"Like Kronoskaf, But For WAS?" Topic

Hello historians and gamers,

I'm wondering: Is there a site like Kronoskaf, but for the War of the Austrian Succession (and Silesian Wars) instead of for the Seven Years War?

I'd like to spend some time playing through the many battles of Frederick the Great (and his contemporaries), all the way from 1741 on. I'm looking for battle maps, campaign maps, even political maps, as well as tactical diagrams for the era.

Also interested in any rulesets, or "S&T"-type "counters-on-a-hexmap" games which illustrate specific battles or grand tactical maneuvers with maps or diagrams.

As always, any really good Osprey Campaign book is always appreciated as well.

Cheers.

The WAS is like the great white whale of 18th Century gaming. I've been interested in it for a number of years and there isn't much for the casual historian to dig up.

There are folks on the boards that have a pretty deep knowledge of it. I think it's ripe for someone to put together a campaign book describing the forces and some rough maps. I'd pay good money for some sort of source that I could use to game it.

Would a couple of the Duffy books provide all you need?

Obviously you would need Fred the Great: a Military Life for the Prussian battle maps and one of the Austiran books, as Duffy only tends to give the positions of units of one side in a book..

FtG:AML
link

AMT
link

Both excellent books and worth the money. Duffy has done a two part study on the Austrians, but if you are after something cheaper, mainly for the maps, this will do you…

It's a big of a black hole for gamers who only have English as a language. There are, as BB says, books in English but you will struggle for a Kronoskaf (an excellent resource) on the web.

My advice, is to read lots of Duffy, learn to speak German, and get your big fat wallet out and pay for private research.

Books on the subject are quite rare and you are not going to find them 'free' on the web. As someone has recently posted about Nosworthy's 'Anatomy of Battle', books on the 18C tend to be expensive.

It's what makes the 'usual' 18C gamer, as opposed to the 'usual' Napoleonic gamer, a cut above. Whereas the latter can generally find everything with ease, the former has to frantically search for almost everything.

Sorry, but, if 18C is going to be your thing, I'm afraid that's probably going to be your lot.

Having said that, it leaves the canvas blank for Imagi-nation stuff. Not something I've tried yet but, once my Austrians are upgraded, I plan to.

The War of the Austrian Succession
by Reed Browning

Marshal Of France: The Life And Times Of Maurice, Comte De Saxe, 1696-1750
by Jon Manchip White

There are actually quite a few English language books and web sites covering the WAS:

"Fontenoy and Great Britain's Share in the War of the Austrian Succession 1741-48", by Francis Henry Skrine.

Whitworth, Rex (1958). Field Marshal Lord Ligonier: A Story of the British Army, 1702-1770. Oxford

Jon Manchip White's book on Maurice de Saxe has good OOBs and maps for all of his battles in the Flanders theatre of operations.

Here is a terrific site for uniform plates for the French, Dutch, Danish and Bavarian armies in the WAS:

link

Check out the Caliver book site. They have paperback booklets covering some of the armies during the WAS

As mentioned above, any of the Christopher Duffy books, especially "The Military Life of Frederick the Great" and "The Wild Goose and the Eagle" which covers the Austrian army's campaigns in Italy and southern France are particulalry good sources of information.

You can find reprints and/or excerpts from Thomas Carlyle's history of Frederick the Great but the archaic writing style and Carlyle's fawning over Frederick make this a source to be used with some caution, but still fun to read.

Fritz, you were one of the folks I was referring to when I was talking about knowledgeable people on the forum. You should put together a rules agnostic scenario book for the WAS. It might help to fund the production of some figures.

I'd even do the layout for you if you gave me raw text to work with.

Really, WAS wasn't so different from the 7YW. Tactics et. al. were near identical. All armies moved just the same as at the age of Marlbrough and Eugene except for the Prussian infantry, that would move faster. By the SYW also the Prussian cavalry would move faster then every other armies cavalry. Thats about all essential to say in "rather general terms". All others still obeyed to early 18th C drill – i.e. rather slow moving at best (including English & Anglo-German Allies). Details aren't of so much concern on the wargamers end. Few heavy guns found with an army during the WAS and lots more during the SYW, I should add. Thats about it. Hardly worth the effort to do a book on the subject, except you'll illustrate the tedious issue with lots of really pretty images unseen so far :-)
In that case, I'd buy a copy.

I find that many books on the SYW actually start with referencing the WAS. There is a good book on Fontenoy from Histoire & COllections.

Thanks for the many knowledgeable replies. Time to make another reading list, I see.

As always, the big stack of Christopher Duffy books rises ever-closer to the top of the "To Read" pile.

Fritz, as always you are a gentleman, a scholar, and a general fount of wisdom.

I praise my good fortune to have found shelter among so many generous souls.

Truly, the 18th Century is still the age of gentlemen.

May your troops all prove themselves worthy. Cheers.

Try the Obscure Battles site (obscurebattles.blogspot.com/)

You will find some spectacular maps and OBs for some of Frederick's early
battles

regards