A fantasy scenario with Brandenburg - Prussia - Knights

[HermanvonSalza]

IGC 2.3
AI furious
Settings: Free/Austrian Netherlands, Unified Prussia+Knights, Pskov Ingermansland, Free Bretagne, COT in Anglia, COT in Stockholm, COT in Astrakhan, COT in Reval, COT in Moscow, Russian Unrest, Persian Unrest, Kalmar Union, Turkish, Polish unrest.

Fantasy because here the Order never divided after the 1460 peace with Poland (say because of a 4* victory instead of a 6* maybe) but merged with Brandenburg for support!
I kept it short because I do not like 10 hours AAR - if somebody wants screenshots gimme a mail address, I have plenty of them!


Extracts from "Herman von Salza '1793'- "Our family: The king's Advisors and Prussia's servants for 300 years'"

November 1491: The nomination of our family at the chancellor's office begins when Karl von Salza received a letter from the king a Hohenzollern, ordering him into his office by the end of this unusually cold fall.

"Karl, I do not like you, but I must admit one thing - you hammered quite a few poles in front of Marienburg"
- "I do not like you also you little southern baronnet" (meant Karl referring to the modest origins of the King's nobility compared to his ancestral one)
"Your majesty, thanks but that was 31 years ago, and, it didn't change the course of the war!"
- "This you do not know my son!"
- "My son"!!! he thought, what does he want from me?
- "Besides, you descend from the family that brought the Deutsche Ritterorden (T.O in German) in these cold lands"
- "Yes, my lord" was all Karl had come to his mind now, he was proud that his family had served both the Empire and the Church for the last 200 years, often improving relations between the two competing entities and avoiding other Canossa's. Of course he had a strong intention to follow the family's path.
- "So I must admit, you and what you stand for are a logical candidate in these tough times to help me lead these realms, I am pleased to announce you that you will be my Chancellor - for the next 5 years at least!

Karl was overwhelmed with joy and had its cabinet ready for New Year's day, as an examplary German and a Teutonic knight, it was his first day of work! People have changed today, now that our empire is affluent!

What was the situation by then:

Karl looked at the map: Berlin, Magdeburg, Kurstrin, Eastern Prussia, Memel, Kurland, Estonia and Livonia belonged us. "So much land we took from the heathens,... to be betrayed by the very Poles who called us for help"

Then arrived the king, somewhat drunk from the party yesterday evening: "We are by no means a small fiefdom, we have two centers of trade, and apart of Memel,Kurstrin and Livonia which are useless, we have some good provinces"
- "Yes Majesty, but the Poles, Lithuanians and the Grand Duchy of Mazowia united and they look at these good provinces of God with greed"

"Don't bother with this Karl, come down with us, look at all this tomorrow, besides, I gave her my nice little Grete to marry their Nicholas, they won't harass us for some time now".
Karl had forgotten this, and all the strategy of his first years in power would follow from this very sentence of the King. Now, let us follow his diaries.

- "For me, marrying Grete would be a Casus Belli against our Nation, but I do not write treaties, let us benefit from them!"

First we need a real German alliance, we focused too much on the East in the past, with our sole forces, we will never be able to match the Commonwealth, and they know it! Russia doesn't like us, besides we do not ally with heathens and heretics, Austria, they hate us to death, for centuries we served the Empire and did they help us, the very symbol of German Unity against the Poles, no, they are even glad we fell, they could not stand these times when we lead this alliance of all German states, but ...
we only stumbled, Germany will be the key of our foreign policy, let us grow into it. Von Ebert will be able to replace me here for some time and I am going to travel back to the Motherland.

Now look at our economy, he remembered this old latin phrase "The art of war is money in unlimited amounts". "Gut, aber nicht genug!" (Good but not enough) we will always be smaller than the Poles, each of our provinces ought to be as rich as four of theirs, that is priority!

So Karl decided to promote Bailiffs in Kurland and Estonia our richest provinces, they would be followed by Magdeburg, Eastern Prussia and the Capital: Berlin in the coming years.

"The military is powerfull enough as for now, the Poles won't attack now let us spare a little bit and reduce wages"

As foreseen, Karl went on trip to Germany, more precisely to Lübeck and during a sunny day of may 1492, had the Hanserat persuaded to accept us as a "junior ally" with Pomerania. From his diaries "A junior ally, what an insult, but these Ploutocrats are really rich, we will need them in the long run. As for Pomerania in exactly 10 years they will be our's. Marienburg will be the HQ of our order again!"

In effect that happened, A lot of money was spent on honoring Pomerania's nobles, sometimes so much that the King threatened to fire Karl. But when my ancestor found the cutest of all Pomeranian princesses to bride his boring and unexperienced son, everything was settled and Pomerania accepted to be our vassal. Women's history sometimes say that the König's son really got "revealed" by this Claudine von Schiffer and that their fabulous trip to the Friesian islands helped the vassalization. My ancestor never understood why battlefield fellows of the king's son would dub him "Rocco Sifredi" after some Italian Aristocrat certainly, but...

In the meantime Karl enthousiastic about this new strategy more efficient and certain than sending Knights on the field had his and the Knight's relatives married to every house in Germany bar Saxony(-120 relation). "I hope they will give us good knights, the next generation shall be less peacefull than this has been, if they know peace at all..."

Effectively, 12 years later, after a first refusal, Pomerania agreed to be part of our state. History could begin. In the rest of Europe, little happened for real, many petty conflicts, settled by unambitious generals for a few coins, but Austria played a wipe out game against France, annexing its eastern territories, while England annexed Hannover at our highest disgust!
"Now time has come! and during the next Congress of Ministers:
Meine Herren: (Dear Sir's)
- "In 3 years exactly we will declare war on Poland, whatever the costs
so I want by then all cities to be fortified and any DD (Deutsche Ducat) available for army expansion."

And so the country prepared for war...

But 1 year later an incredible news shocked our ears "Poland had joined an alliance with Austria, Saxony, Hungary and Bohemia.

"The Hanseatic alliance should be left Herr Chancellor, we should find some really, powerfull allies" did von-Kurzsichtig (shortsighted)say. "This incompetent idiot always tried to look clever in front of the king, but I will be sacked if I do not find something good now"
"NEIN" did Karl reply, we always meant to annex them, we will just change our timetable, if we had done it at the same time than Pomerania the rest of the world would have strangled us. Besides, we are now powerfull enough to take seduce them even if they are unbelievably rich.

The King accepted the change of foreign policy target and 20 years later, the Hansa joined our "North German Kingdom" giving us a third Center of trade, access to the North Sea and the most populated German city.

But more important, we were free of our alliance and could now reappear on the world stages.

But Karl could not see what the consequences of all his achievements and died shortly after in 1525. People remember him as the "Peacefull" for not entering a single war during his reign. But all forget that he lived for war and prepared the country for war all his life. During his time the country experienced a period of economic growth it will never experience again.

Walter the diplomat.
Karl's son soon took over from Karl, as the Hohenzollern had been impressed with its performance.
Walter's had never known war as his father had, the rest of Europe was already laughing at the descendants of the Knight's order who had became "petty merchants" controlling trade from the North Sea to Livonia. "We are not going to suicide for you to have a show" replied Walter an English diplomat.
Walter had become a real dreamer and spent his time studying european maps, alliances, cultures as well as theology. Luther's writings appealled him this north German idealist and individualist. "We have become a trading nation, our people need to be encouraged in this new way of life, we want to build a powerfull country, others will join us without war" He told the new king. Besides, Saxony, Hessen, Thüringen, and the Palatinate already changed faith and are diplomatically isolated.

"My lord, we should use this opportunity to loose Germany's chains from the emperor. Besides, he's becoming very powerfull and we are isolated". "I know the Emperor and Poland are destroying the Turk war after war in the Balkans so getting stronger day by day, Spain, France and England colonize the world and Russia annexes the little states around it" the king responded before deciding "Settled"

And Prussia became Protestant, to lead the "Deutsche Bund" alliance, signed in the midst of the most impressing series of cross weddings seen in Europe.

WAR
The first war in the country's history shall be in the year of the lord 1528, having signed peace with the Turk Austria claimed the crown of Thüringen and was rejected. The Palatinate took Alsace from Austria, to loose it shortly after again, Austria wiped out Thüringen's forces and besieged Erfurt, but withdrawed in front of our forces, which had no time to follow them and attacked Poland for draws in western Prussia and Dantzig.
White peace, but to our satisfaction all protestant states survived the turmoil, which would lead to annexation of Saxony by Prussia in 1572 which Walter never saw dying 1550 having however time to see Austria annex its two vassals, Hungary and Bohemia.


Günter the warrior: 1550-1598
1572-1589
During the next years the "Protestant German Kingdom of the North" would modernize and focus on acquiring monopolies in many european and colonial trading centers. Plans for an offensive strike against Poland had been developed but now Denmark had joined this Austro-polish bunch. So we had to wait and stockpile units until...

The Catholic alliance finally expired, having stopped annihilating Turks for some time and Russia, which certainly waited as much as we were, allied with some other barbarians, jumped on this occasion, Poland had allied with Venice but in this case (who cares).

The first Polish Partition:
Günter didn't shoot as fast as its military wanted. "All these descendants of glorious knights will have to wait to wash their honor". Wrangled at the King's party by a group of drunk officers he calmly replied: "You waited 130 years, so now do not quickfuck this down you idiots". Günter was born for war and was somewhat vulgar sometimes. However his insulting a descendant of a 400 year-old aristocratic Hanoveran family would have consequences he himself admitted to dearly regret.
- After 1 year of war, both slavic nations were exhausted, and Walter chose the day of the 180th anniversary of Tannenberg to send his ambassador declaring war on Poland.
The prussian army was organised as follows: Brandenburg Armee - 40 k infantry, 20 k cavalry, 50 canons in Pomerania who would attack the Poles in Posen,

Königliche Armee : 40 k infantry, 10 k cavalry, 80 canons in Eastern Prussia who would besiege Dantzig, and the Leib Garde 40 k infantry, 25 k cavalry, 20 canons waiting in Kurland to defeat any offensive strike.
The army seemed huge and all Europe which had not looked at us for the last century now awakened afraid with us having the mightiest standing army of the continent. Waiting for decades for the good moment, for the single fatal blow! "We won't settle" told Günter to the excited king "for less than Dantzig, Western Prussia and Posen".
The war went as foreseen though the Brandenburg army suffered heavy attrition besieging western Prussia. With 80 canons however, the siege of Dantzig quickly became a party where Prussian soldiers raided the cities while "Smocking tobacco", and their generals drinking french champaign. The Leib Garde had a tougher time as for no reason, the Poles came first with a 40 K army (no match), and then in multiple heroic rows of 1000 to 10000 men who offered themseleves for slaughter.
"Sometimes I have a bad conscience to order fire at these peasants" wrote me Feldmarschall von Grün told Günter his wife to reassure her over the campaign, as their son was serving there.

But things turned bad as the insulted Hanoveran officer had lobbyed against our Kingdom in London, and England allied to Sweden and Denmark declared war on us. "Thanks my Lord, Austria stayed out" Günter just said when learning the news. This however put an end to the first polish campaign in 1592, with Dantzig and Western Prussia where they belonged. And now 4 COT's for Prussia.

A call to arms was done to our allies who all responded to our brotherly demand. The Leib Garde fought off hordes of invading danes and Swedes, while the Königliche Armee split to calm down some rebels for one part, and assist the Leib Garde for another.
By Luck nothing happened to Ernst-Günther, Günther's son in the conflict.

A white peace followed, as Günther knew the world would not accept more Prussian expansion now, and he didn't want to borrow for an insignificant "Bad Boy" as he told war. "We are laggards on the seas, even if we wanted we could not hurt them, this has to change in the future. I want a navy, I cannot stand these boats on our coasts" said the King.
"Yes my lord"
- But Günter didn't follow his promise and, after rebuilding the strongest standing army in Europe (15$ maintenance a month), he used all money available in a huge bribing campaing towards small german states.
And died, for Ernst Günther to take over the family tradition:
... But more like his grandfather, and Prussia edged Europe again in Economic and Infrastructure technology, becoming richer and richer.
But most of the money never served the people and went directly to feed German minor houses as well as France and Russia, which were laging behind and would be usefull allies against England, Austria and Poland.

The Great annexor:
Prussia's prestige by the time was so great (and historians say his money so sweet) that within 5 years, by 1603, all members of the Deutsche Bund became vassals. In 1612, Ernst-Günther who seemed mild in public showed his true face, he had read an italian book during his lonely nights of the Polish war - The Prince, from a florentine, Macchiavelli and soon plotted with nobles from Thüringen to have the King have an "accident". After which the country, destabilized turned itself to its protector. Prussia accepted the offer, despite warnings from Poland and Austria, allied again to kick the Turk out of Europe for good this time.
Soon Ernst-Günther, built a new 40 000 man army in Magdeburg and a 30000 soldiers were put in charge of our border with England, in Mecklenburg. "For pure defensive purpose he wrote to the Austrian and English governements. Our country is now vast but stretched and geograpphically hard to defend. And, everybody knows that"

And effectively the two countries had nothing to fear, but the days of the Hessian and Palatinate family of rulers were counted. Using a less brutal tactics than in Thüringen, Ernst-GÜnther who had heard of the gay tendancies of the Hessian heir to the throne: Ludwig, sent a special agent Friedrich Merküre to Kassel in 1614. The artist seduced Ludwig but through "bad luck" their relationship was uncovered and the scandal gave the nobles a reason to ask our King to accept the Hessian crown, which he did. The People in Frankfurt, notably the traders and bankers were unbelievably joyfull as the Prussian market thus opened to them, and the citizen and intellectuals liked the idea of joining a rising state leaving years of stagnation in the HRE behind. Hessen was a great prize as it had annexed Cologne in the 1520's, good protestants!

In 1614, the Rhineland-Palatinate however passed a law of "eternal independance" which profoundly upset Günther. Some covert operations were thought off, but the nobility refused and it stayed there for a while.

In 1618, after an open Prussian press campaign to appeal the people from Palatinate, the King even dared lay down his vassalization link to Prussia.
For no reason he died shortly after, trying to refrain from breathing for one hour with its feet attached to the bedrock of the Rhine River 8 meters under surface (how excentric), and his follower understood that Prussia could be the only protector of the Palatinate.
Thus 1630, the Palatinate finally joined what Ernst-Günther now called in private "The North German Empire"

This, however would not be accepted by the rest of the world which led to the gamble of the "Great Prussian War of 1630-1637".
Austria and Poland and Denmark were fast to declare war, they would soon be followed by Russia .
Now it's over meant the king, as Ernst-Günther died of a hear attack reading the joint declaration of war by Austria, Denmark and Poland.
and the notice that our allies Sweden and the Netherlands left us (I can understand).
But this was counting without Spain who was already at war with Denmark and invaded Holstein which they had annexed. Max, the equally clever son of Ernst-Günther leveraged the country to death and took 2* 500 loans. 250 of this money would soon be use to calm down the Danes. Max knew one thing, the Russians were not a serious threat, if Poland was so strong, it i^mplied that they were weak. So Estonia and Livonia could be left defended by a meagre 20 k army.
Austria was already at war with France, they would never leave their front there, so western Germany was not threatened.
God bless our tradition of now maintaining always at least a 100 000 man army.
This was now divided in 3 main armies plus the Livonian one, 2 armies devoted to our southern German Imperial Friends, 1 for Poland.

Now our catholic friends deserved all our attention: Austria was besieging Thüringen and Magdeburg at the same time ("Never heard of concentrating your forces" Max thought!) before chasing both troops out of Germany.
Poor Max had not seen that in the meantime, Austrians controlled Münster and he would wait 6 months to recover the city.
"I do not want to risk an assault" he said,"We cannot afford this now, troops are precious in this war". In the meantime Austria had recovered and the front developped in a stalemate.

Our 2 forces in Poland behaved like Champions (though helped by fighting 1.5 to 1). Soon Posen would be captured and considering how many the Poles could really build if they were enraged, our troops took their capital and Max settled for Posen to us.

Austria seemed now alone in the war, but Russians finally appeared in bigger numbers so our Polish armies headed north.
After taking Sudeten we settled for 50 D, though Max thought soon your time will come.

Now Max focused on improving our relations to the rest of the world, once more Prussian money flew all over Europe, mainly to Moscow and Paris. In the year of the Lord 1643 Prussia finally joined an Alliance with Sweden (-132) lead by Russia (+25) and some dwarf states not worth mentionning.

In some years Polish blood would flow.

And in April 1647, While Prussia's army as a whole counted 130 k infantry, 40 k cavalry, and 250 guns, Prussia declared war on the Poles. (Who had not renewed their alliance to Austria, now allied to Spain and dwarfs).
Only half the Prussian army was engaged in this war as our borders in the west could have been in danger.

But it was a real slaughter. As usual in Prussian tactics we waited for them to come to us, but somehow they didn't come. Max understood later that the Poles were just beginning to waste the Russians.

By that time Krakau was once more besieged by Prussian forces and fell, just before Russia signed peace with Poland paying 21 - "Idioten" meant Max who never liked the Russians whatsoever.

But Mazowia fell, and with it Peace in 1650 giving us Krakau, as nobody in Prussia wanted this war to last, and the King didn't want to expend valuable troops "to just get orthodox people in the Empire". Besides Max reckoned that the economic value of the other Polish provinces was very low. Without the provinces we had conquered Poland was a finished story. Max also liked the idea to have a puppy Poland in front of a weak Russia for our western plans.

Now it was Austria's turn to suffer!
Max ordered troops to be built to re-give our army its pre-war size.
Austria by then controlled Eastern and Southern France, Bade, 2/3 of the Balkans and was allied to treacherous Bavaria. "It will take more time to eradicate the white stain, but we will get them" He promised the king.

The first Austrian Partition:
It's a paradox, but Russia didn't like us at all after the Polish war (-50 or so) and when we declared war on Austria (1652), somehow they left us ("No pain, No gain") and in Blietzkrieg Sudeten and Silesia fell. But Erz mountain was heavily fortified and we could only support 14 troops there with our logistics, tens of thousands of our people remained there for no reason, the fortress remaining intact.
After 3 years of troops marching back and forth the area, we finally conquered Bohemia and signed peace with Austria on our terms: Sudeten and Silesia were back home in the real German Empire.(1657)

"Now we should build real factories" meant Rüdiger who had taken his father's job, "we were a little bit behind the Austrians in technology" in our last wars. "Yes my King" and new arms factory appeared in Sudeten, Sachsen and Silesia (1661) soon allowing us to be at Europe's edge in terms of military equipment.

In fact iron, more than honor and ground had been the true reason behind the first Austrian Partition, but this Max had never dared to tell the conservative king.

With some Prussian money flowing once again over Europe, the Netherlands befriended with rising Prussia, which had just shown it could be a reliable ally against Austria.

So Protestant Prussia somewhat created the "Western Alliance" with Württenberg and the Netherlands (1663) and increased tolerance levels towards Calvininsts.
"Our next target will be England thought Rüdiger looking at Hanover and Oldenburg on the map".

England had had a bad time, with France conquering Ulster and taking back Calais, while Spain was assessing a triopoly with the French and Portugal on the newly discovered territories.
"With an uncertain eastern border and France now at peace with Austria, these are the easiest target!"
Württenberg of course quick became a vassal of GrandPrussia impressed by its former peer's history. (And ducats)
In 1668 the King came to Rüdiger saying "Why don't we have some territories abroad".
Your family doesn't seem to have spotted it but we could get some money out foreign heathens, maybe even sell African heathens to America"
Rüdiger was disgusted, but orders are orders, and a trading post was established in North Africa (1670) to sell slaves. This new venture first cost a lot of money so that it could become a "Deutsche Kolonie" in 1673.

Rüdiger didn't like the whole thing, they were still some English and Sapnish troops in northern Germany, Austria was still dangerous, France greedy and we were playing cruel games with Africans!!!
Rüdiger only slowly developped the navy and colonies, but focused on Land technology, new military units for the standing army, and infrastructure. In Trade matters, Prussia was the most advanced country in Europe, leading to even more tensions with Spain and England, whose merchants went bankrupt because of us competing with them.

Disgusted at its war experience with us, Austria resumed conflict with Turks and with polish help, was about arriving in Constantinoples.
But Russia somehow needed an experience of German firepower and declared war on us with its imposing ally England.

Of course our allies declared war on them. Russia then felt obliged to attack Estonia and its CoT, burying its forces into attrition while ous army then came for the Blitz on exhausted soldiers.

Historically, England as the alliance's real military leader with huge naval forces had to be crushed first, But Rüdiger went mainly for their possesions in Hanover and Oldenburg. After all at that time the Dutch had their great Leader "Wipe Oranje's out!". The force besieging England's german terrioties was thus equipped with 95 most up to date cannons, both places fell, before the English troops who were trying their best with only 15 cannons in front of Mainz (Level 3/4 fortified) could be of any use. We settled so that they kept Oldenburg, we took Hannover.
Being in a stalemate with the Netherlands as well, a white peace (1675) followed.

In the meantime, Russian forces were amassing somewhat more intelligently and finally defeated our Baltic army. Besieging both Estonia and Livonia. If Livonia could be saved by reinforcements, it was too late for Estonia which had to be besieged by Germans.
Helped by the population which had enjoyed 200 years of stability and economic growthn the city surrendered fast. It was time to avenge an 400 years humiliation on lake Peipus and win economically poor but symbolically heavy Ingermansland.
The Russian army had been defeated and virtually nothing prevented our troops to march into the city by the summer of 1678.
After taking Pskov (1679) we settled with the Russians and took Ingermansland.

In 1684 Rüdiger died and his son Franz ("the Builder")came logically to advise the king.
During the mournings the Swedes declared war on Prussia allied with Austria, and Bavaria. Franz (like all Prussians) didn't like Austrians but hated Bavarians, for an unknown reason and landed in Anspach. Our Baltic Army remained in Estonia and soon saw the Swedes enter Ingermansland.
Reading the report the King Friedrich shouted "WIPE THEM OUT - ALL OF THEM".
But Franz's clever and treacherous wife meant, "No sir leave them take Ingermansland, thus they will have a huge border with Russia, and we can focus on Poland, Austria and England", "Clever you" he said. And after trying to enter Estonia and be destroyed the Sweded requested Ingermansland which they got in September 1685 and claimed as a heroic victory, they took pride in being the first to defeat us in a war over 200 years. Poor thing!

Of course 2 other armies went south, one dedicated to occupy Munich, one for "General defensive purpose" and "possible invasion of Bohemia"
After a draw with Austria, Anspach fell, but Munich resisted. Keen to keep wars short the King annexed Anspach in May 1686.

After that we also needed to develop economically to sustain bigger armies in the future. SO Franz decided to gamble, cut our standing army by one third, and invest massively in weapons, naval, breweries, academies...manufactures. "I will modernize this country, not any city with more than 60 000 people shouldn't have industry".
Indeed that's what happened. Then Franz wanted impressive fortification everywhere which could be improved due to our scientists breakthroughs in construction. "After all one day, there will be a really big coalition against us".
And all the country looked like a building place for years.
But by 1700, it was done all cities had bailiffs, governors, judges, industries, fortifications....
But Württenberg constantly refused to be annexed. ("Conservative stubborn Krauts" meant Franz!).
But Kleven proved more receptive to out gifts and joined Prussia in 1700.

Now, our last crusade against Habsburgism in Germany had been nearly 15 years ago, which was against our Prussian faith.
To use our newly reformed army, Franz advised the king a good traditional Christmas war against Austria, but in two years - as the army had been a little bit spared on.

We still had our beloved friends the Netherlands, and now we had even arranged to mate with the French. But due to a stupid bureaucrat in Berlin we were juniors in this alliance and Würtenberg was still only our vassal, but out of it.
Austria was as usual in bed with Spain, Poland and other dwarfes.

But before we set up our armies something strange happened historians will never explain: Why on earth did tiny Württenberg declare war on Austria: I will never know!

We were a little bit surprised but had no choice, and though Franz's wife said: we simply don't get Würtenberg diplomatically, leave Austria take it and then free it from them". We wnated to behave like Gentlemen. Big mistake!

England declared war on us after some time and before long it was a question of days for 200 years of work to be annihilated. Franz rapidly settled with Austria, leaving Württenberg and Sudeten on the battlefield. (November 1705)
"Revenge was his only words for the years untils his death 1706.

When Friedrich-Alexander became advisor too he advised much isolationism and peace, until we would be able to eliminate any coalition facing us.
By the time of his death in 1725 Prussia had taken part in only one (minor) war on the continent:
The "Anglo-Dutch war of fools" declared by Prussia, but mainly fought by the Netherlands in which Oldenburd would be finally as the last north german province integrated and of which both England and the Netherland would emerge considerably weakened.

Until 1730 the continent knew relative stability and Prussia had been accepted as a continental power superior to Austria. But the new advisor Otto von Salza-Bismarck wanted more: and this is the story of Europe's "dark century":

In 1730 Prussia declared war on Austria and Poland (Liberation war). Russia was already at war with Poland so these were not a threat: After some heavy fighting Prussia took over Würtenburg again as well as the Sudeten (1734) . Bohemia had once more been left to the (now decreasing) white stain!

But this was just the beginning of the "German reconquista"
In 1742 Prussia, France and the Netherlands declared war on Austria and Spain in what was known the "Titan's war" After dozens of battles of sizes unknown until present (80000 men each side)
They were followed shortly by the Ottoman empire, eager to regain centuries of lost territories against the white stain!

Prussia attacked and took Munich, Hainault Bade and Alsace. It took Munich and Hainault for itself. In this war a new framework appeared, where due to the unbelievable level of fortification attained by all cities, only the most modern prussian armies were able to take provinces, which the Prussians would from now on use!

Peace was signed in 1747 but wouldn't last for long!

During this war, the most unbelievable happened, Portugal which had stayed out, had just annexed the remainings of Poland. Poor Poles, they were feared ennemies at a time, nobody could imagine that today!

Benefiting from our slowly destroying Austria the Turk had taken back Wallachia. "That we may have a common interest with the Türk is really only explainable by God only, but as long as he's on our side, for the better!" wrote Otto in his diaries.

In 1753 Otto was legally free for another Austrian rattling and could not prevent himself doing so: for the second Titan's war, same parties same places, but Spain had betrayed Austria this time: France attempted to take Strassburg and Lyonnais but failed, Prussia attacked Flanders, Baden, Brussels and Strassburg with throwing 2/3 of the biggest army ever assembled: 250 k infantry, 80 cavalry and 300 guns in the field.
Austria surrendered Baden and Flanders to Prussia in 1756. Otto still was disappointed Strasburg belonged to the German empire!

...
Which lead the continent to the "Spanish humiliation" war of 1759:
Otto still was frustrated of his total victory. It would now come at Spain's expenses. Spain had showed no willingness to give back Holstein, and had even allied with Denmark in a clear anti German treaty by Copenhaguen. But Otto now enjoyed a cutting edge naval force, and with the Flanders' CoT pouring even more money into our coffers, fleets were details to buy. So Otto developped the most unbelievable plan in German military history:
1) Control Holstein (easy)
2) Control Denmark's continental province
3) Attack Spain in Ulster (Which Spain had certainly negotoated out of France in the first Titan's war)
4) Attack Spain in Sicily
5) Attack Spain in Naples

And so it happened, German guns took Hamburg and Denmark accepted a white peace.
Germany shipped a 20 k force to Ulster and after one good year of siege, took it.
As for Sicily but Spain still refused to give Hamburg back. So Naples, but at the same time than Ulster which the Spanaiards had reattacked, meanwhile, the German slave exporting colonies were destroyed".
So a new army had to avenge the Ulster garrison which von Torun rapidly did.
And after a seven years' war in 1764, Spain humiliated accepted to give back Hamburg and aknowledged German superiority at sea.
Otto couldn't refrain his joy and prepared another buildup against Austria, but history was faster than him and the Netherland confident in our German allies declared war on England.

In a unique Blitz, Brussels was controlled by German soldiers and the 40/20/20 continental english Army destroyed. That was enough for the English who begged for peace and left Brussels to Otto's empire! (1766)

And now Otto had every nation in Europe afraid of him, "Austria's hour had come". After a quick rebuild the country was ready and in the early days of 1770 the Austrian embassador suicided himself after reading the declaration of the Prussian King, proclaiming himself officially Emperor of Grossdeutschland (a concept of Germany including Austria).
Of course the Netherlands heard our calls and cash and joined us.
Austria was alone and once more already fighting the Turks
The Austrian delight: It needed 3 years though to control Luxemburg, Alsase, and invade Bohemia so that Austria ceded Luxemburg and Alsace and now had lost all its possession in german speaking areas out of its mainland, in 1774

Otto died quitely then aged 101 years.

His follower (me) had nothing to do anymore, and I could only smile at the desperate French attempt to declare war on us in 1790 during their revolution. After taking Calais, our second army took Lorraine in 6 months, and we imposed on them annexation of this territory.
With the German empire now so comfortably dominating Europe, I do not know what we could still attain, maybe it is time re-unite Karl der Grosse's (Charlemagne's) empire. No, "leave the French he meant - Germany's future is south of the Donau now, Vienna will be ours!

[Vulture]

Allright.... Nice... Extensive post, good writing skills, fun & educative to read

[HermanvonSalza]

But I had a bad and costly strategy in fact!
Next time I think I should try to ally with your nation in the beginning of the game, and crush the other German tinies with your help.
Being farer away, Poland will gain less than me in these conflicts and in the end could be crushed even more than I did with for example a late bought Swedish alliance.
But while I had thought about it, I did some roleplaying and because of historical reasons simply couldn't (it wouldn't have been realistic at all).