1866 and all that

[armchairgeneral]

I really like the Northstar 1866 range for Austro-Prussian Seven Weeks War.

Just not sure where to start with research? There seems to be a surprising number of books available on this short war. I would like to understand the nature of the also surprising number of battles. Was it simply conducted in a similar fashion to ACW?

[Inkpaduta]

I think a good place to start would be Geoffrey Wawro's The Austro-Prussian War.

[Citizen Sade]

If I were you, I’d look into the Seven Weeks’ War in what is now Germany. There were some interesting smaller scale battles, manageable even in 28mm, involving the smaller states e.g. Hanover and Bavaria. It’s more interesting and less one-sided, in my opinion, due to things like the participation of allies on both sides and Prussian Landwehr with muzzle-loaders rather than needle guns.

If you haven’t already found it, I think The Hyphenated Wars website is worth a browse:

http://www.hmwrs.com/HyphenWars.htm

[Redshank]

Bruce Weigle's series of grand tactical rules includes a book on 1866. It is based on a ton of research which he digests for you in practical wargaming terms, for example, how available weaponry determined the balance between fire and shock in tactical effectiveness. He also includes the bibliography to let you go and read for yourself and question his conclusions if you want. Includes generously-detailed scenarios, including some battles involving the other German states. His rules are for smaller-scale (6mm-15mm), although people have played in 28mm. However the book is valuable as a reference even if you never play his rules. I don't think you would go wrong by starting there.

[Chad]

The German part of the war is interesting and I do that in 10mm. Not sure figures are available in 28mm for all the figures eg Bavaria, Hesse and Wurttemburg.

[armchairgeneral]

Thanks for the comments everyone. Useful stuff to get started 

[vtsaogames]

1866 main theater n a nutshell:
Prussians
 infantry armed with breechloading carbine and superior battalion tactics
 artillery smoothbore with some Krupp guns and poor tactics
 cavalry middling
 high command vastly superior

Austrians
 infantry armed with muzzle loading rifled muskets like ACW, rely on bayonet attacks in column, ouch
 artillery rifled muzzle loaders, well handled, superior to Prussians
 cavalry tougher than Prussian cavalry unless latter led by von Bredow
 high command confused, corps command prone to bayonet attacks with heavy losses

[Baron von Wreckedoften]

Not sure figures are available in 28mm for all the figures eg Bavaria, Hesse and Wurttemburg.

Not sure about the last two, but North Star's 1866 range has Bavarian infantry in peaked caps*, and an artillery crew, with the promise of more to come.

[* I've read conflicting accounts as to whether they wore the caps, or the traditional raupenhelm in '66; ditto as to whether some infantry wore caps in '70/'71. ]

[Chad]

If they have Bavarians in peaked cap then you could probably get away with them for both Hessian and Wurttemburg. I do that in 10mm, so any differences there may be are hardly noticeable.

[Grafthomond]

If you are going for the campaigns in Germany, I would highly recommend "Too Little, Too Late" by the late Mike Embree and published by Helion, I think. Mike was a gifted researcher and a wargamer, so its full of useful information.  He was, I might add, a real gentleman.