"Following his hard-fought victory at Waterloo, Napoleon acted with his customary speed. Rather than allowing the Coalition to regroup, he launched a series of rapid offensives that drove the shattered Anglo-Allied and Prussian armies back across the Rhine. By the spring of 1816, France had regained the strategic initiative.
The eastern Allies now carried the burden of the war. Russian armies advancing through Prussia sought to unite with Austrian forces assembling in Bohemia before renewing the invasion of France. Napoleon recognised the danger immediately. If the Coalition armies combined, they would possess overwhelming numerical superiority. He therefore resolved to defeat them in detail before that junction could take place.
Lieutenant-General Konstantin Raevsky's VIII Corps had been ordered to conduct a deliberate fighting withdrawal towards the Bohemian frontier, delaying the French advance while the remainder of the Russian army retired to prepared positions. Choosing strong ground near the village of Reichenbach, Raevsky deployed his corps across a low ridge fronting a shallow stream, determined to force Napoleon into a costly frontal attack.
For Napoleon, delay was unacceptable. Every hour increased the likelihood that Austrian columns would arrive to support the Russians. Confident in the quality of his troops and determined to regain the strategic initiative, the Emperor ordered Marshal Ney's II Corps to carry the Russian position while Bessières' Cavalry Corps sought an opportunity to exploit any breach. Behind them marched elements of the Imperial Guard, held in reserve for the decisive moment.
As the morning mist lifted over the Silesian countryside, both commanders understood that the coming battle might decide not merely the fate of a corps, but the future course of the 1816 campaign."
I'm now developing this as the next battle of my 'After Waterloo' campaign and would welcome your thoughts. To date, the resurgent French have humbled the Prussians in two sharp engagements and have, after their victory over Hill's rearguard the Anglo-Hanoverians have evacuated the Continent.
Does this seem a plausible strategic situation for the spring of 1816?
If you were Napoleon, would you attack immediately or try to manoeuvre Raevsky out of his position?
If you were Raevsky, would you make a stand behind a stream and ridge or continue withdrawing towards Bohemia?
Should the French enjoy a numerical advantage, or is superior troop quality enough to justify the attack?
Finally, what terrain features would you expect to find on a battlefield where a Russian rearguard intended to delay Napoleon's advance?
Once I've ironed out the scenario, created a map & OOBs (from existing armies), I intend to present this to my chums for a December game.
