Danmark vil sejre - A Danish AAR

[robou]

Surely the Prussians are going to come hunting soon enough...

[Pietbont]

Capibara: Yep, china is the big pot of gold for me, and dont worry, the Kings empire will expand

Robou: Yep, im aware of that, im going to try to get a second alliance with Russia, and expand my army on the south danish borders, i dont think holstein will be an imprenetable shield

edit: It seems there will be no 1864 schlewsig-war. That because i chose Schleswig-Holstein is part of Denmark in the 1848 schleswig event and the Prussians chose to backdown, so they accepted Danish power in the area. Therefore , i'll DoW them myself in 1865 (because i was actually looking forward to the war )

[D'Artagnan59]

I think because of your decision, you can't form Scandinavia.

[Pietbont]

I think because of your decision, you can't form Scandinavia.

Im not planning too

Ser man mod syd - Looking southwards, Denmark 1858-1864

It was the year 1858, it was a year of heavy modernization, in both militaristic and industrial form.
It was during these days Spies from all over Denmark were sent to Great powers to investigate and report on important technological matters.
One day a spy named Bjorn returned to Copenhagen and asked audience with the King.

Bjorn reported of revolutionary navies. Ships which were very fast as they were running on steam, had huge guns and iron coating which would prevent them from taking damage from most other ships.
This was very worrying as the Danish fleet consisted out of wooden ships still dating from the Age of Sail, and the King didn't want to lack behind on other countries.
Thus he decided to initiate a project with Denmark's finest inventors, to create such technologies on Danish soil.
Certain technology had already been *borrowed* from British shipbuilders so that Denmark could already be making Commercial raiders right away.


In the following years, 6 raiders were constructed to be added to the Royal navy

The Industry also got a buffer when a more efficient way of transporting goods and people was invented, the Iron railway.
Production efficiency was alot higher than before and income rose
Also a notable change. The mobilisation pool was increased to 5 divisions.
It was costly, but if Denmark was to win any major confrontation with a powerful country, it was certainly needed.

In 1861, a French envoy along with important news arrived at the Royal court of His Majesty, King Frederick the 7th.
It seemed the French wanted an an alliance with Denmark as they had gone to war with Denmark. It seemed that Mexico had failed to repay a loan to the UK, Spain and France.
The first two decided not to start a war over it, but France was all too happy to carve out a little empire in South America.
The King saw this as an opportunity to grab some land while at it, and sent two divisions along with the Fleet to Mexico.



Fighting along the Danes were the the previously called French and the Italians. Conquest in mexican lands was not presumably hard and soon territory was gained.
One division marched southwards, to conquer yet more territory for the Danish crown as nearby area was already taken and secured by the Italians.

However, before the Danes could make a profitable peacedeal the French decided to call it a day in july 1862 and made peace with the Mexicans on the term of them becoming a French satellite nation.
The King was very unsatisfied with this action and relations with the French deteriorated.



However, more efforts were made to civilise the barbarians out there.
As the sultanate of Abu Dhabi was nearly bankrubt, and it's army gone.
The king decided to make it's move.
Quickly an effort was made to invade with just one division, and no resistance was found, as Arabian citizens hailed their new masters who were liberating them from their autocratic country.
The area was quickly seized and annexed, thus creating the Danish protectorate of Abu Dhabi.

The Danish protectorate of Abu Dhabi

However, as the King primarily focused on the colonial programs, advisor Christoffer made him aware of Continental Europe, and their quest for baltic supramicy.

"Your majesty, it's great we have our own little colonial empire now, but we also have to stay focused on Europe.
Prussia accepted us as masters over Schleswig, but are still in much control of the baltic. As you know we are still in an alliance with Russia, we could.." "Invade them? We could, yes.
Their navy is not much compared to us, and it seemed they havent invested much either in their army (Prussian military score: 24).
With the Russians we could very well win. However, we also have to be cautious of other German states and even Austria."

The new Russian alliance

Denmark had indeed built a good worthy military during the last years.
It's navy being one of the most powerful (although not nearly strong enough to defeat the British one) and even began to challenge the Russian naval position.
A high income came with the recruitment of two extra divisions, and it could very well be that the Dano-Russian alliance would go to war again, soon in the future.
However, Prussia and Austria were NOT to be underestimated, every resource had to go to the war and Kopenhagen protected by the Navy at all costs.



(update following )

[Herbert West]

Ah, Abu Dhabi, the usual target of almost any civilised player nation

Are you planing on forming Scandinavia (as in nationalising the swedes and norwegians and possibly finns), or will the rest stay under the iron heel of the hiers of the Jutland Raiders?

Also, were Danish-Russian relations really that high in 1836 ,as they are in the game? Half my games, there is a russo-danish defensive allaince.

[Fiftypence]

Shame about Mexico. It'll be useful to have the Russians on your side, should help stretch the Prussians.

[Ahura Mazda]

Quickly an effort was made to invade with just one division, and no resistance was found, as Arabian citizens hailed their new masters who were liberating them from their autocratic country.

And what's denmark?

[Pietbont]

@ Herbert west: Nope, no unified Scandinavia in this AAR Jutland raiders ftw i guess . And no, in realtime history i dont think relations were that high. I think it was more a love-relationship. Russia has to pay taxes for passing the sound strait, but if it doesn't, any ships passing will get fired at and sunk

@Fiftypence : Yes, meh. The french, cant trust 'em

@Ahura Mazda: Sssshh, don't tell them!

[robou]

that is a rather large British Navy. Let us hope you never have to contest it...

[stnylan]

Milking China - how very imperial of you!

A very aggressive Denmark, but you need to be to be sure.

[Pietbont]

The First Dano-Prussian War, 1865-1867

A few months later after the King and his advisor Christoffer had a meeting, it was time to ready the troops for an inevitable war over the baltic.
The Reserves were mobilized and moved into position for transportation.
The Danish navy was already sailing out.
Not much later, the King had declared war on Prussia, along with Austria and the German minor states, in january 1865

First Dano-Prussian War

The Initial plans were so that the Danish fleet would first sail out and secure Naval supremacy in the Baltic along with the Russians.
Ofcourse a big part of the navy stayed in the kattegat strait to protect the Danish capital copenhagen, and counter any possible Austrian warships which might enter the area.
Then the transportation steamers would be loaded with several divisions and would beach assault Swinemunde, where later on would be many great battles. The area was quickly seized by the Danes and Denmark now had a foothold on Germany.

The southern Danish army, whom's initial task was to defend the Southern border, was commanded to move out and neutralize a few smaller German nations, such as Hamburg, Lubeck and Mecklenburg.
Lubeck was on the list of land the King would gladly add to it's Nation; It was quickly invaded, it's army annihilated, and annexed. Hamburg soon followed, but as the Danes weren't that interested in an extra port to the North sea, Hamburg was satellized instead.
the Danish southern army than moved towards Mecklenburg. In contrary to Lubeck and Hamburg, it found notable resistance.
But the battle of Schwerin ended in a victory for the Danes.
Schwerin was seized and the Mecklenburgians were been offered a white peace, they accepted. At the same time, Stralsund also had been captured by the Main Danish force and had been secured.
An assault on Danzig had also been launched, but failed. Too many troops were concentrated on the area, and the expeditionary force was forced to retreat to the Fleet.

Meanwhile, bad news came from the Russian front. Safe to say, Russia was getting it's ass whooped by the Austrians and despite their big army could not hold them back.
Soon they would accept a peace deal from the Austro-Prussian alliance in favor of the Austrians.
From here on things got worse for Denmark, as more and more Russian front Prussian troops flocked towards the Danish front.

The first Prussian attempt to drive the Danes out of their Homeland was unsuccesfull though.
A well reinforced army led by a good general would beat the assault, and several German divisions were annihilated. However, things got harder..

Even more divisions gathered around the Danes, and once again with a joined assault they attempted to drive them away.
Due to lack of troops the Danish main force.had no choice other than retreating would they not want to get their main army completely destroyed.
Soon the Danish troops we're forced to retreat to Copenhagen. It was decided to offer a white peace to Austria, strangefully they accepted.

Things were looking bad, and the only thing between Copenhagen and the 30 Prussian and German minor troops was the navy, another plan had to be introduced to get more out of this war for the Danes.
As Plan A did not work, Plan B got to the rescue (Operation Rurhgebiet)
The plan was to secure the Danish strait, and with all force strike Hannover into submission, gain a few provinces from them, and move quickly into the Rhine territory
to secure a white peace or maybe even gain a province, and the plan was inmediately executed.

A Danish fleet consisting out of 3 transport ships and 5 warships secured the High sea and Hannover was under heavy attack.
11 divisions in total were present. The Hannoverians could not handle such a size and before a Prussian army arrived to help it had already fallen, and ceded 4 provinces to Denmark.



Quickly the armies blitzed into the Rhine territory and seized a number of provinces, before Prussian troops arrived.
However, short of supplies, men and morale, the Danish troops got whorn down very fast and due to Prussian and other German minor divisions fighting them all over, it was to decided to offer a white peace, it was accepted.

Conclusions of the War:

Russia lost three provinces to Austria.
Denmark had gained Lubeck, Stade, Lingen, Emden and Nienborg.
Hamburg was made a Danish sattelite.
Prussia had lost most of its navy, Denmark had lost 6 warships

The struggle for the Baltic had not been finalized. Denmark did control the Seas along with the Russians, but a direct confrontation with a big Prussian army had rarely been won.
Territory was indeed gained for the Danes, but it was hoped that those would be in the Baltic.
It seems that a future struggle is bound to follow, and than hoped that Russia keeps up the war effort


(update to follow)

[robou]

A good, though certainly not perfect, ending to the war that we had feared.

[Capibara]

At least you got some provinces, and hope the Russians stay on your side, otherwise it'll be very tough

[likk9922]

It's too bad Russia preformed so poorly. Good outcome on your part, though.

[Pietbont]

Robou: Yep, i had indeed hoped for a better peace, but oh well, cant complain THAT much

Capibara: Yes, russians should stay on my side

Likk: Yes, i must have overrated them i guess

Anyway, i won't be posting an update tomorrow, or atleast not during the day (maybe in the eve, i'll see) got some other stuff to do

[stnylan]

That was a very successful first war. Definitely a good start.

[Ahura Mazda]

Ugly borders

[Davisx3m]

Ugly borders

[Pietbont]

Denmark 1867 - 1871

The War with Prussian had been thought, and the following years, foreign matters would be more important for the Danish future than internal ones.
As soon as the war was also over for Prussia, they made quite possibly the worst decision they could have ever made;
They challenged Austria for Supremacy over German lands, which was not a wise thing to do. Seeing Austria's army was already fully in order to cross the Prussian border.
While Prussian forces had just endured a war and were far from Austrian sight.

A civil war among alot of minor states, Austria declaring war on Prussia and France aswell later on was a disaster for the German nation, and it ended in a great loss.

It's...beautiful *sniff*

Prussian had no other choice to accept Austrian dominance in the Germanic lands and was now considered a second hand power.
However, even when Austria was conceded Silesia, it still was not dominant in Europe.
Shortly after the 7 weeks war, France and the Ottomans declared war on them, and soon following Russia (however, the Dano-Russian alliance had expired by then) and Austria got humiliated:

.

Holdings in West Germany were ceded to France. A large chunk of Serbian land given to Ottomans.
The Russians, however, did not gain any new territory, despite them being on a conquering spree in Austria with no significant resistance, and Vienna being in sight:



It seemed that there was for the time being, no dominant power in Europe. France had gained chuncks of German Territory. Britain had a small army, but a huge navy and Empire.
Italy had newly been formed and because of its population a bright future. Russia had proven that it was weak after all.
And Denmark? Maybe , as Denmark finally achieved great power status!

Now, onto other matters. Matters important for the Danish citizens.
Soon after the Dano-Prussian war, more colonies were added to the Kingdom.
New territory was gained in Danish madagascar after a swift war, with no intervention from Great Britain or France in 1867

The Dominican republic was quickly conquered aswell a year later

And even the Arabians had no choice but to accept colonial Dominance of Denmark

Also, already in 1869, the army had been mostly been rebuilt and was again able to defend *cough*attack*cough* from certain agressors *cough*victims*cough*. Because of the new German workers flocking to empty Danish factories, profits rose and a bigger spendure could be afforded.
Even a steamer shipyard was built, for future navy building.

Despite all former advances. The population was not by any means very happy. Rebellions were on the rise, and it was soon that the army would have to crush them. Maybe the Kingdom would have to care abit for its poorer citizens in the form of social projects...



But, with a heavy weakened Prussia and Austria, and a strengthened Russia, the prospect of being a Major power in the baltic and beyond was again a dream which could become reality.
However, because of the many recent wars. The King had to be more quiet for the next years, as Denmark would be seen more and more agressive in foreign countries (high badboy )

*finally, update done, another one is ofcourse to be following*

[robou]

perhaps pushing a little too much weight in front of you with not enough force to continue pushig it on...