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Ah, many thanks! :) Feel free to take a look at my other AARs, the more recent of which have met with similar critical acclaim.
 
While it's up in the air, I also got a read of this and deeply enjoyed it.
 
Ah, many thanks! :) Feel free to take a look at my other AARs, the more recent of which have met with similar critical acclaim.
I like that Selzro: "Yeah, I'm glad you think this is the greatest AAR ever written. But I assure you, while I am the greatest AAR writer of all time, it is surely one of my other AAR's which truly deserves your critical acclaim."
:D
I thought this one was pretty good myself.
 
Ah, many thanks! :) Feel free to take a look at my other AARs, the more recent of which have met with similar critical acclaim.

I am about to check out your Ionian Islands AAR as soon as there will be some free time for doing so. But you know, after your home made qualification of wars, after having seen your graphics presenting the front situation during major conflicts and lastly after the visit of Your Sultan and his ministries to Athens in order to bring an end to the war with Ottomans, my expectations are really high now ;)
 
While it's up in the air, I also got a read of this and deeply enjoyed it.
Thanks! I’m so glad!

I like that Selzro: "Yeah, I'm glad you think this is the greatest AAR ever written. But I assure you, while I am the greatest AAR writer of all time, it is surely one of my other AAR's which truly deserves your critical acclaim."
:D
I thought this one was pretty good myself.
Heh, I didn’t quite mean it that way! And I’d hesitate to call myself a great AAR writer (I’m humble like that), but I like to draw attention to the varied styles I’ve used in other AARs (i.e. poetry, comics).

I am about to check out your Ionian Islands AAR as soon as there will be some free time for doing so. But you know, after your home made qualification of wars, after having seen your graphics presenting the front situation during major conflicts and lastly after the visit of Your Sultan and his ministries to Athens in order to bring an end to the war with Ottomans, my expectations are really high now ;)
Hm, I’m afraid I haven’t found an opportunity to use those battlefields graphics in any of my more recent AARs – but I did make good use of them in my Albanian one. To be honest, no other game of mine has achieved so much starting out with so little. But that’s not the prime consideration. Style is. ;)
 
Surprised I haven't posted here yet; that mistake is now rectified. Very good AAR! :)
 
Thanks Avindian! I often just read AARs without commenting in them, when I can't think of anything in particular to say. It sometimes comes as as shock to their writers when I nominate them for an award out of the blue...
 
Hm, I’m afraid I haven’t found an opportunity to use those battlefields graphics in any of my more recent AARs – but I did make good use of them in my Albanian one. To be honest, no other game of mine has achieved so much starting out with so little. But that’s not the prime consideration. Style is. ;)

You're right. But than, it is always good to see haw an excellent writing style have been succesfully combined with some outsanding in-game achievemnts (or vice versa). I have found some spare time today and read through your Albanian AAR, but I have to notice, that Tunis Delenda Est will remain the most astonishing of your writings in my eyes.

Anyway, as you've already writen few AARs playing with countries from the Eastern Mediterranean, is there any possibility, that you will also write one playing your with home land aiming at restoring the Byzantine Empire?
 
Hm, I've done that with AHD, but didn't take notes or sufficient screenshots for an AAR. The thing is, when you've got such a particular long-term goal you're railroaded into achieving it and it can get more frustrating than fun when circumstances are against you.

What I haven't tried (and I'm not sure if it's even possible) is forming the Byzantine Empire by starting with Greece in 1861. The trouble with that starting date is that all literacy levels are the same as in 1836, so you've effectively missed a quarter of a century of building up literacy. You also have a quarter of a century less to achieve your goals, and in my Greek game I formed the Empire in 1906, which would be like 1931 with an 1861 start. On the other hand, that might make it more interesting. But finishing the Subtleties takes precedence for now.

Edit: Now I remember why I didn't bother with an AAR! I had this mad plan of letting the Empire fall to Communist rebels and then telling the story from the perspective of the newly formed Union of Red Themes! But it seems you never get rebels when you want them and, unlike with Tunis, the Communists left the Empire alone until the end of the game...
 
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Hm, I've done that with AHD, but didn't take notes or sufficient screenshots for an AAR. The thing is, when you've got such a particular long-term goal you're railroaded into achieving it and it can get more frustrating than fun when circumstances are against you.

What I haven't tried (and I'm not sure if it's even possible) is forming the Byzantine Empire by starting with Greece in 1861. The trouble with that starting date is that all literacy levels are the same as in 1836, so you've effectively missed a quarter of a century of building up literacy. You also have a quarter of a century less to achieve your goals, and in my Greek game I formed the Empire in 1906, which would be like 1931 with an 1861 start. On the other hand, that might make it more interesting. But finishing the Subtleties takes precedence for now.

Edit: Now I remember why I didn't bother with an AAR! I had this mad plan of letting the Empire fall to Communist rebels and then telling the story from the perspective of the newly formed Union of Red Themes! But it seems you never get rebels when you want them and, unlike with Tunis, the Communists left the Empire alone until the end of the game...

Well, I think I know what you mean, as recently I found myself having fun rather from browsing the Victoria Forum than from trying to make some real progress with my Bavaria game striving to create the Greater Germany. But than, it feels somehow positive to know, that an AAR slot for a challenging Greek campaign remains free for now. But realistically, I doubt, that Iwould be able to beat you on the date, when you had formed the Byzantine Empire.
 
The greatest hurdle was becoming a GP - it was the Olympic Games that gave me the necessary boost at just the right time to accomplish that. But before that there was no Megali Idea and I was at the market force mercy of whoever had me in their sphere (the UK or France). Speaking of AARs that were never made because the right conditions didn't come along, looking at some other old files I've discovered the first two chapters of an AAR I was planning a year and a half ago (after Tunis but before Sing a Septinsular Song) as a fascist Ukraine. My plans were thwarted by the obstinate refusal of the Ukrainian people to support fascists in either politics or an uprising, and were put to rest when the 1.4 beta patch came out and I moved on. It seems like a waste to have two chapters lie around unseen for so long, so I'll just put them here in spoilers.


Memoirs of a Ukrainian Fascist

Being an account of the social and political tribulations of Ukraine at the turn of the century and afterwards, as perceived by one of its citizens; played through various states of vanilla 1.3beta.




I

Where to begin?

As I’m staring at the first blank page on my decrepit typewriter, sitting in a dingy room in the slums of Odessa, it occurs to me that it all started in 1894; I was just a little boy then and understood little, but I can still remember the anxiety on my parents’ faces while the Battle of Ternopil waged in East Galicia, on those early summer days when I couldn’t perceive what could ever trouble anyone. But, contrary to my childish intuitions, no one in the country was left untroubled.



But that’s not right. The conditions that led to 1893/1894 began a generation earlier, in 1867, when the Ukrainian army marched deep into Austria, then much weakened by its war with Prussia, and almost made it to Vienna.



But that’s not right either. I guess if one wants to start at the beginning, he would have to go way back to 1836, when Ukraine was granted autonomy within the Russian Empire. It wasn’t a revolution. It was a gradual change that lasted decades, the kind of historical process that people barely notice until one looks at a history book and realizes just how different everything has become. The Grand Duchy of Ukraine was thus little more than a political offshoot of Russia, an attempt to strengthen the latter’s development through local governance. And for the first thirty years it was just that, but a well managed grand duchy all the same. New industries were established, literacy grew at a faster pace than in the rest of Russia and, even though Ukraine remained always in Russia’s sphere of influence and an unflinching ally, within twenty years it was widely regarded as a secondary power in its own right, and people elsewhere in Europe grew to respect it as a distinct entity.



Then came 1867. Austria was locked in a death struggle with Prussia and amid the turmoil the many ethnic Ukrainians of the eastern provinces of Austria yearned for unity with their motherland. Russia was eager to see Austria humiliated but, for diplomatic reasons and because it was already fighting in China, could not intervene directly. So it gave authorization to the Ukrainian grand duke to act as an independent ruler and invade Austria with his forces alone. That would later form the precedent for complete Ukrainian independence, but at that time nothing could overshadow the nationalistic exuberance of the Ukrainian people as they flocked into their conscript regiments and poured into Galicia en masse. The Austrian defences, already on the retreat from Prussian advances, could not stem the Ukrainian tide. With Prussian and Ukrainian troops closing in on Vienna, the latter agreed to cede East Galicia to Ukraine, a rich border region with a majority Ukrainian population.

Even now, people often speak of the national optimism following that victory, until it became overshadowed by other events. But back in those carefree decades, the Ukrainian people believed anything was possible and the grand dukes were personages of unassailable worship and authority. So it was that in the 1880s, after East Galicia had been fully integrated and the government had focused on raising a navy, Ukrainians engaged in colonialism in the East Indies. First Aceh was made a protectorate in 1883. Then we joined Russia in a war against the Ottoman Empire, while Austria was no longer counted among the great powers. After Aceh, Brunei joined the Ukrainian colonies in 1887 and, at around the same time, the grand duchy got in a war with China over Formosa. Though the island was won in 1890, it came at an ominous cost: our alliance with Russia. The latter had declared war on China first and had asked our grand duke for assistance. But he, wishing for some peace after the Brunei War, neglected to answer the call in time and only opportunistically dragged the country into a separate war a few months later, much to Russia’s chagrin.

The resulting crisis in confidence, at the higher level of the grand duchy’s policy makers, resulted in the institution of an elected parliament, to share responsibility. The first elections placed the Radical Faction in power, and it was allowed to govern for over a year, during which time the bourgeois reveled in low taxes and diminished governmental oversight of businesses; but the rising unemployment prompted the grand duke to appoint the more reactionary Nationalist Faction in power in 1892. The events of the next years would taint both those parties in the public consciousness, and leave them out of office for the next decades.

In the spring of 1893, the Ukrainian government, taunted into action by the Radical opposition, pushed in international circles for Ukraine to be recognized as one of the great powers of Europe. Their efforts were successful but left St. Petersburg bitter and Russian guarantees were lifted from Ukraine as a result.



Soon afterwards, Austria invaded.

The war lasted just over a year. Ukraine had only 32 brigades in its standing army, 6 of which were in the East Indies. Its Black Sea fleet was comprised of only three reasonably modern ironclad battleships (the ‘Kyiv’ Battle Fleet) and some steam transports. Its only other ships were stationed in Aceh, a squadron of old commerce raiders and some more steam transports. Meanwhile, the Austrian armies were well led, well supplied, and attacked across the front in a coordinated manner. Ukrainian generals, overly confident, scored some early victories, but they proved to be pyrrhic ones and soon Ukraine would be trying to pick up the pieces of its broken brigades, in a gradual retreat that would push the country to its limits.



The Battle of Ternopil, in June 1864, was the last great attempt to stop the enemy advance. Or at least that’s the story everyone chose to believe. The war would likely be lost even if we had won there. It was lost perhaps before it even started…

12 July 1894 was the day of the armistice, a day remembered by all Ukrainians as the day we had East Galicia taken away from us.



Up until then, East Galicia had been well integrated into the country and local capitalists, along with some government planning, had turned it into a very profitable industrial area, producing cement, steel, liquor and wine. Its loss was a great blow to the Ukrainian economy and prestige but even more than that: it was a blow to the people’s faith in the grand dukes.



I’m too young to remember those days clearly. I think I can remember running in open fields – we used to live in the country back then – and walking quietly around grownups whenever they were talking seriously. I didn’t like the look on their faces then, or the tone of their voice. Ah, the naïvety of childhood. And yet I think I was not more naïve than the adults who thought the country could stand up on its own against a vindictive great power...

II

I had no knowledge of politics in the 1890s – I was barely twelve years old when that decade ended. But it’s well known history how the tragedy of 1894 pushed the nationalists and radicals out of power and led to the liberals and conservatives vying for government from there on. Although those two parties came to resemble each other in later years, back then they were still quite close to their more extreme ideological versions, and indeed many of their members of parliament transferred over from those compromised parties. The liberals took power first, and attempted to warp the deepest institutions of the nation into a framework that would perpetually favour their policies. Although they didn’t last long, they left an unfortunate legacy of tycoon capitalism and business schools that has come to define the Ukrainian intelligencia to this very day.



The conservative ‘royal faction’ took over in 1895 and kept the country from further liberal excesses for the next 5 years. Our country’s diplomatic standing improved somewhat during that time. France had offered an alliance after our defeat by Austria and in 1897 we allied with the newly formed nation of Italy. Meanwhile, Ukrainian influence had managed to sway the Netherlands, Moldavia and Egypt into its sphere of influence.



The latter would allow Ukrainian companies to complete the Suez Canal in 1898, which would be of much benefit to global shipping and Ukraine’s access to its colonies (which by then included Djibouti and most of Borneo). One would think that such achievements would propel a nation to greater fame and glory and make up for past defeats. But although the Ukrainian people kept achieving, our politicians mismanaged our fortunes and misrepresented our interests abroad. There is no other explanation for our fall in relative importance in the world by the end of the century, and the loss of our influence in Egypt, Moldavia and the Netherlands.



Nor how, in spite of our much-publicized alliances, Austria once again declared war on us.


The Third Austrian War… I was nine years old at the time. Old enough to understand and to be afraid but not old enough to exorcise my fears by joining the fight. We were supposed to have allies, but they proved worse than useless. Italy was overrun within months, while our army scrambled to prepare defensive positions deep in Rovne; it had failed to set up proper defences along the border, which can be attributed only to severe incompetence in the war office. Note that no minister ever resigned over that scandal.



Meanwhile, the French were busy in a war against Spain and provided only token assistance in the Italian front, which did not succeed in keeping Italy in the war – it made peace with Austria before the end of the year.



By early 1900, our armies had been pushed out of the greater part of Rovne and had finally managed to set up a defensive line which could withstand Austrian attacks.



For half a year the Austrians attacked vehemently but the brave Ukrainian soldiers stood their ground no matter the cost. By June, the Austrian offensive was broken in its two major battles, Zhitomir and Korosten.





Although casualties were high for both sides, the Ukrainian soldier clearly proved himself superior in his moral qualities and fighting spirit. If only the generals could muster the same heroic spirits and push the Austrians back to Vienna! But we were an army of lions led by sheep and so our leaders, in concert with the government of France, negotiated a white peace with Austria, which was signed on 5 July 1900.

I remember the excitement that was in the air over beating Austria – but also resentment for not pursuing our national goals even further, to liberate East Galicia. Some then spoke of France manipulating our government into signing that peace treaty. It may have been true. In fact, I have good reason to believe it was true. But that’s what we get for having corrupt leaders who can’t stand up for their own people’s interests…
 
I gotta say Selzro, those chapters are pretty awesome. Its a shame about those stubborn Ukranians. Not wanting to have a fascist revolution, whats wrong with them? :p
 
That is really a great story what you have developed for the Ukrainian AAR to be. What a pity that the Ukrainians didn't follow on the scenario of post WW1 Germany that you have drafted for them so carefully. I am wandering if you have actually got more of such jewel kind spoilers put aside :rolleyes:
 
I gotta say Selzro, those chapters are pretty awesome. Its a shame about those stubborn Ukranians. Not wanting to have a fascist revolution, whats wrong with them? :p
Yeah, that's what I thought. Then Avindian started his own (excellent) Ukrainian AAR, so I decided to call it quits.

That is really a great story what you have developed for the Ukrainian AAR to be. What a pity that the Ukrainians didn't follow on the scenario of post WW1 Germany that you have drafted for them so carefully. I am wandering if you have actually got more of such jewel kind spoilers put aside :rolleyes:
Not really... Or rather nothing of note. There were some funny accounts of some multiplayer games I played back in the day, but the forum they were initially posted on came to an unfortunate and mysterious demise, taking them with it.
 
I don't like to affect the normal course of the game through console commands or savegame editing. I've only done so twice in the course of my AARs, once with Tunis when I tag-switched to Greece in order to end a silly war, and once in Sing a Septinsular Song when I edited the save file to change the name of a ship. The goal with Ukraine was to see how a fascist revolution would arise naturally, since I had cores in enemy hands and lost more of them in a war with Austria (not by design; but that was when I got the idea of turning fascist). And then, when that didn't work out, there was already a popular Ukraine AAR in these forums, so I was content to follow its progress rather than force events into my own.
 
Very excellent; inspiring achievements. Perhaps, like the Neo-Carthaginians so too the Neo-Babylonians?
 
Let us hope so! Glory goes to the audacious! :)