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unmerged(199)

Banned
Jun 12, 2000
885
0
www.fenrir.dk
Imperial Denmark (1580 - 1617)

Toward the end of the 16th century, Denmark is the master of mighty colonial empire, having ejected Spain from their dominating position in Central America. Having achieved everything he wished for abroad, King Fredrik IIs eyes now turn close to home, to our wonderful neighbors, the Swedes. Their perifidious and treacherous betrayal of the Kalmar Union in 1520 still rankles, and King Fredrik II vows that they shall pay.

Peder Skram dies in June of 1580, leaving no great generals or admirals left to lead the Danish forces. For now, the Danish army is increased in size and strength, for the great trial against the Swedisk rebel scum. In April 1582, Portugal (with ally Neapel) declare war on Sweden to reclaim their lost province of Algarve. We are tempted to join their war declaration, but our armies are barely prepared and so we let the war run its course. Despite the long lines of communications from Sweden to Portuguese Algarve, and despite having taken the province, Portugal give up in late 1584. In March, 1586, Bohemia tries to recapture its lost territories from Austria-Hungary, but instead they loose yet another province, giving Hungary a common border with Denmark. Heretics infect our province of Gotland, but being tolerant to the Calvinists, we do nothing about it.

In May 1586, Poland and France declare war on Sweden. This is the opportunity we have been waiting for, and troops are ferried across to Skåne and Norway. But already in February 1587 Poland give up. Nevertheless, Fredrik II is determined, and in March 1587, Denmark declares war on Sweden with Russia and England supporting.

The Danish armies are prepared, with 80k troops prepared to strike into Sweden. They performs a perfect lightning war across the Swedish landscape. In the Campaigning season of 1587, Lapland, Svealand and Småland are captured. Next year, Vestergattan, Bergslagen and Gastrikland. The 50k Swedish main army is left confused - marching now against the Russians, now back towards Svealand (the capital). King Fredrik II does not get to see the fulfillment of his dreams though, as he dies early in 1588. He is succeeded by King Christian IV who promises, on his father's deathsbed, to fulfill the old King's ambitions and annex Sweden.

In March 1589, England pays 250d to the Swedes to end the war. The Danish diplomats are flabbergasted - with the English hardly having been involved in any fighting, and the war clearly going well, what has possessed the English? A Swedish march on Svealand is defeated, and followed up by the capture of Vesterbotten and Osterbotten; all of Western Sweden now lies under Danish control, but there are still many Finnish provinces left. The Danish army is almost at the end of its tether - the Swedes (reinforced by troops recruited using English money) have turned back the Russians and mass for an assault on the Danish conquests. In July of 1590, Denmark settles for two rich Swedish provinces and an indemnity in return for peace. We had hoped to annex the Swedes in this war, but were simply unable to funnel new troops into the war fast enough to replace the troops lost in sieges and still maintain enough troops to stave off the Swedish main army.

The war caused rebellions in Mexico, and with the end of the Swedish war, we attempt to put down the rebellion. And fail! Zacatecas rebelled with 88k men, and even though we engage them with equal forces (attrition has reduced them to 34k), the Danish troops are severely beaten. A new attack, this time with superiority in numbers receive the same result. And it is only in 1594 that the rebellion is put down, by the inglorious tactic of throwing so many troops at the rebels that they die.

Foreign affairs: The Spanish whip the Incas twice in 1589 and 1594, taking a province each time. In December 1591, Portugal once again tries to take back their province from Sweden - and fail again. In 1592, Poland attacks Sweden and take Estonia and Ingermanland in the peace settlement. This is good news - it weakens the Swedes, and I really don't want the Ingermanland province, since Russia has proprietary feelings for the marsh (and besides its Orthodox). And we can (hopefully) always take Estonia from the Poles. France and Polan also beat up on poor Lotharingen in 1595. Austria-Hungary and Bohemia clash again in 1597 with no result from a year of war.

March 1596; 5 1/2 years has passed since the First War, and the Danes once again pour across the borders in the second Danish-Swedish war. By January 1597 it is all over; without ever meeting the large Swedish army in combat, Denmark annexes Berglslagen and Finland. This last province gives us a foothold on the Finnish peninsula from which to produce troops for the next war. Zacatecas revolts (again) and the rebellion is put down in the usual way - mass assaults on the reduced rebel forces until they all die.

In May of 1597, Spain declares war on England. This is a less than ideal moment with the rebellion going on in Mexico, but we honor our commitment to the Alliance, though Russia does not, and even refuses to rejoin the Alliance. As usual, our American army sweeps through the Spanish colonies and conquor them. However, the sneaky spaniards land 2k troops behind our lines, burning a trading post at Biloxi. Our forces rush to the scene, but 8k men are unable to make much impression on the Spanish conquistadors leading the expedition, and it is only after an additional 4000 men are brought up that the Spaniards are finally wiped out. In the meantime, the Dutch have immediately recolonized Biloxi. Damn Dutch!!! :(

In October 1598, Gotland returns to Lutheranism. January 1599, France declares war on Spain but immediately loose Champagne to Spain. In December 1599, we land a Danish army in England and trash the Spanish besieging London; things had been looking bleak for England there for a while. Tired of waiting for the English to conclude the war, we land in Flanders, subjugate a couple of provinces and conclude a separate peace with the Spanish in which we get yet another two Central American provinces. By Febuary 1601, we get the Russians to rejoin our alliance. We attempt to vassalize Saxony, but they refuse. In the meantime, Portugal loose a war to Sweden - again.

In March 1602, we declare war on Sweden again and in a lightning campaign annex two East Swedish in January 1603. We consider giving the Russians Karelia, but decide instead to take Tavastland for ourselves. Zacatecas revolts again - it takes until August 1604 to put that revolt down.

France and Poland clash with the Teutonic Order and Holland in 1603, but the Teutonic Order quickly drops out; France can be happy that there was no direct land connection between France and the 360k Dutch soldiers stationed in Holland. Still, the French and Poles are forced to sue for peace in 1609 and 1607 respectively. Unfortunately, the revolt has left me inattentive, and I did not renew the Alliance when Russia split it by going to war with the Golden Horde (annexed in October 1604). As a result, Saxony polarises with Thuringen, and only England and Russia remain in the Alliance.

Two of our three Indian colonies perished in these years, but a concentrated colonization programme builds the third one up to a city by later 1606. Finally, we have a viable position in India - years before either Holland (of course they're also spreading like the plague here), France, or Portugal are able to. 1507 sees the Edict of Tolerance, ending the Counter-Reformation and cancelling the Treaty of Tordesillas. Among other interesting news, landlocked Kleves managed to build a Ship Manufactory - though what they want it for is beyond me. Russia - finally finished with the Golden Horde annexes a province from their new whipping boy, Astrachan. The incompetent Portuguese again loose a war to the Swedes.

In March 1608, we declare war on Sweden for the Final Solution to the Swedish problem. Our forces storm through Sweden - despite a minor mishap. 2000 Swedish troops engage 18,000 Danish troops and beat them (don't ask me how). Most interestingly, the Swedish troops landed from ships (usually meaning serious negative combat modifiers). By June 1609, all the Swedish homeland is under Danish control, except for Karelia which is being besieged by the Russians (I want them to take it, to avoid them having Cassus Belli against me). In November 1609, however, the Russians surrender to the Swedes moments before the fall of Karelia. A scratch Danish force quickly moves in and completes the conquest. Another Danish force of 30k men are sent to the Swedish (once Portuguese) island of Cape Verde. In January 1610, Gert Rantzau takes over command in Terra Incognita. :) Under his skilled leadership, Cape Verde is captured in mid-1610. Almost at the same time, Portugal manages to capture Algarve from Sweden in a new Portugues-Swedish war, and for once they dont give up too early (in all the other wars, Portugal easily managed to take the provinces, but always gave up when the Swedes could not be forced to surrender.

In August 1610, Sweden is annexed by Denmark! King Christian IV rides in triumph through the streets of Stockholm at the head of his army. A happy day for Scandinavia, as the Northern Empire becomes a fact.

France attacks Spain in 1609, but is forced to pay an indemnity in 1611. The Incas revolt against their government and replace it. :)

Instead of returning home, Gert Rantzau rounds the Cape of Good Hope and travels to India with his army. In March 1613, after careful preparations (these having started right at the end of the Swedish annexation), Denmark declares war on the Indian kingdom of Mysore. 65k Danish infantry soldiers march into the Indian hinterland and are met by 60k Indian cavalry. The battle is a slaughter, but the Danes triumph. After a series of tough battles, that reduce Danish forces by 85%, all of Mysore is under siege - though we nowhere have the troops to reduce the Mysorian cities. All our troops are funnelled to the front to ward off frantic Mysorian counterattacks. In April 1614, Madras achieves the status of a city (our second Indian colony), and this doubles our recruitment ability. By April 1615, the last Mysorian city falls and Mysore is finally annexed by Denmark. The conquest nets us two finished breweries (worth at least 1800d); the main reason why we chose to attempt this war.

Inspired by all these victories, King Christian IV decides to take the field himself. With his +1 Siege, I judge him too good to waste and in July 1615 declare war on Poland (and France). Despite the surprisingly huge Polish armies, we are able to capture their capital and Kurland (COT), while we overrun the newly founded French city in India and the North American trading posts (we do not burn them though - that would only help the Dutch). In the peace treaty signed in 1516, Denmark receives Kurland (our fifth Center of Trade), and the French city in India, Conchin.

1516 is in many ways a watershed. We begin the construction of a shipyard, which should finally give a little more impetus to our colonization. We are firmly ensconced in India, with 6 cities. Our inflation has been reduced to 0%, by judicious development of the infrastructure (as you can guess, we have not been too occupied by wars to neglect this). Our Navy is the most advanced in the world (two ship manufacturies ensure this). In three years, the Danish state shall also receive its first explorer - and a new era of more aggressive colonization can begin.

One more war will see the Poles routed from the Baltic coast. Our (unfortunate) ownership of Karelia has not affected our relations with the Russians yet, and the Northern Alliance may yet survive. The only thorn in our eye then are the Teutonic Order, together with their protectors the Dutch. The Dutch are indeed a fearsome menace and may have to be dealt with soon - but assuming this can be done (and why not?) then the Baltic will truly become a Danish lake when the weak Teutonic Order are annexed.

But already now, Denmark has taken the position as the pre-eminent power in Europe, reducing Spain to impotence. How much further can it go?

Current victory points:
Denmark 2891
Spain 2241
Russia 952
Turkey 880
Portugal 787
 
Look out for Kleve. I'm sure there's a sinister masterplan behind their naval developments ;)

Regards,

Emp.

------------------
Uhm... nice province. I
think I'll take it.
 
Originally posted by aitor:

Great AAR! Do you have colonies in Africa? could you post some pics soon?

Currently got colonies in Cape Verde (city), Ghana (trading post) and Table (south africa - a colony). This allows me to go from Europe to India with relatively small losses, though with the new conquests there, the Indian possessions should be able to take care of themselves now.

Sweden - very active against against other nations in this game, but never attacked me, despite our -200 relations. There where many times when a well-timed stab in the back could have been devastating to the Danish war machine. They paid the price for that.

Turkey have basically spent their time fighting the other arabic countries (bar a little war with Poland that they lost). They've got a lot of points from fulfilled missions.

Will see about posting some more screenshots soon.

/Strategy


[This message has been edited by strategy (edited 23-11-2000).]
 
Originally posted by Tue:
Great, finally an AAR in which Sweden is totally destroyed. What have the Turks done?


I annihilated them playing as Austria, with a little help of my Russian friend. I mean the Swedes.
I also annexed, Hungary, most of Central Europe, most of Poland, Italy (but Venice), most of France and Spain, most of Britain. A piece of cake. The Turks will be the dessert.


[This message has been edited by Laruku (edited 04-12-2000).]