Part I: End of a Dynasty
Emperor Francis II, Austria
The Imperial Palace, Vienna
In a well lit sitting room deep within the recesses of the Austrian Imperial Palace a cadre of heavily adorned Field Marshals pored over maps of the western portion of Austrian known as Styria, compared them with the latest intelligence reports from their roving scouts and silently came to identical conclusions: The armies of the newly minted French Republic would be met on their homeland. The war with the upstart republicans of France had continued for six months now with no real victor, despite several victories by Austrian forces. The French had massed in Switzerland and, should they advance as their scouts reported was their intention, a climactic battle would be held in the region. The Field Marshals shared decades of military experience, and pored over the map with a unifying question: Where to meet the revolutionary horde? A finger shot out from the youngest, the Archduke Charles, and selected a point on the map, Austerlitz.
Battle position of the Austrian Army on October 22, 1792
Aftermath of the Battle of Austerlitz
Generals Captured: Lafayette, Kellerman, Dumouriez
The rest is, as they say, history. Austria concluded the Treaties of Vienna and Kiev, which allied Britain with Austria and pledged neutrality to the Russians in regard to their ongoing feud with Sweden. In return Austria recieved sorely needed commerce and gold. France capitulated only 6 months later, thus ending the War of the First Coalition. During this time, however, France had coerced a greedy Russia and a complacent Sweden to enter the war against Austria, beginning the Russo-Austria conflict of 1793. Clouds gathered over the eastern borders of Austria as the Russians prepared to invade a weakened Austria... Will Britain and Prussia stand beside their recent ally?
