Introduction to the 1813 Campaign

In early 2009 I carried out a complete review of our wargaming activities.   My wife and I have been wargaming since 1970, and I wanted to create a campaign which would provide us with enjoyable wargames making maximum use of our model soldier and scenery collection. 

I have always taken photographs of my wargames, and I decided to start a blog to keep a permanent record of the campaign.

I settled on the 1813 campaign because it involved all of the major military powers, and I had figures to represent all of them.   I would not attempt to copy that campaign, but to use it as a framework for my fictional one.

The campaign would start on 1 May 1813

I used a road atlas to produce hand drawn maps of central Europe and Spain.   In 2010 I treated myself to Profantasy CC3, a computer based map making system, to produce more professional looking maps.

The strategic terrain is similar to the actual terrain, but the tactical maps represent the wargames table scenery   The nations involved are the same, but the orders of battle completely different.

The orders of battle are designed to make maximum use of the model soldiers in my collection

Each battlefield is designed to fit on my 6x6 foot wargames table making maximum use of the scenery in my collection.

There are five campaign areas, each with its own French and allied army

Map of Europe 1 May 1813

Northern Germany – Munster to Berlin – French v Prussian
Central Germany – Dusseldorf to Dresden – French v Russian
Southern Germany – Munich to Vienna – French v Austrian
Eastern Spain – Barcelona to Valencia – French v Spanish
Western Spain – Madrid to Bayonne – French v British

The campaign started in April 2009