OCTOBER 1805 PRUSSIAN TURN
Prussia declares war on France! Proclamation from Berlin:
For the atrocites and war crimes committed during the illegal invation of Austria, and for the continuous and deliberate sabatouge of the unity of the German Speaking Peoples, King Friedrich III has ordered that Prussia declare war against the Government of France and its nefarious "Emperor" Napoleon Bonaparte. Our ultimate goal will be to remove this tyrant from power and replace the Royal Bourbons to their rightful throne in Paris. For now, Prussia's glorious Teutonic Knights surge southward in aid of our gallant Austrian brothers, and her worthy allies the Russians and English. Together, we can put a stop to this incidious incursion and restore to Austria her rightful territories and dignity!
Napoleon unites with Davout and Soult and drives on Vienna. Lannes retains an independent command and attacks Charles. The Emperor finds he has outrun his supply lines and must fight the battles in central Austria while unsupplied. Even so, Napoleon defeats John's entrenched army outside Vienna and drives John from the Austrian capital, which is occupied by a token French force. Clearly, with the Russians on the horizon and the Prussian declaration of war, the Emperor has no intention of being trapped in the city. Lannes handily defeats Charles securing the French rear. Bernadotte storms Munich and regains Bavaria as a French minor ally. Massena stops in Trieste long enough to declare the formation of the state of Dalmatia before moving on to capture Loeben.
| Battle of Vienna |
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| Napoleon arrives on the outskirts of the Austrian capital with 60,000 men. Facing him are 30,000 entrenched Austrians under the Archducke John. The French have outrun their supply lines and have not slept in days. Nevertheless, Napoleon attackes immediately. Much of the Austrian force consists of hastily raised landwehr which cannot resist the French onslaught. When the battle swings in the French favor, John extricates his remaining forces and retreats, leaving Vienna open to occupation by a token French force. French losses: 5,000. Austrian losses: 15,000. |
| Battle of Turnitz |
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| Lannes (65,000 men) overtakes Charles (25,000 men) 80 miles to the southwest of Vienna at Turnitz. Lannes finds his army is best with the same supply difficulties as the French forces attacking Vienna but attacks anyway. Charles shows no stomach for the fight and withdaws at the first opportunity. French losses: 5,000. Austrian losses: 10,000. |
The Allied powers begin nibbling at the edges of the French Empire. While the Austrians consolidate at Budapest, a sizable force under Hiller surprises and defeats Massena at Loeben. A joint British/Russian expedition captures Amsterdam and wrests the Batvian Republic from French contol. 15,000 Batavian troops serving with Marmont on the Rhine promptly desert and declare their allegiance to the Coalition. (England had more forces advancing into Amsterdam so controls Batavia rather than Russia unless they agree otherwise). The Allies now control all the Western Minor Powers.
An obscure Prussian cavalry general named Blucher leads 15,000 Prussians and Brunswickers to a victory over the 5,000 strong French garrison at Hanover.
An advance party of 5,000 Russians march on Vienna not realizing the city had fallen. The French, equally unaware of the close proximity of Russians, mistake the column for Italian allies. In the resulting melee, the Russians prove quicker to the draw and expel the French, liberating the city in the process.
| Battle of Amsterdam |
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| British and Russian transports arrive off the Batavian coast with 15,000 reinforcements for the 5,000 starving Russians landed the previous month. The expeditionary force promptly attacks the city and overwhelms 5,000 defenders. Allied losses: negligigle. French losses: 5,000. |
| Battle of Hannover |
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| Blucher leads 15,000 Prussians and Brunswickers in a quick victory over the French garrison at Hannover. Prussian losses: 5,000. French losses: 5,000. |
| Battle of Loeben |
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| Massena, expecting to lead his 25,000 man Franco-Italian corps to join the Emperor, is surprised by 35,000 Austrians under Hiller streaming out of the mountain passes. The victor of the Battle of Zurich quickly rallies his troops to defend the town. The defense holds for most of the day before Austrian cavalry find a ford downstream and allows Hiller to turn the postion. Massena's Itian allies lose heart and he is forced to retreat. Hiller is healded as a hero throughout the Hapsburg dominions. Austrian losses: 10,000. French losses: 10,000. |
| Battle of Stockerau |
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| An advance party of 5,000 Russians march on Vienna not realizing the city had fallen. The French, equally unaware of the close proximity of Russians, mistake the column for Italian allies. In the resulting melee, the Russians prove quicker to the draw and expel the French, liberating the city in the process. Russian losses: negligible. French losses; 5,000. |