Chapter 27: Let them rush into the room, then electrify the floor!
The French do not mobilize at the start of the war - interesting.
April 7, 1887: The party starts with a feint into Besancon - 3 brigades tempt the French into attacking, and my armies follow in. The +4 defensive general helps.
April 12: The first French landing takes place in Pakistan. That's 17 brigades (I think). My armies start filtering down from Kokand, but it'll take a while.
April 13: Argh.
April 19: The French retreat from Besancon before I can envelope them, and retreat to Chaumont. A large French army attacks me in Besancon (annoyingly after I merge armies and prepare to attack, losing my +4 defense general), and the retreating army returns. Here's the second battle, starting on the 28th:
May 1: The French army in Bela loses about 7000 men to attrition. Yay!
May 11: Kokand is annexed.
May 24: The French army in Egypt decides to commit suicide and charge across the Sinai desert into Gaza, losing 19,000 men to attrition before running smack into my massed armies (who of course envelope them). In Pakistan, Bela falls, but the French do not move further inland.
June 11: Triestian Nationalists rise in Trieste.
June 26: The French Egyptian army surrenders, losing 51,000 men between attrition, battle, and surrender.
June 28: Yeah, let's add a war with China to the list! No. I pick the huge militancy boosting option, which raises my average MIL from 1.2 to 2.7 - still not enough to enact any reforms. ARGH!
June 30: Some French armies try and free their friends in Besancon. I envelope the army in Dijon, but the army in Melun is screwed.
July 6: Sokoto is eviscerated.
July 9: Oh @#%&!