In the spring of 1809, Napoleon chased the Austrians out of Bavaria in a short and decisive campaign. In Napoleon's attempt to catch the Austrians on the retreat to Vienna, he hastily deployed his force over the Danube. Archduke Charles seized the opportunity and planned to launch his entire force at a small French bridgehead at the villages of Aspern and Essling. Will Napoleon hold off the Austrians? Could he have avoided his first historic defeat as emperor, or was it inevitable?
This battle, fought between the consul Marcus Atilius Regulus and the Spartan mercenary general Xanthippus, takes place on the Great Plains of Tunisia. After landing in Africa, the Romans marched toward the city of Carthage. With previous commanders proving incompetent, Xanthippus assumed command of a demoralized Carthaginian army, reformed it, and marched out to face the Roman advance. Will Xanthippus delay Carthage’s fall for another century, or will Rome dominate the Mediterranean?