For some reason I can't fully explain I've had a fascination with the people's rebellions of the early 19th century. Part of it is that this is the time the last of my ancestors left Europe and came to Indiana. I was always told they came in 1850 from around Trier (which at that time was a Prussian province - punishment no doubt for being part of France during the Napoleonic Wars). So they were the lucky ones who got out after the revolution went to hell in 1849.
Despite this interest, I've done very few games set in this time. I tried to run a Volley and Bayonet game set in Italy in 1848 at Little Wars a few years ago but it really didn't fly. I play in every French Revolution people vs soldiers game - but no one else seems interested. Which is a pity because as a wargame it offers interesting scenarios.
One would think that the period could not be done for lack of suitable figures. But this is not the case. The citizen figures made for Tod Fisher's French Revolution games work well right up to 1850 (if you drop the tricome hat guys). Ral Partha makes a line of angry peasants for Call of Cthulu that are perfect for German rioters for 1848 and figures made for Spanish guerillas and Mexican revolutionaries also can work for revolutions set in Spain and Italy. After years of searching and collecting I now have three revolutionary armies.
Regular army figures are much easier to find. I like 25mm figures. A few years ago I bought up a bunch of Frontier Figure Mexican American War guys. Americans in forage caps are perfect for National Guards men (who join the people in 1848). Mexican's in Shakos make good Austrians, while I use Crimean War Russians, French and Brits to cover the rest.
Which leads to the biggest difficulty. Revolutionary battles (at least the interesting ones) all take place in or around cities. This means one needs to be able to build a model city. A tough terrain field to do. It certainly daunted men for many years. Fortunately I figured out how to sculpt city terrain boards that work well. (I'll have to write an article on how to do this). It is possible to build a city without sculpting one, if you are willing to use a lot of imagination. Just stack up two or three encyclopedias to represent a city block. This creates blocks that are too regular, but that can't be helped. Alternately one can use card board boxes. But in either case you are build city blocks rather than individual buildings. Trying to build a city one building at a time is the way to madness.
WHAT SCENARIOS ARE POSSIBLE?
Following the Napoleonic Wars, European leaders decided that all liberal movements were evil and that all governments should band together to crush them. The arch villain of this policy was Prince Metternich of Austria. He led a coalition of Kings who repressed all popular movements from 1815 to 1848. The plan was that if revolution broke out in one state that all the other states would send in troops to help put it down. At various times all the states in Europe joined in repressing someone.
Lets see, who was repressed? The English did it to their own people at the Peterloo Massacre in 1819. England and France sent troops into Spain in the 1820's. France, Austria and Russia sent troops into Italy in 1821. In 1830 their was revolt in France and Belgium (in which the people won) and Poland (in which they lost). Spain underwent a civil war at the same time. Italy experienced further uprisings in the 1830 and 40's in which Mazzini and Garibaldi lead troops against the Pope and Austria. With everything boiling over in 1848 when revolution broke out all over Europe. Metternich was.forced to flee from Vienna which put an end to a political era. The next era was dominated by politicians who came to power in 1848-49 (Bismarck, Louis Napoleon, and even Franz Joseph of Austria).
So practically any countries troops can be used anywhere in Europe, through out the period. Only England stayed out of it (after invading Spain in 1823 that is). So whether you want to fight the Dons, the French mob, angry German peasants, or cunning Italian patriots you can do it.
The key feature of revolutionary battles is that they are one sided. At the beginning of the revolution, huge mobs rush tiny units of soldiers to take over the machinery of government. Then the army counter-attacks. Once the main resistance is broken the last action is to run down the remaining mobs. But beware! The regular army may not be large enough, you may have to call out the national guard. And that is risky. They might join the people - which means they win. Or you may wait for foreign assistance. The Russians can always be relied upon to send a few battalions. But will they arrive in time? So revolutionary wargames are really a series of battles, with advantage shifting from one side to the next. Eventually one side emerges the victor and begins the repression.
STOCK CHARACTERS
Half the fun of doing revolutionary wargames is role playing the characters that inhabit them. The following are a smattering of some of the people you can meet.
THE MAD BOMBER: First we bomb the police stations! Then the post offices! Then the churches! HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!
THE YOUNG IDEALIST: Rise up my brothers! Too long we have been held in slavery by the aristos. I know. My family was one of them. But I have joined with you, the people. Together we can make a new world.
PROFESSIONAL REVOLUTIONARY: Contact our brothers in the secret society of masonry. We need to debate the time table for the uprising. Are there enough guns in the city? Can we rely on the workers to join us? And what about the bourgeoisie? The filthy little traitors!
THE PROTO COMMUNIST: Religion is the opium of the masses. Kill the priests! Bum the churches. End forever their wicked domination! Soon we will have an egalitarian society!
THE LIBERAL BOURGEOISIE POLITICIAN: Pish twaddle! Uncontrolled revolution is worse than repression. What we really need is a republic that looks out for the rights of private property. Law and order, and laisse faire economics. What use is freedom with an empty stomach?
PEASANT SCUM: What? Revolution? (Looks around to see which way the wind is blowing) Right! We're with you brother! Come with me comrades! Let us storm the masters house and liberate his silver!
DOWN TRODDEN WORKER: (The call to rise is given.) Hurrah! The time of our liberation is come. Rise up my brothers! To the barricades!
THE GOVERNMENT INFORMER: What? A rising is planned? Count me in. Where did you say the meeting was to be held?
THE AGENT PROVOCATEUR: Wait, Why wait? The time to strike is now. The anny will never expect a frontal assault!
THE NAPOLEONIC VETERAN: Mon Deu! These pups know nothing of war. Why, even the dregs of the Napoleon's army could have defeated them. If it were not for the death of my son by the hand of Le Duke, I would never be here.
THE MONARCHIST ARMY OFFICER: Long live the monarchy and the holy church. The people must be stopped. We all know what happened the last time revolution was left unchecked.
THE PSYCHOTIC ARISTOCRAT: Take that you revolutionary scum! And that! And that! I'd kill you all if I had the chance! You will never prevail.
THE LIBERAL ARISTO: Wait, my lord Duke! Shooting them will not appease the mob. We must negotiate with them. If they all died the country would be ruined. This war is madness. These are our people! Noblesse oblige dictates that it is we who serve them not vice versa!
THE IMPOVERISHED NOBLE: I've lost everything at the gaming tables of Monte Carlo! But this war gives me the chance to redeem myself The king will reward those who are most loyal to him. Just how much booty can I buy for a bottle of wine, anyway?
THE SOCIAL CLIMBING TOAD: Vive le Roi! I'm with you chaps. All us royalists should stick together. Why the Duke was saying to me just the other day...
THE ROGUE OFFICER: Damn! The drink is watered and the women are pure! My fellow officers look up to me. The fools! I'm just in this for the women and the uniforms. How else can a gambler, drunkard, womanizer make his way in the world?
THE ROYAL JUDGE: I here by sentence you to death, you treasonous dog! And I hope you think better of your rebellion before the guillotine drops! Next case!
PREFECT OF POLICE: The people are in a foul mood. This will mean trouble. I'd better go out of town to visit mama. Jean? Will you come in here? I'm leaving for a week or two. You will be in charge while I'm away. Make certain nothing goes amiss.
THE LOYAL SERVANT: Your Grace! Let me stand in front of you so that I may be shot first. I would rather I died than anything befall you.
THE INTREPID LADY: My husband is serving with the Palace Guard. I must reach him!
THE SELFISH DUCHESS: Out of my way, you filthy peasant! I'll teach you to interfere with your betters! Swak! Swak! Swak!
THE SOLID CAREER OFFICER: Steady men. Keep your ranks. We are here to stop a riot not cause one. Only fire if fired on. Remember these are our citizens.
THE RABID ROYALIST JOURNALIST: Vive le Roi! Beware people of France! The Bonapartes have returned to bring our people to ruin, again! Stand up for your king. Stand up for the church. Stand up against immorality!
THE RABID REPUBLICAN JOURNALIST: Vive le Revolution! Rise up my bothers! The great appear so because we are on our knees! Remember the Bastille! Remember how your oppressors have abused you. The time of revenge is now!
THE GOOD BISHOP: All men are good. They only commit evil due to being driven to it like animals. We can redeem their souls. Violence is not the answer.
THE BAD BISHOP: Oh yes, your Majesty. I assure you the Church will support the crown. No, we ask nothing in return ... but a small grant of land in Paris would not be taken amiss.
THE ANGEL OF MERCY: My calling to be a nun was so I could help people. People are dying out in the streets right now. I need to be with them! To treat their wounds and heal their suffering.
THE DOCTOR: I don't care anything about politics. I'm here to treat the wounded. Both sides wounded! All I need from you is a place to work and orderlies to help carry the casualties in.
A SHORT LIST OF SCENARIOS
The following are really scenario sketches that you can build games around. It is possible to do more than one scenario in the same game.
UPRISING! A small cadre of revolutionaries tries to rally the mob and drive off the few police and soldiers present. If the police can arrest them quick enough the rebellion can be nipped in the bud.
MOB ATTACK! A mob goes forth to storm a church/government building/palace/jail that is defended by a small number of soldiers. The soldiers need to hold on against the odds.
SAVE THE KING! The mob storm the palace. The palace guard must get the king to safety.
MAN THE BARRICADES! The mob have won! Now they must prepare for the inevitable counter attack. They have built a barricade out of cobblestones. The well manned royalist force must assault them.
FOOL HARDY ATTACK: A mob attacks a like sized regular army in an open fight. The fools!
KILL THE ARISTOS! Aristocratic victims with one or two guards each are spread out around the town. The mob is out to find them! Can they outrun the mob?
POLICE ROUND-UP: A few revolutionaries are intermixed with lots of civilians. The police start rounding up suspects.
PEACEFUL RALLY: The people are gathered to hear a speech. The police move in to break up the demonstration.
RESCUE: A comrade has been caught. The police are escorting him to jail. The revolutionaries have set up an ambush somewhere on the way.
HOLD THE BRIDGE AT ALL COSTS! A small, well armed royalist detachment guard a vital bridge against an approaching mob. Will discipline and artillery win out against numbers and ardor?
NATIONAL GUARD: The royal army has its back to the wall. They must call the bourgeoisie national guard for help. Which side will they join?
COUNTER REVOLUTION: A monarchist mob rises up to attack a republican mob.
COMMUNIST REVOLUTION: The workers feel let down by the first revolution so they rise again. The national guard shout "Down with the Communists" and open fire.
FOREIGN INTERVENTION: The mob controls the city, but now the Russians are here to save the day. Bayonets over bullets! Don't get in their way, the Russians don't care who they kill.
SIEGE! A small well armed royalist detachment must hold a vital building against a siege/assault.
OBSESSION: In the middle of the battle, inspector Jauvert hunts down the elusive escaped prisoner Jean Val Jean.
TRUE LOVE: Young lovers separated by the battle lines find a way to come together.
SECRET SOCIETIES: A small group of professional revolutionaries plan the rising while dodging the police. Clearly some of these scenarios are basically role play games. They can also be done with a Matrix Game. As straight miniatures games the later scenarios don't work - but are nice add-ons to other games.
RULES TO PLAY GAMES
Revolutions are loose flexible events. The forces involved are often not very well trained. Regular war game rules rather unfairly make untrained troops utterly useless in games. I say unfair because there are so many historical examples of people's armies defeating regular troops. My solution to evening things out is to rate revolutionary mobs like Zulus, Highland Scots, or Turks. Great mobs of dedicated fanatics who can't shoot very well but how are scary in a hand to hand fight. That twist should allow almost any set of 18th C or colonial set of rules to be used.
Revolutionary games beg to be role played. So players should be encouraged to talk to one another between each turn to negotiate and form alliances. Do not require that their characters be together because that will kill all interaction - after all, what gamer would expose his commander just so he can talk to the man he intends to kill? Loose and easy communication opens talking and allows players to rant like the revolutionaries and reactionaries they are!
Naturally, my favorite rules to use to play revolutions are Matrix Games. By allowing players to make an argument each turn of non-battle, the revolution can happen in front of the players. Then once combat starts, the Battle Matrix Game allows players to tailor make the game rules to the situation being played out.
AFTERWARD
I can't help myself I love the inspiring images of the revolutions for liberal democracy. Madame Liberty waving the French flag, one breast uncovered, leading the men over the barricade to freedom. Or Garibaldi's Red Shirts attacking in Sicily. And who can forget Harry Flashman's encounters with Otto von Bismarck in 1848 Germany? It's just a neat period, and its almost never done. I hope that changes.
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© Copyright 1999 Hal Thinglum
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