Toaw Scenario: Russo-Turkish War 1877

Briefing
Russo-Turkish War 1877 1. Background On April 24, 1877 Tsar Nicholas II declared war on the Ottoman Empire. Austria-Hungary had agreed to remain neutral and Turkish atrocities against residents in the Balkans had turned European opinion against the Ottoman Empire. The Tsar was determined to occupy Constantinople and put an end to Ottoman rule in the Balkans. 2. Notes If the Tsar's HQ is destroyed there is a 50% chance that the Tsar is captured and the game will then end in a Turkish victory. Russia's supply level is higher for the first few weeks of war to represent the preperations for the invasion. There is a 25% chance that Persia will enter the war on the side of the Ottoman Empire and a 25% chance that it will enter the war on the side of Russia. There is a 25% chance that Greece will enter the war on the side of Russia. There is a 50% chance that the game will end in the next 4 turns when a Russian unit approaches to within 5 hexes of Constantinople. This represents the intervention of Western powers whose interest was in maintaining the balance of power in the region. This was the historical outcome of the war. The game will immediately end in a Russian victory whenever a Russian unit enters Constantinople. Turkey may move up to 3 infantry divisions from Crete at a cost of victory points. Russia will have a supply source placed in Belgrade and Bucharest when they are captured. Only the Turks have any naval transport capacity as the Russian Black Sea fleet had not been rebuilt since its loss in the Crimean war. Ottoman commanders in the Balkan theater cooperated poorly with each other. For this reason the Ottoman 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th corps are set for Internal Support only. When playing the computer a human player should refrain from blowing bridges. It is recommended that players agree not to blow bridges. The Russian player should not move any guerilla units out of the Balkans into Turkey. A simple guide would be to keep them at least 4 hexes from Adrianople. The default infantry movement rates in the editor are set too high for this conflict. To compensate for this the map was drawn at 25 km per hex but the scale is listed as 50 km per hex in the editor. This gives much more historic movement rates and also allows for the greater concentration of troops as was the practice in this era. John P Kelly, June 2000

If the Tsar's HQ is destroyed there is a 50% chance that the Tsar is captured and the game will then end in a Turkish victory.

Russia's supply level is higher for the first few weeks of war to represent the preperations for the invasion.

There is a 25% chance that Persia will enter the war on the side of the Ottoman Empire and a 25% chance that it will enter the war on the side of Russia.

There is a 25% chance that Greece will enter the war on the side of Russia.

There is a 50% chance that the game will end in the next 4 turns when a Russian unit approaches to within 5 hexes of Constantinople. This represents the intervention of Western powers whose interest was in maintaining the balance of power in the region. This was the historical outcome of the war.

The game will immediately end in a Russian victory whenever a Russian unit enters Constantinople.

Turkey may move up to 3 infantry divisions from Crete at a cost of victory points.

Russia will have a supply source placed in Belgrade and Bucharest when they are captured.

Only the Turks have any naval transport capacity as the Russian Black Sea fleet had not been rebuilt since its loss in the Crimean war.

Ottoman commanders in the Balkan theater cooperated poorly with each other. For this reason the Ottoman 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th corps are set for Internal Support only.

When playing the computer a human player should refrain from blowing bridges. It is recommended that players agree not to blow bridges.

The Russian player should not move any guerilla units out of the Balkans into Turkey. A simple guide would be to keep them at least 4 hexes from Adrianople.

The default infantry movement rates in the editor are set too high for this conflict. To compensate for this the map was drawn at 25 km per hex but the scale is listed as 50 km per hex in the editor. This gives much more historic movement rates and also allows for the greater concentration of troops as was the practice in this era.