Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

Was there any point in time during the wars that any of the Coalition forces single handedly were close to defeating La Grand Armee, besides say Russia? At what point would this have occurred? and at what battle? And in particular, which country ?

Thanks! You guys at the club are better than the history books I've read and I'm chock full of qiestions I'll tell you that!!

Tell me about the pictures, Fred. Who are the people?

Leaving aside the War of Liberation, I'd say the closest run the Grande Armee had was the early stages of the 1809 campaign. While Marshal Davout is typically celebrated for Auerstedt, his actions in the Eckmuhl campaign may be even more impressive. Berthier's dispositions left him rather "hung out to dry", yet he gave Napoleon time to arrive and concentrate the main body of the Grande Armee. What happens if he hadn't been as successful as he was? That makes it hard to say, but the campaign would have certainly been much harder for the French.

That said, I wouldn't put even this especially high on the "nearly defeated" scale, but I can't think of anything offhand that comes closer.

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Feldmarschall Freiherr Gary McClellan
IR44
Portner Grenadier Battalion
Austrian Army

Scenario Designer:
JTS Midway
JTS Seven Years War

*facepalm*

Ok, mea culpa. I forgot the obvious.

Marengo. If Desaix is delayed somehow, that entire war takes a whole new tack. I still don't see John beating Moreau at Hohenlinden, but a loss at Marengo would have put Nappie himself in an extremely sticky wicket with his back to the Alps.

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Feldmarschall Freiherr Gary McClellan
IR44
Portner Grenadier Battalion
Austrian Army

Scenario Designer:
JTS Midway
JTS Seven Years War

I agree Gary. Aspern Essling was particularly bad (1809). Also of course Eylau (1807) and later Borodino (1812)
Not including the comings and goings of 1813-1815 either.

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Marechal Knox

Prince d'Austerlitz et Comte d'Argentan
Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur

"What is history but a fable agreed upon"

Mark
The first picture is of myself and my better half if you can say that LOL... The second is the CT State flag where I live.the third is my father and I who has since passed and the last is of, courseis the La Grande Armee's flag.....which I plan to be.switching.very shortly.....

Against la Grande Armee (1805 to 1814), I'd say that the Russians are the only ones. The Austrians could have defeated the Armee d'Allemagne but purely on the basis of semantics, I don't think they had a shot at the Grande Armee.

So Fred, I see you are a fellow New Englander. IMHO, I like your current flags better than the prospect of one changing.

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Marechal Jeff Bardon
Duc de Castiglione et Prince de Wagram
Commandant de la Garde Imperiale

Fred, most excellent! Sorry to hear about your Father's passing. I lost mine to a heart attack in 1993. He and I were very close, but despite the fact that his passing was sudden, we did not have any outstanding issues or regrets between us. He was a great guy and I attribute my (often warped) sense of humor to him. You have to be able to laugh as you pass through this world, otherwise you are not going to make it very far.

Self confidence and a sense of humor; two very important apsects of my character that I attribute to my Dad.

Jeff, as soon as Fred drops his sword against me as a French officer, he is going to pick up a new one with the Austrians. Please ask General Knox to be so kind as to pack Fahnrich Delio's knapsack with all of those fine, tactical documents he has composed before sending him through the lines.

Oh dear a traitor in our midst. I shall post no further bit of an unfair trick that one.
Not a surprise from the coalition though, up to their usual skullduggery

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Marechal Knox

Prince d'Austerlitz et Comte d'Argentan
Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur

"What is history but a fable agreed upon"

My dearest General Knox, your secrets are still safe. None of your fine missives have been transmitted to the Coalition Headquarters to date. At least none of which I am aware. The only lessons I retain are the ones so painfully gained in our bout on the field of Austerlitz and, in all fairness, I honorably earned those.

yes indeed you earnt it. We must be due for a new contest soon with all the fine training Marechal Bardon has added to your skill set.

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Marechal Knox

Prince d'Austerlitz et Comte d'Argentan
Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur

"What is history but a fable agreed upon"

Marechal Bardon is beating me ever so slowly. Unfortunately, our game is at a crawl. I think he fears the entry of Generaal Moss' fine Prussians, but the good Marechal emphatically denies it, swearing that the Coalition officer has not yet been created that can bring him to humility.

In truth, our next contest could well arise in the 2011 Struggle of Nations Tournament, should you be able to participate.

A true statement. Defeat, perhaps. Humility, not a chance.

Should you care to entertain a 1v1 match at some point, I assure you that the pace would quicken (so long as there are no more freak snowstorms that knock out power and internet for extended periods).

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Marechal Jeff Bardon
Duc de Castiglione et Prince de Wagram
Commandant de la Garde Imperiale

The slow pace is certainly not your fault, Jeff. I am easily as guilty for the delay as anyone else.

I anxiously await when the time arrives when my alligence has been properly moved to the correct country. General Knox, your information in general has
been an invaluable experience and I thank you for that I I think at this point I am simply awaiting Scott's blessing to make the move final.......