Austria 1557-63
Yes, you guessed it, Austria is no longer Burgundy's best pal...
A bit of research shows the cause: Austria supported Burgundy against England, but Burgundy refused to help Austria in the war of succession of Brunswick. But not to worry, my remaining allies are all of great power and renown: Crete, Serbia, Corsica, Candar.
Alone against Burgundy, I have to act quickly not to be outdone by the big red blob. Time to settle old scores with little Lorraine. They are un-allied, unmarried and protestant, so I only need a CB to attack them at no stability cost, I send the spies to Metz immediately...
But they fail... and there is no money left this year to retry. I use the rest of the year to re-release Genoa, and rid of her Crimean provinces once again, but this time Kaffa goes to Hungary, Azov to Lithuania. I hope the eastern powers will make better use of them.
Before the year ends England warns me, they probably feel quite brave now that Burgundy is not my ally. After the beating they took from Burgundy they shouldn't be going around looking for trouble.
January 1558 arrives, the spies try again in Metz...
Success! War is declared on Lorraine, and England takes the chance to use the warning to DoW me back, very well.
The Lorraine army is duly bounced up and down their lands. My idle army in Brazil spots an unguarded English province and takes it. Just as some English troops appear to take it back I quickly get the province in a peace treaty...
With my eagerness to grab the Brazilian province and get rid of England, I hadn't noticed that my overzealous ally Hamburg was already ocuppying all Wales and Ulster
otherwise I would have let them get on with their good work!
Never mind, Lorraine's provinces are all besieged and, by October 1559, all under Austrian control.
Unfortunately my original wish of vassalisation plus Metz is 106% WC, over the 100% limit, so I have to settle for Metz, Barrois and their conversion to the true faith. All the same, it's the humilliation what matters
Also in 1559 I get to choose a new NI, I can't remember the last time I did. I hesitate between Bureaucracy and Church Attendance Duty, but seeing how the empire is now growing fast I opt for the latter.
1560 is not the best year for the English: Wales declares independence and Yorkshire defects to Burgundy. England, keen to emulate France, is slowly going down the same route. France, on the other hand, sits tight and stays very quiet, hoping that Burgundy won't notice her. Maybe she's learned the lesson after 100 years of decline.
Cessation of Church Functions in September 1561 blows away my stability increase due in October this year.
Genoa goes bankrupt after that, maybe I should have given them back their Crimean provinces after all.