Cossacks, Plains and Wheat- Ukraine in Aberration

Only a few hours to vote, please note.

Wari Bana said:

i've dl'ed it, but it doesn't work...

i'll send more info when i have the time, but i guess i should have uninstalled certain mods first...

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You need to install it over a copy of WATK i think.

Without waiting anymore, I present you the winner of the vote. This Aberration AAR will be about...






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Thanks to everyone that took the time to vote. The AAR will begin very soon.



If a kind moderator could change the title of this AAR to:

Cossacks, Plains and Wheat- Ukraine in Aberration​

..I'd be very happy.

Ukraine in 1419 was a very weak and disunited state. After the Teutonic crusaders crushed the Lithuanian state in the early XVth century, the Ruthanian clans became free once again and united in a loose federation known as the Republic of Ukraine. However, this federation was not embracing all the Ruthenian peoples nor all the Cossack clans. Fragile internaly, threatened everywhere by the foreigners, many peoples tough than this country would not survive more than a few decades.




The young state was threatened from everywhere. The greatest danger in this begining of century was the Golden Horde, a remain of the terrific Mongol Empire. The Horde was now only a shadow of its former self, but continued to opress its population, wich included an important Ruthenian minority.

But the real danger was certainly the Teutonic Order. It's shamefull 'Crusade' against the Orthodox populations of eastern Europe effectivly destroyed Lithuania, but would certainly continue and the inhabitants of the Russian principalities are preparing for the worst. With the Pope's blessing, a new Crusade supported by Germans and Magyars would put the existence of Orthodoxy itself in danger. And such an expedition would come a day or another, without doubts.

The Kingdom of Hungary may also prove hostile to Ukraine, but they are too busy with their immediate neighbors to attack very soon.

But all is not mean and sad in this world. Ukraine is allied to Halych-Volhynia, a smaller but more unified state wich share its culture and religion with the Republic.

The Eastern Roman Empire is not unfriendly to Ukraine's cause, but they are too far and too weak to support it effectivly against its ennemies. However, we can count on the Emperor to annoy the Pope himself, wich is a good thing.




The plain is one of Ukraine' greatest weakness. But in the same time, its also an adventage. The almost perfectly flat landscape of the region offers no natural defenses, wich means than the Ruthenians can only rely on themself for their security. Expension will be needed to assure protection.

Agriculture is prosperous in the great plains. Wheat grows on a fertile soil well supplied in waters by several rivers. Even if the prices for wheat are low, at last the Ruthenians don't have to purchase it to feed their families. Even if not very populated those plains are the breadbasket of Europe.



This is how the Ukrainian Republic stand in 1419. Courage and determination are going to be needed to allow the state to expend and even only to survive, but the Ruthenians are not cowards after all.

Emperor_krk said:

Diplomatical annexation, if you mean Smolensk and Tver. If you mean Kiev and Chernigov - get Kiev asap, let Chernigov get eaten by someone else first. Preferably an ally/vassal of yours.

Go for the Teutons before they become too strong and before you start lagging behind in LT - Ukraine is very poor and cash can be a serious problemas them in Abe...

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I need no advices (for now), thank you. I'll try to keep the gameplay 'realistic'. Only if a fantastic oportunity (like Teutonics at war with Hansa and Poland) show itself I'll attack the Teutonics, they scares me.

Chief Hetman Mykhaltso (because the leaders of the Ukrainian state were called that way) had spend the last 3 years visiting all the Cossack clans than sweared allegiance to the banner of Ukraine. During those years, he builded a great army including more than 15.000 cavaliers and 5.000 foot soldiers, a somewhat incoherant army composed of members of dozens of different clans. But by 1419 his army was ready, and Mykhaltso only had to wait the snow to melt in the plain to begin his invasion.

Because Mykhaltso had a plan. As a wise man he knew all the threats his country was endangered by, and worked hard to find a way to give Ukraine a feeling of security. And so, he turned his eyes on the grand city of Kiev.





The city of Kiev had a glorious past. Capital of the Kievian Rus Empire, its influence once spreaded from the city itself to the great seas of the frozen North, and from the Carpathian mountains to the eastern steppes. But after the collaspe of the Kievian state under the bloodthirsty Mongols, the city passed under the protection of the Lithuanians. But the Teutonic crusade in the Baltic region provoked the end of their new lords, allowing them to be independent once again. In 1419 Kiev was a city-state barely ruling over its surrounding region, a shadow of its past glory. Or, as Mykhaltso would have said, as an apple on a table, ready to to be picked up and swallowed.



The Chief Hetman had no desires to sack the city like the Mongols did, and like the Teutonic tried to do. He wanted to capture the city intact, to left its citizens unharmed and to eventually convert it into a new capital for the young Ukrainian state. Thats what he did by March 1419, when his army was finally ready.


War was declared against Kiev the 2nd day of the month of March. The Dniepr was crossed without opposition. A week after, Mykhaltso was in front of the walls of the great city, demanding an unconditional surrender. The Kievian forces where already far away, but the garrison decided to defend the city against the 'Cossack invaders', and a siege begun.

It lasted all the summer, but finally a breech was opened in a wall and the Ruthenian army made its way to the city hall where the administration was hidding.





The city of Kiev immediatly surrendered. Without any bloodbath, the colours of the Ukrainian Republic were risen on the walls of the city. The 15.000 men strong Kievian army joined the service of Mykhaltso and the clans living on the lands near Kiev sweared allegiance to their new leader. The minor city-state of Chernigov, allied with Kiev, was also besieged and surrendered in the early days of 1420. After this bold move, the victorious Chief Hetman entered in his newly proclaimed capital of Kiev. His agression would not put him in good terms with the other principalities of the region, but 'It has to be done', as he said. The population of the conquered city accepted him as their legitimate ruler. Because he could defend them from the neighbording tribes. And after all, he was Ruthenian and Orthodox. The fear of being conquered by the Teutonic Order and converted by force diminished, to be replaced by a feeling of relative safety wich was rare in the region.

Shortynds: Thank you.


asd21593: Thats my long term plan.


likk9922: Well, who knows? Ukraine is still weak, but there is still 400 years of history to write.


Emperor_krk: The next stop is to wait the reactions of the surrounding countries, and if nothing happen, turning east would probably be the best option.


M4 Emperior: Aberration is so interesting (even more on an improved map), than I wonder why there is no more AAR with it. I had to do it.

II - The Battle of Rozhny​

For more than half a decade, the Republic of Ukraine worked on consolidating the links between the Cossack clans and different factions to give the state an apearance of unity. A time of inactivity was also needed diplomatically to give the feeling than Ukraine was not that an agressive country, and thus the years from 1420 to 1426 were spended on consolidating the young state internally.

Chief Hetman Mykhaltso knew than he could not keep all the clans quiet and obeidient. The cossacks needed a common ennemy to fight united against. Many very influential Cossack chiefs beleived than the best was to attack the Golden Horde to liberate the other cossack clans. The Chief Hetman liked the idea but was realistic- the Tatars would outnumber them 5 to 1, and even with the greatest courage this attack would end into the destruction of the Ruthenian's hope to liberate their brothers, and the whole population would be enslaved. A good opportunity was needed before attacking the Horde, but Mykhaltso could not wait for it forever.

By 1426, some Cossack clans had became a little bit less satisfied with their leader's peacefull attitude and were ready to put another chief in command if the situation would stay the same for a few more years. But Mykhaltso was saved by the most unlikely nation than he beleived he could 'receive help' from.



In October, a small army of catholic knights from the Baltic region sacked a dozen of villages in Vohlynia. A Ruthenian army was send to get rid of them, wich succeeded but soon met a bigger army, comming from Riga and fighting under the banner of the Teutonic Order. It was now clear than the Knights had embitions on the region and than war would follow.

A Volhynian diplomat arrived to Kiev a few days after the event, and asked Ukraine's support against the Teutonic order. But this was useless as a band of Cossack arrived the same day in the capital, repporting than a Teutonic army was gathering on the border. Mykhaltso received the approval of most of the chiefs and it was ordered than the army should be ready to fight in less than two weeks.

A small Teutonic army of 3.000 men was repported to have entenred the Ukrainian territory, but soon they were caught up by the aproaching winter and they had to quickly return home, half of them having died in the snow. The Ukrainian commanders used the winter at their adventage, attacking the summer and returning in friendly regions for the winter.

In 1427, however, it seemed than the main target of the Order has changed. An army of more than 22.000 men was marching forward to Kiev, posing a serious threat to the safety of the Ukrainian capital. All the Ukrainian armies gathered to defend the city while the Knights were crossing the Dniepr. The forces of the Teutonic Order and thoses of the Republic of Ukraine met near the small town of Rozhny, a dozen of kilometers north of Kiev.

The battle than followed was one of the most descisive in the history of Ukraine- If the Knights would win it, they would easily take Kiev shortly after and the country would probably collaspe. An Ukrainian victory, even if undecisive, would slow the invasion enough to force them to widrawn because of the winter.



The battle ended in a bloodbath. The Knights were massacred, most of the survivors were made prisoners and only a few hundreds would escape. Even if important, the Ukrainian losses were nothing compared to severity of the Order's defeat. It would take decades before the Teutonics would dare attacking again.


Following the anhilation of the Teutonic army, Mykhaltso led his forces into the Order's lands where they were welcomed as heroes by the Ruthenian and Orthodox population of those regions. The city of Minsk surrendered to the Ukrainian soldiers and several ennemy forts were burned. 2 years after its first invasions in Vohlynia, the Teutonic order was begging for peace.






This war ended by the coronation of Ukraine as the new regional power and the best hope for the Orthodox to be protected from any eventual new crusade. Now even the Pope turned a suspicious eye toward the potential threat against the holy Catholic hegemony in the Baltic than was becoming this vulgar federation of Cossacks.