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He says that bringing his troops back was a smart move which suggests that it's a neighbour or someone with massive naval transport capacity. AH, Ottomans, Britain
Careful analysis of the image shows that 'The Ottoman Empire' fits the empty space perfectly. I have yet to find a nation's name that fits as well.
Edit: Have I mentioned how much this makes me want to play a Serbian game? It's gradually edging near the top of my 'next games' list.
Edit: Have I mentioned how much this makes me want to play a Serbian game? It's gradually edging near the top of my 'next games' list.
Episode Seven – Coming of Age (1876-1882)
The 5th Turco-Serb war, the Ottoman Liberation of Southern Serbia, came as no surprise to the Serbs. Ready and expecting the Turks, the Ottoman offensive was quickly halted and turned into a Serb counter-offensive. The Turks responded by mobilising additional troop, which Serbia promptly did also.
By late winter 1877 most of the Turkish armies had been defeated and no territory was in the hands of the enemy, rather the Serbs began their own campaign against Bosnia. The plan was to destroy all enemy forces in Bosnia first before moving into Macedonia and Thrace.
At sea the Ottoman navy successfully fought the Russian fleets, however Serb transports were constantly ferrying troops from Africa and Asia back to Serbia. Eventually a clipper was intercepted and sunk as the Serb navy did not have escorts.
The Battle of Uzice was one of the many engagements fought to prevent the Ottoman forces in Bosnia from linking up with the remaining forces east of Serbia.
The decisive battle took place outside the city of Foca, where a small Serb force of 2 brigades took up positions on the eastern banks of the Drina River. The city was a strategic choke point, as the main road to Sarajevo passed through here, and much of the area was impenetrable woods and wetlands.
The enemy launched several assaults across the two bridges in the town and across the river in barges and small fishing vessels. Despite being outnumbered 3 to 1 the Serb forces repeatedly turned back the enemy. After several days of fierce fighting the bridges were littered with dead Ottoman soldiers and the river itself was red from all the bodies. The Serb forces were almost running out of ammunition when reinforcements finally arrived.
Eventually the Serbs launched their own assault across the Drina, dislodging the enemy despite incurring heavy casualties. Finally the last Ottoman army in Bosnia broke in flight.
The Serb armies continued to push onwards and by the beginning of summer '77 all of Bosnia was under siege, while the Russian ally had neutralized Wallachia and Moldova, and in the process of attacking large parts of Anatolia.
However memories of the Russian ‘betrayal’ of 1870 were still fresh in the minds of Serb commanders and an all-out offensive was launched in order to seize as much Ottoman territory possible. The more land under Serb control the better the conditions when negotiating peace terms. The Serbs were demanding North Macedonia while the Russian Empire claimed the central Anatolian region of Ankara.
While the Ottoman armies had mostly been overrun their navy was still in control of the seas. The Russian main battle fleet was stationed in Skt. Petersburg and ever took part in the hostilities
More and more Ottoman cities fell and all of the lands west of Istanbul were either under Serb control or would soon become so. Istanbul itself shortly hereafter came under siege, and Russian brigades were firmly in control on the eastern front.
A few days before Christmas day of 1877 the war came to an end; this time the negotiations were held jointly by Serb and Russian diplomats. The Ottoman Empire surrendered unconditionally and Serbia annexed North Macedonia.
As the victory celebrations came to an end in early 1878, other more domestic issues once again dominated the news. The Women’s Rights Movement was very active during 1878, gaining traction in the Upper House. The desire for political reforms was once again high up on the political agenda.
Later that same year disgruntled workers demanding better conditions were locked out resulting in turbulence and riots. However a later investigation concluded working conditions were unacceptable and consequently the owners were fined and reprimanded. Unions across Serbia rejoiced.
Towards the end of the decade further major strides were made to continue the modernization of the military, not limited to the material but also tactics and doctrine.
Relations with the top 3 world powers, France, the United Kingdom, and Austrian-Hungary were steadily improving courtesy of the tireless Serb diplomatic corps. France even accepted an alliance at one point; although Serbia had yet to see the real intentions of Paris should the situation arise.
The Friends and Foes of Serbia by June 1879
The Prince of Serbia had all to well understood the dependency of the African and Asian colonies, both economically and in terms of available manpower for raising new brigades. The recent conflict had also showed how vulnerable Serbia and her colonies were without the means on protecting shipping lanes. Compelled to provide adequate defense for all of the part of the realm, construction of a proper war fleet began consisting of both capital ships and escorts. Unfortunately none of the ships were steam-powered, a technology that Serbia didn't yet master.
Once completed, the new fleet, the Asian War Fleet, was put to use against Dai Nam and their ally, Cambodia. The southern region had long been looking very tempting as the next place for expansion and thus the Serb Conquest of Virhlong began. Since Dai Nam had no other allies the conflict was considered to be an easy task.
Troops landed in Saigon and began to occupy the region, while the Serb fleet fought and won its first engagement in the Gulf of Tonkin (albeit a force consisting only of transports). Quickly most of Virhlong was occupied as more and more units were shipped in from the two main bases in Brunei and Banda Aceh.
A few minor skirmishes followed before the main enemy army was attacked at the Battle of Oudong, where the two evenly-sized armies met. However superior equipment and tactics won the day for the Serbs, and eventually the remaining enemy forces were again defeated in Kampot, where after they surrendered after being surrounded and isolated.
The Congo Conference, called by the United Kingdom, a meeting to carve up large parts of Africa took place in 1880. But Serbia refused to partake in such geo-political squabbles and turned down the invitation.
Just as enemy resistance was coming to an end, the Dutch once again launched a surprise attack. This time their declared goal was Atjeh. And true to tradition, all of the alliances were dishonoured leaving Serbia once again to fend for itself.
Déjà vu of 1873 when the Netherlands attacked Serbia during the conquest of Atjeh
The Netherlands had a modern fleet of 11 ships, however Serb intelligence believed the ships were all stationed in Amsterdam. This gave the Serb Asian War Fleet, full control of both the Java Sea, the Banda Sea and the South China Sea. As Dutch troops in Sumatra began to attack, Serb forces simultaneously invaded Java, Borneo and Sulawesi and every single enemy port would soon be under blockade. The supremacy at sea also prevented Dutch troops from moving from Sumatra back to Java, the most important Dutch colony.
The systematic blockade of would have devastating effects on the Dutch economy, which relied heavy on exports from their Asian holdings
In Europe the Dutch this time had a different strategy, marching across central Europe with their main army. Once in Serbia they began to besiege Ulcinj. The Serb forces quickly surrounded the invaders and dug in expecting the worst. Although the Serb army was in a much better shape than ever before, it still considered the Dutch troops to be better trained, equipped and led.
The Battle of Tourane would mark the end of all resistance in the war against Dai Nam and Cambodia
In September 1880 Vinhlong was ceded to Serbia, as Dai Nam surrendered realising the Dutch would not be helping them in the near future. This new region would soon prove valuable in both manpower and resources.
Meanwhile in Serbia the Dutch army had finally taken control of Ulcinj, but did not move against the two Serb armies in the adjacent mountains. This phony war would continue until the end of the war and was symptomatic of the war: at no time did the two sides fight battles, rather it was a game of who could control the most provinces in the shortest span of time. And the Serbs proved to be best at this game. The war ended in status quo.
By August 1881 all of Borneo, parts of Java and Sulawesi were in the hands of Serbia, while all but Sumatra was controlled by the Netherlands
Following the end of the 2nd Dutch War, Serbia had gained enough international recognition to become part of the tier 2 group of nations. As Serbia was becoming a force to be reckoned with, Prince Milos decided to turn Serbia into a monarchy. The Kingdom of Serbia became a reality in 1881 during the coronation of King Milos I.
But peace had come at a high price. The public finances were strained by the expenses of maintaing a large war fleet as most of the components had to be purchased abroad. Eventually several ships were decommissioned and the balance slowly went back into black.
Over the coming few years the navy would undergo a number of upgrades, replacing the now obsolete frigates with more modern Commerce Raiders, and in 1882 the blueprints for a new capital ship were finalized and shipyards were commissioned to begin construction of these new fearful vessels.
Serbia had moved up a level in the international pecking order, and would soon be able to project its power and influence beyond its borders. With a fleet of modern warships, a decent sized army and a solid economy Serbia was about to enter a new era.
The question that remained to be answered was rather, what should the new course of action be?
The colonization of Africa?
Focus on Europe? Perhaps the creation of an entity larger than Serbia itself?
Or further Asian expansion, now that Serbia had secured a foothold on the continent?
The 5th Turco-Serb war, the Ottoman Liberation of Southern Serbia, came as no surprise to the Serbs. Ready and expecting the Turks, the Ottoman offensive was quickly halted and turned into a Serb counter-offensive. The Turks responded by mobilising additional troop, which Serbia promptly did also.
By late winter 1877 most of the Turkish armies had been defeated and no territory was in the hands of the enemy, rather the Serbs began their own campaign against Bosnia. The plan was to destroy all enemy forces in Bosnia first before moving into Macedonia and Thrace.
At sea the Ottoman navy successfully fought the Russian fleets, however Serb transports were constantly ferrying troops from Africa and Asia back to Serbia. Eventually a clipper was intercepted and sunk as the Serb navy did not have escorts.
The Battle of Uzice was one of the many engagements fought to prevent the Ottoman forces in Bosnia from linking up with the remaining forces east of Serbia.
The decisive battle took place outside the city of Foca, where a small Serb force of 2 brigades took up positions on the eastern banks of the Drina River. The city was a strategic choke point, as the main road to Sarajevo passed through here, and much of the area was impenetrable woods and wetlands.
The enemy launched several assaults across the two bridges in the town and across the river in barges and small fishing vessels. Despite being outnumbered 3 to 1 the Serb forces repeatedly turned back the enemy. After several days of fierce fighting the bridges were littered with dead Ottoman soldiers and the river itself was red from all the bodies. The Serb forces were almost running out of ammunition when reinforcements finally arrived.
Eventually the Serbs launched their own assault across the Drina, dislodging the enemy despite incurring heavy casualties. Finally the last Ottoman army in Bosnia broke in flight.
The Serb armies continued to push onwards and by the beginning of summer '77 all of Bosnia was under siege, while the Russian ally had neutralized Wallachia and Moldova, and in the process of attacking large parts of Anatolia.
However memories of the Russian ‘betrayal’ of 1870 were still fresh in the minds of Serb commanders and an all-out offensive was launched in order to seize as much Ottoman territory possible. The more land under Serb control the better the conditions when negotiating peace terms. The Serbs were demanding North Macedonia while the Russian Empire claimed the central Anatolian region of Ankara.
While the Ottoman armies had mostly been overrun their navy was still in control of the seas. The Russian main battle fleet was stationed in Skt. Petersburg and ever took part in the hostilities
More and more Ottoman cities fell and all of the lands west of Istanbul were either under Serb control or would soon become so. Istanbul itself shortly hereafter came under siege, and Russian brigades were firmly in control on the eastern front.
A few days before Christmas day of 1877 the war came to an end; this time the negotiations were held jointly by Serb and Russian diplomats. The Ottoman Empire surrendered unconditionally and Serbia annexed North Macedonia.
As the victory celebrations came to an end in early 1878, other more domestic issues once again dominated the news. The Women’s Rights Movement was very active during 1878, gaining traction in the Upper House. The desire for political reforms was once again high up on the political agenda.
Later that same year disgruntled workers demanding better conditions were locked out resulting in turbulence and riots. However a later investigation concluded working conditions were unacceptable and consequently the owners were fined and reprimanded. Unions across Serbia rejoiced.
Towards the end of the decade further major strides were made to continue the modernization of the military, not limited to the material but also tactics and doctrine.
Relations with the top 3 world powers, France, the United Kingdom, and Austrian-Hungary were steadily improving courtesy of the tireless Serb diplomatic corps. France even accepted an alliance at one point; although Serbia had yet to see the real intentions of Paris should the situation arise.
The Friends and Foes of Serbia by June 1879
The Prince of Serbia had all to well understood the dependency of the African and Asian colonies, both economically and in terms of available manpower for raising new brigades. The recent conflict had also showed how vulnerable Serbia and her colonies were without the means on protecting shipping lanes. Compelled to provide adequate defense for all of the part of the realm, construction of a proper war fleet began consisting of both capital ships and escorts. Unfortunately none of the ships were steam-powered, a technology that Serbia didn't yet master.
Once completed, the new fleet, the Asian War Fleet, was put to use against Dai Nam and their ally, Cambodia. The southern region had long been looking very tempting as the next place for expansion and thus the Serb Conquest of Virhlong began. Since Dai Nam had no other allies the conflict was considered to be an easy task.
Troops landed in Saigon and began to occupy the region, while the Serb fleet fought and won its first engagement in the Gulf of Tonkin (albeit a force consisting only of transports). Quickly most of Virhlong was occupied as more and more units were shipped in from the two main bases in Brunei and Banda Aceh.
A few minor skirmishes followed before the main enemy army was attacked at the Battle of Oudong, where the two evenly-sized armies met. However superior equipment and tactics won the day for the Serbs, and eventually the remaining enemy forces were again defeated in Kampot, where after they surrendered after being surrounded and isolated.
The Congo Conference, called by the United Kingdom, a meeting to carve up large parts of Africa took place in 1880. But Serbia refused to partake in such geo-political squabbles and turned down the invitation.
Just as enemy resistance was coming to an end, the Dutch once again launched a surprise attack. This time their declared goal was Atjeh. And true to tradition, all of the alliances were dishonoured leaving Serbia once again to fend for itself.
Déjà vu of 1873 when the Netherlands attacked Serbia during the conquest of Atjeh
The Netherlands had a modern fleet of 11 ships, however Serb intelligence believed the ships were all stationed in Amsterdam. This gave the Serb Asian War Fleet, full control of both the Java Sea, the Banda Sea and the South China Sea. As Dutch troops in Sumatra began to attack, Serb forces simultaneously invaded Java, Borneo and Sulawesi and every single enemy port would soon be under blockade. The supremacy at sea also prevented Dutch troops from moving from Sumatra back to Java, the most important Dutch colony.
The systematic blockade of would have devastating effects on the Dutch economy, which relied heavy on exports from their Asian holdings
In Europe the Dutch this time had a different strategy, marching across central Europe with their main army. Once in Serbia they began to besiege Ulcinj. The Serb forces quickly surrounded the invaders and dug in expecting the worst. Although the Serb army was in a much better shape than ever before, it still considered the Dutch troops to be better trained, equipped and led.
The Battle of Tourane would mark the end of all resistance in the war against Dai Nam and Cambodia
In September 1880 Vinhlong was ceded to Serbia, as Dai Nam surrendered realising the Dutch would not be helping them in the near future. This new region would soon prove valuable in both manpower and resources.
Meanwhile in Serbia the Dutch army had finally taken control of Ulcinj, but did not move against the two Serb armies in the adjacent mountains. This phony war would continue until the end of the war and was symptomatic of the war: at no time did the two sides fight battles, rather it was a game of who could control the most provinces in the shortest span of time. And the Serbs proved to be best at this game. The war ended in status quo.
By August 1881 all of Borneo, parts of Java and Sulawesi were in the hands of Serbia, while all but Sumatra was controlled by the Netherlands
Following the end of the 2nd Dutch War, Serbia had gained enough international recognition to become part of the tier 2 group of nations. As Serbia was becoming a force to be reckoned with, Prince Milos decided to turn Serbia into a monarchy. The Kingdom of Serbia became a reality in 1881 during the coronation of King Milos I.
But peace had come at a high price. The public finances were strained by the expenses of maintaing a large war fleet as most of the components had to be purchased abroad. Eventually several ships were decommissioned and the balance slowly went back into black.
Over the coming few years the navy would undergo a number of upgrades, replacing the now obsolete frigates with more modern Commerce Raiders, and in 1882 the blueprints for a new capital ship were finalized and shipyards were commissioned to begin construction of these new fearful vessels.
Serbia had moved up a level in the international pecking order, and would soon be able to project its power and influence beyond its borders. With a fleet of modern warships, a decent sized army and a solid economy Serbia was about to enter a new era.
The question that remained to be answered was rather, what should the new course of action be?
The colonization of Africa?
Focus on Europe? Perhaps the creation of an entity larger than Serbia itself?
Or further Asian expansion, now that Serbia had secured a foothold on the continent?
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Take your cores from A-H, and then move to form Yugoslavia or Greater Serbia?
Greater Serbia:
Greater Serbia:
Greater Serbia has land on Greek Macedonia and Albania? Greeks and Albanians have less in common with Serbians that Slovenes do... Wiki says it claimed all of OTL Yugoslavia minus Croatia and Slovenia...
By the way, defeating the Turkish and beginning colonial expansion as Serbia takes an huge amount of talent and balls.
By the way, defeating the Turkish and beginning colonial expansion as Serbia takes an huge amount of talent and balls.
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Now that would have been quite interesting. I'm sure if I go to war with Egypt I'll quickly find myself fighting the USA also. They always seem to consider themselves the Guardians of Egypt for some odd reason. And I've never ever seen the US build the Suez canal, if that was their plan...
Ahh yes well, I wouldn't have know this in advance, right?
Dont we all?
Careful analysis of the image shows that 'The Ottoman Empire' fits the empty space perfectly. I have yet to find a nation's name that fits as well.
Edit: Have I mentioned how much this makes me want to play a Serbian game? It's gradually edging near the top of my 'next games' list.
Very astute analysis.
I aim to please and inspire
Take your cores from A-H, and then move to form Yugoslavia or Greater Serbia?
Greater Serbia:
That is certainly one option, but I think I can only pull this off if AH gets beaten up in a war. Or maybe I am just chicken
My problem is my infamy, as I don't have a core on Bosnia. Unless I get a 'border incident' cb I can't go after Bosnia for at least 7 years. I'm still penalized by the 20 points I got from tiny Montenegro in 1838........
IIRC there are no Serb pops in Albania, but not sure about E and W Macedonia (which starts out as very Greek but is probably now primarily Turkish).
Why thanks
Amazing tale of the Serbs! I read this with absolute enjoyment!! I especially liked the way you beat the Turks....why didnt you get more than "just" Macadonia?
Edit: I need a map shot of your Serbia in Europe!
Edit: I need a map shot of your Serbia in Europe!
I say focus on supplanting the Ottoman Empire, at least in Europe. Take as much of their European territory as you can for yourself. Those territories, combined with your Asian territories should give you the power you need to defy Austria Hungary and take your cores from them.
2 reasons; 1) If I had demanded more the required war score would very high, and I doubt the Russians would have waited much longer, and 2) infamy, I'm close to the 25 mark
Et
The OE is certainly the weaker of the two, but I'll have to burn off some infamy before claiming more land.
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The infamy coming from your "just" agression in Asia??
Absolutely, they were practically begging for help
