A different Finnish War
- Thread starter von Adler
- Start date
1811-11-10
The winter of 1811 would prove to be a hard one. During the week after the French crossed the Dniepr, many French soldiers would suffer frostbite and, worse for the French army as a whole, many horses die.
However, the harsh winter did the French army one service - the Pripyat marshes started to freeze over.
"Those infernal Russians were everywhere except to the west - where we would sink in the marshes. But providence smiled upon as. As we cured the cold, it provided for us the perfect escape. Such is the shortsightedness of man, that we hated what would be our redemption." Louis de Garousse, Lieutenant in the 118. Line Infantry Regiment on the 10th of November, 1811.
The Grande Armée slipped into the marshes, setting up mabushes in the forested terrain for the irregular cavalry pursuing them. By now, what remained of the French cavalry was mostly marching on foot. Attempts to plunder horses from the countryside had failed - those few horses that could be scrounged up were not suitable for riding.
Horses and above all cannons frequently sunk through the icy crust of the marshes, and harrasment from the local militias, who knew their marshes well and light infantry increased French casualties.
The French retreat started to turn into a rout, and the dicisplined Grande Armée into a mob hedring p oxen carrying plunder and what little equipment there was left. Ambulances with sick and wounded frozen to death could be found in the path of the Grandé Armée. Sick and wounded were banadoned, as was repairable carts, spiked guns, empty barrels, corpses of soldiers, camp followes, civilians, prisoners and animals alike.
But the Russians were unabale to move into the marshes at strength themselves, and the unruly mob the Grande Armée had turned into could cross the difficult terrain only harassed, not assaulted.
In January, when the last stragglers remants of the once-proud French army emerged into Poland, the ragged masses of men were med by well-uniformed and fed new Polish recruits.
The Grande Armée still had a bit over 60 000 men, but was a broken shell of its former glory.
Napoleon had been severly defeated, and Europe took notice.
The winter of 1811 would prove to be a hard one. During the week after the French crossed the Dniepr, many French soldiers would suffer frostbite and, worse for the French army as a whole, many horses die.
However, the harsh winter did the French army one service - the Pripyat marshes started to freeze over.
"Those infernal Russians were everywhere except to the west - where we would sink in the marshes. But providence smiled upon as. As we cured the cold, it provided for us the perfect escape. Such is the shortsightedness of man, that we hated what would be our redemption." Louis de Garousse, Lieutenant in the 118. Line Infantry Regiment on the 10th of November, 1811.
The Grande Armée slipped into the marshes, setting up mabushes in the forested terrain for the irregular cavalry pursuing them. By now, what remained of the French cavalry was mostly marching on foot. Attempts to plunder horses from the countryside had failed - those few horses that could be scrounged up were not suitable for riding.
Horses and above all cannons frequently sunk through the icy crust of the marshes, and harrasment from the local militias, who knew their marshes well and light infantry increased French casualties.
The French retreat started to turn into a rout, and the dicisplined Grande Armée into a mob hedring p oxen carrying plunder and what little equipment there was left. Ambulances with sick and wounded frozen to death could be found in the path of the Grandé Armée. Sick and wounded were banadoned, as was repairable carts, spiked guns, empty barrels, corpses of soldiers, camp followes, civilians, prisoners and animals alike.
But the Russians were unabale to move into the marshes at strength themselves, and the unruly mob the Grande Armée had turned into could cross the difficult terrain only harassed, not assaulted.
In January, when the last stragglers remants of the once-proud French army emerged into Poland, the ragged masses of men were med by well-uniformed and fed new Polish recruits.
The Grande Armée still had a bit over 60 000 men, but was a broken shell of its former glory.
Napoleon had been severly defeated, and Europe took notice.
Hiii
Hi,Names superninja76,I have been reading this for a while and noticed you have stopped doing this,Will it continue sometime in 2014? Please tell me,I would really hate it if my favorite alt history story was over
Hi,Names superninja76,I have been reading this for a while and noticed you have stopped doing this,Will it continue sometime in 2014? Please tell me,I would really hate it if my favorite alt history story was over
Wow,Thanks for replying man,Anyway I'm really happy this story will continue,Perhaps even go past the current part of the story,Anyway,Loving this alternate history,Please give us some moar stuff to read
December 1811.
And Europe did take notice indeed.
In Courland Yorck was more or less surrounded by Russian troops - Bulatov, by now reinforced and witha sizable conignent of irregulars had slowly edged around the stationary and unwilling Prussian troops. While Bulatov knew better than to make the Prussians feel like they had to make a last stand, there were nevertheless a lot of Cossacks to the Prussian rear.
The Russians were unwilling to attack, though, as the Prussians had digged in and showed little inclination to actually move anywhere - until Berlin resolved the stalemate. On the 15th of December 1811, Prussia declared war on France.
Yorck met with Bulatov at Riga, the two men exchanged a few pleasantries, had a drink together and then saluted each other.
"I am sure you will excuse me General Bulatov. I have things to tend to in East Prussia."
"Certainly, General Yorck. My men will make supplies ready for you, to ensure your march is speedy and without incident."
Losing Yorck's corps was not a big blow to Napoleon. It had been mostly inactive anyway. Losing Prussia as an ally was not a great blow either.
However, gaining Prussia as an enemy was a severe blow. And even worse a blow was losing the East Prussian and Polish remount farms. Napoleon's cavalry had lost their horses nearly to a man (those men that had survived that is) during the Russian campaign and without the eyes and ears of his army - and even more important, the shield against his enemies eyes and ears, Napoleon and his Marshals would be much less able to outmanouvre their enemies.
Another severe blow was the loss of more than 40 000 wounded and ill French, Italian and Rhine Confederate soldiers under care in Poland and Prussia. Another 10 000 recruits under training would be another write-off.
Napoleon, who had intended to rest and refit in Poland, re-horse his cavalry, bring up new conscripts and levy from the still enthusiastic Polish population to face Bulatov, Tomasov and Kutuzov in Poland and defeat them in detail found himself forced to gather what could be saved from Poland in men, horses, money and equipment and retreat across Prussian Silesia into Saxony.
It was there that the next two blows reached him.
1812-01-11.
An Austrian diplomat, smiling like a wolfhound with prey in its sight delivered the Austrian declaration of war.
But that was not that bad. Napoleon had expected as much and had evacuated most of the French Resources from Austrian-held territory. Worse was the news delivered by optic telegraph.
A Swedish force, supported by both their navy and their archipelago fleet had landed in Rügen.
That night, Napoleon dictated a letter.
"To the honoured Marshal Davout.
You have held for me Spain. Now you must hold for me Germany. Turn over your command to a trusted subordinate until I have had time to send your replacement and make all due haste to Paris. Bring all the horses and all the men you can muster and march across the Rhine.
Signed,
Emperor Napoleon."
And Europe did take notice indeed.
In Courland Yorck was more or less surrounded by Russian troops - Bulatov, by now reinforced and witha sizable conignent of irregulars had slowly edged around the stationary and unwilling Prussian troops. While Bulatov knew better than to make the Prussians feel like they had to make a last stand, there were nevertheless a lot of Cossacks to the Prussian rear.
The Russians were unwilling to attack, though, as the Prussians had digged in and showed little inclination to actually move anywhere - until Berlin resolved the stalemate. On the 15th of December 1811, Prussia declared war on France.
Yorck met with Bulatov at Riga, the two men exchanged a few pleasantries, had a drink together and then saluted each other.
"I am sure you will excuse me General Bulatov. I have things to tend to in East Prussia."
"Certainly, General Yorck. My men will make supplies ready for you, to ensure your march is speedy and without incident."
Losing Yorck's corps was not a big blow to Napoleon. It had been mostly inactive anyway. Losing Prussia as an ally was not a great blow either.
However, gaining Prussia as an enemy was a severe blow. And even worse a blow was losing the East Prussian and Polish remount farms. Napoleon's cavalry had lost their horses nearly to a man (those men that had survived that is) during the Russian campaign and without the eyes and ears of his army - and even more important, the shield against his enemies eyes and ears, Napoleon and his Marshals would be much less able to outmanouvre their enemies.
Another severe blow was the loss of more than 40 000 wounded and ill French, Italian and Rhine Confederate soldiers under care in Poland and Prussia. Another 10 000 recruits under training would be another write-off.
Napoleon, who had intended to rest and refit in Poland, re-horse his cavalry, bring up new conscripts and levy from the still enthusiastic Polish population to face Bulatov, Tomasov and Kutuzov in Poland and defeat them in detail found himself forced to gather what could be saved from Poland in men, horses, money and equipment and retreat across Prussian Silesia into Saxony.
It was there that the next two blows reached him.
1812-01-11.
An Austrian diplomat, smiling like a wolfhound with prey in its sight delivered the Austrian declaration of war.
But that was not that bad. Napoleon had expected as much and had evacuated most of the French Resources from Austrian-held territory. Worse was the news delivered by optic telegraph.
A Swedish force, supported by both their navy and their archipelago fleet had landed in Rügen.
That night, Napoleon dictated a letter.
"To the honoured Marshal Davout.
You have held for me Spain. Now you must hold for me Germany. Turn over your command to a trusted subordinate until I have had time to send your replacement and make all due haste to Paris. Bring all the horses and all the men you can muster and march across the Rhine.
Signed,
Emperor Napoleon."
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