Good to see that you managed to get a CoT in Anticosti, this will surely help in the long run, as money might now be slowly but surely coming in the treasury. Do you have any plans for manufactories?
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Well then, it seems that von Salza wasn't the best choice, despite being the best compromise. Pickin' a fight with two of the three enemies facing you, the two that are actually on friendly terms with each other, ain't the smartest thing in the world to do. Kinda reminds me of a certain Kaiser in the early 20th Century, eh?
However, all this is far from unrepairable. I mean, a tree, cow and cliff have helped propell one of RL greatest generals to the throne of Sweden. Perhaps the Order could make amends for past, ah, misunderstandings and then send Adolphus and his Swedes against the Russians while the Order stands against the Poles... and pray to the Almighty that the Austrians don't decide to get in on the act.
No matter what, it shall prove to be quite interesting these next couple of years. Great work, Cat!
However, all this is far from unrepairable. I mean, a tree, cow and cliff have helped propell one of RL greatest generals to the throne of Sweden. Perhaps the Order could make amends for past, ah, misunderstandings and then send Adolphus and his Swedes against the Russians while the Order stands against the Poles... and pray to the Almighty that the Austrians don't decide to get in on the act.
No matter what, it shall prove to be quite interesting these next couple of years. Great work, Cat!
grayghost: Von Salza is trying to be everyone's friend, prioritizing when he has to upset someone. He's not a strong leader by any means. Despite himself he's succeeding, but he's about to open Pandora's Box.
Fulcrumvale: Oh no, Poland has no intention of forgetting. More correctly, most of Poland's willing to let it go as a random insult, but Sigismund III is an ambitious man.
Chief Ragusa: I think you're right.
J. Passepartout: The backfire is coming, I suspect. I like your idea for a religious college at Anticosti! I wish I had colonists to send there
Duke of Wellington: Historically in 1795. Or was it 1939?
Avernite: Certainly not.
stnylan: Um...yeah, a very good warning that. People determined to leave a mark on history often end up doing so in bad ways.
Dunois: We have a few random manufactories. I'd like to have more certainly, but the Order's economics are so unstable...it'll have to wait.
Draco Rexus: Now that's true. Maybe the tree, cow and cliff have done us a favor!
Maximilliano: ....maybe.
----------------
Comments: Sorry for the delay, folks. As you can see from my sig the baseball bug has me. I've actually been working on a Baseball dynasty/AAR in another group HERE (Off-Site) and watching Cleveland's opening day continually snowed out with growing amusement.
Between that and trying to keep Resurrection's momentum going, I've had little time for our Black Knights. I'll try to repair this though, especially as things are about to get interesting (in the Chinese sense) again.
Fulcrumvale: Oh no, Poland has no intention of forgetting. More correctly, most of Poland's willing to let it go as a random insult, but Sigismund III is an ambitious man.
Chief Ragusa: I think you're right.
J. Passepartout: The backfire is coming, I suspect. I like your idea for a religious college at Anticosti! I wish I had colonists to send there
Duke of Wellington: Historically in 1795. Or was it 1939?
Avernite: Certainly not.
stnylan: Um...yeah, a very good warning that. People determined to leave a mark on history often end up doing so in bad ways.
Dunois: We have a few random manufactories. I'd like to have more certainly, but the Order's economics are so unstable...it'll have to wait.
Draco Rexus: Now that's true. Maybe the tree, cow and cliff have done us a favor!
Maximilliano: ....maybe.
----------------
Comments: Sorry for the delay, folks. As you can see from my sig the baseball bug has me. I've actually been working on a Baseball dynasty/AAR in another group HERE (Off-Site) and watching Cleveland's opening day continually snowed out with growing amusement.
Between that and trying to keep Resurrection's momentum going, I've had little time for our Black Knights. I'll try to repair this though, especially as things are about to get interesting (in the Chinese sense) again.
1616-1619
XLVIII: Countdown
A King's Ambition
In 1616 Siegfried von Salza, Hochmeister of the Baltic Order, finished working with his komturs to allow more regional control. (Governors) This helped remove the last vestiges of the Order's feudal mentality but came at a high price: Komturs recruited clerics - lower level brothers - to help with administration. Deprived of their customary powers of low justice, knights and laymen often formed a provincial level 'polizei.' General reaction was positive at home, but it demolished the Order's treasury.
Sigismund III of Poland
One person not so pleased was Sigismund III of Poland. Sigismund was the son of the former Swedish king Johan III and was five years old when Magnus von Holstein rampaged across the frontier killing his uncle. This shaped his life in many ways, perhaps most pertinently in a sort of paranoia. He could not conceive of any state, certainly not the Baltic Knights, desiring peace and focusing on internal development as von Salza had. As the years passed, rather than grow more confident when nothing happened, he grew more wary.
Sensing the Baltic Order's weakness, he contacted Michael Romanov, Czar of Russia.
Relations between Poland and Russia in the early seventeenth century were rather odd. It was strange enough that a powerful Catholic state and the Orthodox power were allied, but in 1610 Sigismund's son (the eventual Ladislaus IV) was elected Czar. His father forbade him to go, paving the way for Romanov, but Ladislaus continued to call himself 'Grand Duke of Moscow.'
Further while by natural right Michael had to be grateful to Sigismund for stopping his son from ascending, it rankled at Russian pride. Michael's father, Feodor, the Patriarch of Moscow despised Poland. Then again he wasn't fond of the Baltic Order either...
Sigismund proposed a joint spring attack overwhelming the Order's defenses. He argued the Order was weak, with most of its army arrayed against Austria. Their Germanic allies would have to sail and march for months to get to the front if they even bothered to show.
Michael refused. Influenced by his father, who said "Let the dogs fight for the scraps of their faith!", he reminded the Poles that Russia at this moment was locked in war with the Golden Horde. He saw no need to provoke a relatively peaceful neighbor, especially one promoting tolerance for their faith.
Sigismund seemed inclined to gamble anyway, but word leaked to the Sejm who abruptly vetoed any plans for a military buildup. They didn't see a need to awaken the Baltic Order either. The final blow came from his own Grand Hetman of the Crown, the effective leader of the Polish army:
Stanislaw Zolkiewski said:
This was the effective end of Zolkiewski's career, as the heir apparent Ladislaus would take over the army in 1617, but it stayed Sigismund's hand.
Scandinavian Adventures
As Russia battled the Horde to a standstill (winning 250d in Sept 1616) Sweden and Denmark once more fought for dominance of their frigid peninsula. Denmark won important victories in 1615-16, seriously wounding Swedish king Gustav and conquering Stockholm. They made no progress in Lappland however, and a primarily Ugric army apparently impervious to the cold slowly battled back. They entered Sweden proper in 1617 and retook Stockholm, finally driving Denmark to the peace table. (Denmark pays 139d, Mar 1618)
Von Salza declared his neutrality in the conflict by inviting Swedes into the order and sanctioning a Hohzenollern wedding with Danish nobility. (RMs both) He suspected sooner or later Austria or Poland would renew the action and wanted all the allies he could get. (After the RM I noticed Sweden has no leaders. Denmark must have been lucky. Grr.)
In April 1618 von Salza contacted Sweden offering them a military alliance and allowing the Netherlands to go their way in peace. Along with Sweden's impressive, if marginal victory the Baltic Order continued to worry about renewed war with the Catholic states. The (Second) Defenestration of Prague and Austria's increasingly reactionary manner convinced many war was on the horizon. The Netherlands, along with being too far out of the way, was Calvinist and splintering. (Event: Neth went with Gormarism in Calvinism in the Netherlands) Sweden held onto the ideals of Luther, a much more attractive mate if religious wars did break out.
Home Front
Pirates continued to trouble Anticosti, and the local fleet bolstered by France and Spain continued to thrash them. In 1616 they beat off a 'pirate admiral' with four carracks, and in 1617 a former Dutch fluyt that launched a daring raid on Anticosti itself before being pinned and destroyed.
At home Narva abruptly closed its gates. A flea-borne plague drifted through Novgorod across the border into the Baltic port city, and by the time the komtur there realized his danger it travelled by ship to Danzig. The Order's home fleet took to the waves, effectively blockading their own cities lest disease escape to ravage Europe like in the fourteenth century.
Riots, ruthlessly suppressed by the komtur and heavily armed 'polizei', rocked Danzig but history shows it was the right call. Fortunately(!) the plague was self-defeating. It had an 80% mortality rate and killed so quickly it had little chance to spread. No one's certain how many died through the summer of 1617 - contemporary historians estimate it at an unlikely 100,000 - but the self imposed blockade and quarantine kept plague from spreading. (Event: -1500 pop Pomeralia, Ingria. -1 Stab)
Some saw the plague as God's judgement for not being more vigilant in defending Lutheranism, not that there had been any serious attacks on it in the last years. Knights began looking to Austria as a potential target, especially after the ascension of zealous Ferdinand II. They looked in the wrong direction.
As the Order recovered from plague, a new crisis played out in the Neumark. The new Hohzenollern komtur there appointed a ruthless collector not above kidnapping, beating and general terror to ensure that not only did the Order receive its taxes, but the Hohzenollerns received their own 'surtax' and he earned a generous fee as well.
In a cliche that lives on in German legend, the 'evil' komtur defended his man and the people suffered until one man, Alastair, began fighting back ambushing caravans carrying taxes to Marienburg. Finally von Salza himself arrived to find out what the problem was. Alastair surrendered to present his view. The 'good' hochmeister, worried about possible revolt (and looking bad) investigated and put the collector to death. Across the Order burghers and peasants rallied to their noble overlord. (Death and Taxes: Death, Lose Tax Collector, +1 Stab)
What the legend doesn't say is that hours after von Salza left for home oblivious to what would happen next, the komtur captured Alastair and had him beat to death. Publicly he simply vanished. His true fate remained unknown until the 1700s. So much for heroes.
For the moment all seemed well however, especially after a delegation from Vienna assured von Salza that Ferdinand II, despite his religious views and their troubled border, had no interest in fighting the Baltic Order:
Austrian Ambassador said:
Von Salza eagerly agreed to this improptu truce. (Diplomatic Move: +75 rel Austria, +1 diplomat)
The Baltic League (v2.0)
Meanwhile, a distant relation of disgraced and finally executed Tobias von Danzig fulfilled the former hochmeister's dream - or at least the part that mattered. Syrka von Reval, the Grand Tressler, proposed a plan to make the Baltic Cross stronger while appealing to dissatisfied burghers.
Siegfried von Salza was still eager to be more than a 'compromise hochmeister.' Despite doing adequately, he still felt he didn't measure up to past grand masters and so sailed into dangerous waters.
Mecklenburg was a shadow of its former greatness, not through any overt manipulation but due to time itself. An effective vassal for thirty years, the trading guilds of the Hanseatic League (effectively Mecklenburg's masters) had once been granted the right to administrate mercantile activity in Danzig. They didn't have the manpower or wealth to do so however, and eventually local merchants reasserted control without even lip service to their Mecklenburg rivals.
A rivalry developed, nowhere near open warfare but certainly not friendship, between the Hanseatic League and Baltic merchants who simply ignored them in favor of Danzig, Copenhagen and Amsterdam. Mecklenburg lost. (Their trade radius isn't exactly good.)
What von Reval, and so von Salza proposed was nothing less than complete annexation. In exchange however he'd recognize Mecklenburg's rights as an autonomous region: In short, the Mecklenburger trading guilds would appoint their own komtur and so owe direct allegiance to the Hochmeister rather than through an official appointed by Marienburg.
This allowed the Mecklenburgers to continue with their trade ventures and have access to the rich Baltic markets (including Anticosti) without worrying too much about foreign affairs. It would also end the trade rivalry with Danzig as their merchants moved in, revitalizing the city. (Baltic Order DAs Mecklenburg, Jun 1619)
There was only one catch, well three really. The only one involving Mecklenburg was that this spelled the final destruction of the Hanseatic League. From now on the self declared Baltic League - Danzig, Riga, Stargard and yes, Mecklenburg would control trade in their part of the world.
The third catch was this, coupled with the feudalism ending practices mentioned above modernizing the Order's infrastructure, would threaten the very core of the Baltic Order and force them to once more remake themselves. Von Salza opened Pandora's box by granting extraordinary rights to Mecklenburg, for the loyal cities of the Baltic Cross would now expect the same.
Before that, however, came Poland. Von Salza's annexing Mecklenburg was the excuse Sigismund was waiting for, something he could use to force the Sejm's hand.
The summer sun of 1619 would bleed red.
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Alright, I'll grant von Salza is not as bad as all that. But in the end, his need for feeling that he was something more led to an igonorence of possible ramifications of Mecklanburg. But, who amongst us is so good with foresight.
Now that Mecklenberg has finally been annexed, there's a spot in the alliance. The Swedes may like the chance to show Sigismund III just how much they despise him.
We do not yet know how the respective alliances responded to this Polish Declaration of War. For the Order: The Saxons and the Hannoverians will join, though I am not sure if the Netherlands event left them in or out of the Alliance and I do not believe they would join in. You could, this will tempt fate, secure the Danes in your alliance. A true Baltic allaince!
Large numbers of Polish troops leaving their frontier is usually an invitation to the Turks to flood across the border after them.
This wil be the first test of the new infantry Order against the famed Polish cavalry. If this war follows the old pattern of battles, the Polish provinces will be occupied by the Order and the Lithuanians will fall over themselves trying to surrender and revolting en masse. For the few remaining knights of the old Order, this is their final chance to settle accounts with Poland for Tannenberg.
We do not yet know how the respective alliances responded to this Polish Declaration of War. For the Order: The Saxons and the Hannoverians will join, though I am not sure if the Netherlands event left them in or out of the Alliance and I do not believe they would join in. You could, this will tempt fate, secure the Danes in your alliance. A true Baltic allaince!
Large numbers of Polish troops leaving their frontier is usually an invitation to the Turks to flood across the border after them.
This wil be the first test of the new infantry Order against the famed Polish cavalry. If this war follows the old pattern of battles, the Polish provinces will be occupied by the Order and the Lithuanians will fall over themselves trying to surrender and revolting en masse. For the few remaining knights of the old Order, this is their final chance to settle accounts with Poland for Tannenberg.
I doubt it.
A lot depends on if Russia comes in (and if my gang comes in). I stopped the game right before the DoW so the AI would be able to sort things out on startup.
With the troops from Mecklenburg I'm now probably at my limit of 120,000 or so. I'm badly out of position though. Von Salza was more worried about the Austrians, so the bulk of my army is in that little corridor. We have another army group around Marienburg. The Mecklenburgers and 5,000 in Viborg are probably out of it for now.
I know of about 45,000 Poles, including a stack of 38K with a leader (Ladislaus IV) near my three 'Austrian' groups. I expect there to be a really ugly battle. Remember they're a huge nation though, and will be calling in mass drafts from the interior. I need to knock them out early or we'll be fighting for the rest of von Salza's reign.
Russia has about 10-15,000 on my border in four stacks. They'll react a little slowly, and they've probably used up the special perks they got upon becoming Russia, but they're still large.
On my side Sweden, as you know, is a shadow. They have about 20,000 men under arms last I checked and no leaders. Denmark must have gotten lucky and trashed them all.
I'll roll a die to see if von Salza's offered alliance to Denmark makes it before the DoW. If Denmark comes in, they're battered from years of war but probably still have 20 or 30,000.
Hanover's around 20,000 men, mostly in the west. If Munster comes in on Poland's side, Hanover will be busy duelling them.
Saxony has a strong army, I think 40 or 50,000 .... but they need to wander through my lands to get to Poland.
I expect an early advantage, quickly nullified. Much will depend on young Ladislaus IV. If we can beat him (or better, kill him) the advantage swings to our side. If he trashes three of our strongest armies piece meal... this gets ugly.
And naturally if Austria jumps in, well...we're in deep doo-doo.
A lot depends on if Russia comes in (and if my gang comes in). I stopped the game right before the DoW so the AI would be able to sort things out on startup.
With the troops from Mecklenburg I'm now probably at my limit of 120,000 or so. I'm badly out of position though. Von Salza was more worried about the Austrians, so the bulk of my army is in that little corridor. We have another army group around Marienburg. The Mecklenburgers and 5,000 in Viborg are probably out of it for now.
I know of about 45,000 Poles, including a stack of 38K with a leader (Ladislaus IV) near my three 'Austrian' groups. I expect there to be a really ugly battle. Remember they're a huge nation though, and will be calling in mass drafts from the interior. I need to knock them out early or we'll be fighting for the rest of von Salza's reign.
Russia has about 10-15,000 on my border in four stacks. They'll react a little slowly, and they've probably used up the special perks they got upon becoming Russia, but they're still large.
On my side Sweden, as you know, is a shadow. They have about 20,000 men under arms last I checked and no leaders. Denmark must have gotten lucky and trashed them all.
I'll roll a die to see if von Salza's offered alliance to Denmark makes it before the DoW. If Denmark comes in, they're battered from years of war but probably still have 20 or 30,000.
Hanover's around 20,000 men, mostly in the west. If Munster comes in on Poland's side, Hanover will be busy duelling them.
Saxony has a strong army, I think 40 or 50,000 .... but they need to wander through my lands to get to Poland.
I expect an early advantage, quickly nullified. Much will depend on young Ladislaus IV. If we can beat him (or better, kill him) the advantage swings to our side. If he trashes three of our strongest armies piece meal... this gets ugly.
And naturally if Austria jumps in, well...we're in deep doo-doo.
Big countries... 1619... Hmmm... And it also involves the historic enemy, Poland. Blood and more blood. Muahahahahaha (cough).
Be a lot hairier if the Danes have killed Gustav II Adolf. They should be involved just even things up.
Mikhael Romanov is a good general, but he's still dealing with the fall out from the Time of Troubles notably a much depleted military. WHen he commits, it is as likely to be against Poland as for it.
As for Austria, they've other fish to fry, Venetian style.
The cat is truly in amongst the pigeons.
Mikhael Romanov is a good general, but he's still dealing with the fall out from the Time of Troubles notably a much depleted military. WHen he commits, it is as likely to be against Poland as for it.
As for Austria, they've other fish to fry, Venetian style.
The cat is truly in amongst the pigeons.
War with Poland? Surely not, never saw that coming I just have to say again how impressed I am with this AAR. You seem to have an endless supply of little stories to go with every event. How do you come up with them all?
I just have to say again how impressed I am with this AAR. You seem to have an endless supply of little stories to go with every event. How do you come up with them all?
jay, an update!
This story really sounds like Rensslaer's EU3 AAR, he always gets into wars too and is surprised if he manages to stay at peace
I bet Poland will lose again, but it'll be close, and will depend entirely on the AI being dumb
This story really sounds like Rensslaer's EU3 AAR, he always gets into wars too and is surprised if he manages to stay at peace
I bet Poland will lose again, but it'll be close, and will depend entirely on the AI being dumb
Come one, come all, it's time for the next round of the Near-Eternal Polish-Baltic Order War!
Hopefully this war, while looking to be bloody, will remain simply a Polish-Baltic Order issue with no outsiders coming in to play, eh?
Hopefully this war, while looking to be bloody, will remain simply a Polish-Baltic Order issue with no outsiders coming in to play, eh?
Comments: Sorry for the delay, folks. Life continues to be busy, and this chapter took awhile to write. Enjoy!
greyghost: Right. And Mecklenburg's going to blow up in his face.
stnylan: True
Chief Ragusa: As you say, this will be a test of central European tactics (von Spanheim has closely pattern the Order off of Imperial army doctrine) and eastern European tactics as highlighted by Polish hussars.
J. Passepartout: Yes...Plenty of Blood, and more to follow in the next post!
Chief Ragusa: Mikhail is also still dealing a bit with Russia's late start. He's still dealing with baddies like the Horde and Sibir.
Duke of Wellington: The muses? Luck? Low level insanity? I just try to imagine how the different 'name' level characters - von Salza, von Spanheim, Sigismund, etc. - feel about what's going on, read up on the historical chars' bios, and pray to God it makes sense when I'm done
Avernite: Hmf, I predate Rensslaer's EU3 AAR. You mean he sounds like ME.
Hm. Your bet's....worth noting.
Draco Rexus: An interesting bet followed by a near prophet
Sir Sean: As Fulcrum says, I'm using WATK.
greyghost: Right. And Mecklenburg's going to blow up in his face.
stnylan: True
Chief Ragusa: As you say, this will be a test of central European tactics (von Spanheim has closely pattern the Order off of Imperial army doctrine) and eastern European tactics as highlighted by Polish hussars.
J. Passepartout: Yes...Plenty of Blood, and more to follow in the next post!
Chief Ragusa: Mikhail is also still dealing a bit with Russia's late start. He's still dealing with baddies like the Horde and Sibir.
Duke of Wellington: The muses? Luck? Low level insanity?
I just try to imagine how the different 'name' level characters - von Salza, von Spanheim, Sigismund, etc. - feel about what's going on, read up on the historical chars' bios, and pray to God it makes sense when I'm done Avernite: Hmf, I predate Rensslaer's EU3 AAR. You mean he sounds like ME.
Hm. Your bet's....worth noting.
Draco Rexus: An interesting bet followed by a near prophet
Sir Sean: As Fulcrum says, I'm using WATK.
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1619-1624
IL: A Private Little War
In This Corner...
Poland's King Sigismund III had every right to be confident of a slow, but decisive victory over his kingdom's ancient enemy. First, though the Baltic Order maintained a larger standing force, thanks to Konrad von Spanheim it tended to follow a Germanic model with heavy infantry (pikemen) supported by muskets and pistol wielding light cavalry. Poland meanwhile relied on hussars, heavy cavalry with lance and sword not far removed from their knightly ancestors. This worked well in the wide empty plains of Poland where they could crush the enemy by sheer mass. Within months they could muster tens of thousands of infantry - lightly armed, armored and therefore cheap.
Further, in 1619 Poland happened to be gifted with many experienced, veteran hetmans (generals.) Along with his gifted son, Poland could also call upon Prince Krzysztof Radziwill, Field Hetman of Lithuania, as well as the embarrassed but still alive Stanislaw Zolkiewski, a Germanic noble named Ernst Magnus Denhoff, Grand Hetman Jan Karol Chodkiewicz of Lithuania - second in command of the Polish army, and nobleman Stanislaw Lubomirski. (Where the **** did Poland get all these leaders!?)
Sigismund also had a powerful ally in Russia. He knew Michael Romanov did not wish to fight the Baltic Order and considered it a question of timidity and youth. He would make the first move, then the powerful Russian hordes would follow.
He knew the knights kept the bulk of their army in the far west along the Austrian border. Sigismund's plan then was to use his son in command of a large force to hold them off, while thrusting up the center towards Marienburg. The Russians would overwhelm the east. With over half the Order under siege he could wring significant gains from Hochmeister Siegfried von Salza.
Certainly Poland's move surprised von Salza, who is said to have sat, stunned, as messengers reported a significant Polish army marching on Oppeln. He didn't see any need to fight Poland and couldn't believe they wanted war. After shock, though, came determination. He'd given his life to maintaining and strengthening the Order and he wasn't going to let it be undone by a madman.
The Baltic Order's army did mimic their Imperial cousins, but it wasn't quite the disadvantage Sigismund thought. They refined the pike square to repel cavalry attacks and protect their vulnerable musketeers, while Baltic pistoleers could usually outrace their heavier counterparts to come back and snipe at flanks. Further, in a concession to von Salza's conservatism each army maintained a small body of heavy cavalry with lance and sword though they lacked maneuverability and weren't large enough to be decisive.
Konrad von Spanheim, now in his mid-forties, led the Order's army. Manfred von Strichlund, one of his early pupils, commanded the Austrian detachment with his second, Hermann Guendler. Karol von Hesse led an eastern detachment towards Vilnius. The Knights hoped to advance across all fronts while their Germanic and hopefully Danish and Swedish allies filtered in. Von Salza planned for a mass levy in Marienburg to stall the expected Russian advance.
Except that advance never came. Michael Romanov replied to Poland condemning their rash behavior and insolence in assuming Russia would join in, then assured Baltic komturs his defensive army along the border was just that: Defensive.
Sweden also declined the honor claiming they still needed to recover from their last war, and anyway their king still needed to heal his wounds. Emissaries to Copenhagen arrived too late. While in principle Denmark agreed to join the war in progress, in fact no help would be forthcoming. (POLAND, Cyprus vs. BALTIC ORDER, Hanover, Saxony, and later Denmark)
Saxony confined their operations to mobilizing along the Austrian border to keep the Habsburgs honest. Cyprus was too far away to matter, and Hanover's help would be limited at best. The Baltic Order and Poland would fight alone, two eastern powers clashing for the fate of their part of the world.
General Advance
Rittermeister von Hesse advanced across the border with some twelve thousand men. He reached Vilnius in July to find the city closed to him, though Lutheran peasants and burghers in the surrounding towns happily helped him with supplies and celebrated eventual freedom. Grand Hetman Chodkiewicz had something to say to that though, appearing in September with twelve thousand. The Pole enjoyed a nearly two to one cavalry advantage and easily outflanked von Hesse before he could form a defensive square. Finally using his own pistoleers as a screening force he withdrew towards Riga exposing his Lutheran 'supporters' in Lithuania to terrible repercussions.
Interestingly Poland's thrust towards the center never materialized, with more and more troops flooding west, and so Komtur von Spanheim sieged Masovia unmolested. A hasty conscript of local militia appeared in August, but the experienced Germans easily destroyed them.
Rittermeister Guendler invaded Kalisch in July. Two months later Ernst Magnus Denhoff, now a Polish noble, appeared with nineteen thousand against his fourteen. Guendler denounced his Polish rival as a traitor and immediately attacked killing over two thousand. Unfortunately this impetuous advance cost him, as while Denhoff retired a second army of five thousand thrust into his poorly protected artillery. Guendler used his cavalry to screen as he retrieved his guns and headed for Bromberg.
In the far west Ladislaus IV thrust into Oppeln before von Strichlund had the necessary supplies for a protracted campaign. The Poles committed twenty thousand to the attack, abandoning their artillery train to steal a march on the Baltic commander and so cross the Vistula. Von Strichlund outnumbered his opponents two to one, but the resulting chaos nullified his advantage and he retreated north. Fourteen thousand knights were wounded or killed, while Poland lost thirteen thousand.
Undeterred von Strichlund returned in October. This time he had supplies and a coherent plan, marching in good order to fight a typical setpiece battle forcing Poland to retreat. He then advanced into Podkarpice to keep Poland on the defensive, left a small force behind and retreated to Oppeln as winter set in.
Unfortunately Ladislaus beat him there, trapping the German behind enemy lines. Polish reinforcements increased Ladislaus's army to fifty six thousand, over double von Strichlund's force. The third battle of Oppeln was more of a running retreat with the Order once more fleeing behind the front.
As General Winter took the field, the Baltic Order had a slight advantage with two sieges in progress to Poland's one. Hochmeister von Salza took advantage of his control of the Baltic Sea to move twenty-five thousand men from Mecklenburg to Riga to support von Hesse believing a flanking thrust through the unprotected Commonwealth interior would bring victory.
Sigismund wasn't out of moves either. Agitators snuck far behind the contested border to Liegnitz and argued with the knights there. Ironically they warned the Komtur of Liegnitz against Hochmeister von Salza by appealing to their heritage as knight-priests versus this new order von Salza seemed to propose by granting Marienburg generous concessions. Who would be next? Danzig, certainly. Then some of the larger coastal ports. Where would that leave Liegnitz? A half-wanted, poor remnant, a pawn of the greater priories tolerated only because they flew the same flag. Didn't the people of Liegnitz deserve better? (Unhappiness Among the Peasantry: Stability -3 (to -1), Revolt in Liegnitz.)
As winter slowly receded, Masovia surrendered to Komtur von Spanheim. He immediately issued orders for the Spring campaign. With the exception of his own attack on Warsaw it was identical to last year.
In March 1620, Manfred von Strichlund once more returned to Oppeln. If Baltic records are to be believed, von Strichlund brought twenty-two thousand men and nine cannon. Ladislaus answered with forty thousand and fourteen cannon including seven thousand heavy cavalry. The much smaller and weaker Germanic light cavalry allowed the Poles to catch them, sacrificing themselves as the two infantry masses collided. By now Poland relied heavily on her levies, poorly trained farmers and laborers as well as vagabonds, criminals and other 'undesirables.' Their infantry routed en masse and von Strichlund's pikemen reformed before Polish hussars could come back. A volley of musketfire decimated the cavalry and they retreated towards Krakow. The Order lost 8,000 men killed or wounded to twelve thousand Poles.
Sickened by the wholesale slaughter of Oppeln peasants, von Strichlund vowed before God to put an end to his foe and chased him. They met fifteen miles south of Krakow. Ladislaus's army may have been harried and in poor order, but now they fought for their homes. Stunned by their ferocity and with losses mounting, von Strichlund retreated north to join his commander in Warsaw.
Konrad von Spanheim said:
Komtur von Spanheim, meanwhile, invested Warsaw itself. In time a messenger from Sigismund appeared offering 20,000 guilden in reparations for the error. With tens of thousands dead and wounded this didn't begin to cover the damage wrought by a year of war and he sent the man away. One month later Hetman Koniecpolski appeared with seven thousand men.
Now it was the Baltic Order who held the overwhelming advantage. Koniecpolski risked everything in a headlong clash ignoring the Baltic guns. Their ferocity shocked the Order, thrusting a gap four lines deep through the heart of the knights' formation. Von Spanheim reluctantly retreated towards Masovia.
Meanwhile Guendler easily defeated the local garrison in Kalisch. Just weeks after relieving Warsaw, Koniecpolski visited him too. Once more the Order held a massive advantage, and once more it did no good as the Pole outmaneuvered him and crushed his artillery train.
While the heart of the Baltic Order, Ladislaus IV and Hetman Koniecpolski fought massive, epic battles for control of the Polish heartland, Rittermeister von Hesse advanced with almost no opposition. He sieged Vilnius. Then defeated a local garrison in Minsk and sieged them too. Then Zhitomer and Navradak. The Poles raised local militia to deal with this threat, but each time von Hesse won. Poland had committed everything to relieving their capital and had no more to spare.
In April 1620 Podkarapice finally fell to a small Baltic army left behind by von Strichlund last spring then pulled back to link up with Guendler's remaining army. Meanwhile Koniecpolski and Ladislaus advanced into Masovia. Once more von Spanheim and von Strichlund offered battle, once more the Poles outmaneuvered them and they retreated to Marienburg.
Von Spanheim literally emptied his academy of recruits as well as recruiting heavily and emptying Marienburg, Konigsberg and Danzig of 'undesirables' increasing his army to over thirty thousand men. On September 11, 1620 he once more crossed the frontier engaging what remained of the Polish army.
Both armies now consisted of a core of hardened veteran infantry supporting poorly trained levees. Polish hussars matched against a German cavalry of only half pistoleers, and half 'knightly' lancers from a half dozen komturs' personal guards.
Polish and Baltic knights from two centuries before would have recognized the tactics from this, the climactic battle of the Baltic/Polish war. Pistoleers advanced to rain death on Polish infantry, only to flee before Hussars who in turn met Germanic lancers in a swirling melee of sword and spear. As they settled their private feud two lines of infantry nearly a mile long advanced as cannon blasted at them. Ladislaus never relied on many guns, and von Spanheim lost most of his during his retreats, so they had little effect except to add to the grey smoke covering the battlefield as muskets opened up at a hundred yards.
On the right, Hussars gained the upper hand on their knightly brothers who retreated to regroup. The Poles turned to flank the infantry, only to instead be sniped from behind by pistoleers. Using tactics reminiscent of Mongol bow cavalry the Germans fired, fled before the Hussar advance, fired a second pistol, and so forth. Finally they ran out of pistols and simply fled, but by now the winged hussars were far out of position.
In the center and left superior firing drill told in the Orders' favor. As the Poles wavered, von Spanheim ordered a general advance. Pike clashed on pike as muskets continued to fire into the packed ranks of the enemy.
Koniecpolski rode behind his army shouting support and slowly the Polish line stabilized. Now there was heavy fighting and sheer mass tilted the odds in his favor. Then Germanic heavy cavalry slammed into Ladislaus's bodyguard.
Slowly the Order's infantry faltered and fell back. Koniecpolski paused to regroup rather than pursue. As he prepared to make camp a Baltic messenger arrived.
When news of Ladislaus's capture reached Warsaw, it's said Sigismund suffered a fit. Within days he learned Minsk, Zhitomir and Vilnius all surrendered to von Hesse's scattered army. Koniecpolski, still sieging Masovia, offered to chase the 'kidnappers' all the way to Marienburg and burn it to the ground, but it would not do. Sigismund's bid to make a name for himself failed. Poland gives Podkarparice, Vilnius, 43d to end the war.
But Can you Dance?
Once more the Order humbled Poland effectively ending any question of which nation would control Eastern Europe's future. Soldiers rejoiced at their victory, while those of a more religious bent smiled to see more Lutherans (Vilnius) saved from heresy. If Hochmeister von Salza thought his problems over however, he would be sorely disappointed.
The problem dated to his annexation of Mecklenburg in 1619. He'd granted extraordinary rights to the city state to earn their support. Alone this meant little, but it generated feelings of jealousy and mistrust throughout the Order. (Stab is still -1 due to the Unhappiness event.)
Luebeck, Mecklenburg's center, held over twice the population of Danzig ensuring them a powerful voice in the next Conclave. Seeing Danzig's chance for dominance fading, unfairly according to merchants who'd fought their little trade war and won, they appealed for the same rights as Luebeck: autonomy and the right to choose their own komtur. Mittau and Breslau chimed in weeks later.
Worse, even while the war was underway, von Salza and Grand Tressler von Reval contacted Pommern about joining the Baltic League. Boguslaw XIV angrily and publicly refused. "Only through independence," he argued, "will Pommeranians be free." Word reached the komturs who learned von Salza's plan proceeded further than they realized. (Scandal at Court: Relations Pommern -25, Dip -3)
In January the Komtur of Riga joined growing calls for autonomy. Von Salza hadn't counted on this. Rather than give in he quelled the Livonians by freeing them from several of the more severe war time taxes and tithes. (Noble Family Feud: Settle, -100d)
This and Pommern's denial coincided with what the agitators in Liegnitz said, and so in February 1621 Komtur von Durhoff declared independence. "We will perhaps rejoin at a later date, but we cannot follow a man who would destroy what the Order's fought so hard to build. We are not a league of merchants!" (Rebellion takes the city.)
Pleased with their success and undeterred by Poland's military defeat, these agitators then moved to Oppeln. There they reminded the people there of their long, bloody history with the Teutonic and Baltic Order. Time after time, generation after generation they provoked the Poles to anger, and when Oppeln was invaded just where were the Order's armies? How many men, women and children died in the latest conflict? (And so the rebels move.)
Von Strichlund advanced south with thirteen thousand men. Not hearing (or not caring) about the problems in Oppeln, he sieged Liegnitz and ordered the komtur's surrender. In 1622 he finally took the castle, but in talks with the now disgraced commander von Strichlund turned on his Hochmeister.
Journal said:
Duty prevailed as von Strichlund fought a pitched slaughter against peasants near Oppeln, but he wrote his old teacher for advice. Von Spanheim urged patience. Worried about growing discontent through the Order he used his title as Grand Marshal to ensure the standing army stayed loyal. (My first leader!)
Through 1623 von Salza continued his intricate dance trying to pacify various city leaders without yielding too much. Slowly his patience waned however, as some komturs argued that rights granted to Riga and Luebeck represented a fundamental threat to the Order's stability. Von Spanheim, supported by his pupil, began quietly building a coalition to prevent the Hochmeister from granting any more rights while more vocal men demanded a conclave.
Stung by calls for his resignation, von Salza abruptly switched course. If the conservatives who wanted to maintain the knighthood as it had been wanted him out, then obviously they were wrong. If they were so eager to remove a man who'd given them the richest city on the Baltic and overseen the Order's greatest growth in decades, then perhaps the Mecklenburgers were right about the ungrateful, archaic louts.
He himself summoned a conclave for May 1, 1624. He would grant Luebeck, Danzig, Breslau and the others everything they wanted. That would be the legacy he tried so hard to find.
As far as he was concerned, the Order of the Baltic Cross, as it stood for hundreds of years, was dead.
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My my my, great changes are afoot. But what a way to deal with that battle of two hundred years ago. Great stuff!