This is the second part of my Napoleonic TL.
1808-After defeating the Prussians in 1807, Napoleon decided to focus his energies on the Ottoman Empire, avenging his disastrous invasion of Egypt in 1799. Marshal Ney was sent to Vienna with 45,000 troops and 60 cannons, tasked with wreaking havoc in the Balkans. The French Grand Army gradually works its way into the Balkans, moving along the coast.
Marshal Ney moved his army into the city of Belgrade, setting up camp and securing his supply lines via the Danube. Meanwhile, the Ottoman general Ali Pasha raised an army of 40,000 soldiers and 8,500 Janissaries and left the Rumelia, marching towards Silistria in order to swiftly travel along the Danube and lead an amphibious assault on Ney's forces. Ney, deciding to defend his position, scoured the surrounding area for timber and began constructing wooden palisades along both sides of the river. Ney divided his army in two, placing 13,000 soldiers and 24 guns on the north side of the river. Ali Pasha, being urged by the sultan to press against Ney, fashioned a fleet of barges, brigs, and dhows to transport the large Ottoman army to Belgrade. But Ney, seeking to ambush Ali Pasha before he landed on the banks of the Danube, sent 15,000 soldiers under Brigadier General Pierre-Francois Bouchard to intercept Ali Pasha's fleet and ambush it before it reached its destinations.
Bouchard manages to position himself near the city of Vidin, positioning his forces on both sides of the river. When Ali Pasha's forces neared the outskirts of the city, Bouchard sent a battalion of grenadiers to draw the Ottomans towards the city. Ali Pasha refused to take the bait, however, halting his advance and preparing to disembark his forces for a reconnaissance mission. The Ottomans drive off the small battalion and begin disembarking. Bouchard, alerted by his retreating grenadiers, advanced on the Ottoman position a few miles east of Vidin, taking the Ottomans by surprise and forcing Ali Pasha to withdraw. Pasha, chastened by Bouchard's ambush, retreats back to Silistria .
1809-Ney, encouraged by Bouchard's victory at the Battle of Vidin, heads toward Salonika, leaving a trail of destruction behind him. Ney encouraged the local Slavic population to revolt, forcing the sultan in Istanbul to send another 6,000 Janissaries to reinforce Ali Pasha. Pasha, deciding to deal with the Slavic partisans and Ney simultaneously, marched on Salonika, hanging troublemakers and burning rebel farms and villages along the way. Ney reached the city first and fortified his position. Ali Pasha reached the city a week later, and decided to encircle the city and starve Ney out. Yet after two weeks and no progress, Ali Pasha led an assault on the city. 20,000 Ottomans attacked the center of Ney's line, where a small opening had appeared between the series of trenches, earthworks, and redoubts. The French troops opened fired after the Ottomans reached within 200 yards. The Ottomans were decimated by the volleys of stinging musket fire and cannon shots. The Janissaries were ordered forward to reinforce the attackers, but that did nothing but throw more meat into the grinder. With the Ottoman charge blunted and the army disorganized, Ney's forces left their fortifications and ran down the survivors of the charge. Pasha, with his forces decimated and their morale demoralized, ordered another withdrawal, seeking to regroup and rebuild his shattered army.
1808-After defeating the Prussians in 1807, Napoleon decided to focus his energies on the Ottoman Empire, avenging his disastrous invasion of Egypt in 1799. Marshal Ney was sent to Vienna with 45,000 troops and 60 cannons, tasked with wreaking havoc in the Balkans. The French Grand Army gradually works its way into the Balkans, moving along the coast.
Marshal Ney moved his army into the city of Belgrade, setting up camp and securing his supply lines via the Danube. Meanwhile, the Ottoman general Ali Pasha raised an army of 40,000 soldiers and 8,500 Janissaries and left the Rumelia, marching towards Silistria in order to swiftly travel along the Danube and lead an amphibious assault on Ney's forces. Ney, deciding to defend his position, scoured the surrounding area for timber and began constructing wooden palisades along both sides of the river. Ney divided his army in two, placing 13,000 soldiers and 24 guns on the north side of the river. Ali Pasha, being urged by the sultan to press against Ney, fashioned a fleet of barges, brigs, and dhows to transport the large Ottoman army to Belgrade. But Ney, seeking to ambush Ali Pasha before he landed on the banks of the Danube, sent 15,000 soldiers under Brigadier General Pierre-Francois Bouchard to intercept Ali Pasha's fleet and ambush it before it reached its destinations.
Bouchard manages to position himself near the city of Vidin, positioning his forces on both sides of the river. When Ali Pasha's forces neared the outskirts of the city, Bouchard sent a battalion of grenadiers to draw the Ottomans towards the city. Ali Pasha refused to take the bait, however, halting his advance and preparing to disembark his forces for a reconnaissance mission. The Ottomans drive off the small battalion and begin disembarking. Bouchard, alerted by his retreating grenadiers, advanced on the Ottoman position a few miles east of Vidin, taking the Ottomans by surprise and forcing Ali Pasha to withdraw. Pasha, chastened by Bouchard's ambush, retreats back to Silistria .
1809-Ney, encouraged by Bouchard's victory at the Battle of Vidin, heads toward Salonika, leaving a trail of destruction behind him. Ney encouraged the local Slavic population to revolt, forcing the sultan in Istanbul to send another 6,000 Janissaries to reinforce Ali Pasha. Pasha, deciding to deal with the Slavic partisans and Ney simultaneously, marched on Salonika, hanging troublemakers and burning rebel farms and villages along the way. Ney reached the city first and fortified his position. Ali Pasha reached the city a week later, and decided to encircle the city and starve Ney out. Yet after two weeks and no progress, Ali Pasha led an assault on the city. 20,000 Ottomans attacked the center of Ney's line, where a small opening had appeared between the series of trenches, earthworks, and redoubts. The French troops opened fired after the Ottomans reached within 200 yards. The Ottomans were decimated by the volleys of stinging musket fire and cannon shots. The Janissaries were ordered forward to reinforce the attackers, but that did nothing but throw more meat into the grinder. With the Ottoman charge blunted and the army disorganized, Ney's forces left their fortifications and ran down the survivors of the charge. Pasha, with his forces decimated and their morale demoralized, ordered another withdrawal, seeking to regroup and rebuild his shattered army.