Matrix Games

Location : France
Opponents : France & Prussia (and allies)

Description :

FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR 1870-1871: GERMAN UNIFICATION Includes title graphic and 19th century weapons file (put this into the Graphics folder) The Operational Art of War III, ver. 322927 Designer: "Crusher* Col Wayne C. Close (USAF RET) wayneclose@sbcglobal.net Date: 2 August 1870-31 January 1871 Location: France Map scale: 15km per hex Time scale: Full week turns Unit Scale: Brigade Length: 27 Turns UNIT COLORS: PRUSSIAN Prussia & Allies - White on Blue Prussian Kriegsmarine - Black on Green Hesse - Blue on Green Baden-W|rttemberg & Bavaria - Blue on White FRENCH Army - Gray on Dark Red Army Reserve and Partisans - Red on Dark Red Coastal Defense - Black on Dark Red Marines and Navy - Black on Red Papal Brigade - Red on White Italian Corps - Red/Yellow on Green SOURCES: Blood and Iron: Bismarck's Wars for Empire by Pacific Rim Publishing Company (Design by Mike Bennighof) The Franco-Prussian War by Geoffery Wawro franco-prussianwar.com SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: Baden-W|rttemberg and Bavaria will sue for peace if France takes Stuttgart. There is a chance that Austria will declare war on Prussia resulting in a withdrawal by Baden-W|rttemberg and Bavaria. There is a chance that Italy may send an expeditionary force to aid France. If German forces become too provocative along their borders, Belgium and Luxembourg may enter on the French side. As German forces approach Paris, French guerilla units may be activated. France will probably surrender following the German occupation of central Paris (hex 40,36) resulting in an immediate German victory. If France does not immediately surrender, there is a chance that the Paris Commune will emerge and declare their independence. ********** HISTORY: Alarmed by Prussia's surprisingly crushing defeats of Denmark in 1864 and Austria in 1866, the French Emperor, Napoleon III, vowed to put a muzzle on Prussian ambitions. Using the contested succession to the throne of Spain as a flimsy excuse, Napoleon III declared war on Prussia. The French army, made up of aged officers and ambivalent conscripts turned out to be no match for the highly professional Prussian forces aided by Bavaria, Baden-W|rttemberg and Hesse. German forces, aided by their superior intelligence gathered by their highly effective cavalry coupled with outstanding infantry tactics, quickly overran France and surrounded Paris. Parisians promptly declared that their city had seceded from France. In an ironic twist, the Prussians allowed French forces through the lines to attack Paris! The Prussians had achieved a stunning victory over an experienced and powerful opponent. With this triumph, the German people became united at last under one banner. In addition to unification, Germany also reclaimed the long lost provinces of Alsace and Lorraine, making her the powerhouse of Europe. However, French resentment was strong and the stage was now set for a future confrontation; one that would sweep away the old Europe and redraw her borders forever.