A Greater Netherlands - IN Brabant AAR

Slight delay, as I get my new computer up and running. No problems yet, but its amazing how many programs you have to install after a reformat. I'll finally be able to run EU3 at a reasonable speed, whoo!

Computer's finished, and now everything runs so much smoother. I can't believe I put up with the slowdown before. So, back to writing updates - later today, the Peninsular Campaign, followed by fighting in the Sulu Sea and South Africa, Mexico and Manhattan, and the War of the Bishops.

Before the Grand Navy returned to port from the Battle of the North Channel, word arrived in Breda that King João was in dire need of assistance. With the bulk of its forces defending her overseas territories, Portugal retained only a small Home Guard to defend the mainland. The Home Guard lacked the manpower to defend Portugal’s long border with Castille, forcing João to abandon the south and concentrate on protecting the northern city of Oporto. Early on the Castillian army overran much of the Portuguese countryside, slowing down only to besiege the outer ring of fortified towns surrounding the capital of Lisboa. It was only a matter of time before the Castillians broke through and sacked the city.

With the Eastern Atlantic cleared of enemy ships, the Netherlands was free to use its extensive merchant fleet to come to Portugal’s aid. In early summer the Army of Holland was dispatched to the south with fifteen regiments under General Willem van Wesembeke. Hoping to open a second front against the advancing Castillians, van Wesembeke landed his forces at Huelva on June 7, catching the Castillian Army by surprise. With little intelligence on how large an army lay to his south, King Enrique cancelled the assault on Lisboa and withdrew the bulk of his forces back into Castille, leaving armies in Algarve to the south and Galicia to the north to cover the retreat.

The surprise capture of Huelva was a major coup for the Dutch expedition, but it incurred heavy casualties in an unsuccessful attempt to expand the bridgehead towards Sevilla. With the immediate threat to Lisboa lifted, van Wesembeke decided to encamp in Hueva over the summer to await reinforcement. The States-General dispatched an additional 8,000 Bavarian mercenaries to bolster van Wesembeke’s army, while van Wesembeke was able to raise an additional two auxiliary regiments of North African Berbers from Morocco. By early fall the Army of Holland had swelled to almost 20,000 soldiers, and was prepared to resume campaigning. In September the superior Dutch army routed King Enrique’s Ejército de Granada at Faro, relieving the ten month siege of the port. Enrique fled with the remnants of his army, heading northwards with van Wesembeke on his heels. His army was slowly picked apart by the pursuing Dutch, with the survivors drifting back across the border into Castille.


In the meantime, the situation turned ugly for the Portuguese in the north. After an abortive attempt to capture Galicia, King João’s army was pushed back by a concerted assault from the north and east. Abandoning its artillery and wagon train, the Home Guard retreated into Oporto, which was besieged by the pursuing Castillians. In response, the States-General put the Dutch fleet to work shipping grain to the beleaguered port, allowing the defenders to hold on while another relief expedition could be mounted.


In November General van der Aa’s Army of Flanders finally arrived at Oporto, doubling the size of Dutch forces on the peninsula and driving back the northern Castillian army. The Castillian commander Tomás Osorio decided to withdraw to the border town of Bragança to wait out the winter. Believing that he had lost the Army of Flanders in the rugged Sierra de Gatas, he was unaware that the Army of Holland was marching north towards his position. On November 22 he ran headlong into van Wesembeke’s forces. Trapped between the two Dutch armies, he decided to surrender rather than fight a hopeless battle. Osorio’s surrender left Portugal free to Castillian forces, giving the Dutch expeditionary armies breathing room to prepare for the spring.

Deamon said:

Do you ever lose a battle?

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I lost a good bit at the beginning against Burgundy, but I try to pick my battles. However, I haven't been entirely successful during this war, and I'm sure that landing in England will be a bloodbath.

sharpcat said:

Just for reference, what are your game Options set up as? Is it on Very Hard? Are Lucky Nations on or off? That sort of thing.

Keep up the excellent work. Go the Netherlands!

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Its on Historical Lucky Nations, and I started with it on Normal until about 1520 or so, and then I switched it to Hard.