Britainia Forever

In September 1897 The 3rd French Army suprised the remaining 10,000 English troops garrisoning British Germany. Instead they bypassed them and invaded Magdeburg. Prussia was shocked by tis and had 90% of its troops in the east taking care of Poland who had joined Napoleons grand alliance which now consisted of France,Holland,Poland,Bavaria,Naples and Helvetia.

French speaking canadians started a revolt in October. The British Presence in the area was doubled and Spanish troops also arrived. The Canadia Govenor recomended inependance to these areas but the PM postponed any plans for this until the future of Britain itself was decided

Christmas arrived and French troops had arrived in India. Pitt was quick to order General Levien to Bombay with 5 regiments. France had reached the gates of Berlin on New Years eve but stopped short to get reinforcements to take the city. The Prussian King fled Eastwards. The French Navy blokaded Bremen and our 10,000 force was forced to surrender.

Morale was low in Britain and revolts in Dublin and Gibraltar demonstrated the peoples anxiety that Britain would be next.

3rd February 1898 and 100,000 French and a small band of Grande alliance troops captured Berlin. On the 5th The Prussian King and his Government left and fled to London. Napoleon awarded Poland Occupation of most of Eastern Prussia and berlin and the western lands were annexed.

Britain now stood on full invasion alert. 3 regiments were withdrawn from Canada. 2 from India and 6 from spain. The Navy protecting Sardinia has withdrawn leaving the smallest Savoyian and British force there.

Napoleon was makin plans to invade aswell. His Grande Armee was called to the north. First though he would have to destroy Nelson and his Vast Navy in the south of England. Napoleons fleet was old. Ships of about 40 years old compared to the new slick ships of Nelson. Nelson also outnumbered the French 3-1. Napoleon would have to think hard to get around this problem.

He also had Austria and Spain to think about

ahem yes i did. it was rather late. will be fixed

Nelson's Victory , Eastern Spain invades Gibraltar

In late 1798 The 3rd French army made up of 6 infatry , 3 calvary and 4 artillery regiments bypassed the Austrian Army and invaded Milan. General Vegain was dispatched from Brittany with 7 regiments and invaded Spain. Barcelona was reached within 2 weeks and Spanish Troops demoralised headed to the South. Vegain launched a breakout and his calvary captured Madrid without a single shot being fired. The Spanish King stepped down and Anarchy ruled Spain. The Government came to the negotiation table on Christmas day. France annexed the mainland and the Spanish Government moved to the Canaries to administer the rest of the Spanish Empire.

French troops reached Vienna the Same day and Austria surrendered. Hungary was created as a puppet state and The rest was annexed by France. 1 Regiment and 6 destroyers made it to Alexandria.

British troops in Gibraltar seized Andaslucia and Granada before the French could get them. And withdrew the Bahamas Garrison to defend it. A small Contingent of Spanish troops escaped to Gibraltar. The German Garrison had been released to Neutral Seden and was on its way back to Portsmouth.

On the 4th April 1799 Napoleon lured Nelson out into the middle of the channel. If he destroyed most of Nelson's fleet Britain awaited him. If he lost there would be no way across the channel. At midnight Napoleons combined fleet of the Grande alliance fired at the British ships. A 2 day sea battle ensued before the French Navy was forced to withdraw. 60% of its fleet in ruins. Napoleon would never be able to cross the English Channel.

Problems in Spain , Russia joins the war

Britain itself was now safe from invasion. Its empire however was not. In Late January 1799 The British 6th Army under Field Chief Judge Scott were sent to the med. The Spanish Government in The Canaries were shocked to find out that Napoleon had created a puppet along the Eastern Side of the Country and the capital had been moved to Barcelona. Eastern Spain declared war on the allies and sent massive armys to siege Gibraltar, Andaslucia and Granada. Allied troops from Britain , Free Spain and Savoy were pushed back behind the fortifications of Gibraltar awaiting rescue from the Royal Navy.

But as what happens with most Dictators they make one fatal mistake. Napoleon was about to start a trend.He had ammased many of his best troops along the Polish-Russian Borders. Russia was fighting a war with the Ottomans over Crimea. They had only a few weak regiments guarding thier borders.

Napoleon hit them hard. A main thrust of 200,000 troops swept through Russian countryside. A Polish army headed for the Baltic. Russia joined the allies and evacuated its navy to Scotland to save it being destroyed. The army retreated to Garrison Moscow and Napoleon surged forwards leaving a dwindling supply line behind him.

Eastern Spain invaded Tripoli in mid February. 40,000 men met just 3,000 poorly trained troops in the dessert. By chance British troops had been training in Alexandria. the 20,000 troops of the British Africa korps crossed into Tripoli to help it.

By march 1799 Napoleon was still in a strong position

The African War , Invasion of Italian Penninsular

The War in North Africa had been going for about 8 months now and British , Savoyian and Tripolian Troops were halted near Tobruk. The Spanish who started this campaign had become stuck and on the brink of surrender 2 months previous. Now with 4 French Calvary Regiments and 1 Infantry Napoleon had withdrawn General Jardin from the Russian Front to make sure his allies were not beaten. The troops had turned the position round almost as soon as they got there. A brilliant outflanking move meant they isolated 4 Infantry Regiments at the town of Al Jawf. The remaining troops were now trying to hang on to Tobruk for dear life. only 3 infantry regiments and 2 calvary regiments remained. They had no guns and the royal navy had to supply them by sea.

The turning point however in this war was Napoleons desire to hold all of North Africa. Tripoli's neighbour Algiers looked a good target but the Algerian army was vast. About 30 Regiments of Infantry and 12 Regiments of Calvary were ammased on the tripolian border alone. Napoleon thinking the situation in Triploi was so good withdrew 3 Regiments and reinforced it with 3 Dutch Regiments and 4 Spanish. On the night of August 12th he attacked. Expected to be in the capital within 3 days Napoleon learnt his lesson. The Algerian troops halted the Advance and Napoleons troops without much in the way of supplies morale sunk. Napoleon ordered the withdrawal of the last Calvary regiment sieging Tobruk to join the Algiers invasion army. This would be the Allies chance. Naploeon had bitten off more than he could chew.

On the 23rd A massive assault was made by the British Africa Corps. By the 26th they had detsoryed the French Resisitance and had moved out of Tobruk. They now headed towards the isolated troops at Al Jawf. The single Regiment now sieging the town was removed without force and the Allied army now headed for Tripoli city. The French armies in Algiers collapsed. The dutch surrendered and the Spanish ignoring Jardins orders retreated back into Tripoli. The Algerians destroyed the 14th Infantry Regiment and the remaining armed forces retreated.

Algeria however followed them into Tripoli. The Royal Navy landed the 1st Marine Division into French occupied Triploi in late august. it was to seel the fate of the French Armed Forces in Africa

End of the Dessert War

Tripoli was captured by the allied forces in mid September. Jardin was in Naples with the remainder of his shattered forces. The allies now had to consider what to do next. The Algierian Army was not equipped or trained for operations in Europe, Nor was the Tripolitanian Army. about 4 Regiments were to become the African Liberation Army. These Regiments from the two countries were sent back to London for training.

British Armies in the region were later joined by the Free Prussian Regiment and 2 Canadian Regiments. A landing was needed to open a second front to help the Russians. Naples. A French Vassal although Nuetral would lead the gates to liberate Rome which Napoleon had taken by force in the Franco-Austrian peace treaty of 1794 where spheres of influence were setup in Italy. Once Rome was captured it would lead the way open for Vienna. Naples but first Sicilly would be the target. Naples had a small volunteer Army based in Napoli. Britain had a Regiment of Italian Volunteers waiting to liberate thier homelands.

October 1st and the Royal Navy moved 2 Infantry and 1 Calvary Regiments into Sicilly. 3 regiments including the italian and prussian regiments went aboard in Mainland Italy. When Napoleon heard the news he did what the allies hoped and withdrew 14 regiments into Italy and Austria

could well be

Figures for the British Army 1800
British Isles - Infantry: 15,000
Calvary: 5,000
Artillery: 10 guns

European Theater - no british armed foces are stationed in continental europe

Mediterranean Theater - Infantry 30,000
Calvary 12,000
Artillery 50 guns

Carribean Theater - Small Garrisons of Infantry numbering no more than a 1000 men. There is little Dutch presence in the area and free Spanish warships dominate it.

Indian Theater - just over 20,000 men of the British Special Forces. No invasion has yet been mounted.

Spanish Theater- Infantry 16,000
Calvary 12,000
Artillery 100 guns

Alexandria - 1000 marines

estimated total of the British Army 1800 - 110,000 men

Allies
Savoy (15,000)
Spain (20,000)
Austria (1000)
Prussia (5000)
Tripoli (15,000)
Algiers (35,000)
Russia europe (100,000)

Grande Alliance
France (250,000)
Holland (90,000)
Poland (65,000)
Bavaria (27,000)
Naples (3,000)
Helvetia (15,000)
Eastern Spain (20,000)
Hungary (5,000)
Quebec "volunteers" (400)

Russian Victories in Pskov, French Puppets fall

January 1800
The new century was 3 hours old before parts of the Prussian Regiment entered Napoli. Jubilant italians paraded the streets. The Government stood down and Britain occupied the Country. On the 4th General Brookes ordered a march for Rome. The Italian Regiment and 2 British infantry regiments spearheaded the breakout against Bavarian and Helvetian troops. Bavarian troops demoralised and not really wanting to be in the war put up the least resistance. A breakthrough was made on the 10th when Bavarian troops were trapped in a pocket 100 miles from Rome.

These units surrendered on the 12th and left a gaping hole which the Swiss could not fill and Rome was entered. The pope arrived back to his city with cheers coming from everywhere. From Rome onwards though they wouyld have a problem. The Grande armee's withdrawal of several elite units to the Italian front. Brookes had to wait for the rest of his army to arrive before going on the offensive.

Russian troops had held a line round Pskov for 6 months and the French had stalled. Recent events in Spain and Italy had forced Napoleon to withdraw several units away from the front. Russian armies had been told to protect Moscow and St Petersburg at all costs. Defeat here and the path would be open to these great cities. Napoleon launched an Artillery barrage on New Years eve and for the next 2 days guns fired on the Eastern Front. The Russians had dug in and were going to defend to the last man.

Dutch troops tried an Offensive into Crimea on the 3rd. This was rebuffed by 30,000 russian soldiers almost outnumbered 3:1 and the Dutch were driven back 30 miles. Russia had withdrawn its Siberian troops from Siberia to Europe. It was a good move. They were used on the Pskov front and singlehandedly rebuffed Napoleons advance. In the first assualt Napoleon lost 35,000 men. The second advance from the French lost another 14,000 troops. The Poles tried an Assault on the Russian positions and almost broke trhough but were forced to withdraw on the 10th loosing 1/3 of their army.

Napoleon withdrew under extreme Russian pressure 40 miles south. Russia was now in control on the Eastern Front

The Spanish breakout , Up the boot we go!

The British and Savoyian army in Spain had been dug in around Granada for about a year. Napoleon had been reducing the 10th French Army for his Russian Campaign. It had been reduced to 5 infantry regiments and 2 Artillery. The British 6th Army was planning an offensive. 2 regiments were withdrawn from Alexandria and the 1st Austrian Regiment . The planned offensive was hoped would drive the French into the East and leave Madrid free for the taking.

The French however knew that a British offensive was to be launched and brought in 2 regiments from Germany. The elite 3rd Infantry Regiment and the 26th inf regiment. The next move the allies by suprise. The French evacuated most men from madrid and formed a new defensive line at Leon. The British caught by suprised advanced into Madrid where they were treated with mass celebrations. The Spanish Government were shipped back to the capital and British and Spanish troops prepared for another counter but the Prime minister held them back. they were then told that they would be used only to hold down troops a far bigger crisis was awaiting

Savoy , a once long time ally of the French was one of Napoleons first victims. They lost 15 regiments defending thier homeland. and the government moved to Sardinia. The italian speaking poulation was embittered by this and local groups went about sabbotaging the French troops in the area. With the British moving up the boot they sensed their chance and on the 1st June 1800 50,000 members of the Torino resistance party rose in full revolt. immediatly they sent please to the British for help. Just one problem. They were still far far away. A new move to outflank them was concieved and preparations went underway in Gibraltar.

Operation Swordfish
Liberation of Savoy.
Objectives: Bridgehead in Western Europe
Outflank French forces in Italy. Capture of Milan

Armed Forces (under General Clark): the initial assualt will be made by
34th Infantry
15th Infantry
Prussian Regiment
2nd Italian Regiment

Naval Forces (under Admiral Nelson)
15 destroyers
5 Galleys
35 transports

Nelson stood over his balcony in Gibraltar and told an Aid. "the liberation of Europe begins here"

Italian Surrender, Russians reach Prussia
at 3am on the 12th July 1800 with resistance groups still raging a war with their French occupiers the PrussianRegiment and parts of the 15th inf arrived in a rebel controlled town on the coast. No French resistance was encountered and the Prussian Regiment joined up with the Savoyian Rebels besieging Torino 2 days later. The 15th Inf soon followed. On the 15th an amphibious assault on Genoa by the remaining units failled, just. the French had fortified the port well and the allies lost massive casualties.

Torino fell after an assault on the 20th. The Army which had now been joined by 3 Savoyian Regiments and the 34th inf headed for Milan. By now the remainder of General Brookes army had arrived in Parma. On the 22nd the last Helvetian and French troops surrendered. Britain and its allies now controlled Italy.

Brookes was replaced by Clark in the 4th Army on the 26th and went to Madrid.

Meanwhile Napoleon and the Grande armee was crumbling in the east. On the 14th Disaster struck as a 1/3 of his army surrendered in a pocket just outside of Kurland. Now in full retreat they left their Polish allies on thier own in Warsaw which the Russians occupied on the 20th. On the 25th Russian troops entered East Prussia. Napoleon was now in crisis. his army was shattered. His allies were in trouble. Bavaria was about to be occupied. Poland was all but gone , Holland although alive was facing invasion from Britain.

Obviously depressed he returned to Paris to plan ahead. A possible counter attack.

Russian Advances into Central Europe, Allies invade Southern Austria

As Summer ended the Western Allies of Britain, Spain, Portugal, Prussia, Austria and Savoy had liberated Italy and now faced several options of where to go from there. General Clark now in Control of all Forces in Italy wanted a Strike into Austria and Southern Germany, The Government wanted to invade France Proper. Napoleons new line of Defence though had fortified Tolouse well and this Port was a major target in the South. Eventually it was the Government who backed down and allowed Clark to advance to Munich. However, A future invasionn of Southern France was not to be ruled out.

On September 16th 1800 Clark sent the 4th Artillery to barrage the French defences in Mantua. The main thrust of Clarks troops were going through the Tirol mountains as these were poorly defended but a small diversionary force would attempt to go as far as Venice. By September 23rd 50,000 troops had advanced into Tirol and captured Innsbruk. 20,000 men under Lt General Walker had so far managed to make Napoleon divert more men away from Munich towards this zone.

Clark knew however that he would have to encircle them or they would break out against Walkers men and they would be encircled. By October 12th the encirclement was completed but the French were not about to Give up.

The Russians by now had now an Army of 500,000 marching across Europe. Napoleon had just 100,000 men defending the Eastern Front. By August The Baltic was secure. By Early September they had taken Berlin. By late September they had swung South and taken Saxony. Napoleons men surrendered in mass. Some even turned against their master and tried to fight with the Russians. General Jardin, One of Napoleons most Loyal Generals tried to displace him from Power. Jardin escaped to Sardinia when it failed. By 1801 Russia was nearing Holland and the Rhine.

Allies occupy Paris, The post war years
By Christmas 1800 Russian troops were dug in on the rhine waiting for a major offensive the generals hoped would bring them right into the heart of Paris. Britain had by now invaded the Rhine confederation with the German Legion linking up with the russians by late november.

In March 1801 after several problems with weather conditions the Russians advanced. Duthc troops surrendered en mass and Amsterdam was reached by April and a North flank was secure. The British landings in the south after intial fierce resistance were succsessful and the Southern Ports were open to British naval ships. The British army advancing from Spain captured Bordeux and with it General Jaques HQ. The General then urged the French people to cooperate with the British. With Paris in sight Russian troops halted and waited for thier British allies. By may the battle for Paris was about to begin

May 12th and a huge artillery barrage hit the French defenses around the city. For 2 weeks non stop artillery pounded Paris then 12 russian and 6 British Regiments tried to break into the cit. Suffering huge losses the centre of Paris was reached by June 16th and Napoleon was nowhere to be seen. Many thought he had died but it was later revealed he had gone into exile somewhere in south america.

At the Berlin Conference the allies decided to split France into 4 millitary zones. The Northern Sector (Brittany,Normandie,Calais down to Bordeux would be British. The East would become Russian, The South would become Austrian and the Alsace-Lorraine area would be governed by the Prussians.

The Russians grabbed Poland and Austria annexed Hungary after a brief war. The French and Dutch colonies were governed by the British with Dutch and French troops serving under them. Holland became The Netherlands and incorperated French Belgium and Luxembourg.

In 1805 The Russians attempted to invade the Ottoman empire in an attempt to secure a warm water port. Britain and Austria took the Ottoman side and both sent troops and aid to the Turks. This caused a problem as the Russians then left the Millitary council and made thier own vassal state in Their sector. Hopes that one day France might be unified again were dashed and this caused problems in the British, Prussian and Austrian sectors all of whom wished for independance. In September 1806 the Democratic French Republic was born and Governed from Bordeux. The Tsarist French Government in the east headed from Paris aided with Russian support attacked the DFR fleet off Cherbourg but the arrival of the Royal Navy stopped any further action.

It wasnt until 1825 when increasing dissent at home caused the Russian Government to withdraw from Germany, Northern Austria and 1/2 of its troops from France that the DFR could start the rebuilding of its country. In 1926 the Russians tried to convert the TFG population to the Orthodox religion , this caused mass uprisings and the rebels siezed control of the Russian secotr of Paris, with more and more unrest the British , Austrian and DFR troops invaded and annexed the TGF in 1827 and France was reunited. excpet for the Prussians who refused to leave Alsace- Lorraine...