Two Battles in the North - Berlin about to fall?

Turn 5
26/27 August 1813

While the Russian and Austrian armies march steadily into Germany, the war continues to rage fiercely just south of Berlin.  Field Marshal Blucher has taken the French by surprise and attacked across the river at Johnsdorf.  This has resulted in 2 battles being fought on consecutive days within 10 miles of each other.  Watch out for reports from these soon.

However, roads north of Berlin are reportedly clogged with refugees as Berliners flee the approach of yet another French corps that is now less than 20 miles short of the capital.  A hastily assembled force is preparing to repel the hated French but the quality of these hastily assembled Prussian recruits is questionable.  Will the fact that they are fighting to defend their capital inspire them to a fight with a vigour that overcomes their lack of training?  If the city falls, there is every chance that the Prussian king will sue for peace, no doubt against the wishes of his indomitable Field Marshal.  As the wagons piled with worldly possessions trundle north, the French drumbeats draw closer and the city awaits a mighty battle right at its gates.  The next few days will be crucial.

Prussian Landwehr prepare to sell their lives in the defence of Berlin

Dresden is now completely invested by the Austrians who continue a steady waltz up the highway towards Torgau.  The local population have been seen lining the road cheering on the men in white, placing rings on their fingers and bells on their toes.  It appears that no-one is missing the French, and it is proving impossible to find anyone who ever did support them - funny that.  

Cossacks are reported to be roaming freely across Germany and, now that they have stopped treating everyone's wives and possessions as their own, even they are receiving a rapturous reception from the locals.  French reinforcements have been flocking into Germany from Spain and stragglers now have the pleasure of being slaughtered by partisans with German or Russian accents, rather than Spanish.  We suspect French supply lines are going to become increasingly under pressure as these warriors from the steppe make merry in the rear areas (we know what we mean).

And a report just in is talking of dramatic events in the Saxon occupied fortress of Torgau on the Elbe.  It seems the Saxon commander, without his King's blessing (said King being kept close to the French Emperor, in line with the sage advice to keep your firends close and your enemies closer), has departed the fortress with his troops and is marching south to join the Austrians.  This is unconfirmed at this stage, but if the Austrian commander would paint his Saxon division faster, there is every chance that we may be able to confirm the rumour.