"Russo Swedish war of 1808 - Scandinavian Campaign" Topic

"During the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars of 1792 – 1815 many famous campaigns were undertaken, and many famous battles fought. Yet in such a large series of conflicts it is perhaps inevitable that some aspects are overlooked. In this article I will examine one such campaign, the Russo – Swedish war of 1808 -09. I will also look how this conflict could have easily blossomed into a wider conflict, particularly if the planned invasion of mainland Sweden had proceeded. Scandinavia was somewhat of a backwater during these wars, but this conflict offers some interesting prospects for the gamer. With unusual Napoleonic armies such as the Norwegians featuring alongside some famous names from the period such as Sir John Moore, Bernadotte and Ney. In this article I will briefly outline the real events and some of the interesting possibilities of the situation. In addition I will also outline the Swedish, Finnish, British, Norwegian, Danish, Russian, Dutch, Spanish and French forces that were, or might have been, involved in the events of 1808 / 09. Lastly I will briefly outline some of the interesting scenarios that could be fought against the background of these events.

A three pronged attack on Sweden / Finland was envisioned. First of all the Russians would invade Finland with 3 Divisions under General Buxhoevden. Russia's considerable, but mostly oar powered, naval forces would support this attack. In the event further Russian reinforcements were dispatched as the campaign progressed and Finnish resistance proved stronger than expected. The second prong would consist of Norwegian forces defending there country and operating over the border if possible in support of the other operations. Finally an invasion would be undertaken from Denmark of Southern Sweden. This would consist of a combined French, Dutch, Spanish and Danish force under the overall command of Marshall Bernadotte and with Ney in charge of the French troops…"
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