The Austerlitz game is very similar to the Napoleon At Waterloo game, also published by Simulations Publications. Essentially the only differences are the terrain, the size of the units, and the composition of the Allied armies.
At first, many things concerning the terrain may seem strange to the Players. It should be remembered that the battle was fought in the winter. Aside from the more obvious aspects of winter, such as lakes freezing over, there are a number of more arcane differences. The streams and swamps freezing have little effect, since the banks and snow covered obstacles of these areas are just as effective in impeding movement. In addition the snow reduced road effectiveness and most importantly interfered with approaches to the towns, increasing their defensive multiple value.
The armies that fought at Austerlitz used somewhat different tactics than were used ten years later at Waterloo. The French army was qualitatively the best NAPOLEON EVER FIELDED. They were the product of three years peace-time training, and had experienced a long march with many engagements to this field of battle. As such, they were immensely superior on a man for man basis to the comparable Allied soldier. All of the command problems had been shaken out of the organization by the campaign they had just passed through, and the French units proved much more responsive to commands than their Allied counterparts. Thus the overall superiority of the French units in movement ability.
The Allied army was a relatively typical army of the Eighteenth Century. The number of units was really determined by the number of people of sufficient rank and/or ability to command troops. There were not regular units per se, as in the French Army; rather, a certain number of battalions would be allocated to a particular individual to command. These units would have little or no experience at working together on the battlefield. The exception was of course the Russian Imperial Guard, whose experience was mostly on the parade ground. The Austrian portion of the army was a remnant of a beaten army. The Russian army had seen little but rearguard actions to this point. Since the Russians had so many large units, that were extremely unwieldy to maneuver, the Allied numerical superiority of 83,000 to 73,000 was more apparent than real.
Essentially the Allies are in a good position. They had thrust their army forward against the weak French right flank, and were ready to overwhelm it, and cut Napoleon off from his supplies and Vienna. Alternatively, they could retreat back .to the east, leaving their army intact, if the attack did not go well. Napoleon had made a serious misjudgment due to poor intelligence in estimating the point of Allied attack as more to his center. If not for the arrival of Davout's force from Vienna (French Game-Turn 2 reinforcements), the Allies might well have been successful. The impetus for victory is upon Napoleon. The Prussians were mobilizing, and preparing to enter the war in Napoleon's rear with 175,000 supposedly invincible troops. Only a massive French victory could save the situation; merely defeating the Allied attack was insufficient, if the Allies were permitted to retreat intact.
Austerlitz is a classic situation of a hammer and tongs, with a study in time and motion. Enjoy it!
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