Later 19th Century Scenarios

The following scenarios are divided into several sections covering the major wars of the Later 19th Century, excluding the American Civil War. The period deals with the changing weapons systems especially the introduction of cartridge rifles, which in turn see the introduction of several new period specific rules.

Hungarian War of Independence:
Kaplona 26th-27th February 1849 Driven out their capital, the Hungarians spend the winter building their army. By February they have a numerical superiority in the western theatre, 35,000 to the Austrian's 30,000. Now they have to bring their numbers to bear and free their capital. However, they are preempted by the Austrians.
Isaszag 6th April 1849 The Hungarian general, Athur Gorgei, launches the Hungarian's first offensive, attempting to outflank the Austrian army. The original plan is spoiled by chance, but on April 6th, Gorgei brings the entire army to bear on just two of the Austrian Corps.
Nagy Sarlo 19th April 1849 Hungarian rebel forces, flush from victory, move to relieve the Fortress of Komorn.
Pered 20th-21st June 1849

 

The Russians have entered the war and the Hungarians have only a short time to dispatch the Austrians before the Russians overwhelm them. Gorgei attacks the Austrians, bringing three corps against the Austrian IV Korps. Unknowst to the Hungarians, the Russian 9th division is on the scene, ready to aid the Austrians.
 

Wars of Italian Independence:

Montebello 20th May 1859 The first action of the 1859 Italian Independence War. A column of Austrians made up of elements from several formations was ordered to make a reconnaissance in force westward up the south bank of the River Po. Their task was to ascertain if the French troops assembling at Voghera intended to move to their right and turn the Austrian position using the route Napoleon Bonaparte took in 1796. The resulting action at Montebello saw a large but ill co-ordinated Austrian force advancing to clear a small but much more highly motivated and better equipped French force out of a number of hillside villages.
Palestro 31st May 1859 On the morning of 30th May, the Italians cross the Sesia river, and after some hard fight they were able to take control of Palestro, Confienza and Vinzaglio. The next day, to test the true intentions of the enemy, Feldmarschall Fredrick Zobel was ordered to attack the village of Palestro with his two infantry divisions.
Magenta 4th June 1859
Solferino 24th June 1859
 

Second Schleswig War & Austro-Prussian War of 1866:

Obersee 6th February 1864 The Danish army during the Second Schleswig War, falling back on the fortified town of Flensburg, left a small rearguard on the road from Obersee (Overso). An Austrian brigade, advancing along the line of the road and over the Treene brook, attempted to throw it aside and push through.
Nachod 27th June 1866 In the early morning darkness of 27th June, Prussian V Corps of Second Army under General der Infanterie von Steinmetz advanced through the almost undefended frontier town of Nachod and began to debouch from the Methau valley.
Oswiecim Station 27th June 1866 The Prussians attempt to secure a rail head on the northern Austrian Galician-Moravian border.
 

Franco-Prussian War:

Wissembourg 4th August 1870 The first action fought by the invading Prussian and Bavarian troops of Third Army, in which elements of three German Army Corps decisively brushed aside a single French Division that was observing the frontier at the town of Wissembourg, 4th August 1870.
Spicheren 6th August 1870 A confused and bloody action which saw the disorganised elements of two German armies (First and Second) shake themselves out of a traffic jam north of the Saar and break like a stormy sea against the French II Corps of General Frossard which had entrenched itself on the precipitous Rotherberg Height overlooking the Franco-German border. The Germans won the day at the cost of several thousand killed and wounded but the defeat is generally thought to have been caused by the lack of support that Frossard received from elements of French III Corps (Bazaine) some divisions of which were no more than 4 miles away.
Froeschwiller 6th August 1870 Fought simultaneously with Spicheren, this encounter battle pitched the highly motivated Third Army, victorious at Wissembourg two days previously against the finest corps of the French army - MacMahon's 1st. The French held their ground all day until finally pushed back by great weight of numbers and savage German artillery fire. Once again nearby French troops failed to move in support; a division of Failly's 5th Corps arrived in the evening just in time to cover the retreat but too late to save the day.
Borny-Colombey 1870 Bazaine's French army had begun a congested retreat through Metz. The III and IV Corps were covering the withdrawl East of the fortress city. Although First Army commander Steinmetz had orders to avoid engaging the enemy, one of his brigadiers, von Goltz, decided to stop the French. The unplanned battle that followed represented one of the few times during the war where the French outnumbered the Prussians on the battlefield.
Mars La Tour 16th August 1870 During the first four weeks of the Franco-Prussian War, there was one day one single day when the French were presented with the opportunity of defeating indeed of destroying the chief instrument of the German military machine, and of making good their escape. Whether that would have influenced the final course of the war is a matter for speculation. What is certain beyond argument is that the war and with it the future of Europe was decided at Mars-la-Tour on 16th August 1870.
 

Wars in the Americas:

Palo Alto 8th May 1846 War with Mexico! First clash of the Mexican War along the Rio Grande between the forces of the United States and the Republic of Mexico.
Little Bighorn June 25th 1876 Custer's famous last stand. A series of skirmishes by the U.S. cavalry against what they think are scattered parties of Indians defending a village turns into "Yellow Hair's" worst nightmare as he finds his 613 cavalry and civilians split into several small bodies facing about 2000 Sioux and Cheyenne warriors. An event that has shaped the American psyche.
 

Campaign Games

The 1859 Campaign Rules for Columbia Games "Napoleon", to allow the refighting of the 1859 Campaign using Volley & Bayonet.


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