Sadowa 1866 - Thunderclap in Bohemia

From VaeVictis:

Sadowa: a name that sounds like a thunderclap at the turn of the 19th century. Also known as Königgrätz in the German-speaking world, it was the biggest battle in the Western world after the Napoleonic Wars and right up to World War 1. Contrary to all expectations, it was also the downfall of the power that had dominated the Germanic world for four centuries.

After little more than a week of campaigning and a series of minor battles that had taken their toll on the Austrian army, 220,000 Prussians faced 180,000 Austrians allied to 20,000 Saxons positioned on high ground with their backs to the Elbe. 

The defensive situation chosen was both interesting and perilous. The Prussians had not yet regrouped at the start of the day, but were attacking all the same. And yet, the victory was resounding and decisive for the Prussian troops. It would change the face of Europe forever. 

By the end of the day on July 3, 1866, 21,000 Austro-Saxons were out of action, and another 20,000 taken prisoner: a quarter of the Habsburg Empire’s northern army had been eliminated, and the rest retreated in great disorder to cover Vienna. The Prussians suffered «only» 9,000 casualties, yet by mid-day the situation had been heated. Austria was definitively rejected by the Germanic world, which would finish building German unity around Prussia four years later.

Based on the series Les Grandes Batailles de Napoléon III (VaeVictis # 55,  73, 138, 157, 166 and 174), the system is simple and dynamic, emphasizing troop engagement in the face of deadly defensive fire.

This game is the final battle in the series dedicated to the Bohemian War of 1866. A campaign system — to download from the website — allows you to link the first 6six battles (VaeVictis #157, 166 and 174) to create a situation potentially different from the historical one. Even radically different: and if the Austrian forces had defeated the Prussian II Army and Sadowa had never existed, the decisive battle could have taken place at Gitschin...

Game components:

one 59 x 41 cm maps

216 die-cut counters and markers

One booklet of rules

Two scenarios

One player aid card

No Box, an cardboard envelope instead (see product picts).