Another good update. I want another!
Your writing is great. This AAR gives me an excuse to avoid work I should be doing.
Thanks!
Your writing is great. This AAR gives me an excuse to avoid work I should be doing.
Thanks!-
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The Kaiser and Kanzler sat comfortably in upholstered wooden chairs, on either side of a lampstand in the Kaiser’s library. Both men had smoking pipes in one hand, and papers in the other. They had been casually discussing various economic figures for the past hour and a half. There was much business to managing an empire the size of Germany. Yet, there was no pressing need to worry about most of it.
A gulf of silence occurred, suddenly. Caprivi had finished his report, and the Kaiser had answered his interrogatories. There was nothing left but to chat over pleasantries. Which was what alerted Caprivi to the fact that his friend and mentor… and sovereign, had something on his mind.
Taking a long draw on his pipe, Kaiser Friedrich exhaled heavily, blowing his moustache out as he did so. “How are our iron reserves, Leo?” Sensing the inadequacy of the question, he added, “Can we give up some small portion of our iron production? For…” Indeed, this would sound insane no matter how he explained it. No reason to keep it hidden. “Could we afford to forego a certain small number of our iron mines – say those near Gotha – without it harming the Empire too greatly?”
Caprivi coughed, and unconsciously brushed his hand over his own long, white moustache. Instead of answering, he began running various statistics through his mind, and referred to two of the pages in his hands.
To fill the space, Friedrich eventually chose to explain more fully. “As a young man, Leo, I made a noble promise from one prince to another.” Did that “noble” promise now seem too like a “foolish” promise? He gave Caprivi a steadfast look. “Now that I am Kaiser, I feel ob…” He visibly reconsidered, but then steeled himself and pressed on. “I intend to fulfill that promise.”
Caprivi had stopped rifling through his papers, and had really stopped considering the question at hand. He simply peered at his Kaiser, wide eyed, and weighed what he knew of the man. At length, he was sure that this sounded entirely in character for him. Not a foolish move.
Certain, now, that his Chancellor thought him a madman, Friedrich expounded in more detail. “It was 1851.” He leaned back in his chair and considered the intricate moulding on the ceiling while sucking hard on his pipe. “I had great hopes at that time of an alliance between Britain and Prussia. I maintained a certain degree of friendship… I flatter myself, perhaps. But yes, I think it was a friendship. With Prince Albert, the Prince Consort. And it was he who had the ear of the Queen.”
The Kaiser took another puff on his pipe, and went on as if remembering a day and an age that was long gone to dust. “The prince, whose family was of Saxe-Coburg, asked if I would see that his home were made free again, if I ever had anything to say about it. I promised. And now I do have something to say about it. I will keep my word… I must.”
“Mein Kaiser,” Caprivi began after another long, smoky silence. “This should most properly go through Prince van Rensselaer. This is a major decision with foreign policy implications. It should not be ours alone.”
“I do not wish to consult with Minister Rensselaer. This is my decision. Alone.” He set his lips, stubbornly. “You may inform him so that he may make preparations.”
A gulf of silence occurred, suddenly. Caprivi had finished his report, and the Kaiser had answered his interrogatories. There was nothing left but to chat over pleasantries. Which was what alerted Caprivi to the fact that his friend and mentor… and sovereign, had something on his mind.
Taking a long draw on his pipe, Kaiser Friedrich exhaled heavily, blowing his moustache out as he did so. “How are our iron reserves, Leo?” Sensing the inadequacy of the question, he added, “Can we give up some small portion of our iron production? For…” Indeed, this would sound insane no matter how he explained it. No reason to keep it hidden. “Could we afford to forego a certain small number of our iron mines – say those near Gotha – without it harming the Empire too greatly?”
Caprivi coughed, and unconsciously brushed his hand over his own long, white moustache. Instead of answering, he began running various statistics through his mind, and referred to two of the pages in his hands.
To fill the space, Friedrich eventually chose to explain more fully. “As a young man, Leo, I made a noble promise from one prince to another.” Did that “noble” promise now seem too like a “foolish” promise? He gave Caprivi a steadfast look. “Now that I am Kaiser, I feel ob…” He visibly reconsidered, but then steeled himself and pressed on. “I intend to fulfill that promise.”
Caprivi had stopped rifling through his papers, and had really stopped considering the question at hand. He simply peered at his Kaiser, wide eyed, and weighed what he knew of the man. At length, he was sure that this sounded entirely in character for him. Not a foolish move.
Certain, now, that his Chancellor thought him a madman, Friedrich expounded in more detail. “It was 1851.” He leaned back in his chair and considered the intricate moulding on the ceiling while sucking hard on his pipe. “I had great hopes at that time of an alliance between Britain and Prussia. I maintained a certain degree of friendship… I flatter myself, perhaps. But yes, I think it was a friendship. With Prince Albert, the Prince Consort. And it was he who had the ear of the Queen.”
The Kaiser took another puff on his pipe, and went on as if remembering a day and an age that was long gone to dust. “The prince, whose family was of Saxe-Coburg, asked if I would see that his home were made free again, if I ever had anything to say about it. I promised. And now I do have something to say about it. I will keep my word… I must.”
“Mein Kaiser,” Caprivi began after another long, smoky silence. “This should most properly go through Prince van Rensselaer. This is a major decision with foreign policy implications. It should not be ours alone.”
“I do not wish to consult with Minister Rensselaer. This is my decision. Alone.” He set his lips, stubbornly. “You may inform him so that he may make preparations.”
All right… Now DON’T LAUGH! :rofl:
I told you a few posts ago in feedback that releasing Gotha would be more trouble than it was worth – even for story purposes, which is the only reason I did it in the first place! It dates back to when a 20-year old Friedrich Wilhelm visited London for the Great Exhibition, and met Prince Albert and, as it turns out, his future wife and Kaiserin, Princess Victoria.
However, it was only a couple of weeks after Saxe-Coburg-Gotha received their gift of independence that they joined with Prussia’s rival city-state Munchen and declared itself part of the South German Federation!!! Kaiser Friedrich felt betrayed, which of course was natural. Relations with Gotha were strained, but it was too late to take back the declaration without broader consequences.
Just look at that! A two-province minor ranked the 9th Power of the world, with an industry of 110 and a military of 4. Please also note that Munchen is a hilly/rocky forested territory with serious combat advantages for the defender. Gotha is more vulnerable, but with one, now, comes the other!
Renss
I told you a few posts ago in feedback that releasing Gotha would be more trouble than it was worth – even for story purposes, which is the only reason I did it in the first place! It dates back to when a 20-year old Friedrich Wilhelm visited London for the Great Exhibition, and met Prince Albert and, as it turns out, his future wife and Kaiserin, Princess Victoria.
However, it was only a couple of weeks after Saxe-Coburg-Gotha received their gift of independence that they joined with Prussia’s rival city-state Munchen and declared itself part of the South German Federation!!! Kaiser Friedrich felt betrayed, which of course was natural. Relations with Gotha were strained, but it was too late to take back the declaration without broader consequences.
Just look at that! A two-province minor ranked the 9th Power of the world, with an industry of 110 and a military of 4. Please also note that Munchen is a hilly/rocky forested territory with serious combat advantages for the defender. Gotha is more vulnerable, but with one, now, comes the other!
Renss
OK, I try not to to laugh....
Prince Rensslaer would be the one laughing not me...
So what are you going to do Rens? I await your next move with great excitement.
Prince Rensslaer would be the one laughing not me...
So what are you going to do Rens? I await your next move with great excitement.
I knew it!
The South German Federation has played you all for chumps for decades!
The South Will Rise Again!
The South German Federation has played you all for chumps for decades!
The South Will Rise Again!
I'd have to agree with that. And strange that Freddy still made the choice after all this time - I mean, yes, he keeps his word. But what chance would an ind. Gotha have, really? Not much now, it seems.
I'll be damned. Those weasels joining with the liberals and socialists in Munich...it's intolerable! Now you have two yellow blemishes on the sea of blue.
Wipe them out. All of them.
Update.
Wipe them out. All of them.
Update.
Nah keep them as convenient places to banish undesirables. Besides, when anyone says "you ruthlessly annexed Germany" you can turn around and ask "but what about the SGF, it's still there".
Those backstabbing Saxe-Coburg-Gotha....i....an...ians.... How dare they join up with your most hated southern, yellow enemy?
Annex them, I say! Raise the standard of war!
Annex them, I say! Raise the standard of war!
Hey, Renny! You won Best AAR in the AARland Choice AwAARds - 2005 Q3! Congratulations! Now make that acceptance speech!
And the Index, well, I guess it will have to be a birthday present.o
And the Index, well, I guess it will have to be a birthday present.
o
Though I suspect your comment was meant at least partly in jest, there is certainly something to it.stnylan said:
You have Prussia/Germany's first liberal, democratic leader, and what better way to prove your commitment to such principles than to have Gotha and Munich available as examples of independent principalities? We won't mention the counterargument regarding Slovenia... that was just power politics.
And I hate to disappoint the rest of you, but suffice it to say that 1) Prussia (believe it or not!) does not have either the political or military wherewithall in 1885 to eliminate the SGF. Kaiser Friedrich recognizes this, and isn't going to push it... yet.
I will leave it open as to when/if the reckoning will come!
Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to comment and read! I will try to be back soon with more specific feedback on certain things. But for now I'm going to speed through this and try to get some of my other obligations (research, writing) taken care of!
Rensslaer
Oh come on - you are telling me that you can't take out a puny little two province minor? Do they have alliances? Do they have some sort of guaranty? You have the military might, even with the debt. Freddy...get in there and take what is yours!
Yup, yup...coz1 said:Oh come on - you are telling me that you can't take out a puny little two province minor? Do they have alliances? Do they have some sort of guaranty? You have the military might, even with the debt. Freddy...get in there and take what is yours!
The most recent graphic doesn't show it, but I swear they had an alliance with Austria (go back a few graphics, and the event shows it). But in any case...I will confess to a restart on this...
o EDIT: I take it back! I didn't! I just got confused on the dates... I didn't think my chances were good at this point in the game, so I let them sit there... for years! Then I tried (twice) to take them back. What I describe below happened in the first attempt...(Aside from the modding around silly game results, that's the only significant restart I can recall since we tried declaring war on Denmark and Russia in the 1840s!) I actually DID try to retake the SGF soon thereafter. I got my clock cleaned!
I don't remember the exact numbers, but I think Munich has terrain bonuses, plus a leader, plus 120 entrenchment, plus about 3-4 divisions at least (military score of 4). I lost the best and brightest of Prussia's Imperial Army on the approaches to Munich. It was ugly! So I retroactively chose to leave them alone! I'm assuming some wit at General HQ would have pointed out this likelihood to the Kaiser, even though this mediocre Victoria player didn't have such an advantage of foresight.
Rensslaer
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Don't worry about it Rens. Just leave the SGF alone for NOW.. Wait till you get stormtroopers and gas attack bonus, then we'll see how those Bavarians defend against the might of Prussia. Anyway surely you have bigger fish to fry, right?
Oh yeah, congrats Rens for winning the inaugurate AArland Choice Awards.
Oh yeah, congrats Rens for winning the inaugurate AArland Choice Awards.