This AAR will follow the rise, and quite likely the fall, of Pskov. I'm still pretty raw in terms of game experience, so expect lots of rookie mistakes, horrible mismanagement, and a general ignorance on proper tactics. If that bothers you, pretend that I'm "roleplaying the weak leaders of Pskov." That should work.
Why Pskov? Several reasons, some better than others. To my knowledge no one has done a Pskov AAR, and the Baltic/Russian region doesn't seem to be too popular. Too bad, because there's a lot going on, to say the least. I picked Pskov because I wanted to start with only one province, with lots of options as far as policy is concerned. With CBs against most neighbors, but no declared wars (yet) I think Pskov has a very interesting starting position. Beyond that, I like the region for personal reasons.
Rules, Game and House
The game will be played on normal difficulty with normal aggression.
No cheating or editing. No restarting saves. If we get put on the ashheap, so be it.
No declaration of war without a CB.
No alliances with any of our traditional enemies. All the nations Pskov has a CB against are considered tradional enemies. These nations are Novgorod, Tver, Lithuania, Muscowy, Ryazan, and Suzdal.
No alliances with the Teutonic Knights. Our people still remember their aggression in the region.
Religion will never be a motive for war, other than defense against fanaticism (see last). We are faithful, but not zealots.
Goals, From Short Term to Long Term
1) Survive as an independent nation. The most important goal, for obvious reasons.
2) Expand our territory and become a regional power.
3) Eliminate our traditional enemies, that is all the nations we start with a CB against.
4) Unify Russia. Basically, recreate historical Russia, but under the banner of Pskov! The most ambitious goal.
Starting Political Situation
A little background, to set the table. Pskov is located in the Baltic region, and is surrounded by enemies and potential enemies. To the West, The Teutonic Order spreads Catholicism by the sword, and are enemies of all Orthodox nations. Past efforts by the Knights to expand East have failed, but who's to say what they might be planning in the name of faith?
To the South, Poland and Lithuania are a powerful alliance, but their enemies are legion. Rumors of war between this alliance and much of Germany are in the air.
To the North, Novgorod would love to reabsorb Pskov, but they have other, bigger, problems. They seem to have made many powerful enemies, and survival will have to take precedence.
To the East, Tver is small but ambitious, and plans to take advantage of the increasingly volitile situation surrounding Novgorod.
As for Pskov, the small nation is heavily influential on the region, with its code of law adopted by its neighbors. Novgorod is the biggest enemy, a much larger and hostile power that surrendered independence to Pskov only after a bitter war in 1347. The people are hard working and honest, struggling to crave a living from the poor soil. In terms of Religion, Pskov is devoted to Eastern Orthodox and tolerant towards Catholicism. There is no desire to fight crusades or convert other lands, although the Teutonic Order is considered a threat. The military is small and defensive, and looks to other nations for protection.
The military policy is about to change, as flames of war engulf the region. A crisis of leadership will lead to Pskov making a bid for dominance.
This was a introduction, so it was a little dry. I plan on using more of a story telling style for the actual events. Next up, you can expect a fictionalized account of the leadership change in Pskov, and the chain of events that follows.
Why Pskov? Several reasons, some better than others. To my knowledge no one has done a Pskov AAR, and the Baltic/Russian region doesn't seem to be too popular. Too bad, because there's a lot going on, to say the least. I picked Pskov because I wanted to start with only one province, with lots of options as far as policy is concerned. With CBs against most neighbors, but no declared wars (yet) I think Pskov has a very interesting starting position. Beyond that, I like the region for personal reasons.
Rules, Game and House
The game will be played on normal difficulty with normal aggression.
No cheating or editing. No restarting saves. If we get put on the ashheap, so be it.
No declaration of war without a CB.
No alliances with any of our traditional enemies. All the nations Pskov has a CB against are considered tradional enemies. These nations are Novgorod, Tver, Lithuania, Muscowy, Ryazan, and Suzdal.
No alliances with the Teutonic Knights. Our people still remember their aggression in the region.
Religion will never be a motive for war, other than defense against fanaticism (see last). We are faithful, but not zealots.
Goals, From Short Term to Long Term
1) Survive as an independent nation. The most important goal, for obvious reasons.
2) Expand our territory and become a regional power.
3) Eliminate our traditional enemies, that is all the nations we start with a CB against.
4) Unify Russia. Basically, recreate historical Russia, but under the banner of Pskov! The most ambitious goal.
Starting Political Situation
A little background, to set the table. Pskov is located in the Baltic region, and is surrounded by enemies and potential enemies. To the West, The Teutonic Order spreads Catholicism by the sword, and are enemies of all Orthodox nations. Past efforts by the Knights to expand East have failed, but who's to say what they might be planning in the name of faith?
To the South, Poland and Lithuania are a powerful alliance, but their enemies are legion. Rumors of war between this alliance and much of Germany are in the air.
To the North, Novgorod would love to reabsorb Pskov, but they have other, bigger, problems. They seem to have made many powerful enemies, and survival will have to take precedence.
To the East, Tver is small but ambitious, and plans to take advantage of the increasingly volitile situation surrounding Novgorod.
As for Pskov, the small nation is heavily influential on the region, with its code of law adopted by its neighbors. Novgorod is the biggest enemy, a much larger and hostile power that surrendered independence to Pskov only after a bitter war in 1347. The people are hard working and honest, struggling to crave a living from the poor soil. In terms of Religion, Pskov is devoted to Eastern Orthodox and tolerant towards Catholicism. There is no desire to fight crusades or convert other lands, although the Teutonic Order is considered a threat. The military is small and defensive, and looks to other nations for protection.
The military policy is about to change, as flames of war engulf the region. A crisis of leadership will lead to Pskov making a bid for dominance.
This was a introduction, so it was a little dry. I plan on using more of a story telling style for the actual events. Next up, you can expect a fictionalized account of the leadership change in Pskov, and the chain of events that follows.
I can't remember anyone doing that one before. As far as my knowledge stretches, you can become Russia as Pskov, by owning Novgorod and Moscow before some point around 1500.
