Suppose that early in their entry to the war, the French suffer a huge defeat. They attempt to cross the Rhine and the forward elements start making camp when an ambush comes out from the fog by Imperial Loyalists. Most of the army still didn't cross. Once the bankhead was destroyed, the French commander orders his soldiers to move forward and re-establish the beachhead. By the way, the stupidity of a frontal attack in unfavorable conditions was OTL in the Battle of Nicopolis so "officers can't be stupid enough" is not an excuse. In any decade, I can find an idiot dumb enough.
In the end the French suffer the loss of 35K troops, killed or captured, mostly line infantry. Most of them were due not to the initial fight, but trying re-ford in plain sight of the other side and into some improvised barriers. In addition, some of the baggage train and all artillery is captured because the retreat was disorganized. The Imperial Loyalists crossed a few days later and found wagons and other goodies the French left behind in their confusion The Imperial Loyalists suffer 3K casualties.
Now here is the big question. Do the Hapsburgs have the manpower to use this to counterattack France and knock them out of the war? At this time, their Mediterranean ports had sparse defenses. Or do the Hapsburgs have to contend with a more passive strategy and just hope this defensive win by their allies buys enough time for their allies to fortify their core territory?
In the end the French suffer the loss of 35K troops, killed or captured, mostly line infantry. Most of them were due not to the initial fight, but trying re-ford in plain sight of the other side and into some improvised barriers. In addition, some of the baggage train and all artillery is captured because the retreat was disorganized. The Imperial Loyalists crossed a few days later and found wagons and other goodies the French left behind in their confusion The Imperial Loyalists suffer 3K casualties.
Now here is the big question. Do the Hapsburgs have the manpower to use this to counterattack France and knock them out of the war? At this time, their Mediterranean ports had sparse defenses. Or do the Hapsburgs have to contend with a more passive strategy and just hope this defensive win by their allies buys enough time for their allies to fortify their core territory?