I think Prussia is by far the most fun country to play in the Napoleonic scenario, mainly because it is not that big, it's surrounded by bigger neighbors, and appears well-balanced. It also starts in a very interesting situation in 1795! Here it is:
Prussia begins as part of the big coallition against France in 1795, however with little or no incentive to actually fight the French. Since the English are the leaders of the coalition, all Prussia has to do is sit back and wait for the English to negotiate a peace with the French, which usually just returns to status quo, and all French gains in Europe will be returned. There is also little incentive to help the Austrians in the south, since the French usually spend most of the war besieging Savoy. The only thing at stake is Kleves, which the French usually take very quickly, but it is not worth wasting an army to defend it. However, this time, the situation in the north actually demmanded Prussia's attention, because the Dutch joined the French and invaded British Hannover, which is all that seperates the Napoleon's Empire from Prussia.
On the eastern front, Prussia and Russia are independently at war with Poland. 50,000 Prussian troops are sent to take part in that operation.
The most pressing questions are twofold:
1) Send limited help to the British in Hannover so as to slow down the French without really risking the army against the vastly superior snail-eaters.
2) Take as much of Poland before the Russians do.
Blucher, having dispatched all his cavalry to the west, marches for Krakow, which falls quickly. The Russians meanwhile, with 115,000 troops besiege Lithuania in the snow. Instead of assaulting the city (stupid AI), they sit outside the walls for over a month, which allows Blucher to march for Warsaw, avoid the puny Polish army, and take the Polish capital in one quick assault. The Russians thus sue for peace and take Lithuania, leaving the rest to be gobbled up by Prussia. However, if complete partition was on their mind, Moscow was left dissapointed, because Blucher, wanting to secure Poland as an ally, makes peace with the Poles, only demmanding that they become Prussia's vassal.
In the west, the military situation looks grim. Hesse, which was a potential ally for Prussia, was overran by Kellermann and ceded Munster to France. Kleeves and Mainz fell to the French as well, and there was no sign of any British or Austrian troops. The Dutch and a few French under Massena were besieging Oldeburg. Blucher arrived on the scene and gathered-up all available Prussian troops (about 45,000 in all, including 11,000 cavalry) in Magdeburg. Oldenburg fell to the Dutch and Frech who then besieged Hannover with 23,000 troops. Massena was no joke, but Blucher decided to force battle. The result was a complete Prussian victory. The Prussian army then moved to besiege Munster. Elsewhere, the Austrians and French were attritioning themselves in Savoy. The War at Sea was going decidedly in Britain's favour, and the Spanish front was relatively quiet.
Suddenly, Austria pulled out of the war and ceded Milan and mainz to France. This was not good, as the main brunt of the French was not expected to be redirected at the north against Blucher. Indeed, Napoleon soon showed up with some 90,000 men, though they were all split up in smaller formations. Tempted at destroying the French piecemeal, Bluched waited for them patiently in Munster. He managed to wipe out a few smaller formations (stupid AI) before Davout showed up with 19,000 men. The French lost about 12,000 men to the Prussian 5,000, but another French Marshall reinforced Davout in the last minute and the Prussians broke. Napoleon himself then arrived and recovered Munster for the French. Blucher retreated to magdeburg where 11,000 reinforcements were waiting, but this war would see no more fighting. The English and French signed a peace and returned to status quo, thus effectively ending the war. Berlin took advantage of the situation and quickly left the coalition in order to make its own alliance.
It would consist of Saxony, Poland, Bavaria, and Sweden. All resources were spend improving relations with these countries, until by 1805, they stood high enough that the Kaiser was certain that these countries would not come to Prussia's aid if necessary. Only Bavaria would abandon the alliance.
The plan was simple: invade and destroy Russia, which was slowly recovering from a civil war. For several months, troops were moved to Poland in preparation of a major offensive in the spring of 1806. Two armies were assembled. one under Blucher would strike at Lithuania and drive for Smolensk, the other under Hochenlohe would attampt to capture Kiev. It was expected that the Swedes and Poles would supply some troops. Russia's main ally was Georgia. In the last minute, Ukraine, which had declared its independence from Russia, joined Prussia's alliance, however it was limited to one tiny province south of Ukraine proper, and was not expected to provide much help.
In the spring of 1806, Prussia and its allies declared war. Blucher quickly captured Lithuania and set off for Smolensk, Novogorod, and Moscow. Mwanwhile, Hochenlohe marched down towards Ukraine, assaulting each city of 5000 defenders or less and avoiding the larger fortresses. The Poles build 33,000(!) men and besieged Kurland, while the Swedes undertook operations in Kola. Russian response was initially pathetic. A few small detachments formed, but most were destroyed either by the main Prussian armies or by equally small Polish detachments. Only in the south did the Georgians take Ukraine out of the war and put some pressure on Hochenlohe. The Russians surrendered Podolia to Poland and Kola to Sweden, thus the Prussian army was suddenly left alone in Russia in the winter of 1806-7. Losses due to city-assaults were mounting, and by February, the two Prussian armies united in Mozyr, and after receiving reinforcements, amounted to only 22,000 men and 30 guns. There were no Russians in sight, but Berlin opted for a peace, which gave Lithuania and one other adjoining province to Prussia. The Russians stubbornly refused to cede more, but this was a good beginning.
Five years of planning followed, with nothing really happening in Europe, except that some new alliances had formed, including Austria-Russia. Concerned that the two powers would attack Prussia, Berlin decided that another offensive was was necessary. It still had the same allies which would be helpful especially against Russia, and so it was decided that Moscow would again be the target, while a smaller force would 'watch' the Austrians.
In early 1813, thus, Prussia once again declared war on Russia. Blucher began with 35,000 men and 40 guns in Lithuania, while Hochenlohe (again) had a similar number in Podolia. A much smaller force was in Krakow. The Russians put up an initial fight. They had some 20,000 in Kurland at the beginning of the war, plus another 10,000 visible on the border. They had also previously annexed Denmark, and although there was no army there, they could easilly build one. The Russians in Kurland manouvered themselves to death (stupid AI), and Kurland itself was once again besieged by thw Poles, and by an 8000-stong Saxon contingent. The two Prussian armies began systematically capturing every Russian province in sight, including Moscow. Austria sat and did nothing.
At least 12 Russian provinces fell to the allies, but Kurland held on, and it was this very province that the kaiser really wanted to add to Prussia. Swedes negotiated their own peace and got Livonia. Austria still had not done anything, while Denamrk revolted against Russia (but did not declare independence). Blucher had sustained heavy losses due to attrition and by mid 1815, after being reinforced by new recruits, settled down to a siege of Kurland. Meanwhile, Hochenlohe marches west and helped the Poles take moravia from Austria. Only then did the Hapsburgs awaken and began building troops like crazy. Forunatelly, more Saxons arrived to help the allies, who defeated a smaller Austrian army north of Vienna and began a siege of Pressburg. The war ended soon before the end of the scenario when Russia surrendered to Prussia, yielding Kurland and several other provinces. The war was thus over, and Prussia was the most powerful state in central Europe.
Prussia begins as part of the big coallition against France in 1795, however with little or no incentive to actually fight the French. Since the English are the leaders of the coalition, all Prussia has to do is sit back and wait for the English to negotiate a peace with the French, which usually just returns to status quo, and all French gains in Europe will be returned. There is also little incentive to help the Austrians in the south, since the French usually spend most of the war besieging Savoy. The only thing at stake is Kleves, which the French usually take very quickly, but it is not worth wasting an army to defend it. However, this time, the situation in the north actually demmanded Prussia's attention, because the Dutch joined the French and invaded British Hannover, which is all that seperates the Napoleon's Empire from Prussia.
On the eastern front, Prussia and Russia are independently at war with Poland. 50,000 Prussian troops are sent to take part in that operation.
The most pressing questions are twofold:
1) Send limited help to the British in Hannover so as to slow down the French without really risking the army against the vastly superior snail-eaters.
2) Take as much of Poland before the Russians do.
Blucher, having dispatched all his cavalry to the west, marches for Krakow, which falls quickly. The Russians meanwhile, with 115,000 troops besiege Lithuania in the snow. Instead of assaulting the city (stupid AI), they sit outside the walls for over a month, which allows Blucher to march for Warsaw, avoid the puny Polish army, and take the Polish capital in one quick assault. The Russians thus sue for peace and take Lithuania, leaving the rest to be gobbled up by Prussia. However, if complete partition was on their mind, Moscow was left dissapointed, because Blucher, wanting to secure Poland as an ally, makes peace with the Poles, only demmanding that they become Prussia's vassal.
In the west, the military situation looks grim. Hesse, which was a potential ally for Prussia, was overran by Kellermann and ceded Munster to France. Kleeves and Mainz fell to the French as well, and there was no sign of any British or Austrian troops. The Dutch and a few French under Massena were besieging Oldeburg. Blucher arrived on the scene and gathered-up all available Prussian troops (about 45,000 in all, including 11,000 cavalry) in Magdeburg. Oldenburg fell to the Dutch and Frech who then besieged Hannover with 23,000 troops. Massena was no joke, but Blucher decided to force battle. The result was a complete Prussian victory. The Prussian army then moved to besiege Munster. Elsewhere, the Austrians and French were attritioning themselves in Savoy. The War at Sea was going decidedly in Britain's favour, and the Spanish front was relatively quiet.
Suddenly, Austria pulled out of the war and ceded Milan and mainz to France. This was not good, as the main brunt of the French was not expected to be redirected at the north against Blucher. Indeed, Napoleon soon showed up with some 90,000 men, though they were all split up in smaller formations. Tempted at destroying the French piecemeal, Bluched waited for them patiently in Munster. He managed to wipe out a few smaller formations (stupid AI) before Davout showed up with 19,000 men. The French lost about 12,000 men to the Prussian 5,000, but another French Marshall reinforced Davout in the last minute and the Prussians broke. Napoleon himself then arrived and recovered Munster for the French. Blucher retreated to magdeburg where 11,000 reinforcements were waiting, but this war would see no more fighting. The English and French signed a peace and returned to status quo, thus effectively ending the war. Berlin took advantage of the situation and quickly left the coalition in order to make its own alliance.
It would consist of Saxony, Poland, Bavaria, and Sweden. All resources were spend improving relations with these countries, until by 1805, they stood high enough that the Kaiser was certain that these countries would not come to Prussia's aid if necessary. Only Bavaria would abandon the alliance.
The plan was simple: invade and destroy Russia, which was slowly recovering from a civil war. For several months, troops were moved to Poland in preparation of a major offensive in the spring of 1806. Two armies were assembled. one under Blucher would strike at Lithuania and drive for Smolensk, the other under Hochenlohe would attampt to capture Kiev. It was expected that the Swedes and Poles would supply some troops. Russia's main ally was Georgia. In the last minute, Ukraine, which had declared its independence from Russia, joined Prussia's alliance, however it was limited to one tiny province south of Ukraine proper, and was not expected to provide much help.
In the spring of 1806, Prussia and its allies declared war. Blucher quickly captured Lithuania and set off for Smolensk, Novogorod, and Moscow. Mwanwhile, Hochenlohe marched down towards Ukraine, assaulting each city of 5000 defenders or less and avoiding the larger fortresses. The Poles build 33,000(!) men and besieged Kurland, while the Swedes undertook operations in Kola. Russian response was initially pathetic. A few small detachments formed, but most were destroyed either by the main Prussian armies or by equally small Polish detachments. Only in the south did the Georgians take Ukraine out of the war and put some pressure on Hochenlohe. The Russians surrendered Podolia to Poland and Kola to Sweden, thus the Prussian army was suddenly left alone in Russia in the winter of 1806-7. Losses due to city-assaults were mounting, and by February, the two Prussian armies united in Mozyr, and after receiving reinforcements, amounted to only 22,000 men and 30 guns. There were no Russians in sight, but Berlin opted for a peace, which gave Lithuania and one other adjoining province to Prussia. The Russians stubbornly refused to cede more, but this was a good beginning.
Five years of planning followed, with nothing really happening in Europe, except that some new alliances had formed, including Austria-Russia. Concerned that the two powers would attack Prussia, Berlin decided that another offensive was was necessary. It still had the same allies which would be helpful especially against Russia, and so it was decided that Moscow would again be the target, while a smaller force would 'watch' the Austrians.
In early 1813, thus, Prussia once again declared war on Russia. Blucher began with 35,000 men and 40 guns in Lithuania, while Hochenlohe (again) had a similar number in Podolia. A much smaller force was in Krakow. The Russians put up an initial fight. They had some 20,000 in Kurland at the beginning of the war, plus another 10,000 visible on the border. They had also previously annexed Denmark, and although there was no army there, they could easilly build one. The Russians in Kurland manouvered themselves to death (stupid AI), and Kurland itself was once again besieged by thw Poles, and by an 8000-stong Saxon contingent. The two Prussian armies began systematically capturing every Russian province in sight, including Moscow. Austria sat and did nothing.
At least 12 Russian provinces fell to the allies, but Kurland held on, and it was this very province that the kaiser really wanted to add to Prussia. Swedes negotiated their own peace and got Livonia. Austria still had not done anything, while Denamrk revolted against Russia (but did not declare independence). Blucher had sustained heavy losses due to attrition and by mid 1815, after being reinforced by new recruits, settled down to a siege of Kurland. Meanwhile, Hochenlohe marches west and helped the Poles take moravia from Austria. Only then did the Hapsburgs awaken and began building troops like crazy. Forunatelly, more Saxons arrived to help the allies, who defeated a smaller Austrian army north of Vienna and began a siege of Pressburg. The war ended soon before the end of the scenario when Russia surrendered to Prussia, yielding Kurland and several other provinces. The war was thus over, and Prussia was the most powerful state in central Europe.
