War of the Empires : Battle of 1866

The game system from War of the States: Gettysburg, 1863 and War Of The States: Chickamauga & Chattanooga moves to Europe. Units are infantry brigades and cavalry regiments. The Prussian army faces the combined Austrian and Saxon forces, as the needle gun meets the bayonet. Seven battles equal seven separate games!

Seven maps, four sheets of game pieces.

• Custoza
24 June 1866. Hard fighting between Austrians and the new Royal Italian Army near the fortress-city Verona.

• Trautenau
27 June 1866. “A slap that rocked the whole Prussian Army,” according to Otto von Bismarck. The Austrian X Corps of Leopold von Gablenz defeats Eduard von Bonin’s Prussian I Corps.

• Nachod
27 June 1866. A bloody fight between Wilhelm von Ramming's Austrian VI Corps and Karl von Steinmetz’s Prussian V Corps leads to a narrow Prussian victory.

• Skalitz
28 June 1866. Steinmetz’s troops defeat their second Austrian corps in as many days, driving back Archduke Leopold’s VIII Corps.

• Soor
28 June 1866. Gablenz has much less luck against the Prussian Guard when poor communications ruin another flank attack.

• Gitschin
29 June 1866. Crown Prince Albert of Saxony leads his army and the Austrian I Corps against the Prussian First Army. After a hotly-contested fight, the Austro-Saxons retreat in good order.

• Königgrätz
3 July 1866. One of the largest battles fought in Europe up to that time. The combined Prussian First, Second and Elbe armies against the Austrian North Army and the Saxons. Early Austrian defensive success was undone by over-eager generals and Prussia won the right to unite Germany under the black eagle banner.