My Neighbour Wellington Blog - Peninsular War Resources

If you are on the lookout for some great down-load resources of dress and scenes from the Peninsular War can I direct your attention to Sara Saydak's blog.

http://myneighborwellington.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/free-downloads.html

Sara has kindly posted links to free books that are really useful to the Peninsular War enthusiast, when it comes to getting period views of the scenery, uniforms and civilian dress that really help in capturing the look in our games.

Personally, I had been looking for a copy of Major St Clair's prints, as seen above, for a while now as the detail in his pictures is exquisite, as this one of British troops on the march crossing the Mondego River in 1810.

I would also recommend the classic illustrations from Leveque.

Check them out at "My Neighbour Wellington"

Talavera, Attack on the Pajar Vergara (game two) - Legionary 2016

Brigadier General Alexander Campbell
AKA Steve

General de Division Baron Jean-Francios Leval
AKA Will

http://jjwargames.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/talavera-attack-on-pajar-de-vergara.html

Following our first play of this scenario back in December 2015 and Will's unfortunate defeat at the hands of the Spanish Provincial de Badajoz Militia when French victory was snatched away in the last move of the game, the rematch was on at Legionary 2016 in Exeter yesterday - "and this time it was personal!"

We arrived at the show at 9am to get things set up in time for doors opening at 10 am and as this was as much a display game to advertise the joys of playing 18mm Napoleonics using Carnage & Glory II rules together with illustrating the games we play at The Devon Wargames Group, we had plenty of materials on the table to let visitors know what we were doing.

So after a warming cup of tea we got started on the game soon after 10am for what turned out to be a really great day, with lots of friends and visitors stopping to chat while we played and a really good game that developed into a climax as the afternoon drew to a close.

We were very well catered for by the organising team at the show and were able to get the electrics sorted to run the lap top and screen in no time and the following few pictures show the table set up ready to play, with the opposing armies in all their glory.

The "Nerve Centre" all set up with a small screen to display the game on screen for visitors

This scenario is well balanced with two very evenly matched forces that can fight it out "toe to toe" until one or another combat can tip the balance one way or the other.

The French commander has the option of requesting King Joseph to release the Polish brigade in nominal support of his division, but held resolutely in reserve during the historical engagement.

We played it that if the French take the Polish battalions, which are very strong capable troops, the we gave the Allies an automatic shift in the final victory outcome in their favour; thus a marginal French victory would revert to a drawn game.

The two battle lines in position with the Anglo-Spanish line bottom right

With the two opposing lines set up, General Leval's troops plunged into the myriad lines of olive trees preceded by their voltigeur screen as they headed off towards the allied line at 14.00 on July 28th 1809.

General Portago's division in support of the Pajar redoubt

The French plan was simple, the German troops would aggressively advance their light troops forward to engage the allied guns and any forward infantry looking to cause disruption and fatigue as the German, Dutch and Polish infantry columns made their way up in support.

General Campbell's division drawn up besides Portago's Spanish

The German guns would have two batteries head towards the British troops supported by Dutch infantry while the main attack would go in against the Pajar redoubt and the Spanish troops looking to break the Spanish before the British could intervene.

Spanish 12lbrs and British 3lbr guns set up on the Pajar

The skirmish battle against the allied guns began at 14.15 (game time) as the French light troops doubled through the olive trees to emerge into the open ground and commence a close fire fight with the allied gunners.

General Laval's "German Division" enter the olive groves in preparation for their attack - Dutch infantry supported by Dutch and Hesse artillery

The Spanish twelve pounders gained some respite when their initial blast of canister dropped twenty of the German voltigeurs causing them to fall back in disarray, but General Campbell was keen to preserve his gunners energies for engaging the German columns rather than be distracted into wasteful fatigue fighting off these annoying voltiguers.

Nassau and Hesse Darmstadt troops in company columns

With only the Spanish Antequeran Light Infantry able to offer any offensive skirmishing capability, the allied gunners were left to fend for themselves as the allied infantry held the rearward defensive posture.

The Spanish militia in close support of the artillery

As the skirmish battle developed around the Pajar, the German infantry columns and artillery batteries began to emerge from the tree line and the artillery duel intensified as both sides began a softening up process sending multiple rounds of round shot barrelling into the opposing lines causing surprising casualties as the shots found additional rearward targets.

The first shots of the battle as the French skirmish line engages the Pajar redoubt

With a pause in the advance to allow their infantry to shake off fatigue from their advance through the trees, the German columns advanced on the Spanish positions with the two Baden battalions launching column charges against the British guns, quickly followed by Nassau and Hesse battalions against their Spanish comrades.

Canister flies as the gunners fight to keep the French light battalions at bay

The gunners clearly fatigued by their previous exertions had little appetite for a melee against massed infantry and made a hasty retreat abandoning their guns with many men surrendering to the German troops.

The battle "hots up" as the Baden guns come into action in support of their skirmishers

The Spanish position was under growing pressure and to their credit were giving ground grudgingly and refusing to break.

The French skirmish lines keep the Allies pinned as the German columns start to deploy from the olive groves

Meanwhile the Polish battalions put in charges against the Antequeran Light infantry and the Guadix Militia who both fired off ragged volleys before withdrawing.

With the pressure building on the Pajar, Campbell moves the British lines forward to take up the fight

The Polish brigade deploys on to the road in support of the German troops

General Campbell knew he needed to get his redcoats into the fight but each time he moved his lines forward they were subjected to galling skirmish attacks and multiple rounds of  four and six pounder round shot ploughing through their ranks.

The massed Dutch and Hesse guns play on the British lines as the Dutch infantry columns move up

The Antequeran Cazadores move up to stop the Hesse Erbprinz Regiment from flanking the allied guns

With the Pajar redoubt cleared of allied gunners and securely under French control the French had paid back their debt for the inclusion of the Polish battalions in their attack by securing their principle objective.

Suddenly the German and Polish columns are into the Spanish position, but the Spanish troops refuse to break under the assault

However the Spanish division refused to acknowledge their position by breaking and completing the French victory with an allied army moral failure.

With the redoubt cleared and the Spanish under attack, the British struggle to come to their aid

The British right flank is turned as the Hesse and Polish battalions drive forward into the Spanish lines

Girding their loins for one final push designed to break Spanish resistance and thus make any further attempts by their British allies to intervene pointless, the massed columns of the Hesse and Polish battalions surged forward.

Soon only the Antequeran Light Infantry and the El Rey cavalry look able to offer firm Spanish resistance

Again the German-Polish battalions charged in to be met by resolute but ragged Spanish musketry and only to see the Spanish troops withdraw but not break.

This time though, rather like the referee seeing one boxer caught on the ropes offering little in the way of resistance, the fight was stopped in the eighth round, with the Allied army morale dropping to 74% and imminent collapse.

The Dutch infantry supported by their guns pin Campbell's British as the Allied force morale collapses in turn eight -
game over

With the Pajar under French control and collapse of resistance by the allied troops the game ended in French victory and honours even in the two games played; with the allied order of battle below clearly illustrating the battering they had taken by the numerous units in red, with faltering or broken morale and the French contrasting with just one unit affected.

Talavera - Pajar Vergara
Major victory for the French Army as of Game Turn: 8

The Allied Army has suffered losses of:
[10%]     761 men of all arms incl.
[4%]       334 prisoners of all arms
[7%]       468 bayonets
[0%]           0 sabres
[100%]   293 artillerists
12 cannon[s] lost
Honours: [602] 2nd Cazadores de Antequera

The French Army has suffered losses of:
[3%]       211 men of all arms incl.
[0%]         11 prisoners of all arms
[3%]       199 bayonets
[2%]         12 artillerists
Honours: [162] II.von Harrant Nr.4 (Baden)

Victory Condition Modifiers:
The French deployed the Poles - Shift in victory in favour of the Allies
The French captured the Pajar Vergar redoubt - Shift in victory in favour of the French

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Talavera - Pajar Vergara
As of Game Turn: 8
Division Alexander Campbell - Defend
[ 517] Brigadier General Alexander Campbell - Active C [875 paces]
[D] [ 548] Lawson's Brigade                             145/ 0 C Poor Tired
[D] [ 621] 1st Battery                                        142/ 6 D+ Broken Exhausted

Brigade William Myers - Defend
[ 518] Lieutenant Colonel William Myers - Active C [450 paces]
[ 541] 2/7th Foot                                                   0/ 388 C- [sk] Good Fresh
[ 542] 2/53rd Foot                                               47/ 436 C- [sk] Good Fresh
[ 543] A. Campbell's Bde. Light Bn.                  14/ 147 C [sk] Average Fresh

Brigade James Kemmis - Defend
[ 519] Colonel James Kemmis - Active C [450 paces]
[W] [ 544] 1/40th Foot                                        38/ 632 C+ [sk] Good Fresh
[ 545] 97th Foot                                                     7/ 445 C+ [sk] Good Fresh
[ 546] 2nd Battalion of Detachments                    0/ 562 C- [sk] Good Fresh
[D] [ 547] Kemmis' Bde. Light Bn.                     62/ 182 C+ [sk] Broken Tiring

Division Marques de Portago - Defend
[ 528] Major General Marques de Portago - Active C [725 paces]
[ 553] El Rey A                                                     0/ 229 D Good Fresh
[ 554] El Rey B                                                     0/ 231 D Good Fresh
[ 600] 1st Bn. Badajoz Regiment                          0/ 571 D- Average Fresh
[R] [ 601] 2nd Bn. Badajoz Regiment                30/ 527 D- Broken Tiring
[R] [ 602] 2nd Cazadores de Antequera             14/ 543 D- [sk] Broken Tired
[ 603] Imperial de Toledo                                     0/ 792 D- Average Fresh
[R] [ 604] Provincial de Badajoz Militia            43/ 534 D Broken Acceptable
[R] [ 605] Provincial de Guadix Militia             31/ 531 D Broken Tiring

Strengths:
losses/active
286/ 6290 Bayonets
0/ 460 Sabres
287/ 6 Artillerists

573/ 6756 Total of all arms
13 Standards present

Legend:    

[D] Denotes dispersed    

[Y] Denotes In rout    

[R] Denotes halted in disorder, in retirement or retreat    

[W] Denotes no advance unless accompanied by officer

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Talavera - Pajar Vergara  as of Game Turn: 8
Division Baron Jean-Francois Leval - Attack
[ 118] General de Division Baron Jean-Francois Leval - Active B- [875 paces]

Brigade Heinrich Freiherr von Porbeck - Attack
[ 119] Oberst Heinrich Freiherr von Porbeck - Active B [450 paces]
[ 160] III Fuss Batterien Steinmetz                           10/ 180 [ 8] C Good Tiring
[ 161] I.von Harrant Nr.4 (Baden)                              4/ 372 C- [sk] Good Acceptable
[ 162] II.von Harrant Nr.4 (Baden)                           10/ 357 C- [sk] Ex'lent Tiring
[ 163] I.Nassau IR Nr.2                                               3/ 357 C- [sk] Good Fresh
[ 164] II.Nassau IR Nr.2                                             5/ 381 C- [sk] Good Tiring
[ 165] Porbeck's Voltigeur Bn.                                 36/ 281 C- [sk] Average Acceptable

Brigade David-Hendrik Chasse - Attack
[ 120] Generalmajor David-Hendrik Chasse - Active C [350 paces]
[ 166] 3m3 Artillerie a Cheval Trip                           1/ 146 [ 6] C Average Exhausted
[W] [ 167] I/2me Regiment Linie                              0/ 393 C- [sk] Good Tiring
[ 168] 2/4me Regiment Linie                                     0/ 378 C- [sk] Good Fresh
[ 169] Chasse's Voltigeur Bn.                                   14/ 140 C- [sk] Average Acceptable

Brigade Balthazard-Grandjean - Attack
[ 121] General de Brigade Balthazard-Grandjean - Active B [450 paces]
[ 170] III. Fuss. Batterien Venator                             1/ 95 [ 4] C Good Tired
[ 171] 1/Gross und Erbprinz Nr 4                           25/ 373 C- [sk] Good Fresh
[ 172] 2/Gross und Erbprinz Nr 4                           11/ 360 C- [sk] Good Acceptable
[ 173] Rheinbund Bttn von Frankfort                       0/ 391 C- [sk] Good Fresh
[ 174] Grandjean's Voltigeur Bn.                            50/ 175 C- [sk] Average Fresh

Brigade Feliks Potocki - Attack
[ 122] Oberst Feliks Potocki - Active C [350 paces]
[ 175] I. IR Nr 4 (Polish)                                         32/ 729 C [sk] Good Fresh
[ 176] II. IR Nr 4 (Polish)                                         0/ 782 C Good Fresh
[ 177] Potocki's Voltigeur Bn.                                   9/ 251 C [sk] Good Acceptable

Strengths:
losses/active
199/ 5720 Bayonets
12/ 421 Artillerists
0/ 18 Cannon

211/ 6141 Total of all arms
11 Standards present

Legend:    

[D] Denotes dispersed    

[Y] Denotes In rout    

[R] Denotes halted in disorder, in retirement or retreat    

[W] Denotes no advance unless accompanied by officer

Thus ended our game and day out at Legionary. We had great fun playing and plenty of time to talk to people who joined us at the table.

Thanks to Steve, Will, Nathan and Matt for a very fun day and to all the other friends from the Devon Wargames Group who stopped by for a natter during the day.

Postscript:
Usually at a show I would take time to wonder round and take pictures of the games that caught my eye on the day and I have to say that Legionary did a good show yesterday with some really nice looking games on show and plenty of visitors wondering around the trade stands.

With my own game to oversee I didn't get the time to do my usual tour around, although I did see a very nice 28mm early war WWII game recreating a German landing at a local seaside resort which looked great fun, a very nice Korean war air game with jets and B29 bombers and a 20mm War in Borneo game with a splendid RAF transport plane overflying the battle scene.

One table I did get chance to check out was right next door to our own and the Sharp Practice game was drawing a lot of attention following Richard Clark's publication of the second edition of the rules. I got my copy this week and enjoyed very much seeing Richard's AWI collection in action, grabbing a few pictures on the day.

We also had the pleasure of Richard's company at a post show curry later in Exeter with some very enjoyable banter that put a great cap on a very fun day.

Thanks all to everyone involved, a day to savour in the memory.

Fighting For Napoleon - French Soldiers' Letters 1799-1815, Bernard Wilkin & Rene Wilkin

Whilst away on my Spanish travels I took with me and finished this fascinating and somewhat tragic book capturing details from over 1,600 letters of French Napoleonic soldiers, most of which had never been published before.

In a period when mass literacy was still not a common feature in Europe, written accounts made at or close to the times described are relatively rare, especially amongst the lower ranks who unlike the more accessible memoirs of more senior French officers are not about securing their place or reputation for posterity; but more to do with recording the mundane aspects of day to day life that in the case of many of these unfortunate men might have been the difference between life or death.

The authors are father and son, with Dr Bernard Wilkin, a Belgian historian, based in my neck of the woods at Exeter University, where he specialises in the history of the French army and French people under Napoleon.

This book makes a stark contrast with the book I reviewed earlier this month, "From Corunna to Waterloo" and illustrates my previous point, in that the former, written by two articulate privileged British Hussar officers whose concerns differed hugely from these poor French conscripts, primarily focused on getting money from family to help them survive in a French army operating under Napoleon's crude methods of supply and logistics, based on letting war pay for itself. Some of these conscripts refer to their having to take part in pillaging civilian populations, trying to mitigate their role by pointing out that unlike their comrades they took nothing of significant value or very little loot.

These letters come from the collection of the Archives de l'Etat a Liege, where the prefecture of Liege kept the letters written by French conscripts from the Ourthe department, annexed by the French Republic in 1794, formerly part of the Austrian Netherlands. Many of these letters ended up in the hands of the authorities because families were keen to provide evidence of a family member already conscripted to protect another from forced conscription. The parents of draft-dodgers would also provide letters as proof of service to avoid the large fines that conscription avoidance could incur on them.

The French conscripts common theme - endless marching and fatigue from little sleep

Much of their content is similar and mundane, focused on sending their greetings to family and friends, obtaining money from home, letting loved ones know that they and friends in the unit were well and of others from their village or town who had died or were sick. Given the levels of illiteracy, many of the letters would have been written by those able to write down the thoughts and sentiments of their comrades and these men were often promoted to NCO's. There seems little concern over the content being read by the enemy if captured and the lack of censorship is noticeable to the modern reader.

The authors have gone through the letters, pulling out the information that was occasionally added to the normal format that illustrates the other day to day concerns and observations these French soldiers recorded.

The letters are then subdivided by pertinent content according to the six subject matter chapters,

• Chapter 1 - Serving France, covering conscription, desertion and denunciation
• Chapter 2 - Life in the Army, citizen to soldier, duties and events
• Chapter 3 - War against the Austrians, Russians and Prussians, Marengo and the occupation of Italy, The wars of the third, fourth and fifth coalitions.
• Chapter 4 - The Peninsular War, the conquest of Portugal and the Spanish uprising, Guerrilla warfare, Fighting the British and the campaign of 1811, The struggle of the French in Spain and the final collapse.
• Chapter 5 - The Decline and Fall of the French Empire covering the Russian disaster of 1812, the German campaign and the final years of Napoleon's Empire
• Chapter 6 - Wounds, Illness and Captivity - Fearing the hospital, captivity and suffering.

The examples of letters cover all the arms and includes members of the Line and Guard regiments. The content rather reminded me of similar letters from ordinary soldiers in WWII and probably illustrates the idea of the universal warrior, in that issues affecting the front-line soldier are a common factor from the siege of Troy to the plains of Afghanistan, that of keeping fed, and surviving. However the change in the confidence in the Emperor and the bravado expressed in the earlier years as time rolled on into the later Empire is well illustrated, and reminded me much of similar letters from German soldiers in WWII and their perspective of events in that war.

Where possible the authors provide footnotes at the bottom of each letter giving the background of the writer and their subsequent fate. Many would die on campaign from disease rather than battle and a common thread is the fatigue from constant marching and not enough sleep. Many of these men were young, illiterate, unskilled and taken away from their parents and thrust into an unfamiliar hostile world, forced to survive on their wits. Some of the letters, knowing the writers fate, make tragic reading for them and their loved ones; and given that nearly all common soldiers who died in this period ended up in an unmarked grave often miles from home and lost to their families and history, the book makes a fitting tribute to all the unknown soldiers of the period.

This book as well as being a good read is very welcome addition to the literature covering the experiences of the common soldier in the Napoleonic period and gives great insight into the view from under the shako. In addition I found the massive numbers reported taking part in the various battles described, together with the enormous casualties inflicted and the amazing spellings of place names conjured up by these men an inspiration for my own writing. I am already thinking of ways to include this historical touch into my own after action reports, although some of my gaming buddies think I do that already.

http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Fighting-For-Napoleon-Hardback/p/11196

The book has 180 pages and is published by Pen and Sword at a retail price of 19.99 in hardback but is on offer by them at the time of writing at £15.99.

Legionary Preparation - All Set and Ready to Go

This weekend has been taken up with the preparation for the Legionary show next weekend in Exeter.

I am quite keen to make the Napoleonic collection portable to be able to run some demo games away from the wargames room and so this will be a bit of a dry run to see what is possible.

The battle box has become a tried and trusted method of transporting the WWII collection too and from club so I thought I would see how the Napoleonics fitted in.

As you can see I can get The Pajar scenario forces plus game materials in the one tin, thus with just a box of scenery and the game mat, it makes it very portable.

Normally I wouldn't be taking a small screen with me but, as this is a demo game showing not just the collection but also C&G II, the screen helps show the system in action while we play

The weekend was capped off, as it would seem for many others if the comments on the various forums are concerned, with the receipt of my PDF copy of Sharp Practice II as part of my order that I placed pre launch, and I am now busy concocting plans for a suitable collection of figures to play them.

All set and ready to go

JJ's Spanish Delights

The Southern Grey Shrike or Iberian Butcher Bird

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_grey_shrike
https://www.birdguides.com/species/species.asp?sp=122083
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_grey_shrike

JJ's Wargames has been off line for a few days as some much needed R&R was taken at JJ's Casa in Spain.

I love both Spain and Portugal offering great climate, food and scenery and Carolyn and I have been going back, mainly to the south, again and again over the years and brushing up on our rubbish "Spanish" speaking capabilities.

As regular "JJ blogesters" will know, as well as military history, natural history is a bit of a passion and I like to share some of the creatures encountered at home and abroad. Whilst out on a days cycle ride I took the camera to try at catch some examples of Murcian wildlife in this warm part of southern Spain.

The first thing that drew my attention was a long tailed bird using a telegraph wire as a perch, flying out over the dry scrub behind the beach and back. It was quite difficult to get close enough to picture, but I was quite pleased with the final attempt.

I wasn't quite sure what I was looking at but on closer inspection, that characteristic sharp pointed heavy bill reminded me of the Great Grey Shrike I have seen in more northern climes. This is the southern European relative, the Southern Grey Shrike. The Shrike has a more common name of butcher bird due to its habit of creating a larder by impaling small animals and insects on to barb wire or thorn bushes, very often to allow toxins and poisons to degrade before coming back to consume the unfortunate victim later.

Little Egret on the lookout for small fish in the shallows of the Mar Menor

http://www.avibirds.com/html/Little_Egret.html

We have Little Egrets common to the waterways in Devon, but I never tire of seeing these slender white heron like birds focused on catching their daily bread. This chap was pretty straight forward to picture at the waters edge, unlike the Common Turns that were performing "Stuka" like dive bombings into the sea behind at the same time.

Swallow Tail Butterfly basking in the mid-day sun - watch out for that Shrike

 http://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Britain%20-%20Papilio%20machaon.htm

I have never seen a Swallow Tail Butterfly in the UK, but they were in abundance on our cycle ride displaying their powerful gliding abilities as they moved between the thistle heads. They were quite tricky to photograph, constantly levering the wings up and down while in place, but I managed to get the camera on fast shutter to get this shot of the spectacular pattern on the wings. Quite a stunning insect.

Common to Southern Spain the large Egyptian Grasshopper or Anacridium aegyptium 

And finally, whilst walking the bikes through a particularly narrow scrub-land path, keeping an eye out for any basking adders I caught sight of several giant grasshoppers who had the same idea and winged back into the bushes on our approach, watching us as I moved in with the camera.

These chaps are big, unlike their British cousins, and carried a noticeable yellow stripe at the back of the head that allowed me to attempt an identification, insects not being my strong point.

The camouflage was amazing and once they had backed further into the undergrowth became totally invisible to the eye, despite trying to trace a likely path of retreat.

So back from the Iberian Peninsula I am fully rested and recharged, and have the 3/94e Ligne well under way. This weekend will be given over to getting everything ready for our display game at Legionary 2016 next Saturday

Happy St Georges Day and a dedication of this post to the Great Bard of Stratford, William Shakespeare who died, four-hundred years ago, on this day at the age of 52. I spent many hours as a teenager memorising lines from Henry IVth Part One for my O'Level English Literature and it left me with a passion for the plays; and it seems we are in for a treat with the next series of "The Hollow Crown" coming up on the BBC covering the Wars of the Roses from Henry the VIth to Richard IIIrd. Oh and I fall into the camp that says Richard was as guilty as hell, as the two Princes went missing on his watch, being a classic case of "the buck stops". I am looking forward to the comments on that one!

Next up will be a report from Legionary 2016 and a book review of some Spanish reading, "Fighting for Napoleon", French Soldiers' Letters 1799-1815

The Fall of the Seleukid Empire 187-75BC By John D Grainger

This is the third book in a three part series written by Grainger and which covers the Rise and Fall of the Seleucid Empire. I read Book one sometime last year and it details what happened after Alexander had died in Babylon, how Seleucus then carved out an empire for himself and what happens to his immediate successors, Book one stops just as Antiochus III comes to the throne. Overall it was very interesting although the author, who is an expert on the cities of this area, spent a bit too much time going over the founding of each one (and there are a lot of them) making a section of the book a little tedious.

I skipped Book two (until I got it this month as a present) as it is solely about Antiochus III and I already knew much of his story. Instead I piled into Book three which as the title says above, is all about the fall of the empire.

Even after Antiochus III defeat by Rome at Magnesia the Seleucid Empire was still in a very healthy state, and big! All Antiochus really lost were his gains in Greece and some suzerainty over various Asia Minor petty Kingdoms; what would become Parthia was still under his control and with Rome having no further interest his only real concern was Egypt under the Ptolemy’s.

I think for this review I can do away with chapter and verse because the overall story is much the same, the same events more or less run through the next 110 years in a steady pattern of what those of us who still have hair would call “rinse and repeat”.

Book 3 starts in 187BC with the death of Antiochus III (whilst he was quietly pillaging a temple); he left behind a stable empire however this wasn't always a good sign. Over the following years whenever a King managed to get things running nice and smooth, they all decided that now was a good time to either have another go at the Ptolemy’s or to shore up the East and baring a few success’s it usually ended up badly with a sudden vacancy for the crown.

Antiochus III

And this is where the problems start.

Early on the kings had always managed to secure a strong succession with their designated inheritor already in place and who was supported by their own followers; it’s when the King meets an unexpected end that it starts the self destructive ball rolling. At first it is usually because the next king is under-age and their Regents then try to cling onto power or sometimes it’s that the Queen mother favours another son instead of the next in line. Civil wars now become common on the demise of a king and this weakens the empire bit by bit. This state of affairs gets even worse when it changes to being a perpetual battle between two different branches of the Seleucid family; each round of war increasingly weakens the Empire as they fight it out down through the generations

It is now that we start to see the splitting away of large chunks of land, first up are the Judeans, in earlier times their troublemaking had been met with force but gradually over the years the various Kings had to keep them sweet with concession after concession until they are able to more or less declare independence, in fact they are even able to expand outwards by taking over nearby non-Jewish cities. More importantly we also see the emergence of the Parthians who free themselves from

Seleucid control and then they too start expanding outwards but with significantly more success.

Whilst the Empire is still relatively strong these repetitive civil wars eventually get resolved in favour of one or other of the claimants, they then consolidate their power and decide that its time to do something about the East and the Parthians. This is always a disaster, the King is then either killed or captured and the whole process starts all over again.

Battle of Magnesia 190BC

With the weakening of the state, each subsequent civil war takes longer and longer to resolve, now we see individual big cities starting to break away until the southern half of the empire which is along the Palestine coast is for all purposes abandoned. Small city states in the north and east are also lost either to adventurers or as semi-independent sub-kingdoms of Parthia. Even in the core area the big cities like Antioch are demanding more freedom and self-control and which the hard pressed Kings are forced to give into so as to keep them on-side.

Finally in what is now Syria and the only significant part of the empire remaining, there is a civil war that cannot be settled, neither side is able to gather sufficient forces to defeat the other and so a stalemate ensues. The end of the Seleucid Empire draws near, and much to my surprise it wasn't the Romans who pulled the plug as had I previously thought.

With this final civil war at an impasse, it isn't long before a combination of both natural causes and by 'some not ducking at the right time' that we end up with Phillip I as the last of the rival Kings still alive, his kingdom is however now small and he rules what is in effect a collection of semi-independent cites with very little power. When he too dies a few years later his son is just a child so Tigranes of Armenia gets invited to take over what’s left of the Empire; invited or not he was probably coming their way anyway as he was in the middle of a big expansion drive. His method of

control was with a light touch (hence the invitation I suspect) he spent a few years sorting out the mess but sensibly left the powerful cities to run themselves, as long as they paid their taxes/tribute he was happy, along the way a number of inconvenient Seleucid family members became ex-Seleucids; then he left, never to return.

List of Seleucid rulers

The Seleucid Empire was gone.

Meanwhile our friends the Romans who had little or no interest in the Seleucid Empire and apart from making a few meaningless platitudes to various dynastic rivals that had appealed for their help had generally kept themselves out of affairs in Asia Minor. However in the north, Mithridates of Pontus had been stirring things up for well over a decade by either attacking Rome’s allies or by trying to expand into Greece, also organising the massacre of 80-150 thousand Roman citizens didn't help win friends in Italy(see Asiatic Vespers ). In what was now his third war with them he convinced his son in law Tigranes to help him out; this was not one of Tigranes best decisions.

Mithridates of Pontus

The Romans decided to settle the matter once and for all and so sent a large army with good generals and soundly defeated them both, Pontus and Armenia were conquered and incorporated into the Empire. The Romans being the tidy sort that they are set about the complete restructuring of the East and this included what was previously the Seleucid Empire, Judea and everything up to the Parthian border.

All this may read more like a history rather than a book review but civil wars are very tricky to follow, especially if everyone is called Antiochus and there are thirteen of them!

Grainger does a good job in tracking each squabble especially given his limited resources, he relies a good deal in some places on coinage and his reasoning appears sound in most cases. The control of cities was key and as each major city had its own mint then he can track who was in power and at what time. When you capture a city then you need to let people know that you are now in charge, the best way to do this is to start making new coins with your face on them and fortunately for us there are plenty of examples which can be accurately dated. I also found interesting his comparison between Josephus’s accounts and that of I & II Maccabees.

There are a total of two maps and both are very poor, even worse than in Book 1. I am afraid this is getting a trend.

Overall then it’s a good read, it filled a gap in my knowledge regarding the Seleucids because after Antiochus III, I had more or less switched off. It also gave me some insight into several topics I had never considered:

How did the Maccabeans not only survive but expand? Their army was useless.

Where can I find more details to re-fight Early Parthian’s versus Late Seleucid? There were at least two big battles I wasn't aware of in quite major campaigns I also wasn't aware of.

If everyone is called Antiochus, who ducks when someone shouts look out Antiochus!

(Probably explains all the deaths).

Readable pages: 210

Priced at £19.99

Best price today ABE Books: £13.61

Book Review by Mr Steve.

2/94e Regiment de Ligne

As with several of the other regiments in Victor's I Corps d'Armee in the the Talavera campaign, the 94e Ligne provided a battalion component to the forces Napoleon mustered early in 1808 for his surreptitious invasion of Spain under the guise of taking action against Portugal for its resistance to the Napoleonic trade embargo against Britain, imposed on European nations whether in or out of the Empire.

The 94e Ligne detachment joined others in the formation of the 5th Provisional Line Regiment that as part of Marshal Moncey's Corps d'observation des Cotes de l'Ocean crossed the Spanish border on the 8th January 1808 in the wake of Dupont's 2nd Corps d'observation de la Gironde as the French took control of the Bayonne, Burgos road into Spain preparatory to a march on Madrid.

French Corps d'observation des Cotes de l'Ocean, lst January l808 - Source Oman
Commanding Officer: Marechal Moncey

2nd Division: General de division Gobert
lst Brigade: General de brigade Lefranc
5th Provisional Line Regiment (Battlion)(Officers/Men)
l03rd Line Infantry Regiment (l)(8/44l)
64th Line Infantry Regiment (l)(l0/409)
39th Line Infantry Regiment (l)(8/507)
94th Line Infantry Regiment (l)((9/4l6)
6th Provisional Line Regiment
70th Line Infantry Regiment (l)(l0/5l2)
27th Line Infantry Regiment (l)(8/374)
lllth Line Infantry Regiment (l)(7/324)
95th Line Infantry Regiment (l)(l0/343)

The activities of French forces involved in this first French invasion can be followed in the previous posts on other regiments by following the link.
2/63e Regiment de Ligne

With the rising in Madrid or "Dos de Mayo", and Dupont's defeat at Bailen in the summer of 1808, the 94e Ligne were part of the troop concentration ordered by the Emperor to restore his position in the Peninsula and were brought up to a full three battalion regiment, joining Marshal Victor's I Corps d'Armee in the 2nd Brigade under General de Brigade Jaques Puthod under General de Division Villatte's 3rd Division.

The battles of the 94e Ligne in the second invasion of Spain 1808-09 up to Talavera

French Army in Spain, 15 November 1808 - source Oman
Commanding Officer: Emperor Napoleon
I Corps: Maréchal Victor
3rd Division: Général de division Villatte
Brigade: Général de brigade Pacthod (Battalions)(Officers/Men)
27th Légère Regiment (3)(50/1,527)
63rd Line Regiment (3)(44/1,246)
Brigade: Général de brigade Puthod
94th Line Regiment (3)(54/1,627)
95th Line Regiment (3)(47/1,428)

General de Brigade Jacques-Pierre-Louis-Marie- Joseph Puthod

General Jacques Puthod

The 94e Ligne would see action under General Puthod's command at the battles of Espinosa 11/11/1808, at Ucles 13/1/1809 and at Medellin 20/3/1809 prior to its participation in the Talavera campaign. All these actions together with the second invasion of Spain have been covered in previous posts and can be followed in the link above to the post on the 2/63e Ligne.

The Battle of Medellin in March 1809, the third French victory for the 94e Ligne in six months of fighting in Spain, prior to Talavera

Thus the 94e Ligne were well accustomed to conditions and warfare in Spain by the time they took there position in the line at Talavera.

My 2/94e Ligne is composed of figures from the AB range and the 2nd battalion fanion is from GMB Flags.

Post Script to this post:
If you have been following the Talavera project and the Vimiero and Oporto projects that preceded it and would like to see part of the collection in action using "Carnage & Glory II", I will be running a demonstration game, "Attack on the Pajar Vergara Redoubt" at Legionary 2016 in Exeter on the 30/4/2016. So if you are able to, come along and say hello.

http://legionaryshow.co.uk/

Attack on the Pajar Vergara run last December

Talavera - Attack on the Pajar de Vergara