The
Pils-Holstein Campaign, 1755.

Before
you go rushng off to an atlas to find Pils-Holstein, and before you start
calling travel companies to book your holidays in such a wonderful land, don’t
worry… because you won’t find it. It is a fictional country, along with
others such as Teutonburg-Fredonia, which I have created as the sort of states
that could easily have existed in
Europe
during the middle of the eighteenth century. Their actions
and those of their rulers, will, I hope, reflect the political machinations, the
intrigues, and the military alliances of that period.
Pils-Holstein is a stretch of land approximately 80 miles east-west, by 60 miles
north-south, and lies somewhere between France and Hesse, with Teutonburg-Fredonia
further north east.
The map is a “stylised”
version, and is not to a strict scale. It shows only the major features; the
major towns and rivers, and the significant ranges of hills and woods. Smaller
rivers, woods, hills and the complex network of villages, hamlets and farms are
omitted for clarity (though some say the cartographer had been paid one
lunchtime in Pils-Holstein’s finest ale, and was unfit to complete his work!).

above: stylised sketch map of The Landgraviate of Pils Holstein, 1755.
Pils-Holstein
is primarily a rural land with just a few small towns. It is a territory rich in
raw materials for the production of the finest beer in
Europe
, and it’s trade links with all parts of the continent are
much coveted. It is a land festooned with windmills, oast-houses, and the means
of shipping goods via it’s inland lakes and waterways to The Low countries,
and thence to Britain, Scandinavia, and beyond, to the new world and the
colonies. In return it receives goods from far and wide, at a low price
(countries are desperate to trade for the best beer in the world… for many
Absolute Monarchs it is an essential ingredient in keeping their populations
content!), making Pils-Holstein a well-stocked land of plenty. In short, it is a
land worth fighting for!
The
capital of Pils-Holstein is the fair city of
Pilsner
where the administrative apparatus of the Landgraviate can
be found. Kronenbrau is the largest “industrial town” and is only a short
ferry ride on one of the famous barges across the “Innen See”. The
Palace
of
Altgard
, by far the largest of the many fairy-tale castles, hosts
the extravagant court of Ludwig II, and nestles to the north in the mountains
overlooking the Ober See.
Allied forces:
Hessians:
Regt Prinz Maximilian |
Prussians: Regt IR1: Winterfeldt |
and again |
The Holstein Hussars |
Kurtz Jagerkorps |
 |
Pils Holstyein Artillery, deployed for action |
artillery on the march |
A
potted Political outline for those who like such background
Teutonburg-Fredonia
is ruled by The Elector of Teutonburg-Fredonia, King Ferdinand Adolphus (also
known as “Sweet FA”), and is allied to
Prussia
.
The
Landgraviate of Pils Holstein is ruled by The Landgrave Ludwig II, also allied
to
Prussia
, and more importantly in the context of the immediate
conflict of 1755, allied to
Hanover
, Hesse-Kassel, and
Brunswick
against the expansionist policies of Louis XV’s
France
.
France,
anticipating the outbreak of a major war (which we now know as the Seven Years
war, 1756-1763), wants to “practice” its battlefield tactics and put the
military through its paces by initiating a few “manoeuvres”. If, as a
result, it can make some territorial gains while Teutonburg-Fredonian eyes are
directed east in support of
Frederick
the Great of Prussia in his squabbling with
Austria
, then all to the good. What better place to start than with
the relatively weak (and opulent) Pils-Holstein, which, apart from a very small
defence force, has to rely on subsidy troops from surrounding princes, many of
whom may just be a little loathe to play their cards too early in the
forthcoming struggle for European hegemony.
French forces:
French Cavalry:
The Cuirassiers du Roi |
French Infantry Regt Picardie |
Dillon Irish Regt in French Service |
and again |
French artillery |
 |
Some notable Campaign
personalities
Brigadier
Petr Jung… commander of the Pils-Holstein Guards (see notes on that regiment).
Baron
von Gladbach of Munchen. The largest Beer merchant in Pils-Holstein: largest in
more ways than one!
Professor
Klichstich. A scholar in the university of Pils-Holstein, rumoured to be a spy,
even an assassin. His clumsy assistant Dextrus isn’t very (dextrous, that is).
Win
de Mahler: outspoken mill owner, and head of Pils-Holstein’s rapidly expanding
Peasant Workers Collective.