Lieutenant of the Army of Italy 1796
1796, Nice. A 26-year-old general from Corsica has just taken command of the hungry, bootless Army of Italy. You are a sub-lieutenant in that army.
Historical background
In March 1796 the Directory appointed Napoleon Bonaparte commander of the Army of Italy. He was a 26-year-old general who had made his name at the siege of Toulon and in suppressing the Vendémiaire rising of 1795. The army, headquartered at Nice, was behind on pay and supplies, but beginning with the Battle of Montenotte in April it forced Sardinia to terms, won at Lodi in May and entered Milan. In November it beat the Austrians at the bridge of Arcole and in January 1797 at Rivoli, and the Treaty of Campo Formio followed in October.
In 1798 Bonaparte sailed for Egypt and in 1799 took Jaffa in Syria; that November the coup of Brumaire made him First Consul. Emperor from 1804, he won the "Battle of the Three Emperors" at Austerlitz in December 1805 but lost the Grande Armée in the Russian campaign of 1812. Exiled to Elba in 1814, he returned in 1815 for the Hundred Days, which ended at Waterloo on 18 June. It was an age when a man need not be noble to become a general or marshal through deeds on the battlefield — and when royalist plots never ceased.
Who you are
You begin as a 26-year-old sub-lieutenant of the Army of Italy in Provence (Nice). You have troops and Might, and the road to advancement runs across the battlefield. Sergeant Guillaume Tournier, an old hand, Jules Dartigues, your classmate, Henri de Saint-Ange, an officer of noble birth, and Giulia Brembi of Milan are the people of this life.
The current of history: Napoleonic Wars
Starting with the invitation "A name: Bonaparte", you go through stages for the Battle of the Three Emperors, the Moscow winter, and the Hundred Days and Waterloo. The side you take changes your allegiance and your home.
Sides you can take
- Napoleon's side Follow the new general's star. Distinction opens the road to general and marshal.
- Coalition side Leave France and fight for the allied powers — the path of the émigré officer.
Tips
Questions and answers
How close is this scenario to real history?
Bonaparte's appointment in March 1796 and the headquarters at Nice, Montenotte, Lodi, the entry into Milan, Arcole and Rivoli, Campo Formio, Egypt and Jaffa, the coup of Brumaire, Austerlitz, the Russian campaign, the Hundred Days and Waterloo are historical. The starting map, realms, real historical figures and the major events of the current of history follow actual history. You and the companions, rivals and loves around you are fictional people who could have lived then, and once you start, history may diverge according to your choices and those of the AI rulers.
What station do I start in?
You start as a 26-year-old sub-lieutenant in Provence (Nice), a man of the officer (knightly) class. You belong to France and have no land.
Is it free? Can I play right away?
Yes. Crown & Plough is a free browser game with no account and nothing to install. The "Start in this scene" button on this page opens the scenario's intro screen directly, and progress is saved automatically in your browser. It works on phones too.