Chapter Three
This war is simply too early. Pushing into northern Russia will cost me a lot of attrition and war exhaustion. My large numbers of unfortified provinces makes it easy for Novgorod to pickup war score and inflict war exhaustion on me.
The early exchanges go well with 5000 Genoese troops ran down and defeated before winter sets in. Small forces will be left to carry out the sieges while the field armies head north for a spring campaign in 1402. Novgorod’s troops mill around for several months but eventually settle into a siege of fortified Idnakar my northernmost province.
The first battle – the Horde’s starting leader is rather good
My first revolt - 15 August 1402
Predictably the first revolt is Georgian nationalist. Georgia spawns uncomfortably large rebel stacks for the early tech levels. The battle is swiftly lost and nationalist RR rises to 11.70. The province is also wrong religion and wrong culture. Even at +3 stab and minimal war exhaustion RR is 16.70%...
I finish off that stack in early 1403 and then 15 May 1403 Alania rises in rebellion again!
I have half my army in south fighting these rebellions and watching for Genoese relief forces. The other half is fighting a defensive battle in Kazan against the main Novgorodian force.
Somewhere along the way I picked up a guarantee from the Timurids which comes in useful in July 1403 when the Hungarians declare war.
I’m out of position and anyway don’t have any troops free to deal with this.
The interesting thing is my war exhaustion. I’m playing very carefully to keep all the battles on my territory. Novgorod doesn’t appear to know about General Winter.
The second battle with Novgorod – late 1403
That’s 15 regiments destroyed.
Peace with Novgorod – February 1404
This isn’t great but I pick up some land and a few ducats. Solikamsk is simply part of eliminating the Russians while Azow is right religion / right culture. I need to get the northern army south and soon. The Genoese were already liberating their occupied provinces.
My excellent general dies in a heavy defeat in Azow in the summer of 1404. I’m down 6 provinces by this stage although the situation recovers as Hungary is drawn into a major war in Eastern Europe against Poland/Lithuania.
Late 1404 – Lithuania are fighting my war for me. I’ve stopped the Hungarian offensive, now I hope the Liths will destroy the Hungarian army.
Disappointingly Hungary is able to White Peace out of that war soon after. Midsummer I do the same as I’m facing off against 20000 Hungarians on a narrow battlefront through Cherson. Peace returns although I’ve a Moldovan nationalist rebel army in Budjak to deal with.
I can go back to fortifying my Tartar provinces now peace has resumed.
Rebel count = 3
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