Fate? Or dumb luck?
This is a Grand Campaign with Prussia heh, the first AAR Ive done. More of a DAR (During Action Report) meaning I will give a yearly update on progress in the Prussian Duchy. Its not historical so names and the such don’t flame me for lol, though I doubt you ever would. Ive invented names for ‘charecters’ in it. Hope you find it interesting; (Also any slavs or eastern European peoples don’t take offense to this, non is intended, its merely in the role of the character)
*******
The year was 1419, and it was a glorious new years day. The finest weather there had been on any new years day for as far back as people could remember. It was also the day that destiny conspired to gift me a great mission.
Duke Michael Kuchmeister von Sterling, the leader of our glorious Duchal of Prussia appointed me as handler of the Duchy’s day to day basis – effectively making me a sort of First Minister, or Prime Minister if you will – so he could concentrate on more pressing matters, such as hunting the deer and wolf with the Princes of other Germanic States. Entering office in Konigsberg, I felt rather overawed at the prospect of affairs. Europe no longer was what it once was. The Old Order was dieing and new nations, new peoples were carving a new Europe to live in. The question I posed to my advisors and fellow statesmen was ‘What will become of Prussia?’. Did we remain under the rule of the decaying Teutonic Order, and when they fall, fall with them? Or, dare I suggest it without spies over hearing… does Prussia break from the Order’s cloak and become an independent people state of its own? It was a heated debate. Some, like my chief diplomat refused steadfastly to contemplate any such diplomatic move that would dramatically change international relations. However General Schaptszfern suggested the army was well placed for an immediate declaration of independence and a preemptive surge of troops over the border into the Teutonic Order. Why attack them he posed, because they wouldn’t sit idly by while dependent states declared their freedom. Better to go to the lair of the wolf than wait in fear for him to come to you. It was a bold statement, and something I related to. Regardless no such major decisions were made this day, however I did make a statement saying that Prussia must stop dragging its heels, and stride forward in all areas of reform. The Prussia of yesterday, should remain in the past.
The first days were spent busily working on getting a clearer picture of Prussia in Europe. It wasn’t pretty, an approach by one of my diplomats to Brandenburg for a Royal Marriage was rejected with more than a hint of amusement. We were the puppy dog of Teutonic Order… I understood their reluctance.
I pressed through with planned reforms of the administrative system during these first few months. It was vital I felt to have a well functioning government if any nation was to grow, and ours was.. backwards to say the least. It was costly but I managed to extract 150,000 gold coins from the Dukes coffers to pay for the training of Tax Collectors. I personally couldn’t see why we never had them before. It brings in a considerable amount of capital we have been missing, and money is one of those areas we need to address.
So with a budget of 48,000 gold coins left it looked like the rest of the year would be kept monitoring the administrative changes and seeing to keeping our Overlords in the Teutonic Order happy….
April 6th 1419, a fearful day in the hearts of all Prussians. That vile Slavic entity known as Poland have declared war on us. It was totally unprovoked! Towns men spotted the Polish troops moving towards the capitol, this is dreadful, only two weeks ago I slashed the military budget forcing the disbandment of half of the army to meet with the ‘realignment’ of the budget. Curses!
A hastily drawn loan from the bank, and the pushing through of a bill calling upon the raising of War taxes and I was faced with the incredible task of turning back time two weeks and rebuilding the shattered army. I ordered seven thousand soldiers to be raised in Prussia-proper, and a further five thousand in Danzig. The Teotonic Order, Pommern, Bremen and Mecklenburg have all assured me of their support. But against the combined might of Prussia & Lithuania… God where are those troops!
May 12th 1419: Disaster! The 11,000 troops sent to meet the Polish advance were annihilated outside Wielkopolska! Where are our allies?!
June 2nd: His Lordship is furious and in his anger he has demoted me to Baronet. I’ll show him, this is merely a test. I much hold together and build the army. An army of 9000 Teutonic Knights got smashed by a 30,000 strong Lithuanian Army. There like ants!
June 23rd: Fled early this morning, a combined army of Poles and Lithuanians attacked Prussian-proper, and have besieged the city. I ordered the troops not to defend, and flee to nearby Memel. Better to have a strong revengeful army later than no army at all.
August 1st: The Teutonic Knights may be no more, Kurland is besieged by an enormous army of Lithuanians numbering in the tens of thousands. The Hinter pommern is besieged by a huge Polish army as well. It feels like the invasion of the Mongol Hordes. They’re everywhere. The Teutonic Knights have scatterings of a few hundred troops here and there. Nothing to constitute a real army. So much for the protection of the Knights. General Schaptszfern has ordered the raising of another 4,000 troops including 1,000 cavalry in Memel, and has also spent the last of the treasury on a Mercenary Army. We have about 12,000 troops, but none are battle ready.
August 21st: A diplomat to Lithuania attempted to get a secret peace Treaty with them to isolate Poland. He returned missing his hand. 15,000 troops from Holstein have arrived in Danzig, this is great news! The army is nearing the end of their drills. I have received strange looks by the staff after ordering them to go through full training, troops are needed more than ever however I feel better trained troops will do the job for us.
November 21st: Signed Royal Marriage with Pommern, what good will it do us? If we survive it will pave the way for closer ties. Even on the brink of annihilation, I must plan for the possible future. The army besieging the Teutonic Orders capitol now numbers greater than 40,000.
December 2nd: His Lordship does change his mind often, I’ve been reappointed as Baron. It is good to hear people address me as “My Lord” again. Michael (Duke) approves of mine and Schaptszfern’s military policy. Prussia is holding out well in the siege. We will storm them soon enough!
December 25th: The shelling seems to get louder, I hope the fortress lasts. I sent a diplomat to the Polish King pleading with him to sign a peace treaty, we did no harm to them and never would – a blatant lie, we shall have revenge in the future – but he refused. He’s a clever one that Jagieollo.
This is a Grand Campaign with Prussia heh, the first AAR Ive done. More of a DAR (During Action Report) meaning I will give a yearly update on progress in the Prussian Duchy. Its not historical so names and the such don’t flame me for lol, though I doubt you ever would. Ive invented names for ‘charecters’ in it. Hope you find it interesting; (Also any slavs or eastern European peoples don’t take offense to this, non is intended, its merely in the role of the character)
*******
The year was 1419, and it was a glorious new years day. The finest weather there had been on any new years day for as far back as people could remember. It was also the day that destiny conspired to gift me a great mission.
Duke Michael Kuchmeister von Sterling, the leader of our glorious Duchal of Prussia appointed me as handler of the Duchy’s day to day basis – effectively making me a sort of First Minister, or Prime Minister if you will – so he could concentrate on more pressing matters, such as hunting the deer and wolf with the Princes of other Germanic States. Entering office in Konigsberg, I felt rather overawed at the prospect of affairs. Europe no longer was what it once was. The Old Order was dieing and new nations, new peoples were carving a new Europe to live in. The question I posed to my advisors and fellow statesmen was ‘What will become of Prussia?’. Did we remain under the rule of the decaying Teutonic Order, and when they fall, fall with them? Or, dare I suggest it without spies over hearing… does Prussia break from the Order’s cloak and become an independent people state of its own? It was a heated debate. Some, like my chief diplomat refused steadfastly to contemplate any such diplomatic move that would dramatically change international relations. However General Schaptszfern suggested the army was well placed for an immediate declaration of independence and a preemptive surge of troops over the border into the Teutonic Order. Why attack them he posed, because they wouldn’t sit idly by while dependent states declared their freedom. Better to go to the lair of the wolf than wait in fear for him to come to you. It was a bold statement, and something I related to. Regardless no such major decisions were made this day, however I did make a statement saying that Prussia must stop dragging its heels, and stride forward in all areas of reform. The Prussia of yesterday, should remain in the past.
The first days were spent busily working on getting a clearer picture of Prussia in Europe. It wasn’t pretty, an approach by one of my diplomats to Brandenburg for a Royal Marriage was rejected with more than a hint of amusement. We were the puppy dog of Teutonic Order… I understood their reluctance.
I pressed through with planned reforms of the administrative system during these first few months. It was vital I felt to have a well functioning government if any nation was to grow, and ours was.. backwards to say the least. It was costly but I managed to extract 150,000 gold coins from the Dukes coffers to pay for the training of Tax Collectors. I personally couldn’t see why we never had them before. It brings in a considerable amount of capital we have been missing, and money is one of those areas we need to address.
So with a budget of 48,000 gold coins left it looked like the rest of the year would be kept monitoring the administrative changes and seeing to keeping our Overlords in the Teutonic Order happy….
April 6th 1419, a fearful day in the hearts of all Prussians. That vile Slavic entity known as Poland have declared war on us. It was totally unprovoked! Towns men spotted the Polish troops moving towards the capitol, this is dreadful, only two weeks ago I slashed the military budget forcing the disbandment of half of the army to meet with the ‘realignment’ of the budget. Curses!
A hastily drawn loan from the bank, and the pushing through of a bill calling upon the raising of War taxes and I was faced with the incredible task of turning back time two weeks and rebuilding the shattered army. I ordered seven thousand soldiers to be raised in Prussia-proper, and a further five thousand in Danzig. The Teotonic Order, Pommern, Bremen and Mecklenburg have all assured me of their support. But against the combined might of Prussia & Lithuania… God where are those troops!
May 12th 1419: Disaster! The 11,000 troops sent to meet the Polish advance were annihilated outside Wielkopolska! Where are our allies?!
June 2nd: His Lordship is furious and in his anger he has demoted me to Baronet. I’ll show him, this is merely a test. I much hold together and build the army. An army of 9000 Teutonic Knights got smashed by a 30,000 strong Lithuanian Army. There like ants!
June 23rd: Fled early this morning, a combined army of Poles and Lithuanians attacked Prussian-proper, and have besieged the city. I ordered the troops not to defend, and flee to nearby Memel. Better to have a strong revengeful army later than no army at all.
August 1st: The Teutonic Knights may be no more, Kurland is besieged by an enormous army of Lithuanians numbering in the tens of thousands. The Hinter pommern is besieged by a huge Polish army as well. It feels like the invasion of the Mongol Hordes. They’re everywhere. The Teutonic Knights have scatterings of a few hundred troops here and there. Nothing to constitute a real army. So much for the protection of the Knights. General Schaptszfern has ordered the raising of another 4,000 troops including 1,000 cavalry in Memel, and has also spent the last of the treasury on a Mercenary Army. We have about 12,000 troops, but none are battle ready.
August 21st: A diplomat to Lithuania attempted to get a secret peace Treaty with them to isolate Poland. He returned missing his hand. 15,000 troops from Holstein have arrived in Danzig, this is great news! The army is nearing the end of their drills. I have received strange looks by the staff after ordering them to go through full training, troops are needed more than ever however I feel better trained troops will do the job for us.
November 21st: Signed Royal Marriage with Pommern, what good will it do us? If we survive it will pave the way for closer ties. Even on the brink of annihilation, I must plan for the possible future. The army besieging the Teutonic Orders capitol now numbers greater than 40,000.
December 2nd: His Lordship does change his mind often, I’ve been reappointed as Baron. It is good to hear people address me as “My Lord” again. Michael (Duke) approves of mine and Schaptszfern’s military policy. Prussia is holding out well in the siege. We will storm them soon enough!
December 25th: The shelling seems to get louder, I hope the fortress lasts. I sent a diplomat to the Polish King pleading with him to sign a peace treaty, we did no harm to them and never would – a blatant lie, we shall have revenge in the future – but he refused. He’s a clever one that Jagieollo.
