Germany, the power in the center of Europe

I can't believe it, I thought I put it into my AAR. I definitly wanted to put it in. Darn, I just plainly forgot it.

Burgundy was inherrited by Spain during my second war against Austria (Part seven of my story). It happend just 1 or two months after I pushed them out of the war.

I hope I don't forget something like this again.

Part ten - the real war

And the drain of bad news did not end. Shortly after the declaration of war from France arrived, A messanger entered and brought news from Geldre. It had fallen to Sweden 2 months agon, but till now no German messanger could pass the enemy lines and bring the news to the king, so many enemies stood in Geldre. King Joachim sank into his throne and did not say a word for two hours. Then his son and heir Hektor approached him and together they made a Plan to ease the Presure on Germany a bit. A white peace was offered to Denmark, although Germany had the advantages in warscore, and England, where the warscore was evenmatched. To Sweden, which had converted to protestantism a year before, and therby left the alliance with Denmark, a genorous 200 Ducats were offered. Denmark and Sweden accepted the peace, England rejected it.



The troops that were stationed in Jylland to besiege the Danish and the ones on its way to Pommerian were called back to fight the new enemys. As soon as the war against France and it’s allies started the pure chaos broke out. Enemy troops poured into germany like water in a hole. Meissen troops freely crossed through Würzburg and besieged Tirol. Bohemia took Morovia quickly and marched on to Erz. France conquered Lorrain and Savoy as if no defenders were present and the papal states besieged Lomardia and helped Meissen in Tirol. The German and Austrian troops lost one Battle after the other. The only bright sign was Winzerer besieging .. and later retaking Morovia.



Luckyly England accepted peace with germany, although 150 Ducats had to be paid.



The war went on as bad as it had begun. Steiermark was besieged by France and the people Alsace revolted against Germany. The only hope was Winzerer, who managed to besiege The Bohemian Capital. But as if the German Situation was not bad enough, Genoa together with Spain and Portugal declared war at Milan. This time both Austria, Where over 35000 men were besieging Tirol, and Germany which could not afford a war on its northern border dishonored the Alliance with Milan, and thereby signed Milans downfall. On the same day Germany invited Austria in a new Alliance.



After Milan was without Alliance it took only months before they had to surrender Pietmonte to France. In the meanwhile Steiermark fell to France. On the Bohemian front a race began. Who would end it’s siege first?



It was Winzerer again. Although he was not as good in Sieges or during Battles as Frundsberg, he was a very shifty man who had connections. He found a man who knew secret ways in the city. In a dark night, the city had still enough food for months, his men secretly entered the city and took the gate without much noise. Once the gates were opend, the troopquarters were secured without one shot fired. The City was taken. Now peace was offered, but Bohemia did not want to give up his independence and become a German vassal as long as 16000 of its men still besieged Erz. So Winzerer moved to Erz and totaly defeated the Bohemian Army. Now Bohemia was willing to accept the German peace offer.



It was the last great German victory for the next few years. Although most of the Meissen Army in Sachsen could be destroyed and the city could be besieged, it was only a minor victory. Still 18000 men stood in Würtenberg and made it imposible for germany to achieve a mayor victory over Meissen and 11000 of Meissens men were marching to Sachsen to free it again. In the meantime Schwyz and Morovia fell to France and Alsace fell into rebell hands. And again the nobles in Germany rose up to demand more rights.



If Joachim I had been the same as before the war, the nobles had gotten nothing, but as the power of Germany decreased during the war, so did the Stregth of Joachim I. And more and more of his tasks were taken over by his heir Hecktor. And so it was Hektor who negotiated a White peace with the Papal states, Meissen and Tuscany.



The war versus France continued as bad as allways. Hektor hoped Austria, as Allianceleader would make a peace with France, but that did not happen. And all offers France made would include germany giving up provinces. That was something Joachim and Hektor did not want to do yet.

Part ten 2

A last German counterassault was started, 80% of germanys remaining Forces, only 30000 men were drawn to Köln to start an offensive against France with the goal to besiege Paris and draw the attention away from the German soil. But the offensive ended before it really began. A 20000 men strong force of french reinforcements for the front accidently stumbled over the german forces and defeated them utterly. The “war” if you could still call it so continued for several month with Germany being pushed back further and further. Till in October 1434 Poland, seeing its chance to grab some territory from germany, and its Alliance declared war on Germany.



The German situation was desperate, The German Army was destroyed, most of the land was occupied and the stability was dropping becaus Joachim rejected all peacoffers from France. Here is the Situation short before a peace was signed between germany and France.


Crossed Lines means the region was conquered, single lines means the city is under siege. Blue is France, Orange are Poland and it’s allys and black are rebells.

It took till January 1535, when Joachim was not capable of ruling the country anymore, that peace was made. Hektor offered 350 ducates and Savoy to France. The offer was accepted.
But Germany still had no peace, there was still the war versus Poland to fight out. Poland managed to conquer Ostmarch, but it was driven away just months later. But with the streght of Germany slowly rebuilding it was just a matter of time till Germany would gain the upper hand in this war, and so both sides agreed on a white peace.



Germany was finally at peace to the outside, to the inside there were still lots of rebellions to take care of. Austria and Ansbach were under the controll of Rebells and Mainz was besieged by some. It took two more years to destroy all rebells. So where was germany after the war. Insize it neither increased nor decreased, as it had won Austria and lost Savoy.



Religious Germany was still divided, almost half of the Population did not believe in the statereligion.



The foreign relatiosn were the only Point where germany was stronger after the war than before. It had a strong alliance now, uniting all Protestant nations but England under one Alliance.



But another thing of grief had happend, In July 12th 1535 Joachim I Nestor died. His Son and heir took over the Throne. And he named himselfe Joachim II Hektor to honor his Father. He also decreed that Joachim I Nestor was to be referred to only with Joachim der Große (Jaochim the grest) from now on. A huge parare was holpd after the war versus Poland ended, and over 1million people came to Berlin to see the first and one of the greates Emperor Germany on his last voyage. His son had some big footsteps to step into, and he would need all his strenght to bring germany back to the power it had before the war.

Well it can hardly go worse

stynlan Hm, thinking of it that way your right, I actually just tried to keep my empire together. It all would have been easier though if I had not gotten several sability hits by mean events -.-

Fnuco Well seeing the overall effects the war was a success by gaining Austria and Bohemmia as vassals and the province austria by only loosing Savoy (which gives my a permanent Casus belli on them ) But the war did drain my resources, as you can see I lost almost all my merchants and spend thousands of ducats on recruiting armys and paining for peace, so if I won the wars after alkl, I paid a high price for it.

Oh I will, I have played till short before I declare war on them again, I only don't know my wargoals yet ^^
We will see what happens. But letting the french have it to long would not be realistic, so they wont keep it forever.

gorjak I don't want to be pessimistic, but I guess it will take some time before this happens But don't worry they will learn their lesson to not Anger germany

Specialist290 Calvinsim has rolled around allready and I don't plan on converting to it, converting once was enough trouble for me
And I ´think I will colonize the New world .. when I find it some day ^^

Part televen

Here is the next short .. and, I have to admit pretty boring ... update.

The next decades were determined by the rebuilding of the german economy, conversion of heretics, several revolts, events wich hurt the stability (Petition for redess...) and short but unimportant wars, as only few lands changed it’s owner. Altogether it took till 1562 till Germany finally came to rest. 1538 Saxony converted to protestent, joined the german alliance, and therby giving germany the chance to concentrate on it’s borders in future wars, and not on it’s inland.



Here you see how the religious situation looked in 1541.



In May 1542 Denmark declared war on Sweden, and both were joined by it’s allies.



Although the war had potential to become a great war, Hektor had no interest in territorial expansion or all out wars. The War of Religion was still fresh in the minds of all Germans. So the war was very limited to the borderregions. Germany took Jutland, from Denmark, while Sweden was attacking Smaland and Skane. The war between Poland and Germany was a back and forth. Polend took Morovia and lost it again, while Germany took Wiekepolska. In 1546 Denmark offered peace.



Still during the war good news came from the palace, Hektor wife had born him a son.



After the war in the years 1547 and 1548 new taxes were raised to further streghten the Germany economy. Unfortunatly The german population didn’t like the step.



In 1550 Hektor reached one of his goals. After a great diplomatic move (which increased relations with Austria and the Diplorating +3), Austria had to give up its independence and became a german vassal.



On 1555 Austria declared war on Hungary. The next war was beginning, this time Hektor wanted to contribute a little more to the war.

Part twelve 1

Joachim I Nestor followed the policy of damaging every neighboring country, to reduce the thread from them and later conquer them. Hektor used a different tactic. As Austria was a german vassal now, it was his goal to strenghten Austria, so they could be a strong ally.
At the beginning of the war the Hungarian Army took the offensive and besieged Odenburg.



But that could not be for long. The german and austrian armies were superior in numbers, quality and technology. The Austrians easyly beat the hungrian army in Odenburg and initiated sieges in Presburg and Croatia. Eschingen, a moderate commander was send down to Odenburg and later Pest. His main goal was to beat the hungarian army ... obviusly ... but also to test the new weapons which the german army was using now.



Croatia fell to Austrian troops after only four months, and Pest, the Hungarian capital was besieged. During this siege great news, and some neat new weapons, reached the troops. A new technology was developed, Germany was now on the same level France had been when it had defeated Germany just a couple years before. Much larger cannons were available now, and these cannons were used at once to assault the fortress of Pest. It fell in the second assault.



Now with Pest, Pressburg and Croatia fallen to Germany and Austria it was just a matter of time till the much smaller fortresses of Magyr and Maros fell and all of Hungary was in the hand of the german Allies.



And really one year later Hungary was beaten, and had to accept peace. Presburg went to Austria and Hungary became a vassal of Germany.

That war had proven that Germany was a strong country again. The economy was growing steadily and the income had reached new heights. But peace was not granted to the german people, as a war between the papal states and Austria broke out just one year after the one versus hungary had ended. Of cource Germany joined its allies in this war.



But the peasents did not like this war at all. Although many had been converted to Protestantism, a war against the pope was very, very unpopular. So the peasents started revolting all over Germany.



The revolts were so bad that it was almost impossible to lead a further war at this time, so peace was offered to Papal States. Tuscany did not accept any peacoffers, but they were no danger, as both of their provinces were besieged by several nations.



Unfortunatly that was not all. Seeing germany struggling, the Dutch demanded General Estates and a lowering of taxes. Hektor could not accept this, as the hit to his economy and reputation would have coaused quite some internal trouble. But he didn’t see the consequences. The revoltrisk in Geldre skyrocketed.



As the months went by the revolters celebrated huge sucesses. Bremen and Steiermark fell to the Peasents and Geldre could not hold much longer. On the other hand only one of their Armys could be destroyed. Hektor saw his mistake now. He had neither the forces nor the will to stop the Dutch revolters. So he gave in and granted autonomy to the Netherlands. They should get their own state, but stay a german Vassal. Spain accepted to give the other Dutch provinces to the Netherlands, as they had no means to stop them either.



On September 9th 1560, with two more rebellarmies defeated some mor internal reforms were made. The Electoral Rheinish Circle was created, giving Germany a legal claim on Mainz, Köln and Pfalz.



It took two more years till all Rebellarmies could be defeated. Pfalz Bern and Shwy fell to the Rebells andhad to be reconquered. But now, after the Rebells were gone Gemrnay was in peace. Most rebellious factions had been destroyed in the last rebellion, and the religious problem was nearing its end as most provinces were converted to Protestantism. Germany was ready to do some playing on the international field again.

Duke: Yeah, alittle, but now there a gone mostly

Now guess who will get in trouble in the next part?