Chapter Sixteen
Qara K accepts an alliance offer in January 1450. To misquote 'Reader I allied them'.
Persia declares War – January 1450
Let’s see how this vassal thing pans out. Qasim Khanate nationalists rise in Orel weeks after the war starts.
Novgorod declares War – April 1450
Dogpile incoming?
A year into the Persian conflict and the war has bogged down into a series of battles across the Caucasian mountains. I’ve a Shock 5 general who can go up against the Persian leader but there’s little I can do about the morale gap.
Novgorod doesn’t have the leadership of the Horde but rebel distractions have prevented me making much headway. I’m down Beloozero and Archangelsk is under siege but I’ve troops in Kholm and I’m bearing down on Novgorod’s army which is suffering making assaults through the Russian winter.
Battle of Georgia
I *think* I can bleed Persia out and quite possibly they’ll get attacked by someone else if I hit them hard enough. Russian patriots will rise in Bryansk early in 1451.
Cores! March 1451
That’s two rebel factories decommissioned in time for the next TSC. It might even help the economy a little bit. Surgut falls to another Siberian nationalist revolt weeks later, wiping out the partially built fort in the province. Solikamsk revolts the next month, this time its Qasim Khanate nationalists. Vyazma revolts in June 1451, Russian patriots backed by Novgorod a novelty after endless Qasim Khanate and Muscovite affiliated rebels.
The Ottomans declare War – July 1451
This really isn’t good – there are a lot of Ottoman troops pouring over the frontier. Still, there’s yet another opportunity to beat up Nogai. The Ottomans are very cavalry heavy so it’ll be sieges not assaults which is useful.
Persia accepts a white peace a couple of weeks later; war score was -4 but their war exhaustion was at 10.87 and climbing. At a guess my deployment of a big stack forced Persia to do the same and they suffered heavy attrition even before the big battles.
Nogai is forced from the war – September 1451
A single regiment of mercs runs through Nogai’s unfortified provinces even as they lay siege to Bersh. I want them out the war quickly so that I’m not distracted by them. If I don’t take troops away from the main front then in time they’ll take provinces and hit my war exhaustion.
Checking morale – my base morale is 1.91, the Ottomans 4.34 so it’s going to be difficult. I’m going to try massive concentration of troops and hope that the Ottomans stand and fight to the last man. I can’t help thinking that if they get in trouble someone will go after them.
Castile declares War - January 1452
Five days after the truce from the last war ends. It’ll be a relief when they start colonising! Portugal also joins again.
In the same month
Novgorod offers a white peace I’m happy to accept. Once the Russian rebels are dead I’ll redeploy that army to Archangelsk to hinder invasion attempts.
I also make a slider move Innovative in February 1452 at a cost of 5 prestige; dropping from -55 to -60.
March sees further unrest in the Russian provinces with revolts in Tula and Zavolochye. Solikamsk will revolt again in October.
The two enemy alliances are making ground around the Crimea but the Ottoman army in the Caucasus is undermanned and badly lead.
Notice both the Horde prestige gain and the Ottoman WE. Ottoman WE is up to 6.35 just behind mine at 6.60. Big cavalry armies invading Russia are not a good idea.
The Qara K force besieging the fortress at Erserum is acting as a magnet for Ottoman units in Anatolia. I’ve based a strong (8 & 8) army across the border in Horde Imereti and time interventions to arrive a day or so after the Ottomans. With both the defensive terrain bonus and a Shock 5 general I’m hurting them.
By early 1453 I’m slowly losing the wars. The defensive skirmish line is now Azow/Kharkov as the collective enemy numbers are very high. I’m still holding the Turks on the Caucasian border but there are repeated Portuguese and Castilian landings that prove difficult to clear.
March 1453 sees further distraction with an Ak K nationalist revolt in Dagestan and Siberian nationalists in Koda a month later.
Hungary declares War – August 1453
The screenshot shows Hungary’s allies (+ Byzantium). My border provinces are held by the Ottomans so I’m not sure what will happen here. War Exhaustion has climbed far too high for comfort but neither the Ottomans nor Castile are interested in peace, any peace.
This calls for another war list:
- Golden Horde and Qara K vs Castile and Portugal: +13
- Golden Horde and Qara K vs Ottoman Empire, Bosnia and Serbia: -8
- Golden Horde and Qara K vs Hungary, Austria, Naples, Yaroslavl, Byzantium: 0
It seems that the arrival of the Hungarians in the war and the fact that the Ottomans have got to all the sieges first has changed Castile’s take on things…
Peace with Castile – August 1453
The Theatre of War
Georgian Nationalists rise in recently cored Georgia soon afterwards. The province has a Bosnian siege force as well as Castilian and Portuguese units waiting to go home.
Early 1454 Hungary hasn’t moved as the border is Ottoman occupied. My WE is 8.01 and the Ottomans have WE 10.25. There’s a single big Otto army in Azow and some battered looking forces in the Caucasus. I’m considering an invasion of Anatolia.
More cores! – March 1454
I don’t suppose Solikamsk will stop revolting until I convert it to Sunni which will also culture flip it.
There’s a revolt in Tver in March and a second one in June as my troops are close to beating the initial uprising. June also sees Georgian Nationalists in Imereti and peasants in Simbirsk.
Late August 1454
Wonderful event. I chose this the alternative is 3 points of inflation. Beating the Ottomans around has raised my Prestige to -27.9 I’m very close to getting to -25 which fulfils my mission and gives +1 stab and +10 prestige. Stab costs are over 1900 and even at full investment I make barely 55 a month!
On balance this was the wrong call.
Austria calls a Crusade against us late in 1454 but I’m not too concerned unless Lithuania DOWs. The Hungarians still haven’t moved as the border provinces are Ottoman occupied. I intend to leave it like that.
England declares War – December 1454
I can only imagine this means another pointless invasion of the Arctic provinces. The biggest problem is that when I go into the inevitable TSC I’m going to be running with a lot of WE.
Battle of Lugansk – February 1455
I’ve now got positive war score against the Ottomans and they seem to be virtually out of manpower. Otto WE is now 12.48. Prestige is -25.7 getting closer… Rebels take Imereti and Simbirsk the next month so prestige drops to -27.5 :rofl:
The Hungarians finally move over the border in May 1455 some 21 months after declaring war.
The Ottomans offer White Peace in June 1455 – rejected as not good enough. The peasantry aren’t impressed by that decision and revolt in Mordvar. Ryazan revolts in the autumn and there’s a Patriot uprising in occupied Yaroslavl (as it’s the junior partner in a PU I can’t make a separate peace).
Northern Front – January 1456
I’m pretty much ignoring this area just reclaiming a rebel siege and letting General Winter inflict some pain on England.
Southern Front – January 1456
Yes that is Tyrone invading. Ulster says No :rofl: War score against the Ottomans is +34 and while they have a lot of troops left those troops are stuck in Basra with no way home. They’ll make peace when I want as WE is 13.5.
England isn’t interested in peace at any price. WE is now 8.14 and at +1 stab I lose 68 ducats a year.
However, Hungary is willing to make peace for surrendering the vassalage of Nogai. I’ll take it I need peace.
No worries, Nogai will be back. It does cost me 5 prestige so I’m back at -30.5.
Vladimir revolts days later and Siberian Koda within the month. I need troops in the north as the rebellions are growing and I want to push England out. Dagestan revolts, Ak K nationalists, in the spring. I’ve no troops available to deal with this as my Southern forces are spread across Anatolia in sieges. Perhaps it’s time for peace with the Ottomans.
Peace with the Ottomans – June 1456
This deal brings a couple more provinces and enough cash to give me four to five years expenditure. Ottoman WE had reached 14.65. Prestige of -26.20 rose to -26.20. Oh.
Falling off Horses – 17th July 1456
Rebel Count = 148 (+20)
Rebels = 739,000 (+88,000)
----------
.png){kind=avatar}
