The Grand Campaign

Some many years ago, perhaps in '97, the UVic Games club conducted a Grand Napoleonic campaign using Napoleon's Battles. Jason coordinated the campaign that was played out over a couple of months. I'm biased, But I regard it as a high point for the club in terms of historical gaming.

The players:

Marshal Blucher of the Prussian Army: Murray
General Schwarzenberg, Commander of the Austro-Russian armies - Brian
General Radetzky: Michael
Another Austrian:  Jeremy
The Russians: Bruce and Shannon
The Emperor Napoleon: Malcolm
Marshal Murat: Dale
Marshal Ney: Mike
Marshal Marmont: Shannon
Marshal Victor: Joel

In retrospect, the Campaign was likely not fair. The French Old Guard dominated the game. They did historically in this same campaign but the weight of the Allies told against them more than our game allowed.

The Narrative

February 1814, Napoleon struggles to defend Paris from a Grand Coalition. Blucher and his Prussians are in the north at Laon. Schwartzenburg with the Austrians and Russians are in the east at Verdun.

The larger theater

At the time, there was a minor road and bridge between Epernay and Reims

Opening Moves

The Campaign commences with Napoleon sending his main army along the roads from Chateau Thierry to Chalons to seek out the Austrian army. Marmont will be his right flank and Ney will demonstrate against the Prussians on the left. The Prussians are cautious, sending out piquets before committing to anything. The eastern Allies send their main elements north to try taking Reims and connecting with the Prussians.

The Epernay Marshes Feb 4th

The main French army, en route to Chalons, runs into Radetzky's Advanced Guard Corps. The Austrians, fortunate in their ground, hold up the French for most of the day before falling back. When Napoleon sees that Radetzky is not being reinforced by the Schwarzenberg, despite the strong defensive position, he realizes that the Austrians must be pushing on Reims. Instantly the Guard and Cavalry are turned about and sent force marching back the way they had come. The marshes would not be won on this opening day.

View from the south

Reims Feb 5th 'The First Debacle'

Austrians and Russians march in a long column on Reims where they encounter Ney's Corps. As the Allies take the time to deploy and bring up all of their forces they are startled to see Ney advancing to engage them aggressively. Just as Schwarzenberg commits to the notion of attacking, Marshal Murat arrives with a strong corps of Guard Cavalry on the French left.  The Austrians make the fatal decision to deploy into squares and protect their own cavalry behind them. Some historians suggest that the Austrians were expecting Prussian reinforcements from the northwest.

With the French Guard cavalry pinning the Austrian right into divisional squares, Ney can advance almost at leisure to pound the allies into oblivion. The central French grand battery is shown here beginning to disintegrate the Austrian and Russian center.

View from the south

Force marching from the lost battle at Epernay, Napoleon arrives with the 1st Cavalry Corps and Young Guard to reinforce the already won battle. The Allies withdraw, badly battered, toward Chalons.

View from the northwest

Movements following the Battle of Reims

The Allies fall back on Chalons but that army is only a portion of the masses that they have available. A fresh force pushes forward from Chalons to encounter Victor but, startling for the Allies, the army that had defeated them at Reims has forced march again to Epernay in anticipation of this move. There again is the Old Guard.

Epernay Feb 7th

The Allies are determined to make a fight of it but again the combination of the French Guard, Massed Heavy Cavalry under Murat, and grand batteries make it an ugly affair.

Having crushed the leftmost Austrian Corps, the Old Guard now advances in conjunction with a massed cavalry assault on the opposite flank. Chalons will see a beaten Austrian army limp through its gates for the second time in as many days.

View from the southeast

Fismes Feb 7th

While Napoleon is focussed in the east, Blucher finally makes a tentative push in the north. Prussian artillery wins a nearly uncontested crossing between Soissons and Reims. Ney fell back toward Chatillon in safety but it is enough to give the French pause and so they can make no move to assault Chalons.

View from the south

Compiegne Feb 9th

Ney, having kept his army intact following his first encounter with the Prussians, follows the Prussian corps as it heads west. He tracks them down as they are making a cautious march toward Paris. Unsupported, the Prussians are of no mind to put up a stubborn resistance. They slowly concede ground and withdraw back toward Blucher and Laon in the night.

View from the northwest

Sezanne Feb 12th

Meanwhile in the south, Marmont has lost contact with the main French army and become isolated. Worse, he has stumbled upon Vitry and kicked the hornets nest that is in Chalons. The massed army of the Allies swings south to react to this opportunity.

Marmont's 'Ghost Corps' runs to escape encirclement by seven Allied Corps.

Below, we see the dying moments of the pursuit across the map with the French routing away as best they can. Austrian cavalry is pouring across the narrow river but it is too late. Marmont makes it to Sezanne by nightfall where they are joined by Lefebvre and Victor's Corps.

View from the southeast

Sezanne Feb 13th

Dawn on the 13th reveals a very thin French defence. Marmont is on the French left under Lefebvre. Victor is on the right.

View from the south.

Early morning

Victor and Lefebvre marshal their forces against the massing bulk of Schwarzenberg. Force marching through the night to rescue Marmont and his 'ghost corps', they array for battle hoping to hold out until reinforcements can swing odds into their favour. The allies hope to smash the French before the Guard can arrive. 

View from the south

Early Hours

The allies advance awkwardly. Victor dashes forward and sends the Russian infantry fleeing back into the forest. The cavalry on the French right settles into a stare down. On the left, Marmont advances to meet the plodding Austrians and extends along the flank there. Victor spends his reserves to fill the space between the wings even as the Old Guard arrives and forces marches into the French center just in time. With them comes Napoleon who furiously instructs his Marshals to close up ranks.

View from the south

Old Guard to the Rescue

Quickling filling the gap (as the french central cavalry is ordered to the right), the Old Guard undergoes Hellish artillery fire. Cannonballs cannot see bearskins. Finally it is able to advance against the attackers, capturing and overrunning three or four batteries.

View from the south

The Allied attack is repulsed

The Old Guard counterattacks into the advancing Austrian divisional squares and throws them back. Immediately though the Guard must fall back and rest, exhausted. Four thousand veteran grenadiers have fallen this day.

View from the east

Following after the retiring French Guard, daring Wurttemberg gunners dash forward to rescue their guns. Both sides reassess their situation and one wonders what General Schwarzenberg is trying to signal with his white card.

View from the northwest

Rest for the Infantry

The two lines of infantry resettle and reorder as the cavalry commence their own battle in earnest on the southern flank. French reinforcements by now have shifted the weight of advantage to their side.

View from the northeast

Push!

Napoleon orders a general advance even as the Allies fall back onto their stream of reinforcements.

View from the east

Dusk

Jast as things begin to look dark for the Allies, night falls and the two armies, exhausted, settle into bivouacs to renew the fighting on the morrow. The Allies would withdraw another mile or two to surrender the central woods to the French and allow themselves more deployment room.

View from the east

Sezanne Feb 14th

 Dawn of the Third Day

View from the south

The French vigorously advance on the patient Allied positions

View from the south

View from the south

View from the north

View from the north

Preparing for the End Game

The Young Guard has, after Victor earns a reprimand from Napoleon, finally aimed itself in the right direction to try to push through the ragged remnants of the Allied center. The Austrian right bogs down against stiff French resistance. Weariness begins to show on the faces of the Austrian High Command.

View from the northwest

Final Shot

The French Young and Old Guard smash through the Allied center, well weakened by artillery. On the right, Marmont gets his revenge and drives the Russians back into the woods. Note the Guard Lancers sweeping for the Allied Imperial Headquarters.

View from the west

Closing shot from the French Right

The Allied reserve is now all that stands before the overwhelming French attack.

View from the south

Final moments from behind the Allied grenadiers. The whole of the Guard prepares to vault forward

View from the south

View from the northeast