Here's an introduction to our forthcoming Strategic Command: Franco-Prussian War Campaign!

Featuring rapid operational movements, sweeping battles, cavalry charges, political turmoil and bloody sieges, 1870 Blood and Iron will take you back to the dramatic action of the Franco-Prussian War!

Playing as French, can you save Napoleon III’s ailing Empire from a humiliating defeat? Or will von Moltke’s superior generalship help pave the way to the unification of Germany and the rise of a new power in central Europe?
This campaign is played out at the divisional scale using a map where 1 hex = 5km. With no need to worry about research or diplomacy, 1870 Blood and Iron is a simple, quick to play, high-energy recreation of this historic campaign.

Background
Prussia’s stunning victories over Denmark in 1864 and Austria in 1866 enabled Otto von Bismarck to forge a North German Confederation out of many of Germany’s disparate states.
Seeking a victory over France in order to help further the unification of Germany, Bismarck then used fraud in the spring of 1870 to outrage and provoke the French into declaring war.

The ensuing conflict brought down the Second Empire of Napoleon III, ushering in the Third Republic under Leon Gambetta. This Republic’s resistance was prolonged, but German arms prevailed and Bismarck was able to impose terms on the French in January 1871 following a four month siege of Paris.
France’s defeats were to trigger uprisings and even an attempted revolution in Paris, known as the Paris Commune, which led to further bloodshed in the city before it was crushed in May 1871. Meanwhile, the loss of Alsace-Lorraine to Germany in the subsequent peace treaty ensured that long-term peace between the two countries was unlikely, sowing the seeds for a renewal of conflict in 1914.
Competing Forces
So what can you expect to see in 1870 Blood and Iron?

France starts with a larger mobilized force, due to having a professional army, whereas over time they will lose this numerical advantage. Napoleon therefore has an incentive to launch an early offensive… but he will have to beware of overstretching his resources and falling victim to a vicious counterattack should he do so. Victory will require a concentration of force, and the one who can bring this to bear in a decisive fashion will stand the greatest chance of success.
German units are better on the offensive, especially given that their cavalry is much better in carrying out the vital role of reconnaissance. They also have better Field Artillery and most significantly, leadership. The most they have to fear are French divisions armed with the deadly Chassepot rifle.

To increase her armed forces, France will have to rely on newly raised Gardes Mobiles, volunteers, often with little training and poorly armed, though she will also have the assistance of Brigade sized units of Internationals. Partisan units, or Francs-Tireurs, will also rise up in occupied areas to resist the German occupiers.
Both sides will deploy Field Artillery, though German Field Artillery is more effective at long range than the French, and Rifled Artillery can fire further than smoothbores.
To represent the differing operational capabilities of both sides, German HQs are not only generally better, but they are more mobile and they can also command more units.
French Strategies
This war pitches a small but professional French army against a larger, better commanded and organised German army. However, because the German army has to be mobilised and called to the colours, initially the French hold a numerical advantage. Can this be put to good use in order to win an early victory, thus upsetting von Moltke’s plans?
The strategic options immediately facing France are to either defend the frontiers, withdraw to Paris, or advance immediately across the Rhine and give the German army a good drubbing!
Meanwhile, the Empress Eugénie will be offering advice from the sidelines, sometimes it is best to follow this advice, other times it is best ignored.
Troops will be needed to defend the powerful fortress of Metz, which the Germans can besiege and possibly bring about its surrender without having to storm the fortress. Paris can also be besieged by German forces, by capturing the locations around the city that are marked with blue stars.

French commanders such as Marshal Bazaine are generally below average and their forces risk being outmanoeuvred and outfought by their German counterparts. If this happens, can enough of the poorly trained but enthusiastic Gardes Mobiles units be raised to save Paris from capture?
The French have a trick up their own sleeves too, as they can attempt to reduce German Fighting Spirit by effecting a landing in northern Germany.
German Strategies
Early on, while seeking to either defeat or isolate French Imperial forces, the Germans will have to decide whether to storm or bypass the fortresses of Metz, Strasbourg and Belfort. Consideration will also have to be taken to choosing the best route for an advance on Paris, to either besiege or even storm the capital of France.

Nevertheless, the challenge for the German army does not stop with the defeat of France’s initial forces, for such a success is likely to trigger the fall of Napoleon and the declaration of a new republic.
This republic’s new leader, Leon Gambetta, can call on the masses to be armed and thrust into battle, with or without much training, organisation, or modern weapons. Will an overstretched German army find itself threatened, even defeated by this unprofessional force?
The effect of battle casualties will be significant in determining victory or defeat, though capturing enemy resources, and especially those marked as Fighting Spirit locations, will also contribute to your victory.
A Classic Returns!
Ever since the release of the Franco-Prussian War campaign in Strategic Command 2’s WWI Breakthrough! expansion, this conflict has become one of the most heavily requested campaigns for Strategic Command 3.
Seeing as American Civil War has been designed specifically to cover 19th-century warfare (and was in part inspired by this older campaign), and as a way of saying ‘thank you’ to our loyal fans, we thought that now was the most fitting time to revisit this war.
1870 Blood and Iron is a remastered version of the original Franco-Prussian War campaign released in 2013, incorporating all of the improvements to the game engine over the last ten years while remaining faithful to the original design. Many of these improvements will be obvious: a hex-based map, improved graphics, dynamic movement and a more capable AI opponent!

Some, however, will not be so obvious. Take for instance the fortresses along France’s northern border. In the SC2 campaign, many of these fortresses began the game completely empty, and if the German army advanced close enough to them, France would be offered a decision to “mobilise the fortress garrisons”.
Saying YES to this decision would spawn a series of Garrison units along the border, while saying NO would leave the defence of these locations to other French units – provided those units are able to be spared – and provide France with some Gardes Mobiles units instead.
In 1870 Blood and Iron however, the Garrison units are no more. Instead, they have been replaced by the familiar Defences unit (or ‘fort’ as it is better known), which is given an initial strength of 1.
What you decide to do at that point is up to you: if you make the fortresses a priority, you can reinforce the Defences units immediately, giving them time to increase in morale before the Germans come. If not, you can use your regular MPP income to purchase Gardes Mobiles instead (unit costs have been adjusted to ensure this decision leaves you no worse off than if you had received that unit for free under the SC2 decision).
You may later change your mind, and will be able to reinforce (or even disband) those Defences should you feel that circumstances require it.

Defences units can also be seen in the larger fortresses of Metz, Strasbourg and Belfort. In SC2, German units near these fortifications would occasionally be bombarded by an event (“Fortress Guns”), however the French player had no control over when this event occurred or what units it targeted.
In 1870 Blood and Iron, these abstract events have been replaced by Defences units, which in these cases have been given experience stars to reflect their greater strength. These units can bombard the German units directly, allowing you to focus your efforts to aid your defence, or coming counter-attack. Instead you may decide not to bombard the Germans, but conserve your ammunition to ensure that you are prepared for the next German effort. This may be a wise choice too, for Bismarck is a very formidable opponent!
Note: 1870 Blood and Iron is a free campaign available to everyone who owns Strategic Command: American Civil War, and it will be included as a free download in conjunction with the release of patch v1.04. When? Very soon!
If you don't yet have the base game, you can find it here:
https://www.matrixgames.com/game/strate ... -civil-war