Cometh the Summer: a Russian AAR

From "The Four Years War" by Ronald O'Malley

The "Four Years War" could easily be said to have been the greatest turning point in Russian history. The brain child of Ivan the Builder, who would not live to see its completion, the war firmly set the new policy for the new Russia. No longer would this Slavic nation be kicked about by othern ations larger and richer than it. The time to strike was now, the time for change was now, and so they did, and Eastern Europe was never the same again.

On January 3rd, 1503 an Imperial diplomat was sent from Moscow to the capital of Sweden to meet with the young king, already embattled in a war with England Prussia and the Teutonic order. It was aid that the Swdish king bowed his head in saddness as the decleration was read off. Although he and his kingdom would survive the war, they would never be the Baltic power that he had hoped. THe King would die an embittered old man many years later.

THe War began desticntly in Russia's favor, as the Novograd Regiment, an army of 30,000 was able to sucessfully defeat the Swedes's largest army in the region(estiamtes range in size from 30,000-35,000 soldiers), and began to lay seige to the province of Karelis. However, soon upon engaging in the seige the generals began to notice a distinct tactical defficiency in their plans. Although possessing a large army, they had no way of scaling the large walls of the city(one of the best defended in all Sweden) and captuing it. Furthermore the winter cold was killing the soliders enmass. It woudl be the legacy of the Four Year War that many more people would die from the elements then from actual battle.

After 6 months of the seige, the first reinforcements arrived in Kalies, including the first of ten cannon, at least one of which had been build by Czar Ivan's own hands. The new weapons clearly did the trick, givign the soldiers their first real advantage in the war sinse the initial battle. However, much to the dismay of the king, the Patriarch of Moscow openly spokeout again this new invention as the work of the devil, and that men where meant to find hand to hand, not far away! As a result the stabiltiy of the kigndom took a minor hit, although it uickly rebounded in a couple of months.

It was at this time that one of the greatest men of Russian history first came to the attention of scholars. Michail Glinski was a common soldier who had distinguished himself after saving the Czar on one of his requent trips to the front lines. As a reward he had been granted control of the Imperial Gaurd and ordereto march strait to Kalis, take control of the army, and take the city.

The taking and sacking of Kalies is stuff of legend, as the young Glinksi took control of the army, effectivly used his seige skills and stormed the breaches, taking the entire province with minimal losses. The hostility between he and the local commander has often been over estimated in later years, most notibly in "The Hero" by Ivan Ivonovich, but has coem to be part of the Glinski legacy as well as anything that he might have done in real life.

With the Swedish army nearly destroyed in the last year, and one stonghold having fallen, it now fell upon Glinksi to secure more land as to be used at the bargining table. He would later describe it as the best time of his life.

It was one of RUssia's shining moments as the army went around securing large portions of Finland. The only destablizing force was the death of Vlad the Third, and the rise of Vasili III in his place. Vasili wa not a bad leader, but lackign in certian diplomatic skills, but was also smart enough to allow his advisors to reign in regiosn where they where more effective.

In 1506 Glinksi took Savolaks with no real effort given to stop him. 6 months later he seiged and captured Osterbotten as well. However, by this point the Russian army was larly drained, the treasury was nearly empty and, despite an Agricultural Revolution that year, it became difficult to contineu the war. ALthough the Czar would have liekd to annex all of Sweden, he had humilated and demoralized them in this war, as well as given the world an example of Russian might.

On April 6th 1507 the treaty of Helsinki was signed, which gave Russia full controll over the provinces of Nyland and Savolaks. ON this grand day Russia took one step closer to her goal of Baltic dominance, but it was not a fully happy time. Many nobels looked at the cost of the war, and wodnered if the prize was not high enough, many other looked at the huge death toll due ot the elements and the current state of the military. But, as for Czar Vasili III, he was happy. He had extablished Russia as a pwoer in the region, and compelted the war his father had started. He would go on to rule for several more years, in the end attempting to start another war to further his image.

NEXT: The Intrum Year

OOC: Thanks foir reading this AAR guys, I hope you all en joy it. I know this may be goign a bit slow for you veteran players, but hey I'm nto all THAT good. IO still can't figure out how some peopel can play with a coutnry like Wallacia and end up annexing all of the Ottoman EMpire by, it seemss, 1499 *Shrugs* Oh well.

The Years of Peace

From the Journal of Michail Glinski

January 6th 1515

War, is it a word that is thrown around these politcal circles as some children will throw snow. These nobels have no real concept of war, most of never even seen battle, and I doubt any of them have had their hearts moved by the screams of the dying and their cries of pain. If they had, war would not be seen as the perfect solution to every diplomatic struggle, but I disgress.

I still find it hard to believe that it has been 8 years sinse the end of our last Great war, where we humbbled Sweden. 8 years sinse Czat Vasilli III named me as his chief advisor. For those years we have struggled through the diplomatic eddies of Europe and survived, even prospered.

While Spain annxed the political realm of the Pope, we have sat here waiting, and rebuilding our strength. While France forced England to cede Calis and Kent in 1511, we continued to improve ourselved.

We have colonized our NOrthern most reaches, we have rebuilt the Imperial Gaurd to a state greater than it was during the previous war, although our armies themselves are still small and weak, we have made great technological increases as well, and our traders are no a permenant placard in ever major European center.

But now our pvely peace is about to be thrown away by our most noble Czar. For three years England, the Teutonic Order and Prussia have forced war upon Sweden, weakning the other nation. Now Vasilli the Third wishes to join in, and take more lands from our Western neighbor.

We shall fight, and we shall win, for this I have no doubt. But I do wonder, what shall be the cost? How many thousands of men shall die by Swedish swords ,and how many more to the cruel hand of old man winter? Shall it all be worth it?

Next: "The War of Finnish Annexation"

"The War of Finnish Annexation" by Leonardo Di Medici as published in "The Chronicals of Russian History", September 10th, 2001

Sometimes war is inevitable. The yearnings of an energetic nation are going to be harnassed and dirrected by someone, or else they threaten to explode inward. 1515 was just such a time for Russia.
It had been 8 years sinse the last, victorious, war with Sweden, and the people where rumbling for more. It was not just the people, however, but also the king Vasilli the Third who wished to see his kingdom expand into the Nordic penninsula, or at least gain a deffinate presense in the Baltic.

On August 16th 1515, the Russian diplomat in Oslo Stockholm simply read walked into the palace where the Kings of Denmark and Sweden where meeting and read off the decleration of war. The Danish king responded with fury at this "Russian bluntness" and refused to join the war as was required by treaty. Following suit, the King od Ryxan would also refuse to join into what was called "A war of Russian agression, using us as cannon fodder"

What followed next wa a flurry of activity known, collecticly, as "The Battles for Finland". There where three in all, and each of them was a spectacular Russian success. In the third, and final Battle, Michail Glinski defeated a Swedish army three times the size of his own, and forced them into a paniced retreat.

The next year and a half of war where unspectacular, as Glinski and his men settled down for a the long seige of the Finland province. It seemed as if all was going to go according to plan, until somethign back in Moscow changed everything.

On April 27th of 1516, Vasilli III was out hunting on his favoret grounds outside of Moscow, when he stumbled onto a pack of wolves. Boastign of his skill, he charged into the pack, and attempted to slay each of every one of them. This could easily have been written off as youthful bravery, and it suceeded. Instead, the czar was soroudned by the animals, as his huntign aprty looked on in horror, and was pulled down from his horse and ripped apart. Recorvign from their shock, the huntign party lead a charge into the pack, but it was too late, the young Czar was already dead.

The upper nobility of the nation was now in a panic, as the obvious sucessor to the throne was a babe of only 2 years at this point. With chaos looming, a small council of nobels went to Finland and asked the General Glinski to create a Regency council with himself as head. With some reluctance, the man agreed, and soon had five others cosen to rule the nation besides himself. It was to be a council, better than most, able to deal well with diplomatic, economcal as well as military metters. In those fatful few weeks, it is very possible that Russia it self was saved from a civil war that could have utterly destroyed it.

The war, however, was not even nearly over. No sooner had this crisis righted it self, than the Swedes began to lay seige to Nyland. The Russians responded by sending a small expiditionary force to the province, which was quickly defeated by the Swedish soliders, and forced to flee and join up with the Imperial gaurd.

Having captured Finland, the Imperial Gaurd now saw fit to march on Nyland itself, which it did, solidly defeating the Swedes and persuing them to the North. A month later, the Imperial Gaurd defeated the same swedes, once again, in Tavastehus, almost annilating the other army.

Finally, on December 21st of 1519 Glinski signed the "Treaty of Moscow", which ceded Finland and Tavastland from Sweden to Russia. It was to be a great victory which would further cement Michail Glinski as the most powerful and revered man in Russia. The war, however, was not full bennificial to Russia.

It had, once again, depleted the Russian military of most of its soldiers, deflating the total of Armies to the magnificant Imperial Gaurd. Furthermore, the growing Russian power in the Baltic seemed to convince the Danes and Swedes to sign a mutural Defence pact against Russian agression. Finally, the entire war seemed to prove that the Czar was not intereded in the Eastern front, as he neglected to even bat an eye when told of war between two of his vassals. Even with Glinski and his council in power, who where by far better diplomats, Russia remaiend commited to look towards the West, but the underdeveloped East.

Next: "The Glinski Years"

Andrei Romanov, Personal Historian of the Glinski Court:

And so Michael Glinski traveled to Moscow and set forth and assumed his position at the head of the Party of Regents set to rule all of Russia. He there assembled a group of reknown advisors in all things economic and diplomatic. Even with thisw great talent, the man soon came to the forfront and assume the position of first amongst equals. It was said that nothing was done without Glinski's personal approval.

With peace finally settled upon the land, the Regents decided it was time to begin to rebuild the glory of Russia, as well as expand its people and solidify the colonial position in the North. Archangel and Kola where flooded with new settlers as it became the policy of the government to move displaced Finns into this land, as well as Russians who had fallen out of favor with the Regent Council. It was a policy that would create a feelign of independance and self assurdence which would domiante the culture for years to come.

Glinski also created a policy of intermarriage with Western European nations, expecially many of the Germanic nations such as the Hansetic league and so forth.

However, in the year of 1525, a great tradgedy struck our nation! Young Prince Valislav was struck with the pneumonia, sent from the devil, and grew progressivly sicker until death took his soul from that fragile vessel. Once again it seemed as if chaos would destroy our nation, once again Michael Glinski rose to the situation! He had himself declared Czar by the Holy Patriarch.

Some, however, did not see the bennifit of Michael's rule and wished to place themselves upon that throne. Fleeing Glinski's strength in Moscow they flew to Nyland where they conspired to throw off our lord's mighty hand. But it was of no use, no sooner had they revolted than the Imperial Gaurd marched upon the provicne and crushed them at the "Battle of the Frozen Fields"

It was not to be the only tradgedy to bestriek our nation and Czar that year. No sooner had Nyland been returned to its rightful hands, than We where drawn into a war with the Teutonic Order. So began the "Time of the Two Wars"

Next: the Time of the Two Wars.

Thanks for the compliment Sharur, I thought giving the AAR a few differant perspetives woudl be something differant from what everyone else was doing, so I went for it. As for screenshots, I'm not really sure how to make them yet, but if you want to know Russia currently consists of the territory I start out with, and all of Modern Day Finland. I;m planning for a war of annexation agaisnt Sweden in a few years and after they're fianlly gone, I may think about the Teutonic Order. I gotta worry about Poland though.

Well, first I have to take out Sweden, but yes Denmark is in my sights, as is the Teutonic Order, if possible and Pommeria. I also took a unique measure to reign in Poland.....I allied with her: not dirrectly of course, it woudn't work, but she was in a Hungarian alliance, and Hungary and I have been getting lonh well, so I allied with them, and brought P-L into the mix