Time to kick the Portuguese out of the America's. Also, I think you should use the CB you have against Britain to both seize its colonies and some of its land in Europe
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I'm liking the spiffy new flag. With colonial competition and an ever warring Europe, things look interestingly poised at present. I'm looking forward to the next update!
nice flag ^^
the carribean is always a nice area , just need a lot of ald ships so it does nor turn to a pirate mess
the carribean is always a nice area , just need a lot of ald ships so it does nor turn to a pirate mess
History_Buff: Well, you’ll at least half-like this update then. 
morningSIDEr: Thanks
sprites: Lots of ships, check. Just not quite enough to match up to a certain other colonial power.
JDMS: Thanks, but it won’t be very easy. While Britain and Portugal aren’t allied to each other, Castile will defend them both and Portugal also has Austria’s aid so any war with them has the potential to be very messy.
Chaper Sixteen: Money, the Root of all Stress
Koenraad II was deeply concerned about the situation in the Americas. As it stood Greater Friesland was in control of the vast majority of the Caribbean, but the other colonial powers had finally started getting into the action and were rapidly solidifying their hold on the southern American continent. Of these, Britain was the greatest concern as they had a large enough navy to easily defend their far-flung territory.
That same fleet also meant that it would be almost impossible to directly invade Britain itself. On top of all of that, the money being poured into the colonies in the Caribbean meant that a Frisian shipbuilding program was out of the question.
There was also the problem of smugglers running goods illegally to and from the colonies.
It took the majority of the treasury just to clamp down on these and avoid damaging the economy, and the country was forced to take a loan a result.
Paying the interest on the loan as well as ensuring he had enough money to pay it back, all while maintaining growth in the colonies, meant that Koenraad had to continually pump money from the royal mints. In order to prevent the economy collapsing, he needed to find other sources of income.
The natives neighbouring New Friesland were the most obvious target, and so the colonial forces were ordered to move in and seize whatever assets they could, as well as a key trading hub.
The Iroquois were once again no match for Europeans and they quickly gave up what Koenraad was after. The trade was then shipped downstream to New Amsterdam.
That move was another major expense that Koenraad had to balance, but he was sort of confident that placing such a vital facility in the heart of New Friesland instead of on the frontier was the best thing to do.
All the problems with the economy were really taking their toll on the king. He was really getting on in years and the strength of his youth, when he had converted and led the country through its most turbulent time, had gone.
It ultimately led to a majorly embarrassing outburst when he learnt that the British had used an old dispute from a war with Burgundy over a century ago to lay claim to Vlandeeren.
Koenraad may have been deteriorating, but he was determined to see the country through this crisis. And so when the loan was finally repaid and most of the colonies were self-sustaining he could finally rest. He passed away peacefully in his sleep in 1550 after more than half a century of rule.
Koenraad was succeeded by his son, Johan III. Unlike his father, he had been brought up during the peak of the Reformation, a time of great religious fervour. As a result he was a much more devoted follower of the Church of Burgundy and had a great hatred of the Catholics that threatened Frisian interests abroad.
There were still religious interests within the kingdom as well.
While the Calvinist infestation in the capital was finally dealt with, the crackdown had resulted in a large number of them fleeing the Caribbean colonies where they would take a lot longer to root out. At the very least the heresy could only be found in New World Frisian holdings at this point.
Johan may have been a fanatic, but he had enough military smarts to know when to hold back. There were reports of new weapons being fielded by European militaries, so he waited until Greater Friesland itself had those same weapons. In the meantime, he continued his father’s earlier work.
Johan was much more interested in converting them than their money though, so the heathens north of Lake Ontario were completely conquered rather than extorting any more from then.
That had kept his interest long enough; as word came that Frisian armouries could start outputting the same gunpowder weapons used in other countries.
Now that he had parity with the rest of Europe, he could use his skills to lead Friesland to victory.
The first goal was to deal with Britain. A crippling blow needed to be administered as soon as possible before their empire became too dominant.
He used the excuse of rescuing the Protestants in Calais, although by this time they had almost all been driven out by the Catholics. All of Britain’s allies joined in although they didn’t provide much support besides sending a few minor troops to besiege the Caribbean and get wiped out by local troops.
While Frisian forces advanced on Calais, colonial forces were also moving. Portugal had been willing to let Frisian troops into its colonies on the condition that they would target their rival in South America.
Johan was eager to oblige, and the army led a devastating campaign that tore apart British holdings in the southern half of the New World.
Meanwhile in Europe, Frisian guns and cannon got their first real test in battle as they engaged the main British continental force led by their own king. With Johan leading an advance guard to outrun and surround the British the outcome was inevitable.
The Catholics were defeated and Calais easily taken while William IV ran home with his tail between his legs. However, the British fleet still blocked the way to their homeland leaving Johan with nothing within immediate reach.
Instead, he turned his attention to Britain’s allies. Without immediate support from their more powerful allies, they easily fell to Frisian might.
Johan was even able to convert the King of Provence, freeing the oppressed Protestant minority within their territory as a result. This didn’t do much for the war effort though, as these two minor nations only provided minimal support to the war effort. Britain and Castile still stood strong and unwavering in their refusal to give in.
To pass the time, Johan ordered the colonial troops to attack British holdings in North America. Epekwikt was captured and the British Colonial Army wiped out, while the colonies in Greenland were destroyed.
Taking Britain’s key port in the New World was sort of negated though by the fact that they didn’t have any other territory left. At the very least it meant New Friesland was safe from attack. It was also another humiliation for the heretic William IV, something that pleased Johan greatly.
The Frisian sphere of influence had been steadily growing along with its power. The small nation of Cologne had been getting closer to its neighbour over the years, so when it was rudely attacked by Hesse Johan leapt to the rescue. There wasn’t any pressing need for the soldiers anyway, as the war was at a standstill besides the occasional weak British attempt to retake Calais.
The Hessian problem was dealt with once and for all as their king was force to swear fealty to Johan.
That little adventure didn’t change the fact that the war was at a standstill. Britain was impenetrable, and Castile was the strongest Catholic power around but lacking in the sealift capacity to have a real affect on the war without abandoning their Mediterranean empire. It was a stand-off.
Could an invasion of the heartland of the dangerous Castile, bringing their massive armies to the frontline, be the only way to end the war?
To be continued...
World map 1558
Interesting things to note: Britain has holdings as far away as India. They are definitely the biggest long-term rival to Friesland. The Khanates have started colonising Siberia, a result of the mod giving Muslims some colonist influx (which I have since reduced after seeing how much they expanded already.) China (unified version added in the mod) is being China and blobbing through Asia.
morningSIDEr: Thanks
sprites: Lots of ships, check. Just not quite enough to match up to a certain other colonial power.
JDMS: Thanks, but it won’t be very easy. While Britain and Portugal aren’t allied to each other, Castile will defend them both and Portugal also has Austria’s aid so any war with them has the potential to be very messy.
Chaper Sixteen: Money, the Root of all Stress
Koenraad II was deeply concerned about the situation in the Americas. As it stood Greater Friesland was in control of the vast majority of the Caribbean, but the other colonial powers had finally started getting into the action and were rapidly solidifying their hold on the southern American continent. Of these, Britain was the greatest concern as they had a large enough navy to easily defend their far-flung territory.
That same fleet also meant that it would be almost impossible to directly invade Britain itself. On top of all of that, the money being poured into the colonies in the Caribbean meant that a Frisian shipbuilding program was out of the question.
There was also the problem of smugglers running goods illegally to and from the colonies.
It took the majority of the treasury just to clamp down on these and avoid damaging the economy, and the country was forced to take a loan a result.
Paying the interest on the loan as well as ensuring he had enough money to pay it back, all while maintaining growth in the colonies, meant that Koenraad had to continually pump money from the royal mints. In order to prevent the economy collapsing, he needed to find other sources of income.
The natives neighbouring New Friesland were the most obvious target, and so the colonial forces were ordered to move in and seize whatever assets they could, as well as a key trading hub.
The Iroquois were once again no match for Europeans and they quickly gave up what Koenraad was after. The trade was then shipped downstream to New Amsterdam.
That move was another major expense that Koenraad had to balance, but he was sort of confident that placing such a vital facility in the heart of New Friesland instead of on the frontier was the best thing to do.
All the problems with the economy were really taking their toll on the king. He was really getting on in years and the strength of his youth, when he had converted and led the country through its most turbulent time, had gone.
It ultimately led to a majorly embarrassing outburst when he learnt that the British had used an old dispute from a war with Burgundy over a century ago to lay claim to Vlandeeren.
Koenraad may have been deteriorating, but he was determined to see the country through this crisis. And so when the loan was finally repaid and most of the colonies were self-sustaining he could finally rest. He passed away peacefully in his sleep in 1550 after more than half a century of rule.
Koenraad was succeeded by his son, Johan III. Unlike his father, he had been brought up during the peak of the Reformation, a time of great religious fervour. As a result he was a much more devoted follower of the Church of Burgundy and had a great hatred of the Catholics that threatened Frisian interests abroad.
There were still religious interests within the kingdom as well.
While the Calvinist infestation in the capital was finally dealt with, the crackdown had resulted in a large number of them fleeing the Caribbean colonies where they would take a lot longer to root out. At the very least the heresy could only be found in New World Frisian holdings at this point.
Johan may have been a fanatic, but he had enough military smarts to know when to hold back. There were reports of new weapons being fielded by European militaries, so he waited until Greater Friesland itself had those same weapons. In the meantime, he continued his father’s earlier work.
Johan was much more interested in converting them than their money though, so the heathens north of Lake Ontario were completely conquered rather than extorting any more from then.
That had kept his interest long enough; as word came that Frisian armouries could start outputting the same gunpowder weapons used in other countries.
Now that he had parity with the rest of Europe, he could use his skills to lead Friesland to victory.
The first goal was to deal with Britain. A crippling blow needed to be administered as soon as possible before their empire became too dominant.
He used the excuse of rescuing the Protestants in Calais, although by this time they had almost all been driven out by the Catholics. All of Britain’s allies joined in although they didn’t provide much support besides sending a few minor troops to besiege the Caribbean and get wiped out by local troops.
While Frisian forces advanced on Calais, colonial forces were also moving. Portugal had been willing to let Frisian troops into its colonies on the condition that they would target their rival in South America.
Johan was eager to oblige, and the army led a devastating campaign that tore apart British holdings in the southern half of the New World.
Meanwhile in Europe, Frisian guns and cannon got their first real test in battle as they engaged the main British continental force led by their own king. With Johan leading an advance guard to outrun and surround the British the outcome was inevitable.
The Catholics were defeated and Calais easily taken while William IV ran home with his tail between his legs. However, the British fleet still blocked the way to their homeland leaving Johan with nothing within immediate reach.
Instead, he turned his attention to Britain’s allies. Without immediate support from their more powerful allies, they easily fell to Frisian might.
Johan was even able to convert the King of Provence, freeing the oppressed Protestant minority within their territory as a result. This didn’t do much for the war effort though, as these two minor nations only provided minimal support to the war effort. Britain and Castile still stood strong and unwavering in their refusal to give in.
To pass the time, Johan ordered the colonial troops to attack British holdings in North America. Epekwikt was captured and the British Colonial Army wiped out, while the colonies in Greenland were destroyed.
Taking Britain’s key port in the New World was sort of negated though by the fact that they didn’t have any other territory left. At the very least it meant New Friesland was safe from attack. It was also another humiliation for the heretic William IV, something that pleased Johan greatly.
The Frisian sphere of influence had been steadily growing along with its power. The small nation of Cologne had been getting closer to its neighbour over the years, so when it was rudely attacked by Hesse Johan leapt to the rescue. There wasn’t any pressing need for the soldiers anyway, as the war was at a standstill besides the occasional weak British attempt to retake Calais.
The Hessian problem was dealt with once and for all as their king was force to swear fealty to Johan.
That little adventure didn’t change the fact that the war was at a standstill. Britain was impenetrable, and Castile was the strongest Catholic power around but lacking in the sealift capacity to have a real affect on the war without abandoning their Mediterranean empire. It was a stand-off.
Could an invasion of the heartland of the dangerous Castile, bringing their massive armies to the frontline, be the only way to end the war?
To be continued...
World map 1558
Interesting things to note: Britain has holdings as far away as India. They are definitely the biggest long-term rival to Friesland. The Khanates have started colonising Siberia, a result of the mod giving Muslims some colonist influx (which I have since reduced after seeing how much they expanded already.) China (unified version added in the mod) is being China and blobbing through Asia.
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Great update.
Like the way you fight your wars.
You don't destroy your enemies to keep the later stages interesting.
More realistic and interesting for the AAR.
The blobbing china is no problem it will make for interesting wars in the far east!
edit: Tought about someting. Maybe you should force them (small german states) to trade trough your centers of trade.
Like the way you fight your wars.
You don't destroy your enemies to keep the later stages interesting.
More realistic and interesting for the AAR.
The blobbing china is no problem it will make for interesting wars in the far east!
edit: Tought about someting. Maybe you should force them (small german states) to trade trough your centers of trade.
Nice flag!
I would suggest that you attack Castile's Italian lands. This should give you enough war score to take Calais from the British and maybe get Castile to release a few minors in Italy and/or Greece.
I would also see if I could take a province in S. America, even if you can't reach it with colonists, it will eventually grow into a city and you will soon have a core there for future colonizing.
I would suggest that you attack Castile's Italian lands. This should give you enough war score to take Calais from the British and maybe get Castile to release a few minors in Italy and/or Greece.
I would also see if I could take a province in S. America, even if you can't reach it with colonists, it will eventually grow into a city and you will soon have a core there for future colonizing.
China could be a powerhouse if they don't collapse. And the British are already enroute to the Raj. Interesting.
You seem to have destroyed the South American colonies of Britain, why did you do that instead of taking them for yourself? You should now start building up your fleet so you can challenge England on the high seas in future wars.
Middelkerke: Thanks. I don’t think your idea will work though, as I’m not a Trade League. The only way to do what you suggest would be to conquer and dismantle the various small CoTs around Germany.
JDMS: Castille has about three times as many troops as me in Europe, but they’re scattered through Iberia, Italy, Greece and North Africa.
sjones25: The other nations are pretty entrenched in South America now, so I’d prefer to stay out of there. I’ll look at taking the Falklands or something to expand my colonial range.
blsteen: To be honest, the British thing is my fault. I was playing around with CBs at the time, which allowed them to easily grab something in India so early on.
History_Buff: My economy was almost wrecked by the Caribbean colonies, so I don’t plan on adding another bunch I’ll have to manage with this huge war on. I’ve been slowly expanding my fleet, but it’ll be a while before it can match up to Britain’s.
Chapter Seventeen: Fighting the Catholics
There was only one way to break the present stalemate, and that would be to take the fight to the Castillians. As they were in overall command of the alliance, if they could be brought to terms then Britain would have to follow.
An army was dispatched to Castillian Italy to see what it could do in the rebel-torn region. However, it had to withdraw as it was discovered that the Iberians had placed a large force in Lombardia preventing any Frisian troops from entering the area without a tough fight.
It was a good thing that the retreat was called, as someone else was eager to break the stalemate.
Intent on aiding its Catholic allies, Austria entered the fray with its vast armies. The majority of Frisian forces were immediately ordered to the eastern border, with only a small force staying behind to hold of British landings around Calais.
Austria had brought the tiny kingdom of Cologne into the war, and they just so happened to stand between the Frisian armies and the isolated territory of Brunswick.
They were swatted aside and brought into the fold with ease.
Frisian soldiers lead by Johan III met the Austrian advance force in Brunswick and engaged in a bloody battle.
The Austrians were crushed, but many more were on the way. Brandenburg was bearing the brunt of the Austrian sledgehammer and soon those troops would be pointed at Friesland. The terrible battles going on there gave Johan mixed feelings. While Brandenburg had been a staunch Frisian ally for years, they were still heretics and having them engage in deadly battles with Catholics was probably the best use for them.
After finishing their work in Brandenburg more than fifty thousand Austrians made their way towards Brunswick.
Johan knew that he had no chance against such a force, especially given the Austrian advantage in technology and doctrine. So he ordered the Frisian army to retreat to the territory of its vassals, which weren’t a part of the war and so safe from Austrian troops, and had them burn everything they passed on their way out of Brunswick. The Austrians would have to storm the provincial capital to have anywhere near enough food to support their massive force.
Johan plans did little to ease the pain of the people of Brandenburg and Meissen, who found the majority of their lands absorbed by Austria.
Johan publicly vowed to free the oppressed Calvinists from the Catholics, but really that was quite far down his agenda. There were more important matters than freeing a group of heretical allies.
The Austrians had refused to assault Braunschweig and instead focused their efforts on watching the border where Frisian troops were massed. They apparently were afraid that taking the city would expose their back to the Frisians, and that had cost them dearly as they discovered the induced famine the region was suffering.
After tens of thousands of Austrians lay dead or starving, Johan moved his forces in and easily crushed the survivors. Such a defeat sent waves of discontent through the Austrian court, and their king was willing to accept a ceasefire to recover from the loss.
With the east secure for the time being, Johan lead the Armies of Friesland and Flanders to Iberia. He had managed to secure access through Aragon, who were eager to see their Iberian rival humiliated, and planned to strike at the heart of Castille itself.
The plan went far better than expected. The majority of the Castillian army was either engaging rebels around Granada or guarding their large Mediterranean empire. This allowed Frisian troops to run rampant through the countryside, seizing cities as they went.
Meanwhile, in New Friesland, the natives around the Great Lakes made a valiant effort to retake their territory. (Pagans get Holy War as well in this mod.)
Valiant but futile, as local forces were more than enough to handle them and conquer more land in retribution.
In Iberia, thing were mostly going to plan. Large swathes of the nation were under Frisian control and only one large army opposed them. Having crushed the Granadan rebels, that army was finally able to turn its attention to the invaders. Johan lead one of his armies against them, and was able to defeat them after a very tough battle around Murcia. Then he suffered one of the most embarrassing defeats of his life.
A small group of Castillian cavalry came up behind the exhausted Frisian army and caused a massive rout, as the troops feared it was a massive detachment of reinforcements. (I have no idea why this happened. I would have thought that after beating the other Castillian army I would have enough morale left to one-shot a single regiment that spawned. Is morale rounded down or something, since I know mine was pretty low following the battle?)
Luckily, the other Frisian army in the region was able to catch the larger Castillian force and finish it off even after that failure.
The loss of the only real Castillian army in Iberia was enough for them to offer their surrender.
For the loss of Johan’s army they were forced to pay a large sum of reparations, as well as turn over Calais and the British colony of Epetwitk.
The war was finally over, and while it hadn’t been the total defeat of the Catholics Johan had wanted, British interests in the Americas were almost completely destroyed. Now the country could rebuild and get ready for the next inevitable war.
Now that the Calvinists in the eastern half of the Empire were crushed, Austria was a bigger threat than ever and Johan knew that. The next major war would almost certainly be against them, so preparations would have to be made.
Burgundy was a shadow of its former self, having suffered repeated defeats in the series of conflicts that had been termed the French Civil War. Still, they were strong enough to be appreciated as allies against the Catholics. Defensive structures were expanded in key regions in case of Austrian attack, and another full size army, the Army of Brunswick, was added to the Frisian arsenal in Europe.
Meanwhile, the Councils were doing their part by looking into possible Frisian claims on other regions of the Empire in order to consolidate the Kingdom’s strength before taking on the Austrian juggernaut.
Hannoverian refugees settling in Anhalt after the attempted Hessian cleansing of Brunswick were enough to press a claim on the small state. Elsewhere, the Calvinists in Cleves were oppressing the Protestants they had conquered from Trier giving a reason for Frisian intervention.
Austria had finally bitten off more than it could chew. Their aggression and conquests had gained the anger of all of Europe.
This could very well be the chance Johan needed. If he could land a decisive enough blow on Austria, then the other nations of Europe would see it as a chance and join in to grab what they could from the official villains of the continent.
There was the matter of the Emperor though. The Catholic King of Luneburg had forged an alliance with his Austrian counterpart, effectively adding another large force Friesland would have to contend with on the frontline in Northern Germany. Something would have to be done about him before Austria could be engaged. It just so happened that there was a way to do just that without garnering the immediate attention of the Austrians.
Cleves lay under the protective sphere on Luneburg, and they were likely to rush to its defence without calling in any allies. It was time to bring down the Emperor.
To be continued...
JDMS: Castille has about three times as many troops as me in Europe, but they’re scattered through Iberia, Italy, Greece and North Africa.
sjones25: The other nations are pretty entrenched in South America now, so I’d prefer to stay out of there. I’ll look at taking the Falklands or something to expand my colonial range.
blsteen: To be honest, the British thing is my fault. I was playing around with CBs at the time, which allowed them to easily grab something in India so early on.
History_Buff: My economy was almost wrecked by the Caribbean colonies, so I don’t plan on adding another bunch I’ll have to manage with this huge war on. I’ve been slowly expanding my fleet, but it’ll be a while before it can match up to Britain’s.
Chapter Seventeen: Fighting the Catholics
There was only one way to break the present stalemate, and that would be to take the fight to the Castillians. As they were in overall command of the alliance, if they could be brought to terms then Britain would have to follow.
An army was dispatched to Castillian Italy to see what it could do in the rebel-torn region. However, it had to withdraw as it was discovered that the Iberians had placed a large force in Lombardia preventing any Frisian troops from entering the area without a tough fight.
It was a good thing that the retreat was called, as someone else was eager to break the stalemate.
Intent on aiding its Catholic allies, Austria entered the fray with its vast armies. The majority of Frisian forces were immediately ordered to the eastern border, with only a small force staying behind to hold of British landings around Calais.
Austria had brought the tiny kingdom of Cologne into the war, and they just so happened to stand between the Frisian armies and the isolated territory of Brunswick.
They were swatted aside and brought into the fold with ease.
Frisian soldiers lead by Johan III met the Austrian advance force in Brunswick and engaged in a bloody battle.
The Austrians were crushed, but many more were on the way. Brandenburg was bearing the brunt of the Austrian sledgehammer and soon those troops would be pointed at Friesland. The terrible battles going on there gave Johan mixed feelings. While Brandenburg had been a staunch Frisian ally for years, they were still heretics and having them engage in deadly battles with Catholics was probably the best use for them.
After finishing their work in Brandenburg more than fifty thousand Austrians made their way towards Brunswick.
Johan knew that he had no chance against such a force, especially given the Austrian advantage in technology and doctrine. So he ordered the Frisian army to retreat to the territory of its vassals, which weren’t a part of the war and so safe from Austrian troops, and had them burn everything they passed on their way out of Brunswick. The Austrians would have to storm the provincial capital to have anywhere near enough food to support their massive force.
Johan plans did little to ease the pain of the people of Brandenburg and Meissen, who found the majority of their lands absorbed by Austria.
Johan publicly vowed to free the oppressed Calvinists from the Catholics, but really that was quite far down his agenda. There were more important matters than freeing a group of heretical allies.
The Austrians had refused to assault Braunschweig and instead focused their efforts on watching the border where Frisian troops were massed. They apparently were afraid that taking the city would expose their back to the Frisians, and that had cost them dearly as they discovered the induced famine the region was suffering.
After tens of thousands of Austrians lay dead or starving, Johan moved his forces in and easily crushed the survivors. Such a defeat sent waves of discontent through the Austrian court, and their king was willing to accept a ceasefire to recover from the loss.
With the east secure for the time being, Johan lead the Armies of Friesland and Flanders to Iberia. He had managed to secure access through Aragon, who were eager to see their Iberian rival humiliated, and planned to strike at the heart of Castille itself.
The plan went far better than expected. The majority of the Castillian army was either engaging rebels around Granada or guarding their large Mediterranean empire. This allowed Frisian troops to run rampant through the countryside, seizing cities as they went.
Meanwhile, in New Friesland, the natives around the Great Lakes made a valiant effort to retake their territory. (Pagans get Holy War as well in this mod.)
Valiant but futile, as local forces were more than enough to handle them and conquer more land in retribution.
In Iberia, thing were mostly going to plan. Large swathes of the nation were under Frisian control and only one large army opposed them. Having crushed the Granadan rebels, that army was finally able to turn its attention to the invaders. Johan lead one of his armies against them, and was able to defeat them after a very tough battle around Murcia. Then he suffered one of the most embarrassing defeats of his life.
A small group of Castillian cavalry came up behind the exhausted Frisian army and caused a massive rout, as the troops feared it was a massive detachment of reinforcements. (I have no idea why this happened. I would have thought that after beating the other Castillian army I would have enough morale left to one-shot a single regiment that spawned. Is morale rounded down or something, since I know mine was pretty low following the battle?)
Luckily, the other Frisian army in the region was able to catch the larger Castillian force and finish it off even after that failure.
The loss of the only real Castillian army in Iberia was enough for them to offer their surrender.
For the loss of Johan’s army they were forced to pay a large sum of reparations, as well as turn over Calais and the British colony of Epetwitk.
The war was finally over, and while it hadn’t been the total defeat of the Catholics Johan had wanted, British interests in the Americas were almost completely destroyed. Now the country could rebuild and get ready for the next inevitable war.
Now that the Calvinists in the eastern half of the Empire were crushed, Austria was a bigger threat than ever and Johan knew that. The next major war would almost certainly be against them, so preparations would have to be made.
Burgundy was a shadow of its former self, having suffered repeated defeats in the series of conflicts that had been termed the French Civil War. Still, they were strong enough to be appreciated as allies against the Catholics. Defensive structures were expanded in key regions in case of Austrian attack, and another full size army, the Army of Brunswick, was added to the Frisian arsenal in Europe.
Meanwhile, the Councils were doing their part by looking into possible Frisian claims on other regions of the Empire in order to consolidate the Kingdom’s strength before taking on the Austrian juggernaut.
Hannoverian refugees settling in Anhalt after the attempted Hessian cleansing of Brunswick were enough to press a claim on the small state. Elsewhere, the Calvinists in Cleves were oppressing the Protestants they had conquered from Trier giving a reason for Frisian intervention.
Austria had finally bitten off more than it could chew. Their aggression and conquests had gained the anger of all of Europe.
This could very well be the chance Johan needed. If he could land a decisive enough blow on Austria, then the other nations of Europe would see it as a chance and join in to grab what they could from the official villains of the continent.
There was the matter of the Emperor though. The Catholic King of Luneburg had forged an alliance with his Austrian counterpart, effectively adding another large force Friesland would have to contend with on the frontline in Northern Germany. Something would have to be done about him before Austria could be engaged. It just so happened that there was a way to do just that without garnering the immediate attention of the Austrians.
Cleves lay under the protective sphere on Luneburg, and they were likely to rush to its defence without calling in any allies. It was time to bring down the Emperor.
To be continued...
That'll be easier said than done. Here's the current status of the HRE.
Of the electors, only one is Protestant (but they are voting for me, so I guess I can count on any Protestant elector's support). If I want to become Emperor I'll have to convert the minor electors by force, which will be a huge effort in itself since most of them are in the Castillian or Austrian spheres of influence and I don't have a CB on any of them.
True, but if you manage to remove Lunenburg from the options by bringing them down or vassalizing them, then that should eliminate one big block. The unless they all switch to Austria, you should be able to then convert enough electors to supporting you to swing in your favor. As long as no one else has more, three will do until they all find blocks again to vote for. Not to mention, Lunenburg is an elector so if you vassalize and convert them, there is two votes, meaning you only need one or two more.
You also seem to be the strongest Lutheran faction, so you need to become strong enough to take on the strongest Catholic nations since France seems to have become a non-entity.
You also seem to be the strongest Lutheran faction, so you need to become strong enough to take on the strongest Catholic nations since France seems to have become a non-entity.
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Well, I screwed up the war a bit so the chances of becoming Emperor have dropped quite a lot. That’s no longer an immediate goal. As for becoming stronger to match the Catholics, that’s going to be tough as the main Catholics Austria, Portugal, Britain, Aragon and Castille are all allied with each other in various combinations. In any war I’ll have to fight at least two of them at once.
Chapter Eighteen: Never Perfect
Johan III declared war on Cleves and began moving his troops forward. The Army of Flanders was assigned to quickly captured Koln and then force a surrender from Cleves, while the rest of the European forces moved into the Emperor’s territory.
The numbers were balanced, but the Emperor had significant forces stationed in territory further along the Baltic coast that would take a while to return. The war was anticipated to be over by that time.
Unfortunately, the best laid plans never quite turn out as intended. After storming the capital, Frisian troops discovered that the Emperor had already fled north to rally and regroup his troops after their initial defeat in Bremen.
The Frisian army suddenly found itself fighting far more than anticipated so early in the war and had to withdraw. Johan’s over-eagerness in assaulting the cities of Bremen and Luneburg had depleted his forces enough that the Emperor’s armies were a serious threat.
Things were not going so well further south either. Koln had better defences that anticipated and the Army of Flanders was badly depleted after attempting to assault the walls.
Meanwhile, Imperial troops had slipped past Johan’s armies and were attacking the lands of Friesland and its vassals. The situation was rapidly moving out of control, and Johan had to radically rethink his strategy to prevent the kingdom from being completely overrun.
It didn’t help that smugglers took advantage of the war to begin operations once again.
They were ignored, as there was little to spare on them with the war hanging on a knife edge.
Johan decided to withdraw completely from Luneburg and focus on finishing off Cleves and dealing with armies rampaging through central Germany. The territory that was already occupied would have to keep the Emperor distracted while his allies were beaten down.
The reinforcements, along with Burgundian help, were all that were needed to break Cleves. They ceded the contented city and were forced to submit to the remaining Protestants in their nation.
With that part of the front shut down, all the Frisian troops could move north to engage the Emperor’s armies besieging Luneburg and Bremen.
The first battle of the counterattack was a rousing success. The Emperor’s primary cavalry force was crushed by the weight of proper combined arms despite the brilliant general on their side.
Things did not go so well from then on though. The Emperor’s other large army in Bremen was defeated and chased into the formerly Danish lands. However, no matter how much he chased them Johan was never able to deliver a decisive blow to rout the Emperor’s men once and for all. And to make matters worse, the months of chasing the enemy through their own territory was leaving the Frisian army badly depleted.
If this continued, he risked the Emperor being able to launch a turn around and undo everything had been accomplished already in the war. He had the manpower that Friesland did not to replenish the horrible losses taken in this campaign so far. Johan had to give up his pursuit and focus on something else.
He decided to seize as much land as possible as quickly as possible. No matter how strong the Emperor’s army in the field was, he’d have to give in if enough of his cities were occupied. The key was the mighty trading city Lübeck, which was the primary source of funds for the Imperial Army. Not soon after Frisian troops took that, the Emperor was forced to sue for terms.
With his armies in the state they were in Johan couldn’t push for a total defeat, so he settled for having the Emperor vow to follow the Church of Burgundy as well as pay reparations. Similarly the Calvinists of Thuringia were forced to convert. It seemed as if suddenly the tide of religion in the Empire had swung way in favour of the Protestants, as Austria was the only Catholic power of note left within its borders.
The Emperor’s conversion had caused much consternation amongst the electors.
Austria’s earlier failures had left it disliked enough that Lithuania was considered a serious candidate for next Emperor alongside it. So that the risk of Austria becoming Emperor was reduced, Johan actively pushed the elector Baden towards Luneburg and away from him. He had no chance of taking the crown until more of the electors were converted, but in the meantime the Sanders of Luneburg could keep the electors in a deadlock and the position of Emperor in Protestant hands.
The battles with the Emperor had left tens of thousands of young Frisians dead in the lands of Northern Germany.
All that the country could do was recover and rebuild before embarking on any more adventures against the Catholics. Years passed quietly with little happening in Old Friesland.
However, in New Friesland there was a hive of activity as colonists spread inland.
In order to facilitate this, the remaining natives around Lake Ontario were forcibly absorbed.
Johan also took the time to go over the legal issues the kingdom faced. He had spent so much time campaigning that running the affairs of state for such a long stretch was quite a task.
To make his job easier, he gave himself more power to command the army while handing political power to the Councils as compensation. He felt this way of doing things suited his personality far better. Now he was more free to run his campaigns against the heretics.
It also gave him a chance to look at events abroad; for example, the ongoing battles of the French Civil War.
The situation seemed to have stabilised after several decades of chaos following the Reformation. The ‘rightful’ kings of France had managed to hold onto the Cosmopolitaine north of the country while the south was a mess of smaller states all laying claim to the title. And pulling all of their strings was Aragon, a nation eager to expand its power in southern France to compete with its Castillian rival. Johan was happy to let them fight amongst themselves for the time being.
The years passed quickly and smoothly, and something new came to Johan’s attention.
The British had settled in the frozen wastes to the north of New Friesland. Obviously, these were rightfully Frisian frozen wastes and Johan could not stand by while filthy Catholics colonised them. Colonial war was declared on Britain with the intent to seize these territories and any other targets of opportunity.
The colonies fell easily, and efforts were made to claim the rest of the coastline in the region to prevent something like that happening again. In Europe, Britain’s ally Brittany was forced to convert like many rulers before it. Johan had really taken a liking to doing this to his enemies. After all, killing every Catholic was outside even his abilities.
Back at home, tragedy stuck when Johan’s younger brother Fokke passed away.
This precipitated a crisis in the court, as Johan had remained chaste with the intention of dying gloriously in battle against heretics and letting his brother take the throne. Now there was no one in line for the throne and his whole line could be cut short. Would the same thing happen to the von Hesse-Kassels that had happened to the von Holsteins?
Bad news also came from the Americas. An invasion had been mounted of Castillian Venezuela, but as the Caribbean fleet was moving north to reinforce Bermuda after unloading the troops they were caught by a large British fleet and destroyed.
Without any sealift capacity in the Americas to protect Friesland’s sprawling colonial empire Johan had no choice but to sue for peace, offering up political concession to the Castillians.
The sudden death of his brother and the losses suffered in both this war and the previous were really starting to open Johan’s eyes. Friesland wasn’t perfect, it never was, and just charging into war with heretics wasn’t always going to end the way he wanted. He would have to seriously consider his priorities before pushing the nation’s agenda any further.
To be continued...
Chapter Eighteen: Never Perfect
Johan III declared war on Cleves and began moving his troops forward. The Army of Flanders was assigned to quickly captured Koln and then force a surrender from Cleves, while the rest of the European forces moved into the Emperor’s territory.
The numbers were balanced, but the Emperor had significant forces stationed in territory further along the Baltic coast that would take a while to return. The war was anticipated to be over by that time.
Unfortunately, the best laid plans never quite turn out as intended. After storming the capital, Frisian troops discovered that the Emperor had already fled north to rally and regroup his troops after their initial defeat in Bremen.
The Frisian army suddenly found itself fighting far more than anticipated so early in the war and had to withdraw. Johan’s over-eagerness in assaulting the cities of Bremen and Luneburg had depleted his forces enough that the Emperor’s armies were a serious threat.
Things were not going so well further south either. Koln had better defences that anticipated and the Army of Flanders was badly depleted after attempting to assault the walls.
Meanwhile, Imperial troops had slipped past Johan’s armies and were attacking the lands of Friesland and its vassals. The situation was rapidly moving out of control, and Johan had to radically rethink his strategy to prevent the kingdom from being completely overrun.
It didn’t help that smugglers took advantage of the war to begin operations once again.
They were ignored, as there was little to spare on them with the war hanging on a knife edge.
Johan decided to withdraw completely from Luneburg and focus on finishing off Cleves and dealing with armies rampaging through central Germany. The territory that was already occupied would have to keep the Emperor distracted while his allies were beaten down.
The reinforcements, along with Burgundian help, were all that were needed to break Cleves. They ceded the contented city and were forced to submit to the remaining Protestants in their nation.
With that part of the front shut down, all the Frisian troops could move north to engage the Emperor’s armies besieging Luneburg and Bremen.
The first battle of the counterattack was a rousing success. The Emperor’s primary cavalry force was crushed by the weight of proper combined arms despite the brilliant general on their side.
Things did not go so well from then on though. The Emperor’s other large army in Bremen was defeated and chased into the formerly Danish lands. However, no matter how much he chased them Johan was never able to deliver a decisive blow to rout the Emperor’s men once and for all. And to make matters worse, the months of chasing the enemy through their own territory was leaving the Frisian army badly depleted.
If this continued, he risked the Emperor being able to launch a turn around and undo everything had been accomplished already in the war. He had the manpower that Friesland did not to replenish the horrible losses taken in this campaign so far. Johan had to give up his pursuit and focus on something else.
He decided to seize as much land as possible as quickly as possible. No matter how strong the Emperor’s army in the field was, he’d have to give in if enough of his cities were occupied. The key was the mighty trading city Lübeck, which was the primary source of funds for the Imperial Army. Not soon after Frisian troops took that, the Emperor was forced to sue for terms.
With his armies in the state they were in Johan couldn’t push for a total defeat, so he settled for having the Emperor vow to follow the Church of Burgundy as well as pay reparations. Similarly the Calvinists of Thuringia were forced to convert. It seemed as if suddenly the tide of religion in the Empire had swung way in favour of the Protestants, as Austria was the only Catholic power of note left within its borders.
The Emperor’s conversion had caused much consternation amongst the electors.
Austria’s earlier failures had left it disliked enough that Lithuania was considered a serious candidate for next Emperor alongside it. So that the risk of Austria becoming Emperor was reduced, Johan actively pushed the elector Baden towards Luneburg and away from him. He had no chance of taking the crown until more of the electors were converted, but in the meantime the Sanders of Luneburg could keep the electors in a deadlock and the position of Emperor in Protestant hands.
The battles with the Emperor had left tens of thousands of young Frisians dead in the lands of Northern Germany.
All that the country could do was recover and rebuild before embarking on any more adventures against the Catholics. Years passed quietly with little happening in Old Friesland.
However, in New Friesland there was a hive of activity as colonists spread inland.
In order to facilitate this, the remaining natives around Lake Ontario were forcibly absorbed.
Johan also took the time to go over the legal issues the kingdom faced. He had spent so much time campaigning that running the affairs of state for such a long stretch was quite a task.
To make his job easier, he gave himself more power to command the army while handing political power to the Councils as compensation. He felt this way of doing things suited his personality far better. Now he was more free to run his campaigns against the heretics.
It also gave him a chance to look at events abroad; for example, the ongoing battles of the French Civil War.
The situation seemed to have stabilised after several decades of chaos following the Reformation. The ‘rightful’ kings of France had managed to hold onto the Cosmopolitaine north of the country while the south was a mess of smaller states all laying claim to the title. And pulling all of their strings was Aragon, a nation eager to expand its power in southern France to compete with its Castillian rival. Johan was happy to let them fight amongst themselves for the time being.
The years passed quickly and smoothly, and something new came to Johan’s attention.
The British had settled in the frozen wastes to the north of New Friesland. Obviously, these were rightfully Frisian frozen wastes and Johan could not stand by while filthy Catholics colonised them. Colonial war was declared on Britain with the intent to seize these territories and any other targets of opportunity.
The colonies fell easily, and efforts were made to claim the rest of the coastline in the region to prevent something like that happening again. In Europe, Britain’s ally Brittany was forced to convert like many rulers before it. Johan had really taken a liking to doing this to his enemies. After all, killing every Catholic was outside even his abilities.
Back at home, tragedy stuck when Johan’s younger brother Fokke passed away.
This precipitated a crisis in the court, as Johan had remained chaste with the intention of dying gloriously in battle against heretics and letting his brother take the throne. Now there was no one in line for the throne and his whole line could be cut short. Would the same thing happen to the von Hesse-Kassels that had happened to the von Holsteins?
Bad news also came from the Americas. An invasion had been mounted of Castillian Venezuela, but as the Caribbean fleet was moving north to reinforce Bermuda after unloading the troops they were caught by a large British fleet and destroyed.
Without any sealift capacity in the Americas to protect Friesland’s sprawling colonial empire Johan had no choice but to sue for peace, offering up political concession to the Castillians.
The sudden death of his brother and the losses suffered in both this war and the previous were really starting to open Johan’s eyes. Friesland wasn’t perfect, it never was, and just charging into war with heretics wasn’t always going to end the way he wanted. He would have to seriously consider his priorities before pushing the nation’s agenda any further.
To be continued...
You need to take down at least one of the Catholic powers. Britain or Austria are the best bets. That naval defeat tells me that you need a navy that can contend with Britain.The only reason is I do not think it is a good idea to have powerful Catholic nations practically on your doorstep. If you do not declare war on them, they will be likely to start declaring war on you. With Lunenburg converted, you should ally with them and find whatever strong Lutheran nations you can to build a Lutheran alliance that can stand up to The Catholic Powers. Then start dismembering the Catholics. After the immediate threats are taken care of, you should start consolidating. If you do not want major conquests, you should start converting as much of the Empire as you can. Then, focus on getting elected emperor. That way, you can start passing the reforms and possibly unite the empire.
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The internal situation of Friesland isn't promising, but it can be salvaged. History_Buff is right: the Catholics need to be dealt with soon.
Great work.
Great work.
Good progress. As North America is being kept for yourself, that should leave you in a very strong position to deal with those perfidious Catholics.
Thanks for replies. Unfortunately there’s been a lack of major development in the conflict with the Catholics in this update, although that’s not really my fault.
Chapter Nineteen: Rise of von Luxemburg
Getting on years and without an heir, Johan II began to fear for his legacy. Greater Friesland was in no position to launch another attack on the Catholics and so he would have to pass that goal onto his children, if he managed to get any. He did the best he could with his wife, and after much time, effort and a couple of daughters a son was finally born. He was named Liudgod von Hesse-Kassel and he was intended to be the inheritor of his father’s will.
Unfortunately the effort was too much for the aging king and he passed away soon after the birth. The Noble’s Council took power temporarily until the newborn prince was old enough to become king.
They were insistent on keeping Friesland out of wars until the political situation was stabilised. Unfortunately war came to them.
#
Liege was under Frisian protection, but the alliance with Burgundy was deemed to be of more importance and the people of the small nation were abandoned.
The war was over quickly as Burgundian and Frisian troops worked together to bring down Liege and its allies. It was a level of cooperation that would have been unthinkable one hundred years earlier.
Key to this was the new Burgundian king, Charles III von Luxemburg. The Sanders dynasty, which had dominated politics in the northern and western parts of the Empire ever since the once mild-mannered tutor Johan I seized power in Friesland, was failing. Charles III had taken advantage of that turmoil within the ruling family to get himself placed on the throne of Burgundy in their stead. He had great plans, and getting close to Friesland was among them.
Across the sea, Frisian colonial interests continued to go on heedless of the minutiae of European politics. The Roorda Fleet was rebuilt after the failure in the last war and expanded to match the other nation’s colonial forces. In Africa, Koenraad I’s expedition finally paid off.
The Frisian settlement in the Frisian Kongo was finally developed enough to act as a stopping point for further expeditions in the South Atlantic and around the Cape of Good Hope. Unfortunately the British had already staked a claim to the Cape itself, so efforts were focused on expanding the colonies in the Kongo and securing valuable islands such as St Helena and the Falklands.
Ongoing efforts to root out the Calvinists that had fled across the Atlantic seemed futile.
While the Caribbean was steadily returning to the one true faith, the Calvinists were leading the charge in expanding the frontier of New Friesland. It would be a long time before this ended and many in the colonies were content to let the heretics live in peace. At least they weren’t Catholics.
This relatively peaceful era was a welcome reprieve from Johan III’s constant holy wars. The time was used to better consolidate Friesland’s hold on its European vassals and improve relations with other large nations following the Church of Burgundy such as Provence and Luneburg.
Brunswick, a Duchy for the best part of a hundred and fifty years, was finally absorbed directly into the Kingdom. The Catholic Duke held out for a while against repeated efforts from the Noble’s Council to take his lands, but in the end he acquiesced and allowed in Frisian officials and missionaries in return for large sums of money.
Iberian explorers had uncovered the fact that the two American continents were connected by a thin strip of land. Whoever held that land would have a major strategic advantage.
Under pressure from the Common’s Council, the Noble’s Council dispatched an expedition to secure Frisian claims to the region. However, the proximity to Castillian Venezuela meant that defending it would be tough if war came.
As expected, the majority of Catholic electors meant that as soon as the king of Luneburg died, the Imperial crown passed on to Austria. This was a serious concern for all kings who had converted and amidst the politicking no one noticed when something else happened.
The last Sanders king of a major nation had died, effectively ending that line. More than that, he had died without a direct heir and Charles III of Burgundy used the confusion surrounding the succession to install one of his own close relatives on the throne. Two of the largest Protestant nations were his, but there was still a greater prize to go for.
Austria quickly put its position to use, taking a swathe of territory from Poland when the beleaguered nation attempted to seize Silesia.
Poland had managed to recover somewhat from its earlier defeats, but between Austria and a Lithuania looking for somewhere to expand to counter the unified Russia it didn’t stand much of a chance.
In Africa, a massive civil war struck the vast Songhai Empire.
At one time the empire had controlled almost all of West Africa. Now it had totally fragmented, and Castille and Aragon were moving in to conquer the pieces.
The French Civil War seemed to be finally drawing to a close. While Aragon still held a large portion of Southern France, there were no more rebellious nations able to really challenge Paris’ rule of the country.
This was an obvious concern, as a powerful France could be a serious threat to Friesland. On top of that, they were Calvinist and a conflict with the founder of the Church of Burgundy was almost inevitable in future. The best hope would be for them to continue fighting Aragon and the other Iberians before turning their attention east.
Charles III had to move quickly to finish his plan before France could fully get back on its feet. He married one of his sons to a princess of Friesland, one of the older sisters of the boy-king. The two of them really hit it off, and within a year a child was born who would be the next king of Greater Friesland should something happen to the young Liudgod.
As luck (perhaps) would have, the boy fell from his steed while being shown a demonstration of the new Latin Caracole Cavalry by the newly hired marshal Stefan Briesen. The throne passed into the the house of Charles III and his goals came ever closer.
To be continued...
Chapter Nineteen: Rise of von Luxemburg
Getting on years and without an heir, Johan II began to fear for his legacy. Greater Friesland was in no position to launch another attack on the Catholics and so he would have to pass that goal onto his children, if he managed to get any. He did the best he could with his wife, and after much time, effort and a couple of daughters a son was finally born. He was named Liudgod von Hesse-Kassel and he was intended to be the inheritor of his father’s will.
Unfortunately the effort was too much for the aging king and he passed away soon after the birth. The Noble’s Council took power temporarily until the newborn prince was old enough to become king.
They were insistent on keeping Friesland out of wars until the political situation was stabilised. Unfortunately war came to them.
Liege was under Frisian protection, but the alliance with Burgundy was deemed to be of more importance and the people of the small nation were abandoned.
The war was over quickly as Burgundian and Frisian troops worked together to bring down Liege and its allies. It was a level of cooperation that would have been unthinkable one hundred years earlier.
Key to this was the new Burgundian king, Charles III von Luxemburg. The Sanders dynasty, which had dominated politics in the northern and western parts of the Empire ever since the once mild-mannered tutor Johan I seized power in Friesland, was failing. Charles III had taken advantage of that turmoil within the ruling family to get himself placed on the throne of Burgundy in their stead. He had great plans, and getting close to Friesland was among them.
Across the sea, Frisian colonial interests continued to go on heedless of the minutiae of European politics. The Roorda Fleet was rebuilt after the failure in the last war and expanded to match the other nation’s colonial forces. In Africa, Koenraad I’s expedition finally paid off.
The Frisian settlement in the Frisian Kongo was finally developed enough to act as a stopping point for further expeditions in the South Atlantic and around the Cape of Good Hope. Unfortunately the British had already staked a claim to the Cape itself, so efforts were focused on expanding the colonies in the Kongo and securing valuable islands such as St Helena and the Falklands.
Ongoing efforts to root out the Calvinists that had fled across the Atlantic seemed futile.
While the Caribbean was steadily returning to the one true faith, the Calvinists were leading the charge in expanding the frontier of New Friesland. It would be a long time before this ended and many in the colonies were content to let the heretics live in peace. At least they weren’t Catholics.
This relatively peaceful era was a welcome reprieve from Johan III’s constant holy wars. The time was used to better consolidate Friesland’s hold on its European vassals and improve relations with other large nations following the Church of Burgundy such as Provence and Luneburg.
Brunswick, a Duchy for the best part of a hundred and fifty years, was finally absorbed directly into the Kingdom. The Catholic Duke held out for a while against repeated efforts from the Noble’s Council to take his lands, but in the end he acquiesced and allowed in Frisian officials and missionaries in return for large sums of money.
Iberian explorers had uncovered the fact that the two American continents were connected by a thin strip of land. Whoever held that land would have a major strategic advantage.
Under pressure from the Common’s Council, the Noble’s Council dispatched an expedition to secure Frisian claims to the region. However, the proximity to Castillian Venezuela meant that defending it would be tough if war came.
As expected, the majority of Catholic electors meant that as soon as the king of Luneburg died, the Imperial crown passed on to Austria. This was a serious concern for all kings who had converted and amidst the politicking no one noticed when something else happened.
The last Sanders king of a major nation had died, effectively ending that line. More than that, he had died without a direct heir and Charles III of Burgundy used the confusion surrounding the succession to install one of his own close relatives on the throne. Two of the largest Protestant nations were his, but there was still a greater prize to go for.
Austria quickly put its position to use, taking a swathe of territory from Poland when the beleaguered nation attempted to seize Silesia.
Poland had managed to recover somewhat from its earlier defeats, but between Austria and a Lithuania looking for somewhere to expand to counter the unified Russia it didn’t stand much of a chance.
In Africa, a massive civil war struck the vast Songhai Empire.
At one time the empire had controlled almost all of West Africa. Now it had totally fragmented, and Castille and Aragon were moving in to conquer the pieces.
The French Civil War seemed to be finally drawing to a close. While Aragon still held a large portion of Southern France, there were no more rebellious nations able to really challenge Paris’ rule of the country.
This was an obvious concern, as a powerful France could be a serious threat to Friesland. On top of that, they were Calvinist and a conflict with the founder of the Church of Burgundy was almost inevitable in future. The best hope would be for them to continue fighting Aragon and the other Iberians before turning their attention east.
Charles III had to move quickly to finish his plan before France could fully get back on its feet. He married one of his sons to a princess of Friesland, one of the older sisters of the boy-king. The two of them really hit it off, and within a year a child was born who would be the next king of Greater Friesland should something happen to the young Liudgod.
As luck (perhaps) would have, the boy fell from his steed while being shown a demonstration of the new Latin Caracole Cavalry by the newly hired marshal Stefan Briesen. The throne passed into the the house of Charles III and his goals came ever closer.
To be continued...