Gentlemen in Germany - a Brunswick AAR

[Athalcor]

All hail the Confederation at the Elbe and Rhein!

[Memento Mori]

I am nearly always a die-hard supporter of monarchy, but in this case you switched the ruling families like gloves, so meh... at least the new syndic has a cool name

Perhaps it would be prudent to change to a noble republic, so it will be certain that actual 'gentlemen' will rule, and some pesky merchants won't intervene?

[stnikolauswagne]

Interesting update; now, refresh my memory, in this most recent DW beta, can you be HRE as a Republic or not?

No, you can't, as soon as you switch there will be an re-election and you won't be eligible anymore, even if you have all the electors as vassals.

[Avindian]

No, you can't, as soon as you switch there will be an re-election and you won't be eligible anymore, even if you have all the electors as vassals.

Okay; thanks!

[Dewirix]

Losing the imperial title means no more tricksy 'liberations' of HRE territory in the hands of foreign powers. That said, you've already got most if not all of the mileage you can from that trick, and the new man is doing well enough with the boundary disputes that it's not likely to be necessary.

The additional advantage is that you no longer have to decide whether to support the Pope or uphold the interests of the HRE.

[blsteen]

Long live the Republic!
Holy Roman shmooman, Brunswick can stand on its own, until it becomes Deutchland!

[Prince of Savoy]

Now that the Brunswickers encompass much of Northern Germany, and (almost) anyone can be leader, will we have a gradual or sudden shift from the gentlemanly Brunswicker to the warmongering/ungentlemanly "other Germans"?

I mean just think about it,
Monarchy: King teaches prince to be a gentleman, prince becomes king, king 2 teaches prince 2 to be gentlemanly
Republic: President is a gentleman, but the people elect a warmonger next, and then elect another warmonger because they like expansion...

[Fronzel]

Do you have any idea why the Austria vs. Styria treadmill keeps going? I think you're lucky to be rid of those crazy Viennese! Your diligence and loyalty have been abused!

Was there still an Austrian-allied minor you had a core on? If so I don't think any gentlemanly scruples could any longer exist to prevent you from taking it.

And your new core is Breslau? Brunwick's sure going to look weird with that province hanging off its border like an appendix. I was hoping for Lausitz re-unification.

Now that the Brunswickers encompass much of Northern Germany, and (almost) anyone can be leader, will we have a gradual or sudden shift from the gentlemanly Brunswicker to the warmongering/ungentlemanly "other Germans"?

I mean just think about it,
Monarchy: King teaches prince to be a gentleman, prince becomes king, king 2 teaches prince 2 to be gentlemanly
Republic: President is a gentleman, but the people elect a warmonger next, and then elect another warmonger because they like expansion...

SLANDER! Brunswick has only ever expanded with manifestly just claims to territory. Why should that change now or ever?

The deficiencies of the Brunswick Cartographers Guild are not the responsibility of the government.

[PrawnStar]

Yeah for Republics!

Don't these spammers know we're all about gravel around here?

[Malurous]

Avindian, stnikolauswagne: Thanks for handling that one for me stnikolauswagne!

All hail the Confederation at the Elbe and Rhein!

Hail! Though I prefer Brunswick. Or Germany, that would be fine too.

I am nearly always a die-hard supporter of monarchy, but in this case you switched the ruling families like gloves, so meh... at least the new syndic has a cool name

Perhaps it would be prudent to change to a noble republic, so it will be certain that actual 'gentlemen' will rule, and some pesky merchants won't intervene?

Hey, do you really expect us to let non-gentlemen to rule, no matter the class? Our screening processes are intrusive yet polite.

It's true that changing maybe wouldn't have felt right if either the von Welfs (Welves? ) or von der Marks had survived.

Losing the imperial title means no more tricksy 'liberations' of HRE territory in the hands of foreign powers. That said, you've already got most if not all of the mileage you can from that trick, and the new man is doing well enough with the boundary disputes that it's not likely to be necessary.

The additional advantage is that you no longer have to decide whether to support the Pope or uphold the interests of the HRE.

True, that's a nice advantage to have. No more picking sides!

I can still liberate (why the ''? I don't understand) HRE provinces should any future opportunities arise, I'm just going to have to get into a war with the wrongful owner somehow. And of course the CB is bound to be worse.

Long live the Republic!
Holy Roman shmooman, Brunswick can stand on its own, until it becomes Deutchland!

I like your attitude!

Now that the Brunswickers encompass much of Northern Germany, and (almost) anyone can be leader, will we have a gradual or sudden shift from the gentlemanly Brunswicker to the warmongering/ungentlemanly "other Germans"?

I mean just think about it,
Monarchy: King teaches prince to be a gentleman, prince becomes king, king 2 teaches prince 2 to be gentlemanly
Republic: President is a gentleman, but the people elect a warmonger next, and then elect another warmonger because they like expansion...

Of course we won't. If you start doubting our gentlemanliness at any point, just look at the AAR title and realize the error of your ways.

More seriously (yeah right) no worries, we won't let ungentlemanly people run for office. Or vote for that matter. After all, they didn't have universal suffrage in the 16th century. And while there are some non-gentlemen taking part in Brunswick's politics, they're a clear minority that doesn't really have a leg to stand on in most matters.

Do you have any idea why the Austria vs. Styria treadmill keeps going? I think you're lucky to be rid of those crazy Viennese! Your diligence and loyalty have been abused!

That was the eighth time they fought the same war - they're in the double digits where I'm going in the writing. I think it's because the capital Steiermark is the province next to Austria, so it's the first one they occupy. Styria then starts begging for peace and Austria can't/won't take any land as all they have occupied is the capital and perhaps some province that isn't connected to Austria. They'd have to have the patience to fully overrun Styria and annex, but the AI doesn't seem to do that. Sure glad to get rid of those conflicts.

The Austrians were very annoying in that eighth one. As always, Styria was peaced out for practically nothing. They then proceeded to take a beating from Milan before I intervened, then did nothing when I had severely weakened the Milanese army and held land. To make matters worse, some Milanese troops were marching from somewhere in the west through HRE land to my territory (they have colonies so maybe they shipped those in? I can't think of any other reason why they'd have men in Western Europe), forcing me to keep throwing them out while Austria didn't have to - and didn't - do anything at this point. Out of the three years I was in that war, the last two and a half were spent doing this exercise and, well, we know the end result.

Was there still an Austrian-allied minor you had a core on? If so I don't think any gentlemanly scruples could any longer exist to prevent you from taking it.

I don't think there is one. And while Austria's acts left Brunswick a bit sour (so sour that I'll take their provinces after all if I ever get a core ) we aren't too keen to fight them just yet. They were our friends for a long time.

And your new core is Breslau? Brunwick's sure going to look weird with that province hanging off its border like an appendix. I was hoping for Lausitz re-unification.

Yeah it's going to look weird unfortunately. Here's hoping for quick boundary disputes in that area.

SLANDER! Brunswick has only ever expanded with manifestly just claims to territory. Why should that change now or ever?

The deficiencies of the Brunswick Cartographers Guild are not the responsibility of the government.

Quoted for truth! I also like the "Brunswick Cartographers Guild" theory.

Yeah for Republics!

Don't these spammers know we're all about gravel around here?

Haha, brilliant! But you know, you can't expect people to stop bringing it up when you bring it up yourself. Which is just the way I like it.

[Omen]

Great updates. Republican shenanigans are sure to follow. Did your reputation take a hit with all the monarchies, as it does when you switch religions?

[Fronzel]

That was the eighth time they fought the same war - they're in the double digits where I'm going in the writing. I think it's because the capital Steiermark is the province next to Austria, so it's the first one they occupy. Styria then starts begging for peace and Austria can't/won't take any land as all they have occupied is the capital and perhaps some province that isn't connected to Austria. They'd have to have the patience to fully overrun Styria and annex, but the AI doesn't seem to do that. Sure glad to get rid of those conflicts.

Ridiculous! I'd consider editing the game to just give Austria Styria because the AI is clearly broken in this situation, but maybe you wouldn't want to bother.

[Edgewise]

You really are a gentleman sir. I would have lost patience with those two after the second time and started doing unpleasant things to them! But I never claimed to be a gentleman. A Brunswick AAR for me would be more like: German barbarian unwashed louts who cause trouble! Or something along those lines.

[Malurous]

Great updates. Republican shenanigans are sure to follow. Did your reputation take a hit with all the monarchies, as it does when you switch religions?

Thanks! I don't think there's such an effect.

Ridiculous! I'd consider editing the game to just give Austria Styria because the AI is clearly broken in this situation, but maybe you wouldn't want to bother.

Hehe... It's true that it's somewhat of an endless loop that's going on. But it won't be that way forever.

I might consider editing out the kind of endless war that the AI sometimes comes up with (nation A occupies a large part of B, C occupies the rest, neither A nor C are willing to make peace because they think they can occupy more because B is weak, but it's of course impossible as all of the nation is already occupied by someone) because that truly never ends unless you declare war on everyone involved and beat them to their senses. But this isn't at the same level of infinite IMO.

You really are a gentleman sir. I would have lost patience with those two after the second time and started doing unpleasant things to them! But I never claimed to be a gentleman. A Brunswick AAR for me would be more like: German barbarian unwashed louts who cause trouble! Or something along those lines.

Haha I'm sure, I guess my approach in this AAR is almost completely opposite to your style.

[Malurous]

1571-1578: God's Country

Preparations for conquering Breslau were quickly started, and by the beginning of 1572 everything was ready. War was declared on New Year's Day.



As troops were crossing the border, Hattendorf scored one more diplomatic success. He managed to convince everyone that now that Brunswick had recovered British Low Countries for the Empire, it was only natural that the British friend in the area, Flanders, should acknowledge Brunswick as their masters.



However, for now the focus had to be on the Bohemians. The western end of their country was unprotected, so Brunswick's troops moved quickly to secure Sudety and Erz. Everything went smoothly save for the fact that general Eickenroth perished in the assault of Erz.

The key battles of the early part of the war took place in Oberlausitz and Breslau in March and April, respectively. A joint force from Brunswick and Ansbach drove away a 22000 man Bohemian army.



For most of the conflict, Brunswicker troops were happy to just monitor Bohemian positions, thereby keeping the enemy occupied while assault forces slowly advanced in the west. All of Bohemia's western troops were surrounded in Poznan ever since the defeated army retreated there to join the others, while in the northeastern part of Bohemia a staring contest lasted for the entire war as Brunswick's large armies in Ostpreussen and Samogitia watched similarly sized Bohemian forces in Podlasia and Vilna. Any movement by either side would have created an immediate opening for the other, so everyone stood pat.



Ambassador Ickelrath died in September, and the open court position was filled by a local unemployed Collector, Julius Ernst von Rhein.



By October, Brunswick's main offensive army had taken Breslau as well as the lands west of it, while a raiding party led by general Hein had traveled southeast of the Bohemian capital, occupying Moravia and Pressburg.



Bohemia was losing and had no way to retake the lost provinces. Instead of any desperate push against Brunswicker positions, they agreed to cede Breslau.





Hattendorf then had another clear military goal: the subjugation of Flanders. Troops were moved into position and war was declared in January 1573. Flanders was joined in their effort by Baden.



Unsurprisingly, a war against such tiny countries was a simple one. Flanders was added as a Brunswicker vassal in February.



The next month, Baden bought their way out of the conflict and the hostilities were over.

The following two and a half years were very quiet. After a successful start to his reign, Hattendorf won the 1574 elections effortlessly, while more galleons were built and the laws tweaked to increase civil liberties.

Then in late October 1575, Denmark continued its expansion in Scandinavia by annexing Norway.



As it was well known that Denmark coveted Holstein, in many ways the "other half" of its province of Slesvig, that country's constant rise in power was worrying for Brunswick.

Therefore, Hattendorf began his own quest to unite the two provinces, but under the Brunswicker flag. By March 1576 he had found sufficient support in the province of Slesvig.



Men and ships were in position by May, and war was declared on the Danes.



General Hein, virtually unopposed due to the fleet holding Denmark's troops in Skåne, took control of Jylland and the islands by the end of August. Meanwhile, Schauseil was fighting Muscowy after military access was secured from the Golden Horde.

In September, Denmark's whole fleet was sunk. This was a shock to a nation whose strategic position forced it to rely on its navy.



Peace with Portugal was secured in November, resulting in a return to status quo with the remote nation. Muscowy and Denmark were forced to negotiate a month later, with the former giving 300 ducats for peace and the latter ceding Slesvig and admitting that Holstein belonged to Brunswick.



After another hugely successful war to go along with a stable and modern society, Hattendorf's election victory in 1578 was a clear one.

If there was still room for improvement, that step was taken in November. The conversion of Ostpreussen meant that the heresies had been defeated - Brunswick was a fully Catholic nation. In addition to the practical benefits, this was seen as a sign that God smiled upon the new Brunswicker Republic.

[Athalcor]

Updating both AARs at once?

[Malurous]

Updating both AARs at once?

Well, there was an hour between them. But yeah, pretty much. Between a busy week at work coming up, my 1001 Sultans turn imminent - in fact I got it between the AAR updates - and taking part in the Werewolf Lite despite all of that (because I couldn't resist the Silmarillion theme), I had to update both of these now if I was going to update them any time soon.

[Fronzel]

Well now you're bordering the province of Bohemia itself! I think those former arch-enemies will never be a problem again.

[blsteen]

The Deutchland seems to have a mighty fleet. That is interesting. And handy, of course.

[Axelius]

Seems you're pretty close to unifying Germany, what is it you're missing? Franken?