Fire Warms the Northern Lands -- A Prussian AAR

[anonymous4401]

Yes, it will be daunting. But the HOI2 LibrAARy was daunting, and I managed to do that!

So I will make it without titles, then, to make it as spoiler-free as possible. Just the type and the dates. To make it even less spoiler-free, the narrative sections will not give the characters in the update, but will be entitled "The Main Story". Is that all right? Of course, if you want a better name then that, all you have to do is ask.

[stnylan]

Yes congratulations on reaching this milestone. Given how long you have yet to go this could well turn into one of the longest AARs these boards have ever seen.

[anonymous4401]

You have a looooong way to go

If you don't count the Italy RPG/AAR, which is a collaborative, Mettermrck's Advantages Without Obligations has 2486 at this moment.

Good luck! My Magnum Opus AAR that is coming out Jan 1, 2006 is planned to be 320 updates, by the way. That is updates alone. Who can imagine the # of replies in the separate commentary thread? But that's if all goes as planned, which it never does.

[coz1]

Yes, I was going to say - Secret Master has a pretty long one as well, and Mett's is...um...not short.

However, you will certainly give them a run for the money, and I look forward to seeing you do just that! Congrats on reaching the milestone. Hopefully, I will too at some point...oh, maybe in 2010.

[Rey]

Good to see that this AAR still rocks! Congrats for the milestone, there are few aartists able to write so well for so long.

[Rensslaer]

Pavel could not account for their good fortune.

Civilian Poles normally had no access to modern weapons. Normally, they had only the use of their obsolete flintlocks – their personal weapons. Had they ever mounted any resistance – and they had in years past – they would have been easily cut down by loyal elements of the Habsburg Army – and they had in years past.

Wisely, the Austrians had always sent soldiers of ethnic minorities to regions far from their homes. Pavel’s son, Krysz, for instance, was in Slovenia, where he was as estranged from the native population as from his German commanders. Most of the Polish soldiers in Austrian service were elsewhere. Only the civilian reserves remained.

Polish patriots had already begun to speak and agitate for an independent Poland when the order for mobilization came. He and Patryck had been mobilized into the reserves for the defense of the Empire a week past.

And three days past, it had become clear that the Empire was in turmoil and confusion. People were protesting for democracy. Soldiers were protesting for democracy! And the Austrian Army was paralyzed by indecision and fear.

The change had come over the course of five hours on Tuesday afternoon. Feldwebel Pavel Skiedweza of the Austrian Imperial Army Reserve had become Major Pavel Skiedweza of the Polish Revolutionary Army. It had become clear that the time was now.

And now, Skiedweza led 300 Polish reservists in an advance to the Austrian armory at Bielitz (Bielsko), immediately east of Prussian Teschen (Cieszyn). They had come last week to receive their weapons. Now they returned to use them.

Three of the Austro-German soldiers who had guarded the armory were fleeing, gradually, down the cobblestoned street. They would turn, fire at the mass of pedestrian rebels, then run thirty meters and take another stand. Inaccurate gunfire followed after them.

Skiedweza, trusting only in God to protect him, trotted his horse forward slowly. His eyes were fixed on the gray-clad riflemen down the street.

A shot from the armory drew his attention. A Polish private fell with only a grunt, a small red stain marring the breast of his wool coat. Reining in, Pavel directed fire at the window from which the shot had come. A squad of Poles hurried up the steps into the stone building which housed enough weapons to arm hundreds more patriots.

“Patryck!” he called to his brother, who hurried up to his horse’s side. “Go around the other side of the building,” Pavel pointed, “and offer the defenders their lives if they will just run out the back.”

Patryck grinned, knowingly. “Of course.”

Patryck!” Pavel glared. “Make sure none of your men fires at them.” When Patryck seemed to balk, Pavel emphasized. “They are common men, just like us. But they have no cause to fight for. Let them go, and they will.”

Reluctantly, Patryck acknowledged and led a dozen soldiers through the alley.

Soon, it was clear that the arsenal would fall into their hands without stiff resistance. The Imperial Army hadn’t any fight left in it. Poland was free! The Austrian-occupied part of it, anyway.

Pavel’s thoughts immediately went to his son, Krysz. Was he still in Slovenia? Was his road as easy, and would he return to fight beside his father? Or would he have to run for his life? Would he ever see blessed Krysz again?

Sporadic gunfire still echoed here and there – mostly in the distance. Through the fog caused by his breath, he could see only the two remaining Austrians rounding a corner down the street and leaving the scene. His Poles were milling around, waiting for the signal from those already inside that it was clear to enter the armory.

Having seen battle before – desperate, scrabbling struggles for life – Pavel knew this was not the fight they expected. That task remained for them, in the future.

Pavel crossed himself and said a prayer for Krysz. And for Poland.

[coz1]

You know, that briefing treats the issue with such a breezy attitude. Quite humorous considering what a momentus occasion it discusses. But they brought it upon themselves.

So, does this mean an independant Poland has formed? And if so, what will the Prussian Poles say about it? It's kind of like the Turks and the idea of an independant Kurdish state next door. There is always the fear that the minority might rise up.

[stnylan]

Hmmm, I think the operative word is interesting. One does have to wonder precisely what government there is left to announce anything. I presume we will discover that - the heady liquor of revolution will soon give way to the hangover of civil war, or something similar at least.

[bigdan]

With the Habsburgs gone this could be a good opportunity for Prussia to "restore order" to Austria.

[prussiablue]

Is there such an event? I haven't play Austria so I don't know. What is the effect of this event? Is this where Hungary, Venice and other states break free ( I seen this happen) but don't remember any Poland created.

Anyway, a good pretext for the mighty Prussian to intervene "as to restore parity and order",

[BBBD]

Great work Renss, congrats on your 1000th post, to the future and beyond!

I have seen similar events, but perhaps not this precise one, I will be interested to see the results.

[Rensslaer]

Is there such an event? I haven't play Austria so I don't know. What is the effect of this event? Is this where Hungary, Venice and other states break free ( I seen this happen) but don't remember any Poland created.

As you know, in my game I have had some rather odd event problems.

I must assume it is because my Prussia has followed such an atypical route to power. The unification was achieved in an unusual way, with substantial separation between the war with Austria and the next war with France, as well as other oddities (North and South German Confederations, etc.). But all these things seem to have overwhelmed the game AI or the event triggers.

It’s also possible that some of my modding had an unintentional effect on the events or triggers or something, though I really hadn’t done that much modding, and I can’t imagine anything that would have had such a result.

In any case, when I chose to switch Germany into a democracy, I was shocked and amazed to get the “Popular Unification of Germany” event (which normally would sleep by about 1850 or so, I thought!), which basically released non-German Austria as Hungary and caused the rest to instantly surrender to Prussia/Germany. I think the idea was to have the German provinces of Austria to join Germany in a popular union. But, naturally, if you take away the German provinces from Austria, then it’s no longer Austria! So… Suddenly Germany was in control of most of central Europe, and it just didn’t sit well with me. It wasn’t realistic, and I could see no way to explain it in the AAR.

So I pulled out an event that I mentioned to you long, long ago (almost a year ago, real time!)… during the previous war with Austria. If you’ll remember the scene where Rensselaer tracks down Kronprinz Friedrich Wilhelm in the hills of Slovenia ( the scene + the explanation & event ) and explains the peace settlement to him (and the Kronprinz was none too happy about it!). At that time I modded an event called “The Collapse of the Habsburg Dynasty” which during the next takeover of Vienna would give to Prussia all of Austria-Hungary’s German-populated provinces, as well as a land route to the Adriatic Sea, as Kronprinz Friedrich Wilhelm had desperately wished to create in the 1860’s.

It also released Austria’s subject nations – all of them – (including the Balkan states, a small Hungary, Slovakia, etc.), instead of making the rather absurd assumption that the collapse of the Habsburg Monarchy would result in a re-creation of the old Hungarian Empire. In order to have that result (a Hungarian Empire), the Hungarians would have to militarily enforce it – something they were in no shape to do, in any case. Besides, by the time a Hungarian power structure came to exist, strong enough to make policy, the constituent parts of the Habsburg Empire would already have established their own armies and power structures, making them hard to dislodge. So this is what I modded, in hopes that it would seem more realistic.

As part of being realistic, I modded an instant rebellion in Trieste and Ljubljana, as these provinces would have wanted to be part of an independent Slovenia – a country whose lands Prussia wished to keep for its own purposes, and which Prussia would fight to keep in spite of the wishes of the Slovenes.

It definitely is more interesting! As we shall certainly continue to see….

[prussiablue]

Thanks for your satisfactory explaination. I do remember that scene. In fact the KP was not very happy about it seeing that the Prussian have control over great part of Austria. Seems like yesterday....

[stnylan]

Crikey what a mess. But quite a good event.

[Rey]

Cool event.

However I think Galicia should be taken by Russia and also Hungary should have the rest (the area near Wallachia).

[coz1]

Well, it makes sense as you have explained it. And it also leaves a huge Prussia for Europe to deal with!

[Rocketman]

Heil GrossDeutschland!

[Rensslaer]

Cool event.

However I think Galicia should be taken by Russia and also Hungary should have the rest (the area near Wallachia).

Well, Stnylan is quite correct -- "what a mess"! Crikey indeed!

In other words, this event is worth about 5-6 updates, so you'll be seeing more details.

Galicia may end up in the hands of the Russians yet. And Wallachia... will be dealt with!

Renss

[anonymous4401]

Wow! That is unreasonably exciting! I could void myself from the excitement!

I mean, that is a very dynamic and dramatic event to write around! Surely OscAAR-surpassing material will come of this.

[Draco Rexus]

I go away for a three-dayer and come back to find that the AAR has jumped over the 1000 mark, and what a jump it was! All I can say, Renss, is DAMN!

That is some damn fine work, my friend, damn fine. And, as Rocketman said earlier, Heil GrossDeutschland!

Actually, GrossDeutchland and beyond, eh?