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Porta Atlanticum, Portus Classis / An England MMU AAR

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Bballman23 said:
Nice work! A very good read. I do wonder why you chose to take Bearn, a non-core, inland province, rather than a core coastal province like Normandy (I assume you have a core there in MMU?). Normandy would certainly seem to make more sense in terms of infamy and economy. I could see defensiveness being a factor in the decision, but it's not as if you'll be able to defend even a large Aquitaine from a strong France :p
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Very perceptive question! I agree that Normandy is much more easily defended, although I think it and Béarn are equal in terms of infamy cost (I don't have the "Reconquer Normandy" mission right now, so there's no core and no BB reduction for taking it). And no, I do not start with a core in Béarn in MMU. So, why Béarn? Significantly, with the 1399 start England has Gascon as an accepted culture. That's an advantage I deemed worth pursuing, under the circumstances.
 
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And really, as long as your stuck with the southern pocket it might as well be worth your while to build it up and split the AI's attention...as it would a real live human. The possibility of strong armies from both northern and southern territories ranging through France is something no one can ignore.
 
VIII. Jane Lancaster - 1432-1439: Orkney and Holstein ~ Papal Business ~ Disaster in the Desert
  • Index
    • _________________________

    Capitulum VIII.
    Bring me my Arrows of desire
    _________________________​

    England's transition from regency to queen regnant had been guided by the presence of a highly experienced Privy Council, whose membership had remained largely unchanged since Henry Bolingbroke's Lancastrian usurpation. In the precarious months following York's rebellion, the Queen was reluctant to incur the wrath of the lords by overruling her elders. But with every passing meeting of the Queen's Council, Jane cannot help but feel that the aspirations and perspectives of adolescence and middle age are rarely, if ever, congruent. Her government needs innovation and new blood.

    When long-serving Baron Byron of Rochdale (    4-star naval reformer) dies in early December, it is an opportunity to introduce new people and new ideas. Chancellor of Oxford University William Burton (6-star ascetic monk) is encouraged to retire from public life, in favour of Lord High Admiral Rudolf Laporte (2-star grand admiral) and Lord Mayor of London Phillip Talbot (4-star alderman).

    wSc0WZk.png

    Jane's second council focuses on maritime supremacy and economic growth.
    _________________________​

    In the past three decades, English trade has largely re-oriented itself from the nearby centers of Antwerp and Paris to far richer Hansa and Mediterranean ports. This was a combination of economic and political factors, as the northern European centers were both poorer than and more prone to disruption via warfare than their southern counterparts. Now, English merchants command the bulk of trade not just in London, but in other busy commercial ports such as Lübeck, Genoa, and Venice.

    But while the English traders were welcomed (or at least tolerated) in other Mediterranean states, the Mamluk Sultanate has harboured something of a grudge against the Lancastrian dynasty for its ongoing suppression (or at best, willful neglect) of the Sunni population in Gibraltar. To register his displeasure, Sultan Faraj bin Barquq abruptly expels the sizeable community of English merchants in Alexandria.

    JCBFWgt.png

    _________________________​

    The Canary Islands are a small island chain somewhere off the northwest coast of Africa, whom the Portuguese     claim (with scant evidence in support) to have discovered in 1336. These islands were subsequently colonised by Norman and Gascon settlers under vassalage to the King of Castile, but in 1403 (during the Castilian crusade against Granada) they were captured by the Marinid dynasty of Morocco.

    In early 1435 Portuguese King João II de Avis launches a reconquest of the Canaries, and seeks London's backing. England is heavily committed elsewhere—shifting forces from France to defend the Hanseatic City of Lübeck—but Privy Council support for the Portuguese is strong. Portugal has been a loyal and worthy ally of the English crown since the 1386 Treaty of Windsor, when John of Gaunt's daughter Philippa married King João I, creating the lineage of great princes who would eventually lead Portugal through its Golden Age of Discoveries.

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    (background) The Pastrana Tapestries of Alfonso V. The Portuguese Landing at Asilah.​

    Both the Sovereign and Parliament have not forgotten more recent Portuguese assistance in northern France, so intervention in North Africa is approved without significant opposition.
    _________________________​

    The forces of the Holy Roman Empire are having a tough time in Jutland; though the minor German statelets outnumber their opponents, coordination is a problem and their armies often enter battle independently and in small numbers. Pathetically easy prey for King Christian II's better-organised Danish army. But slowly the initiative shifts to the Germans as the English naval squadron makes its presence felt.

    Having fought its way through Norwegian and then Danish fleets, the Navy Royal maintains command of the Kattegat, Øresund and southern Baltic Sea, allowing veteran English armies to disembark in Mecklenburg and Zealand. The naval presence also severely hampers Denmark's ability to supply and reinforce her armies fighting on the Continent, bringing some relief and respite to the Hanseatic defenders.

    The Privy Council is now less willing to hazard the lives of the royal sisters (army and navy tradition are above the minimum effective threshold of 20%), so command falls to capable lords and nobles fresh from the wars in France.

    FxPlJLP.png

    Almost as an afterthought, a small contingent of men are sent to besiege the small Norwegian outpost of Orkney, off the coast of the Scottish Highlands. German-born Lord High Admiral Rudolf Laporte notes that the Orkney Islands feature a superb natural harbor, which might in time prove useful when the Navy Royal needs to venture further out into the frigid reaches of the North Sea.
    _________________________​

    The revolt of the Eastern Roman Emperor against his former Turkish overlord has created inexorable pressure on non-Orthodox subjects. The rebellion has nearly bankrupted the Greek treasury, and thus the Greek reconquista begins to resemble the worst excesses of its Castilian cousin. The Emperor introduces an act requiring the conversion or expulsion of heretics and heathens; a cynical piece of legislation more or less tailored to seize the wealth of the exiled. Those that fail to flee or convert are put to death in horrible, inventive ways.

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    Stories of Catholic persecution filter back to western Europe. (right) The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian; Hans Memling, c. 1475.
    _________________________​

    England's military alliance with Austria was always somewhat removed from political realities. Austria hoped to utilise the English fleet in its Balkan campaigns, while the English hoped that the Austrians would intervene against France. As neither scenario would have been in the best interests of either country, the alliance was more often notable for its breaches—the most recent split coming with the English reconquest of Gascony.

    Still, the mere possibility that an enemy might have to fight the Navy Royal or the Austrian army was a useful theoretical deterrent, so the court in London persevered. After a few months of exchanging lavish gifts and flattering, insincere pleasantries, the Anglo-Austrian alliance was formally reinstated in April of 1435.

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    Austria had been busy with some conquests of her own in the three years that England fought France.
    _________________________​

    Just under a year from the initial siege, the tiny, isolated Orkney garrison surrenders. The Navy Royal immediately begins using the islands as a home for scouting patrols prowling the Norwegian coast.

    Before long, other Danish towns start to see the futility of resistance; though Copenhagen will manage to survive (under heavy food rationing) for an amazing two years.

    F13aoJR.png

    _________________________​

    France winds down the remainder of its wars in October of 1436 by paying 600,000     livres (6 million ducats) to Aragon, while the Holy Roman Emperor requires the release of Dauphiné as an independent state, plus an additional 100,000 livres (one million ducats). The Duchy of Provence immediately tries to reclaim Dauphiné (a former territory of theirs) in a war of conquest, while simultaneously trying (and failing) to fight off the Papal States.

    Elsewhere in the Mediterranean, Portugal achieves victory over the Hafsid dynasty of Tunisia, claiming the first of several African provinces.

    rJRRLG8.jpg

    _________________________​

    By the winter of 1437, the war in Denmark has ground toward a conclusion. The Anglo-German forces have beaten back the Danish assault on Lübeck and managed to occupy most of Danish Jutland. The Orkney Islands are claimed as war reparations, and Denmark is required to release the County of Holstein back to the Holy Roman Empire.

    x0pLTn9.png

    _________________________​

    William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk, was captured by the French during the Armagnac campaign, and spent two years as the captive of the French king. During that time Suffolk seems to have developed something of a friendship with his former captors, and though he has since been released, has been found to be in regular contact with the French court. When his correspondence is surreptitiously intercepted, it reveals the chatty Suffolk has inadvertently mentioned some important details about the state of English castles and garrisons in Gascony.

    While it's clear that the Duke was not engaging in intentional espionage or seeking to undermine his queen, treason—even that of the unintentional variety—cannot go unpunished.

    rrFAijB.png

    (left) Detail from The Execution of the Innocent Count; Dieric Bouts the Elder, c. 1460.
    _________________________​

    In the spring of 1438, Pope Gregory XIII passes away, and the English-controlled curia elects the Venetian cardinal Gabriele Condulmer to succeed him as Pope Paul II.

    DZQ5WqA.png

    The new pope is well aware of his obligations to his benefactors in London and Canterbury.    ​

    The following month, the leaders of the Free and Hanseatic City of Lübeck seek absolution from Rome for mortal sins committed during the course of the war with Denmark. Jane wishes to maintain warm relations with this important trading partner, and she delivers an emphatic appeal on their behalf. Pope Paul II wisely takes the hint.

    OcNzHoS.png

    (left) Pope with cardinals in curia; Georges Chastellain, Sébastien Mamerot and Jean Colombe, Les Passages faiz oultre mer par les François contre les Turcqs et autres Sarrazins et Mores oultre marins (The overseas expeditions by the French against the Turks and other Saracens and Moors overseas), folio 225v, c. 1472-1475.
    _________________________​

    One key reason Emperor Fridrich I von Luxembourg failed to act in the Danish war was that he was already engaged in several wars of his own—fighting France, Brandenburg and a collection of smaller states closer to home. When the Emperor is forced to concede defeat to the Margrave of Brandenburg in late spring of 1438, his support from the Electors and Imperial Diet evaporates overnight. Most Electors believe Bohemia no longer has the strength to enforce the laws of the Empire and defend it from the encroaching Turks.

    vSRCAOH.png

    _________________________    ​

    With the French and Danish wars concluded, London now turns its attention to the Portuguese campaign in northern Africa.

    A Portuguese force of over 15,000 knights and men is besieging Tangier, but a Moroccan force of 6,000 cavalry and 12,000 men is assembling in Ceuta, intending to lift the siege.

    Across the strait, England has a transport squadron, a small screening force, and the 6,000-strong Army of Scotland, provisionally garrisoned in Gibraltar. In August this army is moved across the strait to Tangier in support of the Portuguese. Unfortunately, it's not enough.

    In September a series of skirmishes with the advancing Moroccan cavalry whittles away the Europeans' numerical advantage; and when a pitched battle is fought in the middle of the month, the English contingent loses 24% of its strength, while the Portuguese are virtually wiped out. On October 13th, English general Alexander Talbot (2nd Earl of Shrewsbury) realises the day is lost and orders a fighting retreat to the boats. Talbot pleads with the few hundred Portuguese survivors to do likewise, but they refuse to concede, gallantly holding the line against impossible odds while the English board their cogs for Gibraltar and safety.

    q75A839.png
    ​

    It is a crushing blow for Portugal—over three-quarters of her army has been slaughtered in the sands of Morocco.
    _________________________​

    Closer to home, relations between the English and Burgundian Lancasters are at an all-time low. Since acquiring their Burgundian ducal title, the descendants of the Duke of Clarence have consistently sought marriages, alliances and agreements with France and her vassals, while lessening and despising their ties with England, the mother country. What should have been a mighty new bloom from the Lancastrian rose is now home to the same withered old policies, animosities and petty rivalries of the Valois-Bourgogne dynasty that was displaced.

    Tensions between the two noble houses flare up over Calais, a perennial thorn in the side. Queen Jane's Staple Port regulations infuriate the Burgundians, and they are retaliating. The Constable of Calais reports that Burgundian settlements and defensive fortifications encroach ever closer upon the Pale, and that Burgundy's merchants openly flout Her Grace's laws and authorities within it. Complaints to the civil and military authorities on the other side of the border yield only scorn, and little substantive action.

    znq3aPl.png
    ​

    As the Privy Council discusses the matter, it seems likely that some kind of punitive expedition will have to take place, to remind the Burgundians of the obligations and respect due to their superior and true liege. In addition, the Pale of Calais will have to be secured against further encroachment, and possibly expanded. But this, too, must be balanced against England's need for respite after six years of continuous warfare.
    _________________________​

    The end of the year brings a strategic reevaluation of England's war goals. Jane sees no overriding need to spend further blood and treasure in Morocco; the Portuguese have already achieved their stated war aims, and England needs to carefully shepherd her resources for a potential conflict in the Low Countries.

    1ah5alz.jpg
    ​

    The following month, Lord High Admiral Rudolf Laporte mandates that the fleet adopt new sailing and navigation techniques adopted from the Portuguese (naval tech 6, max colonial range 80).

    Meanwhile, the Count of Holstein reaffirms his diplomatic and military ties with England, slightly improving relations with the northern states of the Holy Roman Empire.

    CtWYrFA.jpg
    ​

    Finally, Portugal affirms that they have reconquered the Canary Islands colony and have no further casus belli against Morocco. With only 1,000 knights and 4,000 men to guard all of her territories, Portugal badly needs time to rest and re-arm.

    Later in the summer, a minor conflict between Burgundy and Savoy reaches an astonishing conclusion. England's diplomats and spymasters have been caught by surprise, and the Council is entirely unaware that Burgundy had even been at war, let alone on the losing side! The news strengthens the hawkish elements of the Queen's Council—surely the weary nation can stand one last, rapid campaign against a recently-defeated foe?

    7LMeLMS.jpg
    ​

    By late summer, three-quarters of the army has been transported to Calais. When English messengers go forth with the declaration of war, even exhausted Portugal and her tattered army answers the call to arms. Only Austria refuses, as usual.

    QQ8NkWe.png

    _________________________

    0MLxrKQ.png

    ENGLAND c. 1439

    Jane I Lancaster (ADM 7/DIP 7/MIL 8)
    By the Grace of God, Queen of England and France and Lady of Ireland
    Duchess of Aquitaine    ​

    Dynastic Links:
    ~ Burgundy (Duke Louis-Joseph I Lancaster-Valois-Bourgogne)
    ~ Cyprus (Basileus Jacques II Lancaster-Lusignan)
    ~ Lüneburg (Duke August I Lancaster-Brunswick-Lüneburg)

    Treasury: £12.5 million (125m ducats)
    GDP (estimated): £50.49 million (504.9m ducats)
    Domestic CoTs: London £37.21 million (372.14m ducats)

    Army: 8,000 Knights (Chevauchée), 16,000 Footsoldiers
    Reserves (potential levies): 13,117
    Navy: 14 Carracks, 15 Pinnaces, 22 Cogs
    Discipline: 124.30%
    Tradition: Army 29.00% Navy 37.70%

    Prestige: First (83.40)
    Reputation: Slightly Tarnished (3.49/22.00)
    Legitimacy: 100
     
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    • Congratulations, effective midnight GMT, you're writer of the week. I'll post in the appropriate thread to that effect.
     
    c0d5579 said:
    Congratulations, effective midnight GMT, you're writer of the week. I'll post in the appropriate thread to that effect.
    Click to expand...

    Holy mackinaw. :eek: Thanks!
     
    blsteen said:
    Congrats on the writer of the week, nice moves against the Dane's. The Portugese sure took a beating but hopefully that doesn't tempt their Spanish neighbors. Hopefully you can get something out of both Burgandy and Brittany
    Click to expand...

    Thanks! It was a big surprise, and now I'll have to spend a few days reading not just EU3 AARs, but those from the other games as well.

    Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see a whole lot of value in taking anything from Brittany in it's current two-province state. Taking a province or two from Burgundy will at least give me a defensive perimeter around Calais, and a bridge to Normandy. But taking Finisterre just seems like an invitation for a drunken France to crash the party.

    EDIT: I'm kind of hoping to wind down the wars as I've been dragged into a couple unexpected ones, and need to let war exhaustion cool down now that it's getting beyond my comfort zone.
     
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    Congratulations on your award, it is well earned.

    I am a bit worried that, by attacking and weakening Burgundy, you are also ultimately strengthening France. It seems from the map, that Burgundy should not be a threat to you in its present state. If France were to feast on a weak Burgundy, they might become a much more serious challenge to Calais and your other continental holdings.
     
    Salik said:
    Congratulations on your award, it is well earned.

    I am a bit worried that, by attacking and weakening Burgundy, you are also ultimately strengthening France. It seems from the map, that Burgundy should not be a threat to you in its present state. If France were to feast on a weak Burgundy, they might become a much more serious challenge to Calais and your other continental holdings.
    Click to expand...

    I did think about that too. At this point, though, despite a Lancaster ruling the duchy, France and Burgundy are already in bed together. Royal marriage, mutual guarantees, etc. I am concerned about making them a target for France, but I'm more concerned about a possible alliance between them. Weakening one (or both) parties before that occurs is something I can work toward, while I'm more or less powerless to stop the development of even friendlier Franco-Burgundian relations.

    EDIT: I guess the short version is, I'm not afraid of a France that commands part of Burgundy. But I am afraid of France that might command all of it.
     
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    Can Burgundy be persuaded to cozy up to the Holy Romans?
     
    loki100 said:
    Just wandered over from your recent award ... really impressive, to repeat what has already been said - its an impressive blending of in game events, out of game context and good narrative
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    Thank you! I appreciate it. The award is a huge surprise, I didn't think this little AAR gathered much attention beyond the dozen or so guys that comment in the thread.

    Porkman said:
    Can Burgundy be persuaded to cozy up to the Holy Romans?
    Click to expand...
    I don't honestly know. Magna Mundi has a couple of events that continually draw certain countries together, such as Aragon + Castile + Portugal, or France and its vassals. I have seen one fire for Burgundy and France a couple of times and I tend to doubt whether Burgundy can be dissuaded from getting cozy with the French.

    CJL78 said:
    What are your goals for the Burgundian war? Taking territory or releasing it?
    Click to expand...

    Both?

    I would like Calais to have a little defence-in-depth, plus a corridor to Normandy. But I also hope to encourage a Dutch minor or two to expand themselves at Burgundy's expense; it would be very handy to have an ally up there that isn't constantly getting events requiring it to be friendly with Rival Number One.
     
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    Chris Taylor said:
    Thanks! It was a big surprise, and now I'll have to spend a few days reading not just EU3 AARs, but those from the other games as well.

    Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see a whole lot of value in taking anything from Brittany in it's current two-province state. Taking a province or two from Burgundy will at least give me a defensive perimeter around Calais, and a bridge to Normandy. But taking Finisterre just seems like an invitation for a drunken France to crash the party.
    Click to expand...
    True Finisterre is one province but its one province that the wicked French won't get without a fight! Seriously, the French are going to wipe out Brittany sooner or later might as well profit from the impending demise without getting dinged for annexing. And as for Burgandy, its already weak, the real check to France's ambitions are you, the Spanish and the HRE.
     
    Arakhor said:
    I'm seriously impressed with this AAR. Good work! :)
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    Thank you, much appreciated!

    blsteen said:
    ...Seriously, the French are going to wipe out Brittany sooner or later might as well profit from the impending demise without getting dinged for annexing. And as for Burgandy, its already weak, the real check to France's ambitions are you, the Spanish and the HRE.
    Click to expand...

    If it was a Breton province that could be connected to a notional Calais-Normandy corridor without much fuss, it might be more attractive. But Finisterre would be a little isolated dot in the middle of nowhere that will need regular visits from the army and navy. And I've already got a dot in the middle of nowhere that needs regular visits from the army and navy. :p

    I think France is fairly well contained so far (famous last words, I know). It's not a wad of little statelets, but as long as Portugal or Austria comes to war with me I'll have numeric superiority. As long as I fight carefully I'm not in danger of losing the whole shooting match; France is still pretty bloodied from their long tussle with the Emperor.
     
    Congratulations on a well-deserved WritAAR of the Week award. You've created a very plausible alternate history narrative to the point that I felt sorry for the Duke of Suffolk in what is normally just a pure gameplay decision for me.

    Expanding English holdings in northern France does run the risk of creating an empire that will be hard for the French to evict you from. I have no problem with that, but it does run contrary to your goals of matching the territorial extent of the British Empire by the end of the game. I suppose you could always conquer all of France and release it as a vassal! :)

    Nice bit of footwork extricating yourself from the Moroccan mess. The Portuguese seem to be following history with that, although they didn't lose their king at least. Conceding defeat must have given Jane's legitimacy a bit of a knock, which you'd think would be a big deal given she's the granddaughter of a usurper.
     
    Congrats for both the AAR and the award!
     
    Hastu Neon said:
    Congrats for both the AAR and the award!
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    Dewirix said:
    Congratulations on a well-deserved WritAAR of the Week award. You've created a very plausible alternate history narrative to the point that I felt sorry for the Duke of Suffolk in what is normally just a pure gameplay decision for me.
    Click to expand...

    Thank you both! It's nice to know that the writing and pretty pictures have an audience. :)

    Dewirix said:
    Expanding English holdings in northern France does run the risk of creating an empire that will be hard for the French to evict you from. I have no problem with that, but it does run contrary to your goals of matching the territorial extent of the British Empire by the end of the game. I suppose you could always conquer all of France and release it as a vassal! :)
    Click to expand...

    This is something that does sit forefront in my mind, I try to strike a balance between pursuing the role-play goals of an English monarch, but not vigorously enough to destroy France as a credible threat in the early game. As you noted in your first post, doing so tends to drain the drama out of the game.

    It's difficult to address without heading directly into spoiler territory, so I will limit myself to saying that France does remain a very credible threat despite English expansion. Everything that has been achieved so far has been done through careful timing, hitting France when she is engaged elsewhere simultaneously; in a one vs. one fight, we all know what the outcome would be.

    Dewirix said:
    Nice bit of footwork extricating yourself from the Moroccan mess. The Portuguese seem to be following history with that, although they didn't lose their king at least. Conceding defeat must have given Jane's legitimacy a bit of a knock, which you'd think would be a big deal given she's the granddaughter of a usurper.
    Click to expand...

    That is fascinating, and maybe a bit of a missed opportunity for me as an author—I didn't know such an event actually occurred in Portuguese history. Tell me more!

    I was expecting a -20 legitimacy hit for conceding defeat (based on previous experience with Henry IV), but that didn't occur, and I'm not sure of the reason. Perhaps because Henry was the first king in a new dynasty—and may carry a flag or modifier to that effect—while Jane was not?
     
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    Chris Taylor said:
    That is fascinating, and maybe a bit of a missed opportunity for me as an author—I didn't know such an event actually occurred in Portuguese history. Tell me more!
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    About a century later than the events in your game, but here:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebastian_of_Portugal#Death

    A Portuguese crusade against Morocco ends in the presumed death of King Sebastian, which put his 66-year-old uncle Henry on the throne. Henry was a cardinal and had never married and had no son when he died two years later.

    Result - Portugal is inherited by Philip II of Spain as the junior partner in a personal union. During the sixty years of the Iberian union from 1580-1640 Portugal's grip on its overseas possessions and particularly on the spice trade is weakened by agression from other European nations, notably the Dutch, French and English.
     
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