Re: War of the Lateran Coalition (1711 - 1713)

[Hussam B.]

In the winter season, the Emperor is in consultation with his allies regarding the prospect of presenting terms to the French based on the current situation on the field. It is noted that this initial offer represents the collective desires of the League and not just the Emperor:

Italy:
1) The Duchy of Mantua will be forfeit, and transferred to the Duchy of Modena, though the erstwhile Duke of Mantua will be allowed to remain a vassal and in his lands
2) The Presidi Coast will be ceded to Tuscany
3) The port of Nice shall be transferred from the Duchy of Savoy to Genoa
4) The Kingdom of Naples proper (the mainland, not including Sicily) shall be transferred to the House of Farnese (the Dukes of Parma)
5) The island of Malta will be returned to the Knights of St. John, and the costs inflicted on them will be paid by the French crown (15 points total, payable over up to 5 years)

Colonies:
1) France's Caribbean colonies will be ceded to the Dutch West India Company
2) France will not re-establish its trading empire in the Far East or India
3) France will return Cape Town to the Netherlands in return for guaranteed shipments of food and supplies to the French colony of Natal
--Or, if France refuses to cede Cape Town, France shall transfer the island of Bourbon (Reunion), pay indemnity to the Netherlands for the loss of Cape Town, and provide access for VOC vessels
4) Austria will be willing to sell the outpost of Mobile to France for a nominal sum (.5 points) and guarantee France access rights to the Mississippi river

France:
1) France will pay back the cost of seizing Church lands as well as the value they would produce over the next 2 decades (France pays back the 15 points it gained from seizing church lands, plus 2 points p.a. for the next twenty years to the Papal States), but will not be required to seize those lands and return them to the Church
2) France shall rescind its demands on the Church within its borders to abjure the Papacy, and not infringe upon the rights of the Nobility or Church within the Estates General (Royal primacy over the Church is rescinded) and in return, the French King will be welcomed back into the Church

[Galveston Bay]

I SNIP

(ooc: its still technically fall)
The French Crown rejects the terms offered out of hand.  It gives leave to Mantua to take what terms it can get if the Duke so desires.  

The French counter offer is that it will cede the Italian mainland territory, including Naples, to the Papacy.   France will retain Malta and Sicily.   France will retain Mobile but is willing to pay the 3 points for it.   The French Crown retains the right to determine who owns what land in its sovereign territory and as per the Peace of Augsburg and the Peace of Westphalia the Prince shall determine what religious rights exist in his territory.

As a good faith ally of France, Savoy will suffer no penalty, including loss of territory.

As a good faith co-belligerent, France will not accept a peace that does not include England.

France flatly rejects any demand of payment.

The French Crown promises not to interfere in the internal affairs of the Catholic Church in Rome, specifically who shall be Pope.

The Papacy may keep its territory in Avegnon but will abandon its fortress and withdraw its garrison.

However, it informs the Dutch that as a basis of negotiation it is willing to consider some of the terms.   A new French proposal will be forthcoming.  France bluntly tells the Netherlands that there will be no restrictions imposed or accepted on French trade, most especially not in the Far East, Indian Ocean or elsewhere.

[Kilani]

Although not specifically included in the terms, the Commonwealth also rejects them out of hand.

It does, however, encourage the Dutch to seek a separate peace; domination of the continent by the Imperial Spanish and Bavarians is not something that they should desire.

[Hussam B.]

Given the current state of affairs, the English, if to be included in this treaty, are expected to settle for a white peace.

The remainder of the proposal is taken for consultation with the rest of the League.

Though the French King is asked that the treaty should reflect Imperial Success in the Lowlands and the Left of the Rhine.

[Galveston Bay]

French diplomats all across Europe show the Imperial and Papal demands, pointing out that these violate the Peace of Westphalia and Peace of Augsburg. Worse, for them, is that it would make France vassal state of Spain and the Pope, with the entire French colonial empire for them to extract money from, French manpower to add to their armies and as such an overwhelming power that would in time make all of Europe their vassals.

Now is the time to end this threat to Europe and prevent a new empire ruled from Rome and Madrid. Why should the Germans (ooc as an example) or Danes who remained from Ancient Rome want a new Roman Empire to dominate them now.

Depending on the audience, the threat to Protestants is emphasized as well, while in places like Poland the emphasis is a return to Habsburg dominance in Germany or worse, the Spanish again.

At home in France, the emphasis is on a threat by the Spanish Empire to enslave France as its vassal and strip away the independence France has fought for centuries to keep.

[TLS]

Mediterranean Theater

Fall, 1712

The Bourbon fleets, sensing their naval dominance of the Mediterranean, decide that their best way to strike at the Lateran Coalition now is to attack Spain’s Atlantic ports. The Spanish are largely outclassed by the French fleets at the best of times, and with their naval shift into the Caribbean have left their European coastline largely devoid of heavy ships. Though the French and their English allies already have naval dominance, the French decide to enlist the aid of the Saracen in their war against the Emperor.

The main French fleets based out of Malta and Toulon leave in early October, making directly for the Straits of Gibraltar. The island of Malta is thus left completely undefended, save for a lone PatRon patrolling the coastline. Very shortly after the departure of the French fleet, a massive Ottoman fleet arrives on the horizon. The French PatRon quickly departs with the token French garrison, leaving the (hastily reconstructed) gates of the (destroyed) fortress open for the Ottomans.

The Ottoman fleet roars into the bay guns blazing even though there are clearly no military installations. The Turks pour over the sides of the vessels and into the port, excising a century of shame and humiliation. Ottoman rule swiftly spreads over the island, and fiercely, introducing what they call the Revenge of Dragut. Standing orders are given to burn all the remaining Hospitalier buildings and churches to the ground and enslave all the Maltese nobility and seize their lands. All traces of the Hospitaliers on the island are to be wiped out.

This is not the only outrage upon Christendom inflicted by the Saracens. The French fleet, as it passes along the North African coast, is joined by the large part of the Alawite fleet. After vanquishing the ancient enemies of the Barbary Pirates, the North Africans are willing to overlook the recent French transgressions into their lands for an opportunity to plunder and obtain revenge for Spain’s continued presence on the North African continent at Oran and Ceuta. The joint fleet, complete with a sizeable raiding force, thunders into the Bay of Cadiz and upon the small Spanish force defending the critical port. The alarm sounds to call the local militia to arms, and the local naval yard is impressed into service, but the Spanish garrison is not an overwhelming force.

Raid on Cadiz, October 20

Spain
-1 Fortress
-1 Militia Infantry Brigade
-1 Naval Yard Militia Infantry Brigade
-3 CruRon
-1 PatRon

Bourbons
-3 French Hv BatRon
-3 French BatRon
-2 French BatRon, lightly damaged
-6 French CruRons
-4 French PatRons
-4 Alawite CruRon
-8 Alawite PatRon
-1 Alawite Infantry Brigade (TL 3)
-2 Alawite Infantry Brigades (TL 2.5)

The massive combined fleet divides itself for the tasks at hand. The French heavy ships move to engage with the Spanish fortress, seeking to reduce it by sea to soften it for a land attack, while the French medium and light ships move to engage the Spanish ships in the bay. The Alawites, meanwhile, use their fleet to help clear the sea as well, before they can send their army ashore, preparing to send a combined force of infantry and marines to plunder the city.

The battle in the bay proceeds along those two axes to differing lengths; the small Spanish flotilla in the Bay fights bravely against the combined fleet, and thanks to skillful gunnery is able to inflict decent casualties on the attackers (they roll 3 hits, 2 of which are crits, sinking a French and Alawite CruRon) before being destroyed (it actually takes 2 turns for the combined fleet to sink those three ships, to their credit). With the sea threat diminished, the remaining ships turn their cannons on the Fortress. The Fortress is only able to get a few hits in against the French fleet (4 hits on one of the Heavy BatRons) before being reduced to rubble.

The Alawites then take their cue. Sending their 3 brigades and 1 marine battalion ashore, they go up against the Spanish defenders. The reduction of the fortress has helped, but the Alawites are still attacking a defensive position—their disadvantage in weapons is somewhat reduced due to the English spending a considerable sum of money arming the Alawites with modern weapons over the preceding years (the Spanish get defensive dice rolls and an FF against the two TL 2.5 brigades and the marine battalion, but not the TL 3 brigade).

The Alawites pour over the rubble and into the fire of the Spanish defenders. The Spanish defenders are largely terrified militiamen, lacking the experience of their far ancestors in resisting Moorish attacks, who are overwhelmed and destroyed. The remnants of the Fortress (without the installation reduced to an infantry battalion) are able to inflict wounds on the attackers (Alawite Marine battalion shattered) but are swept away by the Moorish tide.

As in Malta, the Moorish attackers are violent and unrelenting. Ordered to make for the Naval Yard, the masses engage in a fit of plunder and murder befitting the Reconquista from centuries prior. As the French ships look on, and aid in the bombardment of the Naval Yards, the Alawites burn through and ransack the churches and villas of Cadiz’s most notables. The citizenry pours out of the city, when it can, lest they fall victim to the injustices of the Moor, and the fires blaze into the night.

Losses of the Raid on Cadiz

Spain
-1 Fortress
-1 Naval Yard (heavily damaged, 20 points to repair, 5 years)
-2 Militia Brigades
-3 CruRons sunk
-1 PatRon sunk

Bourbons
-1 French Heavy BatRon, damaged [3 turns, 5 points]
-1 French CruRon, sunk
-1 Alawite CruRon, sunk

As dawn rises, the mission is accomplished. The Alawite forces trudge out of the city laden with raided goods and supplies, and the dockyards of Cadiz are strewn with wrecks, rubble, and burnt-out warehouses. The combined fleet breaks off—the Alawites back to North Africa, to lay siege to Spain’s colonial holdings, while the French sail up the coast to Brest. The only thing which seems to spread faster than the speeding fleets of the Alawites and the French is the news of the outrages committed. Over the course of a month the French—who had already begun this war with their attack on the Maltese, the traditional defenders of Christendom from the Barbary horde—have handed Malta to the Turks (the French line is through sheer ineptitude, though the European public suspects active connivance, considering the large number of loans from the Sublime Porte to the French crown) and aided and abetted the most monstrous raid on Europe itself in centuries.

Forces in Theater, end of 1712

Spain
-2 Garrisons (Oran, Ceuta)
-2 Infantry Battalions (Oran, Ceuta)

Alawites

Fixed Positions
-1 Naval Yard (Rabat)
-7 Fortress (Fez, Rabat, Tangiers, Algiers, Tunis, Marrakesh, Algiers)
-6 Garrisons (Rabat, Tangiers, Algiers, Tunis, Marrakesh, Algiers)
Tangiers
-6 CruRon
-12 PatRon
-3 Infantry Brigades
-1 Cavalry Brigade (TL 2.5)

Marrakesh
-3 Infantry Brigades (TL 2.5)
-1 Cavalry Brigade (2.5)

Ottomans

Malta
-1 Garrison Brigade
-4 CruRon
-4 PatRon

[Hussam B.]

Needless to say, following the atrocity at Cadiz, peace talks are ended.

The French King is condemned heavily and denounced as the most wicked man in Europe for striking down the Christian defenders of Malta and Cadiz to allow their sack by Moorish pirates. This is a far cry from the anti-Barbary stance of the French from earlier times. In Spain, the French king is denounced as a pirate and a Moor for his actions.

[TLS]

Iberian Theater

Fall, 1712

With the start of the season the Spanish decide that the risk posed by the Portuguese army at Portalegre is too great. After taking the local garrisons, which had been upgraded to infantry brigades over the preceding turns, to augment their force, the Spanish make a direct push for the Portuguese capital at Lisbon, crossing the Rio Caia in early October. The Anglo-Portuguese army, under Portuguese command, panics at the news—though the English officers of the New Model Army urge strategic patience, warning against meeting the large Spanish force in open battle, the Portuguese are ordered by their King to defend the capital at all costs. The armies thus rush to meet each other; neither has a superior cavalry screen, and thus cannot force the other into unfavorable terrain, and so when they do meet it on the field of battle it is in the countryside around the town of Estremoz.

Battle of Estremoz, October 12

Anglo-Portuguese
-3 Portuguese Infantry Brigades
-1 Portuguese Cavalry Brigade
-2 English Infantry Brigades
-1 English Cavalry Brigade

Spain
-8 Spanish Infantry Brigades
-2 Spanish Cavalry Brigades

The battle, as those between large armies at close quarters in this period tend to be, is brief and bloody (neither side gets a terrain bonus or other roll bonuses). The Allied army is able to inflict serious hurt on the invading force (4 hits; 3 infantry brigades and 1 cavalry brigade shattered) but collapses after an hour of combat with the Spanish attackers (Spain rolls 7 hits, all Anglo-Portuguese units shattered). The Spanish cavalry are able to take advantage of the fleeing Portuguese army and inflict further damage (1 further Portuguese shattered brigade is destroyed) but the limited orders of the Spanish army results in a less-than-onerous pursuit of the fleeing army.

Casualties of the Battle of Estremoz

Anglo-Portuguese
-2 Portuguese infantry brigades shattered, combined into 1
-1 Portuguese infantry brigade destroyed
-1 Portuguese cavalry brigade reduced to regiment
-2 English infantry brigades shattered, combined into 1
-1 English cavalry brigade reduced to regiment

Spain
-3 Infantry brigades shattered, reduced to 1 brigade 1 battalion
-1 cavalry brigade shattered, reduced to regiment

Spain’s victory on the field of battle in Lusitania is not the only round of combat in the fall, however. The combined Anglo-Portuguese fleet, as the Spanish were moving by land, seeks to land another crippling blow on Spain’s naval power along the lines of the Raid on Cadiz. Joined by a large detachment from the English home fleet, the massive flotilla coordinates off of the French coast before turning back south to bear down on the Imperial Spanish port of Ferrol, Spain’s major naval base in the region.

Raid on Ferrol, October 29

Anglo-Portuguese
-8 English BatRon
-5 English CruRon
-4 English PatRon
-2 Portuguese BatRon
-2 Portuguese CruRon
-2 Portuguese PatRon
-1 English Infantry Brigade
-4 Marine Infantry Brigades (3 English, 1 Portuguese)

Spain
-1 Fortress
-1 Infantry Brigade
-2 BatRon
-5 CruRon
-1 PatRon

Though the Spanish have kept the core of their battlefleet, not already in the Caribbean, at Ferrol in order to provide some protection, it is clearly dwarfed by the massive Allied fleet which falls upon it. The Spanish, aided by their Fortress, are able to fight back ferociously against the attackers (they roll 8 hits in 2 turns, including 2 Crits; 1 English, 1 Portuguese Batron sunk, 1 English BatRon heavily damaged, 1 Portuguese CruRon lightly damaged) but are obliterated by the sheer impossibility of the hail of cannonballs thrown against them (over two turns the Anglo-Portuguese fleet throws 35 hits, including 7 crits—they just all sink). The fleet then turns its eyes on the Fortress, which does not last long against such a monumental host (it takes 2 turns to reduce the Fortress; one English BatRon is damaged).

The Allied landing force then swings into action against the defenders, who have now lost their fortifications (fort reduced to infantry brigade for ground combat) but still retain manpower and the benefits of fighting in an urban environment (no FF roll, but defensive dice rolls). The fighting soon descends into a raw street-to-street melee, with the Spanish inflicting heavy casualties on the attackers before they are eventually overwhelmed (Spanish roll 1 hit each turn, disrupting 1 English Infantry Brigade and 1 English marine brigade, English roll 1 each turn—would have rolled 2 first turn without defense dice nerf—and disrupt both defenders). The Anglo-Portuguese get to their work with considerably less rape and pillage than the Alawites in Cadiz, but still inflict horrific damages on the Naval Yard.

Casualties of the Raid on Ferrol

Spain
-1 Naval Yard heavily damaged (20 points, 5 years to repair)
-1 Fortress destroyed
-1 Infantry Brigade destroyed
-2 BatRons sunk
-5 CruRons sunk
-1 PatRon sunk

Anglo-Portuguese
-1 English BatRon sunk
-1 Portuguese BatRon sunk
-1 English BatRon heavily damaged [5 points, 4 turns to repair]
-1 Portuguese CruRon lightly damaged [1 point, 1 turn to repair]
-1 English Infantry brigade reduced to infantry battalion
-1 English Marine brigade shattered [1 points to repair, consisted of units from the CruRons and PatRons]

The gloating Anglo-Portuguese fleet then sails south for Lisbon, to recuperate and enjoy the glow of victory, when they make a terrible discovery: Lisbon has fallen to the Spanish. The Spanish army continued along and allowed the Allied army to retreat to within the walls of Lisbon. The Spanish made to lay siege to the Portuguese capital, but also sent ahead of them a generous offer: a white peace with Portugal. The hand of the panicked Portuguese court was forced when internal divisions lead to a comically short siege (the Portuguese roll a 6, an instant surrender even in the first turn, when November rolls around) and Lisbon fell into the hands of the Emperor. The Portuguese King, to salvage the reputation of his dynasty, noted that as a power at peace with Spain the Spanish now had no right to demand access to third-party soldiers in a neutral state, and—seeking to quickly obtain the white peace—the Spanish commander agreed. The remnants of the New Model Army are thus allowed to sail out of Lisbon and back to England, their pride sullied after a resounding defeat on the continent.

Forces in theater, end of Spring

Pro-Bourbon

English Units ejected from Portugal, sent to Portsmouth
-1 Infantry Brigade
-1 Cavalry Brigade
-2 Infantry Battalions
-1 Cavalry Regiment
-6 English BatRon
-1 English BatRon, heavily damaged
-5 English CruRon [no marines]
-4 English PatRon [no marines]

Lateran Coalition

Fixed Positions
-9 Fortress (Pamplona, Bilbao, Figueres, Barcelona, Cadiz, Gibraltar, Madrid, Valencia, Ferrol)
-9 Garrisons (2 Pamplona, 2 Figueres, 2 Barcelona, Bilbao, Murcia, Zaragoza)
-4 Militia Infantry brigades (Pamplona, Figueres, Cadiz, Gibraltar)
-3 Infantry Battalions (Sardinia, Cartagena, Mahon)

Army of Navarra (Bidasoa River)
-1 Spanish infantry brigade
-2 Bavarian Infantry Brigades

Army of Castille (Badajoz)
-6 Spanish Infantry Brigades
-1 Spanish Infantry Battalion
-1 Spanish Cavalry Brigade
-1 Spanish Cavalry Regiment

Fleet (Seville) (escort duty)
-7 CruRon
-7 PatRon (Seville, 2 Valencia, 2 Mahon)[/u]

[TLS]

Italian Theater

Fall, 1712

With the coming of October the siege of Milan enters its seventh month, and the beleaguered defenders can take no more. The Austrian commander, his soldiers struck by disease and famine, is unwilling and unable to even make the pretense of a sally to save face, and calls for terms with the Savoyard Duke. The Duke, aware of the symbolism of the moment, makes only two demands for the surrender—for the Austrians to lay down their arms before being repatriated, and for the Austrian commander to hand over the Iron Crown of Lombardy. Unwilling to risk the lives of his men, and those of the city, for a piece of metal, the Austrian commander concedes.

With Milan thus secured, the Franco-Savoyard army moves south to meet the Army of the Po. He twists the arms of the Genoese into providing cavalry cover, but they otherwise remain terrified of a potential Bourbon move on their city. The Austrian commander, Count Starhemberg, is en route to lift the siege when he receives news that Milan has fallen from the most unkind of sources: the presence of a massive Bourbon army along the banks of the Po. Both armies have brought most of their reserves with them (the Savoyards left an Infantry Brigade at Milan, the Laterans the Bavarian engineer brigade at Parma) and are thus poised for another sanguineous fight.

Battle of Orio Litta, October 12

Bourbons
-3 Savoyard Infantry Brigades
-1 French infantry brigade
-1 Savoyard Mercenary Infantry Brigade
-1 French cavalry brigade
-1 Savoyard Cavalry Brigade
-1 Savoyard Mercenary Cavalry Brigade

Laterans
-3 Bavarian infantry brigades
-1 Parmesan Infantry Brigade
-1 Modenese Infantry Brigade
-1 Tuscan Infantry Brigade
-1 Austrian Engineer Brigade
-1 Austrian Cavalry Brigade
-1 Genoese Cavalry Brigade

Fighting on a river plain in open battle, neither side has a geographic advantage (the Austrian engineer brigade can accelerate the army’s crossing of the Po, but has no combat value). The Bourbons, under the Duc de Tallard, are able in the opening exchange to inflict horrendous losses on the slightly larger Lateran force—horrendous not just because they are large (over half the Lateran army is destroyed) but because they hit the most strategically valuable units (Laterans lose 2 Bavarian Infantry, 1 Genoese Cavalry, 1 Austrian Cavalry, and 1 Austrian Engineer unit—the latter cannot be replaced for ten years, and the army now has no cavalry in the event a retreat needs to be screened or a victory needs to be pursued). The Laterans also perform admirably in the opening round of combat (shattering the French infantry, Savoyard Cavalry, Savoyard Mercenary Infantry, and a Savoyard Infantry brigade) but have clearly gotten the worse of the engagement.

The Duc of Tallard, bearing orders for losing up to ¾ of his force so long as it accomplishes the destruction of the enemy, takes a look at his odds now: he has crippled the most valuable Austrian unit, reduced their numbers to parity, and, crucially, has disrupted the Lateran cavalry. Even in the event of a defeat, the Laterans will be unable to destroy his remnants. He thus gambles that the next round of combat will be as fruitful as the last. Unfortunately for him, it is not. The Bourbon second charge is not entirely useless (one Tuscan infantry brigade is shattered) but his entire army is mauled in the encounter (the Laterans land 4 hits).

Losses from the Battle of Orio Litta

Bourbons
-3 Savoyard Infantry Brigades reduced to 1 brigade, 1 remnant merged with Mercs
-1 French infantry brigade reduced to battalion
-1 Savoyard Mercenary Infantry Brigade reduced to remnant, merged with regulars
-1 French cavalry brigade reduced to regiment
-1 Savoyard Cavalry Brigade reduced to remnant, merged with mercenaries
-1 Savoyard Mercenary Cavalry Brigade reduced to remnant, merged with regulars

Laterans
-2 Bavarian infantry brigades reduced to 1 brigade
-1 Genoese cavalry brigade reduced to regiment
-1 Austrian cavalry reduced to regiment
-1 Austrian engineer brigade destroyed
-1 Tuscan infantry brigade reduced to battalion

He is thus forced to reel back from the battlefield and retreat to the Duke of Savoy’s newest holding at Milan. The Laterans are left holding the field, but are shaky after the grueling encounter, and rather than proceed to Milan (which no longer contains a besieged army) sets up for winter quarters in Piacenza. The Count Starhemberg calls for reinforcements from the rest of the Peninsula, but the yearly budgets and armies of the assembled states are nearly exhausted. The Tuscans send up a mercenary cavalry brigade, but the Pope’s army is preoccupied with trying to establish control over the rest of Kingdom of Naples while the Genoese are clinging to their fortress as news of the terrifying raids on Ferrol and Cadiz are made known. The Pope’s army in the south continues to struggle with the Neapolitan rearguard action, though the strength of the Papal army combined with the antipathy of the local populace whittles down the Neapolitan cavalry (reduced to 1 regiment, but the resource at Naples will only provide .5 income for 1713 for Il Papa).

Bourbons

Fixed Installations
-1 Fortresses (Turin)
-5 Garrisons (Savoy proper, Nice, Messina, Syracuse, Palermo)

Milan
-3 Savoyard Infantry Brigades
-1 French infantry battalion
-1 French cavalry battalion
-1 Savoyard Cavalry Brigade

Messina
-1 Neapolitan Infantry Brigades
-1 PatRon

Rural Naples
-1 Neapolitan cavalry regiments

Laterans

Fixed Positions
-8 Fortresses (Rome, Urbino, Genoa, Florence, Modena, Parma, Milan, Venice)
-7 Garrisons (Lazio, Romagna, Genoa, Pisa, 2 Venice, Milan)

Naples
-1 Swiss Infantry Brigade
-1 Papal Infantry Brigade

Bari
-1 Papal Infantry Brigades

Reggio Calabria
-1 Papal Cavalry Brigade

Rome
-1 Swiss Infantry Brigades
-1 Swiss Cavalry Brigade

Florence
-1 Tuscan Mercenary Infantry Brigade

Genoa
-2 Genoese Mercenary Infantry Brigades

Piacenza
-2 Bavarian infantry brigades
-1 Parmesan Infantry Brigade
-1 Modenese Infantry Brigade
-1 Tuscan Infantry battalion
-1 Bavarian Engineer Brigade
-1 Tuscan mercenary cavalry brigade
-1 Austrian Cavalry Regiment
-1 Genoese Cavalry Regiment

Pisa
-1 Tuscan Infantry Battalion

Mantua
-1 Austrian Infantry Battalion

Lateran Fleet (Rome)
-1 Austrian BatRon, damaged
-1 Austrian Batron, lightly damaged
-1 Austrian CruRon, heavily damaged
-1 Knights of Malta CruRon, heavily damaged

Genoa
-3 Genoese CruRon
-6 Genoese PatRon

Venice
-2 Austrian BatRon
-4 Austrian CruRon
-3 Austrian PatRon

[TLS]

French and Left-bank Rhine, Theater

Fall, 1712

France is reeling after the series of defeats which were inflicted on it during the summer. The gateway to Paris is open, the main mobile army has been shattered, the large naval facility at Marseille has been seized, and large swathes of the country are occupied by the invaders. The French King thus decides that a strategic retreat is required—the key ports of Brest and Bordeaux remain in Bourbon hands, and, crucially, the Bourbons and their allies retain something akin to naval dominance. One step backward is necessary to take two steps forward.

The evacuation begins in Paris itself—Soissons and its fort are abandoned, providing a screen for the evacuation of the city. The King himself rushes south, with his royal guard, to Bordeaux, where he established his court for the foreseeable future. Versailles is torched on his way out, lest the Austrians find succor in his royal palace. Though the French raise a number of battalions in the Paris area, they are likely insufficient to hold the city, and thus they march the retreat to Brittany and the port at Brest. The Austrians bear orders only to take Versailles and keep an eye on Paris, but due to the evacuation have a clear line of advancement into the city—which, now largely depopulated of Protestants and other Royalist sympathizers, is generally amenable to the entrance of the Austrian host.

As the Austrians triumphantly march into Paris, the Imperial army under Wittelsbach control marches on the French fortress at Dunkirk. Moving from Cambrai, through Lille (to secure the town for Imperial rule) and to the sea, the Imperial army must take the fortress through attack as it is easily supplied from across the channel.

Battle of Dunkirk

France
-1 Fortress
-1 Infantry Brigade
-1 Militia Brigade

Imperials
-1 Cologne Infantry Brigades
-3 Palatinate Infantry Brigades
-1 Bavarian Infantry Brigades
-2 Austrian Infantry Brigades
-1 Wittelsbach Cavalry Brigade
-1 Austrian Cavalry Brigade

The defenders benefit from their entrenched positions (FF + defensive dice roll), inflict horrific casualties on the attacking Imperial force. The first attack by the Imperials is generally ineffective, at the cost of substantial losses (France rolls 3 hits in FF turn, 0 in MF, Imperials roll 1 hit in MF; Imperials see Cologne infantry, Bavarian infantry, and Austrian infantry shattered, while French only lose Militia). The second wave of attack is more fruitful for the attacking Imperials, finally overcoming the defenses, but not before the French take more Imperial soldiers with them (France rolls 2 hits FF 1 MF, Imperials 2 hits MF; 2 Palatinate infantry and 1 Austrian cavalry are shattered, French fortress falls.

Casualties of the Battle of Dunkirk

France
-1 Fortress
-1 Infantry Brigade
-1 Militia Brigade

Imperials
-2 Palatinate Infantry Brigades shattered, reduced to 1 brigade
-1 Cologne infantry brigade shattered, combined with Bavarians
-1 Bavarian infantry brigade shattered, combined with Cologners
-1 Austrian infantry brigade shattered, reduced to battalion
-1 Austrian cavalry brigade shattered, reduced to regiment

The main avenue for the French to finally strike back at the invaders is in the South. The Spanish army at Marseille elects to split itself in three. A remnant of the army stays in Marseille, while a small contingent is sent back to reinforce Toulouse. The core of the force marches on to Toulon in an attempt to deny France another Mediterranean anchorage and to move ever closer to Italy. The French defenders hurriedly mutilate their ships to throw together a brigade. The mix of sailors and marines are not ideal for ground combat, but provide a sight better defense than a group of normal militia would (the naval infantry brigade has a -1 to rolls). As the French could still resupply by sea, the Spanish commander elects to seize the fortress by force.

Battle of Toulon, October 24

France
-1 Fortress
-1 Militia Brigade
-1 Naval Infantry Brigade

Spain
-4 Spanish Infantry Brigades
-2 Spanish Cavalry Brigades
-1 Spanish Cavalry Regiment

The Spanish are attacking an entrenched fortress, and know the risks commensurate with their gamble (France gets an FF and defensive roll bonus). The defenders demonstrate their skill and aptitude with the weapons they have, even with their disadvantages (Turn 1: FF 1 hit, MF 2 hits, Spain loses 2 infantry brigades and 1 cavalry brigade shattered) though in the back and forth lose much of their garrison (Spanish score 2 hits, disrupt militia and naval infantry). The lone defenders in the fortress refuse to give up their charge, having been ordered to resist to the last, and exercise their duty faithfully. The Spanish attackers break against the fortress like waves on the shore in their second attempt (round 2: France rolls 1 hit in both FF and MF, disrupting the cavalry regiment and an infantry brigade, while suffering no losses) before the desperate Spanish are finally able to overcome the French defenders (FF: no hits by France, MF: France shatters the attacking Cavalry but the Fortress is also disrupted).

Casualties of the Battle of Toulon

France
-1 Fortress
-1 Militia Brigade
-1 CruRon

Spain
-3 Spanish Infantry Brigades shattered, reduced to 1 brigade 1 battalion
-2 Spanish Cavalry Brigade shattered, reduced to 1 brigade
-1 Spanish Cavalry Regiment destroyed

As the French reinforcements pour into their coastal redoubts, including the New French infantry battalions and Brunswicker mercenaries, the only successful ground commander of the French war so far—the Franco-Savoyard Duke, Eugene—is put in charge of the Army of the South. There is not much time left by the time he is able to assemble a sufficient force, but there is one target still in range: Toulouse.

Battle of Toulouse, November 12

Spain
-1 Infantry Brigade
-1 Cavalry Regiment
-1 Infantry Battalion

France Under the command of Eugene de Savoy, a Great captain
-3 French infantry brigades
-1 Brunswick infantry brigade
-4 French Cavalry Brigades
-1 Franco-Brandenburg Cavalry Brigade

The Spanish garrison is fighting in a city it recently captured from the French, and thus have not had the time to properly repair the fortifications. The French, meanwhile, are led by their finest military mind, and prepared for the encounter. (Spain gets an FF roll but no defensive bonus, the French get +1 to offensive dice rolls due to GC). The Spanish garrison attempts to hold on, but is generally outmatched and outclassed by the superior French force (Spain rolls 1 hit on FF, no hits on MF; France lands about 5 hits and thus clearly wins and destroys the enemy).

Casualties of the Battle of Toulouse

Spain
-1 Infantry Brigade destroyed
-1 Cavalry Regiment destroyed
-1 Infantry Battalion destroyed

France
-1 French Infantry Brigade shattered, reduced to regiment

The French are thus able to, for the first time since the various Imperial armies have transgressed their borders, start a concerted fightback against the Spanish and their allies. The Spanish supply lines overland are thus precarious, and the army in Provence is primarily reliant on supplies from Avignon and by sea—two very risky and unreliable routes for the future.

They still have some way to go before they have ejected their enemies, however. The fall of Paris, as well as much of the Northeast, to the Imperials has given the King’s many enemies the opportunity to rally around the invading banner. In particular the Nobility and Clergy in the occupied areas welcome the advent of the Imperials, Austrians, and Spanish, as it provides an opportunity for them to reassert their prestige and power which was lost under Philippe the Younger. It does not yet rise to the level of open treason or an attempt to overthrow the King, but the young Louis Armand, Prince of Conti, one of the Princes of the Blood, is seen frequenting the quarters of the Austrian officers in Paris.  The breakdown of order in the rural areas of the occupied territories provides difficulties for the occupiers, but there is sufficient buy-in from much of the peasantry, nobility, and clergy that the operations continue smoothly. Local militias rise up in some of the key cities under occupied control to maintain order, friendly to the Imperial occupiers and keen on extracting revenge against the upstart King’s enemies. No noble armies assemble to aid the invaders as of yet, however.

In the rest of France, still controlled by the Bourbon king, the populace tends to err more towards loyalism. The King’s territory, though reduced, consists of much of the Protestant areas of the Kingdom, and the machinations of the grandees in Paris means little to the peasantry here. There is still notable non-compliance with the King’s writ in many areas, but the majority of his reduced realm is far removed from the hotbeds of insurrection.

Game Effects:

As of the end of 1712, the Economic and Political situation in France is as follows:

French Control
Population: 14 Million [Tax penalty of 25% to represent non-compliant areas]
Ports: Bordeaux, Brest
FC: Bordeaux
Craft Center: Bordeaux
Resources: Bordeaux, Lyon, Nantes, Vichy
Merchant Flotillas: 6

Austrian et al. Control
Population: 4 Million [No tax income; what income would be extracted is funneled to the maintenance of friendly local militias, 4 Militia infantry brigades]
Craft Centers: Paris, Metz
Resources: Paris, Strasbourg

Spanish/Imperial Control
Population: 2 Million [No tax income; what income would be extracted is funneled to the maintenance of friendly local militias, 2 Militia infantry brigades)
Ports: Marseille, Lille
Craft Centers: Lille, Marseille
Resources: Lille, Marseille

Forces in theater, end of 1712

Pro-Bourbon

Fixed Installations
-2 Fortresses (Brest, Belfort)
-11 Militia brigades (Brest, Belfort, Bayonne, 4 Bordeaux, 3 Limoges, Nancy)

Brest
-6 Infantry Battalions
-2 French Hv BatRon
-1 French Heavy BatRon, damaged [3 turns, 5 points]
-5 French BatRon
-2 French BatRon, lightly damaged
-7 French CruRons
-4 French PatRons

Bordeaux
-1 Brandenberger Infantry Battalion
-1 French Infantry Battalion
-1 French Cavalry Regiment

Bayonne
-1 French Infantry Battalion

Toulouse
-2 French infantry brigades
-1 French infantry battalion
-1 Brunswick infantry brigade
-4 French Cavalry Brigades
-1 Franco-Brandenburg Cavalry Brigade

Lateran Coalition

Fixed Installations
-8 Fortress (Brussels, Avignon, Cologne, Mainz, Dusseldorf, Stuttgart, Trier, Heidelberg)
-4 Garrisons (Brussels, Antwerp, Mainz, Trier)
-6 Militia Brigades (2 Paris, 1 Metz, 1 Lille, 1 Marseille, 1 Strasbourg)

Toulon
-2 Spanish Infantry Brigades
-1 Spanish Infantry Battalion
-1 Spanish Cavalry Brigade

Marseille
-2 Infantry Brigades

Metz
-1 Munster Infantry Battalion

Verdun
-1 Wurzburg Infantry Battalion

Paris (Under Austrian command)
-1 Wurttemberg Infantry Brigade
-1 Munster Infantry Brigades
-1 Wurzburg Infantry Brigade
-1 Austrian Infantry Brigade
-1 Wurttemberg-Wurzburg Cavalry Brigade
-1 Munster Cavalry Brigade

Dunkirk (Under Imperial command)
-2 Palatinate Infantry Brigades
-1 Wittelsbach Infantry Brigade
-1 Austrian Infantry Brigade
-1 Austrian Infantry Battalion
-1 Wittelsbach Cavalry Brigade
-1 Austrian Cavalry Regiment

[Galveston Bay]

Through Portugal and through Brunswick, the following is sent to the Holy Roman Emperor

Following the crowning of the new King of Lombardy, France renounces all claims of territory on the mainland of Italy in favor of the King of Lombardy. Indeed France offers peace if the Emperor, Habsburgs and the Pope recognize his claim.

France even offers to renounce Malta, although it intends to remain firmly in control of Sicily.

As far as what France will do within its own territory, that is the business of France.

[Hussam B.]

Through Portugal and through Brunswick, the following is sent to the Holy Roman Emperor

Following the crowning of the new King of Lombardy, France renounces all claims of territory on the mainland of Italy in favor of the King of Lombardy. Indeed France offers peace if the Emperor, Habsburgs and the Pope recognize his claim.

France even offers to renounce Malta, although it intends to remain firmly in control of Sicily.

As far as what France will do within its own territory, that is the business of France.

Before these terms are taken into consideration by the Lateran League and its co-belligerents, the English Republic must clarify its position regarding these terms and indicate whether they are party to a treaty carrying these provisions.

[Kilani]

The English find the terms acceptable, but add they are interested in the transfer of control of Puerto Rico to the Commonwealth, with an indication that they are prepared to provide funds in compensation, as well as guantee property rights of existing landholders.

[Hussam B.]

The English find the terms acceptable, but add they are interested in the transfer of control of Puerto Rico to the Commonwealth, with an indication that they are prepared to provide funds in compensation, as well as guantee property rights of existing landholders.

Unfortunately, peace talks have broken down under objections from Austria and the Papacy. The Emperor and Spain stand by their allies, of course.

[TLS]

European Theater

Winter, 1713

As in the previous winter, the vicissitudes of winter fall differently across the region; in Italy, Iberia, and Southern France, the weather is mild enough (though rainy) to allow for more limited movement of whole units, while across the continent recruits and supplies trudge in to reinforce depleted units. The armies of both the Laterans and their Bourbon opponents choose to use the winter season to repair and prepare, rather than to try to sneak a wintertime assault on their opponents. This strategic patience is rewarded on all sides; though some of the countries involved saw their manpower depleted to almost 1/3rd strength (the Austrians and the French being especially damaged) the season allows them the time to assemble fresh armies for the season ahead.

The largest movements in the European theater are made by the Spanish, who take advantage of their brief naval superiority in the Western Mediterranean to evacuate their outlying garrisons. Ceuta and Oran are abandoned to the Alawite besiegers, and the troops shuffled to reinforce Seville, while the small battalion on Sardinia is joined with some of the other smaller infantry battalions in Figueres to form the core of a brigade. They also begin the laborious process of moving their army from Portugal and towards France, but are only able to make it halfway across the Peninsula due to the sheer distance and the misery of winter mud. Meanwhile, the French are by no means sitting idly by as these movements are taking place, but still require their militias, garrisons, and other motley units to finish upgrading before they can be made mobile in the spring campaigning season.

The diplomatic machinations of the turn are the most profitable, particularly from the Bourbon perspective. The Dutch, who were the first to suffer from Bourbon aggression, are also the first to tap out. In return for much needed funds—though heavily reduced from the initial French demand—the Bourbons allow the Dutch to return to status quo ante. In Northern Germany, French outreach is less successful; the most pro-French states are already involved in a shadow war in support of the Bourbon King, sending the core of their armies and much of their financial capacity to subsidize the French, and are unable to effectively renege on their deal with the Emperor for active neutrality in return for greater power in the Diet. Their efforts make it so that the Austrians are forced, however, to leave an army in reserve, as a symbol of the Coalition’s potential to make life difficult for the Protestant states should they decide to break their concordat with the Wittelsbachs.

Forces in Theater, end of Winter 1713

Pro-Bourbon

France

Fixed Installations
-2 Fortresses (Brest, Belfort)
-4 Militia brigades (Belfort, 2 Limoges, Nancy)

Brest
-3 French Infantry Brigades
-1 French Infantry Battalion
-2 French Hv BatRon
-5 French BatRon
-2 French BatRon, lightly damaged
-7 French CruRons
-4 French PatRons

Bordeaux
-5 French Infantry Brigades
-1 Brandenburger Infantry Brigade
-1 French Cavalry Regiment

Belfort
-1 French Cavalry Regiment

Bayonne
-1 French Infantry Brigade

Toulouse
-2 French infantry brigades
-1 Brunswick infantry brigade
-1 French infantry battalion
-4 French Cavalry Brigades
-1 Franco-Brandenburg Cavalry Brigade

England

Fixed Positions
-9 Fortress (London, Dover, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Liverpool, Bristol, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Southampton)
-8 Militia Brigades (2 London, 2 Dover, 2 Plymouth, 2 Portsmouth)
-2 Militia Cavalry Brigade (Dover, London)

New Model Army (London)
-4 Infantry Brigades
-2 Cavalry Brigades

Home Fleet (Portsmouth)
-5 English BatRon
-4 English CruRon
-4 English PatRon

Plymouth
-1 English BatRon, damaged

Italy

Fixed Installations
-1 Fortress (Turin)

Milan
-5 Lombard Infantry Brigades
-1 French infantry battalion
-1 French cavalry battalion
-1 Lombard Cavalry Brigade

Turin
-1 Cavalry Brigade (in training, ready Summer)

Messina
-2 Neapolitan Infantry Brigades
-1 PatRon

Syracuse
-1 Neapolitan Infantry Brigade

Palermo
-1 Neapolitan Infantry Brigade

Rural Naples
-1 Neapolitan cavalry regiments

Lateran Coalition

Spain

Fixed Positions
-7 Fortress (Pamplona, Bilbao, Figueres, Barcelona, Gibraltar, Madrid, Valencia)

Army of Navarra (San Sebastian)
-1 Spanish infantry Brigade
-2 Bavarian Infantry Brigades
-1 Spanish Cavalry Regiment

Bilbao
-1 Infantry Brigades

Pamplona
-3 Infantry Brigades

Army of Castille (Madrid)
-5 Spanish Infantry Brigades
-1 Spanish Infantry Battalion
-1 Spanish Cavalry Brigade

Cadiz
-1 Spanish Infantry Brigade

Gibraltar
-1 Spanish Infantry Brigades
-1 Spanish Infantry Brigade (upgrade started late, ready April)

Barcelona
-2 Spanish Infantry Brigades
-2 Cavalry Brigades (ready Summer)

Figueres
-3 Spanish Infantry Brigades
-1 Spanish Infantry Brigade (upgrade started late, ready April)

Zaragoza
-1 Spanish Infantry Brigade

Seville
-1 Spanish Infantry Brigade
-1 Spanish Infantry Brigade (upgrade started late, ready April)

Valencia (escort duty)
-7 CruRon
-7 PatRon (Cartagena, 2 Valencia, 2 Mahon)

France and Left-Bank of the Rhine

Fixed Positions
-9 Fortresses (Trier, Wurzburg, Munster, Stuttgart, Mainz, Dusseldorf, Heidelberg, Cologne, Avignon)
-6 Militia Brigades (2 Paris, 1 Metz, 1 Lille, 1 Marseille, 1 Strasbourg)

Dusseldorf
-1 Palatinate Infantry Brigade (Ready Summer)
-1 Palatinate Cavalry Regiment (Ready Summer)

Cologne
-3 Cologner Infantry Battalions (Ready Summer)

Stuttgart
-2 Wurttemberger Infantry Battalions (Ready Summer)


Brussels
-1 Austrian Infantry Brigade

Antwerp
-1 Austrian Infantry Brigade

Trier
-1 Trier Infantry Brigade
-2 Trier Infantry Battalions (Ready Summer)

Mainz
-1 Mainzer Infantry Brigade
-2 Mainzer Infantry Battalions

Metz
-1 Munster Infantry Brigade

Verdun
-1 Wurzburg Infantry Battalion

Paris (Under Austrian command)
-1 Wurttemberg Infantry Brigade
-1 Munster Infantry Brigades
-1 Wurzburg Infantry Brigade
-1 Austrian Infantry Brigade
-1 Wurttemberg-Wurzburg Cavalry Brigade
-1 Munster Cavalry Brigade

Dunkirk (Under Imperial command)
-2 Palatinate Infantry Brigades
-1 Wittelsbach Infantry Brigade
-1 Austrian Infantry Brigade
-1 Austrian Infantry Battalion
-1 Wittelsbach Cavalry Brigade
-1 Austrian Cavalry Regiment

Avignon
-1 Papal Infantry Brigade (Ready Summer)

Toulon
-1 Spanish Infantry Battalion

Marseille
-4 Infantry Brigades
-1 Cavalry Brigade

Austrian Navy (Antwerp)
-3 Austrian CruRon
-5 Austrian PatRon

Italy

Fixed Positions
-7 Fortresses (Rome, Urbino, Genoa, Florence, Modena, Parma, Venice)
-4 Garrisons (Lazio, Romagna, Genoa, Pisa)

Naples
-1 Swiss Infantry Brigade
-1 Papal Infantry Brigade

Bari
-1 Papal Infantry Brigades

Reggio Calabria
-1 Papal Cavalry Brigade

Rome
-1 Swiss Infantry Brigades
-1 Swiss Cavalry Brigade
-1 Papal Infantry Brigade (ready Summer)

Florence
-1 Tuscan Mercenary Infantry Brigade

Genoa
-2 Genoese Mercenary Infantry Brigades
-1 Genoese Infantry Brigade (Ready Summer)

Piacenza
-2 Bavarian infantry brigades
-2 Tuscan Infantry Brigades
-1 Parmesan Infantry Brigade
-1 Modenese Infantry Brigade
-1 Bavarian Engineer Brigade
-1 Tuscan mercenary cavalry brigade
-1 Austrian Cavalry Regiment
-1 Genoese Cavalry Regiment

Parma
-2 Parmesan Infantry Battalions (Ready Summer)

Modena
-3 Modenese Infantry Battalions (Ready Summer)

Mantua
-1 Austrian Infantry Battalion

Venice
-1 AustrianInfantry Brigade
-1 Austrian Cavalry Brigade
-2 Austrian BatRon
-4 Austrian CruRon
-3 Austrian PatRon

Lateran Fleet (Rome)
-1 Austrian Batron
-1 Austrian BatRon, lightly damaged
-1 Austrian CruRon, damaged
-1 Knights of Malta CruRon, damaged

Genoa
-3 Genoese CruRon
-6 Genoese PatRon

[TLS]

Naval Campaign

Spring, 1713

With naval superiority practically guaranteed in the North Atlantic with the departure of the Dutch from the war, and no large Lateran fleet outside of the Adriatic granting them free movement in the Mediterranean, the Bourbons and their allies set into motion a series of naval maneuvers designed to help turn the tide of the war. The English decide that their recently humiliated New Model Army deserves another chance to prove itself on the continent and thus decide to move it to the French mainland, while the French are seeking to inflict heavy economic damage on the Laterans for their insolence.

The English divide their fleet, and send part of it to sail menacingly along the northern coast. The Imperial commander is already under orders to maintain a garrison along the northern shore, and so this doesn’t drastically alter the Imperial battle plans, but it still throws a spanner into the works by causing confusion and worry among the defenders. The main body of the English fleet, as well as the New Model Army, hurriedly makes its way down to Bordeaux. A complex maneuver thus gets underway; cognizant of the political tensions resulting from the movement of a large English army to the French mainland, the French evacuate the royal family from Bordeaux, as well as most of their army. The lack of Imperial naval capacity in the Bay of Biscay means that the fleet is able to move relatively unmolested. By the end of April, the English army has been embarked in Bordeaux, and by early May the fleet has been able to move some French brigades down from Brest to Bordeaux as well, whence they depart into the hinterlands.  The fleet spends the rest of the turn harassing Imperial shipping in the Bay of Biscay, particularly along the northern coast of Spain. While the Spanish have generally already abandoned those lanes, the English are able to capture 1 Spanish commercial fleet.

Meanwhile the French fleet again departs from Brest, aimed to make another pass at the Italian coast. As far as the French are aware, the squabbling of the Laterans has left the Tyrrhenian coast undefended. The combined French fleet thus sails through the Straits of Gibraltar and splits off of the coast of Sardinia; half of the fleet is sent to harass the French Riviera, in an attempt to cut the Imperial naval resupply routes (where it captures 1 Genoese commercial fleet, while the other proceeds on a campaign of raiding along the Tyrrhenian coast. The armada first falls upon the port of Naples, in the process sinking 1 Papal Commercial Fleet and sending myriad ships fleeing up the coast. It then heads north to once again attempt to destroy the Papal port at Civitavecchia.

En route, however, it is met by a reinforced Lateran fleet. It occurs that the Laterans, aware of their naval deficit in the region, have doubled down on their attempts to secure their coastline, and was on patrol near Anzio when it intercepted fleeing commercial ships. Pressured by the Tuscans and the Pope, the Austrians and Genoese have both detached ships from their defensive positions to reinforce the main body of the Lateran navy at Rome. The Bourbon fleet is thus met by a fortified Lateran fleet near the Pontine Islands, determined to make a play to stop the Bourbons and their naval domination.

Battle of the Pontine Islands, June 2

Laterans
-2 Austrian Batrons
-1 Austrian BatRon, lightly damaged
-2 Austrian CruRons
-1 Austrian CruRon, damaged
-2 Genoese CruRons
-1 Knights of Malta CruRon, damaged
-3 Genoese PatRons
-1 Austrian PatRon

Bourbons
-2 HvBatRon
-2 BatRon
-2 CruRons

The Bourbon fleet enters the battle outnumbered in terms of ships, but not much so in terms of cannons (The Bourbons have 30 hits, the Laterans have 34). This is not the cakewalk they were expecting, but the Bourbon commander recognizes that this is a key battle; as far as he knows, this is the entire Lateran combined fleet (it isn’t, but the Genoese and Austrians have both contributed about half of their fleets) and he is looking at an even shot of victory. He thus elects to engage, and in doing so earn himself fame, glory, and secure unquestioned naval dominance.

As the ships engage the opening salvos are fairly weak. The Laterans manage to land slightly more hits (5 vs 4), but the French screening means that they are absorbed by the CruRons and the heavy ships are unscathed (1 French CruRon sunk, 1 CruRon damaged). The French, meanwhile, give as good as they get (1 Genoese CruRon sunk, 1 Austrian BatRon hit for 1). The fleets ready themselves for another go, with neither having hit either their damage thresholds or inflicted as much damage as they’d want.

When the fleets re-engage the French clearly get the upper hand (land 8 hits, including 2 crits, while the Laterans land 2 hits, 1 crit) and the carnage tears through the Lateran fleet. The Lateran advantage in smaller ships and screens allows them to shield one of their BatRons from a critical hit (the Hv BatRons were responsible for 3 and 2 hits, respectively, 1 Austrian CruRon is hit by one of the HvBatRon crits) but the Bourbon gunners land a blow on one of the Austrian capital ships, sending it straight to the bottom (the other HvBatRon was able to focus in on one of the lightly damaged Austrian BatRons, sinking it with a crit). The other hits are aimed primarily at the heavy ships, though the Maltese CruRon is also singled out due to the Bourbon animosity towards the soldiers of Christ. (remaining 3 hits are distributed 1 into the damaged Maltese CruRon, sinking it, and across the remaining BatRons; neither is pushed below halfway, but one is on the cusp). The Laterans aren’t useless in this turn, and do manage to land two key blows; the Bourbon CruRon absorbs one of the Lateran hits (disabling it) but the other (including the crit) finds its mark and one of the French HvBatRons is destroyed.

The Bourbon commander is now much more rattled, and seeking to break off the engagement. The Lateran superiority in ships allows them to force the Bourbons into a position where they have to fight their way out. The Laterans have a slightly larger superiority in cannons now (26 v 17) and are determined to go in for the kill; the French will be unwilling to split their navy again, and the most reticent member of the coalition (the Genoese) have lost few enough ships that they are not yet at their retreat tolerance.

As the Bourbons shoot to break through the Lateran line, they come under heavy fire (the Laterans land 7 hits, though none are crits, while the Bourbons land 3 hits, though due to their smaller # of ships they are focused on a smaller core). The disparate fire from the Laterans is unable to focus on a single ship, ensuring it is equitably distributed (3 hits land on the HvBatRon, 2 on each of the BatRons) while, again, the large number of smaller Lateran ships means that some of the harshest fire lands in inefficient places (1 Austrian CruRon sunk by crit hit, 1 Austrian BatRon hit). The Bourbons are, however, able to break off from the battle and sail for the nearest friendly port—which is, due to the Spanish campaign along the French Riviera, Bordeaux.

Casualties of the Battle of the Pontine Islands

Laterans
-1 Austrian BatRon, sunk
-2 Austrian BatRons, damaged [2 turns, 3 points each]
-1 Austrian CruRon, sunk
-1 Genoese CruRon, sunk
-1 Knights of Malta CruRon, sunk

Bourbons
-1 HvBatRon sunk
-1 HvBatRon, damaged [3 turns, 5 points]
-2 BatRon, damaged [2 turns, 3 points each]
-1 CruRon sunk
-1 CruRon heavily damaged, captured by Austria [3 turns, 2.5 points]

The Lateran victory greatly buoys the spirits of the defenders, and leaves the Tyrrhenian coast once more feeling safe, but has been costly. While not quite Pyrrhic, in that the Laterans have inflicted more pain than they received (Laterans lost 16 points, French 20—or, proportionally, the Laterans have lost half their fleet, while the French 2/3rds), they have still lost much of their naval capacity while the Bourbons still retain a battle fleet in the Mediterranean, in addition to the possibility of the English entering the sea as well. The Genoese, in return for their contribution, also strong-arm the remaining members of the fleets to shift the naval contingent further north, to more actively counterbalance the Bourbon threat.

Naval Forces in Europe, end of Spring 1713

Pro-Bourbon

France

Bordeaux
-1 French HvBatRon, damaged
-2 French BatRon, damaged

Brest
-2 French BatRon
-2 French CruRons
-1 French PatRon

French Riviera (On interdiction)
-3 French BatRon
-3 French CruRon
-3 French PatRon

Bordeaux
-2 English BatRon
-2 English CruRon
-2 English PatRon

Messina
-1 French PatRon

England

Home Fleet (Dover)
-3 English BatRon
-2 English CruRon
-2 English PatRon

Plymouth
-1 English BatRon, damaged

Lateran Coalition

Naples
-1 Austrian BatRon
-2 Austrian CruRon
-2 Austrian PatRon

Lateran Fleet (Genoa)
-2 Austrian BatRon, damaged
-2 Austrian CruRons
-2 Genoese CruRons
-6 Genoese PatRons
-1 Austrian PatRon

[TLS]

Italian Theater

Spring, 1713

The new Lombard king does not feel entirely secure with his brand new crown. His French allies try to convince him to move part of his forces into France, a suggestion he thoroughly and overwhelmingly rejects. With a large Lateran army to his south he is convinced that they are about to make a move on Milan, and while the French tell him that the loss of Milan is of no great consequence, the erstwhile King cannot disagree more strenuously. Promises of some poverty-stricken island in the Mediterranean mean nothing when compared with the jewel of the North. Victor Amadeus is the heir of Alboin, conqueror of Italy, and resents being instructed by the French commander of what is now a shell of an army.

King Victor Amadeus sees his situation thusly: if he moves out from Milan, even only part of his force, he opens Milan to siege and re-conquest by the Austrians, leaving his crown illegitimate. If he moves into Austrian Terra Firma, he leaves his rear open and the possibility of being cut off. The only way forward is towards the enemy, seeking to meet the Laterans on the field of battle. He thus marches his army southwards, towards Piacenza, hoping to either lay the Austrians under siege themselves (forcing them to attempt a bloody sally against an entrenched besieging army across a river) or to intercept them en route to Milan once more. He leaves behind the French infantry battalion to maintain order in his future capital, and, as luck would have it, meets the Laterans in the act of doing just what he had feared: marching on Milan.

Battle of Lodi, April 23

Laterans
-2 Bavarian infantry brigades
-2 Tuscan Infantry Brigades
-1 Parmesan Infantry Brigade
-1 Modenese Infantry Brigade
-1 Bavarian Engineer Brigade
-1 Tuscan mercenary cavalry brigade
-1 Austrian Cavalry Regiment
-1 Genoese Cavalry Regiment

Bourbons
-5 Lombard Infantry Brigades
-1 French cavalry battalion
-1 Lombard Cavalry Brigade

Battling once again on the Po Valley plain (no modifiers) the armies engage in another brief and bloody exchange. In the first engagement the Lombards are able to inflict heavier casualties on their attacks, bringing the battle closer to even-keel (Bourbons land 4 hits, Laterans 3; 2 Lombard inf brigs, 1 French cav bat shattered, 1 Genoese Cav Reg, 1 Tuscan Inf Brig, 1 Mondenese inf brig, 1 Parmesan inf brig shattered). This emboldens Victor Amadeus, who is particularly interest in the Bavarian engineer brigade, and so he makes a second gamble to try to more thoroughly secure his new prize. This engagement is more even (3 hits each) but, Victor Amadeus both manages to not hit the Bavarian engineer unit and also to lose his infantry force—though, crucially, not his cavalry (3 Lombard infantry brigades shattered, 1 Bavarian inf brig, 1 Tuscan inf brig shattered, 1 Austrian cavalry regiment shattered).

Casualties of the Battle of Lodi

Laterans
-1 Bavarian Infantry Brigade shattered, reduced to battalion
-2 Tuscan infantry brigades shattered, reduce to 1
-1 Modenese infantry brigade shattered, reduced to battalion
-1 Parmesan infantry brigade shattered, reduced to battalion
-1 Genoese cavalry regiment destroyed
-1 Austrian cavalry regiment destroyed

Bourbons
-5 Lombard Infantry Brigades shattered, reduced to 2 Brigades, 1 battalion
-1 French Cavalry regiment destroyed

Victor Amadeus withdraws to his new capital, content in having halted the Lateran approach for another season. The Laterans set up camp in Lodi itself while they wait for reinforcements to arrive from Austrian Terra Firma, while the Lombards themselves are awaiting their new cavalry unit to finish training up in Turin. Spring thus ends as another indecisive turn, with the Laterans having moved a grand total of 20 miles closer to Milan.

Forces in Theater, end of Spring 1713

Pro-Bourbon

Fixed Installations
-1 Fortress (Turin)

Milan
-2 Lombard Infantry Brigades
-1 Lombard Infantry Battalion
-1 French infantry battalion
-1 Lombard Cavalry Brigade

Turin
-1 Cavalry Brigade

Messina
-2 Neapolitan Infantry Brigades


Syracuse
-1 Neapolitan Infantry Brigade

Palermo
-1 Neapolitan Infantry Brigade

Rural Naples
-1 Neapolitan cavalry regiments

Lateran Coalition

Fixed Positions
-7 Fortresses (Rome, Urbino, Genoa, Florence, Modena, Parma, Venice)
-4 Garrisons (Lazio, Romagna, Genoa, Pisa)

Naples
-1 Swiss Infantry Brigade
-1 Papal Infantry Brigade

Bari
-1 Papal Infantry Brigades

Reggio Calabria
-1 Papal Cavalry Brigade

Rome
-1 Swiss Infantry Brigades
-1 Swiss Cavalry Brigade
-1 Papal Infantry Brigade (ready Summer)

Florence
-1 Tuscan Mercenary Infantry Brigade

Genoa
-2 Genoese Mercenary Infantry Brigades
-1 Genoese Infantry Brigade

Lodi
-1 Austrian infantry brigade
-1 Bavarian infantry brigade
-1 Tuscan Infantry Brigades
-1 Bavarian infantry battalion
-1 Parmesan Infantry battalion
-1 Modenese Infantry battalion
-1 Bavarian Engineer Brigade
-1 Tuscan mercenary cavalry brigade
-1 Austrian Cavalry Brigade

Parma
-2 Parmesan Infantry Battalions

Modena
-3 Modenese Infantry Battalions

Mantua
-1 Austrian Infantry Battalion

[TLS]

Western European Theater

Spring, 1713

The various armies spend the turn moving their armies about in preparation for a series of violent conflagrations in Southern France. In April, the English ferry across both their army and some French units into the port of Bordeaux, preparing for an attack by the Spanish from the Biscay coast, while further shuffling soldiers into Toulouse to watch the approaches to Marseille via Narbonne. The French blockade of the French Riviera starts to settle in during this time; the Spanish are not technically out of supply, due to their base in Marseille and the Papal fortress at Avignon, but are currently cut off from reinforcements (Game effect: No upgrades/reinforcements can be sent to the Spanish or Lateran troops in Provence after this turn until the blockade is lifted or a land route is established with a friendly power).

The Spanish army at San Sebastian is able to assemble quicker than its counterpart in Figueres, and makes a move across the frontier in early June. The French have had cavalry watching the frontiers preparing for a Spanish army to move, and treat this as the trigger they were expecting: the army based out of Toulouse, under Eugene, rapidly shifts positions in anticipation of an attack on Bordeaux. The French and their allies prepare to crush the Spanish army against the sea, gaining a crucial victory and knocking out another Imperial army.

Unfortunately for their grand plan, the Spanish aims are far more modest than an attack on Bordeaux. The Spanish army falls upon the fortified city of Bayonne instead, which has been left undefended by Eugene’s gathering together of all the forces in the region. The Spanish are thus able to march into the city and establish a forward defensive position inside French territory, but otherwise make no moves. Once the temerity of the Spanish incursion is realized, Eugene moves his forces back towards Toulouse. By this time the Spanish have assembled their other army in Figueres, which they then move into the city of Perpignan, which they captured the previous year. This army is closer to the French force at Toulouse, but is unable to make any more progress before the end of the season—the time it has taken to be fully strengthened has meant that there were only a few weeks at the end of the season in which to travel.

In Northern France, the English feint along the shore (or at least the threat of English naval invasion) has caused the Imperials to establish a strong coastal garrison. French disinformation has also thrown the main Imperial army, based in Paris, into further confusion, and the army stands pat for fear of a French swing up into Northeastern France. The Imperial armies thus continue to establish their control over the region, rather than seeking to move deeper into French territory towards the new French seat of the Court in Poitiers.

The Spring season thus ends with no significant bloodshed, but a number of armies easily within marching distance of each other.

Forces in Theater, end of Spring 1713

Pro-Bourbon

France

Fixed Installations
-2 Fortresses (Brest, Belfort)
-4 Militia brigades (2 Belfort, 2 Poitiers)

Brest
-1 French Infantry Battalion

Bordeaux
-4 English Infantry Brigades
-2 English Cavalry Brigades
-1 Brunswick Infantry Brigade
-1 Brandenburger Infantry Brigade
-1 Franco-Brandenburg Cavalry Brigade
-1 French Cavalry Regiment

Belfort
-1 French Cavalry Regiment

Poitiers
-1 French Cavalry Regiment

Toulouse
-12 French infantry brigades
-4 French Cavalry Brigades

Lateran Coalition

Spain

Fixed Positions
-7 Fortress (Pamplona, Bilbao, Figueres, Barcelona, Gibraltar, Madrid, Valencia)

Army of Navarra (Bayonne)
-6 Spanish infantry Brigade
-1 Spanish Cavalry Regiment

Army of Castille (Perpignan)
-11 Spanish Infantry Brigades
-1 Spanish Cavalry Brigade

Bilbao
-2 Bavarian Infantry Brigades

Madrid
-1 Spanish Infantry Battalion

Cadiz
-1 Spanish Infantry Brigade

Gibraltar
-2 Spanish Infantry Brigades

Barcelona
-2 Spanish Cavalry Brigades

Seville
-2 Spanish Infantry Brigade

Valencia (escort duty)
-7 CruRon
-7 PatRon (Cartagena, 2 Valencia, 2 Mahon)

France and Left-Bank of the Rhine

Fixed Positions
-9 Fortresses (Trier, Wurzburg, Munster, Stuttgart, Mainz, Dusseldorf, Heidelberg, Cologne, Avignon)
-6 Militia Brigades (2 Paris, 1 Metz, 1 Lille, 1 Marseille, 1 Strasbourg)

Dusseldorf
-1 Palatinate Infantry Brigade
-1 Palatinate Cavalry Regiment

Cologne
-3 Cologner Infantry Battalions

Stuttgart
-2 Wurttemberger Infantry Battalions

Brussels
-1 Austrian Infantry Brigade

Antwerp
-2 Austrian Infantry Brigades
-1 Wittelsbach Infantry Brigade
-1 Austrian Cavalry Regiment

Dunkirk
-2 Palatinate Infantry Brigades

Trier
-2 Trier Infantry Battalions

Metz
-1 Munster Infantry Brigade

Verdun
-1 Wurzburg Infantry Battalion

Paris
-1 Wurttemberg Infantry Brigade
-1 Munster Infantry Brigades
-1 Wurzburg Infantry Brigade
-1 Austrian Infantry Brigade
-1 Trier Infantry Brigade
-1 Mainzer Infantry Brigade
-2 Mainzer Infantry Battalions
-1 Austrian infantry battalion
-1 Wurttemberg-Wurzburg Cavalry Brigade
-1 Wittelsbach Cavalry Brigade
-1 Munster Cavalry Brigade

Avignon
-1 Papal Infantry Brigade

Toulon
-1 Spanish Infantry Battalion

Marseille
-4 Infantry Brigades
-1 Cavalry Brigade

[TLS]

Italian and Mediterranean Theater

Summer, 1713

After the lessons of the previous season, when the Lombard king went out to meet the Laterans on the field of battle, Victor Amadeus is finally convinced by his Bourbon advisors to take a more cautious approach. Though he doesn’t put much stock in the French transfer of Naples to his domains—he does not believe that they will survive any potential peace agreement, nor does he particularly care for the uncultured peasants of the mezzogiorno—the transfer allows him some degree of strategic depth. As such, he splits his forces; he sends his cavalry brigade to reinforce Nice and sends some of his infantry back to his old capital at Turin as a strategic reserve.

The Lombard plans run into trouble when they find that the port of Nice has already been occupied by an infantry brigade from Genoa; the Lombard cavalry, traveling as it was from further away and losing much of its speed advantage traveling in the mountains, arrives only a week after the Genoese occupation of the city. The Genoese, generally given to caution, were sufficiently embolden by the reduction of the Lombard army to try and put into effect their own changes on the ground. The Genoese don’t have enough time to really settle in (and thus have no FF or defensive bonus) but are still able to disperse the cavalry brigade (Genoa rolls a 3, Lombards a 4) which retreats to Turin.

At this point the Austrian commander, Count Starhemberg, would rather make a direct line for Turin itself, cutting off the Lombards in Milan from resupply and guaranteeing dominance in Italy. The politics of the situation, however, force him instead to march on Milan. His allies in the Po Valley, particularly Parma and Modena, have largely depleted their garrisons to reinforce the army, and want to remove the direct line of attack from the Lombard capital. As such Starhemberg sets to seize Milan with rapidity; he hopes that if he can take Milan in the Summer, that will set up a siege of Turin over the Fall and Winter, before the French can realistically get a new army into the Italian peninsula next Spring.

Battle of Milan, July 15

Lombards
-2 Lombard Infantry Brigades

Laterans
-1 Austrian infantry brigade
-1 Bavarian infantry brigade
-1 Tuscan Infantry Brigade
-1 Modenese Infantry Brigade
-1 Bavarian infantry battalion
-2 Parmesan Infantry battalion
-1 Bavarian Engineer Brigade
-1 Tuscan mercenary cavalry brigade
-1 Austrian Cavalry Brigade

The Lombards, having taken the city through surrender rather than by force, benefit from the defensive position of the city (FF roll and Defensive roll). The defenders lay into the attackers (FF 1x, MF 1x, shattering Tuscan cavalry and Bavarian infantry) but are fighting against an army multiple times their size. In spite of that deficiency, however, the Italian allies of the Laterans perform absolutely miserably, and it is up to Starhemberg’s recent Austrian reinforcements to actually push through (with the defensive bonus only the Austrian Infantry and Austrian cavalry are able to land hits, but it’s against only 2 defenders, so that’s enough).

Casualties of the Battle of Milan

Lombards
-2 Infantry Brigades Shattered, captured

Laterans
-1 Tuscan cavalry brigade shattered, reduced to regiment
-1 Bavarian infantry battalion shattered, destroyed

Starhemberg finds that the Lombards have taken the Iron Crown with them back to Turin, and that the populace is generally indifferent to the prospect of the restoration of Austrian rule, if not slightly hostile. Focused on securing his rear, and operating under the assumption that he will have some breathing room before he has to move on Turin, he thus chooses to spend the rest of the turn recuperating and asking the other Lateran states for reinforcements.

His relaxed timescale is thrown into chaos when news reaches him of Bourbon naval movements. Again taking advantage of their naval dominance, the French and English have combined their fleets in the Mediterranean to affect a series of landings after joining forces off of the coast of Morocco. In late July, the combined fleet arrives off Cagliari, in Sardinia, and lands a large English occupation force, which spends the next few weeks fanning out and establishing English control over the island. The fleet then sails down to Sicily, where it stops off and embarks the various Neapolitan infantry brigades left on the island, who are transferred to Lombard control. By mid-August they deposit the Lombard force tries to sail into Nice, unaware of its fall to the Genoese, when cannon fire makes them aware that the port isn’t under their control. They deposit the Lombard force in Antibes, just down the Cote d’Azur, before turning south to continue with their mission.

2nd Battle of Nice, August 18

Genoa
-1 Infantry Brigade

Lombardy
-4 Infantry Brigades

The Genoese, unlike the last time around, have been able to properly establish themselves in the city (FF turn and defensive roll bonus) for their fight against the newly-minted Lombards. The Lombard strategy hinges on being able to field a secondary army to threaten Genoa itself, and thus rather than attempt to circumvent the city to reinforce Turin the Lombards decide to attack the city. The Genoese defenders fight valiantly and effectively (scoring hits on the FF and MF turns, shattering two Lombard infantry brigades in the first turn), but the Lombards are also effective in their retort (landing 1 hit in the MF turn) and thus lose the port city.

Casualties of the 2nd Battle of Nice

Genoa
-1 Genoese Infantry Brigaded shattered, destroyed

Lombardy
-2 Lombard Infantry brigades shattered, reformed into 1 brigade

The combined fleet, having left Nice behind to continue its mission, returns to Sardinia to keep up with its planned island-hopping campaign. After having secured the island, the English infantry units are withdrawn and the cavalry are left to exert control over the remainder of the Spanish territory. The combined fleet sails east, to the Beleares, where it scares off the Spanish PatRons and deposits its soldiers across the islands. The Bourbons have now established effective control over all of the major islands in the Western Mediterranean save for Corsica.

Forces in Theater, end of Spring 1713

Pro-Bourbon

Fixed Installations
-1 Fortress (Turin)

Turin
-1 Lombard Cavalry Brigade
-1 Lombard Infantry Battalion
-1 French infantry battalion
-1 Lombard Cavalry Regiment

Nice
-3 Lombard Infantry Brigades

Messina
-1 Neapolitan cavalry regiments
-1 French PatRon

Sardinia
-2 English Cavalry Brigades

Mallorca
-2 English Infantry Brigades

Minorca
-1 English Infantry Brigade

Ibiza
-1 English Infantry Brigade

Mahon
-3 French BatRon
-3 French CruRon
-3 French PatRon
-2 English BatRon
-2 English CruRon
-2 English PatRon


Lateran Coalition

Fixed Positions
-7 Fortresses (Rome, Urbino, Genoa, Florence, Modena, Parma, Venice)
-4 Garrisons (Lazio, Romagna, Genoa, Pisa)

Naples
-1 Swiss Infantry Brigade
-1 Papal Infantry Brigade

Bari
-1 Papal Infantry Brigades

Reggio Calabria
-1 Papal Cavalry Brigade

Rome
-1 Swiss Infantry Brigades
-1 Papal Infantry Brigade

Florence
-1 Tuscan Mercenary Infantry Brigade

Genoa
-1 Genoese Mercenary Infantry Brigades
-1 Genoese Infantry Brigade

Milan
-1 Austrian infantry brigade
-1 Bavarian infantry Brigade
-1 Tuscan Infantry Brigade
-1 Modenese Infantry Brigade
-3 Parmesan Infantry battalion
-1 Bavarian Engineer Brigade
-1 Austrian Cavalry Brigade
-1 Swiss Cavalry Brigade
-1 Tuscan mercenary cavalry regiment

Mantua
-1 Austrian Infantry Battalion

Naples
-1 Austrian BatRon
-2 Austrian CruRon
-2 Austrian PatRon

Lateran Fleet (Genoa)
-2 Austrian BatRon, damaged
-2 Austrian CruRons
-2 Genoese CruRons
-6 Genoese PatRons
-1 Austrian PatRon

[TLS]

Western European Theater

Summer, 1713

After the politically precarious English presence in Bordeaux is alleviated due to the Mediterranean campaign, the French can finally focus their energies and intentions on knocking back the Spanish invasion of the country from the South. The Spanish have sent two armies to attack France; a smaller force along the Atlantic coast, based out of Bayonne, and a large force based out of Perpignan. The former threatens the crucial port at Bordeaux, while the latter threatens the French army at Toulouse. Seeing the threat to Bordeaux as more strategically pressing, while also easier to deal with, Savoy is instructed to take Bayonne as the season begins. He thus departs with the majority of his army to take the frontier city and hopefully push the Spanish back across the Pyrenees, sending 2 infantry brigades to Bordeaux to guard against any unexpected movements and leaving 2 cavalry brigades to harass any Spanish invasion along the Mediterranean coast. The Spanish have not been idle, and rush reinforcements from their nearby city of Bilbao to further garrison the city along the Adour river. The French navy attempts to aid in the attack, but the city itself sits far enough inland that the ships are too large to sail up the river; instead, they delegate a marine battalion to try to flesh out the French attacking force.

Battle of Bayonne, July 17

Spain
-6 Spanish Infantry Brigades
-2 Bavarian Infantry Brigades
-1 Spanish Cavalry Regiment

France (Eugene de Savoy, commanding)
-10 French Infantry Brigades
-1 Marine Infantry Battalion
-2 French Cavalry Brigades

Eugene is experienced with trying to take entrenched defensive positions in cities, and uses that knowledge to his advantage. However, he is still dealing with a large force defending from the walls of the city and using the numerous rivers criss-crossing the city to their advantage (Spain gets FF turn, Spanish Defensive roll is negated by France’s Great Captain). Eugene, though knowing he has a reserve army to rely upon back in Bordeaux, is still sufficiently cautious that he will not try to overly commit himself to his attack (will not initiate another turn if his losses exceed 50%; turns cannot be stopped in between FF and MF, but after an MF he can choose to withdraw).

The French force, under the command of the impetuous and (supposedly) brilliant Savoy, charge towards the heavily defended city. The combined Wittelsbach army waits until the Spanish are within effective range before unloading a torrential series of volleys on them, tearing through their army with deadly efficacy (FF turn Spain rolls 6 hits, shattering 5 inf brigades and 1 cav brigade). The French make it to the rivers along the walls of the city, and the skillful gunmanship of the French cannoneers blows open sufficient gaps for the surviving French troops to pour into the city. Fierce hand to hand fighting ensues, but the Spanish benefit from the fact that they retain numerical superiority within the city’s walls (MF turn each side rolls 4 hits; 4 Spanish infantry brigades are shattered, and 3 French Infantry, 1 French cavalry are shattered).

Savoy realizes at this point that his army is woefully unable to continue the attack on the city and withdraws, under covering fire from his remaining units, to outside the range of the guns of the city. The Spanish are unable to effectively pursue due to both his remaining infantry contingent and the small size of their cavalry contingent. He is thus able to recover in relative safety, though that does not make the casualties of the previous battle much easier to bare.

Casualties of the Battle of Bayonne

Spain
-4 Spanish Infantry Brigades shattered, reduced to 2 brigades

France
-8 French infantry brigades shattered, reduced to 4
-2 French cavalry brigades shattered, reduced to 1

After having been repulsed from Bayonne, Savoy recognizes that he has no time to allow his army to recover and sets off on a forced march to join with the reserve army based out of Bordeaux. The Spanish army along the Mediterranean coast, reinforced by cavalry based in Barcelona, has begun its move out into the French countryside. He had left behind a cavalry contingent (2 brigades) to try to harass and hamper the Spanish supply efforts, but the Spanish edge in cavalry (3 brigades) means they are able to march towards Toulouse at only a slightly reduced pace.

Savoy joins his beleaguered remnants with the reinforcements from Bordeaux in Mont-de-Marsan, whence he moves directly back to Toulouse. He finds that the Spanish have, upon discovering that the city has been effectively abandoned, marched deeper into French territory. The Spanish general was instructed to only try to tie down Savoy’s army, but due to the wide open French lines has instead marched deeper into the province of Guyenne and Gascony. Savoy thus, his exhausted army in tow, is forced into another battle against the Spaniards, this time on open territory.

Battle of Auch, July 30

Spain
-11 Spanish Infantry Brigades
-3 Spanish Cavalry Brigades

France (under the command of Savoy, Great Captain)
-4 French Infantry Brigades
-4 French infantry brigades, exhausted
-2 German Infantry Brigades
-1 Franco-German Cavalry Brigade
-2 French Cavalry Brigades
-1 French cavalry brigade, exhausted

Savoy is thus meeting an enemy on open ground, where his talents as a commander can shine. He suffers, however, from the fact that he has just led his army on a forced march across southwestern France. His reinforcements from Bordeaux are in fighting shape, but the shattered forces from the battle of Bayonne are not fully recovered or cohesive. (France gets a GC +1 roll, except for the units marked “exhausted”. Units generally shelter in place or retreat to recover after a defeat, but in this situation they haven’t. They’re at a -1 disadvantage, which with the +1 from the GC means they fight as normal units.)

The two armies meeting in the open field unload terrible carnage on each other. The Spanish, in prime form, inflict horrible casualties on the French as they march across the sun-touched fields of Southern France. The French infantry absorbs extensive casualties, but it’s the cavalry which really suffers from the guns of the attackers (Spain lands 9 hits, shattering 4 French Infantry, 2 German infantry, 2 French cavalry, and 1 Franco-German cavalry), and Savoy critically loses his cavalry superiority, which he was relying on to cause havoc in the Spanish rear and cause the Spanish army to crumble.

As it turns out, however, he doesn’t need his cavalry to collapse the Spanish line. Even an exhausted army works wonders in his hands, and he causes the Spanish infantry line to completely and utterly melt away (France rolls 12 hits [every unit, save for 1 exhausted French infantry and 1 exhausted French cavalry, GC’s are rather powerful when commanding infantry brigades] and shatters 11 Spanish infantry and 1 Spanish cavalry). The Spanish cavalry screen, combined with the heavily wounded state of his own army, allows the Spanish to withdraw back to the recently re-re-captured city of Toulouse. Savoy is left holding the field, for what it is worth.

Casualties of the Battle of Auch

Spain
-11 Spanish infantry brigades, reduced to 5 infantry brigades, 1 battalion
-1 Spanish Cavalry brigade, reduced to 1 regiment

France
-4 French Infantry brigades, reduced to 2 brigades
-2 German infantry brigades, reduced to 1 brigade
-2 French cavalry brigades, reduced to 1 brigade
-1 Franco-German cavalry brigade, reduced to 1 regiment

Savoy has thus failed to eject the Spanish from Bayonne but halted a Spanish advance into Gascony, and the French have lost 19 brigades shattered to 16 Spanish. Possession is, as they say, 7/10ths of the law, and he can withdraw to Bordeaux with a strong army intact, with a possibility to strike in any direction against his opponents. The Spanish have, on the other hand, retained their bridgehead along the Bay of Biscay and once again re-opened the coastal road to Marseille (Game effect: Units in Marseilles can be reinforced/upgraded again).

In the rest of France, in Provence and in the Northwest, the Laterans choose to remain fairly standstill, focusing instead on drawing in reinforcements from across the Empire. Cognizant of the substantial French recruiting apparatus, the Imperial commanders set about on a campaign of disrupting supply and recruitment depots, with an eye towards a potential continuation of the war. From Paris, the Imperials send out small forces to attack Orleans, Le Mans, and Bourges, and disrupt the depots there, while the Papal infantry brigade at Avignon moves to disrupt the depot at Valence. The brigades in Northwestern France—marching from Antwerp or Germany to reinforce Paris--make a sweep through any of the remaining depot facilities, clearing them of any supplies, handing them over to sympathetic French nobles for safekeeping, and destroying the French military infrastructure therein.

(Status of French Depots:
Destroyed: St Denis, Paris, Versailles, Chartres, Orleans, Compiegne, Amiens, Dieppe, Le Mans, Bourges, Valence, Montpelier
Remaining: Rennes, Nantes, Poitiers, Vichy, Bergerac, Turenne
Forts: Brest, Belfort)

Finally, to complete the bifurcation of France, the Emperor directs the small army consisting of regiments from his Rhineland allies to march straight south, after meeting in Metz, straight through to the city of Lyon. The city is the last major population center in eastern France to still be nominally controlled by forces loyal to the French crown, though the city has been depopulated and left defenseless. After a token resistance the gates of the city are thrown open, and a sympathetic city government is established by pro-Clerical nobles and burghers. The territory loyal to the French King has now been reduced to the Atlantic coast and the immediate environs around the Fortress at Belfort, in the foothills of the Alps near the Rhine (Game Effect: If the road to Marseille is cut off again, the Spanish are still in supply from the north. Belfort, as a fortress, can still upgrade/supply units.)

Forces in Theater, end of Summer 1713

Pro-Bourbon

France

Fixed Installations
-2 Fortresses (Brest, Belfort)
-4 Militia brigades (2 Belfort, 2 Poitiers)

Brest
-1 French Infantry Battalion

Bordeaux (Under the command of Savoy, Great Captain)
-6 French infantry brigades
-1 German Infantry Brigade
-2 French Cavalry Brigades
-1 Franco-Brandenburg Cavalry Regiment

Belfort
-1 French Cavalry Regiment

Poitiers
-2 French Cavalry Regiment

Toulouse

Lateran Coalition

France and Left-Bank of the Rhine

Fixed Positions
-9 Fortresses (Trier, Wurzburg, Munster, Stuttgart, Mainz, Dusseldorf, Heidelberg, Cologne, Avignon)
-7 Militia Brigades (2 Paris, 1 Metz, 1 Lille, 1 Marseille, 1 Strasbourg, 1 Lyon)

Army of Navarra (Bayonne)
-4 Spanish infantry Brigades
-2 Bavarian Infantry Brigades
-1 Spanish Cavalry Regiment

Army of Castille (Toulouse)
-5 Spanish Infantry Brigades
-1 Spanish Infantry Battalion
-2 Spanish Cavalry Brigades
-1 Spanish Cavalry Regiment

Lyon
-1 Palatinate Infantry Brigade
-1 Palatinate Cavalry Regiment
-3 Cologner Infantry Battalions
-2 Trier Infantry Battalions
-2 Wurttemberger Infantry Battalions

Brussels
-1 Austrian Infantry Brigade

Antwerp
-1 Austrian Infantry Brigades
-1 Austrian Cavalry Regiment

Dunkirk
-2 Palatinate Infantry Brigades

Metz
-1 Munster Infantry Brigade

Verdun
-1 Wurzburg Infantry Battalion

Paris
-2 Austrian Infantry Brigades
-1 Trier Infantry Brigade
-1 Mainzer Infantry Brigade
-1 Wittelsbach Infantry Brigade
-2 Mainzer Infantry Battalions
-1 Austrian infantry battalion
-1 Wittelsbach Cavalry Brigade

Orleans
-1 Wurttemberg Infantry Brigade

Le Mans
-1 Munster Infantry Brigade
-1 Munster Cavalry Brigade

Bourges
-1 Wurzburg Infantry Brigade
-1 Wurttemberg-Wurzburg Cavalry Brigade

Valence
-1 Papal Infantry Brigade

Toulon
-1 Spanish Infantry Battalion

Marseille
-4 Infantry Brigades
-1 Cavalry Brigade

Spain

Fixed Positions
-7 Fortress (Pamplona, Bilbao, Figueres, Barcelona, Gibraltar, Madrid, Valencia)

Madrid
-1 Spanish Infantry Battalion

Zaragoza
-5 Spanish Infantry Brigades

Valencia (escort duty)
-5 CruRon
-5 PatRon (2 Cartagena, 3 Valencia)

[Hussam B.]

Having settled for some time in Paris, the Emperor is approached by his advisers and allies in the Lateran League to present the latest set of terms offered to the French King, leader of the pro-Bourbon forces.

Terms for England, France, Savoy, Mantua


England:

-Status quo ante

France:

Regarding the Church:

-The King of the French will publicly confess and atone for his sin of threatening the Holy Father.

-The lands seized from the Church shall not be restored to the Church, but the Church will be reimbursed, in small part, for their seizure (5 points over 20 years).

-The Composition and Rights of the Estates General, of which the Clergy is the First, shall not be tampered with against the assent of the majority of each of the three estates, as per traditional custom.

-All orders spiritual (including, but not limited to, the Knights of St. John and the Society of Jesus) shall be permitted back into the Kingdom of France. The King of France is not, however, obliged to return to them any seized property.

-The Gallican Heresy shall be officially abjured by the French King; however, the following rights will be allowed the French king, based around the following principles expounded by some of its more moderate members:

1) St. Peter and the Popes, his successors, and the Church itself have dominion from God only over things spiritual and not over things temporal and civil. Therefore, kings and sovereigns are not beholden to the church in deciding temporal things unrelated to the functioning, rights, and duties of the Church. They cannot be deposed by the church and their subjects cannot be absolved by the church from their oaths of allegiance, save in the case of Apostasy or Heresy.
2) The authority in things spiritual belongs to the Holy See and the successors of St. Peter, and does not affect the decrees of the Council of Constance contained in the fourth and fifth sessions of that council.
3) The exercise of this Apostolic authority (puissance) must be regulated in accordance with canons (rules) established by the Holy Spirit through the centuries of Church history.
4) Although the pope has the chief part in questions of faith, and his decrees apply to all the Churches, and to each Church in particular, yet his judgment is not irreformable, at least pending the consent of the Church as a Whole.  

These principles will be manifested in the following ways:

• The Crown shall choose among three Papally-selected candidates for open Bishoprics.
  
• The Crown shall be responsible for providing for the Tithes to the Church, and determining their level.
  
• Royal officers shall not be excommunicated for any act performed in the discharge of their official duties, save if the Sovereign is Himself excommunicated.
  
• The Pope shall not issue dispensations "to the prejudice of the laudable customs and statutes" of the French cathedral churches.
  
• Neither the Pope nor the King can authorize the alienation of landed church estates in France, or the diminishing of any foundations.
  
• It shall be lawful to appeal from the Pope to a future council or to have recourse to the "appeal as from an abuse" (appel comme d'abus) against acts of the ecclesiastical power.
  
• Kings of France shall have the right to assemble church councils in their dominions relating to temporal matters pertaining to the governance of the Church in France, not matters Spiritual.
  
• Bishops, even when commanded by the Pope, cannot go out of the kingdom under armed escort, unless also accompanied by an equal-sized royal escort. They retain the right to travel unescorted.
  
• The French Crown shall remain Catholic, as it has for over a thousand years and as dictated by the Edict of Nantes. As a Catholic, per the Edict of Nantes, the King shall defer to the Church in matters spiritual. However, as Sovereign, the King is entitled to delegate temporal rights to Heretics as he deems fit, save to make them superior to Catholics.
  

Regarding Territory

-The Kingdom of Naples, including all land on Peninsula Italy (including minor offshore islands and including Piombino, Elba, et al.) shall be transferred from the King of France to the care of the Holy Father, who shall then bequeath it to another Prince of Italy unrelated by blood to the Archdukes of Austria or the Kings of Spain.

-The Kingdom of Sicily is the King of France’s as he sees fit; should he wish to grant it to another Prince, he is so entitled, though he is under no obligation as such.

-The County of Gipuzkoa (San Sebastian), in the Kingdom of Navarre, and the County of Perpignan shall be returned to the Spanish Crown.

-The Papal territory of Avignon shall be unaccosted by the French King.

-France shall pay 2 points for the Austrian colony of Leopoldsburg.

Savoy and Mantua:

-If Savoy’s acquisition of Milan, and proclamation of a title, is to be recognized, the Austrian Archduke shall be recompensed with the Duchy of Mantua. The Austrian Archduke will recompense the Duke of Mantua for his loss and maintain him in the manner he is accustomed (2.5 points over 10 years), as well as allow him to maintain his private lands for self-sufficiency.

-As stated previously, if the French King desires to transfer his Kingdom of Sicily to the Prince of Savoy, he is wholly free to do so.

[Galveston Bay]

French counter proposal
An immediate truce and end of hostilities and in the event that agreement cannot be reached, no resumption of hostilities until after Easter 1714

The Kingdom of Sicily and Naples is ceded to the Lanteran Coalition to determine the fate of which as it sees fit
Sardinia and Balaeric Islands are returned to Spain

As to the border adjustments between Spain and France, those are acceptable.

France retains Louisiana, but will return 2 merchant flotillas captured this year in lieu of payment of any financial terms

The Church will retain ownership of Avignon but will disestablish its fortress there, but is permitted to retain 1 infantry battalion as a Guard,.  NO Prince should be forced to retain a fortress as a base of a foreign country within its borders

The King will apologize formerly to the Survivors of the Knights of Malta for the harm done to them

Lands seized from the Church will be paid for, at least in part, with land grants in Natal, Florida and Louisiana on a 1 acre allowed for 1 acre seized basis.   It should be noted that the Church has a history of making wilderness into productive land and a history of helping the natives of that land good Christians (ooc we will ignore the catastrophic death rates altogether as Gods will and all that)

France, and specifically the French Crown, will allow any of its citizens to choose their Faith, be it Catholic, Protestant or even Jew, as all have members who have fought with loyalty and devotion to the Crown.  This applies to all French territory, although the Crown does reserve the right to allow certain areas as he sees fit for to good of the realm to be either Protestant or Catholic.   This includes cities and municipalities.  

 The King of France will apologize for threatening the Holy Father's seat on the Papal Throne and implying and stating that another Papal Candidate would replace him That apology will be given immediately, along with the apology to the survivors of the Knights of Malta whether peace is restored or not. Notices are to be posted throughout France regarding this including a written version of that apology.

The Pope will lift the excommunication of the Royal Family of France or if need be, the Royal Family will seek to commune with God through another church.

No member of any Church has superior rights to another Church member  in France.  There will be an end to killing in the name of God in France.  

Members of the Clergy, regardless of Church, are forbidden civil and or military office in the Realm of France.   They are to serve their flock spiritually, not temporally.  The exception is that Clergy can serve as educators and as providers of medical care, which is a direct service to God and his children.

The Jesuit Order may return to France and its territories but have no more rights than any other clergy member.

Regarding Allies
The Spanish offer regarding the now Kingdom of Lombardy, which shall include the Duchy of Milan, accepted as is the monetary demands and transfer of Mantua.    

England has fought hard and long and deserves what it has gained, specifically Puerto Rico.   However, all Spanish territory will be returned to Spain in exchange for 2 points from Spain to England

It should be recognized that due to communications delays there may occur battles yet unfought on the 7 Seas, but any territory taken shall be returned.   All efforts will be made to prevent further bloodshed however by the dispatch of fast ships to areas were combat is expected

(OOC Amended to include what was discussed below)

[Hussam B.]

We will not cede any territory to the English in a Treaty between the Lateran League and France, if the French King wants to continue to fight for English gains, then he can certainly opt to do so.

This is a primary condition for any terms with France.

[Kilani]

The Commonwealth has no real objection to the terms as laid out, although they are not pleased with the increase of Popish temporal power.

Puerto Rico, Sardinia, et al will be returned to the Spanish for a suitable indemnity, if the Spanish crown is hardset against ceding territory; the Commonwealth has naval dominance and can continue to enforce it.

[Galveston Bay]

France drops reference to England in its terms, but wishes that both sides should find peace.

For now it awaits word regarding the rest of its counter proposal and whether further negotiation is needed.  

It should be noted that while France is forced to accept that the situation in Europe has not gone the way it hoped, the situation on the Seven Seas certainly seems to favor the English and thus a stalemate of sorts exists between the Lanteran League and the English, even without French naval assistance to the English and thus France hopes that reasonable discussion can continue between the Lanteran League and England.

(OOC: I did a quote and I can't figure out where the heck it went, so simply reposting)

On an additional note: The King of France will apologize for threatening the Holy Father's seat on the Papal Throne and implying and stating that another Papal Candidate would replace him   That apology will be given immediately, along with the apology to the survivors of the Knights of Malta whether peace is restored or not.   Notices are to be posted throughout France regarding this including a written version of that apology.

As to the border adjustments between Spain and France, those are acceptable.

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