Dealing with the Archduke
Etienne had gathered his generals in the Schlossgut Groß Schwansee, Kalkhorst which had been their residence following the end of hostilities with the Prussians. The bar is cleared apart from a discrete waiter, and dingy. The only sources of slight are the slither from the moon and oil lamps, which cast a flickering light. The generals are hunched around the room’s only table, which is spread with a large, detailed map of Europe.
Political map of Europe in late 1814, after the collapse of Prussia.
There are three major powers remaining. Great Britain maintains control of their isles, as well as the seas of Europe. Denmark and Spain have both lost much of their naval force, while France has not yet mounted a stern challenge. In the far east, the Empire of Russia has made gains at the expense of Sweden, The Ottomans and Persia. Until recently they enjoyed friendly relations with the French Empire and the British Empire, taking a detached view to the on-going conflict, but recently they have been making increasingly uneasy noises at French expansion, particularly the establishment of a large French client state on their border.
Dominating Western Europe is the vast sprawl of Napoleons Empire. A number of client states extend the reach of the Empire from the Atlantic Ocean to East Prussia, and almost half the Mediterranean ports are loyal to Paris.
A diplomatic map of Europe, showing the French Empire with its client states, and a hostile Austria. Does not show Egypt, Cyrenaica and Tripolitania.
Etienne is ordered to march into Saxony at the turn of the year to prepare for a lightening campaign against Austria. It is thought that with Prussia subdued and observing a truce with France, another rapid victory will enable France to hobble Austria without the war developing into a new coalition. There is much concern over the possibility of Spain becoming involved however, and new recruits are being diverted west to man the border in Catalonia.
On the 5th January 1815, France declares war on the Archduchy of Austria, and Etienne heads a 100,000 man invasion of Bohemia. The Emperor, keen to banish the memories of his defeat by the Ottomans, leads a further 100,000 through the Tyrol who will advance on Wien. However, as French soldiers cross the border ominous news reaches Etienne. The Russians have formed a coalition with the Austrians and issued a declaration of war against France. They state that the French gains in Prussia are an encroachment of Russian power, and that Napoleon is a tyrant who must be toppled. The vast Russian army, thought to number over half a million men, has already begun its advance towards the Polish and Austrian border.
Etienne is ordered to advance through Bohemia and Moravia as planned, but rather than wheel south into Hungary he will lead the Cavalerie Italie into Poland and assume overall command of French forces stationed there. In total 150,000 will serve in Poland to meet the Russian challenge.
The fifth Coalition is formed when Russia honours Austria’s call to arms on the 19th January 1815.
However, before any action can be taken against the treacherous Russians, the more imminent threat of Austria must be subdued. Despite suffering badly in previous wars, the Archduke commands somewhere in the region of 150,000 men. In late January the Cavalerie cross into Austrian territory, and Etienne marches on Prag.
Scouts soon return, reporting a large Austrian army in the regional capital. At least 60,000 men are active in the area, while the Cavalerie are currently at full strength, 53,000. Etienne presses on, keen to engage with the Austrians before more defenders can arrive. On approaching Prag, a more encouraging report returns from the scouts. 19,000 men from the Austrian Third Army have broken away and advanced to Freiberg, presumably to try and locate the French advance. Several days march ahead of the main body of men, Etienne orders his Cavalerie to make haste and engage the enemy before his forces can combine again.
Battle is joined outside the provincial town on the 4th February. French artillery opens with a massed bombardment which pins the Austrians between the French and the town walls. Carteaux masses the French cavalry and leads a charge around the Austrian right, which drives a wedge between the beleaguered detachment and any reinforcements that will arrive from the east. Clearly outnumbered, the Austrian’s attempt to gain the relative safety from the French guns and horse offered by the dense forests, but Souham on the French left meets the attempted breakaway with persistent raids.
With no sign of the Austrian Third Army, the ‘battle’ has quickly descended into a rout, with French infantry advancing in the centre to complete the encirclement of the Austrians. After 15 hours the slaughter is ended with an Austrian surrender. Almost 16,000 lie dead by the city walls, while France has lost just 800 cavalry
The battle of Freiburg was a small battle, but one that was strategically important as it prevented
the significant detachment from linking up with the larger Austrian Third Army.
This dealt a huge blow to Austria’s defences in the West.
Scouts from the Austrian Third army are spotted shortly after the surrender at Freiberg, but they escape and call off the advance, marching northeast towards the Polish border. Etienne, with the 4e Corps advancing to the south, now marches to Prag and begins the first siege of the campaign. The town is well provisioned, despite the large number of Austrian men recently in the region, and is able to hold out against the Cavalerie for two weeks. Just as the garrison lay down their arms, Etienne is met with some troubling news; the Russians and the Ottomans have ended their conflict. Any possibility of a quick settlement with Russia has vanished.
With Prag in French hands, Etienne orders the Cavalerie to march back towards Freiberg, where a number of smaller Austrian units have been reported. 7,000 are surrounded and forced to surrender as they attempt to link up with the main Austrian army around Wien. With the 4e Corp in position to complete the occupation of Bohemia, Etienne marches to the town of Iglau which falls without ceremony on the 20th March.
On other fronts, the news is not so positive. The Emperor has suffered a second defeat at Wien, being caught before reinforcements could arrive by 87,000 Austrians under the command of Ferdinand Heinrich Prinz zu Hessen-Homberg. The Grande Armee suffer over 40,000 casualties, although they give a good account of themselves and inflict over 30,000 casualties on the Austrians. An additional 30,000 allied forces are lost in what is the greatest military triumph against Napolean. The 1e Corps, intended to reinforce the Emperor, arrive one day after the defeat and force the exhausted Austrians to retreat, but the Grand Armee is ruled out of participation in the campaign for several weeks. The Russians have invaded Poland with over 150,000, overwhelming Polish defences in the south east. The two French armies of 70,000 currently stationed in the Duchy of Warsaw are no match for the invaders, but are currently holding a defensive line south of Warsaw. The first clash occurs when a Russian force breaks off and loses 10,000 men, but the Empire will need a great deal more victories to turn the tide.
The level of military action was significantly increased compared with the recent Prussian and North African campaigns,
and several military innovations were introduced improving the effectiveness of the Empire’s forces.
The 9,000 French army visible in Salzburg is the defeated Grande Armee.
Etienne marches north, trusting the 1e Corps, 2e Corps and the Armee d’Allemagne to continue the advance into the heart of Austria, and the Cavalerie begin a siege at the northernmost Austrian fortress, Königgratz. Ferdinand Heinrich had marched his defeated army north, but Etienne’s scouts have been unable to locate the Austrian general and his force, and it is believed that he may have linked up with the Russians. There is no sign of any further Austrian armies, and after a short siege the fort capitulates on the 20th May.
The French advance into Austria as of the 20th May, following the fall of Königgratz. Increasing numbers of Russian soldiers arrive daily in Poland.
With Bohemia and Moravia secured, and the once faltering French advance again gathering momentum in the Austrian heartlands, Etienne sets off to join the beleaguered forces in the East. On the 3rd of June, while approaching the Polish border a small Austrian force is sighted. To Etienne’s delight, it is led by the elusive Ferdinand Heinrich, who leads just 17,000 following the French recovery. The General who bested the Emperor must be beaten.
Seeing that the Cavalerie will catch his force, Ferdinand Heinrich forms up his force into a tight defensive formation on a small hillock. As the French approach, they are greeted by a massed artillery bombardment which hampers the attempts to form up opposing lines. Austrian light infantry raid the French lines, and very little fire is returned for the first few hours of the engagement. Carteaux leads his cavalry into the field and forces the Austrian infantry to withdraw, the French horse then begin raiding from the left flank. The Austrian lines appear solid, but Etienne is convinced that their long retreat north will have taken its toll on the stragth of the men. French guards are prepared and a direct assault begins from the French centre, soon joined with guards from Souham’s right.
The Austrian left, perceiving that their natural defences will only delay the French advance, launch an all-out assault and attempt to disrupt the French guards. The disciplined French guards, now clear of the Austrian artillery fire, carve through their opponents and have soon gained much of the slope. With the Austrian line looking flaky, Souham’s cavalry return to the field and harass Ferdinand Heinrich from all sides.
The Austrian’s break and the battle is won. Despite their huge disadvantage in numbers, the Austrian’s held the French advance for many hours and inflicted 1,500 casualties. Regrettably, Ferdinand Heinrich escaped with just over 5,000 of his men, but the last Austrian army has still be shattered.
The Battle of Gleiwitz. The large Austrian army of any significance failed to prevent Etienne’s arrival in Poland
Following the battle at Gleiwitz the Cavalerie cross into the Duchy of Warsaw. The military situation does not look encouraging. With other French armies tied up with the occupation of Austria, Etienne has just 115,000 men in Poland, supported by a few thousand Polish. The Russian army in Poland has by this time swelled to over 350,000 men, with almost a quarter of their territory overrun.
In total, the French army number 625,000 men, while the Russian army is almost exactly the same size. The French do have a significant advantage in terms of manpower and the quality of their equipment however, but Poland still looks like an unwinnable theatre. Austria looks finished, with only their town and fortress garrisons remaining.
The military situation in Poland as Etienne assumes overall command of the Eastern Front. The French and Polish are badly outnumbered,
and the Russians are currently concentrated in the East preventing a French offensive.
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