Okay I’m going away rest my eyes from OOBs for a few weeks walking in the foot steps of Moore and Wellington in Portugal B) but before I do just thought I would update on a few thinks I have on the boil but not ready yet ……It’s 1803, Europe is in turmoil. Late in the previous century France had exploded in anti-monarchy fervour executing their King and Queen but whilst Republicanism sentiment was still popular it had grown tired of the bloody excesses of revolutionary council and ‘Madame Guillotine’ they instead turned to a man who would give his name to this period in History: Napoleon Bonaparte.
Napoleon, undisputed as one of the greatest Generals in military history was also one of the greatest opportunists and with the help of his elder brother he had not only become Consul of France but later crowned himself (literally) ‘Napoleon I Emperor of France’. This self-promotion appalled most of the leaders of Europe (who were mostly under some form of dynastic monarchy) but they were also wary of giving this opportunist any further reason to make war. The exception was a country that Napoleon despised more than any other Britain. This ‘Nation of Shopkeepers’ as Napoleon referred to it had grudgingly agreed to an armistice (Treaty of Amiens) in 1802 but the British didn’t trust or like Napoleon’s expansionist views and refused to move troops from Malta and Egypt as stipulated in the newly signed treaty this led to war breaking out against the French and the British in May 1803 – It would go on for twelve long years.
British resistance in 1803 - 06 was mainly contained to the open oceans here with her powerful fleets she threatened the French ports and shipping lanes although wealthy and powerful at sea Britain never had a large standing army therefore here she was vulnerable and during the armistice Napoleon had spent considerable time plotting the invasion of Britain with his newly created Armée de l'Angleterre (Army of England) which by the close of 1803 was an impressive 200,000 strong based in Boulogne they would train non-stop for two whole years in preparation for war.
While Britain fought the French on the sea’s she fought on land with politics and money pressurising the Prussian, Austrian and Russian Governments to form another alliance against the French, it was relentless and although they all initially rebuffed the British overtures it was really only a matter of time before they would relent and the newly crowned French Emperor knew it.
By the summer and then Autumn of 1805 the Austrian and Russian forces began to mobilise in large numbers backed by British gold and trade but what they didn’t realise was that in Boulogne the newly named ‘Grande Armee’ now over 350,000 strong, well-trained and well-led was marching through France at break neck speed to meet the renewed threat of the Allies. The Battle lines were drawn and soon the three mighty empires of mainland Europe would clash with history being changed forever in the rolling snow clad hills and the fog laden valleys near a small Czech town ……called Austerlitz.
So Austerlitz will be my next project I will also be covering the early fighting around Ulm however I also have some other OOB in the back ground in particular Napoleon's Prussian campaign of 1806 Saalfeld, Jena and Auerstedt (not too easy either as the Prussian Order of battle differs depending on which source you read looked at over a dozen not one the same!) - I don't suppose anyone has some Early Prussian Infantry sprites hanging around have they!?
More to come with some screen shots
Zeke
