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Ankios

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Apr 2, 2008
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History of the United Kingdoms


Summary :

Introduction (see below)

Addendums :

I) Two kingdoms, three crowns : the first part of this AAR
II) What to listen while you are reading this AAR
III) Which path the United Kingdoms should take on the question of Religion ?
IV) Political structure of the United Kingdoms since 1458

I) From the "Dark years" to the "Renaissance" (1454 - 1479)

Kings from this period :
Edward IV Lancaster (1453 - 1473)
Charles I Lancaster (1473 - 1486)


1) 1454 - 1459 : Time for economical reforms
2) 1460 - 1463 : The first Iberian war
3) 1463 - 1465 : The first coalition
4) 1466 - 1473 : The peaceful years
5) 1473 - 1474 : The second coalition
6) 1474 - 1479 : The United Kingdoms leave the medieval era

II) The great discoveries (1479 - ongoing)

Kings from this period :
Charles I Lancaster (1473 - 1486)
Edward V Lancaster (1486 - 1494)
Stephen II Lancaster (1494 - 1506)
Regency council (1506 - 1511)
Edward VI Lancaster (1511 - 1518)
Regency council (1518 - 1532)
Edward VII Lancaster (1532 - ongoing)


1) 1479 - 1485 : The UKs set foot in Africa and America
2) 1486 - 1492 : India !
3) 1493 - 1499 : Colonial moves and economical reforms
4) 1500 - 1510 : Time to invest
5) 1511 - 1515 : North America is Edward VI's goal
6) 1516 - 1525 : The Union in troubles
7) 1526 - 1530 : Religious wars
8) 1531 - 1539 : Refoundation
9) 1540 - 1546 : colonial policies
10) 1547 - 1551 : extreme oriental expansions





Introduction
What is this AAR ?

History of the United Kingdoms is the second part of an AAR I started in mid-June 2010. The first part, Two Kingdoms, three crowns, was focused on the Hundred years war. This AAR was just supposed to be about this Hundred years war fought with the English Kingdom.

While I was moving on with this first AAR, more and more people began to ask me what were my plans for after the war in France. Actually by that time I had no plans.

However the discussion kept going on and I finally said that I would make a second part to this AAR, to show what will happen in the world with France and England unified under one King.

So this AAR History of the United Kingdoms (notice the "s" at Kingdoms) will be much more large than Two kingdoms, three crowns. It won't be focused on France and England only. There is a whole world waiting to be discovered by the now allied French and English people.

Two changes will also come in this AAR. First the updates : I will play much more years now per updates than I did in the first part. After all, I got more than 300 years to play now ! Not 50 anymore...

Also, I won't "talk" like I simply did in the first part. Now it will be written as if I was a an history teacher talking about the United Kingdoms. I think this might makes it much more interesting ;)

Settings :

Difficulty : Very hard
IA agressiveness : Aggressive
Country played : England


What are the United Kingdoms ?
A strong union

The United Kingdoms are a political unity created in the AAR Two kingdoms, three crowns. In this union are France, England and Ireland plus the vassal Scotland

The United Kingdoms are not supposed to be a single "nation". It is the factual Union of four Kingdoms (France, England, Ireland and Scotland) with their own parliaments, laws and customs unified by their unique King of the Lancaster House. This is the reason why this political unity is called the United Kingdoms with an "s".


The initial situation in January 1454
A construction inherited from the Hundred Years war

This AAR start in January 1454. Lots of things happened during the past 53 years. The bloody Hundred years war ended in 1449 when both the Valois and Bourguignon Houses lost all their rights, and also their claims to become Kings of France. Now, the Kingdoms of England, France, Ireland and Scotland (as vassals for Scotland) are unified under the Lancasters dynasty.



The United Kingdoms' structure in January 1454

On the two maps above, you can see the United Kingdoms' structure. As you can see, there are still parts of France that are not yet under control or vassals of the King of the United Kingdoms. As the Hundred years war continued, several lords took their independance from the Valois, and now refuse to see the Kingdom unified under the Lancaster House.

In the east, the last crusade organized by Henry VI Lancaster freed the Eastern Roman Empire from the Turks oppression. Now they are our faithfull allies.



Global map of the world in December 1453
(click on the picture for a better view)


The goals
What to do ?

There is no clear "goals" for this AAR. Of course, I will have to finish uniting France. After that, I have several ideas, but I don't know which priority to give to each :

- Uniting France
- Colonizing North America (which parts ? how much ? 13 colonies for sure, what else ?)
- Creating the colony of South Africa
- Controlling India

I hope you'll enjoy it as much as Two kingdoms, three crowns ;)
 
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Suscribed! :) Wow... I see Byzantium has survived too. Good luck!

It was the purpose of my crusade in the first part ;)

Anyway welcome ! ;)

Nice! Let's hope some wimpy napoleon doesn't show up late game and fracture your commonwealth!

:D that's a clear threat you're right about it ! That's why I won't take Corsica :D

Little information : two changes will also come in this AAR. First the updates : I will play much more years now per updates than I did in the first part. After all, I got more than 300 years to play now ! Not 50 anymore...

Also, I won't "talk" like I simply did in the first part. Now it will be written as if I was a an history teacher talking about the United Kingdoms. I think this might makes it much more interesting ;)
 
I'd like to suggest that you take out Venice. They are an unacceptable threat to Byzantium.
 
Addendum I



What to listen while you are reading this AAR


Like I did for Two kingdoms, three crowns, I will give you on this post nice musics to listen to while you are reading this AAR.

For the first part, it was medieval musics and dances. Here I will post musics played or written during the Renaissance.

This will be especially usefull for you people not lucky enough to own baroque and classical music :D

This will be updated regularly

Greatest composer in 10 minutes

Part I
Part II

J.S. Bach

Double Violin Concerto in D minor 2nd movement

Beethoven

3rd symphony, 2nd movement


 
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I'd like to suggest that you take out Venice. They are an unacceptable threat to Byzantium.

Mmh... Well if they do declared war on Byzantium, I will take them out... However this is clearly not a priority to me. I'd rather help the Byzantines annex territories when they need help than having a clear war policie in Italy and Greece.
 
finally! i say that you colonize the eastern parts of the modern USA, aka the usa at the end of the game 1821 and also canada. create south africa and rampage the west afrikans and the eastern africans to take control over the sea route to india, also take control over india and establish yourself as the emperor of the whole southeastasia/india and crush the chinese shpere of infliuense and then become the dominant power in the world.

Observe: Also take control over egypt sionce it would be cool to have a fantasy suez canal :rofl:
 
1454 - 1459 : time for economical reforms

Dear students, welcome to my class. With me, during the next semester, we will study the history of the United Kingdoms from the end of the Hundred years war to the early years of the XIXth century.

Those centuries have been decisive for the United Kingdoms, you globaly already know that. In this class, you will learn in details what happened during those centuries, which decisions, crisis, influences and success and failures the United Kingdoms had lived by those times.

We will start today by exploring how the United Kingdoms went from the medieval ages to the Renaissance through some very important decisions that have been made in the second half of the XVth century. You will clearly realize here that without the terrible burden of the war in France, the Kingdoms were now able to grow, and leave the "dark years".

One thing you already know, but must now realize, was that the fact that France was divided between several lords was still a real burden. Populations, families were divided, and the policies implemented were entirely different from one territory to another. And soon enough, the huge economical power of the United Kingdoms created a real difference between territories living under the Lancaster's rule and other territories.

1) Edward IV Lancaster economical reforms

From 1454 to 1460, the King Edward IV Lancaster launch several series of construction across France and England. Too much territories were without churches, and this was in his opinion a clear lack for the faith of the people and for cultural reasons.

Edward IV also launched important economical reforms. For too long, the Lancasters let the economical situation degrade to fund the wars. At that time, inflation of the United Kingdoms was the highest in Europe ! To fight this, not only he founded a national bank. He also hired some of the greatest European minds to help him change this situation.

It was also in those years that land reforms happened in England. Pushed by the King, the English parliament was the first to support it in all the kingdoms.

In the end of 1459, it was clear to everyone in Europe that the United Kingdoms were on the path to modernization. With huge economical and social investments from the crown, the consequences happened fast. Of course by that time, the "people" did not saw it immediatly. We have writings from all across the kingdoms of those years with lots people who were not able to understand lots of things. In their opinions, peace was the most important factor. Of course this was a decisive factor to explain the economical growth of those years. However, we know today that other european countries had this same peace without so much economical changes. It's true that the Kingdoms were partially in a bad economical shape because of the Hundred years war and a lot was urgent to do, more than in other parts of Europe. However it doesn't change the fact that those huge investments gave a real economical impulsion especially in the United Kingdoms.



Europe in december 1459
 
Yay second part! :)
For the colonial ambition, I suggest aiming for something like this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Two_Georges
As for Europe, I could see this France extending it's German border up to the Rhine, conquering of the Dutch and the Annextion of Aragons territorys in Iberia. I wouldn't go much further than that though if you want to keep things relatively historic :)
 
I play grade 8 recorder, mostly Baroque and Renaissance pieces. I'm looking forward to the music you post here more than the AAR but I'll be enjoying both.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwI_...32E760373&playnext_from=PL&index=9&playnext=1
^Shows off a bit much and that vibrato really annoys me but its a good movement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rtO...2E760373&playnext_from=PL&index=35&playnext=1
^Its a bad recording but this is also really good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Rccp8KcpyI
^Currently learning to play this in a fairly wee group of only about 4 people (normally 5)

People defiantly underrate recorder. Anyway sorry went off on a tangent a wee bit but I've always been a fan of music from 1500 to 1750. Make sure and get Boccherini's Passacalle in at some point as well as Bach's Cello suite No. 1 in G Major, 7 Adagio From Concerto Grosso in G minor (can't remember the composer, I think it might be Vivaldi) and Violin Concerto No. 3 'Straussburg', theres one called 'Strassburg' which google tries to make you change to which is rubbish.

Quite excited. :)
 
Uh north america would be good, south africa is always nice, australia is good. India is ok and a crushing of Spain is always preferred.

Well, in my idea if I can keep having the strongest navy + France with a common border I'll be able to keep them divided between Aragon portugal and castille... then they'll be no threat :)

WOOO! history class xD love the style of the last post ;)

I'll try to keep it that way :) it might give some interesting things and also more ideas to write than when I just "talk" like in the first part

Yay second part! :)
For the colonial ambition, I suggest aiming for something like this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Two_Georges
As for Europe, I could see this France extending it's German border up to the Rhine, conquering of the Dutch and the Annextion of Aragons territorys in Iberia. I wouldn't go much further than that though if you want to keep things relatively historic :)

Mmh..; this seem too much :D I'm not sure this is feasable

However i'm still not sure I will recreate the borders of the french empire. I might, I'm just not sure... It's just that the idea of seeing modern day french borders and england both red on the sme map just sounds too much great :) So first modern day borders, then maybe :)


I play grade 8 recorder, mostly Baroque and Renaissance pieces. I'm looking forward to the music you post here more than the AAR but I'll be enjoying both.

Thanks for your links... You'll probably be able to find easilier good music than me but I'll make updates so I hope what I will find will please you ^^

Once more I'll be reading.

Welcome back :D

I just read the first part, and I got to say this is an awesome AAR. count me in.

Thanks ;) and welcome !
 
1460 - 1463 : the first Iberian war​

Welcome back for this new class. Today we will focus on the first European war the United Kingdoms had to fight.

Too often, people think Edward IV was a peacefull King, before a lot of his rule was focused on reforms. However, we cannot forget that he sent the UKs in this first war.

In May 1461, Ferran I d'Arago, King of Aragon, had just been excommunicated by the pope. A true Christian like Edward IV could not let an excummunicated ruler just south of France without a fierce intervention.

However, when he declared war he was perfectly aware that this war would be long and difficult. Aragon had plenty of allies, especially in the Iberic peninsula and in Souther France.



As you can see on this map, the entire Iberic peninsula and southern France are coalised against Edward IV.

To defeat so much enemies, Edward's strategy was to fight first the smaller lords in France. Once they were crushed, he thought Aragon and Castille would be much more easier to defeat.

1) The battle of France

With all his armies focused on the center of France, Edward was able yo crush all resistance in those territories. By November 1461, he was besieging the enemies territories and was able to send 30,000 cavalries' men in Aragon to protect the South of the Kingdom.

In December of this same year, the first Aragon's ally (Avignon) dropped the war and asked for a white peace. Edward's plan seemed to be working by that time.

At last in August 1462, the last fortifications allied to Aragon fell. The battle for France was over.



The war in France is over

2) The battle of Aragon

Starting in November 1461, the cavalries Edward IV sent launched a long campaign to destroy resistance from Aragon. Knowing Portugal and Castille could send at any moment their own offensive against the UKs, this campaign had to be won as quick as possible.

In the end, it took siw month to be able to win this campaign. In late april 1462, twenty-one coalised units have been destroyed. This huge victory permit to Edward to see this war much more positively, and to his armies to regain confidence after almost a whole year without decisive victory.



Aragon will not heal from this defeat before long

It was about time this campaign was won. In may 1462, the first Castillan troops arrived in aragon. 10,000 men. It was not much, but if they had been able to join the Aragonese armies, the Uks armies would not have been able to win like they just did.

In the next six months, it was still impossible for either sides to win a clear victory. However, with UKs victories in France and Ireland, it was just a matter of time before 30,000 English and French men would arrive in Aragon to reinforce the already present troops. Seeing the impossibility to win this war, Portugal proposed a white peace in december 1462 to Edward IV, which he also accepted.

In early 1463, it was now obvious the UKs had won the war. In the first months of this year, negociations started to sign a peace treaty while Barcelona was about to fall.



The battle of Aragon in March 1463

In April 1463, Aragon signed peace with the UKs.



And then Castillan's King was the last at war with the United Kingdoms until may 1463, when he accepted a white peace.



3) The battle of Ireland

Edward made a terrible mystake in this war. Focused on France, and assured of the protection of England, he did not assured the protection of Ireland. In April 1462, a huge Portuguese army land there. His only solution by that time was to hire mercenaries to hold as long as possible until he was able to send an army.



The Kingdom of Ireland is invaded

It took 15,000 men and eight month to defeat Portugese troops and liberate Munster, but in November 1462, the battle for Ireland was won.

4) Conclusion

This war, ended in may 1463, was historical. After two years of hard fightings, the United Kingdoms had just won their first European war !

However at the end the depts were huge, and the death enormous.

Of course you already what followed this first Iberian war. In June 1463, a coalisation of of members of the Holy Roman Empire decided to strike against the UKs. One war just ended, and a new one just started for Edward IV. This will be for the next class.



The first coalition in june 1463
 
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The imperial liberation CB always sucks when you're on the receiving end :(. Or is it another?

Nope ... too much infamy : 19.8 when I'm allowed to have 18
:eek:o

And BTW there are now 4 different alliances against me the last map... It's not only one country who daclared war to me + its allies...