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1809 Crisis on the Danube

 
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1809 Crisis on the Danube - 11/30/2021 10:53:08 PM   
gwgardner

 

Posts: 6722
Joined: 4/7/2006
Status: offline 		I'm thinking about playing the 1809 Crisis on the Danube scenario.

Not being all that well read in Napoleonic history, I searched the internet concerning the situation at the beginning of the scenario, but didn't find what I was looking for: namely, why Napoleon chose to fight it out at Wagram, rather than simply holding Vienna and performing instead one of his sweeping moves to the north and east via the crossings he held on the Danube?

Anyone know more about this?
Post #: 1
RE: 1809 Crisis on the Danube - 12/1/2021 3:33:47 AM   
SMK-at-work

 

Posts: 3396
Joined: 8/28/2000
From: New Zealand
Status: offline 		Basically the loss of Vienna was insufficient to cause hte Austrians to give up - they still had their major army close by - and that army defeated him at ASpern-Essling.

Wagram was required to destroy the Austrian army and force terms.

(in reply to gwgardner)
Post #: 2
RE: 1809 Crisis on the Danube - 12/1/2021 9:50:51 AM   
gwgardner

 

Posts: 6722
Joined: 4/7/2006
Status: offline 		Why did he choose a head-on attack at Wagram, as opposed to maneuvering his army into the open country north of the Danube at Krem, for instance, and then moving to strike the Austrian army from there.

(in reply to SMK-at-work)
Post #: 3
RE: 1809 Crisis on the Danube - 12/1/2021 11:40:37 AM   
Nikel

 

Posts: 355
Joined: 3/24/2009
Status: offline 		The first time that try to cross before the battle of Aspern-Essling, apparently he did not know that was facing the whole austrian army.

Regarding the bridge at Krems, Napoleon had ordered Savary to destroy it. Mautern is opposite of Krems in the south controlled side of the Danube. This is the order in one of Saski's book on the campaign:


L'EMPEREUR AU MAJOR GÉNÉRAL.

Saint-Polten, 9 mai 1809.

Le général Savary prendra 150 hommes du régiment de Wurtemberg qui est ici et une compagnie de sapeurs, et serendra sans délai à Mautern, pour surveiller les mouvements
de l'ennemi et de toute la rive. Il me fera connaitre plusieurs fois dans la journée ce qu'il y a de nouveau. Puisqu'il nous est impossible de profiter de ce pont dont la
défense est si favorable à l'ennemi, il le fera brûler.


And a google translation:


THE EMPEROR TO THE MAJOR GENERAL.

Saint-Polten, 9 May 1809.

General Savary will take 150 men from the regiment of Württemberg who is here and a company of sappers, and will return without delay to Mautern, to monitor the movements
from the enemy and the whole shore. He will make me know more so many times a day what is new. Then that it is impossible for us to take advantage of this bridge whose
defense is so favorable to the enemy, it will burn it.


< Message edited by Nikel -- 12/1/2021 11:42:35 AM >

(in reply to gwgardner)
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RE: 1809 Crisis on the Danube - 12/1/2021 1:03:29 PM   
gwgardner

 

Posts: 6722
Joined: 4/7/2006
Status: offline 		Thanks to both.

The scenario starts prior to Aspern-Essling, and from Nikel's post, at that time Krems was either not yet in French control and/or the bridge there was damaged or destroyed. The damage to the bridge had taken place about 10 days earlier than the start of the scenario.

So probably the best move for the player at the start of the scenario is to attempt to defeat the Austrian Army across from Vienna and depending on the outcome of that, decide whether to follow the historical pace of events, ie Wagram, or try some other way to destroy the Austrian army.

(in reply to Nikel)
Post #: 5
RE: 1809 Crisis on the Danube - 12/1/2021 2:06:37 PM   
Nikel

 

Posts: 355
Joined: 3/24/2009
Status: offline 		The bible of the campaign is Gill's trilogy Thunder on the Danube. This is what the author says before Wagram:

As work on the Lobau bridges and fortifications neared completion, Napoleon considered the timing of his new offensive. By 29 June, he had selected 4 July as the day on which the entire army was to be assembled on or near Lobau. Such a massive concentration would be impossible to conceal and the assault would probably be launched on the 5th so as not to afford the Austrians time to exploit opportunities on the weakened French flanks.3 Beyond issues of his own readiness (bridges, batteries, troops on hand, and so on), the emperor had two immediate operational concerns. First, he wanted to deceive Charles regarding the intended crossing point. Second, he was keen to be sure the Austrians did not slip away—either to conduct a crossing of their own elsewhere or to evade the coming struggle entirely. In particular, he was concerned that Charles might be planning to cross the Danube at Komorn and offer battle in Hungary, a move that would delay the decisive victory Napoleon needed to bring the war to a successful conclusion quickly.




The napoleonic videos of Epic History TV are highly recommended. The narrator, music, graphics and history, all combined are amazing. There are two on the 1809 campaign. Other channels try to imitate it, but are not at its level.

https://www.youtube.com/c/EpichistoryTv/videos



< Message edited by Nikel -- 12/1/2021 2:16:43 PM >

(in reply to gwgardner)
Post #: 6
RE: 1809 Crisis on the Danube - 12/1/2021 3:00:30 PM   
gwgardner

 

Posts: 6722
Joined: 4/7/2006
Status: offline 		Awesome, thx.

Here are the victory point cities for the scenario:





Attachment (1)

< Message edited by gwgardner -- 12/1/2021 6:34:35 PM >

(in reply to Nikel)
Post #: 7
RE: 1809 Crisis on the Danube - 12/2/2021 3:15:36 PM   
altipueri

 

Posts: 869
Joined: 11/14/2009
Status: offline 		You may find this account of Napoleon's campaigns of use:

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Napoleonic_Campaigns

There is a link specifically to Wagram.

You can even try almost replicating the actual corps movements of 1805 in the game.


(in reply to gwgardner)
Post #: 8
RE: 1809 Crisis on the Danube - 12/2/2021 8:50:09 PM   
gwgardner

 

Posts: 6722
Joined: 4/7/2006
Status: offline 		Thanks, will look at that source.

(in reply to altipueri)
Post #: 9
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