HT Succession Game - AAR Thread

**Enewald** · 27-02-2010 14:49

Vassalize Naxos, divide Milan and rape England.

**klorius** · 27-02-2010 16:40

Bit hard to even reach England with no navy.

**TheLoneGunman** · 27-02-2010 17:58

We need a vassal in the North Sea, so that they may raise a navy and occupy England for us!

**klorius** · 27-02-2010 18:47

The Reign of Philipp Wilhelm I von Wittelsbach

The HRE goes to war

Bohemia and England answer Milan's call to arms, as Bavaria decides that having their non-existent merchants barred from Italian trade centres is enough cause for outrage to send armies to their death.

Even before both sides join in battle, though, troubling news reach Philipp's desk.

As the army expands to meet this new threat, another officer is promoted to the general staff.

Invading Bohemian troops are quickly repelled and then crushed by forces led by Gumpenberg and Moshamm.

General Scherer is sent to the Milanese front, where he enjoys early success against a small Milanese force cut off from their main army, busy with occupying Modena.

Gelre achieve their war objectives, and wait apprehensively for the arrival of HRE reinforcements.

General Moshamm efficiently disposes of the remaining Bohemian troops, and Bohemia is forced to liberate two more members of the HRE.

As the war rages on, the HRE is again called to defend another of its members against aggression. Bavaria now finds itself engaged in three wars at once.

England and Hungary recognise the fact that neither can really engage each other in this war...

as Denmark forces Holstein into vassalage.

In the west, the French continue to lurch from one crisis to another.

With the Bohemian front successfully concluded, General Moshamm is dispatched to the Milanese campaign, where he enjoys some early success.

General Gumpenberg, going strong since the reign of Albrecht, shows the army of Gelre that despite his advancing age, he is still a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

England show the first signs of strain in their expanding empire.

In the north, Denmark's ally Bremen is the first in the line of fire, as the forces of the HRE arrive to defend Holstein.

Oldenburg, allied to Gelre, is forced to submit to the authority of the Emperor.

Bohemia remains independent, but for how long more?

At home, a breakthrough occurs, as greater organisational effectiveness now allow for an improvement in infrastructure.

A building spree commences.

Gelre finally concedes defeat, and is replaced by Utrecht.

In Russian lands, Muscowy is reborn from the ashes of the Golden Horde.

In what is easily the biggest engagement in the war, General Scherer proves his mettle convincingly.

With their main force defeated, Milan sees little choice but to concede the war.

With two wars concluded, all that was left was to take down the Danes.

**Enewald** · 27-02-2010 18:50

How many states have you managed to liberate so far?

**klorius** · 28-02-2010 04:15

The Reign of Philipp Wilhelm I von Wittelsbach

The Holy Roman Emperor

The recently-reborn Muscovy wastes little time in reclaiming Russian lands.

With Milan and Bohemia defeated, attention is focused on Denmark, whose forces are badly outmatched.

Another of Denmark's allies capitulate...

and the Danish are forced to surrender their gains in this war, as Holstein is liberated from vassalage by the HRE.

The Ottomans find themselves facing yet more Christian armies, as rebel troops continue to rampage through their lands.

Meanwhile, a new Pope is appointed, in the midst of continued troubles in the Italian peninsula.

Bavarian reforms continue apace...

and with Imperial authority at a high after the liberation of eight HRE members in the last war, a proposal is made to extend reform efforts throughout the Empire.

In the north, fierce fighting ensues as English troops, led personally by King Stuart, land on the Pommeranian coast.

England, realising that no gain is to be made fighting most of the HRE by themselves, make peace.

The Imperial Diet, with the liberation of so many of the members of the Empire still fresh in the memory, are easily persuaded to support the revival of the Hofgericht.

Suddenly, the HRE is called into action to defend one of its newly-liberated members:

Courts around Europe are taken aback, both by the naked aggression of the new Pope, and by reports of the Holy Roman Emperor marching troops on the Holy City.

The prestige and authority of the Holy See is questioned even further in whispers around Europe. The sight of the Pope declaring war for territorial gains, so soon after the Great Schism, cannot but shake people's faith in the bishop of Rome as God's representative on earth.

In contrast, the reputation of the Holy Roman Emperor is riding high, with two major reforms undertaken by Philipp, and numerous members liberated. As if to emphasise this, Philipp's great architectural legacy is unveiled in München.

In the midst of joyous celebration in the capital, though, Philipp's attention has already shifted to other sections of Bavarian territory.

Rome falls. The Papacy is once again forced to concede authority to the office of the Imperium Romanum, and give up its territorial ambitions.

As war continues to rage in the various corners of Europe, stories begin to spread of voyages beyond known shores...

**TheLoneGunman** · 28-02-2010 04:36

Ah, and now the Pope is in our pocket. Good news.

**JDMS** · 28-02-2010 04:56

Bavaria cannot help but to conquer with God on her side!

**klorius** · 28-02-2010 05:53

Two more updates to come, but Philipp has just shuffled off the mortal coil in my game. Who do I pass the save to now?

**klorius** · 28-02-2010 06:33

The Reign of Philipp Wilhelm I von Wittelsbach

The death of Adalbert

The revival of the Byzantine Empire gathers pace...

as their Turkish rivals continue to suffer more setbacks.

With Bulgaria having occupied Hungarian cores in Ottoman lands, Hungary and Bavaria have both made peace, leaving the Turks to handle the triple threat of Bulgaria, Byzantium and Castille.

To their north, the Muscovite revival is rapid, as they double their territory in one war. Moskva itself, though, still awaits recovery from the Moslems.

At another distant corner of Europe, Irish dreams of independence grow.

And then, tragedy strikes for Bavaria. Despite the apparently successful treatment of his last illness, it appears that Adalbert never did fully recover.

Philipp produces a bastard son. Would Wilhelm survive to ascend to the throne and defend it? Only time would tell.

France seek to recover their past glory. Auvergne, however, is protected by Burgundy. Will the French be able to turn things around this time?

Maximilian Pfretschner and Adalbert Rickauer, two young Bavarian officers who have shown great bravery in leading men into battle in the last war, are rewarded by their promotion to the general staff, replacing the veteran Gumpenberg, who has finally succumbed to his many injuries.

Bavaria, as HRE, continues to make her presence felt across central Europe.

What next for Philipp?

**Enewald** · 28-02-2010 10:13

Gotta vassalize all those who break the peace!

**Whitefang** · 02-03-2010 01:41

Originally Posted by klorius

Two more updates to come, but Philipp has just shuffled off the mortal coil in my game. Who do I pass the save to now?

arvivlx

The list is on the first page.

**klorius** · 02-03-2010 14:42

Ok, passed on the save.

One more update to wrap things up.

Over to you, arvivlx!

**klorius** · 02-03-2010 15:55

The Reign of Philipp Wilhelm I von Wittelsbach

The Final Act

The Bavarian subjugation of Bohemia begins, with Milan, Burgundy, and Poland coming to her defense...

and is over almost as soon as it begins, as Bohemia capitulates within a month. The war continues, though, with Milan as the alliance leader.

While reforms continue to take effect in Bavaria...

A second act of Danish aggression against Holstein occurs.

The English, despite having just led a war against Bavaria not too long ago, clearly are more concerned with Burgundy than Bavaria...

and probably justifiably so, as Burgundy gains yet more French territory.

The French court, finding themselves surrounded by enemies in Paris, make the humiliating decision to escape to the south.

With the Burgundians now free to focus on the war with Bavaria and her allies, attention is focused on defeating Milan quickly. General Rickauer proves his worth against the Milanese forces...

as news from the east warn Philipp that Polish forces are returning in force.

Meanwhile, oddly enough, despite the Holy See now a mere vassal of Bavaria, they are still able to force a favourable peace from Byzantium, from a war started before their vassalisation. Clearly, the Byzantine revival has still some way to go.

The situation gets yet more complicated, as another member of the HRE is attacked, this time in Italy.

The Danish forces are rapidly routed by Bavarian forces reinforcing those of Holstein...

...as the next target is marked.

Another Milanese army finds itself dispersed by the might of Bavarian forces.

With Bavaria facing enemies in all directions, Philipp passes away, vacating the throne as suddenly as he came to it, leaving his infant bastard son as the new heir. The HRE proves that loyalty is prized over competence, as the infant is still elected as the next Emperor.

With Bavaria engaged in three wars, and the large armies of both Burgundy and Poland reaching her borders, could the new regency council hold on to pass a strong Bavaria to Wilhelm?

**Enewald** · 02-03-2010 17:09

What HRE-reforms could be possibly done in the nearby-future?

**klorius** · 02-03-2010 23:42

The next reform would definitely be doable if he can force any releases from Burgundy. More realistically, if Burgundy starts becoming overwhelming (the doom stack is already sieging Bern), forcing Milan (as the alliance leader) to release Savoy would give about 70+% imperial authority.

(I've never actually played as an HRE power before this game, so I'm not sure what level of Imperial authority is required for a reform to pass successfully. I only considered it after going past 90% for both reforms.)

He'll probably want to find some way to start pumping up that legitimacy first, though.