Sunday, March 31, 2013

19th Century Imaginations - Furstenberg Seebataillone

It is difficult for a military adviser from outside Balkania to imagine how a landlocked nation like the Margravate of Furstenberg requires naval infantry, and even more difficult to picture them participating in the 23 Weeks War, which was waged largely in the Karzstan Mountains, and the hill country north into the Confederated Cantons of Rumpwhistle - but both of things are true, and deserve some treatment in the ongoing series of descriptions of troops in this important conflict.

The eastern border of Furstenberg is the mighty Krenz River, and it divides Furstenberg from other Balkanian Principalities.  Because of this, and especially because the Krenz also borders Rumpwhistle (although north of it's Furstenberg shorelines), the Margravate maintains a riverine navy.

Over the years, this small segment of the Furstenberg military establishment has gained quite a history for its ships and associated men, and has participated in a number of interesting conflicts against other Balkanian powers.  Protecting both the ships and naval facilities are a number of companies of naval infantry.  These serve as on-shore garrisons for the different naval ports, as well as serving on the capital ships of the navy as marine detachments.  They fulfill the typical role - assisting gun crews in combat, providing security for officers, and serving as boarding and shore parties in operations.

Together these various units of naval infantry are the Furstenberg Seebataillone (officially listed as just one battalion, albeit closer to division strength, although never gathered together in one place).  It consists of a number of different "companies", but each company can be as large as 600 men.  It is the tradition that the troops assigned to either a shore facility or to a single ship are all termed a Company (as in Ship's Company, or the Port Company).  The name should not be confused with a typical infantry company (which in the mid 19th century in Furtenberg is about 150 men).

Furstenberg Seebataillon - 1871
Around the time of the 23 Weeks War, the Furstenberg Navy was very much still a Navy in Transition, to use the terminology of the day.  It consisted of some 6 ironclad ships, and approximately 24 wooden ships.  Most of the wooden ships had been outfitted with auxilliary steam power, which is quite important when navigating the rivers of Furstenberg.  At the outbreak of the war, none of the ironclads, and only four of the wooden vessels (the aging ship of the line "Duchess Helga", the more modern battle cruiser "Queen of the May", and the two masted cruisers "Absinthia" and "Eiderduck") were present on the Dukon River, and all of these were in the river port city of Thorn.  These were rapidly called up to Graatz Province, and their naval infantry companies and some of their guns were made available to the expeditionary forces preparing for war against the Rumpwhistle forces.  The Duchess Helga was not seaworthy at the time, but her Seebataillone company was sent along.

Captain Akorn-Tabbac, of the Eiderduck
Once in the Graatz naval weapons station at Korndock, the troops were organized.  The 600 men from the Duchess Helga were made into Company One.  The troops off of Absinthia, Queen of the May, and Eiderduck were combined to make up Company Two.  And finally, detachments from Thorn and Korndock were combined into Company Three.  Together with a battery of light guns from the Eiderduck, that were hastily mounted on field carriages, these were deemed a Light Brigade, and sent north to help out in the war.

As far as actual naval actions in the war, there was some gunplay between the Eiderduck and Urbik river pirates, on the Dukon River, however this is typical in the region and did not seem to have much to do with the conflict against Rumpwhistle.

The three Companies did see action, in a number of different battles, and men of the Duchess Helga company (Seebataillone Co. 1)distinguished themselves at the Battle of Krump's Farm.  The whole brigade was brought together after that action, and during the Maduro Valley campaign, fought together as a unit, under command of Port Admiral Kriegwasser, from Thorn  He had his whole staff with him, which was a mixed blessing.  They were a command that was accustomed to working together, however much of the work they did was to organize ship repairs, supervise operations against river pirates, and handle recruiting and naval logistics.
Admiral Kriegwasser and his staff.

In 1871, the uniform of the Seebataillon forces consisted of the typical dark blue tunic, similar to that of the infantry (although with Light Blue collar tabs, and according to the Furstenberg military roles, a "fair amount of gold or red stitching, as befit naval infantry").  They wore sky blue trousers, tending towards a bloused style (although not as much as the zouave trousers of the Drover Highlanders).  Rifle and kit were very much the same as the Infantry.  Unit distinctions tended to be the name of the ship or port that the company was detached from, stitched around the back of the kepi.  A dress shako, with a naval infantry gold plate as a frontspiece, was rarely worn in the field.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Reaper Bones Kickstarter - Shipping soon!!

So - Last year, I decided to back the Reaper Miniatures "Bones" Kickstarter.  And I am glad I did.  I went in for the $100 level (called the "Vampire" package).  And for that I get a metric ton of miniatures, in the new resin material that they are casting in.

Here is an awesome website detailing the over 200 figures that are in the Vampire package (currently, they would be valued at  $1153.52, and that doesn't include 24 new miniatures that don't have a current price).  Hover over the figures in the image on that page, to see a detailed shot of each miniature, and it's current cost to purchase (outside the kickstarter).

This is a win for the fans (like me) who get a ton of gorgeous miniatures for cheap, and also for Reaper, because it allows them to MASSIVELY expand this line of new material based miniatures.  Previously their Bones line was 22 figures.  The Kickstarter money gave them the capital to begin really expanding that line.  Basically, once setup fees and mold design, etc, are done - making resin figures costs less than nothing per piece.  Handling, packaging, shipping, advertising - those are the costs once setup is done.  But unlike metal molds, I understand that plastics and resins have VERY expensive processes involved.  So - the Kickstarter.

Anyway, here is a video of the unboxing - what is in the set (in a big-picture sense) -

For a better look at the actual miniatures included - check this out -

And here is a static image of what was included in the Vampire package.  Basically, as the Kickstarter campaign progressed, more and more got added to the basic package.  Until *Voila* Loads of cool miniatures, for $100.

They are (I understand) on time to ship in March.  I expect my nifty box of goodies to come very soon now. (I upgraded my order by adding in some paint sets, and some Cthulhu Mythos miniatures - it makes me all gooey just thinking about it).

Monday, March 25, 2013

19th century Imaginations - Furstenberg Alpine Troops

In the northern-most regions of both the Kraznikrenz Province and the Protectorate of Graatz, the alpine conditions of the Karzstan Mountains makes life difficult for the locals.  The population is a mixture of Urbs, Bosni-Balkanians and the Karzstan hill people (a rough tribal culture, but not as rough as the Drover Highlanders).  From this mix comes a tradition of mountain hunting that is the perfect basis for forming select units of Alpine Infantry.

Furstenberg Alpine Uniform
These Karzstan Mountaineers live in rough and rugged country, and make their livelihood by tending tough mountain cattle, and by hunting in the mountains.  They also have to regularly drive off Bosni-Balkanian raiders, and fight in local territorial disputes with the Urb hill tribes that they share their valleys and slopes with.  Because of this, they naturally develop and cultivate the skills that make them expert Alpine infantry.

There are six Regiments, each of four battalions, of Alpine Infantry in the Furstenberg Army at the time of the 23 Weeks War.  These are named for the Karzstan valleys that they are recruited from.  Each of the Regiments is numbered, in the Furstenberg Regimental system, but each also retains their traditional names and traditions as well.

The first Alpine Regiment, "34th Alpen" are also known as the Karzstan Ritter zu Fuss, are an old regiment, going back to the late 16th century.  These were the remnants of a religious order (Ordo Milites du Gourd en Karzstan), ordained several centuries earlier by the Holy See of Balkania.

During the late 16th and into the early 17th century, they were responsible for driving out the Urb tribesmen in and around the Aleman river valley, in the southwest reaches of the Karzstan Mountains.  This allowed for the establishment of (what would later become) the frontier city of Alemansberg.  Initially it was a travelers hospital and refuge in the mountains, operated by the Ordo Milites.

Grandmaster Horst Gourdkapp, of the Ordo Milites
Painted on the ceiling of the Alemansberg Cathedral of the Vine

As time went on, the Order was attracting more and more secular knights, and became known simply as the Karzstan Ritter zu Fuss.  During the Great Northern Furstenberg War, around the turn of the 18th century, units of the Ritter zu Fuss were sent to fight for the Grand Duchy of Poppenheim.  The Ritters were especially noteworthy for their role in the battle of Neugourd, where they held off the massed Bombastia guard regiments, who were advancing on the church Tithe barn that the Ritters were defending.

After the wars of Furstenberg Unification, the Ritter Zu Fuss were officially recognized as the first Alpine Regiment, and still retain somewhat of an elite status.  Because of this, the Margravate has almost always allowed the 34th Alpini to muster 6 battalions, rather than the typical 4.  These often see duty with several of the Furstenberg Corps.

Col. Friedel Henken, killed February 1872, battle of Vineykopp

Here is a table of the Alpine Regiments, along with unit distinctions, and the Regimental Commander (typically of the first battalion) of each at the start of the 23 Weeks War.

Furstenberg Alpine Regiments, Autumn 1871
RegimentTraditional NameCollarDistinctionCommanding
34th Alpen "Konigtal" Karzstan Ritter zu Fuss Forest Green Yellow Col. Friedel Henken
42nd Alpen "Hochtal" Hochberg Schnaikorp Forest Green Red Col. Xavier Groesser
66th Alpen "Waldental" Tannenbaumkorp Forest Green Brown Col. Wolfe Zant
68th Alpen "Sorrtal" Sorrberg Ritterkorp Forest Green Black Col. Stanek Nadler
71st Alpen "Mariktal" Alpenjunkers Forest Green Light Blue Col. Johan Meus
80th Alpen "Urstromtal" Norden Hoffnungkorp Forest Green Dark Blue Col. Richard Klauss

The uniform consisted of a dark blue tunic, light blue trousers, a jaeger style hat, gaiters and boots.  The gaiters were frequently the first casualties of any campaign.  Regimental distinctions manifest as embroidered stitching surrounding the green tabs on the collar.  Battalion numbers appear on buttons and equipment.  While not on regular campaign, the jaeger hat was discarded in favor of a large floppy beret.  Alpen troops were frequently used as police troops and rescue personnel in mountain operations, when they were not attached to divisions for military operations.

Col. Friedel Henken was celebrated as a beloved hero, due to his role in mustering mountain troops against the Urbik Horde, during the wars of unification.  At the start of the 23 Weeks War, he was not only at the head of the 34th Regiment, but was also nicknamed by the papers as the "General of the Mountain Men".  He was present at the battle of Vineykopp, against the Rumpwhistle forces, in February of 1872.  He was given command of the Alpen Brigade, which consisted of battalions from the 34th, 42nd and 71st.  Also attached were companies of the Simian Jaegers, and a mountain battery from the Alemansberg Freikorps.  Although the crossing of the Vineywasser was defended, the second battalion of the 42nd was decimated, and in an effort to relieve them, Col. Henken (at the head of the first battalion of the 34th) was shot by a Rumpwhistle sharpshooter.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Traveller Tuesdays - System Details, Etzina (Ark/0401)

Using the system presented earlier to generate the content of a system, we'll present the contents of the world system of Etzina. 

Note: A later blog post here has details of the World Map for Etzina.

Etzina is a world in the Ark subsector, hex 0401. This is a fairly high population world, with a first class starbase, and a Naval Base, in Sphere Fenix.  It is, without a doubt, an important world in the Sphere.

         Etzina        0401 A454979-E  N            110 Sx

Looking at those stats, we can see that the following is known about the mainworld.

UWP:A454979-ELocation:Crucis Margin/0401System:Etzina
Starport:AExcellent Starport (Shipyard: Starships; Repair: Overhaul; Fuel: Refined)
Planetary Size:4Small (e.g. Mars) (5,600-7,199km)
Hydrosphere:4Wet World (35 - 44% water)
Government:7Balkanization. (No central ruling authority exists. rival governments compete for control.)
Law Level:9High Law (No weapons outside home)
Tech Level:EAbove Average Interstellar Community
Base(s):Naval Base (Imperial)
Zone:Green: Unrestricted
# of Planetoid Belts:1# of Gas Giants:0

Interesting world, especially to have such a high population (1 billion), given that it has a thin atmosphere.

Okay, following the procedure from the system generator article, we have the following.

There are a total of 7 interesting orbits.

The first 3 of those are in the Jump Shadow of the star (the star has the name "6935 Mao Xiu" from the original earth colonists).

The first 2 orbits are in the inner zone, and the last two orbits are in the outer zone, leaving 3 interesting orbits in the Habitable Zone.

System: Etzina (0401 A454979-E)
Star: 6935 Mao Xiu (Jump shadow extends past first three orbits)
  1. (Inner Zone) Schofield (Small Ice World) Size 2
  2. (Inner Zone) Isenberg (Small Terrestrial World) Size 3, 2 moons
  3. (Habitable Zone) Kannaday (Terrestrial World) Size 7
  4. (Habitable Zone) Etzina (Terrestrial World) Size 4, 1 moon
  5. (Habitable Zone) Toranz (Large Terrestrial World ) Size 5, 2 moons
  6. Asteroid Belt
  7. (Outer Zone) Erco (Large Terrestrial World) Size 6, 1 moon
  8. (Outer Zone) Bermey (Large Ice World) Size 9
  9.  (Outer Zone) Shaloob (Planetoid) Size 2

  • Education Facility (30 inhabitants - Trade: Terraforming Practices) in orbit around Schofield
  • Complex of Education Facilities (3 sites, populations 700, 50, 30 - Science: Astrophysics) in the Asteroid Belt
  • Communications Facility (20 inhabitants, In System), in orbit around Shaloob
  • Science Lab (20 inhabitants - Artificial Materials, Theory, Private), in orbit around Etzina's moon
  • Wind Farm (20 inhabitants) on the surface of Isenberg's first moon
  • Solar Energy Orbital Facility (4,000 inhabitants) in orbit around Etzina
  • Solar Energy Orbital Facility (700 inhabitants) in orbit around Kannaday - rival to the Etzina facility
  • Hospital Facility (8,000 inhabitants) dispersed platforms (3) in orbit around Etzina
  •  Corporate Facility (4,000 inhabitants) underground on Kannaday
  • Major Cargo Port (8,000,000 workers and family members) on surface of Isenberg
  • Naval Weapons Station (600,000 staff) in orbit around Toranz
  • Fuel Extraction Site (1,000,000 workers and family members) on surface of Erco
The planet of Etzina itself has 6 major political units (Nations), and an additional 10 significant political units.

Monday, March 11, 2013

19th Century Imaginations - Rumpwhistle (2 - military of the Confederacy)

So, the Confederated Cantons of Rumpwhistle, as the country is known in the later half of the 19th century, has its army organized in two broad parts.  Rumpwhistle also as a small navy, to patrol its coast along the shores of the inland sea, Lake Balkania, but that isn't addressed here.

Rumpwhistle Infantry
The first segment of the army is the National Army of Rumpwhistle.  These are troops that are organized to work together, and take their direction from Premier of the Landhouse, who is supposedly the head of the army, but in reality often just appoints generals from the capitol building at Ramshorn.  These troops are funded by Confederacy money, which is often of poor amounts and late in arriving, so because of that the National Army units are often of poorer quality - in terms of both equipment and morale - compared to the second part of the army.  Due to the long heritage of the country as once being a Monarchy (the Earldom of Rumpwhistle), there is a long and proud heritage of sons of the nobility serving in the Army as senior officers.  That tradition, in the late 19th century, still encourages sons of families with money or status, to attend to their ancient military obligations.  Because of this, the officers of the National Army are usually of a high status, and often rather idealistic.

The second segment of the army are the Canton Units.  In reality each of the 13 cantons of Rumpwhistle has their own individual army, but these are rather small, and highly variable in size.  However, there is, in the Treaty of Confederation, terms that require the Cantons to submit units for the common defense of the nation at large, and to support each other in case of internal or external threat.

There are 9 cantons and 4 independent cities that are treated as cantons - they have seats in the Landhouse, and provide units to the army.  These are listed here.
  • Sutliff - Coal mining country.  Also known for their musicians.  Units frequently accompanied by extra pipers and drummers.
  • Nikovena - Cold mountain country, with thin soil.  The only real economy is sheep herding, and the land is too rocky for many horses.  No cavalry units from Nikovena.  Capitol city is Papaschlemo, and the Canton is always struggling with the local Bosniak population.
  • Gawith - Strong tradition of distilling spirits.  Located along the mountains, Gawith is the home of the Hoggarth Rebels - formerly Drover highlanders aligned to Furstenberg, but during the Cattle Raid wars of the last century, broke off and moved to the Rumpwhistle (Gawith) side of the border.
  • Pease - The trade city of Meridda Hill is in Pease, and it is home to the best armories and foundries in Rumpwhistle.  Pease Artillery units are legendary, at least amongst the Canton armed forces.
  • Fribourg - Hill country.  Home to a very contentious local population.  Given to strong drink, poetry, and reactionary political movements.  They make good infantrymen.  The chief town of Mac Baren is home to the famous Red Guard - volunteers during the civil wars, and rabble rousers the rest of the time.
  • Cornell - Location of the port city, Diehl.  Many foreigners enlist here, making Cornell regiments the most "exotic" in make up of all the Canton forces.
  • Stanwell - Farm country, home to a good many horse communities.  Stanwell cavalry is the best in the Confederacy.
  • Dunhill - Coal miners, again.  These fellows are strong in a fight, but they never went anywhere fast.
  • Peterson - Sheep country.  High population, but it is kept mainly in the walled towns, with the countryside given over entirely to the Sheep trade.  The capital of the Confederated Cantons is here, the city of Ramshorn.
It is interesting to note that Ramshorn is not considered one of the independent cities, but that was due to the Treaty of Confederation thinking that it was important, and powerful, enough without having its own electors for the position of Premier, or independent representatives to the Landhouse.

The four independent cities that DO have Canton status are:
  • Eriksen - City at the junction of Sutliff, Cornell and Fribourg.  Lots of class conflict, between the wealthy traders of Cornell, the miners of Sutliff, and the "salt of the earth" people of Fribourg.
  • Wessex - City is in between Stanwell and Peterson.  Wessex stock markets are known for their horses of Stanwell, sheep of Peterson, and sharks of Wessex.
  • Grabow - Between Dunhill and Gawith.  Grabow University is the elite seat of learning for Rumpwhistle.
  • Long - Bordering both Nikovena and Pease.  Marksmanship tradition going back to the middle ages, when Pease Longbowmen were highly sought after mercenaries.
Regular Infantry on the left, Canton Infantry on the right

The last significant focus of military strength in Rumpwhistle isn't a part of the regular armed forces.  That focus is on the various irregular units that will often (but not always) align themselves with the Rumpwhistle forces (either the Confederacy army or the Cantonate forces).   These groups include the following:
  • Urbik Hill Tribes - the ethnic Urbs are a fierce hill people, and will often come together, many different smaller tribes and villages, under a charismatic warlord, to either fight for or against the Rumpwhistle forces, depending on the way the wind is blowing.  Occasionally the Urbs will get caught up into the Pan-Urbik league, which stretches Urbik territory over the nations of Rumpwhistle, Vulgaria, and Furstenberg.  Occasionally Urb tribes will have cavalry, either mounted on horseback, or if they have ties to the tribes from the arid Simian Plains of Furstenberg, they may have camel mounted units.  Urbs are renowned for their deadly accurate rifle fire, and are frequently armed with jezzail long rifles.
    Urb Hill Tribesmen
  • Bosniaks - these are wild men of the hills in and around Nikovena.  The original Bosni-Balkanian people of the region have mostly, over the centuries, been integrated with the various European, Asian and Semitic nations that have invaded or colonized, but these represent pure Bosni-Balkanians.  They are sworn enemies of the Urbs, but also of the Rumpwhistle nation.  It is rare that a month goes by without a Bosniak raid on Papaschlemo (the capitol city of the Canton of Nikovena).  It is possible, from time to time, that Bosniak units (occasionally irregular foot scouts, but more likely to be rifle and spear armed light cavalry) will join a Rumpwhistle military column.
  • Wagon People - there is a culture of nomadic peoples that live in and around the hills of the Fribourg Canton, that are best described as either tinkers or gypsies.  They move around, in large extended family-clans, using horse drawn wagons.  These wagons serve to move the family goods (each adult individual or couple in the family-clan will have one or more wagons), and are peopled either by family members, or by the serfs that they capture in their raids and clan wars.  Again, the wagon people will occasionally join a Rumpwhistle operation, but frequently when it is against either Urbs or Bosniaks.  The fighting style of the Wagon People is to form a defensive "fort" by placing their wagons into a laager formation, and firing out against the enemy.
    Defensive Laager of the Wagon People

So the Confederacy army is divided up into three Corps, but they have different duties.  The first corps, Home Corps, is almost always located at Ramshorn, to provide home guard units, ceremonial duties, and manning the headquarters of the army, Fort Boxtinder. The second corps, also called the Spirit Corps, is used for training and recruiting.  The various units in the Sprit Corps (really it is at division, or lower, strength) are almost all under manned, yet they have a full complement of Officer and support structure.  These units are spread out among the various Cantonate military forces, and provide a reach-back to the Confederacy from those military forces.  The third corps, also known as the Expedition Corps, is kept up at full strength, and is the "field army" of the Confederacy, kept at a high level of readiness.  The other parts of the Confederacy army are theoretically available for use, in case of major operations, but it would take some time to mobilize and equip the units.  The Expedition Corps is the first option for military actions in or around Rumpwhistle.

Cavalry of the Expedition Corps

Expedition Corps (III Corps, Rumpwhistle Confederacy Army)

6th Division
  6 regiments of infantry (each 2 battalions)
  1 regiment of grenadiers (3 battalions of grenadiers)
  1 battalion of jaegers
  1 cavalry regiment
  1 artillery regiment

8th Division
  4 regiments of infantry
  2 regiment of grenadiers
  2 cavalry regiment
  1 artillery regiment

12th Division
  6 regiments of infantry (each 2 battalions)
  2 battalion of jaegers
  2 artillery regiment

Terrapin Division
  4 regiments of infantry
  2 regiment of grenadiers
  2 battalion of jaegers
  1 cavalry regiment
  2 artillery regiment
 The next article in this series will cover the Canton troops.

Saturday, March 9, 2013

19th Century Imaginations - Rumpwhistle (1 - history)

So, in spite of the danger from Vulgaria, when the Twenty Three Weeks War started because of instigation by university students in Furstenberg it wasn't against the Vulgarian Empire, it was instead against the Confederated Cantons of Rumpwhistle.  Since I am prepping my wargaming armies to be able to fight out the major engagements that were part of this little brush war, I thought it would be prudent to detail some of the background history of Rumpwhistle, and also her military structure.

During the later Middle Ages, due to the vagaries of glebe law under the canonical rule of the Balkanian Orthodox church, a large parcel of land passed from a priest, to his third son.  At the same time, the son was forced into a rather uncomfortable arrangement with the daughter of a Vulgarian duchess.  The father of the bride to be, rather ashamed at having an illegitimate son of a priest as a son-in-law, rather took things into his own hands, and through bribes of the local elector, had the lad dubbed Earl of Rumpwhistle.  At the time, the Rumpwhistle lands consisted of a small sheep farm, and a coal seam that had never delivered.  Immediately following the wedding, however, the church lands eschewed to the new Earl, making him a rather large and prominent landowner, and all of a sudden, the envy of his Balkanian neighbors.

Over the next three hundred years, war upon war hardened the little kingdom of sheep herders and coal miners into a political nut that was hard to crack.  The line of Earls sure had its fair share of loonies (some would say more than its fair share), but the various barons and mayors under the Earls did a pretty good job of keeping the various baronies and royal cities in line.  Several wars, especially, in the 16th and 17th century, fought over church rights, succession to the Rumpwhistle Throne, the ongoing question of the Ethnic Urbs (noisome people who live in the Carfathian Mountains, and the Karzstan Mountains, between Rumpwhistle and her southern neighbor, the Margravate of Furstenberg) and finally the Vainglorious Revolution fought in the 1680s.

That last war, was an internal civil war, between the noble families (many of whom were herd land owners, but some were also urban traders in coal oil and root vegetables) and the democratic body known as the Landhouse.  It seemed that the people at large (stirred up by religious zealots and free-land herders - their motto was "sheep are sheep") wanted a say into the running of court.  Especially in the restrictions on use of powdered wigs, silk stockings, lace covered cuffs, and high heeled shoes for men.  The nobles were having none of it.  So a civil war broke out, between the ancien regime of the nobles on one hand (the Earl and his followers were brought into this faction), and the Landhouse leaders, religious rabble, and populists on the other side.  The war raged for a couple of months in late 1682, on into the spring and summer of 1683, but as these things often do, it petered out once the fall skittles season opened up again.  The nobles, eager to get back to their skittle greens, hastily signed a peace with the Landhouse, and even forced the Earl to ratify the Treaty of Confederation, signed in the golden Dome of Man, the great house in the city of Ramshorn where the Landhouse meets.

The Treaty of Confederation raised the various baronies and independent cities into Cantons.  Each having an equal vote for the two year office of Premier of the Landhouse, and each providing sitting Consuls for the Landhouse.  The treaty allows the method of election, both of Electors for the Premier and also of Consuls, up to the Cantons.  And in all internal matters the Cantons have free reign, save a common currency, and common observance of the practices of the Reformed church of Balkania, Nikovena Synod.  The matters relating to the currency, as well as to the organization of the common Confederacy Army, which the cantons all contribute funds and men towards, are handled from Ramshorn at the Dome of Man.

In the early 18th century, when Northern Furstenberg was embroiled in the War of Pumpkin-King Succession, the new Cantons of the Confederacy of Rumpwhistle were too involved in their own natal state matters to get involved, other than some of the Cantons sending volunteer regiments to assist this side or that side (either the Grand Duchy of Poppenheim or the Principality of Bombastia).

In the early 19th century, the Cantons provided troops to various factions to the waging of the Napoleonic Wars in Balkania.  By the middle of the century, economic pressure had pushed Furstenberg and Rumpwhistle into competition again, and a military buildup ensued on both sides of the border.

Friday, March 8, 2013

19th Century Imaginations - the Twenty Three Weeks War

So, having begun the basing of my old 28mm ACW figures, re-purposed for a Balkanian campaign, I figured it was time to share my fevered vision of a history of a small brush war in Balkania.This is the history of the 23 Weeks War, a war fought between the Autumn of 1871 and the Spring of 1872.  It involved the forces of Furstenberg (a small enlightened aristocracy) and Rumpwhistle (a small state of confederated cantons), fighting with each other over (nominally) the rights of the Ethnic Urbs (local ethnic tribes living in the mountains straddling the border between the two nations).

The problems, as they almost always do, began with disgruntled students. The Protectorate of Graatz, having been granted to the Margravate of Furstenberg as part of the Edict of Boomplatz peace (see history of Furstenberg), had grown and matured in the two centuries under Furstenberg protection. A university on the lovely Dukon River (see map of Furstenberg) had grown up, the University of Graatz, located in the city of Alf-Dukon. The students there, always looking for a way out of their academic duties, sensed weakness following the short War of Disdain (1868-69) between the Confederated Cantons of Rumpwhistle, and the revolting Karzstan Mountain Urbs. The Urbs were subjugated, but there was concern on the Furstenberg side of the border at Rumpwhistle mobilization.

In the late summer of 1871, the students of Graatz University decided that they would not have a regular academic year. So once school started, they began rioting, demonstrating, publishing pamphlets, and protesting the treatment of the Ethnic Urbs, and the heavy handed action by Rumpwhistle in the Karzstan Mountains. This came to a head in September of 1871, when the visiting Prince of the Rumpwhistle Throne (a purely decorative figurehead position, ever since the Confederated Cantons established their independence in the early 18th century) was assassinated on a diplomatic visit to Alf-Dukon. Whether it was by an Urb mountain sharpshooter, or by an instigating student, war was quickly declared by both sides (the Rumpwhistle Confederation in order to save face, and the Furstenbergers in order to not be outdone).

The fight took place mostly in the rough country of the northern slopes of the Karzstan Mountains, on the Rumpwhistle side of the border (in the Rumpwhistle canton of Nikovena). This was a war for infantry, mainly, and involved a lot of local units on both sides, including irregulars and sharpshooters.
Painting showing the battle of Papaschlemo, in Nikovena, from 1542 - this is indicative of the terrain fought over in the 23 Weeks War

For the fight, I am working on a modified set of ACW rules (the Rumpwhistle troops are amazingly close to Confederates, and the Furstenberg Infantry are amazingly similar to US regular army).  I am also planning on an article concerning the Rumpwhistle forces, and the Furstenberg forces, involve din the war.  On the Furstenberg side, it was mostly elements of the Second Army, Fourth Corps, but some interesting local color was involved.