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Jan 26, 2000
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perso.club-internet.fr
Frederick II, king of Prussia. September 1775. Bavaria.

My kingdom is a colossus with feet of clay. Indeed, it is larger than ever. Thuringen and Saxony are my vassals, England and Hannover are my allies and the armies of Hannover were a great help during years. Austria has been defeated twice, Poland is any more a threat but the shade of a state. But, however today my army is very reduced (8500 inf); the revolt thunders in my kingdom (Danzig is already in full revolt) and the war is declared with Russia and Denmark.
My incomes are weak and cover only partially my war efforts... It is necessary for me to conclude peace with my powerful neighbor Russia and to focus me on central Europe and the German states.

1775
October : I try to approach the tzar to propose peace. My ambassador is gotten rid of without courtesy. I believe that the war is inevitable and that it will be necessary to fight hard to conclude a good peace. I go back to Berlin to recruit fresh troops.

November : A Russian army is in front of Konigsberg and besieges the city. I do not have concern for the moment, the city is well strengthened but it is not necessary that this situation lasts.

1776
January 1 : Oufff, I have a little money, I buy new troops...

January 2 : Thank you once again in Hannover. Whereas Lithuania fell between the hands of Russia, an army of Hannover (15000 men) has just beaten the Russian army (21 000 men) in Konigsberg. To release me here from this spine... After that, this army goes to Lithuania.

February 23 : Reinforced by new troops, I crush the revolt in Danzig. The reports of the governors of my provinces indicate that the risks of revolt are negligible in all the kingdom. The annexation of Bavaria is forgotten.

March : For the moment, the russian armies are contained thanks to the intervention of the army corps of Hannover which holds good in Lithuania even if it is not enough strong to be able to besiege Vilnius.
On the other hand, in Western Europe, the fate of the war is very different: Hannovre was invaded and conquered by the Danish and Bremen is besieged. So I decide to put fine at the war with Denmark and since I cannot make peace by diplomacy, the weapons will speak and the most powerful army will impose its law. I do not doubt that he will be me! :)
I walk immediately on Denmark...

April : I arrive to Berlin, I spend only one night in my castle of Potsdam and the following day I take the road of Copenhagen with my 16 000 inf.

May 15 : After multiple attacks, Hannover is liberated by my troops and Hannover takes the control of the province. It is a good thing but now it is necessary for me to make fold Denmark. I walk on Kiel (province of Holstein).

June 24 : I am here in front of the walls of Kiel, the siege starts. For once, I do not command the assault on the city, I prefer to save the life of my men and to trust my talents in siege...

September : The Danish army in Bremen was destroyed by an hannovrian army. Denmark have any more an army in Western Europe (there still remain to them 6 000 men in Russia, in the province of Kurland).

1777
January : this year, my incomes enable me to recruit 10 000 inf in Berlin !
The war will be easier...

March 4 : Konigsberg (Eastern Prussia) is again besieged by Russian, but this time it will be harder to me to keep the province, they are nearly 50000 Russian who make the siege! :(

May 6 : France makes peace with England and receives the colony of Penobscot.

May 14 : The city of Kiel was takent after almost 1 year of siege. Holstein is mine but it is not yet enough! Go to Jylland!

June 13 : I initiated the siege in Jylland.

June 19 : The city not being sufficiently strengthened and to save time in order to make peace as fast as possible and to turn over me against Russia, I order the assault of the city. The city falls quickly, my losses are a little more than 1000 men.
The end of this campaign of Denmark will be good for me without doubt now and I propose peace by asking ONLY Holstein and his CoT. Denmark refuses and proposes to me only the province of Jylland.
I refuse in my turn.

July : After several vain attacks, the Russian army which besieged Konigsberg lost ! Indeed, they lost more than 30 000 men during this siege. And they are not able now to take the city. That still gives me a little respite but it is necessary for me quickly to finish the war with Denmark.

August 2 : I see th walls of Kobenhavn with more than 14 700 men. I make the siege with a smile :) : if I can take the capital, the war is finished.

August 8 : France declares war upon Netherlands and Sweden.

November 9 : 9000 men of reinforcements from Berlin increase my troops. With these new troops, I can hope to take the city by a storming assault.

December 4 : Kopenhavn fell forcing Denmark to negotiate according to my conditions: Jylland + Holstein (& his CoT) + 250o in indemnities. Denmark can only accept the conditions of the winner.
I return to Berlin to recruit troops because even if there remain to me 23300 men, it is necessary some reinforcement to make war to Russia.

1778
January 1: I am promoted Prince. :)

January 3 : Denmark accepts peace with Hannover paying 120o in indemnities. So peace is also done between Hannover and Russia.

July 1 : I constituted through recruitment an army of 37000 men but it is now more than 100 000 russians which besiege Konigsberg : the battle turns short in the event of confrontation.
I thus camp in Posen waiting to have more gold to recruit always more troops.


To be continued ...

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Si vis pacem, para bellum


[This message has been edited by JP (edited 15-09-2000).]
 
Continuation ...

1778
August 10 : The uncertainty of this war with Russia and the inequality of the involved forces (40000 against 100 000 or more) pushe me to adopt a different tactic : all the peace overtures which I could make in Russia were refused, so it is necessary for me to besiege Moscow to be sure to be listened by the Tzar. The only possible path passes by Poland... I thus declare today the war upon Poland.

September 24 : I benefit from this war to extend my kingdom to the East and I hope to be able to annex whole Poland. I am today in Warsaw and the second campaign of Poland started.

October 14 : A small Polish army of 5000 young conscripts trying an output of Warsaw is cut in pieces without much losses in my army.

November 5 : I faced today a Polish army of 11 000 men which want to save Warsaw. It was overcome and destroyed.

November 17 : Warsaw fell today. Without much resistance.

December 29 : The province of Podlasia is mine.

1779
January 22 : Galicia too.

February 1 : Revolt in Western Prussia : 10000 peasants besiege the city. I recruit a small army corps of 3000 conscripts whom I will send once their military formation finished to subdue this rebellion.

February 14 : And three !! Podolia falls today.

March 16 : One more !!! This time is Pripet who became prussians.

March 18 : my small army was beaten by the revolted peasants in W. Prussia, but they make retirement in good order to Posen. The losses were tiny however: 700 died and wounded.

April 24 : Mozyr is mine.

May 2 : I know a bad news : Konigsberg finally falls in the hands of the Russian army. After more than 2 years of siege, 88 000 Russian plunders and puts fire in our beautiful city of Konigsberg.
All of this pillages will be avenge one day.

May 24 : Belarus is mine and I achieve the easy campaign of Poland. Poland is annexed today to Prussia. That was done without much damage and rather easily, that was only one simple walk in the Polish countryside.
Now, the real challenge : To Moscow !!! :mad:

June 5 : Russian destroyed my young army in Posen, all deaths or prisoners.

June 14 : Russia conquered Posen. This large Russian army in Prussia worries me much... I must do something quickly before Russian does not make an other conquest.

June 19 : I arrived today in Smolensk where immediately I started the combat against a detachment of 3000 Russian. They are quickly beaten and I put the siege of the city of Smolensk.
The road of Moscow is likely to be long and difficult but especially impossible : my troops are reduced to 17 000 men.

July 2 : Smolensk is mine. I have 10 700 inf with me now. So what can I do now ? I don’t think I can take Moscow with 10 000 men …

July 15 : Belarus is besieged by 6 000 Russian. I go to help them.

July 24 : I win the battle, but for how long I can win ?

August 10 : Netherlands accepted peace and giving 250o in indemnities to France.

August 11 : I gain another battle against 7000 Russian, but the principal russian army (85000 men) moves against me. Considering my numerical inferiority (7300 inf), I retreat to Prussia to seek new reinforcements.

August 22 : on the path of the rretreat I am attacked by the principal russian army, I can only flee and seek refuge in Lithuania.

September 7 : Minsk (province of Belarus) is conquered by Russian but with serious losses.

September 23 : Hannover accepts peace with Spain paying 60o in indemnities.

October 17 : Memel has been besieged by Russia and 25 000 peasants are revolting against the russian occupant in Belarus.

October 26 : I have no choice, before that is worse, I must recognize my defeat and agree to negotiate with Russia. I propose peace to Russia giving up Belarus and paying 250o in indemnities. Russia accepts, fortunately for me.
I hope to have one day the occasion to avenge this humiliation.

November 6 : even if I do not have any contact with Spain and that I never fought his armies, I choose to make peace with them and to pay 94o in indemnities (all that remains of my gold) to profit from a little peace to take again some force.

November 12 : I won a battle against 8000 peasants in Western Prussia. This revolt lasted since nearly one year. My kingdom has been finally in peace for the first time for more than 5 years...


Conclusion of the campaigns of Denmark, Poland and Russia
- I increased a little more my kingdom of 2 Danish provinces and I annexed Poland
- I gave up a province in Russia to allow peace and to avoid a heavy defeat.
- peace finally! :p

But:
- the war with Russia showed my weakness: a large kingdom but little army
- My kingdom very weakened by many Russian plunderings –
- My army is quasi non-existent.


End of the campaign of Russia. November 12, 1779.



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Si vis pacem, para bellum
 
'Drive for the capital' is a definitive must. Perhaps you should have tried your luck directly, not stopping in Smolensk.
But that's a fine achievement though, well done! A few years peace and Prussia will eventually be a real challenge to Napoleon...
 
I feel you should stop conquering for about 5 years. Strengthening your economy and building, step by step, your army. Reinforce the border provinces with Russia and when you have around 100.000 men, go for Moscow and try to annex Russia. They only deserve that.
 
JP -
What would prevent Russia from attacking you again right after you signed the peace treaty. They seem to have the military superiority at this time, and it should only be reinforced by the 250d of new cash? I recall somone stating that revoking a peace treaty too quickly hurts you diplomatically, but even if this were true the Russians could probably gain all of your new territories in Poland. To me that seems like a reasonable trade-off.

Otherwise, a great AAR - I hope your subjects have a chance to enjoy a few years of peace before the Prussian juggernaut starts up again!
 
Definately time for a rest for Prussia. You are huge and essentially without an army. I would defiantely think you sheer size would warrant a pretty good size army just to keep the wolves at bay.
 
Originally posted by Jiminov:
What would prevent Russia from attacking you again right after you signed the peace treaty. They seem to have the military superiority at this time, and it should only be reinforced by the 250d of new cash?

From what I read from the other AARs, I would guess that Russia would take a stability hit and probably a large one at that. Russia's stability is probably not too high after the war and a big drop would probably result in mass revolts.
 
JP,

Excellent AAR.
Russia had you at a serious disadvantage -- why do you think they accepted peace? They might have been able to continue and pick off a few more of your provinces.
They must have had other issues to contend with (revolt, stability). Or, perhaps they were unaware of your weakness and were happy to finish the fight while ahead.
 
Originally posted by Jiminov:
JP -
What would prevent Russia from attacking you again right after you signed the peace treaty. They seem to have the military superiority at this time, and it should only be reinforced by the 250d of new cash? I recall somone stating that revoking a peace treaty too quickly hurts you diplomatically, but even if this were true the Russians could probably gain all of your new territories in Poland. To me that seems like a reasonable trade-off.

If Russia declares war upon me during the 5 next years, Russia had a -2 stability malus.
But I will take some precaution in the future to prevent war.


Otherwise, a great AAR - I hope your subjects have a chance to enjoy a few years of peace before the Prussian juggernaut starts up again!

Unfortunately for them, not yet. :)



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Si vis pacem, para bellum
 
Originally posted by KRonn:
JP,

Excellent AAR.
Russia had you at a serious disadvantage -- why do you think they accepted peace? They might have been able to continue and pick off a few more of your provinces.
They must have had other issues to contend with (revolt, stability). Or, perhaps they were unaware of your weakness and were happy to finish the fight while ahead.

I saw that I would have no chance fighting against Russia. So I proposed a peace offer more significant than they could hope at this time : ie a 4 four cross peace in the place of 3.
And Russia accepted but later, that should be insufficient and I should have to give up 3 provinces...

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Si vis pacem, para bellum



[This message has been edited by JP (edited 19-09-2000).]
 
Originally posted by yndenwal:
'Drive for the capital' is a definitive must. Perhaps you should have tried your luck directly, not stopping in Smolensk.

Yes, I make a mistake but I think that saved my life.
Indeed, if I had been to Moscow I think that I could not have taken the path of the return and my retreat of Russia would have been a catastrophe and perhaps I could not have saved my army. Like Napoleon. :)



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Si vis pacem, para bellum