Turn 5, second half: recovery
Jim: Welcome back, everyone. We now take a look at the Bavarian situation, 1490.
Bob: At least it's not run over by France.
Jim: <sighs> Indeed. Perhaps a good reason for this is that Bavaria has secured alliances with both Poland and Austria, the last one which has regained a lot of its German provinces.
Bob: Still, France is doing well. As you can see, it's waging a successful war against Castille. What you can't see is that France leads a union with Norway. Luckily for our contestants, relations between the French king and the Norwegian high nobility are frosty at best, -120 on the scale of Rousseau.
Jim: As long as that situation remains, we don't have to fear a French presence in Scandinavia. Still, a worrying prospect.
Bob: I spot a more urgent worry for the German team. Anhalt is a vassal of Poland.
Jim: One of the provinces needed for German unification, I presume?
Bob: Correct, Jim. What's more, Mecklenburg, another key province, is ruled by a cousin of the Polish king.
Jim: Look like a conflict between Poland and Bavaria is inevitable, alliance notwithstanding.
Nevertheless, the first official action of our contestants back in the alternative timeline is to support the Florentine school.
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Bob: Nice move.
Jim: Also, in the first month of their return, the diplomats of the German team manage to convince the international community that the Bavarian king has a claim on the throne of Mecklenburg.
Bob: Seems that Mecklenburg lacks any threatening allies.
Jim: Still, the regency of Polish king Jan is so mad about this that they break the alliance with Bavaria.
Bob: They too see the inevitable coming.
Jim: Bavaria declares war on Mecklenburg in February. On Bavaria side its vassals and Austria join, while Mecklenburg is backed by Pommerania and Brunswick.
Bob: No Sweden?
Jim: No Sweden. The next month Brunswick is forced to cede Brunswick to Bavaria.
Bob: Lucky for Brunswick, it still has Hanover, otherwise there would nothing be left.
Jim: In June, the war is over. Mecklenburg is forced in a union under Albrecht III.
Bob: A nice little war for the German team. Basically two provinces required for German unification has been acquired.
Jim: What's more, one of the European greatest economies is now under Bavarian control!
Bob: What, did Bavaria conquer France while I wasn't watching?
Jim: No, I mean Mecklenburg!
Bob: Holy buckets! Mecklenburg is thrice as wealthy as Bavaria!
Jim: Well, Mecklenburg
is completely dedicated to trade, making it an economic superpower. Although, not much of an military one, as we have seen.
Bob: Hate to break the news, but not all is well.
Jim: Well, with France trampling all over the western part of the Empire, I am not surprised about this. It will hurt the Emperor's influence, though.
Bob: What hurts it even more is that Bavaria bestows Imperial Grace on Mecklenburg in order to improve relations. Still, this will ready the Mecklenburgian nobility for an eventual inheritance.
Jim: Hold on, look like Bavaria is making another move...hey, Albrecht III has declared war on the bishopry of Magdeburg!
Bob: I didn't know Bavaria had a Casus Belli on Magdeburg.
Jim: It doesn't! Wow, this is a brutal example of power politics, just like when Brandenburg's throne was seized.
Bob: But you can't deny it's a smart move. As Magdeburg is a bishopry, it won't be possible for Albrecht to claim its throne, as there is none.
Jim: But there is a difference between expedience and downright brutality! Look now, they have outright annexed Magdeburg!
Bob: That will upset the Hanseatic Alliance, which tried to protect Magdeburg. It also means another illegal Imperial province in the Empire, further upsetting the international community.
Jim: The German team has to worry about that later. Right now they are in the middle of a war!
Bob: Don't worry, the Hanseatic Alliance is much weaker than the Bavarian. With Switzerland and several smaller north German princes, it has little change against Bavaria, Austria, Hesse, Brandeburg and the other vassals. In April 1493 the Hansa conceded defeat to Bavaria.
Jim: Hopefully this means peace in the Empire for a while.
Bob: Don't get your hopes up, Jim. Seems that the German team really wants to get all the important north German provinces under its control.
Jim: Huh?
Bob: The last crucial province that is not under direct or indirect control of Bavaria is Anhalt. But the duke of Anhalt is a vassal of Poland.
Jim: I know, so...?
Bob: Well, Bavaria has just started a war of aggression against Poland. I do not think it's a coincidence.
Jim: Oh! Well, I have to agree with you here, Bob. The German's team singular focus of obtaining the necessary cities and provinces for unification is very clear.
Bob: Good timing, too, as Poland is busy fighting with the Golden Horde. Besides, as Poland lacks a professional drilled army like Bavaria, the war will probably go in favour of Bavaria.
Jim: But wait, there is new from the south:
Bob: Looks like Bavaria is not the only one to exploit a war. France and Venice use the Bavarian-Poland war as an opportunity to get Milan!
Jim: Sadly, the Emperor Albrecht III turn down the call to arms. France is just too strong for now: an army three times as large as Bavaria's and equally expertly drilled. Hopefully, the Poland war will turn out right.
Bob: Don't worry, Jim. Poland's army are busy in the east, so that Bavaria's armies can assault the cities of western Poland without a battle. After five months Poland agrees to cede Anhalt to Bavaria.
Jim: Well, this is good and bad. Good, as Bavaria's grip on the most important German cities is now complete. Bad, because Bavaria has now four illegal provinces, seriously upsetting the international community, as this Infamy report from our political experts shows:
Bob: The bad reputation of Bavaria influences Imperial politics as well. Now only a small majority support Albrecht and that is only by virtue of vassalage.
Jim: Until people accept this status quo, Bavaria will not be able to risk much in international diplomacy. Perhaps now peace is a possibility?
Bob: Not at the moment. Austria, Venice and France tear apart Milan, forcing it to cede Verone and Brescia to Venice. Also, the Referee apparently disagrees with you, as he gives the German team a new mission: subjugate Augsburg.
Jim: With Bavaria's bad reputation, why would they agree to execute this mission?
Bob: Well, the Referee promised to clean up their reputation on completion.
Jim: Looks like that's enough of an incentive. In 1498 Bavaria declares war on Augsburg, inviting only Hesse to this party. On Augsburg's side Switzerland, Baden, the Teutonic Order and Burgundy join.
Bob: Easy. In two months Augsburg is vassalized and the Referee improves Bavaria's reputation, which is now classsed as 19 by our experts.
Jim: And a month later Baden is forced to pay 100 ducats for peace.
Bob: This is just coming in: Sweden joins the enemy side and becomes its leader!
Jim: Yet Switzerland is knocked out of the war.
Bob: This worries the Hansa enough to join the enemy alliance.
Jim: Which apparently makes the Teutonic Order lose interest, as they sign a white peace.
Bob: The enemy alliance is a dynamic one, isn't it?
Jim: Certainly, Bob. Still, as the deadline for the German turn is fast approaching, the team decides in January 1499 to call to arms Brandenburg and Austria, who both comply. This scares the enemy alliance so much that the Hansa and Burgundy agree to a white peace.
Bob: The political manipulators in the German team use the confusion to convince important merchants to adopt a more foreign-oriented strategy, thereby making Bavaria a more Free Trade-focussed country.
Jim: Finally, the Swedes, now alone in their struggle against Bavaria, gives up and offers a white peace in November 1499, just before the German team has to return.
Well dear viewers, I have to admit to be glad that the German team has recovered so nicely from that disastrous previous turn.
With three new provinces, a new union and a new vassal, a lot of progress has been made in this decade. Likewise, the Japanese team securing the shogunate was also an impressive step forwards. Hopefully the next turn will be as exciting as this one! Goodnight and goodbye!