Grosse Ostaufmarsch
Background
……“that in case we did not attack France,
England would remain neutral and guarantee
France’s neutrality.”
These were the fateful words Prince
Lichnowsky, the German ambassador to England,
sent to the German Foreign Office. What
Lichnowsky had actually been told was that
England would remain neutral and guarantee
France’s neutrality if France and Russia were not
attacked by Germany. He had been told this
somewhat elliptically while under severe stress, so
it was easy for a misunderstanding to occur. When
the Kaiser heard of this, he called for Moltke and
read him the telegram.
“Now we can go to war against Russia
only. We simply march the whole of our army to
the east!” the Kaiser said.
Moltke flatly refused. He would not let his
work over the last ten years go to waste. Also, he
thought France would declare war on Germany
regardless of English promises.
“Your Majesty,” Moltke told Willhiem II,
“it cannot be done. The deployment of millions
cannot be improvised. If your Majesty insists on
leading the whole army to the east it will not be an
army ready for battle but a disorganized mob of
armed men with no arrangements for supply.
Those arrangements (of the west-first plan) took a
whole year of intricate labor to complete.”
“Your uncle would have given me a
different answer,” replied the Kaiser.
After long argument the Kaiser refused to
budge. Moltke reluctantly informed the Railway
Division of the change in plans.
“I can give you five armies east,” stated
von Staabs.
The new plan was based on another
existing east first plan and divided the German
soldiers into four army groups. Army group A
consisted of the First and Eighth armies and was to
strike out of east Prussia toward Vilna. Army
group B consisted of the Second, Third, and Fourth
armies. The Second would attack to Brest-Litovesk
from east Prussia. The Third and Fourth would
attack to cut off Warsaw from the north and south
respectively. Army group C contained the Seventh
and Fifth armies bordering Belgium and
Luxembourg. It would move into those neutrals if
France violated them. The last of the army groups
army group D would defend the Franco-German
border if France attacked. It was made up of the
Sixth army and an Armee-Abteilung.
As Moltke had predicted the French
declared war to “honor the treaty between the
French Republic and the Russian Empire”.
England remained out of the “European squabble”,
but warned Germany that if her navy entered the
English Channel it would “be considered an act of
war”. Italy did not join the Central Powers because
the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria was
“defensive in nature”-or so she claimed. Italy was
just waiting to see which side was winning before
joining the war to share in the spoils of the victors.
The Great War has started. Who will be
triumphant? Will France liberate Alsace? Will the
Germans repulse the French and destroy the
Russian army? Can the Russians conduct an
effective fighting withdrawal?
Only time will tell ????
1x 2-6Cav XX
Deployment
The following units deploy on the Tannenberg map
1st XXXX HQ
2x 2-6Cav XX
1x 3-4Art lll
1x 0-3Enj lll
3x 9-5Inf XX
2x 8-5Inf XX
1x 8-5Inf XX
1x 4-3Siege l
8th XXXX HQ
1x 2-6Cav XX
1x 3-4Art lll
1x 0-3Enj lll
2x 8-5Inf XX
2x 5-5Inf XX
1x 5-5Inf XX
1x 4-3Siege l
nd
2 XXXX HQ
1x 2-6Cav XX
1x 3-4Art lll
1x 8-2Siege l
1x 0-3Enj lll
2x 8-5Inf XX
2x 5-5Inf XX
1x 4-3Siege
3rd XXXX HQ
1x 3-4Art lll
2x 8-2Siege l
1x 0-3Enj lll
2x 8-5Inf XX
2x 6-5Inf XX
1x 5-5Inf XX
2x 4-3Siege l
(4th XXXX)
(75sp’s)
Gd, 2
4
18
1G,2G,3G
1, 2
3, 4
1Gr
1
2003
2103
2003
2003
2204
2104
2105
2204
2003
(75sp’s)
1
6
17
19, 20
33, 34
2Gr, 19R
1R, 36R
3R
2
2207
2309
2207
2207
2306
2307
2205
2308
2309
2207
(75sp’s)
4
9
1
20
5, 6
7, 8
37, 41
5R, 6R
7R, 22R
3
2210
2211
2210
2210
2210
2310
2311
2211
2209
2210
2210
(50sp’s)
1
2, 3
23
23, 32
24, 40
23R, 24R
9R
10R
4, 5
1612
1612
1612
1612
1713
1613
1513
1912
1812
1512
5
Garrisons and Reserves
1x 5-5Inf XX 35RE
3x 2-4Inf X
KonE, 1Lw
9Lw
2x 2-4Inf X
69E, 70Lw
1x 2-4Inf X
2Lw
6Lw
1x 1-4Inf X
LotzL
1x 0-3Enj lll
24
0920
1016
1506
1114
2003
0420
2009
1016
The following units deploy on the Galicia map
4th XXXX HQ
1x 2-6Cav XX
1x 3-4Art lll
1x 0-3Enj lll
1x 8-5Inf XX
2x 5-5Inf XX
3x 2-4Inf X
(50sp’s)
8
2
30
9
10
11
12
11R, 12R
17LE, 18Lw, 19Lw
21Lw, 22Lw, 23Lw
Garrisons and Reserves
1x 0-3Enj lll
25
0804
1207
0804
0804
0802
0903
1004
1005
0904
0804
1006
1511
The following units deploy on
The Schlieffen Plan map
7th XXXX HQ
1x 2-6Cav XX
1x 3-4Art lll
1x 0-3Enj lll
2x 8-5Inf XX
2x 6-5Inf XX
2x 5-5Inf XX
2x 2-4Inf X
1x 2-4Inf X
(50sp’s)
9
18
19
13, 14
17, 18
22, 38
17R, 18R
13R, 14R
21R, 25R
10Lw, 11Lw
27Lw
25Lw
29Lw
2406
2306
2406
2406
2307
2406
2407
2507
2506
2508
2605
2506
2606
2707
th
5 XXXX HQ
2x 2-6Cav XX
1x 3-4Art lll
1x 0-3Enj lll
1x 8-5Inf XX
2x 5-5Inf XX
2x 2-4Inf X
1x 2-4Inf XX
6th XXXX HQ
1x 2-6Cav XX
1x 3-4Art lll
1x 0-3Enj lll
2x 8-5Inf XX
1x 8-5Inf XX
1x 5-5Inf XX
2x 2-4Inf X
1x 2-4Inf X
(50sp’s)
3, 6
12
29
15
16
21
25
26
27
35
36
15R, 16R
49Lw, 9BLw
47Lw
2612
2612
2612
2612
2308
2309
2409
2410
2511
2512
2512
2514
2509
2612
2509
(50sp’s)
7
Ba
3ba
Ba
31, 42
1Ba
2Ba
3Ba
4Ba
5Ba
6Ba
1BR
5BR
13Lw, 53Lw
43Lw, 45Lw
5BLw
2715
2517
2617
2715
2715
2414
2517
2616
2617
2717
2718
2817
2615
2716
2316
2416
2616
(9th XXXX HQ represents an armee-abteilung)
9th XXXX HQ (25sp’s)
3018
2x 8-5Inf XX 28, 29
2919
30, 39
3021
1x 2-5Inf X
84
2919
1x 6-5Inf XX 26R
2819
1x 5-5Inf XX 28R
2918
1x 3-4Inf X
60Lw
3017
55Lw
3022
1x 2-4Inf X
1BLw
2920
2BLw
2921
Garrisons and Reserves
1x 6-5Inf XX
1x 5-5Inf XX
2x 2-4Inf X
33R
30R
56Lw, 84Lw
52Lw, 61Lw
2415
3018
2415
3018
Mobilization
Turn 1: All 8-2 and 4-3 siege artillery.
All 2-6 cavalry on the Tannenberg and Galicia maps.
Turn 2: All 2-6 cavalry.
One 8-5 or 9-5 infantry in the 1st, 8th, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th armies.
Turn 3: All 8-5 infantry.
All 5-5 infantry in the 8th and 2nd armies.
All HQs.
All 3-4 artillery.
Turn 4: All 6-5 and 5-5 infantry.
All 2-5 infantry.
All 0-3 Engineers.
All 2-4 infantry on the Galicia map.
Turn 5: All units.
Reinforcements
German 7-5s, 3-5s, 2-4s, 0-3s, and the 6BR come in as normal. When the German player receives a
replacement unit he may chose to have it arrive in hex 2703 of TSP map or hex 0118 of the TB map. Other units
that normally arrive on the Schlieffen plan map arrive in hex 0118 on the Tannenberg map. The 17R and 18R do
not arrive as reinforcements. They deploy at the beginning of the game and mobilize like normal units. This
applies to the 9th army HQ as well. The Strnz, Fkhsn, Gaede, and Wrsh HQs do not arrive in the hex listed. They
arrive in any German city center(player’s choice) in any map. The supply points that normally arrive with the 9th
and Wrsh HQs arrive on the turn listed in the TB map, but they are unattached to any HQ. When 30 supply points
arrive in the Schlieffen Plan map in the normal reinforcement schedule 15 of them arrive in the Tannenberg map
instead.
Note: If playing this as a Tannenberg-Galicia scenario, ignore the reinforcements designated with an asterisk.
Special Rules
Russian units are under no obligation to move anywhere. If an Austria-Hungarian army achieves
its objective, its new objective is Brest-Litovesk. The British and Belgians do not deploy or receive
reinforcements. If Germany enters Belgium deploy the Belgian army as if you had just set up a normal
game. France may now enter Belgium. The turn after Germany enters Belgium the Belgian cavalry
mobilize. Two turns afterward all other Belgian units mobilize. They act under the normal restrictions but
are released if the Entente player occupies hex 1606 with 12 infantry non-Belgian strength points.
When the Germans enter Belgium deploy the British as if you had just set up a normal game. Three
turns after the Germans enter Belgium all British units mobilize. Five turns after the Germans enter
Belgium place the first stack (a stack being a group of reinforcements that arrive together) of British
reinforcements that would normally have arrived up to that point in the hex listed in the reinforcement
arrival chart. Six turns after place the next stack and so on. The British player does not receive any
reinforcements besides in the manner described above until all British units that would have normally
arrived have arrived. France may not choose to enter Belgium until turn 5 (unless the Germans enter it
earlier).
If France enters Belgium before the Germans deploy the Belgian army as normal with the following
changes: the cavalry deploys in hex 1708, the first and second infantry deploy in hex 1406, and the fifth
and sixth infantry deploy in hexes 1507 and 1607 respectively. They mobilize the same way as if Germany
had entered Belgium and are now under the control of the German player. The Belgian units act the same
way as in a normal game (the German player may not place move units to hex 1606 to release them).
Special Rules (revised)
•
Russian units are under no obligation to move anywhere.
•
The Central Powers player does not lose any victory points for failing to occupy Belgian city centers/urban
hexes or destroy Belgian forts.
•
The British and Belgians do not deploy or receive reinforcements.
•
If Germany enters Belgium deploy the Belgian army as if you had just set up a normal game.
•
France may now enter Belgium.
•
The turn after Germany enters Belgium the Belgian cavalry mobilize. Two turns afterward all other Belgian
units mobilize. They act under the normal restrictions but are released if the Entente player occupies hex 1606
with 12 infantry non-Belgian strength points. When the Germans enter Belgium deploy the British as if you had
just set up a normal game.
•
Three turns after the Germans enter Belgium all British units mobilize. Five turns after the Germans enter
Belgium place the first stack (a stack being a group of reinforcements that arrive together) of British
reinforcements that would normally have arrived up to that point in the hex listed in the reinforcement arrival
chart. Six turns after place the next stack and so on.
•
The British player does not receive any reinforcements besides in the manner described above until all British
units that would have normally arrived have arrived.
•
France may not choose to enter Belgium until turn 5 (unless the Germans enter it earlier). If France enters
Belgium before the Germans, deploy the Belgian army as normal with the following changes: the cavalry
deploys in hex 1708, the first and second infantry deploy in hex 1406, and the fifth and sixth infantry deploy in
hexes 1507 and 1607 respectively. They mobilize the same way as if Germany had entered Belgium and are
now under the control of the German player. The Belgian units act the same way as in a normal game (the
German player may not place move units to hex 1606 to release them).
•
If France enters Belgium place the BEF HQ (with only fifteen supply points), the 3-5 Nvl X, the 1 4-6 Cav XX,
and the 1, 2 9-5 Inf XX in hex 1604. Three turns after France enters Belgium they mobilize. These units are
under the same restrictions as the Belgian units and are released the same manner (if either the British or
Belgians, though, is attacked, both are released).
•
The turn after British units are released add fifteen supply points to the BEF HQ and place the 19 3-5 Inf X and
the 3, 5 9-5 Inf XX in hex 1604. Two turns after the British units are released place the 4, 6 9-5 Inf XX in hex
1604. If the British units are released then on the first turn of October and November the Central Powers player
receives five British supply points and a 7-5 RPL XX in any controlled port.
•
If either player enters Belgium, both players may enter Luxembourg. Otherwise, it may not be entered.