Portugal - an iberian power?
This is my first AAR, the game is a grand campaign game set on normal difficulty and normal aggressiveness with historical events on. I know it might not be hard for some of you but for a newbie like me it is
Surveying his properties the king was satisfied, 3 provinces in mainland iberia, and his acquisition of tangiers on the north africa coast not to mention many trading posts scattered throughout africa. Earlier explorers had even blessed portugal by getting as far as the cape of good hope. The kind knew more greatness awaited his country.
Concerned with the well known power and strength of the spanish military fresh from there conquest of granada the king ordered a masive increase in troop sizes. Fortfications were also strenghtened. The king was taking no chances. He set about looking for strong allies and manage to marry off two daughters to the kings of spain and england.
1492 - 1494 Ribejo's Voyage discovers the gulf of the amazon
Unfortunately he died in 1495 to make way for his militaristic son Manuael I.
1495 - 1497 Corte Real explores most of modern day brazil's coastline.
1495 - 1497 Da Gama explores all of eastern africa before rounding the cape of good hope, his expidtion runs aground in the straits of zanzibar and he is killed in the wreck.
1496 The Moroccan Disaster
An ignominous year for the portguese army in tangiers. Setting their goals on the infidels larger though technologically inferior force Manuel decides a surprise attack. In february war is declared and 21,000 portuguese soldiers head off to morocco.
The expedition is nothing short of a disaster, on March 10 The entire portuguese army is eliminated decisively, and the huge forty thousand strong moroccan force remaining marches directly to tangiers. The small field army of 4000 men freshly raised there is butchered outside of the city gates as the moroccan host lays siege to pitifully weak 3000 man strong garisson. In July the Moroccan's storm the defenses and butcher the entire garisson. The province is lost on the 1st of July and confirmed by treaty on the 9th.
Manuel I is humiliated but manages to retain his throne, he is able to do this with a quick and rapid response to the moroccon disaster although with mixed results.
1497 - 1499 1st Spanish war
Taking a chance and based upon spanish obligations elsewhere on the continent Manuel builds a mainland force with the firm intention of invading spain. In October 1497 Andulusia is invaded, and a siege is inititaed, however it is abandoned as the army marches directly to Castille which is captured in the latter part of the war... unfortunately this was merely a stroke of luck as spanish forces march through an undefended portugal. Rather then push the war on any further a treaty is signed. Despite our hold of castille it is no match for the hand of the spanish and we are force to hand over the azores.
1499 - 1501 2nd Spanish War
Still smarting from the loss of the azores and the hope inspired by the capture of castille we declare war on spain again after a large scale recruitment drive in portugal. A massive army heads north and quickly captures Galicia, before sieging spain. We are able to force our hand for a quick end to the war gaining the province of Galicia much to our delight. Portugal now holds the enitire Western seaboard of the iberian peninsula. This was a mistake on the spaniards side as the acquisition of Galicia so apparently easy has given us hope of capturing more mainland provinces.
During 1502 army recruitment is again initiated as is colonisation of northern brazil.
1502 - 1507 3rd Spanish War
We move in fast looking to acquire the southern provinces of Andulusia and Estramaduras and despite some early successes soon lose the advantage we once had. We are force to end the war when we are given a chance of peace by spain by paying a token indemnity.
In 1509 Eastern Europe is gripped by a series of wars mainly directed at the Hanseatic league. From hereon for almost a decade portugal is faced with rebellions in Galicia and settlers being killed in brazil. The natives are soon supressed. In 1518 the king begins authorising large scale forces to be made ready for an invasion of austrias in the north.
In 152 Joao III becomes king of portugal and displays his eagerness for war by continuing the troop increases previously authorised by his predecessor
1522 - 1523 4th Spanish War
The war is a hard war of attrition in which mainly sees pitched battles and sieges in the northern provinces of leon and oporto. Surprisingly spain has managed to even call upon a small scottish expiditionary force... fortunately they are elinimated as the make battle in Oporto. Again portugal comes away empty handed and humiliated as they pay a large endemnity to get rid of the ever increasing spanish troop build up. The Ally we counted upon more than anyone, England, dishonoured us when we decalred war freeing up the scottish and depriving us of a strong force we could have made use of.
During the years of 1526 to 1533 the european continent is racked with massive wholesale conversions of nations to protestant religon. Most notbaly Sweden in 1529 and England in 1533. Jaoa, already a practicing protestant, declares portugal a protestant nation in 1534. Immediately he is faced with massive rebellions from the largely catholic country. for the next few years the newly raised army is battling its own people trying to restore law and order.
1538 - 1545 5th Spanish War
Full of a crusading zeal and with a huge 120 thousand strong army [in 3 groups] Joao III once again declares war on spain concentrating solely on the northenr and central spanish provinces. In 1538 We buy off Naples out of the war [as an ally of spain] and destor the scottish force in Asturias before buying them off in 1539. Asturias is captured in 1539 at the loss of control of oporto. This is offset when we manage to out manuevre and destroy the largest spanish field army decisively. The war drags on here with siege and counter siege in asturias which we still manage to hold onto. The spanish are finally crushed in Asturias in 1543 however we cannot capitalise on this as home rebellions force the recall of the army to contain them. Drat! Thanks to these severe rebellions we are foced to agree peace with spain loosing control of Asturias which so many men had died for.
The rebellions continue to grow in intensity and show no signs of wavering. The pitifully small portuguese army has been dramatically reduced by this continual state of war and is now almost no match for the rebels. In desperation the king, Joao II, makes a declaration in Lisbon saying:
'Portugal is worth a mass!'
He reconverts to catholicism and appoints it back again as the state religion. Despite going bankrupt later that decade the portuguese nation regains its former stability and the rebellions stop almost immediately. Joao III cannot contain his dissappointment, but he is keen to see war waged without worrying about the populace rebelling at such crucial moment again. He maintains his protestant beliefs but in the privacy of his own private monastery in lisbon. He ensures the thousands of protestant portuguese also are well tolerated in the empire. He dies before he can re-invade spain to be succeeded by Catarina... unfortunately her rule is brief and strong kingship is found as Henrique comes to the throne in 1562 possessing a monstrously large portuguese army and in bitter remembrance of the failures of the portuguese field army prior to his accession. He takes personnaly control of the planning and it shows.
1566 - 1567 6th Spanish War
He personally overseas the capture of estramaduras in 1567 which is annexed to portugal almost immediately by treaty. He reorganises the troops and recruits again over the next two months.
1567 7th Spanish War
Estramaduras is attacked by the spanish frequently but the field army holding it holds firm and the spanish are ejected from it. Genoan and Parman allies of spain are also soundly defeated as they attempt an invasion of Oporto. In December that year the province of andulusia is captured after a short siege. It is soon annexed by treaty to portugal and has proven to be the highlight of the portuguese military... the province of Andulusia is extremely rich and worth more than almost all of portuguese provinces combined.
In 1568 Henrique dies and the portuguese mourn this great warrior. He is canonised as a saint almost immediately afterwards. His throne passes to Sebastiao I who rules with an iron hand as he plans the next target, the rich province of toledo. He is surprised to hear of a concerted seaborne assault by the moroccans in andulusia. They are annihilated and upon sebastiao's personal orders butchered in the plains around the provincial capital. He ensures he sends a very clear signal to the moroccans that not only are portugal a force to reckoned with, that he also plans to teach them a lesson in the near future.
This is my first AAR, the game is a grand campaign game set on normal difficulty and normal aggressiveness with historical events on. I know it might not be hard for some of you but for a newbie like me it is
Surveying his properties the king was satisfied, 3 provinces in mainland iberia, and his acquisition of tangiers on the north africa coast not to mention many trading posts scattered throughout africa. Earlier explorers had even blessed portugal by getting as far as the cape of good hope. The kind knew more greatness awaited his country.
Concerned with the well known power and strength of the spanish military fresh from there conquest of granada the king ordered a masive increase in troop sizes. Fortfications were also strenghtened. The king was taking no chances. He set about looking for strong allies and manage to marry off two daughters to the kings of spain and england.
1492 - 1494 Ribejo's Voyage discovers the gulf of the amazon
Unfortunately he died in 1495 to make way for his militaristic son Manuael I.
1495 - 1497 Corte Real explores most of modern day brazil's coastline.
1495 - 1497 Da Gama explores all of eastern africa before rounding the cape of good hope, his expidtion runs aground in the straits of zanzibar and he is killed in the wreck.
1496 The Moroccan Disaster
An ignominous year for the portguese army in tangiers. Setting their goals on the infidels larger though technologically inferior force Manuel decides a surprise attack. In february war is declared and 21,000 portuguese soldiers head off to morocco.
The expedition is nothing short of a disaster, on March 10 The entire portuguese army is eliminated decisively, and the huge forty thousand strong moroccan force remaining marches directly to tangiers. The small field army of 4000 men freshly raised there is butchered outside of the city gates as the moroccan host lays siege to pitifully weak 3000 man strong garisson. In July the Moroccan's storm the defenses and butcher the entire garisson. The province is lost on the 1st of July and confirmed by treaty on the 9th.
Manuel I is humiliated but manages to retain his throne, he is able to do this with a quick and rapid response to the moroccon disaster although with mixed results.
1497 - 1499 1st Spanish war
Taking a chance and based upon spanish obligations elsewhere on the continent Manuel builds a mainland force with the firm intention of invading spain. In October 1497 Andulusia is invaded, and a siege is inititaed, however it is abandoned as the army marches directly to Castille which is captured in the latter part of the war... unfortunately this was merely a stroke of luck as spanish forces march through an undefended portugal. Rather then push the war on any further a treaty is signed. Despite our hold of castille it is no match for the hand of the spanish and we are force to hand over the azores.
1499 - 1501 2nd Spanish War
Still smarting from the loss of the azores and the hope inspired by the capture of castille we declare war on spain again after a large scale recruitment drive in portugal. A massive army heads north and quickly captures Galicia, before sieging spain. We are able to force our hand for a quick end to the war gaining the province of Galicia much to our delight. Portugal now holds the enitire Western seaboard of the iberian peninsula. This was a mistake on the spaniards side as the acquisition of Galicia so apparently easy has given us hope of capturing more mainland provinces.
During 1502 army recruitment is again initiated as is colonisation of northern brazil.
1502 - 1507 3rd Spanish War
We move in fast looking to acquire the southern provinces of Andulusia and Estramaduras and despite some early successes soon lose the advantage we once had. We are force to end the war when we are given a chance of peace by spain by paying a token indemnity.
In 1509 Eastern Europe is gripped by a series of wars mainly directed at the Hanseatic league. From hereon for almost a decade portugal is faced with rebellions in Galicia and settlers being killed in brazil. The natives are soon supressed. In 1518 the king begins authorising large scale forces to be made ready for an invasion of austrias in the north.
In 152 Joao III becomes king of portugal and displays his eagerness for war by continuing the troop increases previously authorised by his predecessor
1522 - 1523 4th Spanish War
The war is a hard war of attrition in which mainly sees pitched battles and sieges in the northern provinces of leon and oporto. Surprisingly spain has managed to even call upon a small scottish expiditionary force... fortunately they are elinimated as the make battle in Oporto. Again portugal comes away empty handed and humiliated as they pay a large endemnity to get rid of the ever increasing spanish troop build up. The Ally we counted upon more than anyone, England, dishonoured us when we decalred war freeing up the scottish and depriving us of a strong force we could have made use of.
During the years of 1526 to 1533 the european continent is racked with massive wholesale conversions of nations to protestant religon. Most notbaly Sweden in 1529 and England in 1533. Jaoa, already a practicing protestant, declares portugal a protestant nation in 1534. Immediately he is faced with massive rebellions from the largely catholic country. for the next few years the newly raised army is battling its own people trying to restore law and order.
1538 - 1545 5th Spanish War
Full of a crusading zeal and with a huge 120 thousand strong army [in 3 groups] Joao III once again declares war on spain concentrating solely on the northenr and central spanish provinces. In 1538 We buy off Naples out of the war [as an ally of spain] and destor the scottish force in Asturias before buying them off in 1539. Asturias is captured in 1539 at the loss of control of oporto. This is offset when we manage to out manuevre and destroy the largest spanish field army decisively. The war drags on here with siege and counter siege in asturias which we still manage to hold onto. The spanish are finally crushed in Asturias in 1543 however we cannot capitalise on this as home rebellions force the recall of the army to contain them. Drat! Thanks to these severe rebellions we are foced to agree peace with spain loosing control of Asturias which so many men had died for.
The rebellions continue to grow in intensity and show no signs of wavering. The pitifully small portuguese army has been dramatically reduced by this continual state of war and is now almost no match for the rebels. In desperation the king, Joao II, makes a declaration in Lisbon saying:
'Portugal is worth a mass!'
He reconverts to catholicism and appoints it back again as the state religion. Despite going bankrupt later that decade the portuguese nation regains its former stability and the rebellions stop almost immediately. Joao III cannot contain his dissappointment, but he is keen to see war waged without worrying about the populace rebelling at such crucial moment again. He maintains his protestant beliefs but in the privacy of his own private monastery in lisbon. He ensures the thousands of protestant portuguese also are well tolerated in the empire. He dies before he can re-invade spain to be succeeded by Catarina... unfortunately her rule is brief and strong kingship is found as Henrique comes to the throne in 1562 possessing a monstrously large portuguese army and in bitter remembrance of the failures of the portuguese field army prior to his accession. He takes personnaly control of the planning and it shows.
1566 - 1567 6th Spanish War
He personally overseas the capture of estramaduras in 1567 which is annexed to portugal almost immediately by treaty. He reorganises the troops and recruits again over the next two months.
1567 7th Spanish War
Estramaduras is attacked by the spanish frequently but the field army holding it holds firm and the spanish are ejected from it. Genoan and Parman allies of spain are also soundly defeated as they attempt an invasion of Oporto. In December that year the province of andulusia is captured after a short siege. It is soon annexed by treaty to portugal and has proven to be the highlight of the portuguese military... the province of Andulusia is extremely rich and worth more than almost all of portuguese provinces combined.
In 1568 Henrique dies and the portuguese mourn this great warrior. He is canonised as a saint almost immediately afterwards. His throne passes to Sebastiao I who rules with an iron hand as he plans the next target, the rich province of toledo. He is surprised to hear of a concerted seaborne assault by the moroccans in andulusia. They are annihilated and upon sebastiao's personal orders butchered in the plains around the provincial capital. He ensures he sends a very clear signal to the moroccans that not only are portugal a force to reckoned with, that he also plans to teach them a lesson in the near future.
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