Game of the Week, May 25-31

From May 25 through May 31, this week’s Game of the Week is Napoleonic Battles: Campaign Bautzen, on sale for 25% off. The title covers the spring campaign of 1813, when Napoleon returned to Germany after the disaster in Russia and tried to restore French control before the Coalition could gather overwhelming strength.

Campaign Bautzen follows this uncertain opening phase of the War of Liberation, from Lützen and Bautzen to the smaller actions that shaped the advance and pursuit across Saxony and Silesia. The game also extends beyond the German campaign and includes additional scenarios from the Russo-Swedish War of 1808-09. The game forms a natural sister game to Campaign Leipzig, where Leipzig covers the autumn climax of 1813, and Bautzen explores the earlier moment when Napoleon could still win battles, but could no longer easily make them decisive.

Napoleon Returns to Germany

The spring campaign of 1813 began in the aftermath of a catastrophe. Napoleon’s invasion of Russia had destroyed the Grande Armée as a field force. Men, horses, guns, wagons, and trained cadres had vanished on the roads from Moscow to the Niemen. Yet Napoleon’s power did not collapse at once. Returning to Paris in December 1812, he moved with extraordinary energy to raise a new army and recover his position in Germany.

The result was impressive, but uneven. Conscripts, National Guard cohorts, naval artillerymen, depot troops, veterans from Spain, and survivors of Russia were gathered into new formations. The infantry could march and fight, and the artillery remained powerful, but the cavalry was badly weakened. That shortage had a significant impact. Cavalry was not only a battlefield arm; it screened the army, found the enemy, covered the army's movements, and pursued defeated forces. In 1813, Napoleon could still win battles, but it was much harder to turn victory into the destruction of the enemy.

Across Europe, the political situation was shifting. Prussia had been forced into Napoleon’s system after 1806, but the Russian disaster broke the spell. General Yorck’s Convention of Tauroggen removed a Prussian corps from French control and helped ignite resistance. By March 1813, Prussia had openly joined Russia. What had begun as Russia’s war against invasion now became Germany’s War of Liberation.

„Jetzt ist der Augenblick gekommen, wo alle Täuschung über unsern Zustand aufhört.“

“Now the moment has come when all deception about our situation ends.”

– Frederick William III’s proclamation “An mein Volk” of March 17, 1813

The Allies were not yet the vast coalition that would later fight at Leipzig. Austria remained cautious, waiting to see whether Napoleon could still dominate Central Europe. The main armies in the field were Russian and Prussian. The Russians were exhausted but battle-hardened. The Prussians brought a reformed army, patriotic energy, and leaders such as Blucher, Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, and Yorck. Their command system, however, was complicated, with monarchs, generals, and staff officers all influencing decisions.

Napoleon’s aim was clear: defeat the Russians and Prussians before their forces grew, restore confidence among his German allies, and keep Austria neutral. The first major test came at Lützen on May 2, 1813. The Allies struck Marshal Ney’s exposed corps near Grossgörschen and came close to catching the French army at a dangerous moment. Napoleon reacted quickly, drew forces to the battlefield, and turned a surprise into a victory. But the result was incomplete. The Allies withdrew in good order, and the lack of French cavalry prevented a decisive pursuit.

After Lützen, the Allies retreated east through Saxony. Napoleon followed, seeking the greater success that had escaped him. At Bautzen, the Russians and Prussians took up a strong position behind the Spree, with depth, obstacles, and room to retreat. Napoleon planned to press them in front while Ney moved against their right and rear. If the maneuver worked, the Allied army might be trapped.

The Battle of Bautzen was fought on May 20-21. French attacks drove in the Allied forward line on the first day. On the second day, the battle spread across villages, ridges, woods, streams, and roads. Napoleon’s frontal pressure was powerful, but the decision depended on Ney’s turning movement from the north. Ney threatened the Allied rear, but delays and imperfect coordination allowed the Russians and Prussians to escape before the trap closed.

Bautzen was therefore both a victory and a warning. Napoleon had beaten the Allies twice in three weeks, yet their armies remained intact. Soon afterward, the combat at Hainau showed the danger posed by Allied cavalry, and on June 4, the Armistice of Plaswitz ended the spring campaign. During the pause, both sides rebuilt and negotiated. Most importantly, Austria moved closer to the Coalition.

«Comment ! Après une telle boucherie, aucun résultat ! Point de prisonniers ! Ces gens-là ne me laisseront pas un clou !»

“What! After such a bloodbath, not a single result! No prisoners! Those people won't leave me a single thing!”

– Napoleon after Bautzen

The spring campaign showed that Napoleon remained a commander of remarkable energy and tactical skill. It also showed that the war had changed. His new army could still win ground, but it could no longer easily destroy its enemies. In 1813, victory alone was no longer enough.

What's in the game

• Campaign Bautzen includes 159 Scenarios – covering all sizes and situations, including a solo tutorial scenario plus specialized versions for both head-to-head play and vs. the computer AI.
• Included are The Spring Campaign of 1813 and 
  The Campaign of 1813 - a linking campaign that requires ownership of Campaign Leipzig. Also, the majority of the actions of the Russo-Swedish War of 1808-09 are covered.
• The master map (113,552 hexes) includes all the significant locations fought over in the Bautzen campaign.
• The order of battle files cover the French and Coalition forces that participated in the campaign, with other formations added in for hypothetical situations.
• Campaign and Scenario Editors, which allow players to customize the game.
• Design notes, which cover the production of the game, campaign notes, and a bibliography that includes the sources used by the designer team to produce this simulation game.
• Campaign Bautzen provides multiple play options, including play against the computer AI, Play by E-mail (PBEM), LAN & Internet "live" play, as well as two-player hot seat.

Books and Videos

Here are some book recommendations to provide deeper historical background, along with video documentaries and gameplay videos. Clicking the book cover brings you to Amazon.

Leggiere, Michael V. Napoleon and the Struggle for Germany: The Franco-Prussian War of 1813. Vol. 1, The War of Liberation, Spring 1813. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015.

Nafziger, George F. Lützen and Bautzen: Napoleon's Spring Campaign of 1813. Warwick: Helion & Company, 2021.

Hofschröer, Peter. Lützen & Bautzen 1813: The Turning Point. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2001. 

Petre, F. Loraine. Napoleon's Last Campaign in Germany, 1813. London: John Lane, 1912.

Screenshots

Now for some screenshots from the game. As with the entire Napoleonic War series, this title has three 2D views and two 3D views to choose from. The game also features  3 different 2D icon sets.

We hope you enjoy this week’s Game of the Week: Napoleonic Battles: Campaign Bautzen. Like all WDS titles, it provides countless hours of rich historical gameplay at a very attractive price.