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40 Years On: Friedrich von Manstein's Brandenburg

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Wow! That was a nice turn of events! You gained even more land in the Italian north and severely reduced Milans strength. Looking forward the the continued (measured ;) ) growth of the Empire - for it truly is an Empire!
 
What trully annoys me, is that PUs are worthless. The chance of inheriting is 1 ina million. Why the heck would anyone fight for that. And you are automatically thrown into a war, that you might not want to fight. The whole PU thing is busted. :p Good job on punishing the upstarts. :D
 
coz1 said:
Needless to say, this papal emissary was sent back with nothing to show but a badly cut face and bruised body.
Click to expand...
:eek: I love how offhand and matter of fact this was, slipped into the rest of the narrative!

"Take that! And never attempt peace with us again!" :rofl:

Great war!

Rensslaer
 
It seems like Milan still holds a grudge against the Empire, might indeed have something to do with the Emperor being called Fredrick. It went very well I think, you stand victorious and now the Empire is surly the most powerful and mightiest nation in the world :)
 
Well, I finally caught up again with this great AAR and I must say: what a ride! You have the bulk of Germany under your heels. I hope more nations will join the Empire as Lithuania did. Unfortunately, you have no direct power in those matters other than to increase relations with the neighbors. Looking forward to the formation of Germany proper!
 
Fb-fb:

stnylan - Indeed, though to be truthful, I did not even think about that. However, I do have further plans for Italy some day. It would only be right I think.

Chief Ragusa - While true for the most part, by this time Milan and I were not near as close as we once were. Relations between us hovered (and still do) near zero, give or take a few points either way. However, they are certainly no great fear to me now (if they ever truly were.)

WhisperingDeath - I certainly was not expecting it, but it worked out alright. That was the first unplaned war I've had since the beginning of the game. It is good to know I can gather strength quickly if the need arises.

SonofWinter - I have to agree. It dumped my stab down to zero when I had finally reached +3 again. I really could have cared less for Sicily during this time, them being no great prize. And as you say - all for so little a chance to actually inherit? Bah!

J. Passepartout - They were stubborn, but not near as bad as they could have been. I was glad not to have needed to attack their colonies. I certainly could have mustered the strength, but it would have been tedious.

Renss - Yes, I thought it quite silly that the Pope thought he could extort me for some hugely ridiculous amount for a war that he was hardly participating in and was sure to lose. The arrogance! It makes one want to go Protestant. ;)

Lord E - Well, I doubt it will be the last time I fight on those grounds, but I don't know if it will be Friedrich doing it. Could be though.

Grundius - It is interesting. Occasionally I will glance down at the history log scroll and see some nation or other getting an event that suggests they might be prepared to join the Empire. I imagine they get the choice. Lithuania obviously accepted. I noticed France got one of those some time back and decided not to. We'll have to rectify that, methinks.

Walter Model - I suppose I always use the province name just for ease. My memory cannot always recall the actual city and colonies don't get city names like they did in EUII. It's just much more simple to use the province name so people can easily know what I am talking about.

To all - another update follows and it is sparse as far as screenies goes. I don't know what happened, but it appears I took the same screenshot over and over during the next ten years or more. Kind of irritatating, really. I seriously hope they include some function like that in upcoming patches because as nice as that materializer tool is, it takes up a lot of space and slows things down quite a lot. And if it is not always dependable, well...

Anyway, I wrote it up as best I could. And to be honest, not too much happened that cannot simply be explained. There are a few events after this update that I think I can get some shots once I get back into the game. We'll see. Thanks for reading and commenting.
 
* * *

BrandenburgLogo.jpg


* * *​

As the post war years came upon us, things in the Empire settled once more to a quiet and happy period, with the Emperor spending more time with his family and we advisors doing our best to serve him, as we should. It was our great fortune that during the war, we had been approached by a group of hearty merchants with a plan to maximize our profits in the eastern world that we had so recently begun to colonize.

IndianTradeCompany.jpg

Though we had yet to do more than place some few settlers in Taiwan, this outfit looked to be quite profitable in the coming years, and the Emperor had little issue granting them a charter. As well, our years of trying to integrate those won lands in the Americas had paid off well when each of those territories had all finally declared their undying loyalty to the Empire and Friedrich III.

GaincoresinCherokee.jpg

And then in January of 1618, a man came to us by the name of Ernst Below promising to assist with our flagging trade. I was not terribly excited by his worth or abilities, but the Emperor saw something in the man and hired him soon after.

ErnstBelow.jpg

However, this experiment did not last long as his expertise was not near what he had promised and his usefulness truly proved unwarranted. Within five months, Below was sacked to be replaced by a much more welcome and talented man named Helmut Schach. It did not hurt that his lineage was promising, even if his excellence was proved in the field of production rather than military knowledge. But he was a trusted advisor from that day forward.

HelmutSchach.jpg

By now, needs for better army training were waning as our forces were become the best of quality in Europe and our gifts to our allies and vassals had paid off well, finally making Bohemia more friend than foe after so many years. Of course, Wurttemburg was the truest friend at least through 1621. It was in this year that they took on that heretical faith as their own and this was truly shocking to all concerned. But being the diplomatic man that Friedrich III was, he refused to cut them off and rather attempted to discuss with them the error in their ways. Relations returned, albeit slowly, but enough that we could trust and rely on them once more.

So too did we attempt as best we could to bring Burgundy closer during these years. Between gifts and some few marriages, we had some of the best relations between neighbors. And when in 1619 there was some diplomatic insult in which it was said that their Duke became displeased when we refused to call him King, the Emperor granted him a title of Arch-Duke to satisfy his hurt feelings. They had started to become part of the Empire in certain provinces and this was only a small attempt to keep them placated and a threat to neighboring France.

DipinsultwithBurgundy.jpg

For the next decade, we would see little of great consequence in Europe or the Empire. Our usual duties were carried out with precision and success. Gifts were sent. Taxes lowered on occasion to placate the merchants and avoid revolt. Colonists continued to go forth to Karankawa and Taiwan, and we were even to send a few to East New Georg Island, which would finally become a full city by 1627. And the previous mentioned Karankawa preceded it in city status in 1624.

However, our major thrust during these years was to put together the funds to build two great weapons manufactories, the first beginning construction in Dresden in January of 1625 and the second in Meissen in January of 1628. However, I should not get ahead of myself. For in the year of 1627, we would finally take steps that had been near a century in coming. And soon after, we would move forward in a grand venture in the new world which would see riches the likes of which this Empire or none other had seen in their lifetimes.
 
The future sounds very promising!

Lovely screenshot that one with all the cores gained in the new continent. By the way, what name have you given to this continent? :p

I propose Friedrichland! :D
 
That trade company gives your merchants a decent boost. Below lived up to his name, as in below the standard required.

So you're about to become Germany and with all those core provinces in the cotton growing south are about to invent an industrial revolution and have a wealth spurt.
 
Your wars with Milan prove the old adage: If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer. :D

Are you still waiting for your BB to decline? If not, why not take more of Italy, as that was historically part of the HRE?

And when will you take the plunge and roll up France?
 
Steps? Might that be the creation of Germany finally firing?
 
It looks like it, though coz1 made a almost desparate post about the event yesterday in the EUIII forum
 
Well done! Solid growth and a stable (mostly) Europe. That's a good combination. I noticed that you have a "spy" advisor (and a full flight of spies). Have you used them? Any success?
 
The Empire looks very strong and powerful. And all those new cores provinces shall certainly make it even richer. For now it is peace in the world and your soldiers are the strongest and best so I guess this new adventure isn’t an European war because no one can be silly enough to declare war upon you now… Maybe new colonies something to do with the new Indian trading company?
 
Fb-fb:

Petros - Yes, they all became cores at once and those are always fun screenies. As for a name, I never really thought about it. The Americas seems to work. Once more, I could try and find some impossibly long German name for it all, but that seems like more work than is necessary. ;)

J. Passepartout - Though Hochmansteinland is pretty good. :D

Chief Ragusa - Well, it might give my merchants a better chance if I ever used them. But I don't as it is simply too irritating. As for the Cherokee lands, it would help greatly if I could convert them, but my chances now hover around 50% and I usually end up on the wrong side of that half and half chance. :(

Grundius - I suppose I could. However, I think Goldfinger might appreciate the next steps a little better. ;)

Director - Actually yes, the BB is dropping at a slower pace I presume because of the current Emperor's skills. But I do have my eye on Italy and am considering some adventures down there. As for France...hmmm, what to say? One might call me scared, though not of them. Really more the tedium that would come with a war. I have been focusing on getting some great improvements accomplished with inflation and finances. But once I get to a point where inflation is dropping fast and tech levels are increasing swiftly, it will be time. In truth, however, I really do need to just bite the bullet and get it over with. Especially as I presume it won't be just one war but rather a series of them over 20 or 30 years.

stnylan - Geez, I wish. But there seems to be some trouble with that.

Veld - As you suggested, I was quite irritated yesterday as I finally reached the 1640's and still no event. Obviously I am going to see it fire (if at all) on the long end of the MTTH. :mad:

WhisperingDeath - Actually, that spy advisor is only one of the ones I can choose. I don't tend to muck about with those advisors that increase colonists, spies, diplomats, merchants and missionaries. I'd rather have some help with advancing my techs. I have used some spies, some successful and some not. I did have one succeed in rasising the revolt chances in Trier but nothing ever came of it. Oh well.

Lord E - Indeed, I doubt seriously anyone would be foolish enough now to DoW me. But one never knows. Might be the best thing to happen, all things considered. At least I'd get off my duff and deal with France.

To all - the next update follows and it is still a bit sparse as it is part of that period when my screenie tool failed me. Hopefully I covered for it well enough. Thanks for reading and commenting everyone.
 
* * *

BrandenburgLogo.jpg


* * *​

It was in the year of our Lord 1627 that after nearly fifty years of Wurttemberg being a valued and trusted vassal that Emperor Friedrich III extended the offer that they might become part of our realm in full. This they did accept with much appreciation and grace. Though Wurttemberg would cease to be, her men and women would become very important in our court, after the Polish and Austrian contingents, obviously.

AnnexWurtt.jpg

Of course, our diplomacy did not end there. We continued to ply Bohemia with gifts such that they remained our dearest friend. And so too with the people of Sicily given that our Emperor was also their King. Gifts to the Shawnee would not work quite as well, but we had little issue with them over these years. And finally, several letters were sent to the Holy Father as Friedrich was keen to try and provide as much influence as he could over that struggling office. If the leader of Christendom could not lead, then what might happen to good Christians everywhere?

But it was the year 1629 that lead us to those riches I mentioned before. Colonization was proceeding at a fast pace, not only by our own settlers but also those of Castile, Aragon and Milan. Having secured the former Cherokee lands, Emperor Friedrich began to look at maps somewhat further south. Castile was fast claiming the isthmus that connected the southern Americas with the northern half. And Milan was deeply entrenched in the northern part of South America. However, there were certain pagan tribes that existed to separate those Kingdoms from our own settlements. And rumors of great wealth in gold spread rapidly. It was assumed that some European power would soon take this for themselves. Why not us?

And so, we increased our military maintenance to full in January of 1629 and sent a naval force loaded with troops to the Yucatan Sea knowing that there was some alliance with the Aztec power and her southern neighbors. The declaration of war was sent to their chiefs in April and both the Maya and Zapotec tribes joined their Aztec cousins. It was to be a quick and decisive war, annexing all of the Mayans in October, all of Zapotec in January of 1630 and finally all of the Aztecs in April.

annexaztec.jpg

The rumors of gold were not incorrect. Once the ships returned from those lands, they were teeming with gold and silver in abundance and though we were already the wealthiest Kingdom in Europe, this booty caused us to so far outpace those other Kingdoms that we should never worry about our finances again. But as always, once we achieve great success, there must always follow a period of mourning. And this did happen when the great Emperor Friedrich III died in January of 1631 to be replaced by his son Albrecht, styled Emperor Albrecht IV Achilles.

AlbrechtIVAchilles.jpg

He would not have his father’s head for diplomacy or administration, but he had a keen interest in all things military and thus the years that followed would see much learned and altered in our military structure. In July of 1631 we would begin building far better artillery and in the summer of the following year, our cavalry doctrine changed to Galoop Cavalry.

GaloopCav.jpg

Following that success, we would see a great change in our infantry doctrine. For years, we had followed the Maurician school of thought but by September of 1634, the knowledge and training of our forces was to become more along the lines of Gustavian thought, named after a Swedish professor who formulated the ideas at the University of Erfurt.

GustavianInf.jpg

It was clear that we would not be surpassed in our armed forces and we kept good pace with our chief rivals in France and Burgundy. But war would not follow. Though Emperor Albrecht enjoyed the study of military history and training, he was not very interested in carrying through with such ideas on the actual battlefield. Instead, these years would see us continue to focus on colonizing, diplomatic overtures with our good friends and vassals and an occasional attempt to convert those heathens in the New World, though very few if any would have any success. In all things, the 1630’s were a quiet period for the Empire.
 
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