Scenario: How would you organize the French Invasion of Russia? (Order of Battle)
I remember reading a quote from Marmont that stated that the 4 cavalry corps created from the Invasion of Russia acted merely as something merely pleasing to the eye, but were largely not effective as units. I also believe that Davout's I Corps was too large to be considered a "corps" and should've been titled as a "corps group" or an "army". It was an interesting decision for Napoleon to give Eugene and Jerome command of their own force made up of several corps despite the fact that neither, especially Jerome, were proven enough in the line of independent command. If I were to organize the Grande Armée, I'd at least give Jerome's job to Davout a lot sooner.
Assuming Napoleon intends to deliver a "decisive blow" to the Russian Army and we lack the precognition to know the disaster that awaits the army, how would you organize the Grande Armée into an order of battle? How many corps would there be? How many men take part? Is Jerome given a major command?
Rules/Restrictions:
- Can only increase/decrease/keep the amount of major units (ex. army corps, cavalry corps, army groups)
- Can only decrease/keep the amount personnel sent in
- Can only change/keep the commanders of major units
- Cannot include commanders that are dead or are stationed in Spain (ex. Marmont, Lannes, Soult)
- Should list the amount of infantry, cavalry, artillery, guns for each unit
- Cannot list the Imperial Guard as a single unit and should split into the 3 Imperial Guard sections each with their own commanders (Old Guard, Young Guard, and Guard Cavalry)
- Can exclude some/all of the sections of the Imperial Guard from the Invasion
- Can exclude "Reserve units" that never cross the Russian border