-
We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
Can we get the start save? I would love to try to play in this world of ugly borders 
(if there already are one, where is it? i can't find it)
(if there already are one, where is it? i can't find it)
I guess I could but I'd have to figure out which files you need from my V2 folders because of the converter mod. I don't think the save game will work with a vanilla V2.
Eastern Europe, 1876-1890
After their victory over the Hungarians, the Byzantine Emperor returned to the project of recapturing its vast former territories, declaring war on Hedjaz in the fall of 1876. Hedjaz put up little resistance, but before the Empire was able to complete its annexation, it found itself in a much more serious war with another former vassal.
The independence of Funj following the Byzantine revolution of 1866 had left the two nations with interpenetrating realms. Due to the vagaries of medieval land inheritance, the Emperor held domains in the Abyssinnian highlands and the Nile Delta while the Despot of Funj administered various enclaves in the Middle East, the island of Crete and part of the Peloponnesus. When Funj was a vassal state, these overlapping jurisdictions had not mattered greatly, but now it produced significant problems.
In 1877, the First Byzantine-Funj war began when the Despot of Funj demanded control of Gonder-Tigre. When the Emperor refused, he declared war, and was backed by his allies in Mali and Tripoli, while Etruria defended the Byzantines. The early years of the war were indecisive, as Etruria and Mali fought in North Africa, Mali and Funj occupied Byzantine Africa, and Byzantium and Etruria occupied the Funj territories elsewhere. In 1878, Mali landed a force in the Levant but appeared to have failed to relieve the Funj defenders.
West Africa in 1879:
East Africa in 1879:
The Middle East in 1879:
But in 1879, the Hungarians, still bitter over the Hungarian Wars declared war, and the Empire's European possessions were almost undefended. When a desperate attempt to bring their forces in the middle east home to defend Constantinople failed, the Empire was forced to return Budjak to Hungary once more. Its demoralized armies were routed in the Middle East, allowing Mali to sweep through the Levant, Anatolia and even invade the Balkans.
The Balkans and the Middle East in 1881:
The Emperor managed to avoid territorial concessions only by agreeing to crippling reparation payments and military demobilization. But the war had been destructive for all parties, with total casualties of over 600,000 men. With Mali committing all its forces to the war, the ancient Segu chieftains rose up in rebellion and declared independence from Mali. They were only subdued in 1883.
In the Hungarian capitol of Banka Bystrica, the people were delighted by their easy victory. Riding the wave of popularity, the president next decided to attack Silesia. In the 1870's, the growing strength of Silesia had spurred a Polish Nationalist movement that dreamed of reuniting the lands of Poland. But the Duke of Silesia had taken advantage of Hungary's weakness in the past. Hungary was strong again and the Poles would be put in their place, despite Austria's warnings. Hungary was not afraid to fight on two flanks and sent a force of 60,000 north into Silesia while 85,000 went west to oppose the Austrians.
Unfortunately, a third flank unexpectedly emerged. The King of Frankfurt had long coveted the predominantly German-speaking lands of Hungarian Bohemia and saw an opportunity to seize control of them. Hungary was in no position to resist and in the summer of 1881, Frankfurt took possession of Bohemia's valuable coal and iron mines.
Undaunted by this setback, the Hungarians successfully pursued their wars with Austria and Silesia. By the end of the year, they occupied almost all of Silesia and much of eastern Austria.
Hungarian Invasion of Silesia, 1882:
Austria was forced to accept Hungary's reconquest of Mazowieckie. Worse was to follow for the hapless Silesians. The following year, rebels toppled the Duke, and his replacement was forced to sign away much of his power to an elected body. Declaring the treaty with the previous Duke to now be null and void, the Hungarians declared war again. The defenseless Silesians were forced to cede Wielkepolskie back to Hungary. The following year, Danzig annexed what was left of Silesia, ending three hundred years of independence.
The mid-1880's saw Mali spreading its influence beyond the African continent into the Middle East. After the strategic difficulties of the First Byzantine-Funj war, the Malinese were determined to build themselves a sea-route between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. They strong-armed Yemen into giving up control of the narrow isthmus between the Sinai Peninsula and Egypt. In 1884, they unveiled a remarkable engineering feat: The Suez Canal. Ships could now sail to the Indian Ocean from the Mediterranean via a much shorter route. It was a tremendous boon for Mediterranean trade...but under Mali's control, much to the frustration of Byzantium and Etruria.
Determined to reassert himself in the Middle East, the Byzantine Emperor saw no choice but to make war. In 1887, he attempted to take control of the critical province of Funj Azerbaijan. As expected, Mali declared war, but he had made other friends in the intervening years. Not only Etruria, but Austria and Japan joined him in the war effort.
But once again, he had underestimated the military strength of Mali. Although he was able to occupy Funj's possessions in Asia and Europe, the war in Africa went poorly, despite the arrival of Japanese army in Somaliland in 1889 Not only did Mali and Funj occupy Byzantium's lands in Africa, they were invading the Middle East again by 1890.
The Middle East in 1890:
West Africa in 1890:
The Byzantines could count themselves fortunate that the King of Japan was able to negotiate a peace in the summer of 1890 without major concessions other than a recognition of Funj's continued rule of Azerbaijan. But the Second Byzantine-Funj war still took a toll on the Empire's well-being. The military occupation had devastated its industrial base, and it was seen once again as a declining realm, in contrast to the ascendant African powers.
Eastern Europe in 1891:
After their victory over the Hungarians, the Byzantine Emperor returned to the project of recapturing its vast former territories, declaring war on Hedjaz in the fall of 1876. Hedjaz put up little resistance, but before the Empire was able to complete its annexation, it found itself in a much more serious war with another former vassal.
The independence of Funj following the Byzantine revolution of 1866 had left the two nations with interpenetrating realms. Due to the vagaries of medieval land inheritance, the Emperor held domains in the Abyssinnian highlands and the Nile Delta while the Despot of Funj administered various enclaves in the Middle East, the island of Crete and part of the Peloponnesus. When Funj was a vassal state, these overlapping jurisdictions had not mattered greatly, but now it produced significant problems.
In 1877, the First Byzantine-Funj war began when the Despot of Funj demanded control of Gonder-Tigre. When the Emperor refused, he declared war, and was backed by his allies in Mali and Tripoli, while Etruria defended the Byzantines. The early years of the war were indecisive, as Etruria and Mali fought in North Africa, Mali and Funj occupied Byzantine Africa, and Byzantium and Etruria occupied the Funj territories elsewhere. In 1878, Mali landed a force in the Levant but appeared to have failed to relieve the Funj defenders.
West Africa in 1879:
East Africa in 1879:
The Middle East in 1879:
But in 1879, the Hungarians, still bitter over the Hungarian Wars declared war, and the Empire's European possessions were almost undefended. When a desperate attempt to bring their forces in the middle east home to defend Constantinople failed, the Empire was forced to return Budjak to Hungary once more. Its demoralized armies were routed in the Middle East, allowing Mali to sweep through the Levant, Anatolia and even invade the Balkans.
The Balkans and the Middle East in 1881:
The Emperor managed to avoid territorial concessions only by agreeing to crippling reparation payments and military demobilization. But the war had been destructive for all parties, with total casualties of over 600,000 men. With Mali committing all its forces to the war, the ancient Segu chieftains rose up in rebellion and declared independence from Mali. They were only subdued in 1883.
In the Hungarian capitol of Banka Bystrica, the people were delighted by their easy victory. Riding the wave of popularity, the president next decided to attack Silesia. In the 1870's, the growing strength of Silesia had spurred a Polish Nationalist movement that dreamed of reuniting the lands of Poland. But the Duke of Silesia had taken advantage of Hungary's weakness in the past. Hungary was strong again and the Poles would be put in their place, despite Austria's warnings. Hungary was not afraid to fight on two flanks and sent a force of 60,000 north into Silesia while 85,000 went west to oppose the Austrians.
Unfortunately, a third flank unexpectedly emerged. The King of Frankfurt had long coveted the predominantly German-speaking lands of Hungarian Bohemia and saw an opportunity to seize control of them. Hungary was in no position to resist and in the summer of 1881, Frankfurt took possession of Bohemia's valuable coal and iron mines.
Undaunted by this setback, the Hungarians successfully pursued their wars with Austria and Silesia. By the end of the year, they occupied almost all of Silesia and much of eastern Austria.
Hungarian Invasion of Silesia, 1882:
Austria was forced to accept Hungary's reconquest of Mazowieckie. Worse was to follow for the hapless Silesians. The following year, rebels toppled the Duke, and his replacement was forced to sign away much of his power to an elected body. Declaring the treaty with the previous Duke to now be null and void, the Hungarians declared war again. The defenseless Silesians were forced to cede Wielkepolskie back to Hungary. The following year, Danzig annexed what was left of Silesia, ending three hundred years of independence.
The mid-1880's saw Mali spreading its influence beyond the African continent into the Middle East. After the strategic difficulties of the First Byzantine-Funj war, the Malinese were determined to build themselves a sea-route between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. They strong-armed Yemen into giving up control of the narrow isthmus between the Sinai Peninsula and Egypt. In 1884, they unveiled a remarkable engineering feat: The Suez Canal. Ships could now sail to the Indian Ocean from the Mediterranean via a much shorter route. It was a tremendous boon for Mediterranean trade...but under Mali's control, much to the frustration of Byzantium and Etruria.
Determined to reassert himself in the Middle East, the Byzantine Emperor saw no choice but to make war. In 1887, he attempted to take control of the critical province of Funj Azerbaijan. As expected, Mali declared war, but he had made other friends in the intervening years. Not only Etruria, but Austria and Japan joined him in the war effort.
But once again, he had underestimated the military strength of Mali. Although he was able to occupy Funj's possessions in Asia and Europe, the war in Africa went poorly, despite the arrival of Japanese army in Somaliland in 1889 Not only did Mali and Funj occupy Byzantium's lands in Africa, they were invading the Middle East again by 1890.
The Middle East in 1890:
West Africa in 1890:
The Byzantines could count themselves fortunate that the King of Japan was able to negotiate a peace in the summer of 1890 without major concessions other than a recognition of Funj's continued rule of Azerbaijan. But the Second Byzantine-Funj war still took a toll on the Empire's well-being. The military occupation had devastated its industrial base, and it was seen once again as a declining realm, in contrast to the ascendant African powers.
Eastern Europe in 1891:
It's Haasa. They've been around since EU3, just haven't done anything of note and are too small to label.
Geez, I thought the Romans(Byzantines) could catch a break in this timeline, but NO. After being split into a million vassal states and still overcoming the freaking Persian Hordes, they have to deal with these Sub-Saharan upstarts. It's a feat of Roman proportions that they're still alive, honestly.
There have been a lot of strange treaties in the last decade where people got utterly destroyed in wars but suffered limited consequences. I thought Byzantium would at least lose its holdings in Ethiopia.
I find it interesting how some things have happened that echo real history. A war with Germans causing a populist rising in France is familiar, even though the fate of the Paris Commune in this time line is very different. And the rise of Mali-backed Funj from a Byzantine vassal recalls the Ottoman conflict with its former Viceroy in Egypt.
I find it interesting how some things have happened that echo real history. A war with Germans causing a populist rising in France is familiar, even though the fate of the Paris Commune in this time line is very different. And the rise of Mali-backed Funj from a Byzantine vassal recalls the Ottoman conflict with its former Viceroy in Egypt.
Two steps forward and three steps back for Byzantium. At least Frankfurt finally got something!
I love powerful Mali and the African Papal States :laugh:
Same, I irrationally dislike them.
I love powerful Mali and the African Papal States :laugh:
Same, I irrationally dislike them.
Frankfurt can form Germany if it gets all the German cores, right? And once it gets N&I, it'll be able to wage war for those cores, right?
Germany can still happen! Frankfurt can deliver! Go, go Frankfurt!
Germany can still happen! Frankfurt can deliver! Go, go Frankfurt!
Because I'm lazy I won't check to make sure, but I think there was mention of a converter problem a couple of pages ago, that the converter had not created any cores for Germany anywhere so the Federations and the German empire were not formable even though Frankfurt had the decision.
Nothing anymore, except they haven't managed to work in a proper "clean-borders" subroutine in the AI yet.
How are the spheres of influence looking?
An African built canal is an interesting diversion, but it appears appropriate - there aren't any European powers who can really claim influence in the region. Had events transpired differently of or Byzantium, however, they might have looked to dominate the Red Sea and Mediterranean.
Good to see Frankfurt grab more territory in central Europe - I'm still routing for Germany!
Good to see Frankfurt grab more territory in central Europe - I'm still routing for Germany!
Interesting update. Africa is fascinating in this game for sure. And Frankfurt's grab from Hungary is bound to have consequences later.
I am intrigued by what is going on in the East that Japan suddenly popped up in a Mali-Byzantine war.
I am intrigued by what is going on in the East that Japan suddenly popped up in a Mali-Byzantine war.
Actually, Mali has now sphered Syria and Trebizond and Karaman are allied to Syria, so that's a concern for the Byzantines. And Japan was allied to Byzantium, though it doesn't seem like a terribly natural alliance.
As to Frankfurt, I did alter the save game in 1881 to make Germany and Italy cores. Frankfurt's actually quite close, but it needs to either annex some territory from Sibir or sphere Sibir (and keep the rest of the German states in its sphere) for it to be possible.
Last edited:
What's Mali's relationship to France and Frankfurt? If Frankfurt goes for Germany, they'll hopefully deliver on a Great War - wonder how Mali would intervene? Play the role of America and tip the balance?
Wow, one can really tell the difference of the rising star of Mali compared to the setting sun of Rome. They built the Seuz Canal and were able to keep Byzantium form beating it's former puppet. Go Mali!