The Hanoverian Army
in the 18th Century

Wargaming the Army and Footnotes

By Bill Biles

Probably the two best known battles of the Seven Years War in the West, in America at least, are Rossbach and Minden. From what is generally known of these two battles one could easily conclude that the French Army was hardly worthy of the name and that the Prussian and British armies were among the best that had ever taken the field. Woe to the poor guys that have to play the French!

Of course the French Army was not that bad, as evidenced by the fact that none of the war was fought in France and the war ended with the French holding an enormous portion of Germany. It is also well to remember that the war on this front began with a French victory at Hastenbeck in July 1757 and that by September 1757 the British under Cumberland signed the Peace of Kloster Zeven that ended hostilities on the front. Lee Kennett's book, The French Armies in the Seven Years War, goes into considerable discussion of why the French, who had considerably greater numbers, failed to win the war in the West. The individual French soldier was not a major part of the problem; only 50 years later the French army held most of Europe.

In order to successfully wargame this (or any other) period, you must carefully select the scenario for your battle. Terrain is as important to the wargamer as it was to the original commanders because improper terrain will cause strengths to vanish and hide weaknesses. To play a game that either side can win requires you to adopt some kind of point system. You probably should rate the Hanoverian troops one morale grade above the French troops and any leadership bonuses you use should all go to the Hanoverians. If you do this, the result will be that to have more or less even points, the French will outnumber the Hanoverians by 25%-50%. This greater strength should not be reflected in more artillery, but primarily in infantry battalions.

My experience with this type of game is that from the French perspective you get tired of your troops continually falling back due to morale losses. The Hanoverian player, on the other hand, tires of being constantly under attack by more units than he can pay attention to. Of course, there is no reason that the French player must attack. Attacking was a risky business in the Eighteenth century and building good defensive positions is always an alternative. The design of the scenario, therefore, will determine what needs to be done and, usually, who will attack.

Essential reading to understand the war in the West is Savory's His Britannic Majesty's Army in Germany During the Seven Years War Kennet's book, mentioned above, is also very useful. If you read German or French, there are a number of other texts that would be enlightening, but none of these has been translated into English. If you would like additional information about the war in the West or the uniforms of the participants, please write.

Footnotes

[1] Sir Reginald Savory, His Britannic Majesty's Army in Germany During the Seven Years War (Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1966; reprint ed. Otley, West Yorkshire: Athena Books, 1989) p. 450.
[2] Joachim Niemeyer and Georg Ortenburg, The Hanoverian Army During the Seven Years War (Kopenhagen: Bent Carlsens Forlag ApS., 1977), p. 82.
[3] R.D. Pengel and G.R. Hurt, Brunswick-Luneburg (Hanover), Hessen Cassel, Brunswick Wolfenbuttel, Schaumburg Lippe Supplement (England, 1984), p.l. (note: The pages of the Pengel book are not numbered. I have gone through my copy and numbered them myself. This may not be the same if your copy was put together differently.)
[4] Savory, p. 450.
[5] Niemeyer, p. 76.
[6] Pengel, p. 15.
[7] Niemeyer, p. 74.
[8] Niemeyer, p. 41.
[9] Niemeyer, p. 70-1.
[10] Niemeyer, p. 41.
[11] Savory, p. 451.
[12] Niemeyer, p. 41.
[13] William Biles, Uniforms of the Seven Years War: A Painter's Guide, Vol.1 (Lexington, KY, 1986), p.42.
[14] Biles, p. 45.
[15] Biles, p. 50.
[16] Biles, p. 51.
[17] Biles, p. 51.
[18] Pengel, p. 16.

The Hanoverian Army in the 18th Century

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© Copyright 1993 by James E. Purky

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