In development Empires of Iron

[Galveston Bay]

Game start: 1800-1810 (TBD)

Playable nations: United States (which does not have North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia), British Empire (with Carolina and Georgia and Florida), French Republic, Russian Empire, a north German entity TBD, and a South American entity to be determined (probably combined Chile/Argentina/Paraguay/Uruguay) with Napoleon Bonaparte at the helm

possible playable nations: Austrian Empire (basically the south Germans), Ottoman Empire (although low priority), a Scandinavian entity (depends on how the timeline goes as I write it),

unusual NPCs:  Republic of Quebec (established 1776), Oklahoma (5 Civilized Tribes in OTL SE as British client state), some others probably

Rules:  the 19th Century rules from Napoleon E20
http://z13.invisionfree.com/Napoleonic_E20/index.php?

20th Century rules TBD

Simplifications:  Players simply indicate what percentage of their income is set aside for domestic spending and in general what it is spent on.   Assume depending on the nation that this is spent at the regional/state level, local level, or national level and administered directly

Players only spend money on military forces, major projects (like canals and railroads, and part of that is assumed to be providing land), and what percentage of their income is available for domestic spending.   We have spent years trying to come up with simple and complex economics, and ouch, lets go with simple

Industrial centers will be placed by referee fiat only ... as is growth.  Economic boom and bust cycles also by fiat, as are major natural disasters

Some nations (like the United States) will not have domestic taxation initially (only income is from tariffs and fees)

The above should help with builds etc

Australia was fun as an empty continent full of giant lizards and mammals, I am considering that one again

[Galveston Bay]

American Revolution (Part 1)
Timeline

1773
Guy Carlton, Governor General of Quebec is in London pushing for the Quebec Act. Tragically he dies in an accident before the Act can pass, and it is delayed, as it turns out, fatally so and is still under consideration in 1776. The Quebec Act does not end up on the list of Intolerable Acts, but it is a minor omission compared to the other issues in play.

1775
Battles of Lexington and Concord, followed by the Battle of Bunker Hill. The 13 Colonies rise up in revolt, while the Canadiens watch with interest, having a large number of their own grievances.

Winter 1775-1776
Two forces commanded by Richard Montgomery (leaving from New York) and Benedict Arnold (leaving from Maine) make epic marches to Canada. Montgomery takes Montreal first, and is joined by 3,000 Canadien militia and volunteers, and they march on Quebec, where they meet up with Arnold and his 600 survivors (joined by another 2,000 Canadien militia) attack in a blizzard the city of Quebec where an unprepared British command has been more focused on keeping order than preparing for attack in what is assumed to be impossible weather. The British are wrong and lose the city. The Canadiens establish a provisional government while the sick and exhausted Americans recover the rest of the January (only 900 remain fit for duty). Gabriel-Elzéar Taschereau, head of a powerful family, takes charge as acting governor.

A small British fleet turns up in the spring fall and finds the city is lost and retires for home.


February 1776
Benedict Arnold and 800 Americans from Quebec, joined by 1,000 militia from Maine (still part of Massachusetts) seize St John in a surprise attack, overwhelming a small naval force holding it. Having lost their marines, the small British fleet retires. This force is joined by 2,000 Nova Scotia militia and Indians who then attack Halifax, taking the city in a sharp fight against the a few hundred British sailors and marines at the naval station.

March 1776
British forces evacuate Boston. There are no significant British forces remaining in the 13 Colonies, British Canada or Quebec aside from Newfoundland. The forces evacuated from Boston retreat to Newfoundland, along with Loyalists who fled with them. Meanwhile, in London, the Battle of Bunker Hill was a shock, but the siege of Boston even more so.. General Howe and Admiral Howe begin planning an invasion, while the Crown raises troops from the various German states and scrambles to assemble British regiments as well. An immense fleet of transports is also assembling.

The initial plan is to invade New York City, secure Quebec and then ultimately drive to link up along the Hudson Valley and thus split the colonies in twain, isolating the Yankee New Englanders from the relatively luke warm rebels in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York City itself. The difficulties in taking Quebec back, as well as seizing Halifax as an advanced base would add at least a year to this plan. A request for aid has been received by Governor James Wright of Georgia, and it is noted that thus far the Patriots have little armed strength there. Savannah is a useful port, Florida is in British hands since the last war, and the Bahamas, Bermuda and Jamaica are close at hand. Lord Dunmore, the exiled Royal Governor of Virginia is also available and his ideas about freeing slaves to hurt the Patriots and recruiting them into armed regiments and labor units is given serious consideration.
Meanwhile in the now rebellious colonies, the Canadiens send representatives to Philadelphia to discuss their own future in this rebellion, and money and secret aid is already making its way across the Atlantic to help them from France. The Americans are more concerned about what they see as a certain British invasion of New York City, so Washington takes command there with Lee and Greene as principal subordinates. General Arnold is given the job of protecting Nova Scotia, General Putnam is given Boston, and General Gage is given Philadelphia, all of which are seen as possibilities after New York City.

Only a few guns and large numbers of militia are further south, although Baltimore is working hard to make itself a fortress. General James Moore commands in North Carolina, where he is putting down Loyalist factions, while General Williamson is fighting the Cherokee is the South Carolina Piedmont, and Colonel Moultrie is attempting to put together a defense of Charleston. The Georgians have only managed to put together a few companies so far of Patriot militia and lack central organization.

Independence
In July the 15 Colonies (including Nova Scotia and representatives from Vermont) declare independence from Britain. The Canadiens also declare independence, and the two rebel governments sign a defensive alliance aimed at keeping the British out.

The British Invasion
Racing to beat hurricane season, the British fleet and an army of 20,000 troops arrives and seizes weakly defended Savannah, allowing Governor James Wright to return to governing his colony. Most Patriots flee north or into the back country. Meanwhile a smaller fleet led by Admiral Parker and with troops led by General Clinton was ordered to cancel its planned June attack on Charleston and instead sail north to seize Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket to provide a forward base for the Royal Navy blockade of New England and New York, while a smaller force from Newfoundland seizes Prince Edward Island for similar reasons. These British moves initially convince the Americans that their fears are correct regarding New York City, as it takes weeks for the true strength of the British invasion in the South to make its way north.


The Ultimatum
General Howe, supreme commander of British forces in the colonies, has complete political and military power given to him by the Crown and Parliament. At the behest of Lord Dunsmore, he issues an ultimatum to the American rebels. Make peace by January 1, 1777 and return to the Crown. Disband the Rebel Army. All will be forgiven. If not, then the signers of the Declaration of Independence, rebel officers, rebel governors and legislators, and others the Crown deems as disloyal will have their property forfeit and face exile or the gibbet. A special point is made that Slaves are considered property.

Fall of South Carolina and Georgia
Georgia falls easily, and with 5,000 troops as a garrison, Governor Wright has little difficulty in restoring Georgia to the crown, particularly as Patriot sentiment is relatively weak. The brothers Howe meanwhile move up the coast, seizing Port Royal and then launching a highly effective and tactically brilliant attack on Charleston that results in the death of Colonel Moultrie and the fall of the city. Throughout the rest of the year British garrisons seize key points in the colony, while another 12,000 British and German troops arrive. Howe also raised 4,000 Loyalists into service and equips them as well as British troops and makes deals with the Cherokee to support them. In Georgia almost 80% of the population signs loyalty oaths or makes their mark, while nearly 50% of those in South Carolina that are in occupied (by British troops) territory do. Most of the Patriots have fled north or into the back country. After January the British begin seizing property.

Meanwhile many of the Loyalists who fled Virginia, Boston and other colonies make their way to Georgia and South Carolina.


By early 1777, the British have firm control of the coastal plains of South Carolina and Georgia and are making inroads into the Piedmont and Appalachia.

Meanwhile, George Washington heads south with part of his army, assembling in North Carolina along with militia and but can only assemble 6,000 men as the Continental Congress wants the rest of the armed troops to guard the cities further north. More troops are now locked in combat with Indian tribes in New York and along the Allegheny and Blue Ridge mountain frontier. The Canadiens are worried about further British movement against the St Lawrence River and they too can only send token help. However on Christmas Eve, 1776, Washington marches south and with the help of Francis Marion surprises and captures 2,000 German troops at the Battle of Lancaster. He quickly retreats north with his prisoners, content to have stung the British. British troops under Cornwallis pursue, and 7,000 British and German troops fight 6,000 American troops at Monroe (North Carolina) near the border between the two colonies and in determined battle that cost each side a 1,000 men, Washington manages to escape the field and prevent the British from rescuing his prisoners.

A heavy rain and ice storm then falls on the area and Cornwallis calls off the pursuit and falls back to Salisbury to assess the damage. These are the first two victories since the evacuation of Boston that the Americans can claim and sorely needed.


The Second British Invasion
Howe orders the second phase of the pacification of the colonies to begin. General Burgoyne will command a force of 12,000 troops and will invade and capture Delaware and eastern Pennsylvania, including the Rebel capital at Philadelphia. Meanwhile Cornwallis will move north into North Carolina and pacify it. Seizures of Rebel property have netted 50,000 African slaves who belonged to Patriot masters. Along with the plantations they lived on. Lord Dunsmore puts 40,000 of them on small 40 acre plots, provides each family a mule, and they have instructions to provide food for the British occupation forces. Another 8,000 are put into labor units and 2,000 of the fittest are formed into battalions of the Royal Carolina African Regiment.

In May, Cornwallis moves north with 8,000 troops, while Burgoyne and a fleet commanded by Admiral Howe sails into Chesapeake Bay. Uncertain as to the direction of the attack, American forces focus on Norfolk, including Washington's army that moves north to Richmond, while militia and sailors fortify Baltimore. General Gage is certain any British attack on Philadelphia will come up the Delaware River and has his troops and fortifications directed toward that threat. This is a fatal error.


The British land at the head of Chesapeake Bay, a mere 90 miles from Philadelphia and unload their army without interference. The British begin marching on the city and Gates assembles 11,000 of his men at Brandywine Creek where Burgoyne trounces the Americans as the militia route, the Continentals are overwhelmed and Gates flees the field, not stopping until reaches Princeton. He even neglects to inform Congress, which luckily has its own intelligence sources and they flee just ahead of the British army on June 22. Congress retreats to Brooklyn, which becomes the temporary capital.

Meanwhile Cornwallis moves into North Carolina, forcing North Carolina troops to retreat out of his path and easily captures the North Carolina ports and occupies the coastal plains. Washington again moves south to meet him, this time fighting at Charlotte, where again both sides beat each other bloody but Washington can ill afford his losses and is forced to retreat. Again both sides lose 1,000 men each and are bloodied. However the British have reinforcements en route, and Washington and his army are recalled north.

Over the course of the summer and fall the British secure the North Carolina coastal plains, seizing Patriot property (and slaves), and pushing Patriot partisan bands north or into the back country or destroying them.

Battle of Trenton
With the disgrace of Gates and loss of half his army, Washington is called north with all of his Continentals where he meets up with Sullivan, Greene, Arnold (called south) and Morgan. He puts together an army of 20,000 men at Valley Forge and hurriedly organizes it and works out a battle plan. Meanwhile, the British have weak intelligence, but Loyalists in New Jersey have confirmed that the American Congress is in Brooklyn and there are few Patriots rallying to the colors in that colony. Burgoyne leaves 5,000 troops behind under General Kynphausen (a Hessian) while moving north with 7,000 of his best troops in hopes he can conquer New Jersey and catch the Congress in Brookyn.

It is a fatal mistake for Burgoyne, who is surprised when Washington manages to cross the Delaware River behind him and in front of him. While Arnold engages the British with the help of Sullivan, Washington and Greene move up behind him and in a week long battle which costs the British 3,000 casualties and 5,000 Americans fall (including Arnold, killed in action), Washington surrounds the British while Greene fights a careful fighting withdrawal that keeps Kynphausen and the 2,000 men he can spare from breaking through. Burgoyne is captured, as is the entirety of his army, and the Americans have a major victory.

A victory that gets important attention across the Atlantic in France.

It is quickly clear to Kynpshausen and Admiral Howe that the further time in Philadelphia is pointless, as the Americans still have forts controlling the Delaware River, the previously inactive militia in Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey are now flooding to man the entrenchments growing closer every day to Philadelphia, and there is no fodder for the animals or enough food for the troops. Abandoning his artillery, the German general leads his troops in a forced march to evacuation, making 90 miles in 3 hard days, outdistancing the chronically shoeless and underfed American Continentals in the process.

By September 11, the Anglo-German troops have sailed away, retiring to Charleston. Washington returns with his army to Frederick, Maryland, to go into winter quarters and train up his troops as he is certain the next British move will be on Virginia.

British occupation
Meanwhile in the southern colonies, the British reorganize them into Georgia and Carolina, condensing North and South Carolina. They have in their hands a population of just over 500,000 residents, including 210,000 Africans. Of these 100,000 have been freed as they have been seized from their Patriot owners and most have been resettled on land previously held by Patriot planters. Just over 20,000 are providing full or part time labor to the British occupation, and another 5,000 have now been equipped and organized as troops. The Loyalists have provided 10,000 volunteers for service in Colonial regiments, including a force of 2,000 mounted dragoons while the rest along with the Royal Africans provide internal security. This leaves the British and German force of 20,000 available to act as a field force. Cornwallis is sent home to recover from illness and mourn his wife and Clinton takes command of the field forces while Lord Dunsmore is effectively viceroy of the southern colonies. Admiral Howe is sent home to command the Channel Fleet, while General Howe is recalled, his plans for the northern campaign having ended in disaster.

Both sides settle in for the winter by October, but the winter is to see a major shift in events.

France enters the War
The American success in crushing the British invasion of Philadelphia along with the independence of Quebec is enough to finally bring France openly into the war when it formally recognizes both nations.. Although many in France would like the return of New France, there is fear that doing so would drive the Americans and British back together and end the rift.

French forces are mostly engaged in helping the Spanish at Gibraltar, a siege that lasts for years, but during 1778 and 1779 the British are in real and valid fear of an invasion of England, and this ties down much of the British and French (and later Spanish) fleets. However a French fleet arrives off Breton Island and proceeds to capture Prince Edward Island in the summer of 1778 with the help of militia and light naval forces from Nova Scotia and Quebec. This results in the loss of 3,000 British troops and destruction of 6 British ships of the line (and the career of British Admiral Thomas Graves). It opens the St Lawrence River to easy passage by Allied shipping as well.


Invasion of Virginia
In the south, the British move north and capture Norfolk and Richmond. Washington meets Clinton at the Battle of Petersburg, but the threat of British warships in his rear forces Washington to retreat northwest, opening the door to Richmond and the Tidewater. The Americans are forced to retreat to Fredericksburg, while Clinton pursues. Meanwhile more troops move up from the south, a force of 10,000 Royal Africans and German troops under General the Earl Grey, which begins seizing Patriot property in the Tidewater where most of the Virginia colonies 200,000 slaves live. Over 50,000 Patriot civilians flee north into Maryland, while another 100,000 civilians sign loyalty oaths. Thus nearly half the colony, the economically valuable Tidewater, is lost. Only 150,000 civilians remain in Patriot held areas which consist of central and northern Virginia.

Washington is forced to avoid further battle as the reinforcements he needs and some of the best generals in the American army are tied down dealing with Indian problems on the frontier in Pennsylvania, New York and western Virginia. Having suffered serious losses himself, and by nature cautious, Clinton is content to wait at Richmond where he can be supplied by sea and cover the operations of Earl Grey.

Further south the British continue the pacification of Carolina and Georgia, unimpeded by American field forces and gradually the Patriot partisan forces are killed or driven out.

[Galveston Bay]

American Revolution Part 2

1779
Washington sends General John Sullivan and Colonel George Rogers Clark west of the Appalachians with 1,000 Continentals and 2,000 volunteer rangers and militia troops to mop up British outposts and forts at Fort Pitt (Pittsburgh), Detroit, Vincennes, Cahookia, St Louis, and Ste Genevieve. Now completely isolated from support with the fall of Canada to the rebellion in 1776, and when Spain enters the war against Britain in June 1779, they are completely isolated. The British garrisons surrender after only token resistance over the course of the summer and fall as American forces reach them. General Montgomery forces the Iroquois to surrender with Canadien help, while other Canadien forces mop up British outposts north of the Great Lakes. A French naval expedition, with assistance by Canadien Voyageurs and Rangers, secures the Hudson Bay, bringing an end to the British Hudson Bay Company.


In the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, English Channel and Mediterranean Sea, Franco-Spanish and British naval forces clash, while American privateers and its small navy prey on British shipping. A French fleet attacks Marthas Vineyard, and a naval battle results between British and French fleets under French admiral D'Estaing and British admiral John Byron. Although both sides inflict damage, no decisive damage is inflicted, no ships are lost, and both sides break off. However the British evacuate Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard soon after. This effectively ends the blockade of the northern American coast and for the first time supplies from Europe flow freely into American and Canadien ports.

On land, in the main theater in Carolina and Virginia, the Americans and British are content to raid and skirmish. The British are raising still more Loyalist and Royal African regiments, but many of these troops are sent to strengthen defenses in East and West Florida as well as Charleston and Savannah. However the constant fighting lays waste to much of eastern and central Virginia and over 150,000 Blacks take the opportunity to escape bondage and flee south. Both Montecello and Mount Vernon are casualties to the war, both burned, and Thomas Jefferson is caught and killed in a skirmish as he attempts to escape. However some of his notes are rescued later by James Madison, his good friend and protege. General Cornwallis returns in December but General Clinton is demoted from commander in chief of British forces and that role is given to Governor James Wright, who is made a Baron for his extremely able performance so far in the war, a bright spot for the British.


1780
A Spanish fleet attacks Mobile but is beaten off by the reinforced British garrison. General Cornwallis leads a force of 5,000 British, Royal African and Loyalist troops into Louisiana and takes New Orleans, retakes Baton Rouge and the remainder of Louisiana. General Clinton meanwhile advances in force toward the Potomac River, and he and Washington fight a series of battles that exhaust both sides and now lacking the strength to proceed, as American partisans and dragoons are harassing his supply lines and half his strength is drawn off trying to protect them, Clinton retreats back across the James River, which becomes the de facto border between British and American controlled Virginia. Among the American casualties is General Charles Lee, who is killed along with his aid Major Wilkinson and a regiment commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Aaron Burr is wiped out in a dramatic stand that does the country credit, although Burr is killed and reaps no reward from it.

Clinton is forced to give up even these gains when General Daniel Morgan badly mauls a force commanded by Bannister Tarleton (the killer of Thomas Jefferson) at Mount Pilot in North Carolina, and also kills Tarleton. This American victory threatens Salem and Greensboro North Carolina, and thus Clinton's supply line, and he retreats back to Greensboro with the bulk of his army, leaving only small ranger and cavalry companies in Virginia aside from a 5,000 man garrison of Germans holding Norfolk. The year ends with another stalemate and both sides are becoming increasingly war weary.


At sea the naval war continues, but most of the action is far away from North America. Shipping losses to American privateers, now joined by French and Canadien privateers as well, is becoming painful to the British insurance and shipping industry.

1781
Washington is informed that a fleet commanded by Admiral De Grasse will be arriving, along with 6,000 French troops. He sends General Greene, along with 3,000 Continentals and 2,000 Virginia militia, to Norfolk, while Washington and his army interposes itself between General Clinton and Norfolk. After a 3 week siege, Norfolk and 5,000 German troops are lost with minimal Franco-American casualties after Admiral De Grasse holds off Admiral Rodney is a fiercely fought Battle of the Capes that sees nearly every ship badly damaged on both sides and 4 British and 4 French ships of the line are so crippled that they are scuttled after striking their flags. De Grasse and his fleet limp back to New York City, while Rodney retires to Charleston.

The news of the British defeat at Norfolk on May 30 reaches London on a fast frigate within 3 week. At this point, although the British are doing well in most of their campaigns, they have lost Minorca, the northern American colonies, and painfully heavy numbers of troops and ships. However they have managed to hold their own in India, Gibraltar and have achieved a stalemate at least against the Americans. The League of Armed Neutrality (Holland, Sweden, Denmark, Russia) are threatening intervention however, and Lord North is forced to resign with the news of the loss of Norfolk and end to hopes of regaining Virginia, the richest of the southern colonies (although less so after four years as a battlefield). Talks begin soon after.

1782
Aside from a final futile Spanish and French attempt to take Gibraltar, and some fighting in India, 1782 is marked by skirmishes and small clashes at sea.

1783
The Treat of Paris is signed

The former British (and before that French) colony of Quebec becomes the Republic of Canada, as the Americans threaten to switch sides if France regains it. Broke, with massive debts, the French are in no position to push that issue.

The Republic of Canada is awarded the islands of St Pierre and Miquelon, Cape Breton Island, the lands held by the former British Hudson Bay Company, and of course Quebec. A side agreement between the Americans and Canadiens awards Canada territory north of the Great Lakes, with a St Marys River and Detroit River being the border in the Lakes region, the St Lawrence River and 45^th Parallel being the border in the east. West of the Great Lakes, the Americans and Canadians agree to honor a buffer zone around the 49^th Parallel, although that is mostly theoretical at this point.

The British retain possession only of Newfoundland and are allowed to keep Labrador, where a few small fishing settlements used seasonally by fisherman and sealers from Newfoundland are located.

The most important element of the treaty is recognition by all the parties, including observers from the League of Armed Neutrality, of the independence of the United States and Canada as separate republics from Great Britain.
The British / American border is established as the old Virginia/North Carolina colonial border, but further west the 35^th Parallel is used to establish American and British spheres of influence and control. That line extends to the Mississippi River, and across it to mark British Arkansas and American Missouri. Britain, the United States and Canada are all granted full navigation rights on the Mississippi and the British agree not to place export duties on American cargo at New Orleans.


Spain loses New Orleans and Louisiana, but gain Minorca, Grenada and France gains Montserrat and Senegal. Reunion is returned to France and territory lost in India is also returned. Most of these territorial exchanges (outside of North America) become irrelevant within a few years.

The Americans are forced to accept the loss of three of the southern colonies, but Nova Scotia makes up for part of that loss, and Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine are soon made states after the US Constitution is ratified in 1787. The Americans are also forced to give up damage claims for the loss of nearly 200,000 slaves from Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia, although 100,000 Africans remain enslaved in British North America. The remainder are resettled as essentially serfs to the British government on land seized from Patriot owners, or allowed to work as servants and menials in the port cities. A large number are also settled in Florida. An exchange of sort occurs, as nearly 60,000 Patriots have fled from the southern colonies, while a similar number have fled or now leave the United States. The Loyalists move south, the Patriots have moved north.

The United States has roughly 2 million people, of which 200,000 are Black, and most of those are slaves in Delaware, parts of Virginia and in Maryland, although a considerable number are in New York. British North America has 500,000 people, of which nearly 350,000 are Black and 100,000 of those are slaves, the rest are serfs or menials with limited rights.

In 1785, British North America is reorganized as a single colony and extended to Louisiana, plus the lands of Alabama and Mississippi (which are set aside as Native American territory). The capital is Charleston, and Governor James Wright is promoted to Viceroy and also made Duke of Richfield. General Cornwallis is also rewarded, promoted to Duke of Oakhill for his capture of New Orleans. Both men are granted considerable land along with those titles. Cornwallis remains at his post as commander in chief of the British Army forces in North America until his retirement in 1804. A Legislature is established at Charleston to help the Viceroy administer and tax the colony and two seats in the House of Commons in the British Parliament are awarded (one each from Savannah and Charleston), plus both Dukes have seats in the House of Lords, as do a number of Barons who gain their rank as rewards from the war.

George Washington and the other leading patriots vote on the US Constitution created in great part by James Madison, with notes from Thomas Jefferson that include the Bill of Rights, in 1787. A notable feature is that the slave trade is immediately ended in 1788, and that slavery is phased out by law by 1820. Government bonds are used in part to finance this. Slaves are considered as full persons under the Constitution as well, although their citizenship still lies in the future. The 2^nd Amendment includes a clause allowing for peacetime conscription into the National Guard of the United States in peace, and Army of the United States in war. The National Guard is overseen by the States by law with money from the Federal Government. This mostly offsets concerns regarding a standing army but the British being just across the border and a French nation to the north, however recently allied, makes this acceptable.

But in France the cost of the war leads to a crisis that soon comes to a head and Revolution begins in 1789. Revolutions in Haiti, Cuba, and elsewhere in Latin America come before long too.

[Galveston Bay]

French Revolution and Revolutionary Wars (part 1)


The French Revolutionary Wars

1789-92
With France in a deep and severe financial crisis, King Louis XVI summons the Estates General in hopes of finding a way out. Friction leads to conflict and when the King attempts to dissolve the National Constitute Assembly the conflict leads to riot and the storming of the Bastille and destruction of troops loyal to the Crown in Paris. This marks the end of French Royal Absolutism and the National Assembly proceeds to abolish feudalism, reform tax laws, establish the Declaration of the Rights of Man (influenced heavily by the martyred Thomas Jefferson's writings), create the Constitution of 1791, break the Catholic Church by making all clergy state employees (and seize vast amounts of church holdings and wealth), and arrest the King and Royal family when they attempt to flee in June 1791. Europe watches in fascination, the Americans cheer on the French, and the Canadians initially support the Revolution until the Church is attacked and crushed.


While all of this is happening in France, in the Caribbean a massive revolt begins in Haiti that will result in slaughter for the rest of the decade. Many of the French settlers and planters flee to New Orleans where many make their way to Canada eventually.

In August 1791, with the King and Queen under arrest with their children, the Austrians, Prussians, and the two brothers of the King threaten military intervention. The Assembly divides into Nationalists (many of whom favor keeping a monarchy) and the Jacobins (hard line Republicans). Lafayette, who initially had considerable prestige, loses that when he puts down a mob in Paris and in March he is forced to flee to exile when the hardliners get an arrest warrant for him. Lafayette ends up in Canada in late 1794, having been sent there by a British warship in exchange for his oath not to return to Europe.

France struggles along until April 1792 when the Assembly declares war on Austria in April 1792, marking the start of the French Revolutionary War. France initially does well, overwhelming the Austrians and conquering the Austrian Netherlands. Meanwhile the Assembly attempts to keep order in Paris, fails, and hard liners slaughter prisoners (including hundreds of priests), and hardliners increasingly dominate events. A wave of slaughter engulfs Paris as prisoners are murdered and moderates who denounce that are soon in fear for their own lives. Meanwhile the King has lost sufficient support that on September 20, 1792 the monarchy is abolished and the French Republic is declared.


The Great Terror and Invasion Crisis
The September massacres are the start of the Reign of Terror, and under it, the Radicals murder thousands throughout France, including over 2,500 in Paris itself. The Assembly is replaced by the Convention, and then by 1793 by the Revolutionary Tribunal and then by the Community of Public Safety led by Robespierre. The Battle of Valmey in August 1792 buys the Republic time to mobilize, and the first levee en masse results, but the French then declare war on the British and Dutch, enlarging the war significantly. The Prussians and Austrians issue the Brunswick Manifesto, threatening retaliation against the people of France if they interfere with efforts to restore the French crown, which leads to the trial and then execution on January 21, 1793 of King Louis XVI (as citizen Louis Capet).

In March 1793 the French survivor a serious defeat in the Rhineland at the Battle of Neerwinden that results in Austria driving them out of Belgium and invading France itself. This results in the French commander, a Royalist bitter over the execution of the King, attempts to betray the Revolution but is found out and he and numerous other officers defect. The results in the appointment of political officers to oversee the admirals and generals of France, which does little for their effectiveness and results in numerous executions for failure. However, in spite these handicaps, the French reverse the situation in Belgium with a major victory at Fleurus, resulting in the 1^st Coalition retreating from Belgium and opening the door for a French invasion of the Netherlands.

A major counter attack occurs in late August when British, Spanish, Italian and Royalist forces seize Toulon which has risen up. A siege develops but Coalition command squabbles, inability to cooperate and failure to reinforce this success offsets French incompetence long enough for the French to become competent. The result is evacuation of the Coalition forces, destruction of the military facilities and French warships there, and escape of 15,000 Royalists (nearly all of whom end up in Canada within a couple years or less).


The Thermidorian Reaction
The other major effect of Fleurus is that the sufficient support now exists within the Army and among moderates to end the Reign of Terror and crush the dictatorship of the Committee of Public Safety. The Thermidorian Reaction (on July 27) results in the toppling of the Committee of Public Safety, the execution of St Just and Robespierre, and creation of a new government, the Directory, headed by Barras and others, who after a mob attempts to topple them, institute the White Terror that executes most of the officials who led the Great Terror which extends into 1795. The Jacobins are crushed, freedom of worship is restored, artificial price controls are ended (except for grain and other foodstuffs which are subsidized), and political officers are removed from the Army and Navy. An attempt by Royalists to topple the government nearly succeeds, and in fact puts the government into flight briefly on October 5, by within days Army troops restore order and arrest many of the ringleaders, who also meet their fate at the guillotine.


French victories 1795-97
Meanwhile the French armies conquer the Netherlands, creating the Batavian Republic, occupy the left bank of the Rhine, knock the Holy Roman Empire (and German states including Prussia) out of the war (although in part so Prussia can partition Poland), conquer Savoy, regain Corsica and knock Spain out of the war. But the war with Britain continues, although a British attempt to land at Quiberon Bay is a debacle, and French armies continue to fight a grueling war with the Austrians in Italy and Bavaria. General Massena in Italy fights a hard campaign against the Austrians that results in the French gaining Genoa, Turin and Milan, while in Bavaria the French armies under Generals Moreau and Jourdan are driven out of Bavaria by Archduke Charles but maul the Austrians sufficiently for them to retreat to their own base as well. An invasion of Ireland fails due to weather and poor luck, with no significant French losses but a great opportunity when the British garrison is at its nadir is missed.

Meanwhile Spain signs an alliance with France, hoping that French arms and money will make opportunities for it. France also transfers Haiti to Spanish rule, assuming they can conquer it back from the revolting slaves. This will turn out to be a fateful decision for the Spanish Empire in South America.

In 1797 the Franco-Spanish navies attempt to rendezvous of Portugal, but in the Battle of Cape St Vincent Admiral Jervis defeats them and drives them back into port, preventing invasion. The British are unable to capitalize on this however as the Nore and Spithead mutinies leave the Royal Navy paralyzed for some time. A small French invasion of Wales is defeated in February, which will be the last attempt for the rest of the war.

In Italy and Bavaria, the French again defeat the Austrians, and even threaten invasion of Austria itself. The Hapsburgs sue for peace on October 18, 1797, as does the Papacy, and the 1^st Coalition dissolves, with only the British remaining in the war. At the end of the year a riot breaks out in Rome and France declares war on the Papal States when a French general who was visiting the city is killed.


1798
French troops invade the Papal States, and the Roman Republic is declared on February 19. Pope Pius VI is arrested when he refuses to surrender temporal power over the Papal States. French troops also invade Switzerland as it is in a state of near civil war and annex Geneva and set up a republic that is a French client state in all but name. In the summer French armies march south, conquering southern Italy. A French fleet lands troops on Sicily, which falls quickly, but that fleet is then destroyed by Admiral Nelson at the Battle of Palermo. Lacking troops, the British are unable to take Sicily back however. Nelson does persuade the Knights of Malta to allow the British to base ships and place a garrison there to prevent the French from forcing the Pope to hand it over. French troops put down rebellions in Flanders, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

The British have problems too however. There is a major rebellion in Ireland but lack of French support proves fatal to it. The French sent their fleet to the Caribbean that year, and assist the Spanish in escorting their treasury fleet home. An attempt by the British to intercept it fails. The French also blunder when their privateers and warships begin attacking American shipping. This starts what will be called the Quasi-War with France. It also ends American sympathy for the French Republic, already in tatters after the Great and White Terrors. Continued hard feelings in Virginia, and ongoing clashes with Indians in Tennessee and Kentucky (who Americans feel are being supported by the British) prevents the Americans from entering the war formally against France.

The conquest of the Papal States however leads to Austria declaring war on France and the formation of the 2^nd Coalition and Russia joins in as well.


1799
The French invade southern Germany and Austrian and Russian armies move to engage. In a series of battles the French suffer heavy losses and several defeats but destroy a Russian army of 25,000 men and this effectively means stalemate in Germany as armies go into winter quarters.


In British North America, the British have raised two armies. A small army of 3,000 British and Provincial forces marches southwest from Louisiana, supported by a naval force that establishes a base at Galveston Island and further south at Corpus Christi Bay. The British easily take Nacogdoches, Goliad and San Antonio and establish several forts along the El Camino Real connecting Louisiana with San Antonio.


The much larger expedition is aimed at Hispaniola. Toussaint Louverture has drive the Spanish out of of Santo Domingo except for the the city itself, where British marines and local militias prevent a final assault so far. The Haitians are also fighting a civil war amongst themselves, called the War of the Knives, with Andre Rigaud leading the Maroons and few French whites that have managed to survive versus the former slaves led by Louverture. The British land 25,000 troops, including 15,000 Royal African troops from British North America, 5,000 White Provincials from the same colony, and supported by British regulars providing artillery, engineering, and logistical support as well as command. Led by General Ferguson, who has managed to equip several ranger companies with his marvelous rifle, the British and 10,000 militia led by Rigaud drive Toussant and his troops into the mountains and secure the coastal plains and towns, including the port of Port a Prince. A counter insurgency campaign, along with promises of amnesty, eventually convinces Toussant to surrender and he is sent into comfortable exile in England. British Hispaniola is organized, with Ferguson made governor until malaria sends him home. Rigaud is made Lieutenant governor and serves under a succession of British Viceroys.

American and British officials with the help of merchants assist the rebellion in Peru that leads to the South American War of Independence.

[Galveston Bay]

The history of Asociacion de Sudamericana (part 1)


1741-1780
Bourbon Reforms in the Spanish Empire break Jesuit power in the colonies while at the same time effectively Christianizing the Maroons. They also produce some much needed economic reform. However they also alienate the Creoles and Mestizos and do little effective for the lower classes. Local authorities find themselves supplanted in importance by crown appointed Intendants from Spain, while newly organized, enlarged and improved militias are created only for command positions to be given to men from Spain. State monopolies are created that increase the income to the Crown at the expense of local economic arrangements, and trade continues to be restricted to Spanish or French ships only. Priests (who are not Jesuits) are also granted immunity from secular law enforcement and trial.

1789 -96
Father Joseph Frenz visits Peru and Chile looking to expand his art collection. With him is 20 year Napoleon Bounaparte who has completed his officer cadet training at the French artillery school but has not yet found a regiment to join. Napoleon falls in love with Chile, is introduced and marries Isabel Riquelme, the daughter of a powerful local Creole family who was the mistress of the Governor Ambrosio O'Higgins and has an illegitimate son from the affair by the name of Bernado O'Higgins. The Riquelme family pressures the governor to do the right thing and Napoleon is given command an artillery battery and begins his rise in rank, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel responsible for all artillery units in Chile by 1796 when Spain goes to war with the British.


The highly charismatic Napoleon meanwhile has assembled a following and close cooperation with nearly all of the Creole officers in Chile, his Mestizo troops adore him, and a great many of the Penisulares in the officer corps have joined him in a secret cabal aimed at revolution. He enlarges this following further when he is sent in 1796 to Lima to become chief of artillery for the Vice Royality of La Plata.

1797-99
With war in Europe, the Spanish coast is blockaded by the Royal Navy and communications with the Spanish Crown grow spotty. Napoleon develops ties with the American Consul and through him to the British. He also manages to enlarge his plot, and by Easter 1799 the plotters move. Over 75% of the Royal units and 80% of the militia are compromised in Peru, particularly around Lima, Santiago and Valpariaso. The governors and intendants are arrested while rebel units quickly force the Royalist forces that remain to surrender. By the end of the year Napoleon and Ambrosio O'Higgins create a Directorate, with O'Higgins as Executive Director, with Napoleon Director of Defense. Bernardo O'Higgins is summoned from his studies in England, returning the following year.

1800-1802 War Of Independence (coming soon)

This is pretty interesting... working on incorporating it into the history


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspiracy_of_the_Tres_Antonios

[Galveston Bay]

Prussia is everything on the Blue side of the Red line.  The various small states surrounded by blue are gone, and Prussia does have that Danish territory and Russia does own that part of Poland

Except for the Rhine, everything west of that is French or Dutch

[Galveston Bay]

The War of the 2^nd Coalition 1799- 1802


1799
Having left the war with France in 1797 after defeats in the Rhineland and Netherlands, the Kingdom of Prussia is at peace and Frederick William III is continuing his reforms that are reducing the costs of the court, eliminating some of the more oppressive laws and taxes, and firing a number of his fathers ministers. He rejects further war with France, seeing little to be gained, and begins his campaign to unify the Protestant Churches in northern Germany. A few days before Christmas in 1798, a tragic accident occurs and his carriage overturns on the ice and the King and his eldest son Frederick William are both killed. The Queen and her two babies (William and Charlotte) were in another carriage and she is left to weep over bodies of her husband and eldest son. Prince Henry (the eldest uncle) is named Regent of Prussia, until William reaches age of majority (in 1820).


The Regent, who is not in the best health himself, brings in new ministers to manage the nation while he considers the long term strategy for Prussia. Karl Von Hardenberg is made chief minister, and he favors an alliance with France in order to gain a free hand east of the Rhine. Foreign Minister Tallyrand eagerly jumps on this opportunity and by the fall of 1799 a formal alliance is signed. Prussia is given carte blanche to take what it wants in Germany north of the River Main (although not including Bohemia) and already has its eye on Swedish Germany. In exchange the Prussians make no objection to the French goal of eliminating the Holy Roman Empire (which suits Prussian interests), and will support France against Austria and Russia. The Regent has no objections to this, as he spent decades in the Prussian Army and fought the Prussians and Russians under Frederick the Great, his elder brother, and thus has great love for either power.


1800
The Prussians enter the war in support of France, and Prussian armies quickly defeat the Swedish garrison in Swedish Pomerania (and the useful port of Stettin), before moving west to deal with Hanover and other independent states in western Germany. When Hanover falls without a fight, the other states and statelets soon follow as the Regent makes it clear that they only need swear fealty to Prussia and they will retain their lands and wealth (although not their independence). Britain declares war on Prussia, as does Austria. The Russians however are bought off when the Prussians give up Warsaw in exchange for Russian neutrality toward Prussia, and then the Russians leave the war that year as it has become clear to the Czar that the British and Austrians are not going to defeat France and losing more soldiers will be for nothing.

The Royal Navy extends its blockade to cover Prussian shipping, although as it cannot yet enter the Baltic Sea in strength it has limited effect other than hurting fishing on the Dogger Bank. The Austrians meanwhile are defeated again in at the battles of Marengo (Italy) by French troops and at Hohenlinde (in Bavaria) by Franco-Prussian troops. This results in Austria suing for peace, with the Emperor Francis II of Austria abdicating his throne as Holy Roman Emperor in exchange for partitioning Germany between Austria, Bavaria and Prussia.

This leaves the British with only the Americans as an unofficial ally, but without any land armies to assist them in Europe. They are able to strike back however. A British Army is sent to with a fleet to the mouth of the Rio Plata, and while Napoleon leads his army across the Andes, the Spanish garrison is unable to respond to both. The Spanish send half their garrison of 2,000 men to fight Napoleon and suffer a shattering defeat at his hands in the Battle of Rio Cuarto, and a combined Chilean / British force then takes Buenos Aires by the end of the year. With the help of the Royal Navy, Napoleon then takes Montevideo
The Spanish meanwhile declare war on the United States once it becomes clear to the Crown that the Americans are interfering in their empire. The French follow suit, to support their ally, and thus the United States is now formerly at war with both as of April 1800. American warships join in with the British in attacking Franco-Spanish shipping but otherwise the Americans spend the rest of the year putting together an army for service in the Caribbean.

1801
The British strike at Denmark as it is allied with France, crushing the Danish fleet at the Battle of Copenhagen on April 2. The resulting negotiations result in the Danes changing sides but they suffer further humiliation when Prussian troops occupy Schleswig and Holstein. Caught between two fires, the Danes are eventually able to persuade the French, Prussians and British to accept Danish neutrality.

In the Caribbean, the British seize the French island possession of Guadalupe, before then moving on the weakly held Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy. The Americans meanwhile seize Martinique and American and British warships raid the Cuban, Mexican and Central American coast.

Talks begin between the various powers during the summer, and by the end of the year a peace is agreed to be called the Peace of Amiens.


The Peace of Amiens
This broad treaty redraws the map of Europe and the Caribbean, establishes the independence of parts of the Spanish South American Empire, and ends the Holy Roman Empire.


Spain
loses Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, and Chile to the Asociacion de Sudamerica (South American Confederation)
loses Hispanolia to Great Britain
loses Texas to Great Britain
Gains Minorca from Great Britain
Gains the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily
border established at the just north of the 36^th Parallel for American Colorado and Spanish Nuevo Mexico, with the Americans to remain east of the 32^nd Meridian in Colorado. A northern border to the Pacific from the 32^nd Meridian is the 42^nd Parallel. This is agreed to after the Americans produce results and maps from the Pike and Clark Expeditions in a separate treaty with Spain in 1804 as until then the northern edge of American and Spanish claims are undefined.

Although the addition of Sicily and Naples is viewed as a major gain, the lose of Peru and Hispaniola are viewed as major blows, and only the British return of Puerto Rico offsets that somewhat. There is considerable bitterness in Spain.

Great Britain
loses Minorca to Spain
gains Hispaniola and Texas from Spain
returns Guadalupe, St Maartin, St Barthelemy to France
returns Puerto Rico to Spain
guarantee of Portuguese neutrality from Spain and France and from the British
Britain returns Dutch warships taken in 1798-99
In a side agreement, Britain writes off loans to the Austrians (which become British loans)
Britain gains Malta
loses Hanover


Britain is forced to accept (for now) a France that holds Belgium including Antwerp, and has massively increased in size and power and effectively dominates Europe in terms of military power. This is not acceptable but without allies in Europe, an armistice at least to rest financially is worthwhile.


The United States
An alliance with the British was politically unpopular in much of the country but it did buy the Americans some credibility in Europe. Its numerous victories at sea over French and Spanish frigates and corvettes as well as the successful landing and seizure of Martinique make the Europeans take notice as well. For the US Navy, US Marine Corps and US Army it is a triumph in their first war against an European enemy.

The biggest gain is the Spanish agreement to the border in the West, including American access to the Pacific coast. The problem of Martinique is cause for considerable political disagreement in the United States which remains an issue into the 1804 election.


However, the peace is greeted eagerly by the United States which is wary of foreign wars or alliances. Particularly against a former ally that helped America gain its independence or with a former enemy that remains in control of 3 former colonies that sought independence. Only the fact that the French attacked first and the Spanish declared war made the entire war acceptable domestically.


France
The Directory and the Republic have won the war as far as internal politics are concerned. France now borders the Rhine everywhere except for a small area of the Netherlands. Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the Roman Republic are safe client states whose foreign policy is under French control and whose taxes help pay for the French Army and Navy. Favorable trade agreements with the Dutch also mean that French traders can now use Dutch colonial ports.

France lost Haiti, first to Spain and then to the British and has lost Martinique, although perhaps not forever as there are signs the Americans do not want it. But the Revolution has been safeguarded, the Ancien Regime is gone for what now seems for good, and French arms have been triumphant everywhere they have marched in Europe. Although sadly not so triumphant at sea.


Austria and the Papacy
The Austrians have lost the Holy Roman Empire, all of their holdings in northern Italy, and the Pope retains only small enclaves in Rome, Avignon, Elba and Basel, with only ceremonial troops in small numbers as guards. The Church has managed to regain the majority of the churches in French territory, and a few of the monastic centers, but its vast hold on territory is gone. Austria has fared equally badly, with its armies humbled and the Prussians equal or greater in power now. Neither the Church or the Austrians are happy with these developments and both await their opportunity to restore the situation to something more acceptable. The only bright spot was the seizure of part of Poland that the Austrians still retain, and the continued possession of Trieste and thus continued access to the Mediterranean Sea.


Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Portugal and Netherlands
Has done well in the war. Although defeated by French armies, it gained much of Poland, all of Finland and has a free hand to deal with the Turks. The Swedes lost Pomerania and Finland, but no one objects (except for the Danes, who lack a fleet and most of their army) when the Swedes annex Norway. The Danes have lost not only Norway and their holdings in northern Germany, but also Iceland (which is a free republic under British and American protection) and Greenland (which is in Icelandic hands, not that anyone cares). Portugal has managed to escape the war unscathed, although it is more than a little concerned about the newly independence nation south and west of it. The Dutch have fared poorly, as they are now essentially a French client state. But they retain their empire, and for the Dutch Republicans, the expulsion of the Monarchy is worthwhile. The Dutch Royal Family initially were in exile in Prussia, but with the Prussians changing sides, they now reside in England, not far from the exiled Bourbons.

[Galveston Bay]

Working on rules at the moment. I think this will help with builds and maintenance each year by simplifying the number of units players have to keep track of while still allowing the referee to game out campaigns and battles.
"Ground Combat Forces 1805
This age is age of powder and shot, where the most advanced weapon is a rifle with a percussion cap instead of using flint as a striker, where clouds of smoke surround a battlefield, and bright colorful uniforms are worn so that commanders and soldiers can tell who is on whose side in a fight. Elsewhere, more primitive weapons are used, or less effective military organizations. The discipline of the European style armies is now dominant and will remain so for the next 2 centuries.

Armies are organized into 3 basic types:
Field Armies which fight in settled developed parts of the world, with large numbers of wagons and a considerable number of civilians trailing along with them. They generate massive firepower and can inflict staggering losses on one another and can take any city or fortification although sometimes a siege is required. A typical battle is Waterloo or Gettysburg.
Expeditionary armies are used to fight in the frontier areas of the world, where the natives do not have the advanced combat methods and equipment of the European style armies, and the infrastructure and food production of the local area will not support the massive armies found in the more developed parts of the world. These armies haul around less artillery and rely more on pack animals instead of wagons. A typical campaign or battle is Kitchener marching to relief Khartoum, or the South American Wars of Independence or the US-Mexican War.
Defense forces are the default warriors or soldiers or militiamen who defend fixed areas, be they cities, collections of villages or even forts. They range in capability.
Units are the building blocks of the armies above but players can buy an army outright, add additional forces to them, or customize them as they wish.

Field Army
These powerful formations have names. Give them one. They also have commanders, in wartime assign one or one will be assigned upon request or referee fiat.
The standard field army of this era consists of 3 infantry corps, 1 cavalry corps, 1 supply column and 1 artillery brigade. Each infantry corps has 3 infantry divisions and 1 artillery battalion, each cavalry corps has 3 cavalry divisions, 1 artillery battalion, and the supply column is a division sized organization able to support a corps with all the ammunition it needs for a typical campaign. Artillery consists of light field guns at the corps level and heavier medium field guns at the corps level. At full strength an infantry division has 5,000 men, a cavalry division 2,500 men, and artillery battalions have 1,000 men (and 18 guns) and an artillery brigade has 2,500 men (48 guns). Thus a corps has 16,000 men at full strength. Cavalry Corps are smaller, with divisions at 2,500 men, so 8,500 men in a corps. The supply column also includes specialists like hospital units, headquarters staff as well as pioneers to handle river crossings and repair bridges, signals units (couriers initially, later semaphore), and all kinds of other support units. Field armies also have a depot brigade which is their supply base. For game purposes around 8,500 people (which includes some of the civilians like sutlers, wives, children and mistresses, and other people who travel with the army). Thus a field army has 65,000 people in all. A field army takes up an entire World in Flames map hex and controls all hexes that surround that hex. Attrition being what it is, and to simplify matters, assume during a campaign a field army is 60,000 men.
In game terms a Field Army is 18 infantry brigades, 9 cavalry brigades, 3 support brigades, 1 depot brigade, 6 artillery battalions. In peacetime that is 33 garrison brigades.
During peacetime all units are assumed to be in garrison, living in their barracks and homes. During wartime an army is in encampment, or in the field. Example Field Armies are the Army of Northern Virginia at Gettysburg, or the Prussian Army at Waterloo (with its cavalry organized into a corps). A weaker field army is Wellingtons at Waterloo (with only 2 infantry corps instead of 3). A field army that is foraging with strip an area 50 miles across of fodder and easily removed food (everything out of larder).

Grand Army
As for field armies, these formations have names. The Grand Army does work for this purpose but you can give them another name if desired. They have commanders, the highest ranking general who is fit for field service will command this formation.
These are more powerful forces than a field army and because of their size move more slowly but they have considerable depth and massive firepower. Examples are the French Army at Waterloo, the Union Army of the Potomac and the Russian Army at Borodino. These huge armies have 5 infantry corps (actually 7, but only 2 divisions per corps instead of 3 so for game purposes call 5 corps), an artillery division at the army level, and 3 cavalry corps. Add a pair of extra supply columns, a pair of extra depot brigades, plus an actual pioneer brigade (for bridging and rivers), and thus are at around 150,000 people including civilians that come with the army.
These massive armies take up a megahex, and even when in supply strip an area of fodder and food from civilian larders when they move in field conditions. They must be supplied continually or they start to shrink in size rapidly. In peacetime they are assumed to be in garrison or in homes.
In game terms a grand army has 45 infantry brigades, 18 cavalry brigades, 15 artillery battalions, 9 support brigades, 3 depot brigades, 1 engineer brigade, or in peacetime 81 garrison brigades.
Note that the numerical strengths of a field army actually are 82,500 men and for a grand army 202,500 men, but the actual field strengths are closer to 60,000 and 150,000 as some of these men are not available for duty (being ill) have duties that take them away from the field forces (like guarding prisoners, training troops, staff work), are on leave (authorized or not) or empty slots (being dead or having deserted). Plus of course the base troops (depot troops) who do not travel with the army once they establish bases.

Expeditionary Armies
These are smaller, leaner versions of a field army, which operate in wilderness areas where it is impossible to forage for sufficient fodder for the animals, and food for the troops is also hard to come by. They also represent armies that are operating on a leaner economic base as well as lower tech armies in Africa and Asia that are still formidable in capability in spite of a technological disadvantage. Examples of low tech armies are the Chinese Banner Armies, the Zulu and various Indian states. Examples of lean industrial base armies in 1805 are the US and South American armies, while the British and French operate expeditionary armies in India which include troops raised locally.
An Expeditionary Army consists of 3 infantry divisions, 1 cavalry division, 1 artillery battalion, and 1 support train. So 15,000 infantry, 2,500 cavalry, 1,000 artillery troops (with 18 medium caliber guns) and a brigade sized support unit. Also a depot brigade of 2,500 men. This works out to a total of 25,000 men. Some armies (the Zulu for example) lack cavalry and artillery and have another infantry division instead. A peacetime expeditionary army is thus 12 garrison brigades.

A small Expeditionary Force, consists of 3 infantry brigades, 1 cavalry brigade, 1 artillery battalion and 1 support train but does not come with a depot unit. This is ideal for smaller campaigns that like the Texas War of Independence (representing the Mexican side of things) or the Mexican American War (the US armies under Scott and Taylor). This is an army of around 11,000 men which is typical of what was found in South and North America or North Africa (on the European side) for most of the century. A peacetime expeditionary force is therefore 5 garrison brigades.
To save time and energy, players may choose to keep their armies organized as those indicated above and pay a maintenance cost for each army instead of having to count units. Locations are generalized, so that a grand army is spread about several provinces (or US states), a expeditionary force might be located in a single area or even city.


Armies can include fortifications as well, which take the place of mobile brigades. There are 3 standard types of fortifications.
A fortified area is a location defended by several major or numerous minor works, with interlocking trenches with obstacles such as moats and abatis (later barbed wire). Historical examples are Washington DC during the Civil War, Limes of Torres Vedres during the Napoleonic War, and Paris during the Franco-Prussian War. They are rare and require a garrison of 15,000 men. They also include the fortifications defending New York City for most of American history and later on the entrance of Chesapeake Bay. Manila Bay in World War II is another example.
A fortress is a heavily fortified fort with large numbers of guns and solid defenses (which can be stone, brick or just a lot of dirt and wood) designed to defend a specific location. Examples include Fortress Monroe. They are relatively common compared to the fortified area, and require 1,000 men.
A fort is a weak fortification useful in garrison work but doomed when facing artillery of the same tech level or better. However they provide a useful base for troops dealing with unhappy natives.

Defense forces
These are individual brigades and battalions representing local troops, be they paid soldiers to militia to stone age warriors
All three are typically where a base is established for field forces."

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