Poor Prussia - she doesn't stand a chance! Although, if her rulers are half way sensible they'll try and keep both France and Russia sweet.
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Welcome to the affair my friend! The events with Russia are just beginning...there may be snow and Moscow involved....
Aww let Napoleon II beware that Russia, uses its hugeness as a weapon, remind him of his fathers fate.
The French and Russians are always at it, it seems...
I do feel bad for Prussia though, being sandwiched by two great powers.
I do feel bad for Prussia though, being sandwiched by two great powers.
The Son of the Emperor
Prince Imperial
An Alternative History Affair
Chapter 9: In Father's Footsteps
Death of the Dream
Prince Imperial
An Alternative History Affair
Chapter 9: In Father's Footsteps
Death of the Dream
Across the Atlantic Ocean, the American nation was beginning to fracture as the debate over slavery continued. The Southern states sought to further expand slavery into any additional territory the United States acquired; while the Northern states sought to contain slavery. However, there were few Northern cities that were eager to allow dreaded institution to remain as the trade of materials gathered by slavery was very beneficial. One such city was New York; which jumped the gun of the secessionist movement on February 20th, 1849 and declared their independence from the United States.
The United States; which had just gone through an election was in a delicate situation. The incumbent president James Knox Polk was on the way out, and refused to act against the secessionists in New York. The incoming president, General Zachary Taylor was a slave holder (the last US President to hold slaves), though was viewed as a moderate member. Upon assuming the office as the 12th President of the United States on March 4th, 1849, he called for the reincorporation of the Manhattan Commune into the Union; which sent a strong message to the Southern states. Any secession from the Union would be seen as act of treason and federal domain would be restored by force.
The flare up in the New World caused a brief stir within Paris and London was both countries eagerly sought to subvert each other in the trade game with America. The paper of both nations spoke of possible intervention, but as always most articles within the papers, nothing ever came true. Napoleon II did not seek to fulfill his father’s dream of a restored New French Empire within the Western Hemisphere as control over the Caribbean Islands and Guyana provided enough raw materials. However; the industrialists of the nation always sought additional supplies of cotton; which was mostly abundant within the southern states of America. Yet the owners of the factories would have to trade their hard earned coins into cotton.
Paris quickly forgot about the troubles in the New World, as more news about the battles happening within Germania resumed flowing in. The first battle, which occurred on Dresden on April 9th, saw the Imperial Guards – now commanded by General Joseph Hoche lost 453 men against a Saxon army numbering 8,739. The second battle at Minden saw General Leroy Foch, a cousin of Marshal Jacques Foch command a small detachment of 12,000 green soldiers against Mecklenburg’s forces. Though losing over ten percent of his soldiers, Foch had forced Mecklenburg’s army from the field. The third battle occurred in mid June on the 19th. Hannover, the last Germanic state with any army worth mentioning (except Prussia) was forced to withdraw its army after suffering over fifty percent causalities.
Though with the Germanic states and their armies shattered, Prussia was unwilling to yield and agree to terms. With the French armies’ dominant, Prussia would soon feel the wrath of France in a campaign that would rival the speed and efficiency of a campaign held thirty three years before hand.
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Wow, New York seceded from the Union? That's funny. 
I'm surprised Prussia hasn't given up. It seems they are going to regret that decision.
I'm surprised Prussia hasn't given up. It seems they are going to regret that decision.
A lesson indeed! Still working on a name for the update. Sometimes working on a name I can deal with takes more time than actually writing the update itself. The title of the update usually refers to a specific event within the update also.
For example within this last Chapter 9 - In Father's Footsteps. The way chapter names also reflect the overall theme of the next few updates. The word document I keep with all the notes and details of what transpires in game is rather long. Right now it stands at 26 pages long and only contains to events till 1852 right now [At this time, we are at 1849 in the affair]. Returning to the point I was trying to go with originally. In Father's Footsteps the chapter name deals with (as we can see in some of the sub-chapters or "updates"):
Napoleon II having to tackle the problem of Prussia & the Germanic States (Overall theme + March Across the Rhine)
The further development of Prince Philippe and Prince Joseph (Princes of France)
The ending of a Napoleonic Dream of a New World French Empire (Death of a Dream)
One of the supporting characters (Jacques Foch) gets honored (Resting with an Emperor)
I'll leave with you readers a few hints about what happens. You will see these events if you viewed the second page of the table contents where Chapter 7+ are. The hints are:
Chapter 10: Of War & Peace
Chapter 11: Seven Reasons for Treason
Enjoy and begin the speculation!
Of War and Peace? Sounds like a reference of when we head out to Russia...
Next time, please don't invade during the Winter...
Next time, please don't invade during the Winter...
Not exactly the intention of invading Russia. Sadly though in Victoria 2 there is no weather.
Well that's sad...still it involves Russia, else the reference would have been moot.
Perhaps. Though I do have a sudden urge to re-read War & Peace. Oh Prince Andrei, how I miss thee!
The bad news, then the good news, then the really bad news and a then a glimmer of hope.
The bad news first - the primary save of the game (up to 1853) has been corrupted.
The good news second - I have three auto saves (January 1st 1851, 1852 and 1853).
The really bad news - The auto-saves are also corrupted... or not working. I was cleaning out part of the Victoria 2 folder and did something...
The glimmer of hope - I believe I know what I did and am working on it!
The bad news first - the primary save of the game (up to 1853) has been corrupted.
The good news second - I have three auto saves (January 1st 1851, 1852 and 1853).
The really bad news - The auto-saves are also corrupted... or not working. I was cleaning out part of the Victoria 2 folder and did something...
The glimmer of hope - I believe I know what I did and am working on it!
Progress update:
Save games have been restored and are now working correctly. That was scary even for me!
Save games have been restored and are now working correctly. That was scary even for me!
The Son of the Emperor
Prince Imperial
An Alternative History Affair
Chapter 9: In Father's Footsteps
Lower that Black Flag!
Prince Imperial
An Alternative History Affair
Chapter 9: In Father's Footsteps
Lower that Black Flag!
Prussia had been spared the wrath of the French Army to date, but its time had come. Though the army was piecemealed across the vastness of Germany, a several detachments were preparing to march into Prussian territory. Assisting in the march into Prussia, Bavaria had promised a corps of soldiers numbering 20,000. Though welcomed in the time of war, the incompetency and low morale of these soldiers was soon to be displayed.
On August 6th, a Prussian corps of a hundred or two soldiers over 18,000 ambushed the Bavarian corps of 20,000 at Halle. The Prussians were whipping the Bavarians without any problems and were about to clear the field of their southern nemesis. However; a corps of 26,000 Frenchmen under the command of Stefan Hellpach arrived in the nick of time and forced a retreat of the Prussians. The end results proved the uselessness of the Bavarian army, as it suffered about 3,600 causalities compared to France’s fewer than 400; while the Prussians lost 1,792 – most of them to French fire.
A mere three days later, the Bavarians again were ambushed near Magdeburg and were suffering a relentless assault by a numerically superior Prussian army. The Prussians had formed a large army of over 40,000 soldiers, that was to prove all too much for Bavaria’s 10,000 strong detachment that was sent to reinforce its war effort. Again defeat seemed certain for the Bavarians before the arrival of a 34,000 strong corps under General Jean Humbert. Upon his arrival, Humbert’s troops launched an immediate counterattack inflicting devastating losses. In the end of the Battle of Magdeburg, Prussian would limp away losing just a midget about 9,000 soldiers compared to the Franco-Bavarian losses of 4,489.
With consecutive losses, the Prussians were forced to retreat back to Berlin, which they viewed as a safe haven. However, Berlin would prove to be the next target of General August Billot’s army of 65,000 French soldiers. On August 21st the Battle of Berlin began, with both sides combined numbering over 100,000 soldiers – numbers on this scale had last occurred at the Battle of Waterloo. By August 24th, the Prussians were forced to retreat from Berlin, losing 9,954 soldiers of their initial 49,133 compared to France’s 6,631 of 65,214. The citizens of Berlin hastened their pace to depart the city, but Berlin was not the primary target – it had unfortunately escaped.
The Prussians withdrew to the city of Cottbus and were hoping to regroup before meeting the army under Billot’s command. The Prussians would receive only a few days to regroup their soldiers, but that would not prove enough for the third battle against Billot’s troops. On September 6th, 56,153 Frenchmen clashed with 38,093 Prussians at Cottbus. Numbers were not of a concern to Billot whose explicit instructions were to bring about the destruction of the Prussian army at any means possible. The fields of Cottbus would be littered with 9,081 Prussians and 6,788 Frenchmen.
What followed was the end game for the Prussians. At the end of the Battle of Cottbus, General Friedrich Cordemann, the Prussian commander had 29,000 troops remaining. By the end of his withdraw to Kustrin he would have a mere 6,400 soldiers. His army was in tatters, with most regiments well below commissioned strength. Uninterested in the war, most of the soldiers of the Prussian state broke rank and fled, causing the general to write a disheartening letter to King Fredrick Wilhelm IV stating that Prussia would not be able to come out of the war victorious and had no more fight left in her.
Cordemann’s words would prove all too true on September 22nd when August Billot’s forces – numbering 45,000 prepared to siege Kustrin. Billot had suffered his own losses during the previous battles, but France could afford to replace losses at a faster rate than Prussia. After a few hours fight at Kustrin, Cordemann surrendered his beleaguered force. His troops only inflicted a total of 508 causalities upon the French.
Through the winter, negotiations were occurring between the nations at Paris. Prussia asked for leniency, claiming she had been driven to war by pressure applied from London and Vienna. Prussia’s leniency would not be granted though. Bavaria would be compensated by acquiring minor German nations, including the territory of Sigmaringen; which the Prussians held dear. Meanwhile France would directly annex large swaths of territory stretching from the Baltic to the Austrian border. Europe stood horrified, as Napoleon II had effectively dismantled the balance of power of Europe within a brief four year span starting in 1846.
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Well, this is an interesting developement. Almost all of Germany now either lies within the French sphere or within French borders...
Nice revival of Napoleon-ism and it seems your map is becoming similar to my map in Kaiserreich
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