[EiC] Kampf um Europa

[pattonrommel]

Feuer Estate- February 3rd 1805

Sebastian saunters down the cobblestone lane upon his chestnut mare, surveying the land with a distasteful eye as he approaches the house. He dismounts with utmost care and hands his reins to a nearby stable-boy without the slightest of glances. Using his gloved hand, he knocks slightly at the door and awaits, pondering the implications of such an unexpected invitation.

A very large man opens the door, and further down the hallway, Marshal von Feuer is standing with his hands behind his perfectly fit uniform. "Hello Sebastian, what is it that brings you to my estate at this hour?"

"Well to be perfectly honest Herr Feuer I don't rightly know. My fellow Marshals all seem to regale each other with their presence so I decided to drop in on you as well. I feel quite the outsider in our meetings of the Staff, perhaps they are merely intimidated by a fresh, young hero of Prussia."

Sebastian crosses the threshold after delivering his little spiel and looks to Marshal von Feuer.

The Chief of the Treasury pulled his hands from behind his back, revealing two cocked pistols. "Can't be too careful," he said, placing them on the table next to him. Leopold waved the tall man away and motioned for Sebastian to follow him into the den where he began pouring a drink for the young man.

Sebastian looks incredulously at the pistols and gulps audibly. He nervously follows the beckoning Leopold into the den and awkwardly awaits his drink, half-expecting it be laced with poison.

Leopold finishes pouring the drink, then pours himself one. Grabbing the bottle in hand with the two drinks, he places everything on a small table with two elegant chairs. On the far side of the table is a box of cheroots. Leopold pulls one out, "Would you like a smoke? It calms the nerves."

Leopold lights his own and sits down in one of the chairs.

"Ah no thank you Herr Feuer, I do not smoke, I find it blackens the teeth to an unseemly manner as well as choking the lungs." Sebastian sits in the other proffered chair and begins to carefully nurse one of the drinks.

"Suit yourself." Leopold takes a puff of smoke and blows it away. "Tell me Sebastian, if all of Prussia were yours, what would you do?"

"Expand her borders to the glorious expanse we once enjoyed when our forefathers were rampaging around Gaul and Rome. It is time to reclaim our lands from the raving Corsican lunatic and unite these German principalities under the bosom of mother Prussia. Then we may turn our attention to the vile vodka-swilling barbarians in the East."

Leopold smiled, "And would you lead these armies yourself? At the ripe age of 25?"

Sebastian's eye twitches slightly, his gaze narrows as he digests Leopold's smile. Is it mocking him? Does Leopold dare question his bravery?

"Sir, I'll have you know I do not fear the rush of battle, It rather intoxicates me like some fine snuff. My arm was lost in battle, just one of many sacrifices made for the prosperity of Prussia. But...I would hesitate to lead these armies. I would be needed at home obviously and do not want to be seen as a conquering tyrant like one Alexander the Great. I would delegate martial responsibility to a trusted Marshal and instill within him the knowledge that if he fails, Prussia shall crumble into the dust of history's defeated."

Leopold enjoyed the tirade of the young man, "You do not fear the rush of battle, and yet you have lost your arm." Leopold took another drag of his cheroot. "Perhaps if a Russian takes off your head you will learn to be afraid of something terrifying."

Leopold stood, bracing his leg as he did so, "Every battle is terrifying. Every man you lose experiences the utmost of fear right before their lives are taken. And you are the one who brought them there. They are dying, each and every one of them, for you."

The old man walks over to his bookshelf, "It is odd that you would cite Alexander the Great as a tyrant." He pulls a thick book from the shelf, "When he truthfully ruled very little, and conquered very much." Leopold brought the book over to Sebastian. "I will have my servant help you carry that when you leave"

Sebastian spat violently at the mention of a Russian, his memories turned back to the horrid army hospital in which his arm lost the battle with gangrene.

"You think I don't realize the sacrifices my men have made for me? That I do not wrestle with their dying, tormented screams of agony in my dreams as their innards spill out of them. Do not patronize me with your historical tomes, I merely alluded to the fact that Alexander was hardly greeted by all as a conquering hero, namely by those who were crushed under his heel. "

Leopold laughed at the spout of anger, "I think you know the sacrifices your men made, I think you fail to realize the significance of it. And the towns we enter will greet us as tyrants just as they did Alexander. The only difference is no man will look to us as a God as they did for him."

"You have much to learn Sebastian," Leopold took a drink, "I hope you have no misconceptions about that."

Sebastian remains quiet for a while, thinking on Leopold's words. "What are you suggesting then, shall you teach me all the wisdom of the world? Sebastian retorts rather sarcastically."

Leopold chuckles, "Hah! My young boy, if I had all the wisdom of the world, I assure you I would not be the Marshal of the Treasury. It is up to you to find your own wisdom. And for a warrior-politician such as yourself, you will need quite a good dose of it."

"Why are you still involved with the politics of the realm? It is clear you have no stomach left for it, surely you would be happier retired at home, spending the rest of your life with your wife? Why not leave the government for younger and fitter men of passion?"

"No stomach for it?" Leopold moves back over towards the young officer, "I quite enjoy the politics of this nation."

"Like our country from not so long ago, the political process of this nation is broken. We live in an absolute monarchy without a King. Three men practically control the nation despite having no legitimate social contract with the people." Leopold bows his head, "War heroes are not supposed to be political leaders."

Leopold takes another drink, "But the situation demanded it."

"Maybe one day you will be as unlucky as me and the rest of the General Staff." Leopold downed the rest of his drink, "And maybe if my wife were still on this good Earth, I would consider it."

[pattonrommel]

Hey readers, I know this aar has been a little slow in going so far, but the War for Europe is about to start to heat up. Here is a little sneak peak at a bloody showdown in Saxon, where the fresh recruits of Prussia are put through a trial by fire.



Hope you guys are enjoying it so far. There is a lot more in store for Kampf um Europa and as always input is greatly appreciated

[Boustrophedon]

Just some friendly criticism...it's really hard on my eyes to read text in so many different colours and so bright. The purple especially is giving me trouble maybe a different colour scheme? Unless I'm the only one with this critique

[pattonrommel]

Yeah, I have noticed it is kind of an eyesore. We just need to coordinate fixing it all at once

[pattonrommel]

Budget Assembly - February 4th, 1805 - General Staff

As had become custom by this point, several guards opened the assembly room for the Chief of the Treasury. An aide follows him in and puts down a large bundle of folders with loose papers falling out of them. Leopold turns to the young man, "I hope you know where those papers are supposed to go."

The aide's eyes broaden with horror, "I, uh, remember most of it."

Leopold gives him a stern look and takes a seat. "I remember most of what I am supposed to pay you."

Klaus von Santini makes his entrance at just that point, he is alone, clean shaven and crisply dressed.

He nods to Leopold. "Marshal." And takes his seat. He nibbles daintily at a piece of dark rye.

Markus Reimer is the next to enter, slightly taken aback by the sudden increase in reports sitting around the room. "I do hope that we are not being retired into paper pushing."

"Hah." Leopold quipped, "That is what we have aides for."

The aide again looked at Leopold who gave him a stern look in return. "Haven't you finished yet?"

"Yes, uh, sir! I'm just organizing now sir!"

"Well how can you be finished if you are still organizing?"

With his knees bent on the floor, the man redoubled his efforts. "I'm sorry sir! I'll finish as quickly as I can!"

Leopold nodded his head, "You better. My formal attire need to be cleaned by tonight as well." He turned back to the Marshals with a slight smile on his face. "Now then, shall we wait for Sebastian again, or should we get down to business?"

Klaus looks carefully at his fingernails. "Perhaps the switch from the bimonthly to monthly forecast has delayed his office. I had hoped that absorption of research control into my own office would ease some of the difficulty, but we all know how easily Marshal Kuhn flusters." He looks about the room. "Excuse me. Acting Marshal von Kuhn."

Timely, Sebastian enters the room with an aide in tow, his unfortunate underling struggling with several thick portfolios as Sebastian walks on unfettered. "Gentlemen, good day. Shall we begin?"

Leopold nods, "I think we are, good to have you here Acting Marshal. Have both respective departments filled out a list of what they need in the coming month of February?"

Markus perks up, the first to speak. "Two more units of Landwehr and I and III Korps will be well and equiped for the upcoming campaign."

Klaus holds up a hand, "An aside, Marshal? I think, perhaps, that if we are to be considering the onset of offensive action starting in March, this is our last chance to prepare Landwehr for combat before the onset of hostilities, given their one month training cycle. Perhaps reinforcing II Korps in anticipation of their division into II and IV Korps would be wise- in case the Russians should chose such a time to misbehave."

He looks to Marshal Reimer, "Additionally, I have heard requests arising for rapid armament of our Kriegsmarine, in addition to speculation that the vessels we already posses are unsound, even should their intended conversion be carried to fruition."

Markus shrugs. "Well if you really want to get into it. Yes, any available funds that can be put towards Konigsburg recruits would be lovely. And frigates are appearantly needed in the Baltic, so we will have to begin looking at the financial costs of bolstering our fledging fleet by a good ship or two."

Klaus nods, satisfied, and looks toward Sebastian. Sebastian in turn clears his throat significantly and stands up, beginning to pace around the room.

"Gentlemen, let us examine the people of Prussia. They clamor for the sweet nectar of knowledge to be dripped down their throats to quell the insatiable thirst for progress. We must build a bastion of higher learning to tend to their ravenous needs before they rise up and tear at the upper crust of society with their grimy, uneducated paws. Therefore, I most urgently request an university be built, Marshal Santini's reservations be damned to the ink-blotted annals of misguided history."

He finishes with a theatrical flourish to the aforementioned Santini and sits down, perspiring slightly at the boisterous effort of oration. Klaus looks simply bewildered, and incredulous. He reaches into his jacket, frees his veto stamp...

And throws it out the door, bouncing and clattering. The startled faces of Grenadier Guards can be seen cautiously peering into the room.

"F ck it. Have your way."

He places his head in his hands. Sebastian's face gradually breaks into a wide smile of unparalleled delight and emits a high, keening laugh.

"Well, well, well. Look who has been reduced to a clueless, defeated husk of a man. The once mighty Marshal Santini has been driven to his knees by the venomous fangs of my wit. Tell me sir, how does it feel knowing you are merely a pawn in the great game I play to garner glory for mother Prussia?"

Leopold laughed, "Looks like the Acting Marshal is acting more his age and less his position now." He shuffled a few papers, "Very well, we shall take these requests into consideration, but Sebastian, we will need more than a simple university for an entire month. Shall I simply earmark the rest? Or do you have some more specific requests?"

"No, we shall have to build two theatres to battle the lower class resentment we shall inevitably face from building such a progressive beacon of learning. Earmark the remaining funds I have left over from the Grosse University and the theatres please Herr Feuer."

Klaus can be heard, faintly muttering, "F cking universities and theaters... on the eve of war... Frederick you bastard..."

Leopold snaps his head to the Chief of Staff, "Well we have to do something before you go off and send our country into war. Very well then gentlemen. I will make sure the funds are appropriated correctly, as my office sees fit." He waves his hand and an aide comes in. As he hands him the folders with papers, Leopold stands and says, "I will publish my budget report in a few days."

He leaves the room, and on his way out he sees the seal of the Office of the Chief of Staff and picks it up. "This may come in handy," he whispers to himself, and puts it in his coat.

[pattonrommel]

Several messengers are dispatched across the city to deliver the final budget details to the General Staff across Berlin.

During the first two weeks of February, the following financial statement details the fiscal givings and takings of the Department of the Treasury. This document is for the eyes of the Offices of the General Staff only. Any others who view this document will be held in contempt, and charged of conspiracy against the Prussian state.

From the desk of Leopold von Feuer, Chief of the Treasury.

For this pay period, we were endowed with a sum of 6,209 dRM. This was divided as the Office of the Treasury saw fit after the submission of requests by the Department of Development and the Department of the Armed Forces. Below, listed, is the contributions made to each office.

Department of Development Allocation: 3,750 dRM

- 1 standard Theatre in the city of Warsaw in Greater Poland. This theatre is to stand as a symbol of entertainment and governing benevolence for the people of Greater Poland.
- 1 upgraded Classical University with all of the staff and amenities required for only the best of educations - as the Prussian people deserve. It is this office's hope that the people of Magdeburg take good care of the college, and become renowned for their enlightenment. To assert this claim, we are taking the current College of Magdeburg and expanding both the west and southern corridors. When completed, it will hitherto be known as Magdeburg University.

Department of Armed Forces Allocation: 2,163 dRM

- An additional two brigades of Landwehr in Berlin have been cleared for payment by this office. In such turbulent times it has become crucial to ensure Prussia remains ready to face its armies against any foe.
- Konigsburg has received its first conscription orders as well, with an additional two Landwehr brigades being recruited there. The threat of the Bear remains most aptly present, and we must remain vigilant at all times.
- A 24-gun Frigate has also been commissioned and the framework is underway to construct the first of Prussia's new Kriegsmarine. May this ship sail from port into the Baltic and vanquish the enemies of the state on the sea, as her armies do the same on land.

Prussia's Treasury ended with 269 dRM in her coffers, which is a reserve of roughly .04% of her starting total.


The Office of the Treasury would like to bring to the front recent economic developments.

Over the course of the next month, our massive infrastructure investment shall be completed. The entirety of our contiguous state shall be upgraded to roads worthy of our great Prussia.

Since the beginning of the year, we have accumulated nearly 250 dRM in additional upkeep for our armed forces. Over the next two weeks, we will be absorbing an additional 176 dRM for our land forces and 46 dRM for our naval trade ships. It is paramount we redouble our economic efforts to keep up with our quickly rising armed forces costs.

With the above in mind, and with our researchers at the College of Magdeburg having told us of their imminent findings regarding current research, that this office would propose our technological institutes be devoted to compiling a process by with Prussia can take on additional debt by loaning money from banks with the intent purpose of paying it back over a period of time, rather than having to pay all costs upfront. This process is known as National Debt, and the Office of the Treasury is wholeheartedly in favor of its research.

[pattonrommel]

Emergency Meeting, February 19th 1805

The doors burst open as Klaus von Santini hurriedly enters, struggling to carry two maps and a large folio. With him is a single aide, looking rather worse for wear, with a limp and a rather impressively swollen eye. They rush about the room, setting up both maps, Klaus cursing up a storm and the aide cowering quite a bit.

Markus strides in right after and lets out a frustrated sigh as he looks at the telling maps. "Well this is...different."

Klaus looks up, having nearly finished sorting his folio. He snaps, at his aide. "Fritz, tell Markus what you just told me."

Major Fritz is sweating quite visibly and he swallows several times, and licks his lips before speaking. "Sirs, ah... there has been a mistake."

He removes his hat, twisting it in his hands.

"Ah... it appears, in fact, that our... ah, our dispatch from the Austrian embassy was, ah... mis-translated."

He trembles, trying not to look at Klaus's furious glaring eye.

"It is Hessen, not Saxony, that is in alliance with Austria..."

He looks down at the floor.

Markus taps his cane on the ground a few times as he sorts his thoughts, narrowing his eyes as he looks back to Klaus. "Well...sh t. Just like that...we are back to step one."

Klaus looks to Markus. "Not step one... just a... modification of that which was already in place."

Markus blinks in surprise and begins to scan the operations map. "Please explain."

"Given the nature of the colossal f ck-up by our decryption staff..."

Fritz interrupts. "Marshal, we are so sorr..."

He is cut off mid sentence by a vicious backhand from Klaus catching him full in the mouth. Fritz falls onto his back with a cry, clutching at his face, and lies on the marble, staring between his fingers up at the Chief of Staff.

"That will be enough." says Klaus, with an abnormal degree of calm. He casually wipes his knuckles with his kerchief.

"As I was saying: given the nature of the f ck-up, the central premise of Fall Schwarz nonetheless remains the same: acquire two German States, and do not war with Austria. However, the details must change."

He points to the second map.


"Hessen must fall within a week of our declaration, keeping Austrian forces on their side of the border. Saxony will fall second and alone."

He points to the first map.


"This means that we must take these few days available before the end of the snows to move I and III Korps into place: I Korps to Magdeburg, within striking distance of Kassel, and III Korps to Berlin, within range of Dresden."

Fritz rolls over, on to his knees and elbows.

"And where do you think you are going?" Asks Klaus, deadly calm once more in his voice, as he ever so accurately places his boot tip, at full velocity, into Fritz's small ribs.

Yet again Fritz cries out in pain and fear.

"Enough of that. What's done is done." Markus' voice is stern and professional, not appreciating the colorful show that Klaus was fancying himself with. "Do we have any spies in Austria yet? Troop positions?"

Fritz begins to drag himself from the room, whimpering.

Klaus gives a nod. "Indeed we do. In the Vienna area. From their reports, it seems like between Russia and Austria there are perhaps 3 Korps worth of Coalition forces in that region."

"Is there a chance we will be dragged into the war?"

Klaus nods. "There is always a chance. Even if we sit on our arse, there is a good chance. However, our swing into the Germanic States will indeed increase tensions- both with France, as we will be encircling Hannover, and with Austria, as we will be putting down one of their more independent allies."

He points to the map. "For that reason, we will also want to enact conscription notices all along our southern border, to discourage Austria and have a reserve for any potential action against France."

Markus drums his fingers on the wall, reluctantly realizing what they were getting into.

"So this is it. Not a simple reunification process anymore, eh? Yes, both locations will be necessary for a defensive advantage...Dresden especially will have to be well garrisoned by III Korps for any occurance that may follow."

He scratches his head with his off hand as he leans on his cane. "Are we prepared?"

Klaus nods again. "Indeed I am. All forces save II Grenadier and 2 regiments of Landwehr should make ready to move west from Berlin immediately, forming I Korps. Following a General Emergency Assembly, I am ready to ride with them and ready for the Hessen strike."

He points to the map. "Our forces in Stettin would then shift to Berlin and link up, forming III Korps. We simply need select a commander."

He looks to Markus with the answer already on his tongue. "I myself would recommend Herr Wolf."

Markus is immediately taken aback at the suggestion. "No no no... I will not have a rash, young general spearhead our first attack! There has to be someone with suitible experience that hasn't died or retired or...I...um...sh t."

He snears as he finally nods, looking to the side.

"Fine...the little bastard can have his offensive command. He is capable enough for the task, I know that. I just pray he doesn't let it all go to his already bloated head."

Klaus gives a sly grin. "How hard can it be? All he has to do is move up a siege train then wait for me"

He looks to the clock on the wall: quarter to noon.

"Shall we summon the Marshals?"

"The future of our nation is at stake. They will want to hear this."

[Boustrophedon]

Layout is much better imo

About the story: still undecided. It's not a game I usually play and I rarely have the patience to follow it through interested to see what direction this story will go in.

[pattonrommel]

Layout is much better imo

About the story: still undecided. It's not a game I usually play and I rarely have the patience to follow it through interested to see what direction this story will go in.

Glad that its well and readable This is a pretty interesting and fun experiment for us, so expect this story to continue to evolve as we go on and figure out what works best

[pattonrommel]

General Emergency Meeting, February 19th 1805

At the staff room, Marshals Klaus and Markus await the arrival of the rest of the General Staff. They are alone in the room, and two maps are upon the wall. There is a quantity of blood on the floor, and a chair is tipped.

Leopold walks in accompanied by his bodyguards and aide. The old man looks at the blood on the floor and the general mess of the room. "Why did I expect any better of you two?"

The Marshal picks up the chair and sits down in it. "So tell me, what has your little warmongering gotten us into now?"

Klaus looks up from his hushed consultation with Markus. "Oh, and aide slipped and fell, the clumsy oaf. Don't worry, he's fine."

He glances at the door. "Have you seen Marshal Kuhn recently? We sent a runner but received no reply."

Sebastian arrives right on cue, looking thoroughly disheveled. He gapes at the blood pooling on the floor and raises an eyebrow towards Klaus. "What is the meaning of this carnal menagerie?"

Klaus sighs. "He slipped, he fell, and I booted his lazy f cking arse."

He looks to Markus. "To business?"

Markus nods in response. "...to business. We are going ahead with our originial objectives, however we are now looking at a two pronged attack spearheaded by I and III Korps against Hessen and Saxony respectively. The result will ideally give us some breathing room to react against whomever is the first to take offense...quite possibly Austria."

"And what if both Austria and Russia attack?" Leopold looks at the map. "Isn't there anyway to have one of our divisions move to Cleves and attack from there?"

Klaus looks to Leopold. "Should the correct spending initiatives be acted towards II Korps, our forces on the Eastern and Southern borders will suffice to perform a defensive action of sufficient duration to permit redirection of III Korps. But this meeting is not to discuss the operation." He looks back to the map. "This meeting is to discuss spending policy for the next two weeks."

"Perhaps we could do that if you had used accurate estimates regarding the marching capabilities of our soldiers." Leopold snipped.

"I believe that makes two mistakes for your department recently, Chief."

Leopold looked at the map some more, "And if you insist on not using the Hannoverian corridor to reach Kassel from the North, then we will need to pre-emptively march to the border of Saxony before we deliver our war declaration."

For a moment, Klaus's bruised fist clenches, and his teeth can be heard to grit.

He turns to the hall, and bellows, "GET ME FRITZ!"

He turns back to the Marshal. "If you are correct... then we must add to the time table, a delay of perhaps two weeks..."

He looks to Markus. "... which could actually be beneficial, as it would allow the next Landwehr class to swell our ranks..."

"We can make due with the delay. III Korps can finish preparations as Commander Wolf makes his way back from Konigsburg."

Forgotten in the manic planning for war is Sebastian. He clears his throat to get the attention of the other Marshals.

"Gentlemen may I just interject here before your eyes grow misty and your mouths froth at the prospect of this war. I am forgoing any money to be set aside for developmental purposes to further aide the cause of this militaristic endeavor. That is all, by all means carry on."

The conference continues, into the late hours, as the General Staff works to undo the damage of the cryptographic error...

[Santini]

Timeline updated. How are we doing, chaps?

[pattonrommel]

Budget Assembly - March 4th, 1805

The Chief of the Treasury sits in the large room where discussions of state often occur. His aide and him discuss financial matters back and forth as they wait for the other Marshals. Several of the guards Leopold brought along are daydreaming as they lament being assigned to assembly duty.

Klaus enters, quickly selecting a seat, and begins rummaging about his pockets. He seems uninterested.

Markus finds his place next, sweeping his cane up on the table and leaning comfortably back in his chair.

Sebastian arrives last, as per usual. He sits at the table and awaits the commencement of the Assembly.

"Yes... yes." Leopold nods to his aide. "Yes, take the estimates back to the office. We can talk more about this later." The aide picks up a few papers and nods to each of the Marshals before leaving.

Leopold throws a few papers around the table. "We have 9985 dRM in the bank. Our current military upkeep is 8568 dRM per month, and our naval upkeep remains low enough to ignore. However we have 300 dRM worth of upkeep in ships being made."

"I assume you all have some sort of vague non-specific non-commital requisitions for me?"

Markus sits up and promptly starts his prepared request "The Konigsburg garrison could be supplimented by two companies of landwehr and a unit of hussar to allow it to become an effective reactionary force in the east. But as far as our armies in the West, we are prepared to move out against our objectives. A suplimentary force of two hussar companies will give us a quick bit of reenforcement, but our Korps are otherwise ready for action."

Satisfied, the military chief relaxes back in his chair as Sebastian looks to Leopold.

"Our farm in Koslin could stand to be upgraded as well as the market in Potsdam. Any remaining funds can be used towards whatsoever Prussia needs most."

Leopold nods his head, "Very well, good plans." He shuffles a few papers around and writes some notes. "Is there anything else?"

Preemptively, Klaus is on his feet.

He nods to the assembly, "Gentlemen." and takes his leave.

Behind him, the other Marshals hasten in the gathering of their paperwork.

[pattonrommel]

Emergency General Assembly - March 15, 1805

Klaus is sitting in the conference room, sitting atop the table, clad in his riding attire. He flips through the decrypt sheet, looking alternately shocked and angered with each page. Closing the folder, he awaits his fellow Marshals...

As Markus finds his way in, he immediately senses the atmosphere of the Marshal before him. "Something bad I trust?"

The oldest member of the General Staff walks in and senses the foreboding mood. "Oh hell."

Klaus crumples and hefts the dispatch to Markus.

KEY 0020102AF
X CLEVS GARISON TO GEN STAFF X
X DATE MAR 15 0600 1805 X
X HIGH PRIORTY X
KEY 001010AAE
X FR DEC WAR V PRU X
X FR ARM MOB X
X HANNOVR GARISON ACTIVATED X
KEY 011010EAB
X REQUEST IMEDT ORDRS X

Markus stares at the report, deep in thought. The development was hardly surprising given the renewed aggression that had spread across Europe, but incredibly troubling nonetheless.

"So...France wants a fight after all. I suppose old habits die hard." He paused for a few seconds to consider the few options before them. "We must take the German states with due haste and start reacting with appropriate defensive positioning."

He looks at both of the Marshals in turn. "Diplomatic suggestions?"

"Given the circumstances, this does seem to have the potential to push us into the Coalition." Klaus looks to Leopold. "Does the esteemed Chief of Treasury have any opinion?"

"And where the hell is Kuhn?"

The assembly room door did not open on the cue, leading the Marshals back to their war discussion.

Leopold coughed a few times. "We are still set on a course of war with the German states? So we are to piss off Austria along with France?"

Klaus smirks in reply. "If Hessen decides to honor its ill planned alliance with Saxony, it is no concern of Austria if both find their noses bloodied. Indeed, I imagine that shortly after the collapse of both States, it would not be so difficulty to persuade Austria that joining us in an alliance would serve to insure that our focus be to the west..."

"Perhaps we should consider an alliance with Austria, and Austria only, first," Leopold said, coughing again, "the rest of the Coalition be damned."

Klaus glances suspiciously between Leopold and Markus. "I see you've been collaborating behind my back on this..."

Without waiting for reply, he continues. "Yet I agree. Not only is our southern border our longest and therefore most vulnerable, but also in the historical sense Austria as of late has been a worthy ally."

Leopold raises a curious eyebrow to Markus, which is returned by the Military Chief. "I have not spoken to Markus since being called to this meeting. It is merely the sensible option. If we can blunt the French attack, I think they will accept peace, and we will come out of the war with an ally, and western Germany partially under control."

Klaus gives another sure grin. "Indeed... though why stop there? Open conflict with the French potentially puts ALL Germanic States within our crosshairs... and the pickings across the Rhine are quite extensive as well..."

"It is better than being dragged into the same situation as the last war. We are being forced into the fight against the French, but we will fight on our terms...not the Coalition's."

Klaus nods. "Indeed, by being selective in our commitments, we can have the advantages of the Coalition -a secure southern border, English protection of our trade- with out the disadvantages, namely Russian allies."

Markus, satisfied, closes the meeting. "Then it is settled. We seek an alliance with Austria and proceed with our consolidation of the Germanic regions."

The Assembly breaks into hushed side conversation as the Marshals gather up their paperwork. Klaus, with a casual and hast salute, makes his way swiftly to the door, and on to his I Korps command.

[pattonrommel]

[Dispatch] March 19 1805 - I Korps to Marshal

KEY 10202022E
X 1 KPS TO MRSL MRKS X
X DATE MAR 19 0800 1805 X
X HIGH PRIORTY X
KEY 1020212AE
X 1 KPS CRS BRDR W SXNY 0900 X
X 1 KPS WIL REACH KSSL MAR 24 X
X 1 KPS WIL CRSH HESSN FRC X
KEY 10202C32A
X MRKS OWES KLS CIGARS X
X GOTT MIT UNS X

[pattonrommel]

March 29 1805: Saxony Debrief

Field Marshal Klaus von Santini sits at the table, having just finished debriefing the logistical staff. To either side of him sits an empty chair, and the right side of the table is occupied by three scribes. Across from him sits Acting Brigadier General Maximilien Wolf who looks most upset, sweat from his brow soaking the bandage atop his ear and forehead.

Klaus leans forward. "Relax. This isn't a Court-Martial. This is a simple debrief."

He extends a cigar across the table towards Wolf, cocking one eyebrow. Wolf immediately grabs the cigar and allows it to be lit. His hand trembles...the anticipation killing him. He struggled to remain composed.

"Not a court martial yet...just you wait. F ck, I...I thought we...it should have been better...we had better troops, but they wouldn't break...I..."

His train of thought was broken as the door as the Chief of Armed Forces walked in. Markus Reimer's broke his stride as he spotted the young commander. He stared cold at Wolf as the young general darted up to attention. Instead of addressing the man however, Markus said nothing and took a seat.

Klaus nods to Markus, and holds up a hand that only he can see under the table, urging him to remain calm.

He turns back, looking to Wolf. "Let us begin. First, I would like it noted for the record that III Korps was committed to action with 3 Divisions, of which only one, 4th Infantry, had its complement of Landwehr, meaning only 2 regiments of Landwehr were available for the battle of Saxony, of the theoretical 6. Herr Wolf, how do you feel this shortfall effected the action at Dresden, and what effect do you feel it had on the rather heavy casualties suffered by Prussian forces?"

Wolf closed his eyes and cleared his mind before speaking in a more professional and practiced tone. "If I had four more landwehr regiments, the odds would have been much better indeed. Our line would have held against their inital attack had we enough units to meet theirs. With an appropriately strong line, their armed citizenry that they mustered would have broken completely upon reaching my line and my flanking units would have been able to wheel around to keep up the pressure. My cavalry was able to break theirs and their batteries with ease, so I believe it would have been a decisive victory in that case."

Markus sneared at the remark and blurted a rebuttal. "Which is exactly why you should not have engaged in the first place! You were well outnumbered and lucky to make it out alive!"

Again, Klaus's hand goes up under the table. "Marshal Reimer has a valid point." He draws on his cheroot, then blows a small cloud of smoke. "Your orders were clear: siege Dresden, await reinforcement from I Korps. What was your reasoning behind committing III Korps to an early attack, particularly in the face of such odds?"

He pours a doubleshot of vodka into a glass, and slides it across the table to Wolf. Markus grumbles a bit, letting the general continue to defend himself.

Wolf's characteristic stubbornness began to show through his still trembling voice. "My reasoning, sir, is that we are on the verge of war and there is no point in wasting time sieging Saxony when III Korps had the capabilites to take the city on its own, freeing up I Korps for more pressing matters."

Wolf holds his cigar aside as he downs the vodka, giving it a few seconds to go down. "I...I severely overestimated our advanage in a line battle facing Saxony's troops...I believed that their armed citizenry would crack fast under the sustained fire. If I had focused on breaking them first, perhaps I could have found victory faster and with less casualties."

Markus drummed his fingers impatiently on the wood table. "Has the fact that nearly half of III Korps is now dead sunk in to your thick skull yet?!"

Wolf looks down at the table as he takes another smoke before his gives a surprisingly sullen reply. "Yes...yes it has...every night since..."

Markus relaxes a bit and nods to Klaus. "Please continue."

Klaus steeples his fingers before him, and looks quite firmly at Wolf. "It is clear we have identified our major failings in this battle. Now, however, we must dissect it in more detail- indeed your commitment to combat was ill thought and hastily executed in the face of orders from High Command." He pours himself his own glass. "However, you managed to pull a close victory from the jaws of defeat."

He takes a sip. "We shall begin from the beginning. Describe the shape of the battlefield and the enemy depositions, as well as your own deployment and initial battle plan."

"I found a nice little bluff overlooking the main battlefield where I placed my cannon batteries. There were some woods in the way, but it was still a promising location. I moved with my main line, the two musketeers and two landwehr groups, forward into these woods to hold the Saxon infantry back while having decent cover against their inevitable larger volleys. My flanking force consisted of my skirmishers and my grenadier regiment, which were brought around to the field on their left to give a constant fire on the enemy's flank. My cavalry was sent to the far left to be used for support."





Wolf leaned forward on the table as he replayed every moment vividly in his mind. "An opening barrage by my batteries forced the enemy to advance against my lines, starting the battle."



"And so, the enemy advance primarily against the main line? Also, the fusil Regiments, did they take up skirmishing behavior or fight in the line with I Grenadier?" He taps ash from his cigar, and finishes his glass. "Describe the opening developments."

"The main force of the enemy formed its line opposite of my line in the woods as I expected. The fusil Regiments indeed did take up skirmishing behavior and my grenadiers filled in a gap in my lines for extra support. This was all in the hope that the enemy would be drawn out into an extended firefight in which I would take minimal casualties due to positioning and I could start to press on their untrained regiments. In the meantime, my cavalry raced around, routing their entire cavalry force and their batteries without a single casualty."





Wolf looked around for an ash tray but to no avail. He used the table instead.

"I was also encouraged by the lack of casualties of my infantry as they engaged the enemy, holding them in place while my artillery battered them down from afar. As I watched from close behind, some forward Saxon soldiers started to advance towards the musketeer line. A line of armed citizens was immediately routed and another that had entered the melee seemed ready to follow suit. I had every expectation that they would too, considering the hammering they took from my men and their appearant lack of training...but to my utter shock, they firmly stood their ground and more of the Saxon line detached to take advantage of the situation and smash in..."



Wolf took a deep sigh, knowing that his whole military future would be dependent on the proceeding account. "...and that is where it all went to hell."

[pattonrommel]

March 29 1805: Saxony Debrief Continued

"It seems to me that the common convention that Fusil should serve in the line may be correct. Were the enemy forces able to flank the edges of your line?" Klaus slides an ash tray across the table. "So, the Saxon line managed to harden and hold. This resulted in a pinning of your forces, I imagine. What happened next?"

Ash is tapped into the dish as Wolf looks back up. "The situation that I found myself in was as follows: my musketeers were on the verge of being completely overrun and my landwehr were being dragged into the same melee. My flanking line was still in a firefight with their left, but were evenly matched and slowly being worn down. Any attempt to better flank them could have been easily countered. My cavalry was ordered to slam into their right, hoping that I could break some infantry as they were firing at my landwehr, but the infantry held their ground against the brave charge and began destroying my horsemen in a bloody massacre."



"In short, their line was not breaking and was taking out my main line while pinning down my flanking force. I realized that my attack was on the verge of total f cking collapse and that there was only one hope to salvage the situation...I ordered a general retreat back to the bluff where my artillery were positioned."



Klaus's face has paled a little. "God in heaven... what a f cking sh tfest..." He stubbs out his cigar, and takes a swig directly from the bottle, then slides that as well across the table. "Please, continue. You retreated to the hill?"

Wolf gives a quick nod. "The musketeers had already routed from the pressure of their army, forcing me to swing around my battered landwehr away from the woods and back around towards the right flank of the hill. The flanking line was still intact but very bloodied by the extended firefight. They were called back with the rest of the force to form up on the left of my cannons. What was left of the musketeers found heart in our last stand to rally and join the retreat."



Wolf slowly exhaled and brushed some ash off his uniform.

"I watched from the bluff as their army reformed and marched straight toward us. Our cavalry laid dead in the field and my men were weary from fighting for their lives. I ordered the artillery to switch to cannister rounds and prepare to spray their lines with scrapnel in a last ditch hope to break their morale."



He looked forward, staring blankly as he recounted the scene.

"Their center broke under the barrage. Those armed citizens that had stood their ground to no end suddenly changed their minds and fled, dragging many of their comrades with them. What was left was their flanks, which engaged my infantry in one last duel as my cannons tried to prevent any routing regiments from changing their minds. My men fought with renewed vigor, relentlessly firing at the Saxons that still stood to fight. In the end, our position was held against the odds and the enemy fled from the field."

Markus spoke up. "Casualties?"

Wolf grimaced, not happy about the statistics he had. "Six thousand five hundred and seventy men dead or out of action, reducing our current strength to 7490 men. Every infantry regiment suffered strong casualties, especially among the musketeers who took on the brunt of the enemy. Our cavalry regiment was wiped to the man. The artillery was preserved and is ready for action, but I am afraid that III Korps as a whole is too far bloodied to take any further orders. I have also been told that Saxony has suffered over 32000 men in losses, whether killed, wounded, or captured."



Markus nodded gently, his mind still distracted by the whole situation.

Klaus runs his fingers across the desktop, thinking. "It appears... it appears that you made adroit use of both terrain and equipment in a point blank repulsion of a steeled foe." He itches at his neck. "All your men acted as heroes, thrust into a situation that demanded nothing less of them... yet it is a situation that could have been greatly eased had their commander made a more accurate assessment of enemy strength and awaited the arrival of reinforcement."

He looks Wolf straight in the face. "While your tactical ability won the day, your strategic ineptitude rendered such a victory potentially Pyrrhic, and as you have noted, has rendered III Korps absolutely dysfunctional until perhaps the end of summer." He leans forward. "It is my hope that this has been a lesson, one teaching you the importance of the strategic insight developed by the General Staff. When there is wiggle room in directives, there lies the time for initiative- NOT in the face of direct order. Is that clear?"

The general immediately stood up at attention. "Yes sir. Understood."

Markus was unconvinced. "Report back to III Korps command in Dresden. You will be overseeing the reenforcement of the army until further notice. We need capable commanders like you, Wolf, but if you dare act on your own directive again I will not hesitate to replace you with a jackass. Even it would take orders better than you did. Dismissed."

Wolf left the room in a hurry, leaving the two Marshals alone.

"Some lesson...near 40000 dead in a massacre of a battle. The only saving grace was that he did beat the odds and turned the fight around, but at what cost?" Markus relaxes in his chair. "Five years ago, I would have made his exact decision. What does that say?"

Klaus snorts. "It says that the well of young, impetuous leadership never runs dry." He looks at paper scattered about the table "To me, the lessons from our two battles have been clear: despite any previous misgivings, the Landwehr have earned their place as a cornerstone of the line. Fusils in most situation continue to fight best as a half measure between Grenadiers and Line Infantry. And the stagger formation has serious merit."

He looks to Markus. "Have you drawn like conclusions?"

"We need to supply adequate infantry numbers to hold and flank the enemy's line properly. Being superior in artillery appearantly means nothing if you can't pin the enemy in the first place." Markus scratches his head. "We will meet again in about two hours to discuss your battle report. I think we need some time to form our thoughts. There is a lot of preparation in store."

[pattonrommel]

Still workin' on the next update peoples. Another bloody battle to recount, this time with Marshal Santini at the head. Will he sass the enemy to death? We shall see

[pattonrommel]

Ok, so I kinda lied when I said the next update was coming up soon. This whole project is essentially on indefinite hiatus right now, which means no battle pictures and an early end to the aar. The good news is that we still have a nice little backlog that will last a few more updates. So if you guys are still following, I will try to get back on regular updates till I exhaust the content

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Two hours after the previous debriefing, Markus Reimer is found lounging inside the meeting room swishing around a glass of cognac in his hand as he waits for Marshal Santini to come in and give his report.

Klaus enters, looking disgustingly fresh, and pulls up to the table, taking an easy seat. "Shall we start?"

"Of course. I could use some better news today...as good as news as one can get in wartime at least." He looks up to Klaus, the stress that he wore in the last meeting fading away. "I won't be sending you a box of cigars everytime you do your job, you know."

Klaus smiles, easily. "You know, Wolf pulled off quite the miracle... he strikes me as quite the pinch hitter..."

He lifts his hipflask, and waggles it at Markus. "Where shall we begin?"

"At the begining of course."

Markus takes the flask and begins to fill it with cognac.

"I only wish Wolf wasn't so young. He has so much left to learn, but has been given his command out of pure lack of able leadership. I hope that it doesn't take more such victories for us to staff a full set of competent generals once again."

He tops it off and hands it back to the Chief of Staff.

"And I never took you for a cognac man, Klaus."

Klaus grins wryly. "If it stings, I drink it."

He offers and ignites a fresh cheroot for Markus, and takes a deep breath.

"Kassel. I Korps had performed the advance in just 6 days, and arrived in good order. The Hessen army had situated itself on the southeast outskirts, with a good portion of their forces actually within the city itself. They had deployed the majority of their 20,000 odd infantry towards the middle, with cavalry at the flanks, and their artillery nestled away between buildings - unknowingly in such a way as to leave open lanes out."

He begins to light his own cigar, and sips at his flask.

"The Southeast section of the town had a depression leading outward, meaning that while the majority of I Korps deployed level to the city, there was a noticeable plunge between our forces. To me this meant I had best draw the foe past the lip on the northern rise, to minimize the protection offered to the enemy forces, and thus I deployed half my artillery on the left flank at such a position as to deliver plunging fire into the town, driving the enemy out. As the depression terminated in a bit of a hill on my right, I chose to have the other portion of my artillery deploy with orders to mount the summit, and also provide fire down into Kassel."

He messily draws the field onto a sheet with a piece of charcoal.

"My infantry was deployed in the center, in the standard staggered formation, my cavalry reserved upon both flanks with order to country the enemy's own horse, and I myself rode behind the line."

He taps the left end of his crude map.

"At 8am sharp, my left battery opened fire, the right began its summit, and the line was ordered forward at standard pace."

"Where did you meet the enemy?"

"Contact was first made at the left of the line. I had heavily stacked that section with both II Grenadier Rgt. and my Fusils, and these eager men may have perhaps been somewhat overzealous in the advance. While indeed the enemy had begun to advance and was approaching the lip, units on my left had started to doubletime, Landwehr, Fusil and Grenadier included, and quickly had placed the enemy under fast and hot fire, if less effective than I would have liked."

He taps his right flank on the map.

"By this time my right battery had reached the hilltop, deployed, and set about laying deadly fire into Hessen cavalry on the eastern outskirt of Kassel. From their vantage, it was observed that the Hessen artillery had been deployed in such a manner as that they were protected only by that very same artillery."

He then taps the depression.

"By this time the center and right had made contact, first receiving a weak enemy volley at range, then closing and unleashing at deadly quarters. I gave the order for general fire and advance, and our line regiments began the process of leapfrogging forward, closing the range and permitting our faster fire pace full deadly effect."

"Did the enemy attempt to charge at all or did they hold their line?"

Klaus nods. "Yes, after about 5 to 10 minutes of exchange, it was rapidly becoming evident that the Hessen line was coming off the worse. It started at the center of the line, a sort of slow wave that never really developed the proper impetus- as soon as the enemy firing rate died down and it was obvious they were steeling themselves, our own line held back to release a point blank salvo that immediately set the center of the Hessen line to flight."

He taps at the right side of the map.

"At this point, they still had the advantage of numbers at the line, but the majority of the cavalry defending their artillery had fled, so I rode to the east, issuing orders to our heavy cavalry to charge downhill and seek the unguarded artillery to the Hessen rear. From my vantage, however, I was sad to observe that at the left of our line..."

He points, indicating the lip to the left.

"... our Grenadiers had crested the lip, and immediately came under terrible fire- the Hessen batteries having a clear line of fire betwixt alleyways, and they were willing to inflict loss on their own fleeing infantry to send cannon shot bouncing into the ranks of the Grenadiers. After just 2 volleys they had suffered nearly 200 casualties in addition to the 400 or so they had suffered from enemy musket, and only the prompt arrival of our heavy cavalry upon their 6 pounds prevented their brave stand become total slaughter."

Markus scratches his head, trying to visualize the carnage. "Damn...well it is good that it did not end up worse that that I suppose. These fresh recruits are definitely catching hell out there. What of your main line?"

"By this time, as the enemy line had itself started to collapse in segments, our own line began an advance by regiments. The Hessen's were at last forced from the ridge, and separate detachments from our own force were broken off to insure that they were unable to reform within the city. Within the hour, their commander approached under white flag, and the battle was over."

"A textbook battle if I ever heard one. How did your forces fare?"

"From the infantry, nearly five thousand dead, wounded and missing, plus a little over two hundred from our cavalry." He taps ash. "Over half our infantry casualties came from the Landwehr formations, however almost 800 Grenadier were wounded or killed."

Markus stared blankly, suddenly letting his voice dry of the strength and confidence that befitted his rank. He sounded more troubled and unsure than he usually allowed.

"More than ten thousand of our men listed as casualties in the first steps of this conflict. No clear end in sight. I dearly hope that whatever happens in the coming month, the souls that die do so in fighting for the best interests and ultimate security of Prussian people and their country...nothing more."

Turning back to the marshal, he takes in a deep breath and returns to a more professional conversation.

"I apologize, there is much that I shall have to rest on. You and your men put up a grand fight and claimed a well deserved victory. I may not have admitted it before, but I am glad that we have a well experienced man to lead I Korps while Prussia's commanders remain so green. You have shown the Landwehr to be capable troops and our soldiers to be willing. Prussia's pride falls with you now, Marshal Santini..and with General Wolf too I suppose..." He scratches his head in thought "...though I wish I could lay more confidence in him than he allows. Time will tell if he will ever become worthy of the rank he holds."

"Indeed." Klaus stands. "On a related note, may we hold a discussion later at your residence, on a more private matter?"

Markus hesitated for a second before nodding. He hated talking about politics and military matters at his home. Or at least he assumed it would be on such subjects.

"Sure...sure. I think we have discussed everything that needed to be covered here. Until then, Klaus."

The Chief of Armed Forces collects his documents and leaves the room.

[pattonrommel]

March 29, 1805, 6:30 pm, Reimer Residence

Klaus stands on the veranda, both hands clutched behind his back at his gloves. He waits, patiently.

Markus decends the staircase with a distracted mind. There was too much going on in Prussia and not enough certainty for his liking. As he passed through the front door, he found Klaus on the porch and gestures towards the bench. "Shall we rest out here? My leg is flaring up and I am not about to walk back to the study."

Klaus quickly glances about, insuring his immediate privacy, then nods. "Indeed. I hope to keep this brief, but it is an issue of much import and great secrecy."

Markus takes a sea, hoping that this topic will not be another headache to keep him up at night.

"Alright, go ahead."

Klaus picks at his nails for a moment, glancing to Markus, and then off the porch at the forested walk.

"You are perhaps aware of my... certain fondness for Prussian gentry of the female persuasion, from the formerly Polish regions..."

He looks down at his boots.

"Something about the hardness of their will, their health... no doubt the result of long years struggle against the Pollack and the Catholic..." He begins to hesitate.

Markus blinked in surprise, not expecting the conversation to start in this direction and was suddenly worried at what Klaus had gotten himself into.

"I don't see where you are going with this."

"Marius Schwepes, Leutnant of 1st Grenadier, recent veteran of the battle for Saxony. Brave, hard charging, and a bastard without the necessary recommend's to make the list, and without the cash to buy his way on."

He looks to Markus.

"Also my own child, sired perhaps a year after the death of my own Katherine."

Markus leaned back and thought for a second. "You trust him to take up a command?"

"Indeed. From what I understand he is an aggressive infantry commander with a great deal of promise. While obviously I myself cannot directly make the payment for the List, I would most certainly put it up, perhaps through your office, and see him undergo a month at the Command Academy."

Markus drums his fingers on the nearest table, weighing the topic carefully.

"I will admit, it pains me to see the top positions of the military field taken up by the young and untested, but experienced generals must begin somewhere I suppose. If you believe he is up to the task, I will find Schwepes into the academy. I can't guarentee that he will find a spot in the brass, but that will be for his own merits to decide."

Klaus grins, or close as he can manage. "Indeed. My thanks." With a respectful finger to brow, Klaus is off, and back down the walk

[amaniacwithacar]

Hey guys, great aar. Just wondering are you using a mod for the game because the size of your armies are massive!!

keep up the good work!