From General Volume 26 Issue 6
A. INTRODUCTION
In late 1799, the new French Republic was in poor shape. At war with Great Britain and Austria, the French faced hostile armies in Italy, Holland and on the Rhine, as well as political upheaval inside France itself. In early November, Napoleon and a coalition of generals and ministers launched the Brumaire coup; through a series of blunders, confrontations and Machiavellian political ploys, Napoleon became First Consul. Determined to retrieve France's military situation, the general -turned-consul immediately began preparations for a two-pronged assault on Austria.
The ensuing campaign was a wild, back-and-forth struggle. Napoleon, betrayed by one of his own generals and caught off guard by a simultaneous Austrian offensive, rebounded brilliantly. Defeating the Austrians at Marengo on 14 June 1800, he followed up his success by advancing deep into Austrian Italy. By early 1801, Austria was willing to sign a separate peace, thus leaving British Prime Minister William Pitt's Second Coalition in a shambles.
B. GAME EQUIPMENT
1. The scenario is played on map boards 2 and 3.
2. The scenario requires Austrian, French and some British units.
C. VICTORY CONDITIONS
1. The French player wins by fulfilling any one of the following victory conditions:
a. Occupy Mantua, Milan, Venice and any three cities in Austria or Bavaria, in supply, at the end of any French player-turn, in which case the game ends in an immediate French victory.
b. Force Austria to become neutral through the Allegiance Table die rolls (not possible before November 1800), in which case the game ends in an immediate French victory.
c. Occupy Vienna or Budapest, in supply, at the end of any French player-turn, in which case the game ends in an immediate French victory.
2. The Non-French player wins by preventing the French player from winning by the end of January 1801 game turn or by occupying any five French cities (or Paris), in supply, at the end of any non-French player-rum.
3. The scenario begins in April 1800 and ends in January 1801.
D. SPECIAL RULES
1. Alliance Phase
There is no Alliance Phase prior to the November 1800 game turn. During and after the November turn, the French player (only) may roll to make Austria neutral. Both players receive victory points toward that die roll for battles won by their forces; however, the defeat of an army led by Napoleon is only worth two victory points, not three as per the standard rules.
2. Supply Sources
a. French forces are supplied from any city in France that is not occupied or besieged by anti-French forces.
b. Austrian forces are supplied from any city in Bavaria, Austria or Italy that is not occupied or besieged by French forces.
c. English forces may be supplied from coastal hexes or port cities occupied by English forces.
3. British Forces
a. The British forces begin the game "at sea". They may use sea movement to land at any coastal hex or city that is currently occupied by a non-French unit. British units in port hexes may move from that port to any other port occupied by friendly forces instead of moving by land. British units on coastal hexes may move out to sea or to friendly port hexes.
b. British units (only) may move by sea but may not combine land and sea movement in the same turn. They may fight adjacent French units.
c. The British player receives special reinforcements dependent upon the status of Florence and Genoa. The British player receives one infantry strength point of reinforcements "at sea" on each turn that both Genoa and Florence are free of French units.
4. Reduced French Quality
All French forces that are stacked with Napoleon have their normal morale of "2". Any other French units have a morale of "1". French forces may still force-march and take attrition as normal French units.
5. Austrian Morale
All regular Austrian units are considered to possess a morale of "2".
6. Bavaria
Bavaria is considered to be part of Austria for movement and supply purposes.
E. INITIAL DEPLOYMENT
Note: Initial deployment instructions assume counters do not exist for certain leaders. This may or may not be the case so use the correct counter where possible.
1. French Player (deploys first)
At Mainz: Moreau (use Ney) 8I, 2C * At Coblenz: Leader (0), 4I * At Strasbourg: Leader (0), 5I, lC * At Geneva: Lannes, 4I. * At Dijon: Kellerman (use Murat), Leader (0), 6I, 1C * At hex P24(2): Soult, 3I * At Genoa: Massena, 6I, 1C * At Turin: Leader (0), 2I * At Paris: Napoleon * At Toulon, Marseille and Lyon: 1I each.
2. Non-French Player
a. English Forces: "At Sea" in Mediterranean: Leader (0), 2I.
b. Austrian Forces: At Milan: Melas (use Bellegarde), 8I, 1C * At Mantua.: Leader (0), 5I, 1C * At Venice: Leader (0), 4I, 1C * At Baden: 3I * At Stuttgart: Kray (use John), 6I, 1C * At hex Y23(2): Leader (0), 5I, 1C * At Ulm: 1C * At Wurzburg: 3I, 1C * At Frankfurt: 2I, lC * At Innsbruck, Munich, Ratisbon and Leoben: 1I each * At Florence: 4L * At Frankfurt: 1L.
F. REINFORCEMENTS AND REPLACEMENTS
1. French Reinforcements:
a. May 1800-At Dijon: 2I
b. September 1800-At Paris: 1C
c. Each turn, beginning in May 1800-At Lyon, Strasbourg or Paris: 2I or 1C
2. Austrian Reinforcements: Each turn-At Vienna or Budapest: 2I or 1C
3. Replacements: There are no replacements in this scenario.
G. OPTIONAL RULES
1. Charles In the latter stages of the campaign of 1796, Charles was given command of the Austrian forces facing Napoleon and performed quite credibly. In 1800, however, the Archduke did not possess separate command and, indeed, was not given one during the entire campaign. As a play balance aid, allow the Austrian player the following reinforcement, in addition to those regularly scheduled: October 1800-At Vienna: Charles, 4I, 1C.
2. Moreau The French general Moreau was one of Napoleon's most bitter rivals in the early days of the Consulate. In the 1800 campaign, Moreau was in command of' France's largest army, the Army of the Rhine. According to Napoleon's plan, Moreau was to advance against and pin the Austrian army in Bavaria and to detach General Lecourbe's corps of upwards of 25000 skilled veterans. However, Moreau defiantly ignored Napoleon's orders; although he did sluggishly advance against the Austrians under General Kray, he sent Napoleon only 14000 "scrappings" composed of odd and untried units to reinforce the Army of Italy. To reflect Moreau's attitude and his popularity among his troops, enact the following special rules:
a. If Moreau is in a stack of French units within six hexes of Strasbourg, he is automatically the commander of all forces in that stack and his leadership value is utilized in combat.
b. The French player must always stack at least five strength points with Moreau. On any turn in which Moreau has fewer than five strength points, no French units within six hexes of Strasbourg may move farther away from that city (in terms of move-ment points) until enough units have been moved into the hex with Moreau to bring his command up to five strength points.
c. If Strasbourg is currently occupied by non-French forces or if Moreau is killed or temporarily removed from play by wounds, the restrictions are not applied.
A Short Note on Play
It is important for the French player to realize the strategic value of Switzerland. From this central position a French force can threaten the rear of Austrian armies in Bavaria and Italy. By using the three passes to best advantage and with average luck on forced-march die rolls, the French can launch a major attack against either front and gain a local advantage in numbers.
Genoa must be held at any cost, both to prevent English reinforcements and to keep the Austrians bottled up in northern Italy. Massena can usually hold the city long enough to allow the French to build a relief force nearby to recapture Genoa should the Austrians storm and capture it. Although English troops do not necessarily spell doom for Napoleon, they are extremely difficult to guard against because of their naval movement, ease of supply and constant reinforcement rate.
The French should attempt to hold the Austrians on the Rhine and concentrate on the Italian cities. France's main goal is to force Austria out of the war, preferably by use of the Alliance Phase method. To this end, the French should take Mantua as soon as possible, and run up a string of victory points.
Austrian strategy is rather straightforward: contain the French. One should try to utilize the rivers on the Franco-Bavarian border to force the French into an unwise attack situation, and thereafter try to block the Swiss mountain passes. No serious advance from the headwaters of the Danube should be contemplated unless the French have been badly defeated.
In Italy, the Austrian should quickly isolate Massena. If strong enough, assault Genoa, but usually the city must be taken by siege. Once Genoa has fallen, let the English strengthen its defenses while Austrian troops form as large a field army as practical. The primary factor is speed; if the Austrians do not move quickly in the early stages of the game, the French Reserve Army will issue from the Alps and fall upon the Austrian rear. And Northern Italy will fall.