soon to take a worse for the Austrians though. Concerned about the Prussian attack on Bavaria and eager to help their allies, they positioned large forces on the Prussian border and launched an attack. Their plans soon fell apart though. Strikeforce C ran into trouble as the Saxons refused them a right of passage. Not accepting this, the Austrians then launched an attack on them, but this was a mistake of epic proportions. The Austrian force might have a slight, numerical advantage, but the Saxons were much better trained, their commanders better and the terrain favored them. The two forces met in bloody battle in late October and the result was devastating for the Austrians. Having lost was bad enough, but as they tried to retreat they ran into Prussian elements who had attacked further west and pushed east towards Prague. Caught between two forces many troops surrendered with only a few making it back to Austria. Pursued by the Saxons, Bohemia soon fell to the attackers.
An attack into Silesia went much better for the Austrians. The Prussians were only defending that section of the border lightly and after an initial battle, good progress was made. The advance was brought to an unexpected halt though as a new enemy presented itself.
Before seeing who that might be, we need to have a look at Bavaria though. Surprised, but by no means defeated, the Bavarians regrouped their forces and launched a counterattack. The battles fought between the two armies were a true study in modern tactics as the commanders fought hard to outwit each other and the troops of both armies had high morale. Eventually though, the Prussians broke as the superior numbers of the Bavarians enabled them to launch a successful flank attack. The stiff resistance of the Prussian troops combined with the onslaught of winter meant that they didnt liberate quite as much land as they were hoping for.
The new enemy was the Russians. After the final surrender of Poland, the Russian forces in the region swooped south into Galicia. With only militia and small garrisons defending the area to keep the Poles suppressed, the force encountered close to no resistance. In fact, it soon became clear that the primary enemy for the Russians was not the Austrian forces, but the weather. With the temperature dropping rapidly and snows starting to fall the offensive soon slowed down to a crawl. Even so, the objective had been met and the Russians could start preparing for the second phase of their plan.
The second phase involved the Ottoman Empire. Unfortunately for the Russians, the Ottomans had been tipped off about the high likelihood of a Russian attack. This was the reason why their forces had begun pulling out in many areas as they redeployed to face the invaders. Luckily for the Russians, the Ottomans expected the attack to come in the east over the Caucasus, but the Russians werent stupid enough to attack fortified mountain strongholds in the middle of winter. Instead the two large forces in the area, the Russian and the Ottoman, both improved their defenses just in case.
Even so, the Ottomans had also positioned large forces in Bulgaria in the event of a Russian attack from that direction and their vassals had contributed a few divisions to aid in the defense, though one of those were redirected to aid the defense of Alexandria.
Even so, the majority of the Ottoman troops were in the right place as the Russians came and, apart from a few elite Russian divisions, the Ottomans were of roughly equal quality, in higher numbers and better led.
The initial attack went well for the Russians as the Ottomans were conspicuously absent. Eager to advance, yet cautious, the Russians continued their attack. After about a week the advance elements of both forces clashed and these resulted in early wins for the attackers. No decisive victories were accomplished though as the Ottomans repeatedly retreated before the oncoming forces. The first serious clash came near the trade centre of Sfântu Gheorghe. The initial Russian attack was repulsed by the defenders and they were forced to pull back to regroup. Before they could finish a second Ottoman force was spotted approaching from the west. Moving quickly towards them, the Russian commanders realised that they had falled into a trap. Already disorganised from the lost attack they had no option but to pull back. The weaker elements were sacrified in a hopeless delaying action to allow the elite to to make it back to better defensive positions. As the Ottoman flankers were joined by elements of the second army, the Russians were so hard pressed that the retreat turned into a rout. By now winter had truly set in and though most of the Russians were forced out of the Ottoman Empire again, they still hold small pockets here and there.
In the west, the French were quite annoyed at losing Barcelona to the French. With forces returning from Lombardy a quick attack was launched south to retake the city. This went surprisingly well as the Spanish had only a token force left in the area and Catalonia was soon back in French hands.
The missing Spanish were not missing for long though. Only days later a dispatch rider arrived informing the emperor that large forces had landed near Bordeaux and were moving along the Garonne river towards Toulouse. Gathering what forces could be spared, the French quickly turned around and moved back north. Riders from the army of General Jean Bicheleau confirmed the attack and informed the emperor that they were moving to intercept the invaders. It would be close though as the attacking allied forces were some distance away from both French forces, but they would be slowed down by local garrisons and by being forced to protect their supply lines. The real battle came on the 29th of October when British-Spanish forces were met in battle some 6 kilometres west of Toulouse. Slightly outnumbered and weary the French nevertheless attacked the allied forced. Led by the Imperial Guard the attack was focused on the Spanish elements as they were deemed the easier to break. The task was made harder than expected though as the Spanish had sent their best troops. Even so, the French artillery fire had a devastating effect on the already poor morale of the Spanish troops and as the cream of the French army executed a devastating bayonette charge on the centre of the Spanish troops they soon started faltering. Within two hours of the start of the battle the first Spanish troops were fleeing and after four hours almost the entire Spanish army was in flight.
The better disciplined British troops fought valiantly inflicting heavy casualties on the French, but with their allies breaking they too were forced to pull back or face complete destruction.
Despite their win the French were too exhausted to initiate an immediate pursuit and this allowed the allied to get away. The British soon evacuated, but the Spanish still hang on to Bordeaux.
That attack wasnt the only one launched against the French though. In the north the army of the United Provinces was heavily reinforced with British units. Gathering the forces the army launched a new attack on France. This time the force was led by Hanoverian generals rather than Dutch ones and the change in leadership had a massive impact on the effectiveness of the army. Whilst the units still had some trouble due to differences in language and method, it did improve their odd immensely. The attack came with overwhelming force and despite being slowed a bit by the French garrisons, they had no real trouble breaking through the first line of defense.
A sizable French force was detected entrenched further south and whilst the Hanoverians argued for an attack on them to crush them, the British pulled rank and insisted that the force should rather secure the border region and capture Lorraine. Reluctantly the Hanoverians agreed and let the force split with some kept back to secure the captured area and others, mainly British, heading east to secure Lorraine. This would have been a great opportunity for the French to take on the weakened attackers and preparations were made when express riders arrived informing that British troops had started to land at the mouth of the Seine.
The French fortifications there were well guarded though and rained destruction on the invaders. Needing to take them in order to secure the lines of supply the British were forced to spend time besieging them. The naval guns did a lot of work on battering down the walls, but the damage had been caused; the army was delayed. First the English needed to deal with the fortress at Le Havre and then, once through, the one at Rouen. Before they had even made it to Rouen the French divisions started arriving and as the British were occupied with the fortress the French fell upon them. Unable to stand against the numbers, attacked from both the north and the south and with the fortress in front of them, they were forced to retreat. The retreat was orderly though and most of the British made it back to their fleet intact.
Despite the changing fortunes of war and the ever increasing pressure on the French, they still stand. A decisive victory is needed soon for the French though as they will be much harder pressed to replace losses than the allies. To make matters worse some unrest has started happening in France as some areas are going hungry due to food being stolen by foreign armies or taken to feed the French forces. They can draw some consolation from the fact that a few British ships were sunk in the Biscay due to heavy winter storms, but the blockade is stronger than ever.
As the war drags on the economies of the warring countries are starting to suffer.
(Naples: -2 divisions, Austria: -11 divisions, Bavaria: -3 divisions, Prussia: -5 divisions, Saxony: -2 divisions, Russia: -6 divisions, Ottoman Empire: -3 divisions, Spain: -6 divisions, United Kingdom: -8 divisions, -4 ships, France: -8 divisions, United Provinces: -2 divisions, Hanover: -1 division)
Harleqin
Hippo Power
From: Naples
To: Austria
Withdraw your forces immediately and respect our neutrality. Further, we demand compensation for the damage you have caused our forces and citizens.
MAP:
If there are no protests, then next deadline is next Wednesday. If people need more time then we'll have to move it to the weekend following.
To: Austria
Withdraw your forces immediately and respect our neutrality. Further, we demand compensation for the damage you have caused our forces and citizens.
MAP:
Spoiler :
If there are no protests, then next deadline is next Wednesday. If people need more time then we'll have to move it to the weekend following.
erez87
Lord of Random
- Joined
- May 16, 2002
- Messages
- 13,500
but I asked not to attack Saxony if they don't accept to give me a ROP...
to Russia:
After being allies you attack us like that? It will not be forgotten.
to Ottoman Empire:
It would seem our two kingdoms have been pushed further closer by the Russian attacks upon us both. Would you sign an alliance to rid the invasions of Russia?
to Russia:
After being allies you attack us like that? It will not be forgotten.
to Ottoman Empire:
It would seem our two kingdoms have been pushed further closer by the Russian attacks upon us both. Would you sign an alliance to rid the invasions of Russia?
Abaddon
Deity
Wee, hello folks
