The White Hand of Saruhan - 1402-1936

[Magc8Ball]

And you have gained a core on the city of world's desire , becomming a true successor to the ottomans!

Oh, that reminds me! I need to decide on what to rename Constantinople should I successfully take Thrace. I'm thinking Ilyastanbul in honor of the First Sultan.

Thanks for the commentary, everyone, I definitely appreciate it. I just completed another fairly long segment of play that will take the game up to 1570, with some very interesting changes to the map over that time. Large nations shall fall, new nations shall rise, and Poland Can Into Georgia.

[adamclason]

Wow, great job. I'm really impressed with your gameplay! Subscribed.

[Magc8Ball]

The Taking of Ilyastanbul - 1535-1551

Seated upon the throne within the palace at Smyrna, Sultan Ilyas III spoke with his advisors, reflecting upon the growth of the Saruhan nation. The twenty-five years since his coronation had seen Saruhan conquer most of Greece as well as instituting many cultural advances, but as his years began to reach their end, Ilyas mused that he had one regret: he had yet to take the crowning jewel.

Constantinople.

So it was, in the final years of his reign, Ilyas III directed that his people would take the final step to fulfill the ambitions of his forefathers.


To mark the 25th year of his reign, Ilyas III first proclaimed that a new flag would be raised above the palace at Smyrna. The old tribal flag, he remarked, stood as a suitable banner for his father but that the new nation needed a more noble symbol. He directed that the smudged handprint commonly placed on a flag by a soldier dipping his hand in whitewash would be replaced with a properly sewn symbolic hand.

"This will show the world that we are joining the ranks of civilized nations, a symbol that we shall not be looked down upon as backwards savages."



In the same speech, he stated "those that stand before us shall be driven into the darkness with shadow and flame."

The people of Morea had just thrown off the oppression of Italian invaders; Saruhan stood ready to aid them and to accept them into the fold of the new power that was rising, whose victory was at hand.


Following this lightning strike into the southern reaches of Greece, Ilyas III declared that the time had come to remove the Byzantines from the land. Preparations were made for a strike at the island of Corfu while the Saruhanli navy (such as it was) moved into the Aegean to delay any Byzantine ships from preventing such a landfall. While they were not large enough to win such a naval battle, it was expected that they could at least hold out long enough for troops to land on Corfu. After this was done, it would be no difficult thing to conquer Constantinople.

As it turned out, shortly before Saruhan could declare war, their allies in Bulgaria (to whom they had recently sold two provinces that were home to Bulgarian peoples) launched an attack on Thrace. While Saruhan was able to conquer Corfu, the Bulgarians reached Thrace first and had the honor of taking their last city, removing them from the world.



Shortly after this, the islands of Naxos were annexed into Saruhan, making the conquest of Greece nearly complete.




Finally, though, an opportunity presented itself for Ilyas to see his dream completed. Bulgaria had apparently found itself in a war with Persia, who was allied with the Mamluks. As Saruhan was not quite ready to take on the Egyptians at this time, the Sultan decided to ignore Bulgaria's call for aid. On top of this, he declared, they would take advantage of the situation by declaring war upon the Bulgarians and driving upon Thrace.





Before the siege could be completed, however, tragedy struck the nation: Ilyas III, the first sultan, passed away while sleeping in his tent upon the siege field. His son, Hizir III, took up the sword of his father and prepared the troops. The day after Ilyas's death, the army stormed Constantinople, capturing the city.





Following the capture of Constantinople, Sultan Hizir III made three proclamations:

First, a bureau of trade and tolls would be created, to manage shipping traffic through the Bosphorus. This would add useful gold to the nation's coffers. Second, the military would be overhauled, adding western organization and practices, preparing them to fight against more than just ragged hordes from the east.

Finally, the city they had just taken, the Jewel of Greece and the Black Sea, would be renamed in his father's honor. It would forever be known as Ilyastanbul.



Following these proclamations, there would be a significant stretch of time as the military was reorganized. A time of severe unrest followed, though Hizir III was up to the task of managing the nation. Their erstwhile allies in Bulgaria were conquered by Hungary, creating a potentially major threat to the west, and the Mamluks and Persians, allied together, continued to grow in the East. Only time would tell if the nation of Saruhan could reform its forces and stabilize itself in time to avoid being caught between two empires.



End of Book 2.

[Ashantai]

That is a fearsome Hungary and Mamluks! I wish you all the best fighting them!

[Omen]

You are truly trapped between giants. However, I have faith in the nation that moved from a tribe to a kingdom. They shall become an Empire!

[catman1776]

Dear god what impacts did your choices HAVE on europe? And nice story. Subscribed.

[il_loco]

Nice expansion... What is you national idea at the moment?

[Avindian]

I highly recommend making friends with Hungary or the Mamluks as quick as you can! That's some scary stuff!

[Magc8Ball]

Nice expansion... What is you national idea at the moment?

If I remember correctly, at this point I have:
-National Conscripts (+50% manpower, default when starting game)
-National Bank (-0.1% inflation)
-Grand Army (+33% forcelimits)
-Glorious Arms (double prestige from land battles)

At gov't 18, next idea at 22. Certainly open to advice on my choices/options.

[sprites]

glorious arms is for RP? as it's a pretty weak NI ...

[UnitRico]

Aww, naming Thrace Isengard would've been more in line with the title. Still, great AAR! Kinda reminds me of the playthrough I did with Karaman once.

[catman1776]

renaming? did i miss something? although i am new to EU3 i didnt know you could rename o.0

[adamclason]

renaming? did i miss something? although i am new to EU3 i didnt know you could rename o.0

You just click on the capital / province name and then press backspace then add whatever you like. It's great for RP when adding colonies like "New Rome" etc.


btw, nice conquests! Looking forward to see how you get yourself out of this situation between the giants. Be careful not to get into a two-front war though as that might have devastating consequences!

[Magc8Ball]

glorious arms is for RP? as it's a pretty weak NI ...

I actually picked it because at the time (it's in the next story segment that I actually take it) I was fighting a large war against an enemy whose provinces I had no desire to take after dropping to about -35 prestige. It'll likely get swapped out once I get out of the stability hole that happened a little bit later...

[catman1776]

You just click on the capital / province name and then press backspace then add whatever you like. It's great for RP when adding colonies like "New Rome" etc.

that is awesome. gonna have some fun with that and thanks

[NapoleonComple]

Those are some truly formidable conquests. Also, those are some terrifying looking neighbours.

The AI isn't making this easy for you, is it?

[Magc8Ball]

Short update today as we start off Book 3


Securing the West - 1555-1560

Hizir III did not have long to celebrate the unification of Greece under the Saruhan banners. An terrible storm that appeared while sailing across the Aegean cost the Sultan his life. His body and those of several of his court would wash up on the shores of Smyrna several days later; the Sword of Ilyas still chained to his belt. Some wondered if perhaps the sword led to his death by keeping him under water, including his brother Ishak II, the new sultan, who chose to leave the sword with Hizir III as he was interred within the walls of the palace.

The nobility of the Sultanate would discuss this choice in secret for many years, wondering if God would curse Ishak and his line for refusing to follow the new traditions of his father and brother or if he would be gifted with luck for willing to beat his own path. The reactions of the nobles would depend on the fortunes of the growing nation in the coming years...



Upon taking his throne, the newly crowned Sultan Ishak II declared that securing the western borders of Saruhan would be the major goal of his rein. If the Mamelukan threat to the east was to be dealt with, they must be safe from attack from the Hungarians (and others). To this end, 50,000 men were raised and poised in Greece, waiting for an auspicious sign. When the clerics gave their blessing, war was launched into the Hungarian Kingdom.



The Hungarians seemed to be unprepared for the war: while a large defensive force had been posed upon the border, once this army was utterly destroyed (it was set upon by twice its number) there was little to prevent Saruhanli and allied Arabian forces from driving through the entire country. Perhaps the Hungarians were expecting support from Bohemia (who declined to provide assistance) or their allies (who failed to land many forces), but after their initial defense was shattered they could only raise token measures.





The war was over in less than 18 months. When it ended, Saruhan had achieved its goals: two new allied nations, serving as a buffer between it and the potential future threats of the Austria-Hungary-Poland triumvirate. The Bulgarians in particular greatly appreciated being liberated from their Hungarian oppressors and would be steadfast allies in the Eastern wars to come.

[Edgewise]

I really like the detailed battle path maps. Your explanations are clear enough that I can visualize the whole war pretty well.

[Axelius]

Nice updates, but the east still looks threatening.

Perhaps an alliance with Persia would be in order to counter the Mamluks?

[Magc8Ball]

Nice updates, but the east still looks threatening.

Perhaps an alliance with Persia would be in order to counter the Mamluks?

Unfortunately Persia is already allied with the Mamluks. That's been what was holding me back from trying to break up the Mamluks prior to this point: the threat of taking on TWO very large nations.

Starting with the next update, though, we'll see what happens now that Saruhan is big enough to make a real go of it...