Gentlemen in Germany - a Brunswick AAR

[Athalcor]

I simply get the feeling that vanilla game is not much of a challenge to the human player.

[PrawnStar]

I simply get the feeling that vanilla game is not much of a challenge to the human player.

It's not, that's why we see quite a lot of AARs with house rules like this one.

[Chris Taylor]

You're getting to the point where I think you pretty well owe it to yourself to form one of the major unified German powers, either the countrified HRE or Germany proper.

[Malurous]

That was an action packed update for certain.

Sure was. Becoming Emperor, changing government type and fighting one of the most pivotal wars so far in just under five years.

Is it possible for Brunswick to remove France and reinstate themselves as an Elector now that Rudolf August is Emperor? I hadn't thought so, but I thought I'd ask.

No, you can't do it yourself AFAIK. It happens via event if you have really good relations with the Emperor and a new elector is required.

Excellent additions to the Brunswick patrimony, and another core to boot. You expand slowly, but very steadily.

Yes, that's the nature of this variant. I like it that way.

Beating Bohemia and becoming Emperor in the same update? Aside from losing the electorship, it's hard to see how things could have gone better for Brunswick in this update.

I think I'm right in saying that was the hardest to get of the cores you need for Germany. Bohemia had the potential to give you a rough ride, but seem to have backed down when they realised it would mean a two front war between you and Austria in addition to their war with Hungary.

True, true. Taking Dresden had seemed a bit daunting when they were so much bigger and more powerful - well, you remember the previous war against them when Brunswick just ran out of manpower - but now that I'm closer to them in numbers (I'm up to 90000 men against not much more than that, and much improved manpower even before becoming Emperor) they choose to not even challenge me. I was surprised, but I won't complain.

Is Krakow an OPM in EU3?

Yup.

I believe that a true gentleman would seek to provide maximum protection for your new subjects *cough* Imperial reforms *cough*...

Hehe. First of all that would be a bit cheap, and I also believe I'd end up breaking the rules with the game version I'm playing (because I'd only get cores on German culture group provinces if I formed HRE). And reforming any less would be pointless as I aim to be a republic in the long run.

I simply get the feeling that vanilla game is not much of a challenge to the human player.

Actually, this game has had its challenging moments, and I also end up going for some relatively advanced "core engineering" attempts later. But essentially what you're saying is true...

It's not, that's why we see quite a lot of AARs with house rules like this one.

...which leads to this. Of course, my goals are pretty modest compared to yours, PrawnStar.

You're getting to the point where I think you pretty well owe it to yourself to form one of the major unified German powers, either the countrified HRE or Germany proper.

Heh, well I do hope to get the last required province for Germany.

[Malurous]

1545-1550: Duties of an Emperor

After the war, the released Krakow was promised Brunswicker protection, but Rudolf August made it clear that an offensive war would not be supported. With the tiny nation stuck inside the large Bohemian realm, it was obvious who they might need protection from.



Brunswick's economic situation was more stable than recently at the moment. However, the Imperial benefits were something that could not be relied on. With that in mind, much of the extra cash the nation had currently was invested in modernizing and optimizing the ways how manufactured products ended up on the market. Present day prosperity was sacrificed for a stronger, safer economy in the long run.



Of course, the Emperor didn't get all of his benefits for nothing in return: he was expected to protect the member states in conflicts, as well as to preserve Imperial integrity. The latter part had been neglected by his predecessors, but the Brunswicker King wasn't going to continue the trend. Any Imperial provinces that were held by outside nations were a thorn in the side of the Empire, and Novgorod held perhaps the ones that were the most feasible for Brunswick to recover. To this end, war was declared in May.



This led to Brunswick being forced out of the Novgorodian Trade League, the last of its kind. It didn't stop Rudolf August - with a strong local trading machine, the country could certainly manage without a league membership by now, and protecting Imperial interests was more important anyway.

The war itself wasn't a major one. After general H. Opp dealt Novgorod a crushing defeat in the pivotal Battle of Estland in June, resistance from the enemy was minimal.



The Opp brothers were free to assault fortresses without fear of a Novgorod attack, and occupying Estland and Ösel turned out to be enough to convince the merchant republic to cede the former. Estland was recovered for the Empire in early August.





It wasn't all roses for the Brunswicker King however. Less than a month after the victory in the east, his younger brother and heir Friedrich Ulrich died of a mysterious illness. Having no heir gave more clout to those supporting an overhaul that would see the country ruled as a republic. The movement had been popular during the regency for Heinrich III, but Heinrich's and Rudolf August I's strong showings had kept the reformers at bay for now.

Fortunately, the Queen gave birth to a boy, August Franz, only three months after Friedrich Ulrich's death. Unfortunately, this was a mixed blessing as the boy was soon found to be quite dumb.

As always, the King turned to diplomacy to show his worth. Strong claims on Kassel were discovered in June 1546, and Rudolf August made sure that they'd be recognized. Sadly, the province owner Hesse had close relations with the Austrians, so a war of reconquest wasn't a possibility.



A more feasible way to expand came up in March 1547. The Germans of Niederlausitz, now marginalized by their Czech overlords, wished to join Brunswick in order to regain their former status.



While a tempting idea, it could not be acted upon yet as it would have been dastardly to strike at the Bohemians only two years after the Dresden peace deal. So instead of acting on his claims, Rudolf August sought to once again take care of his duties as the Emperor.

Novgorod, while the one most easily accessible, wasn't the only outside nation holding Imperial territory. Castille's holdings on the Adriatic coast were insignificant in size and very hard to reach let alone recover, but Great Britain's provinces in the Low Countries were a possible if challenging goal. Preparations were ready by June 1548 and war was declared, drawing in the British vassal Utrech as well as their allies Armagnac and Flanders.



With military access secured throughout the region, Brunswick's men marched on the enemy from Liege's and Brabant's territory as well as their own. The small army the British had in the region was easy enough for general Hehn to remove from the equation.



Hehn and A.H. Opp were the only generals left from previous campaigns due to the older Opp's retirement due to injury, so Christian Ickelrath was tasked with taking care of Utrecht while his more experienced colleagues secured the British lands. Ickelrath was no mastermind, but could certainly be depended on to do his part, unlike his utterly incompetent grandfather Andreas decades earlier.

Brabant was the first enemy province to fall, doing so on the 25th after a successful assault. Simultaneously, Ickelrath dislodged Utrecht's army from Gelre.



The province was promptly taken and Utrecht's army given chase. Hehn and Opp, meanwhile, were patrolling the coast, eliminating small British landing forces while occupying provinces when they could.

Utrecht's army was destroyed and their provinces occupied by late August. In the British territory, Zeeland and Holland had fallen.

However, men were now needed back home: troops from the British allies had slipped through into Brunswick's territory. Ickelrath took care of Flanders' siege force in Münster, while Hehn tackled the more dangerous Armagnac in Berg. Opp was holding the fort on the coast.



The situation in Münster was quick to deal with, so Ickelrath was free to proceed into Antwerpen and later Vlaanderen. By mid-November, all of Utrecht and Flanders as well as Great Britain's holdings in the region were occupied by Brunswick.



Things looked dire for the British, and it was probably this that caused their strong response days later: the enemy fleet finally hauled an army of formidable size to the area. But this was too little, too late - general Opp was now familiar with the surroundings thanks to the many skirmishes with smaller landing forces, and his superior leadership was too much for the enemy army.



For much of the late year, the British landings continued. There were also some attacks via land as troops marched in from British Normandy. However, none were as powerful as the mid-November one, and all of Brunswick's forces and generals were by now free to take care of the situation.

By early 1549, the British allies were begging for peace, but Rudolf August would have none of it: it would be up to the British to end their friends' suffering. Both the British allies and their own subjects were appalled by the combination of continuous loss of life and rejections of perfectly reasonable Brunswicker peace offers.



To force the issue, general Opp was sent on a spring campaign to occupy British Brittany.



The enemy had finally had enough: more and more lost land and casualties caused the British to accept peace. By the terms of the deal, the province of Holland was recovered for the Holy Roman Empire.



Holland could be conveniently reached via Brunswicker vassal Friesland, but this was not enough for Rudolf August. His plan, set into motion 16 years earlier, bore fruit in January 1550 as Friesland was integrated into Brunswick. The nation's old nemesis was no more.

[Fronzel]

It's too bad this version of the game doesn't let you get more than one Imperial Reconquest per peace deal.

Same wars again five years from now?

And am I right in thinking that as long as you have a proper CB, there's no special consequences for the Emperor to wage war on an imperial state?

[Memento Mori]

I really like the current strategical situation and your way of protecting the empire's subjects from invaders, however, I am appalled by the fact that some people from Brunswick may even consider abolishing the monarch they swore allegiance to, or his legal descendants. However, I can see the advantages of men skilled in the art of diplomacy to lead this country, so I guess it would be prudent to wait until another dynasty comes to an end, or a prolonged stroke of inept rulers will clearly demonstrate that dei gratia no longer applies to them.

[Malurous]

I remembered this in the nick of time myself so I'll give a reminder to you people as well: remember to vote for your favorite AARs in the AARland Choice AwAARds 2011. The deadline is at the end of the month so there isn't too much time left.

It's too bad this version of the game doesn't let you get more than one Imperial Reconquest per peace deal.

Same wars again five years from now?

Not exactly. But yeah, it does lead to extra wars.

And am I right in thinking that as long as you have a proper CB, there's no special consequences for the Emperor to wage war on an imperial state?

Yes, you're right.

I really like the current strategical situation and your way of protecting the empire's subjects from invaders, however, I am appalled by the fact that some people from Brunswick may even consider abolishing the monarch they swore allegiance to, or his legal descendants. However, I can see the advantages of men skilled in the art of diplomacy to lead this country, so I guess it would be prudent to wait until another dynasty comes to an end, or a prolonged stroke of inept rulers will clearly demonstrate that dei gratia no longer applies to them.

Oh but it's quite the opposite, a new dynasty could potentially make the situation easier for the monarchists. As it stands with the current heir, it looks like Brunswick will be ruled by incompetent Danes. The proponents of a republic aren't looking for just talent, but a local ruler as well - the only reason Rudolf August I is respected (grudgingly in some cases) is because he's very good at what he does.

Of course, any king wouldn't be just blatantly pushed aside. These are gentlemen after all.

[FinnishFish]

This is madness!

[Chris Taylor]

This is madness!

On the contrary. This ... is... Brunswick!



(I really don't want to see the monarchy go bye-bye, either. But on the other hand—Revolutionary Germany! So, uh, maybe?)

[Dewirix]

I have a feeling that the other electors might look a bit askance at the Emperor owning pretty much all of northern Germany outright.

You took care of the British with much more ease than I'd have thought and added two more provinces to Brunswick. There's nothing much that can challenge you on borders right now.

[Fronzel]

I have a feeling that the other electors might look a bit askance at the Emperor owning pretty much all of northern Germany outright.

Why would they? His country's got a completely spotless reputation for 200 years! What prince of the Empire could be better-trusted to oversee the others?

[Malurous]

This is madness!

On the contrary. This ... is... Brunswick!

Nice! Like this?



Disclaimers: as always with edits on this gif, you have to imagine some retard saying it for the "lip sync" to work, plus unfortunately I chose to play a country with a name that's too long to fit an exclamation point in there. At least it has two syllables so that goes right.

(I really don't want to see the monarchy go bye-bye, either. But on the other hand—Revolutionary Germany! So, uh, maybe?)

I realize that not everyone likes the idea of switching to a republic, but a run of DIP 3 or 4 monarchs could mean a century of doing absolutely nothing because there are essentially no boundary disputes with such a DIP score. Having to keep the monarchy is one house rule I'm not willing to adopt simply for that reason: I need high DIP rulers or I can't do much. EU III inherently contains some waiting around, and my current rules add quite a bit more - I don't want to add yet more. I like to have fun playing the game, you know.

I have a feeling that the other electors might look a bit askance at the Emperor owning pretty much all of northern Germany outright.

You took care of the British with much more ease than I'd have thought and added two more provinces to Brunswick. There's nothing much that can challenge you on borders right now.

I'm merely taking a hands-on approach when it comes to protecting Imperial subjects.

I attacked the British soon after they had shipped a large number of troops from the Low Countries to somewhere else, and despite having plenty of transports they mostly brought in tiny armies. There will be some nastier wars with them where I'm not able to choose my timing to the same extent.

But overall, the British have the "weakness" of having a lot of land on the continent, so I can get plenty of warscore without having to worry about their navy. Combined with defeating the landing forces, I got enough to stabhit here and I never even went to Occitania or occupied Normandie.

Why would they? His country's got a completely spotless reputation for 200 years! What prince of the Empire could be better-trusted to oversee the others?

Hehe, exactly! Trust reminds me of a funny thing, it's pretty hilarious to look at rival nations in a little while: thanks to my squeaky clean image, I have nations that I fight very regularly that still "trust us utterly". I don't remember seeing that in any normal game...

[blsteen]

Squeaky clean but big and powerful...
The Brunswick way

[Malurous]

Alright, update coming. Not a very long one this time - I just couldn't cram the content in this chapter, the previous one and the next one into two updates in any sensible way so we'll have to make do with a shorter one in the middle.

Squeaky clean but big and powerful...
The Brunswick way

It might just be my dirty mind but somehow this comment seems very fishy. But, forcing myself to take it at face value, I heartily agree!

[Malurous]

1550-1552: The Containment of Bohemia and the Third Baltic Campaign of Rudolf August I

April saw a change in the Imperial provinces in Estonia: a revolt in Ösel led to the province's defection to Finland, making the Finns guilty of wrongfully owning Imperial territory while letting Novgorod off the hook.

Rudolf August had no chance to act on this as Brunswick had to join Austria in another war against Styria instead. Fortunately, the conflict was again a short one as Styria paid Austria off, like so many times before.

Brunswick also had to deal with rebellion as a noble by the name of Georg Franz Jaxtheim tried to claim the throne after being disappointed by some minor government reforms. Needless to say, this rebellion was short-lived.

By January 1551 war was finally a possibility, but Finland wasn't the target. The Finns were allied with Bohemia, so in order to avoid a needless war against the Bohemians it made more sense to strike at them directly in an attempt to free the oppressed Saxon minority of Niederlausitz.



Fortunately, Finland stayed out of the conflict and only Denmark joined in.

Once again, Brunswick's side moved quickly. Niederlausitz was occupied less than two weeks into the conflict, while Samogitia, Sudety and Poznan fell to Brunswick and Bohemia to Austria in the month of February.

In March, Trakai and Breslau fell, while the fleet, in an unprecedented development led by admiral Christian Eickenroth, moved to sink the Danish transport fleet. Most importantly, general Opp's forces defeated the Bohemian main army in the bloody battle of Erz.



Bohemian provinces kept falling into Brunswicker hands, while Opp dealt another blow to Bohemian king Vaclav V.



With Bohemia's military forces in serious trouble, their king was forced to accept a peace deal featuring severe concessions: in addition to ceding Niederlausitz, the Bohemians were forced to give freedom to the Transylvanian people. This cost Bohemia a relatively large part of their territory, hopefully weakening their power base for the future.



Now that peace had been signed with not only Bohemia but also the Reventlow homeland of Denmark, Rudolf August I was eager to mend relations with his relatives. In a curious development, aid was sent to help the Danes recover from their wars just days after the hostilities between the two nations had ended.



Naturally, this was frowned upon by several Brunswicker nobles, especially the ones opposing a foreign ruler to begin with. But the King had another diplomatic idea that was more well received: once again, he successfully contended that his existing legal claims applied to a larger area of land than previously believed.



Unfortunately, this success seemed somewhat pointless. Brunswick was unable to act on the Kassel claim anyway, and the adjacent Würzburg wasn't any easier to go after.

Finland, however, was now a more feasible option. Despite still being part of a strong alliance, it simply wasn't the same without Bohemia. War was declared in May 1552.



The Finns themselves were reasonable enough to deal with, and were willing to let go of Ösel without bloodshed beyond the assault of the province. Among the dead in that operation was admiral Eickenroth, who was hit by a lucky enemy shot as his ship was supporting the attack on the island.



Novgorod was more stubborn. Even with Ingermanland and Pskov in Brunswicker hands and the battles going in Brunswick's favor, Novgorod wasn't willing to listen to an offer of a return to status quo.

This persistence wasn't a smart choice. After more victories in battles and an occupied Kholm by October, Rudolf August was able to dictate terms and, due to being upset by the needless loss of life, he wasn't as lenient as he had intended to be. Novgorod was forced to release Pskov to act as a partial buffer zone between the two countries.



With the conquest of Ösel, the Imperial territories of the eastern Baltic area had been reclaimed.

[PrawnStar]

Nice move with Transylvania and by the look of things somebody in Blue has got a severe problem...

[Omen]

Bohemia is certainly weakened with the release of Transylvania. How many of the lands Bohemia holds are cores?

[Malurous]

Nice move with Transylvania and by the look of things somebody in Blue has got a severe problem...

Thanks, things had reached the point where something had to be done about the Bohemians. Even with my pestering they've been taking provinces so they had to be slowed down a little bit.

Yes, France is currently in the always lovely position of being semi-permanently occupied by two nations (Provence and the Palatinate IIRC), both of which refuse to sign peace as the AI wants to occupy more but can't in that situation. At least this time they eventually snap out of it without human intervention.

Bohemia is certainly weakened with the release of Transylvania. How many of the lands Bohemia holds are cores?

The three provinces east of Krakow are non-cores, as are the three or four northeasternmost provinces. Others are cores. They are "helped" here by the Transylvanian liberation as only one of the lost provinces was a core.

[blsteen]

A weakened Bohemia and a ravanged France. What could be better?