Gaining inspiration (and much pleasant reading) from existant AARs, I've decided to attempt one of my own. I'm playing as Austria in the regular Grand Campaign (downloading the ICG is on my to-do list, but not done yet) Version 1.09. Having said all this, here goes my first attempt at an AAR
1492
I arrive at the Habsburg court in Vienna on a bright January morning. I'm to take up the post of chief advisor/court historian to our illustrious ruler Maximilian I. After meeting the emperor and my fellow ministers, I take a tour of the provinces, counting a total of 8, the most valuable of which is Styria, home of pleasant little gold-mine. I then inspect the army--not frightfully difficult as we only have one, a regiment of 25,000 men and 15,000 horse stationed at the capital. The plan of action we in the ministries draw up calls for our acquistion of a port, a COT, and more general territory. Examining the state cartography office, I discover that no less than 4 Bohemian provinces bear Austrian shields. A trip to the diplomatic office reveals that we hate the Bohemians (-180 relation) and have a permanent CB against them. I decide the conquest of Bohemia shall be my first task, but many improvements must be made before our nation can live up to its glorious potential. The first improvements I order are the creation of a new regiment of 3/2/0 in Carinola and the expansion of the fortress at Styria. I discover we have a royal marriage with our Hungarian neighbors, so I send them a proposal for a military alliance, which they accept. The only war going on in Europe pits Spain against Granada, it seems an uneven match, and by April word reaches us of Granada's annexation by Spain. Barely a week after Granada falls, a new war erupts between Turkey and the Mamluks, and in July Russia launches an attack on their neighbors Kazan. We send out spies to observe the progress of these wars. We expand our knoweledge of our surroundings by exchanging maps with several countries, among them Persia, Sibir, Sweden, and Spain. On August 26, we welcome Moldavia into our alliance with Hungary. We propose an allaince with Venice, but they reject us, they will regret this decision later. The remainder of the year passes quietly.
1493
We get only 73 ducats in taxes in January, I am now more determined than ever to expand our realm. Good new comes on the first of Febuary, the merchant's guilds have discovered techniques of maintaing long distance trade! 3 of them are promptly bundled off to Venice. Febuary was an interesting month, on the 19th a herald arrives from the Saxon court proposing a royal marriage. We accept and make a counter-proposal that Saxony join our alliance, which they happily agree to. The rest of the year is occupied with the training of new troops in Ostmarch and the appointment of a tax collector for Styria. The year's only other interesting event was a report by one of our spies that Poland had taken advantage of Turkey's proccupation with the Mamluks to attack the Turk's Balkan territories. Poland is large state with aggressive intentions--we will be watching them very closely in future.
I have to run now, but will post more later tonight (there'll be a war--I promise). Let me know what you think.
1492
I arrive at the Habsburg court in Vienna on a bright January morning. I'm to take up the post of chief advisor/court historian to our illustrious ruler Maximilian I. After meeting the emperor and my fellow ministers, I take a tour of the provinces, counting a total of 8, the most valuable of which is Styria, home of pleasant little gold-mine. I then inspect the army--not frightfully difficult as we only have one, a regiment of 25,000 men and 15,000 horse stationed at the capital. The plan of action we in the ministries draw up calls for our acquistion of a port, a COT, and more general territory. Examining the state cartography office, I discover that no less than 4 Bohemian provinces bear Austrian shields. A trip to the diplomatic office reveals that we hate the Bohemians (-180 relation) and have a permanent CB against them. I decide the conquest of Bohemia shall be my first task, but many improvements must be made before our nation can live up to its glorious potential. The first improvements I order are the creation of a new regiment of 3/2/0 in Carinola and the expansion of the fortress at Styria. I discover we have a royal marriage with our Hungarian neighbors, so I send them a proposal for a military alliance, which they accept. The only war going on in Europe pits Spain against Granada, it seems an uneven match, and by April word reaches us of Granada's annexation by Spain. Barely a week after Granada falls, a new war erupts between Turkey and the Mamluks, and in July Russia launches an attack on their neighbors Kazan. We send out spies to observe the progress of these wars. We expand our knoweledge of our surroundings by exchanging maps with several countries, among them Persia, Sibir, Sweden, and Spain. On August 26, we welcome Moldavia into our alliance with Hungary. We propose an allaince with Venice, but they reject us, they will regret this decision later. The remainder of the year passes quietly.
1493
We get only 73 ducats in taxes in January, I am now more determined than ever to expand our realm. Good new comes on the first of Febuary, the merchant's guilds have discovered techniques of maintaing long distance trade! 3 of them are promptly bundled off to Venice. Febuary was an interesting month, on the 19th a herald arrives from the Saxon court proposing a royal marriage. We accept and make a counter-proposal that Saxony join our alliance, which they happily agree to. The rest of the year is occupied with the training of new troops in Ostmarch and the appointment of a tax collector for Styria. The year's only other interesting event was a report by one of our spies that Poland had taken advantage of Turkey's proccupation with the Mamluks to attack the Turk's Balkan territories. Poland is large state with aggressive intentions--we will be watching them very closely in future.
I have to run now, but will post more later tonight (there'll be a war--I promise). Let me know what you think.