Napoleonic Hegemony

[Nero]

Austro-Hungarian invasion of France

 

Summer, 1784

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ1OV75weYA&feature=related

 

Austria-Hungary’s leadership, rightly annoyed over the loss of its colonies is Australia was attempting to prove to Europe that it still had the might and power to influence the politics of the continent. And to that end they found themselves a nice and juicy target – Imperial France. Racked by Revolution, and with its royal treasury recent stolen, it seemed an easy fruit for the picking, however the French Imperial Government had recently raised an army with its remaining funds (originally intended to crush the Revolutionaries, as per the ‘Escalation of the Revolution – Royalist Response’ event), that was heading towards Versailles to regain control of the province. Instead, King Louis XIV who was personally leading the army received word that the Austro-Hungarian Army of Vienna had crossed the border from Lorraine and into France.

 

Louis’ response was to turn the French Imperial Army away from Versailles and march to meet the Austrians.

 

The Battle of Nivernais (Nevers), February 23rd, 1784

 

Austrian Army of Vienna - General Vranitzky (Disciplinarian)

 

2000 Imperial Guard

12,000 line infantry

4,000 fusiliers

1,000 grenadiers

1,000 skirmishers

3,000 lancers

4,000 Cuirassiers

40 cannon

 

French Imperial Army – King Louis XVI (Cavalry commander)

 

6,000 line infantry

8,000 fusiliers

2,000 skirmishers

2,000 dragoons

4,000 cuirassiers

30 cannon

 

 

The two armies met in Nevers, on the road that led to Paris. Heavily wooded on the advancing Austrian’s left flank, it was in the woods that General Vranitzky chose to deploy his fusiliers and skirmishers, while the bulk of his line infantry would advance flanked on the right by his cavalry. The French, by contrast, decided that the best hope of defeating the Austrian army was by sending their cavalry off into the woods to sneak around and flank the Austrian army.

 

The battle opened up with a heavy cannonade from the Austrian forces, and the French responded in turn, both sides trading cannonshot at the opposing army’s artillery. The Austrians got the better of the engagement, as their cannon outnumbered the French, and they were on terrain that was ever so slightly elevated above the French position. Around a dozen French cannons were unseated from their limbers before Louis’ finally withdrew them out of range. Unfortunately, that left the waiting French infantry defenseless against the Austrian cannons, who ripped into their ranks with glee.

 

The Austrians began their advance, their white uniforms bright against the midday sun, and the sound of the drums beating steadily had a very ominous sound to it. The entire line marched forward, in almost perfect unison, no step misplaced or movement uncalculated. It was a clockwork army, and General Vranitzky had wound it to breaking.

 

The French responded by sending their 2,000 skirmishers forward. The Austrian skirmishers were in the woods on the left, and so were unable to meet their opponents in their private duel, and so the Austrian line infantry was forced to grin and bear the incessant snapping of the skirmisher’s muskets. But the skirmishers were like wasps stinging at an approaching bear, unable to do enough damage to ward it off, and so they fought a bitter withdraw from the fast approaching Austrian line.

 

The skirmishers withdrew to the main French line, and the Austrian and French lines finally met. The two were even sized, but Vranitzky’s discipline shone as his met outperformed the relatively ill trained French army that faced them. The entire battlefield was soon clouded with musket smoke, and the opposing leaders were unable to discern what was going on. Suddenly, from the forest to the right there were shouts of surprise, and then the Austrian skirmishers were running in panic as 6,000 French cavalry came bursting out of the woods. The Austrian Fusiliers that had been in the woods hadn’t known they were there, and had walked right by them, and so these French cavalry charged for the open artillery that they saw.

 

2,000 French Dragoons and 4,000 Curiassiers were now behind the Austrian line and charging wildly towards the Austrian cannon, but General Vranitzky had seen them, and ordered his cavalry to counter-charge. However, they were too slow to reach the Austrian cannons before the French did, and the French cavalry massacred the fleeing artillerymen. Unfortunately, the French had not brought nails and hammers, and so could do nothing but swat at the cannon barrels with their swords, and so the Austrians charged forward.

 

Both cavalry forces met with a sickening thud. 4,000 Austrian Curiassiers met their French counterparts. The ‘Big Brothers’ of the cavalry force, they wore heavy steel breastplates and carried straight bladed swords. They rode the biggest horses, and were the most heavily trained, and the two forces crashed together, stabbing and slashing at one another. Austrian lancers rode on the edges of the melee, stabbing forward at unprotected backs and jerking French cavalry off their horses. Within 20 minutes, nearly all of the French cavalry force had been killed.

 

In the front of the battlefield, the Austrian infantry was making headway against the French line, which was now taking horrendous damage to its right flank as the 4,000 Austrian Fusiliers had managed to make its way out of the woods, and was pouring its concentrated fire on the French regiment holding the far right of the French line.

 

The French army was unraveling. Its artillery had lost its duel, its cavalry was being massacred, and now the infantry line was rapidly dwindling. Louis’ knew defeat when he saw it, and so gave the order to withdraw before the army could turn to a rout. The French, despite taking horrendous losses, managed to withdraw from the field in relatively good order. The Austrian cavalry nonetheless still managed to kill an additional 1,000 men and capture 4 cannons from the hastily retreating French.

 

Result: Tactical Victory: Austria-Hungary

Strategic Victory: Austria-Hungary

 

Casualties:

Austria:

4,000 Line infantry

1,000 skirmishers

2,000 Cuirassiers

 

France:

2,000 dragoons (Will not be replaced – regimental flags captured)

4,000 cuirassiers

2,000 Line infantry

4,000 Fusiliers

1,000 Skirmishers

4 cannons (Will not be replaced – captured by the Austrians)

 

----

 

[archimage_a]

Nice unit. :shades:

[Iconic]

Gosh, reading that with that music sent shivers down my spine, when I'd finished reading I just looked at the picture until the music had finished; it was that cool!

 

Does that destroy the dissent I had from people saying that my military was weak?

[Retech]

Bred for war? This sounds like a super soldier! :D

[Nero]

Gosh, reading that with that music sent shivers down my spine, when I'd finished reading I just looked at the picture until the music had finished; it was that cool!

 

Does that destroy the dissent I had from people saying that my military was weak?

:)

 

And yea, pretty much.

Bred for war? This sounds like a super soldier! :D

Some creative liberty is taken...of course :P

[Iconic]

Oh dear god, bred for war!

Instead of replacing the dead cuirassiers with more cuirassiers I will be replacing them with Austrian Uhlans.

 

Looks like I get nothing but good news from attacking France; there must be a moral to this.

Attacking French people does nothing but good things, stupid cheese eating surrender monkeys!!!!

[Wisp]

Edel, want to get out while you still can?

France is France. Revolutionary and Imperial are just ideas.

[Iconic]

France is France. Revolutionary and Imperial are just ideas.

I agree, I was trying to explain that to someone recently.

[Wisp]

So are you really feeling like fighting a war against me and my allies?

[Iconic]

Not really sorry.

[Wisp]

So are you done with attacking France?

[Iconic]

Rocco, is it new budget today?

[Retech]

Oooh, it's a new budget? -Runs to find old budgetary figures-

[Iconic]

Oh cool, that leaves me loaded!!

 

25,680,000 Ducats.

 

Rocco, whats your army in porrgual?

[Retech]

How many budgets have we had so far?

[Iconic]

Why would I tell you my army if we are at war...?

 

 

Treaty of Sydney

• Austria-Hungary won't enter Australia for the next five years.
  
• Australia won't attack Austria-Hungary.
  

 

We will both sacrifice three million ducats which will be given back in five years as long as we don't break a treaty, in that case its goes to us.

 

Sign Here.

Emperor King Josef Franz-Gottfreid HRE LAU

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾

Your name here Rocco

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾

 

Rocco, you need to look through your posts and find it, you can't just claim that you have lost it; what if someone attacks you?

 

Retech, four I think.

 

I begin research on genetically modified supersoldiers.

[hide]http://sleevage.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/brianblessed_flashgordon_vultan.jpg

Joking, I'm not[/hide]

[Retech]

Aren't the first two simply the same thing?

[archimage_a]

Plus, if you say it twice, it doubles the effectiveness

[Iconic]

Rocco, I agree.

[jasignhagj]

Update is every 4 IRL days, right?

 

Spain advises other nations to stay out of this conflict. Any troops that enter the provinces bordering Spain will be killed.

[archimage_a]

Errr...Which conflict and doesn't that mean Rocco has to abandon his defences??

[Retech]

I think he means the French conflict.

[archimage_a]

Possibly...Though that would mean Doom would have to leave her rear undefended...meaning someone devious enough could land in said location, then cross into another province....

[Retech]

He probaly means foreign troops (that aren't French). :)

[archimage_a]

Possibly...Though I doubt mindreading as an actual ability so...If I were Doom then I would be worried.

However, me being who I am, would probably assume that Doom and Trol have talked and come to some sort of an arrangement.

And given someone else's involvement earlier today I think I know what is going on....

Though Retech's presence is hard to account for considering these factors...so either Retech is being nosy...or is also involved in some manner...which would be terrible...since one sided wars are always boring.