TOTAL WAR WIKI

Civil

Colonial Funding

+10% military supplies received from trade nodes

Tempting though it may be to exploit colonies mercilessly, income is often improved by sensible and controlled investment.

Colonial funding increases the income from trade nodes. Colonial possessions and the trade they generate are vital to great empires. The nation that controls the flow of trade wealth from all corners of the world controls the flow of cash to its rivals. Trade pays for wars: an under-funded war effort will fail. By investing in the good governance and physical assets of overseas colonies, the trade generated by those colonies is increased many fold. It is simply good business sense to make sure that there are docks as well as law and order throughout an empire.

British involvement in the Peninsular War has its origins in trade. Following Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar in 1805, Napoleon sought to cripple Britain by prohibiting British trade with Europe. His “Continental System” apparently stopped all British trade with the European mainland. The Portuguese, however, saw no reason to obey French rules and carried on trading with the British. Napoleon demanded that Portugal suspend trade; the Portuguese cheerfully ignored his ultimatum, and Napoleon’s armies invaded in 1807. Britain now had a land ally worth supporting with troops: the British army arrived in the Peninsular in 1808 by sea, and marched into France, in company with Portuguese troops, after five years of hard fighting.

Abolition of the Inquisition

+1 happiness in all your regions (all classes)

The abolition of this fanatical arm of the Church lifts a shadow from Europe, and will be met with relief by the guilty and the innocent alike!

The once powerful Inquisition no longer has the hold over the hearts of the Catholic faithful that it once did. France’s removal of its power in areas under their control does much to reduce unrest. The French may be disliked, but the Inquisition was always feared, because no man could ever consider himself truly safe from its attentions. The Inquisition’s purpose of hunting out heresy and wrong thinking has done much to hold back the influence of the Enlightenment, and much to make Spain a very conservative society.

Historically, Spain always had a strong Catholic identity after the Reconquista, and the Inquisition was charged with investigating and rooting out anyone who would threaten the Catholic faith. When Napoleon placed his brother, Joseph Bonaparte, upon the throne, he quickly set about making drastic changes to bring Spain into line with France’s rules. Apart from abolishing the Inquisition, he also introduced other progressive reforms to improve the life of Spanish civilians. While welcome in France, the reforms had a mixed reception in Spain. The passing of the feared Inquisition was not widely mourned.

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Afrancesado Propaganda

+1 to persuasion for provocateurs or priests converting regions to your political alignment

Spawns provocateurs. Maximum number: +1

A landowner’s word has weight among his people, and this can help convert a region to a pro-French alignment.

At best, most Spaniards dislike the French. There are some, the Afrancesados, who see merit in the Revolution and in Bonapartism. Many are members of the gentry who followed French customs during the time of Carlos III. They now hope to lead Spain into a new age of Enlightenment. With the help of these Spanish sympathisers, the French have a much easier time persuading the population that French rule is worthwhile. Controlling a region can become significantly easier.

“Afrancesado” is a Spanish term for those people who followed French fashions and customs. It quickly changed into a term, of disapproval usually, for those members of the Spanish gentry who swore allegiance to the new, French-imposed, King Joseph. The Afrancesados tried to argue their case, and even had a hand in the creation of the Spanish Constitution of 1812, but to little effect. Once it became clear that Napoleon’s armies had lost control in Spain the Afrancesados were forced to flee, protected by Jean-Baptiste Jourdan’s army.

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Anti-French Sentiment

+1 to persuasion for provocateurs or priests converting regions to your political alignment

Spawns provocateurs. Maximum number: +1

Spawns priests. Maximum number: +1

Widespread anti-French feelings increase the persuasive abilities of provocateurs and priests.

Spreading rumours about the French can turn a previously timid population into a murderous mob. If people live with fear and hatred they will be more likely to welcome a hero or rebel. Fostering anti-French sentiment and making sure it is used in war will increase the persuasive abilities of provocateurs and priests when they attempt to convert a region to an anti-French alignment.

As the less-able brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, Joseph was little more than a puppet on a throne, any throne. When Napoleon ordered him out of his comfortable palaces in Naples to the dangerous land of Spain he had little choice in the matter. The Spanish did not take kindly to having a French provincial thrust upon them and rumours soon began regarding Joseph’s character, or lack of it. He was credited with a reputation for drunkenness and debauchery that spawned a variety of insulting nicknames amongst the Spanish people including “Rey de Copas” or the King of Cups, and “Pepino” or cucumber. This last one was almost certainly to cast aspersions on his manhood. All rumour and innuendo served to weaken his authority and standing.

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Bonapartist Propaganda

+1 to persuasion for provocateurs or priests converting regions to your political alignment

+5% to chance of spawning provocateurs

+5% to replenishment rates in all your regions

Gaining the approval and support of the public can be greatly improved by the careful manipulation and control of the press and public opinion.

Mastering the art of presenting the truth can be crucial to securing political power. This management of the public discourse will increase the percentage of replenishment for all French units. There is no guarantee a war will be popular and it is important to have the support of a people if victory is to be attained. Armies require a constant supply of fresh troops and will quickly dwindle without willing patriots. Control of what is reported and its presentation gives a canny leader the chance to make failure sound like heroic bravery!

Part of Napoleon’s genius was in recognising the utility of the popular press and how to control it to suit his own purposes. Early dispatches and military newspapers from his Egyptian campaign not only kept the French army’s morale high, but also served to raise Napoleon’s public image. He was, as a result, greeted as a hero on his return home. He eventually owned several newspapers, publishing his own articles under pseudonyms and censoring anything that could be damaging. All this served his political ambitions and he became Emperor of France with the full support of the French population.

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Anti-French Propaganda

+1 to persuasion for provocateurs or priests converting regions to your political alignment

+5% to chance of spawning priests

+5% to chance of spawning provocateurs

+5% to replenishment rates in all your regions

Creating anti-French propaganda will increase the replenishment rate of all irregular troops.

Mocking and vilifying an enemy is a vital part of warfare. People have to be convinced that their enemies are monsters, given to all manner of terrible crimes and yet their leaders are foolish straw men to be laughed at. To repeat this message definitely helps stoke the patriotic fires. Anything that can attract recruits is a sound investment in wartime, and this anti-French campaign of merciless mockery, misinformation and exaggeration helps improve the replenishment rate of irregular troops.

Historically, most Britons accepted the image of Napoleon as a ‘Corsican Ogre’ without question. Nursery rhymes warned naughty children that Napoleon, “Limb from limb, will tear you, Just as pussy tears a mouse.” This kind of imagery was hardly needed in Spain, where the brutal anti-guerrilla tactics of the French army provided bloody grist to the mill of popular opinion. The Spaniards hardly needed to do more than repeat the juicier war stories of French cruelty, whilst carefully excusing their own patriotic banditry against the French. As the little war spiralled out of control, propaganda that cast the French in the worst possible light helped to bolster Spanish hatred and eagerness to be part of the struggle.

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Citizen Recruitment Incentives

Recruitment capacity (units in training): 1

+5% to replenishment rates in all your regions

Recruiting troops is easier as the number of unit slots in coastal regions is increased by one, as patriotism ignites the public imagination.

Fighting for your country, winning glory and honour, wearing a smart uniform, and attracting the ladies are all good reasons to “take the colours” and join an army. The promise of regular meals might also help. There are, of course, genuine patriots among the lower social orders, but many traditional jobs are disappearing as new factories appear in towns, and working men must do something if they are to eat. Harnessing them to the army is one solution.

In Britain at least there were some safeguards to prevent men being kidnapped by unscrupulous recruiting parties. A man would have to accept the “King’s Shilling”, a nominal sum of money that was part of his signing bounty. Accounts that the shilling would be passed over in drinks to half-drunken recruits as an elaborate game of tag are later exaggerations. Recruits knew that they would be offered the shilling, along with a drink or two, but they didn’t have to accept. Recruiters weren’t above embroidering the truth about army life, particularly on the subject of riches to be won, but recruits did have to go before a magistrate to attest that they were joining the army. A recruiter who returned to his regiment with too many resentful, hung-over, potential deserters would not be thanked for his pains.

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Repressive Measures

+1 to repression in all regions

Sometimes it is necessary to use organised cruelty and fear to keep people obedient. Properly applied terror is a tool of statecraft, and can keep occupied regions in order.

Instituting repression as an official policy will make a people behave acceptably, as judged by their governors, for as long as they are suitably fearful. By making sure that official revenge for any act of minor rebellion is disproportionate and harsh, major insurrections can be stopped before they begin. Rebellion is expensive to put down, and repairs afterwards are also expensive, so a fearful population is a relatively small price to pay for law and order.

Historically, the “Dos de Mayo”, May 2nd, uprising in 1808 provoked a bloody French backlash, and drove many Spaniards into the arms of the rebels. Once the French commander, General Murat, had Madrid under control he established a military commission under General Grouchy to punish the rebels. The commission sentenced to death anyone arrested with a weapon during the uprising. All were shot, and all Spaniards were ordered to hand over any remaining weaponry. The French hoped that this draconian act would make it clear that rebellion did not pay. The Spaniards took from the events a different message: that the French had to be opposed and driven out of Spain. Murat and Grouchy were not censured by Napoleon for their actions.

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National Fervour

+1 to morale in battles

A people under threat will put aside their petty differences and turn upon the invader to safeguard their nation’s pride and independence.

A country is not land. It is the people. A love of country can inspire great acts of heroism in individuals, and fierce defiance in everyone. It can make people fight against overwhelming odds and it can topple even the greatest enemy. The more a man believes in his cause, the better he will make war to protect his home and family. Reminders of a country’s traditions, heritage and glorious achievements will all increase patriotic fervour when the people need it most.

Spanish popular pride was a huge factor in Napoleon’s defeat in the Peninsular War. When his armies occupied Spain in 1808, the French underestimated how fiercely the Spaniards would fight to regain their country. They also completely misunderstood the means that would be used: brigandage would become a tool of national liberation, not simple robbery. The central Spanish government collapsed, but in its place juntas and cortes appeared to rally the people and raise bands of guerrillas. Despite being as savage and brutal as the French occupiers, the guerrillas were regarded as folk heroes by the Spanish people.

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Complete Annexation

-1 happiness (all classes)

+15% bonus to global tax rate

Complete annexation will provide a hefty tax bonus and increase the resistance to other foreign occupiers.

Annexing a country is an excellent way to show its conquered peoples that their new government is here to stay. Winning the hearts and minds of the locals is a large portion of winning a war and can make controlling a country significantly easier. Complete annexation provides an excellent bonus to your income and increases the resistance to future foreign occupation in French-occupied territories.

Opposition to the French and their godless Revolution was always strong in Spain, particularly in Catalonia. The Spanish War of Independence saw the people of Spain rise to defend their country from the foreign invaders. In an attempt to quell Spanish distrust Napoleon annexed Catalonia into the French Empire in 1812. He even declared Catalan to be the official language in a vain attempt to placate the locals, but all to no avail. The idea was sound, but the Catalans were having none of it. Guerrilla activity persisted in the area right up until 1814 when Wellington signed the armistice that drove the French from many of their strongholds in Spain, including Catalonia.

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Cádiz Cortes

-20% recruitment cost for all land units in all your regions

+1 to morale in battles

Central leadership improves morale and improves government efficiency, thereby decreasing the recruitment cost of units.

A group of squabbling men can never run a country effectively, but when forced to co-operate they are capable of great things. When an external threat is greater than personal gain, men who once thought of naught but their purses can become quite patriotic!

Historically, the war against the French took a turn for the worse in 1810, forcing the Spanish government to retreat towards Cádiz. It became obvious that the centralised junta system had failed and that new leadership was required. The Cortes of Cádiz began work on a constitution and, after two years of deliberation between the liberal and conservative elements that made up the Cortes, a new Spanish Constitution was signed in 1812. Its central purpose was to limit the power of the monarchy, thus preventing any future corrupt monarchs from claiming any right to absolute rule. It proved so effective that it became the template for other, liberal Latin nations seeking change.

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Military

Partisan Muskets

Grants an additional unit of guerrillas when liberating regions to the Spanish

Partisan troops fight with a fiery determination, but that is of little use without a reliable supply of weapons.

As more Spaniards arm themselves and dedicate themselves to the cause, you will receive an additional guerrilla unit for every region you liberate from French rule. Guerrillas cannot rely only on their own hunting rifles or plundered enemy weapons. If they are to be a truly valuable force, they will need military-pattern muskets as well for closer engagements. A good supply system will keep them equipped with reliable firearms so they can fight.

Historically, Britain supplied guerrilla bands with relatively few weapons when compared to their supply of the regular Spanish Army. Though the British held some reservations about the Spanish Army and its officers, the guerrilla bands were a new phenomenon and regarded with some suspicion as little better than bandits by socially conservative British commanders. Supplies of clothes and ammunition were sent to the northern Spanish coast, and other weapons were taken from fallen enemies. Despite fighting as allies, both Spain and Britain were wary of each other because of their long mutual history of conflict.

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Local Recruitment Initiatives

+10% to auxiliary replenishment rates in all your regions

The swift replacement of casualties is a vital part of keeping units in the field. Local recruits need to be inducted quickly so that they can be sent to auxiliary forces.

Local Recruitment Initiatives allow auxiliary units to be brought back to strength with some rapidity. All armies require additional men to replace those who have died, injured or simply deserted. Younger troops may be less experienced than hardened veterans, but they make up for that with naïve enthusiasm for the cause. Battle is also a fine school in itself: those who can learn to soldier do so very rapidly when cannonballs are flying!

Though the Portuguese army was a separate entity during the Peninsular War, it was largely commanded by British officers, used British tactics and equipment and was almost entirely reliant on British money. The Portuguese were, effectively, auxiliaries to the British, although they could be relied on to fight bravely and with no little skill. The British high command certainly regarded the Portuguese as being significantly more useful than the loyalist Spanish Army. While the Spanish rank and file were good soldiers, they were poorly officered and supplied even though the British poured in money and arms. The Spanish guerrilla bands, on the other hand, were seen as a vital part of the war effort.

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Guerrilla Training Network

+1 experience to guerrilla recruits

+5% to guerilla replenishment rates in all your regions

A training network can organise and educate a local population, turning an angry mob into a dangerous guerrilla band.

Researching a guerrilla training network means guerrillas can be trained in more effective tactics such as ambushes, traps and the use of subterfuge. It will also help them to think and fight more like a military unit, giving guerrillas more experience in battle. A training network is made possible by the support of the Spanish population: as well as being sympathetic to the cause, they will clothe, feed and hide guerrillas and advisors, or perhaps even join the fight against the French!

The French invasion of Spain crippled the Spanish government, making it hard for them to organise and fight back. In the vacuum created by no central state, small juntas took local control. These juntas immediately set about rallying guerrilla groups to harass the French. The guerrillas’ popularity made them difficult to hunt down, even after they started a brutal retaliation against suspected guerrilla sympathisers. This lack of success was a blow to French morale, who had not only to contend with a conventional war but also the vicious hostility of the local people.

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Counter-guerrilla Initiatives

Enables recruitment of:

Contra-Guerrillas

The idea of “setting a thief to catch a thief” allows the French to recruit bandit gangs of Spanish Contras.

The Spanish countryside is a dangerous place to be French. Guerrilla bands are everywhere, looking to take more ears as trophies. It is only sensible then, for the French army to seek assistance anywhere it can be found, including from among those Spaniards willing to co-operate. These men tend to be criminals, or have nothing left to lose, as little else could drive a man to fight his guerrilla brethren.

As the war in Spain dragged to a close, and the French began their withdrawal, some of the guerrillas that had helped to liberate their country turned against their own people. The idea of meekly working in the fields was not attractive to men who had made a steady living by looting convoys and dead Frenchmen. Some became little better than highwaymen, and helped Spain be seen as a lawless place. In an attempt to re-establish the rule of law, the Spanish government had to send troops against the guerrillas. It took decades for the problem to be ended; Spain’s national police, the Guardia Civil, were originally raised to deal with the guerrilla issue.

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Call to Arms

-20% recruitment cost for auxiliaries across all regions

Encouraging enlistment as a patriotic duty reduces recruitment costs for auxiliary regiments.

Emphasising the prestige and honour gained through military service will make enlistment appear desirable. Men can be recruited from the local people of the battle area, and trained to fight as auxiliary regiments. If the appeal to join the colours is pitched correctly, many will join up to protect their homes and country. Funding, training officers and weapons will still have to be found, of course, but this is cheaper and easier than transporting troops from home.

During the Peninsular War, British forces fought alongside Portuguese regiments, holding them in high regard. Portugal did have a longstanding alliance with Britain, and flourishing trade links. Napoleon’s invasion sparked mass revolts by loyal Portuguese people. Britain was able to capitalise on Portuguese hatred of the French by supplying arms, equipment and officers. The Portuguese provided the men, and created British-style line regiments, complete with Portuguese bravado and a desire to “have at the French."

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Advanced Guerrilla Training

+2 experience to guerrilla recruits

-15% upkeep costs for guerrilla units

An advanced training network can school the local people in guerrilla tactics, giving them the organisation to become much more than an angry mob.

This advanced training gives guerrilla units significant skills, making them well-prepared for battle. Guerrillas are natural fighters, but a little extra practice will get rid of some of their rough edges and make them much more effective in formal battle. A little gold and a few advisory officers and sergeants can, with the support of the Spanish people, create a relatively large force of fighters.

Historically, guerrillas had a romantic image of being hunters and brigands who spent long years honing their skills in the mountains of Spain. Usually, however, they were simply people who had decided to take up arms for revenge, to protect their families and neighbours, and out of a sense of patriotism. It was not unusual for guerrilla leaders, despite their savage reputations, to have come from an educated background: medical men and priests were to be found leading “brigands” from the front!

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British Training Methods

+2 experience to auxiliary recruits

Training is more than simply drill: it gives men a common cause that raises morale and makes them less likely to rout in battle.

A regiment may only be united in a completely just hatred of a training sergeant, but that can be enough! Auxiliary units may be full of experienced soldiers but they need to learn how to fight together, and to learn enough so that they can co-ordinate their tactical actions with allied forces. In battle, trust in your comrades to hold the line is a powerful thing.

The Spanish army did not have a great reputation as a fighting force, as it lacked discipline, tactical savvy, and even a sense of urgency. Its officers must carry a great deal of the blame, as many were nobles and gentlemen with little taste for hard, or indeed any, work. They were products of their social background, but to counter these unfortunate habits, the Cortes established academies and took officers from all classes. While this was a worthy effort, it was a little late. The country had been ravaged by war, the Cortes had little authority and less money and large scale reform was almost impossible.

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Local Guides

+10% to army campaign movement range

Using local knowledge, and keeping records of locally provided intelligence, makes army movement much more efficient.

Getting help from local people is always a good idea for an army, even if this is obtained at the point of a sword. Without reliable official maps, it is the local man who knows the mountain passes, where to find water, or where the river can be forded. Collating this information from local guides improves the movement rates of armies and agents, and the swift passage of an army can be the difference between victory and defeat.

Historically, British operations in Spain were greatly assisted by the guerrilla’s ability to go anywhere. Their knowledge of the countryside meant that they were able to ambush unsuspecting Frenchmen and provide vital intelligence about the lay of the land. The Duke of Wellington complained that Spanish maps of their own lands were often completely inaccurate, and his “exploring officers” used local knowledge to produce more accurate maps. The French were not so lucky, as their repressive measures alienated people who could have helped with mapping.

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The Great Paris Cipher

+1 to command for attacking generals

Secret communications give a leader the element of surprise and improves his command.

Cloaking plans in mystery is always important in any war, let alone one where ambush and guerrilla warfare are everyday events. Messengers may be intercepted but the use of the Great Paris Cipher means this is of little consequence. Through the clever use of a series of numbers used to represent letters it is now possible to send important messages without fear of them falling into enemy hands.

The Rossignols, a French family who had served as cryptographers for generations, created the Great Paris Cipher. One of their earlier code systems, simply known as ‘the Great Cipher’, was created for Louis XIV and used in a letter that is believed to hint at the identity of “the Man in the Iron Mask”, a prisoner who largely remains a mystery even today. The letter, discovered in 1890 by military historian Louis Gendron, was decrypted by Etienne Bazeries and seemed to suggest that the Man in the Iron Mask was in fact a general who had displeased Louis XIV.

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French Cipher Decryption

+1 to command for attacking generals

Decoding Napoleon’s secret plans and orders will provide valuable intelligence, improving command.

Reading an enemy general’s orders before he does so can be incredibly useful, marking the difference between victory and defeat. As the war in the Peninsular has progressed the French have developed new and ingenious ways to disguise and encode messages. Some are transported in clothes, saddles and even riding crops, but interception is only half the problem. Each message must be deciphered. However, through the dogged application of a keen mind it is possible to unlock even complicated codes, providing commanders with valuable information.

The Rossignol family name was synonymous with code creation but the name of Scovell should be synonymous with code breaking. Major George Scovell was one of Wellington’s staff who successfully cracked a number of French codes. He had no background in intelligence and was a self-taught code breaker, learning his craft from “The Art of Decyphering” by David Arnold Conradus. He established himself as Wellington’s cipher expert when he cracked the Army of Portugal code in two days. He also broke enough of the Great Paris Cipher to provide Wellington with valuable information that facilitated the British victory at Vitoria.

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