Novum Romanum Imperium -- A Tuscany DW AAR

History_Buff said:

Why didn't you integrate the PU's you didn't inherit?

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The infamy cost would have been horrendous. As an example, I integrated France at one point -- took me from 0 infamy to 75 (!!).

EU3NOOB said:

Ouch! That's over the infamy limit for the easiest level. I'd just RP the inheriting of your PUs. I also wouldn't be against summarizing the events that take place after 1820 to explain what took place between the end of the game and the updates that took place in the 20th and 21st centuries. A simple timeline will do. You needn't get detailed into it though... Just a thought.

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I really hadn't thought that far ahead, but that might be a fun idea, actually.

I think I'll go ahead and do the three updates + State of the Empire. Descent has been badly neglected, so it'll get updated first, but this will come shortly afterwards.

Author's note: For these last few updates, I'm creating a new character. We'll see the world through his eyes only, and the updates will be in first person, like a diary. Max will have commentary from later on, which will be represented by bold type. This should be a nice change of pace and keep things from getting too boring. This may mean we don't necessarily visit with some of the characters you may have grown to love; I hope you'll like Max as much as you did some of the others. There will be a total of four updates before the State of the Empire. The last two Emperors aren't around for very long, so they'll get merged into one update.

9 September 1763, Germanicus Academy, Florence

I can't believe today is the day! Finally, I'm eighteen and old enough to enlist in the Imperial legions. Father will be so proud of me! It's not easy being so far from home. I don't miss the London winters, I can promise you that. Still, I know the work here will be brutal and challenging. I wouldn't have taken it if it wasn't. I need to do the O'Connor name proud!

[If you're reading this after my death, I should probably introduce myself. My name is Maxwell O'Connor. Before you ask, yes, I'm a London O'Connor and not a Dublin O'Connor. I'm a direct descendant of Alexander O'Connor. I was born 9 September 1735. My father, Geoffrey O'Connor, was a Senator in Rome during the reign of Marius I. That's how I got into the Germanicus Academy in the first place; Senators are the new nobles, you might say. I graduated from the University of London at the age of 16. I wanted to enlist then, but my father insisted that I take a couple of years to travel Europe. Before you get the wrong impression, I wasn't one of those snobby rich kids who had everything handed to him. In fact, I spent those years in Siberia, of all places. I was made a junior clerk to a trade mission to Moscow. After completing my tasks, my father decided I needed to earn my way back home. I made it to the Russian town of Irkutsk, where I lived for a couple of months. I took passage on a ship from Ming -- even Ming recognized the power of a Senator's son -- visited the Pacific colonies and eventually made it to Rome. Not many sixteen year-olds, in this or any other age, can claim that.

The man who accepted my petition to enlist was absolutely massive. He had quite a few scars on him, scars that screamed out to any potential officer, "You have to be able to earn my trust to be an officer in the legions." He would be one of the foremost instructors at the Academy. When I arrived at the academy, he asked my name -- which I provided -- sniffed, and crossed my name off of a list. "O'Connor, you're in barracks 4. March, soldier!"

A few hours later

Today has been an exhausting day. I'd hoped they'd give us a couple of days to settle in, but an hour after I got to the barracks, we started drilling with our muskets. They had us use heavy wooden ones and even taught us some basic combat. I'm sore, but not as sore as some of the others. Maybe that trip across the Pacific was good for me after all.

There was one special treat. Field Marshal de Lafayette personally addressed my class! His speech was so inspiring I wrote it down and copied it below.

"Men of the legions, you will, with the grace of God, lead our soldiers into battle someday. You may be convinced that leading 10 men is an easy task or an unworthy one; I advise you all that nothing could be more wrong. And yet, your training has a far more important purpose. For the next four weeks, you will not be commanding anybody except for your own body, and you will find it, at first, to be very insubordinate. Many of you came from means, and may never have lived a hard day in your life. Some of you have earned your way to this point through years of tough work. You are all equal in my eyes and the eyes of your Emperor. Some may grow to be great Generals. Others may not survive until tomorrow. That does not matter, you are officers of the Imperial Legions, and you will act it! You will fight like an officer, think like an officer, eat like an officer, sleep like an officer, and, if God and the Emperor wills it, die like an officer. But before you can be an officer, before you can command the soldiers of the legions, you must first command yourselves. Good luck, and may God bless you all!"

I'd briefly met Marshal de Lafayette a couple of years before; my father was discussing politics at some fancy party or another. Then, I was put off by his simple words; now, I find myself admiring them.

I hope I can someday be a tenth of the officer he is.
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7 October 1763, Germanicus Academy, Florence

I have to admit, those last four weeks flew by. But today, I graduated from the basic course of the Academy! Now, if you don't know how the legions work, I'm not done yet. Not by a long shot. The basic course is mandatory for all legionaries, regardless of rank. Some of the men I met and worked with this past month may someday be my subordinates, or they may be my superiors. The purely physical training ends now. Starting on Monday, I have to attend classes on leadership, history, mathematics, and rhetoric. I took some of this stuff at the University, but the legions don't care who you are: everybody does the same thing every time at the same time. A couple of ex-legionaries didn't learn that lesson; they dropped out, but not before getting a serious beating. The legion will have its pound of flesh, no matter if it comes out during training, during a battle, or on the way home.

Still, it is something to be proud of. I've got another two months in the classroom, followed by a month out in the field with a Training Legion, before I can wear the uniform of a Lieutenant of the Legions. For now, I'm on my way to Rome to visit my father before I start classes.
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9 October 1763, Imperial Senate, Rome

Father sure is a busy man! I met the Imperial Regent yesterday. She's a very striking looking woman. My father doesn't like her very much, and is particularly worried about the new Emperor. His coronation isn't for quite some time, but Father thinks that she'll manipulate him like she manipulated her husband until he stood up to her. I can't believe she had Emperor John III killed; that's ridiculous talk. My father has a new job; he's on a military liaison committee.

I may be new to Rome, but everybody knows Roman politics by now. Empress Ulrike doesn't like the army, and so she's got a lot of friends in the Senate. Some people think she wants to turn the clock back to the days before Maso I! The army wants to make sure it stays strong, to keep the Empire strong, so Marshal Contadino and the other officers of the high command try to keep her in check. Of course, it's trickier than that -- my father, for example, is a Senator, but has always supported the army, as an O'Connor tradition. Still, some of my classmates think that this might come to blows some day.

I'd like to see that. A bunch of old geezers trying to fight off us manly warriors!
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14 May 1764, Northumberland, Britannia

I've torn out a few pages here. If I'm going to turn this into a book, or even if my sons want to read it, I don't want them to think their Dad is a boring old fool. Anyway, Italy declared war on Toulouse on 1 May 1764. Here's a copy of the declaration that a friend in the archives made for me.

I didn't get to go to the coronation of Marius I; I was pretty sick with the flu. Still, I heard it was great, although even then, it was obvious how much control Ulrike von Württemburg would have over her son.


It's kind of funny. I travel halfway around the world, endure months of training, and a few months of boring garrison duty all to end up back home. Well, I'm not that close to London -- if you don't know Britannia very well -- but I've been to Northumberland hundreds of times. Still, I suppose I should be grateful. I'm kind of surprised I got promoted to Centurion. After all, I haven't done anything but stick around. I guess that counts for a lot. Ever since the Emperor decreed that officers in the legions no longer have even a noble equivalency, a lot of young officers resigned from the legions. My father seems pretty confident that this decree is only temporary, to make sure that only the most dedicated soldiers remain. I'm not so sure.

I've been stationed with the 14th Florentine Regiment of the Legio XII 'Deus' for about two weeks. As a Centurion, I'm responsible for a hundred men and ten lieutenants.



I've met with General della Rovere a couple of times; it's reassuring that, like us, he's kind of new to his job. On the other hand, I don't know if he's any good at his job. He talks well, but he's also very complimentary of the Empress, like he expects her to be sitting right around the corner. I wrote my father about him when I found out he would be the General; he wrote back, "Political Hack." That answers that. I've heard we're marching to Cumbria in a couple of hours, to engage the Scottish army. It'll be good to get some real combat experience!
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23 May 1764, Cumbria, Britannia

That was... harder than I expected. General della Rovere is positively beaming about our "big victory" yesterday. Even Captain Cicero seemed pleased with that battle.


My battle report for the Battle of Cumbria

I can't help but feel a little sick. We still lost 100 good men, including five men in my own century. It doesn't seem fair to complain about it, but the truth is, I know it's my fault those five are dead. Two of them were younger than me! They must have been part of the Marshal's early enlistment program. My century had a very simple job; secure the right flank of the regiment. I had wanted to reward the men by letting them have an early lunch; that didn't give them enough time to prepare for the enemy assault. If I'd simply waited until our normal lunch time, they'd probably still be alive today. I know I have to write five letters now, and while I normally don't mind paperwork, this... this will be a little tough to bear. Maybe I'll talk to the Captain about it.
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2 February 1765, Cumbria, Britannia

It's gone a little easier each day to deal with the carnage. It's even easier when it happens to the enemy. Why did those fool Scots charge our lines?


The Second Battle of Cumbria

Word around camp is that General Contarini's job is in serious jeopardy. A close friend of Marshal de Lafayette, he drove out Toulouse's army but at a horrific cost -- some 600 casualties! General della Rovere is constantly preening, and he seems sure he'll get the assignment to besiege Toulouse. They've been a thorn in our side for years, so it's pretty prestigious. Captain Cicero rolls his eyes whenever the General spouts off about his military skill.

I'm more interested in another rumor -- General Filippo Cybo has been posted to the border with Castille! Could another war be far behind? General Cybo even has his brother, Alberto, as his staff Colonel. Generals and Colonels... they seem like gods compared to me, but I'm doing my part. Captain Cicero has even put me in for a decoration, saying that my century held the line when the Scots charged, and that if we'd broken, we would have lost the battle. As it was, defeating the enemy army with no serious casualties was reward enough for me, although I won't say no to a decoration.
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10 November 1765, Van Dijk College of War, Florence

I was so happy when Scotland begged for peace in March.


My signature is actually on the back of this; I got to witness the treaty signing!

I hoped, even prayed, I'd get a better assignment. With the death of General Contarini, General della Rovere knew he was getting that plum assignment of taking down Toulouse. I can honestly say I was snickering when I found out he would get stuck in Britannia, even if it meant I would be too. When I got my new orders, I found I'd been transferred back to Italy. I'm in school again already! It is nice, don't get me wrong, to get the promotion to Captain and the promise of a Lieutenant Commander's spot when I pass, but I was just getting used to life in the field. I like fighting, I like being out with my men. This may sound strange, but I feel much more at home in a tent in the wilderness than in some of these parties Father is always attending.

I did get a little bit of good news from Father earlier today; Toulouse finally surrendered! My Father likes this journal I've been writing, and provided me with an official copy of our treaty.



Father is really upbeat. He's hoping that our victory against Toulouse will fix the Army's reputation and turn some more Senators to his side. I think he's being too optimistic, but we'll see. As for me, I just got here after my 20th birthday, and I've got another year of classwork. I sure hope it's worth it!
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11 October 1766, Alicante, Hispania

I don't know if this is Father's influence or not, but somebody up in the chain of command must certainly like me! The war with Castille took a lot of officers by surprise. After all, this decree had been passed out and read to every officer in the legions.


Imperial Decree of 22 May

With Russia's war with Sibir, I half expected to be sent there, since very few Italians speak Russian. However, the real war -- war with Castille -- quickly changed everybody's priorities. Technically, it went into effect today, but I've been in Castille for about a month already, ever since I graduated and earned my new rank of Lieutenant Commander.



General Cybo personally selected me to be the Lieutenant Commander for his Legion! My old Captain, Arcturus Cicero, is my Commander, which may also explain why I ended up in Castille.


My new legion

The Legio XXXIII 'Helvetica' is a big improvement from my old legion; we've got 20,000 men, including 5000 cannons. That should put a big damper on Castille's plans. Even better, none of her allies honored the call to arms, so she is stuck fighting us alone. 20,000 men is an awesome responsibility! Part of this new responsibility is drafting and reviewing deployments; Commander Cicero had me look over this one personally.


The plan to invade Castille

I personally thought it was a mistake to have the 16th legion attack at the same time as us; our larger army meant we'd get there late, but General Cybo simply grunted when I brought that up. I guess he's not too happy his older brother Filippo is in overall command. General Cybo thinks his brother wants to hog all the glory. I personally don't see much glory in what will probably be a bloody war, but Generals will do what Generals do.
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4 November 1766, Alicante, Hispania

Normally, I like being right, but not at the expense of serious casualties. The Commander of the 16th, instead of waiting for our signal, attacked the Toledo garrison by himself; he did 'win' the battle, I suppose. The cost was 2000 Italian soldiers and 4500 Castillian soldiers. I even hear the King of Castille was there, Enrique IX Farnese. He's the Emperor's cousin, but apparently they don't like each other very much. I can't pretend to understand why, since I have no siblings, but it seems a silly reason for a war. I never thought I'd say this, but I actually wish Empress Ulrike were still alive. Her death a few weeks ago is probably why we're fighting these Spaniards now. I thought she was holding down a weak-minded Emperor; it turns out she was holding him back.

I believe in the dream of Empire, but 6500 dead is quite a butcher's bill. I know General Cybo isn't too happy either.
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4 December 1766, Madrid, Hispania

I was very tempted to take Chancellor de Neuchâtel's offer the other day. He wanted some volunteers to train some rebels in Austrian-held Polotsk. It would have meant a guaranteed promotion, which means more money, but I'm only 21 years old and I don't need very much. The truth is, I didn't want to abandon my men. It turns out that was a great decision, as we've won a major victory at the Battle of Madrid.



I almost feel like a fool writing down that we've got 20 casualties -- all 20 men are alive, although they wish they weren't. I tried to tell them not to visit that brothel, but they didn't listen. Even worse, one of the twenty is a Captain! Now, they've all got the Spanish pox. Dying in battle is glorious; dying in some whorehouse is hardly that. I know Commander Cicero gave them all a firm talking-to; my own speech was less beautiful but more colorful, and I think got the message across very nicely.

Although I write this in a celebratory mood, I can't help but wonder why the Chancellor looked so tired. I should ask Father when I write him next.
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17 January 1767, Caceres, Hispania

I know I haven't been a soldier for very long and that I've come a very long way in just over four years. Sometimes, though, I think that being a soldier just isn't worth it. Today's battle was the most bloody I've ever personally seen since I joined the legions.



To make matters worse, one of the dead was my mentor, Commander Cicero. General Cybo insists that the Commander was right to do what he did, and that he died gloriously. I have to respectfully disagree. As officers, we are always told that, during a battle, we have to dismount. This is particularly true when you're facing enemy cavalry. Since we have no cavalry of our own, we need to use our superior weapons and marksmanship to counter them. Instead, Commander Cicero not only remained on his horse, but tried to lead an infantry charge against the Spanish cavalry. The results were particularly gruesome; nearly 20,000 dead on both sides.

Every night, I pray to God to give me strength to deal with the horrors of war, but sometimes it isn't enough. Even my father's letter, which normally cheers me up, seems like a bitter pill to swallow.

I think I'm going to be sick again.
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9 June 1767, Toledo, Hispania

I normally enjoy an opportunity to wear my dress uniform, but I still can't get over this war. The war against Toulouse seemed simpler, more honest, but this war seemed... well, I don't know how to put it. Maybe it's because I'm a Commander now, and not a lowly Lieutenant. When we won the First Battle of Beira, I thought my mood had changed.



Unfortunately, that didn't end the war. Indeed, we even fought another battle later on in the exact same region! We were sent to siege Toledo, and weren't available for the assignment, so the casualties were horrific. As the Commander of the Legion that won the most battles, I was given the honor of attending the Peace Treaty signing early today. I even met the Emperor, who handled the negotiations personally.


A copy of the signed treaty and a map of our new lands

Marius I was pleasant enough, I suppose, but I always expected the Emperor would be... bigger, I guess. He looks barely over five feet, and I couldn't help but gawk. Also with him was the President of the Senate, Ferdinando Pallavicini. I'm not sure why Foreign Minister Germanicus wasn't there. Isn't this his job?

When I get back to Rome, I need to talk with Father. I'm not sure how much longer I can do this.
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1 September 1767, Ostmarch, Transdanubia

For the first time in my military career, I've been passed over. If I had doubts about the legions before, they're much worse now. When Ethiopia declared war on us in July, I was one of the first to volunteer to fight. I was given sole command of the operation, and I think I did my job excellently. As a soldier, my performance was flawless. As a diplomat, well...

The problem was I couldn't help but get irritated by the Chief of Ethiopia. He was waving his finger in my face all the time, insisting that the Empire of Italy were greedy, bloodthirsty monsters. He made outrageous demands, like the concession of money, to end a war he couldn't possibly win. All of that was just bluster. I know it now and I knew it then, and I was doing fine. Then he decided to attack my father's reputation, and I had no choice.

I slugged him. As hard as I could. It turns out that was pretty hard, as I knocked him out cold. The Ambassador was furious with me, and immediately sent me back to Rome. The review board that was supposed to meet to discuss a promotion to Colonel got mysteriously called away. Chief of the General Staff Vorenus tried to console me, saying that I'd only done what ever soldier wished he could. Still, month after month, time after time, I would apply for my colonelcy, everything would be set up, and then something new would happen.

Now, we're at war again. Austria, this time.



I know I should be grateful, since I'm paired with General Cybo again, and he certainly knows what he's doing. The Legio IV 'Neapolis' is one of our oldest legions, and it's an honor to serve in it. At the same time, it's also one of our smallest legions. I feel really badly for General Cybo, since he was in line for a staff officer's job, but I think he got punished for recommending me for the assignment in Ethiopia. I might have ruined two careers now.

The only thing I can do is fight the good fight. Maybe if we win this war quickly, our reputations will both be saved.

I kind of doubt it, though.
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21 September 1767, Vienna, Austria

In my five years in the legions, I've never faced a tougher opponent than the Austrians. Their General Poll has his men drilled like machines. It's both beautiful and terrifying to watch line after line fire volleys into our men with absolute precision. Even General Cybo was wounded. I think he'll be fine in a day or two, but in the meantime, I had a battle to win. I can't say it was easy, but it is still a victory, and the symbolism of taking Vienna will be critical, I think.



While I'm worried about Austria, the Emperor has also promoted a new General to deal with Switzerland. Field Marshal de Lafayette told us we'd be taking as much of Austria as we could; that the Emperor sees fit to also put a General in command of forces against Switzerland tells me Austria isn't our only problem. For the next few days, however, Austria is my only problem. General Cybo had no Colonel; his legion was deemed to small to deserve one. Until he recovers, I'm the closest thing to a General we've got.

I hope he gets better soon.
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22 October 1767, Linz, Transdanubia

I was briefly jealous of General di Busci, who effortlessly drove away the Swiss army at the cost of less than 500 casualties. A few years, or even weeks ago, I might have been horrified that there were any casualties. I'm slowly becoming numb to the casualties. I don't know whether I like that or not, but it does make my job easier. The Battle of Linz proved a terrific feather in my own cap.



I know that my own victory is less impressive than di Busci's on paper, since he defeated 15,000 Swiss troops in a single battle. All I can say is, the Swiss are definitely warriors, but they are no match for the Austrians. When I accepted General Poll's surrender, I honestly thought that he had feigned the defeat the whole time and that he fully expected another 20,000 Austrians to show up out of thin air. Talk about confidence!

General Cybo is healing quickly; the ball finally got removed by the doctor yesterday, who'd had a devil of a time tracking it down. If not for the General's considerable courage and fortitude, he'd probably be dead already. For the first time, I'm actually going to use my father's influence to get somebody a promotion -- if anybody deserves it, it's General Cybo.
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16 September 1768, Vienna, Austria

The last year has been a blur. Prince Gian Gastone was born just after our victory at Linz, which relieved many of us in the Empire. Emperor Marius' wife is a very shy, quiet woman, about as far from his mother as you could get. I think the Empress will be a fine mother, and even the Emperor's aggressive streak has toned down a bit. He won this war through Chancellor de Neuchâtel's clever plan in Polotsk as much as I or General Cybo did on the battlefield, in my opinion. Still, Austria had to surrender a very sizable chunk of her Empire, and I know that Vienna will be ours sooner rather than later.



I've also got some great news of my own; I got promoted! My new job is to serve as General Cybo's personal adjutant. General Cybo has been named the Deputy Chief of the General Staff, and he personally promoted me to Colonel. I'll be in Rome, which is good news, as Father's health is deteriorating a bit and I want to be close. Mother died a long time ago; I'm all he has. There's still a war going on; General Cybo told me that Switzerland will have to accept annexation before this war will end. Still, Ethiopia did sign a white peace, and rumor has it that the Chief I punched ended up getting deposed anyway.

Life, at the moment, is good. Who knows what the coming years will bring?
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I hope you enjoyed this new format! We've got two more updates for Marius I coming up; at least one will be this weekend.

loki100 said:

really liked the biographical style of that ... and the battle reports make it clear just how good your army has become (I'll pass on commenting about Scotland's performance)

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Thanks for the kind words! I'm actually surprised Austria has been so consistently tough.

EU3NOOB said:

Absolutely epic! I can't wait for more!

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Thanks for the kind words!

EU3NOOB said:

An idea for an AAR: play as a French minor and try to own france.

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I've never played with France before. It's certainly something to consider!

generalolaf said:

I really enjoyed the new style... I think you're right, it provides a nice change of pace, which is never a bad thing

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Glad to hear it! I also enjoyed writing it.

I'm not promising anything at this point, but it looks like the lads at the converter project have already made it compatible with AHD; I'm going to try a few test games and see how it works, but the "conversion to Vicky 2" might be back on the table. My last converted AAR didn't last very long, and if I do get into this with AHD, I want to make sure it's playable/fun.

I should update tonight, tomorrow at the latest.

Sethanon said:

Only convert it if you're absolutely sure it can live up to this standard. Im not familiar with Vicky2 but if you go there it should be as good!


Looking forward to the new update!

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I will be very careful, of course, and I promise nothing

Update is slightly delayed; might still squeeze it in tonight, but more likely tomorrow.

19 December 1768, Office of the Chief of the General Staff, Florence

I miss being a soldier sometimes. Yes, the new job and rank are nice, and it does get me into some fancy parties every now and again, but I miss being out in the field. I suppose that's life for you! There is one big positive to this job; every piece of paper that crosses General Vorenus's desk crosses mine first, so I have a whole new appreciation for strategy. For example, I get to see not only the peace treaties signed by the Emperor, but the maps too.



My father says that Chancellor de Neuchâtel is retiring to become Proconsul of the new provincia of Helvetica. I know that the Chancellor has grown irritated with all of the politics and has been waiting for an excuse to retire. With Emperor Marius being somewhat indecisive, the Senate's power grows each day. There's even a law being debated in the Senate right now on Generals in the army. The Senate apparently won't be satisfied until we're all working for them! I blame that jerk Pallavicini, personally. I think what he really wants is to be named Dictator, like the Roman Republic of ancient times. If the Emperor doesn't start acting like a man, he'll probably get exactly that.
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5 February 1770, Imperial Throne Room, Palazzo di Farnese, Rome

1769 was hardly a thrilling year; it seems like our Empire's reputation is actually restraining either the Emperor or President Pallavicini. Or maybe it's the influence of the new Chancellor, the notable Geoffrey O'Connor! Father was really shocked when his nomination for Chancellor was approved. He was sure that Pallavicini would block the nomination, but it seems that good sense prevails even in the Senate. Father has always been considered a moderate, has the trust and respect of most of the other Senators, and above all else, his character is unimpeachable. His reforms as Chancellor, signed by the Emperor, were many, but the most important involved fixing the number of Senators at 100 and a decree that prevented the Senate from any direct intervention in military affairs. However, Pallavicini fought for -- and won -- the concession of foreign affairs to the Senate. I have the feeling this conflict is just beginning, between the Chancellor and the President.

The first effect of the new Senate role in foreign affairs is the war with Navarra. This has long been one of Pallavicini's favorite causes, and it seems that we are to vassalize them.



General Vorenus says that we'll probably end up vassalizing Granada too, which makes sense to me; both would have been considered part of the Roman Empire in the past. As much as I dislike Pallavicini, I can't fault him for this war. The General has given me sole responsibility for planning this operation. I'm a little nervous, but not too nervous, since this should be no problem at all.
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29 July 1770, Granada

I don't know why I got the assignment to accompany the peace negotiators to Granada, but it's a welcome change from dust and paperwork. The war ended up being a little bigger than we anticipated; who could have known that Bohemia, of all nations, would guarantee Granada's independence? Still, Granada was defeated very easily. The trip also gave me the chance to visit with Foreign Minister Cosimo Germanicus. He's incredibly bright, knows dozens of languages, and is so savvy as a negotiator that I can see him having very little trouble convincing young ladies to... ahem... attend him. As Foreign Minister, he cannot legally serve in the Senate, but he's a very special politician, and I think if he ever retires as Foreign Minister, his future is incredibly bright within the Senate.

I'm especially glad to be away from home right now; there's a very contentious bill going through the Senate right now. The Emperor, for once, has made a decision: the posts of President and Chancellor seem redundant, and only one should survive. My father's faction wants to do away with the Presidency, and Pallavicini's wants to do away with the Chancellorship. Tradition is on my father's side, but I'd never discount the President's dirty tricks. The vote is supposed to take place after the peace vote for this treaty.



This treaty should sail through the Senate; it's a great deal, and the Emperor has already said he expects a unanimous vote, so of course, that's exactly what we'll get. We may have a Senate, but we are still an Empire.
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31 January 1771, Office of the Chief of the General Staff, Florence

I am absolutely disgusted with myself. I know General Vorenus is right now taking an awful lot of heat for the Disaster at Pressburg, which is really my fault. I just didn't think that Bohemia would try so hard to help Navarra, and I didn't assign a General to the border. Although we "won" the battle, it is a battle much like one of General Pyrrhus.



Worse still are the political consequences. My failure is exactly what Pallavicini needed; I became the poster child for army incompetence, thus staining my father's reputation. Pallavicini offered a "compromise" -- the office of Chancellery would remain, but Pallavicini would get the spot while my father would be the new Minister of War. My father would be charged with purging inefficiency and waste by the army. Worst of all, the new Chancellor's authority is incredibly extensive. Not only does he serve as head of the Senate, but he gets to appoint any member to the Cabinet with the Emperor's approval, remove any Senator he likes, and even, in times of ill-health, act as Emperor! I told my father I'd resign my commission; he reassured me, but things have not been going very well.

I can only pray they get better.
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24 October 1771, Navarra

Another assignment I didn't want; I'm definitely the least popular Colonel in Rome. When 1771 began, the Senate had exerted a little control over the army through the office of the Minister of War. I'd hoped that my father could negate some of the damage; in the end, though, he couldn't stop the tidal wave. I'd already repaired my mistake in Bohemia, by appointing General Fabio della Rosa to the command district. General della Rosa was my Lieutenant Commander when I was first named Centurion; he also served on General Vorenus' staff as a Colonel before I got my job, so he was an excellent choice.



A surprising war in April rocked the Empire, and in the confusion, Chancellor Pallavicini (I hate writing those words!) fired Marshal Contadino, who is technically part of the Imperial Cabinet.



This time, General Vorenus appointed General Alberto Cybo, my old General, to defend our border with Ansbach right away. Field Marshal de Lafayette got promoted to Marshal, but only after Marshal Contadino begged him to stay quiet about his opinions on the Chancellor. At least we've still got a very competent man in charge. General Vorenus expected to get the Field Marshal's job, and then I would be promoted to Chief of the General Staff. Instead, they gave the Field Marshal's job to General Cybo. He's a brilliant general, no question.

I also missed my first chance to be promoted to General. I'm only 36, and I've been a Colonel for under four years, so I shouldn't be so worried, but I have the feeling that, as long as Pallivicini is Chancellor, he'll do everything he can to prevent me from becoming a General, especially since the Emperor passed a decree making all Generals automatic Senators upon their retirement, provided there is an available spot; if not, they go on a waiting list. Every time I underestimate Marius I, he surprises me. The Chancellor has introduced that foolish bill requiring confirmation of all Generals, and it's stalling again, but my father is growing ill, and I'm worried that if he dies, nothing will keep his coalition together.

At least we've got Navarra under control; their surrender was swift once the fortress fell.


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18 June 1773, Office of the Chief of the General Staff, Florence

General Vorenus is getting increasingly bitter, and I'm finding a lot less time to write in my journal. He's got two young sons -- Tiberius and Cornelius -- and since his wife is gone, he really needs the extra income of a Field Marshal. He tries to be understanding, but every time I meet him in the halls, he sighs. I'm clearly holding him back from promotion, and he can't retire and become a Senator until a spot opens up, so he's stuck in what he considers a dead end job. I'm none too happy either; the Chancellor convinced the Emperor to decree the infamous "Generals' bill", rather than put it to a vote. I can't prove Pallavicini was so in favor of this solely because he wants to punish me, but I'd be stunned if it wasn't the main cause. Still, it's not all bad news.

I was married in July of 1772 to the beautiful Julia Germanica, Cosimo's youngest sister. I have a son and daughter of my own now; Alexander and Kathleen. I've been extremely blessed, although the marriage was a very near thing, if you know what I mean. I'm glad Cosimo is an understanding fellow; we've become very close over the years and our many trips together. Neither one of us is very pleased with the Senate or the Chancellor now; as I feared, my father's coalition is crumbling with his illness. The Emperor, goaded by the Chancellor, is attacking another nation now, Flanders. Although Flanders hardly has a fearsome partner, I am worried about what might happen with another Battle of Pressburg scenario. We'll just have to see.


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10 October 1773, Office of the Chief of the General Staff

Forget my last entry; it's definitely personal now between myself and Pallavicini. General Vorenus had all but promised me a field command in Flanders as a reward for my loyal service. Maybe he hopes that the Pressburg syndrome will be cured if I win a great victory for our Empire. Of course, what does the idiot Chancellor do? Rush through a bill promoting his son-in-law, Eugenio Spinola, to General, taking up the last spot in the promotion board for 1773.



Spinola's reputation is decent, and I don't know if he's a good man or not, but I can't help but feel frustrated at the Chancellor's decision. Of course, we're at war with Ethiopia again; the chances of me getting that command were already zero even without the Chancellor. I just hope he doesn't screw up; I'll probably get blamed.
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4 January 1774, Laristan, Persia

I'm finally a General now! Well, sort of. First, I take back anything I might have said about General Spinola; he's a brilliant general and the battle of Calais just proves it.



The war with Flanders is over too; they surrender and got annexed to our Empire.



My own success was in Persia, of all places. It seems like the dunderhead in charge of the Persian front -- a Commander specifically chosen by the Chancellor, probably because he's the Chancellor's son -- didn't bother ordering a legion east to protect the border, and we briefly lost control of Fars. With the Chancellor's star at its dimmest in a long time, my father got my name added to the General's list. The vote hasn't happened yet, but for the purposes of the war, I was promoted to general pro tempore, or General for the time being. I won my own victory at Laristan a few days ago.



With Ethiopia and Ansbach (much earlier; sorry I forgot to make a note of it!) signing white peaces, General Spinola and I are the talk of the town now. I'm supposed to come home in a couple of weeks, but I've been ordered to straighten out Commander Pallivicini and make sure the garrison left in place is adequate. I can't do much to the elder Pallavicini, but let's just say I can be every bit as petty as he is. The Commander here will have a very long road to get back to the army's good graces.
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1 August 1776, Palazzo di Farnese, Rome

I'm attending the official naming of a new Cabinet member today, although my heart just isn't in the festivities very much today. I'm sorry I haven't written in my journal much; I've been busy with the kids, but more importantly, planning my father's funeral. He and the Minister of Religious Affairs, Severino Visconti, were killed in a shipwreck on the way back from Constantinople. Giovanni Doria-Landi might have the name of a military family, but he's much too close to Chancellor Pallavicini for me to trust him very much. He's been named Minister of Finance, and the Senate confirmed very quickly; that either means he's a good man or that the Senate is under the thumb of Pallavicini. It could even be both.



If there's any good news to the death of my father -- it happened in March, but it feels like yesterday -- it's that General Vorenus finally got the Senate seat he wanted. His final act was to name me his successor, and I've been ordered to train our infantry in a new technique called "the square." It's supposed to make us much more powerful on the defense. I think it's an overreaction to the Disaster of Pressburg, but the formation is impressive visually. I hope it's as effective in the field.



Alexander, my son, will be attending his first school in a week or two; Kathleen is a little younger, as she was born in 1773, so she'll have to wait until next year. Both seem really bright, but then again, I'm hardly unbiased. Julia has been wonderful since my father's death; I'm really glad I married her. Cosimo has been tremendous too, looking after the children. There hasn't been much talk of war lately, so he's been pretty free. I'm lucky to have such a wonderful family, but I do miss my dad.
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22 September 1776, My Office, Florence

I almost wrote "Office of the Chief of the General Staff" in the heading -- I guess I should get used to the new position, I've had it for over a month! There's no rest for the wicked, though. Even though he's officially retired, Jean-Baptiste de Neuchâtel still has a trick or two up his sleeve, and he was able to produce very convincing documents giving Marius I title to the throne of his cousin, Enrique IX.



Castille, once again, is alone in the world. I can't help but feel a little sorry for them; maybe Enrique should have just abdicated his crown years ago.
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19 October 1776, Toledo, Hispania

I had a feeling this "square formation" would cause problems, and that's exactly what happened at the battle that just finished a few hours ago.



We Italians are men of action; a purely defensive formation just doesn't suit us. Against any other opponent -- the Austrians, God forbid -- we probably would have lost this battle, but as it happens, we still won an impressive victory. I've been detailed to Toledo by Field Marshal Cybo to personally oversee operations until he can arrive.
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26 February 1777, Toledo, Hispania

Field Marshal Cybo's absence has been longer than anybody expected. The last letter I received said he had taken ill, but expected to recover. I spend each day praying for his recovery. Thankfully, the situation is well in hand, thanks in large part to one of the best field commanders I've ever seen -- Giordano Corsini. My father, if he were still with us, would scoff at his lack of pedigree; an ancestor had briefly served in the navy as an Admiral, but that was back in 1530. Giordano had won his appointment the way I earned mine; through hard work and dedication. He's a little younger than I am -- 35 to my 41 -- but he's absolutely brilliant. He's won two decisive battles and eliminated the Castillian army in Europe.





General Corsini will go far in this army, I'm sure of it.
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13 June 1777, Palazzo di Farnese, Rome

In perhaps the finest of Roman traditions, I've been awarded a triumph through the city! Field Marshal Cybo insisted on it, claiming that I was responsible for our great victory over Castille. I've seen to that General Corsini will be at my right hand during the festivities; he's the real reason we won.



I've been away from Rome a long time, but rumor has it that Chancellor Pallavicini has made some very powerful enemies in the Senate. I think if anyone else were Chancellor, he'd have been removed from the Senate a long time ago. Marshal Contadino -- excuse me, he keeps insisting I call him Brutus now -- wrote a long and biting polemic about the Chancellor, and the Emperor read it! If there's any justice in the world, his reign of terror will end soon. My old boss, Lucius Vorenus, is the Minister of War now; he does a great job keeping us on our toes, but he's very fair. Even Marshal de Lafayette likes him, and sometimes he can be very particular about his friends. I've only talked with him once, but I hope to spend more time with him soon.

I don't want to suggest that everything is perfect, though. The Chancellor may be weak now, but that won't last forever. The Emperor removed his ability to fire the Marshal, by decreeing that he was a personal representative and not part of the cabinet. Now that I'm a General, he can't do much to hurt me either. Julia says I should bury the hatchet with him. I'd much rather bury one in him, but I suppose that's not very Christian of me.

If I can pass judgment on the Emperor -- and what man fairly can? -- I think he's matured a lot since his coronation. He's more decisive now, and while I still don't agree with everything he does, I do understand and respect why he does them. Cosimo says the Emperor is worthy of the name Marius now; high praise, as he's related to one of our greatest Generals, Sforza Maria Germanicus, who took the name Marius.

Overall, I'd have to say that it's a pretty terrific time to be an Italian, and I can only see things getting better.
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We have only two final story updates left!

As a note, to make everything look nicer and to prepare for a possible conversion to Vicky 2, I cheated and annexed all PUs and vassals in 1821 I hope you'll forgive me, but it does make the final map look much nicer. Since I had the PUs with France and Burgundy for a really long time, I don't think I was unjustified.