This is my first AAR, be kind. Also English isn't my first language and I do not live in an English speaking nation, so...please correct me if I am wrong. Teach me English, maybe you can learn Russian from me :rofl: (I live in Moscow).
Anyway...to it...
The Rise of Poland: 1492-1536
The goal of this game is to take Poland from a backwards Slavic European Nation to a nation that can challenge Austria and Spain in dominance. I will not use cheats for this game, although I may have strange urges to do so.
In 1492, Poland by no means is large nation. Our military is large in numbers, too large for us to support as a matter of fact. Our technological advancement is not as great as I would like it to be. The King of Poland, Kazimierz Jagiellończyk, an honest man, realizes the problem. He realizes that the kingdom cannot by any means expect to hold a military together of the current size together with Poland's economic problems. He therefore feels that infrastructure of the nation should first improve, then military strength. The great spending project aims to take the backwards feudal kingdom and create a flourishing republic. However before his plan can be set forth he dies.
His son, in 1494, Jan I Olbracht, sets about balancing the budget as his first act as King. He keeps Obieslav's dream in mind throughout building infrastructure and pushing the feuding lords into a coherent body of government which came together a year after the beginning of his reign with the Statute of Piotrkow, which formerly united the nobles into a republican body called the Sejm. The peasants of Poland are not left out of the deal, although they are still to work the lands of their noble masters, they will be allowed some freedoms. On the creation of the Sejm, an ananymous advisor is quoted as saying, "We have created a new Republic of Rome, we have rebuilt the flame of glory." However the glory was short lived as soon Jan was marching off to battle in Moldova against the Wallachians who had invaded Lithuania, Poland's ally. He would die in battle, for at the same time, a combined force of North German states would attack Poland, a republic with an already weak army tied up in another land.
The Poles were forced to leave the Wallachians to the Lithuanians and battle against the forces of Germany. The war was fierce and brutal. Poland was distraught especially in the West where Poznan and Danzig were sacked by German knights who had rampaged through Wielkopolskan farm lands.
Aleksander I would replace him until 1505. Faced with a ravaged and bankrupt state, aggresive Muscovites to the East and the Teutonic Order to the North, the weak Aleksander would do nothing. The Senate stepped in and created a bank, so they no longer had to deal with enemies in Germany for their money, and wrote the Constitution of Radom which woudl govern Poland. In 1505, much to the celebration of the people, Aleksander died.
Zygmunt I Stariy (Sigmund the Old), the greatest of Polish Kings, came to power. Sigismund faced the challenge of consolidating internal power to face external threats to the country. During Alexander's rule, a law "Nihil novi" had been instated, that forbade Kings of Poland from enacting laws without the consent of the sejm. This proved crippling in Sigismund's dealings with his szlachta and magnates. Zygmund would however face greater challenges when in 1512, the stronger and reenergized German states attacked.
Victory was achieved in 1518, adding Silesia and Hinterpommern to Poland. Economically, Poland was ruined and the hole which Aleksander had dug was now even deeper. To make matter worse, a plague broke out which devastated the country side. Zygmunt took the neccesary steps and the loans began to be paid off through a policy, approved and helped to be administered of helping merchantry and fiscal spending on military and diplomatic ventures.
In 1526, Prussia, fearing the Teutonic Order and out of neccesity because of religious disorder following the reformation, became a Duchy of Poland. Religious turmoil brought revolts to both Danzig and Poznan, which the great General Tarnowski put down.
Relative peace was achieved, the economy flourished, and Poland created good diplomatic ties with former enemies in Brandenburg as well as befriending the Muscovites and pushing them to destroy Poland's age old enemy of the Teutonic Knights.
However, coming off a victory in Hungary, the Ottoman Turks, in 1536 came into conflict with Poland. As Tarnowski marched off to brutal war, things seemed to be in the balance. Would Poland continue its success or be destroyed by the Turks and then ripped apart by jealous neighbors to the West in Austria.
Anyway...to it...
The Rise of Poland: 1492-1536
The goal of this game is to take Poland from a backwards Slavic European Nation to a nation that can challenge Austria and Spain in dominance. I will not use cheats for this game, although I may have strange urges to do so.
In 1492, Poland by no means is large nation. Our military is large in numbers, too large for us to support as a matter of fact. Our technological advancement is not as great as I would like it to be. The King of Poland, Kazimierz Jagiellończyk, an honest man, realizes the problem. He realizes that the kingdom cannot by any means expect to hold a military together of the current size together with Poland's economic problems. He therefore feels that infrastructure of the nation should first improve, then military strength. The great spending project aims to take the backwards feudal kingdom and create a flourishing republic. However before his plan can be set forth he dies.
His son, in 1494, Jan I Olbracht, sets about balancing the budget as his first act as King. He keeps Obieslav's dream in mind throughout building infrastructure and pushing the feuding lords into a coherent body of government which came together a year after the beginning of his reign with the Statute of Piotrkow, which formerly united the nobles into a republican body called the Sejm. The peasants of Poland are not left out of the deal, although they are still to work the lands of their noble masters, they will be allowed some freedoms. On the creation of the Sejm, an ananymous advisor is quoted as saying, "We have created a new Republic of Rome, we have rebuilt the flame of glory." However the glory was short lived as soon Jan was marching off to battle in Moldova against the Wallachians who had invaded Lithuania, Poland's ally. He would die in battle, for at the same time, a combined force of North German states would attack Poland, a republic with an already weak army tied up in another land.
The Poles were forced to leave the Wallachians to the Lithuanians and battle against the forces of Germany. The war was fierce and brutal. Poland was distraught especially in the West where Poznan and Danzig were sacked by German knights who had rampaged through Wielkopolskan farm lands.
Aleksander I would replace him until 1505. Faced with a ravaged and bankrupt state, aggresive Muscovites to the East and the Teutonic Order to the North, the weak Aleksander would do nothing. The Senate stepped in and created a bank, so they no longer had to deal with enemies in Germany for their money, and wrote the Constitution of Radom which woudl govern Poland. In 1505, much to the celebration of the people, Aleksander died.
Zygmunt I Stariy (Sigmund the Old), the greatest of Polish Kings, came to power. Sigismund faced the challenge of consolidating internal power to face external threats to the country. During Alexander's rule, a law "Nihil novi" had been instated, that forbade Kings of Poland from enacting laws without the consent of the sejm. This proved crippling in Sigismund's dealings with his szlachta and magnates. Zygmund would however face greater challenges when in 1512, the stronger and reenergized German states attacked.
Victory was achieved in 1518, adding Silesia and Hinterpommern to Poland. Economically, Poland was ruined and the hole which Aleksander had dug was now even deeper. To make matter worse, a plague broke out which devastated the country side. Zygmunt took the neccesary steps and the loans began to be paid off through a policy, approved and helped to be administered of helping merchantry and fiscal spending on military and diplomatic ventures.
In 1526, Prussia, fearing the Teutonic Order and out of neccesity because of religious disorder following the reformation, became a Duchy of Poland. Religious turmoil brought revolts to both Danzig and Poznan, which the great General Tarnowski put down.
Relative peace was achieved, the economy flourished, and Poland created good diplomatic ties with former enemies in Brandenburg as well as befriending the Muscovites and pushing them to destroy Poland's age old enemy of the Teutonic Knights.
However, coming off a victory in Hungary, the Ottoman Turks, in 1536 came into conflict with Poland. As Tarnowski marched off to brutal war, things seemed to be in the balance. Would Poland continue its success or be destroyed by the Turks and then ripped apart by jealous neighbors to the West in Austria.
