Chapter 3 - A New Order in Germany
For the next 6 months, recruitment continues in Prussia. An upgrade to civilised development is also started in a Polish town with reasonably high manpower. We add light infantry to most of our stacks, and a new army is recruited for Poland.
By July 1810, our armies are fully recovered, considerably strengthened, and our truce has expired with Austria. However, the Austrian’s have had a more difficult time. Their armies have dwindled as their war drags on against the Ottoman’s. They have regained the upper hand however, and have reasserted their control of the Ottoman satellites. The Ottomans have occupied some Croatian provinces on the Adriatic, and a town in Austrian Serbia, but a far more serious Austrian invasion has advanced through Bulgaria. Again, there are no soldiers within sight of out borders, and on the 14th July we declare war.
Our strategy will be similar to the previous war, although we have learned our lessons and will not agree a peace too hastily. Instead of advancing into Tyrol immediately, our army in the Rhineland will first overrun the HRE, thus freeing up Saxony to send their troops into Austria.
We attack Frankfurt, the main HRE holding, on the 17th July. They have just under 20,000 defenders, but are heavily defeated in two battles. Our forces are then able to concentrate on the occupation of their lands, before diverting south.
In the East, we have again positioned two armies to occupy Austria’s Polish holdings. This time, instead of swinging west, these forces will continue south until they reach the Ottoman border.
Meanwhile, the vast majority of our forces will advance into the remaining Bohemian provinces, and try to quickly capture Vienna.
Following the defeat of the HRE, we are able to again advance unopposed for several weeks, overrunning much Austrian land. The first major engagements take place in November. On the 9th, we meet an Austrian force of 12,000 under Ludwig von Benedek. They are heavily defeated by Karl von Braunschweig’s 33,000 at Graz, losing over 8,500 men compared to under 800 Prussian losses.
However, the Austrian commander Johann von Klenau leads 33,000 men to Szegedin, where he inflicts a heavy defeat on the hapless Friedrich-Wilhelm III. We lose almost 12,000 of our 23,000 men, and manage to inflict less than 3,000 casualties on the Austrians. The only consolation is that we gain 13 idea points from the defeat.
These idea points are enough to unlock our next idea, and we choose Prussia Military Academy, the fourth Prussian Idea. Like the abolition of serfdom, this boosts our armies morale by 0.25, and it also gives us a national manpower increase of 25%, a significant boost.
North of Salzburg, a large Austrian force advances towards out armies, attempting to encircle the forces sieging Vienna. Karl von Österreich leaders 34,000 men, the largest army we have faced so far. We manage to pull together three armies, and trap the Austrians at Passau. The battle ends in a decisive victory for the Prussia’s, although considering out numerical advantage it was perhaps a slightly disappointing victory. Our 75,000 men lose 7,400 men while inflicting just under 15,000 casualties on the Austrians. This is nevertheless a huge loss for Austria, who’s armies are fully stretched.
By November, our forces have already made a huge advance into Austria. We have occupied Austrian Württemberg, most of Austrian Poland, and much of their Hungarian territory as well. Meanwhile, the Ottomans are pushing Austria back in Bulgaria, and still hold a town in Hungary. In the East, our soldiers have reached the Carpathian mountains.
Johann von Klenau army, who were victorious at Szegedin, are soon overwhelmed by our superior numbers, and a number of smaller Austrian armies are put to the sword. By the turn of the year, Austria have just 57,000 men in total, mostly in scattered armies across vast fronts in Austria and the Ottoman empire. Their war exhaustion has climbed to 12.8, while their war capacity and manpower have both dropped to 0. We are getting frequent offers of peace, but none are remotely to our satisfaction.
On the 22nd January, Karl von Braunscweig tracks down a 30,000 Austrian stack led by Johann von Klenau at Adelburg. Although the armies are relatively even in terms of numbers, we score a decisive victory, killing over 13,000 at a cost of just 4,000. Our armies pursue the retreating soldiers, fighting a number of smaller engagements until they are routed.
Apart from dealing with the occasional small Austrian force, we are now largely free to occupy the remainder of the country. As the war enters its second year, we have captured all but a few isolated forts in Italy and Hungary. On the 14th July, the Ottoman Empire secures a favourable peace with Austria, claiming two provinces on the Adriatic and a small indemnity. Considering how bad their outlook was for much of this conflict, the victory must be a huge boost for the Empire. We immediately request military access, and the Ottomans accept. We should now be able to occupy 100% of Austria and get the best possible peace settlement.
As we wait for the final fortresses to fall in Austria, we accumulate 200 idea points. On the 6th November, we choose the final Prussian idea, Prussian Education System. This gives us an extra 10 idea points every month – a great boost to our research. Although I really ought to pick ‘Marching to the Sound of Guns’ soon, and I haven’t improved my artillery at all yet.
On the 12th November we are ready to negotiate with Austria, and will take full advantage of our decisive victory. We demand all of Austrian Poland and Galicia, giving us out land domination objective. Austria will also cede the remainder of Moravia, giving us a slightly more defensible border with them for any future conflicts. We make Austria give up their satellite state the HRE, removing their influence from Germany, and finally they have to pay a tribute of 625 cash.
I had assumed that making Austria release the HRE would create a fully independent state, but it seems that in March of the Eagles selecting this option in a peace treaty means you take the satellite for yourself. So we now have two German satellites that will be able to assist in future campaigns. I was planning to go to war with the HRE immediately once the truce expired, but this saves me the trouble.
The tribute gained from the Austrian war boosts our coffers to 1,500 cash, and so I take two loans out and begin construction of a new fortress at Mannheim. I’d like to build at least three forts on the French border before I have to fight them, so I’d better get started on construction of them sooner rather than later. Although I haven’t taken any ideas to reduce the level of interest paid, these loans are not costing me too much just now.
One objective I would have liked to add to the treaty with Austria, but could not afford any war score, would have been to cancel all agreements with Bavaria. As it happens, France no longer guarantee Bavarian independence, and although Austria still do, I am confident that the combination of having no soldiers or manpower, and a truce against me, will discourage them from intervening. War is declared against the last independent German Minor on the 24th November, and Austria do not intervene.
As well as their territory west of Austria, Bavaria control a fort and one adjacent province in the northern Rhineland, so I will need forces in two areas to finish this war. Bavaria are also reasonably large compared with other minor states, and can count on an army of some 50,000 men. This is of course no problem for the combined Prussian/ HRE/ Saxon armies, but still mean that occupation isn’t straightforward until they are defeated.
We send two stacks into Bavaria and one into the Rhineland, while Saxony have around 30,000 marching south to our aid. Bavaria keep most of their men in one large stack, and it takes several battles to defeat them.
On the 20th December, we score a decisive victory at Regensberg. Our 40,000 men meet 21,000 Bavarians and all but 430 are casualties. From this point on it is just a matter of defeating the smaller forces and occupying the towns and forts, and on the 16th February we are ready to negotiate.
Unfortunately, due to their size, we cannot annex Bavaria. Instead, we force them to hand over all but Munich and its hinterland, and to pay a tribute of 350 cash.
We will return to deal with Bavaria once our truce has expired, and this will also be a great opportunity to neaten up our border with Austria. It was also good to grab the Bavarian fort on the French border – once Mannheim is complete we will have two but France has at least four.
This is the political situation as of February 1812. Prussia is now masters of much of Germany, although the French influence remains in Hannover and the Rhineland. Britain has taken some land in Tunisia, Norway and Denmark, but was unable to hold onto their land in Hanover. France has acquired some land in Portugal, as well as most of Naples and Sicily. Austria has been the biggest losers so far, with territory ceded to the Ottomans and Prussia (twice). Denmark too has suffered some losses.
So, what next for Prussia?
. Position your armies carefully. Don't allow their stacks to destroy each of your armies individually. This is where March to the Sound of Guns can help you. I recommend getting that idea next. My first game was Prussia as well.
