Creating a foundation 1492 - 1532
In 1492, Sweden is as you know still a small, backwater nation, vassalized by Denmark and suffering from an underdeveloped economy as well as technology. My plan was - not very original, but the only reasonable way to go - to as soon as possible annex Denmark.
Before I continue, I should say that I play normal/normal GC, all events on, no missions.
As written above, Sweden doesn't seem to have a very bright future in 1492. Recognising, however, that the only way to such a future would be an expensive and probably frustrating war, I started spending my 300 D to reinforce the army. Looking around in the region, our enemies could be easily identified. Poland, Russia and Denmark all hate us and probably won't need many reasons to fight us. Unfortunately, our enemies being equal to our neighbours, I decided to go long-term in diplomacy, establishing an alliance with Hannover.
Not much happened during the first year. Reports drifted in about the Poles going to war with the Turks, the Russians attacking Kazan, but nothing of immediate interest to us. Thinking that it might be good to have some friends at last, we expanded our alliance to include the friendly state of Saxony. In an attempt to cover our back, we arranged a royal marriage with Russia.
The Danish oppressors were moving around Sweden with their armies, but in our current state we could just wait and plan for the day when we had thrown off their unfair rule.
The annual tax revenues amounted to the pitifully small sum of 68 D. Spending all available resources on improving the army and raising our -2 stability, a marriage was arranged with Brandenburg. During 1493 reports of Poland losing Bessarabia to the Turks came in. We expanded our alliance, bringing Hessen in. Russia acquired Lipetsk from the Kazans, and nothing happened out of the ordinary.
In 1496, quite a few eyebrows rise when Toscana DOWs the Papal states. Parma and the Knights, of all people, joins the war. Opposing them are France, Savoi, Switzerland, Scotland, Poland and of course the Papal states. Not very expected, but since our sphere of influence right now is barely to our own borders, we don't follow the development of that conflict very closely. In 1497 we get a new king, Hans (3/3/4) and army tech so that we can storm fortresses.
Toscana buys a peace in front of the overwhelming opposition.
1498, and we believe we have to start a war sometime, so why not now? We DOW Denmark, who brings in Russia and Pskov. Luckily, none of Denmarks allies lift a finger to help her - Poland has attacked Russia. This means that the not-so-bright Danes rush to Russias defense instead of their own. We manage to keep the Danish army (18k) safely at Gotland with our fleet patrolling the Baltic. By June 1499 they sign a treaty giving us Scania and Östlandet and 250 D, which turns out to be 1 D. We've accomplished our goal so we're happy anyway.
By Jan 1501 we get our first general, Gadh (2,2,2,1) and in November king Sten Sture Sjöblad is crowned (4/4/4). Poland gets Lipetsk from Russia and our income is up to 107 D. The fortress of Nyland gets a free upgrade, much needed since our funds are extremely low and no improvements at all have been made to our defenses. On the other hand the Danes had been good enough to improve what is now our provinces, making our western borders well defended.
In 1503 we get a new king, Sten Sture Natt och Dag, (night and day) and we continue massing our armies to be able to continue fighting the Danes. France DOW on Spain, both countries with large alliances taking part in the war. We have a small uprising, and our sole general is nearly beheaded after his 17k inf army loses to the 6k strong rebels... The continental war continue, Savoy annexing Lothringen, France annexin Milan, and Naples getting Romagna from the Pope. Scotland gives England a thorough bashing and receives Yorkshire and Lancashire. Poland takes E & W Pommerania from the Hanseatic League, making us a bit worried. The Baltic coastline is after all rightfully a part of Sweden. All of it.
Our king is apparently busy with something important, and decides to leave diplomatic relations alone. It's been a few years since the last war and in March 1506 it's time for another one. This time we're not so lucky and we have to accept only gaining Jämtland and Finnmark to prevent the Russians from taking Finland. Our desperate attempt to take Copenhagen fails, but we're still satisfied for now. Meanwhile, Spain is losing provinces rapidly. Hainaut and Artois to France and Roussillon goes to the Pope. France wins Romagna from Naples and Midlands from England. There is no lasting peace though´, because Kurpfalz DOW Schweiz and the same alliances clash again. Portugal sees its chance and stabs Spain in the back along with Navarra and Tunisia. Baden, Wurtenberg and Thuringen attack Switzerland and France & co attacks them in turn.
Another king takes our crown in 1512, this time Sten Sture Dag och Natt (not much differenc namewise..) We continue preparing for the great and final assault on Denmark, but we're not having enough financial advantage and they keep up in the arms race. France loses Artois to Kurpfalz and Hainaut to the Hanseatic League and Potugal gets Andalucia, giving us some small reason to rejoice, since it gives us a more balaced Europe. God signals his approval of our struggle against the evil Danes by giving us 7k troops and investments in navy research. By 1517, we thank him by going protestant, thinking that that money gained will help us informce our army enough to annex Denmark. The colonists gained go north to our sadly underdeveloped provinces.
We seem to have been slightly wrong, because all of Sweden and Finland are suddenly involved in a bitter civil war. One third of our army, including the treacherous general Gadh, join the rebels. Six months later the general hang from a tree, head down, and the rebels are crushed. Savolaks are converted to the true faith (mine) and Bagge af Boo (3,3,3) is appointed Admiral. 1520 brings the lousy king Christian II, who a year later is replaced by Gustav Vasa (4/5/4). All the money from the conversion spent on rebuilding the army to its former glory, we get 1000 D loans and improve our army drastically, with bankruptcy as an effect. Not knowing that it would reduce morale for five years though, effectively delaying me for that long. Once out of its spell, God sends us a message: 5 more warships.
Our forces are now, spring 1530, large enough to take Denmark, we believe. 40k to defend Finland, 25k to take Norway and 40k to land in Copenhagen. The fleet at 40 ships is enough to crush the Danes. Luckily for us the Danish alliance with Russia expires and we attack as soon as we can. The remaining provinces of Nowrway falls quickly, as does Copenhagen. The Danish army of 50k and 150 guns manages to hold on to Jylland. Our fleet picks up the defenders of Finland and invades Gotland. The Norwegian army is sent soth to reinforce the army in Copenhagen, to mount the final assault on Jylland. After suffering heavy losses both from fighting and attrition Denmark can finally be annexed autumn 1531. Their remaining fleet (2 ships) and army (100 guns) fall into our hands.
Our first objective reached, we are somewhat worried about the future. Rampant inflation (41%), an army with 350 cannon but only 15k inf and no cav, no economy worth speaking of, and with disastrous diplomatic relations it's going to take a while to consolidate our position in the Baltic region.
Nevertheless do we now, on new year's day 1532, turn our expansionist gaze south, to the prosperous German citystates - who have gone protestant with no one but me to turn to... Or perhaps join the Turks against Poland? We'll see, but one thing is sure: we have lots of wars yet to fight, much blood yet to spill. For peace, prosperity and a just cause of course
In 1492, Sweden is as you know still a small, backwater nation, vassalized by Denmark and suffering from an underdeveloped economy as well as technology. My plan was - not very original, but the only reasonable way to go - to as soon as possible annex Denmark.
Before I continue, I should say that I play normal/normal GC, all events on, no missions.
As written above, Sweden doesn't seem to have a very bright future in 1492. Recognising, however, that the only way to such a future would be an expensive and probably frustrating war, I started spending my 300 D to reinforce the army. Looking around in the region, our enemies could be easily identified. Poland, Russia and Denmark all hate us and probably won't need many reasons to fight us. Unfortunately, our enemies being equal to our neighbours, I decided to go long-term in diplomacy, establishing an alliance with Hannover.
Not much happened during the first year. Reports drifted in about the Poles going to war with the Turks, the Russians attacking Kazan, but nothing of immediate interest to us. Thinking that it might be good to have some friends at last, we expanded our alliance to include the friendly state of Saxony. In an attempt to cover our back, we arranged a royal marriage with Russia.
The Danish oppressors were moving around Sweden with their armies, but in our current state we could just wait and plan for the day when we had thrown off their unfair rule.
The annual tax revenues amounted to the pitifully small sum of 68 D. Spending all available resources on improving the army and raising our -2 stability, a marriage was arranged with Brandenburg. During 1493 reports of Poland losing Bessarabia to the Turks came in. We expanded our alliance, bringing Hessen in. Russia acquired Lipetsk from the Kazans, and nothing happened out of the ordinary.
In 1496, quite a few eyebrows rise when Toscana DOWs the Papal states. Parma and the Knights, of all people, joins the war. Opposing them are France, Savoi, Switzerland, Scotland, Poland and of course the Papal states. Not very expected, but since our sphere of influence right now is barely to our own borders, we don't follow the development of that conflict very closely. In 1497 we get a new king, Hans (3/3/4) and army tech so that we can storm fortresses.
Toscana buys a peace in front of the overwhelming opposition.
1498, and we believe we have to start a war sometime, so why not now? We DOW Denmark, who brings in Russia and Pskov. Luckily, none of Denmarks allies lift a finger to help her - Poland has attacked Russia. This means that the not-so-bright Danes rush to Russias defense instead of their own. We manage to keep the Danish army (18k) safely at Gotland with our fleet patrolling the Baltic. By June 1499 they sign a treaty giving us Scania and Östlandet and 250 D, which turns out to be 1 D. We've accomplished our goal so we're happy anyway.
By Jan 1501 we get our first general, Gadh (2,2,2,1) and in November king Sten Sture Sjöblad is crowned (4/4/4). Poland gets Lipetsk from Russia and our income is up to 107 D. The fortress of Nyland gets a free upgrade, much needed since our funds are extremely low and no improvements at all have been made to our defenses. On the other hand the Danes had been good enough to improve what is now our provinces, making our western borders well defended.
In 1503 we get a new king, Sten Sture Natt och Dag, (night and day) and we continue massing our armies to be able to continue fighting the Danes. France DOW on Spain, both countries with large alliances taking part in the war. We have a small uprising, and our sole general is nearly beheaded after his 17k inf army loses to the 6k strong rebels... The continental war continue, Savoy annexing Lothringen, France annexin Milan, and Naples getting Romagna from the Pope. Scotland gives England a thorough bashing and receives Yorkshire and Lancashire. Poland takes E & W Pommerania from the Hanseatic League, making us a bit worried. The Baltic coastline is after all rightfully a part of Sweden. All of it.
Our king is apparently busy with something important, and decides to leave diplomatic relations alone. It's been a few years since the last war and in March 1506 it's time for another one. This time we're not so lucky and we have to accept only gaining Jämtland and Finnmark to prevent the Russians from taking Finland. Our desperate attempt to take Copenhagen fails, but we're still satisfied for now. Meanwhile, Spain is losing provinces rapidly. Hainaut and Artois to France and Roussillon goes to the Pope. France wins Romagna from Naples and Midlands from England. There is no lasting peace though´, because Kurpfalz DOW Schweiz and the same alliances clash again. Portugal sees its chance and stabs Spain in the back along with Navarra and Tunisia. Baden, Wurtenberg and Thuringen attack Switzerland and France & co attacks them in turn.
Another king takes our crown in 1512, this time Sten Sture Dag och Natt (not much differenc namewise..) We continue preparing for the great and final assault on Denmark, but we're not having enough financial advantage and they keep up in the arms race. France loses Artois to Kurpfalz and Hainaut to the Hanseatic League and Potugal gets Andalucia, giving us some small reason to rejoice, since it gives us a more balaced Europe. God signals his approval of our struggle against the evil Danes by giving us 7k troops and investments in navy research. By 1517, we thank him by going protestant, thinking that that money gained will help us informce our army enough to annex Denmark. The colonists gained go north to our sadly underdeveloped provinces.
We seem to have been slightly wrong, because all of Sweden and Finland are suddenly involved in a bitter civil war. One third of our army, including the treacherous general Gadh, join the rebels. Six months later the general hang from a tree, head down, and the rebels are crushed. Savolaks are converted to the true faith (mine) and Bagge af Boo (3,3,3) is appointed Admiral. 1520 brings the lousy king Christian II, who a year later is replaced by Gustav Vasa (4/5/4). All the money from the conversion spent on rebuilding the army to its former glory, we get 1000 D loans and improve our army drastically, with bankruptcy as an effect. Not knowing that it would reduce morale for five years though, effectively delaying me for that long. Once out of its spell, God sends us a message: 5 more warships.
Our forces are now, spring 1530, large enough to take Denmark, we believe. 40k to defend Finland, 25k to take Norway and 40k to land in Copenhagen. The fleet at 40 ships is enough to crush the Danes. Luckily for us the Danish alliance with Russia expires and we attack as soon as we can. The remaining provinces of Nowrway falls quickly, as does Copenhagen. The Danish army of 50k and 150 guns manages to hold on to Jylland. Our fleet picks up the defenders of Finland and invades Gotland. The Norwegian army is sent soth to reinforce the army in Copenhagen, to mount the final assault on Jylland. After suffering heavy losses both from fighting and attrition Denmark can finally be annexed autumn 1531. Their remaining fleet (2 ships) and army (100 guns) fall into our hands.
Our first objective reached, we are somewhat worried about the future. Rampant inflation (41%), an army with 350 cannon but only 15k inf and no cav, no economy worth speaking of, and with disastrous diplomatic relations it's going to take a while to consolidate our position in the Baltic region.
Nevertheless do we now, on new year's day 1532, turn our expansionist gaze south, to the prosperous German citystates - who have gone protestant with no one but me to turn to... Or perhaps join the Turks against Poland? We'll see, but one thing is sure: we have lots of wars yet to fight, much blood yet to spill. For peace, prosperity and a just cause of course
