Russian Guard
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Joined: 10/14/2005
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Anyone else ever experience this?
Playing Russia, standard 1805 campaign. In 1808, after spending 3 years staying out of wars and reforming the Russian Army with a few key upgrades and adding several Corps, I moved to support the Austrians, who were once again under assault from Napoleon.
By the time I arrived at Vienna (Styria), the Austrians had already been badly mauled. Napoleon was laying siege to Vienna, and his Army was the typical (ludicrous) monster Army of some 550,000 troops. (I say "ludicrous" only because the cost to supply that Army is beyond anything I have ever been able to manage without going broke in just a few months).
The Russian expeditionary Army was a "paltry" 160,000, but we engaged, hoping that player skill would overcome sheer numbers (and not all of the French forces could even engage, given max battle size limitations). Plus, although the Austrians were badly mauled, they did have some 100,000 troops adjacent to Vienna that might also engage.
We fought. The battle lasted two and a half days. Late in the first day, I did call for reinforcements, and the Austrians came in with what seemed to be about 6 or 7 Divisions, equally split between Infantry and Cavalry.
At noon on the 3rd day, my forces broke. The French were just too numerous and the Austrians were damnably mauled (probably foolish, in retrospect, to invite them to the dance).
Point of all this - casualties were grotesque, the highest I have ever seen. France lost over 65,000 troops and the Russians/Austrians lost 58,000 - a total of over 120,000 troops lost.
Next turn, France surrenders to Russia. The casualties hit their National Morale hard, dropping them from 1,000 all the way to -125.
Then, same turn, Russia surrenders to Spain, whom I had been at war with since day one. Russian National Morale was also crushed from the battle, which in addition to casualties we also lost, -350 or so, down from about 900.
So casualties on this scale caused a huge drop in National Morale, which is expected (and verified via the turn report) and I have no problem with that. What was new to me was that both Nations surrendered, even though National Morale after the battle was not at a normal number to invite surrender; that usually happens when NM reaches below -500 or more.
Apparently, a huge drop in NM, as an event in and of itself, can trigger surrenders. Didn't know that, and wonder if anyone else has seen this?
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Mass Casualties Question - 
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