The Iron Cross Triumphant
Emil “the Bastard” Nov 1612 – July 1633
Born before his father wedded the Empress, Emil began his reign viewed less than favorably by the nobilities of Europe. Fortunately a marriage to princess Xenia of Muscovy and the support of his friend the Grand Marshall Johann Dahm helped him outmaneuver his political opponents and cement his hold on the imperial throne.
By all accounts Emil was a brilliant scholar and an adept warrior. His father had bestowed him a healthy appreciation for the arts and learning which evolved into lengthy tours of study at several of Europe’s most prestigious universities. Of particular interest to the young prince was the political history of the world, in particular the empires of Rome, Alexander, Charlemagne, and the Mongols. In one of his many theses he argued that three factors affected the fall of great empires: succession difficulties, incapable rulers, and overextension. Emil argued that in order for a nation to endure it must have a legitimate succession law and the wholehearted support of the majority of its citizens. While beneficial in the short term, expansion into dissimilar regions would only lead to eventual cultural strife and breakup. Stable expansion must be in small increments or into unpopulated lands which can be easily settled by one’s own people. Another byproduct of his liberal education was an appreciation for the humanists and scholastics and their nascent smithian and free market ideas. All these factors would contribute to Emil’s policies during his reign.
The early court of Emil
The Bavarian Job
Emil’s first project was to secure the final independent German nations that his father had neglected to annex. Within months of his coronation a declaration of war was issued to the King of Bavaria, and the tiny isolated kingdom was quickly annexed. Afterwards, the longtime vassal of Tirol agreed to integrate into the Reich, though the Duke of Oldenburg still jealously guarded his independence. The following year of 1614 was quiet as Emil worked to integrate the Bavarian Protestants into the Reich with the main event of note being the birth of his son and heir Johann Leopold.
Bavaria was annexed with little fuss
Tirol was annexed but Venice would be a point of contention with Milan
Italian Politics
August Wilhelm had left Emil with two crises in Scandinavia and Italy. While the Norwegians had successfully repelled the Novgorodians, the Milanese were still locked in a stalemate with Britain. Emil continued his father’s financial support for Milan and even sold them the Italian province of Trent for a nominal sum. Emil had a great appreciation of the Italians from his studies of Rome, and believed that a united and pro-German Italy would be a useful counterweight in the Mediterranean and Africa against France and Spain. His efforts would lead to a rapport and eventual alliance with Milan, though the status of Venice and Treviso would remain a contentious issue. Finally, in 1615 Emil proclaimed a guarantee of Milan, promising aid against any foreign aggression.
Aggression arrived in 1616 when Milan was attacked by Naples, Savoy, Foix, and Switzerland, German armies in Burgundy swiftly moved into Switzerland and Savoy, winning great victories at Zurich and Piedmont. After a year of German occupation both nations quickly gave in to peace. German terms were unusually mild. Savoy was only required to give up its claims on Milanese territory, while the Swiss were actually granted a relinquishment of German claims on their lands. While this infuriated many of the Pan-German nationalists, clearer thinkers recognized the utility of a neutral Switzerland as a buffer against France and Milan.
The wars with Savoy and Switzerland were quickly ended
Even with German protection and financial assistance the Milanese were still unable to defeat the British or compete with the Royal Navy. By 1618 Emil had had enough and declared war on the British with the intent of saving Milan. Armies recently employed against the Swiss and Savoyards poured down the Italian Peninsula and with Milanese aid soon swept out the British and Neapolitans. The battle on the high seas against the British was a utter failure for Emil. Hoping to aid the Milanese he had split the home fleet in two, with half sailing to the Mediterranean. This proved a mistake as the rebuilt Royal Navy defeated both squadrons then the recombined fleet, inflicting serious damage.
Though victorious on the land German forces suffered heavily at sea
Milan made a white peace with the British soon after they were forced out of Italy, the King Fredrick II refused Emil’s offer. With naval Supremacy the British were able to land troops in Crimea and Africa. Though the British and their Transylvanian allies were defeated by the local German army, the British gained ground in Africa taking several German settlements.
Italy; peaceful after decades of constant war
With Milan secure Emil wanted to quickly end the costly war with the British. Invading the isles was not an option with his armies concentrated in the South and navies falling before the Royal Navy. In the end, he paid a small sum to King Fredrick in return for peace, joking to his court how poor the British were for eagerly accepting such a puny sum of gold. Although an operational defeat, the war with Britain had achieved Emil’s primary goal of preserving Milanese power and indebting them to Germany.
The peace with Britain was a disappointment for Emil, but at least Milan remained strong
Gameplay Notes:
- The Swiss are a nice buffer against the French and Milanese so I decided to leave them be.
- I really bungled the naval war again, splitting up my fleets never works.
- The Brits wouldn't sign a white peace and I just wanted to end things before they could nibble off my colonies. Income is really no issue so 25 gold is nothing for peace.
The Tranquil Years
The war to defend Milan would be the last major war for some time. Immediately after the peace with Britain was signed however Emil launched an invasion of Holland, the last independent nation on the German Atlantic coast. With no strong allies they were quickly annexed.
Holland was helpless and alone before German might
During the years of peace Emil continued Augusts’ policies of supporting the arts and infrastructure of Germany. Plays, universities, and Baroque music all benefited greatly from Emil’s patronage, and Europe’s finest artists and philosophers flocked to Berlin at the Kaiser’s request.
Arts and education benefited greatly under Emil's guidance
The Hochseeflotte was completely rebuilt and refurbished with scores of new galleons specialized for ship to ship combat. These wargalleons would form the backbone of the home fleet for over fifty years while the older ships would be send in battle groups of ten to Africa and the Americas to protect those locales. A score of new and improved frigates were constructed at Crimea and would support the battle groups and conduct day to day anti-piracy patrols in the colonies. Emil hoped that the enlarged Hochseeflotte would be able to simultaneously dominate the colonies and defeat a Great Power’s main fleet. While the army was not expanded, new doctrines for cavalry charges and infantry organization were developed which made the German army the terror of the battlefield once more.
Swift progress was made in reforming the German army
In 1624 a group of colonists in German Kanada petitioned the Kaiser for permission to expand into the fertile Huron lands around the Great Lakes. Emil gave them consent, but forbade them to settle Iroquois lands beyond the St Lawrence river valley in hopes that the river and Great Lakes would help form a natural barrier between German and British colonies in North America. Several thousand veteran soldiers and their families were shipped to Kanada along with arms and ammunition for the campaign. Combined with the local militias the soldiers made quick work of the primitive Indians and soon secured the regions north of the Great Lakes for the Kaiser. The land was quite fertile and soon swarmed with settlers, quickly becoming an important nexus of trade in North America.
Huron lands were fertile and soon hosted prosperous German settlers
Amalric III of the Kingdom of Jerusalem continued his expansionist policies with periodic crusades against the neighboring Muslims. Although Emil supported his cousin in his wars he refused to invade Persia as there was little gain and Jerusalem could handle the Muslims on their own. Amalric could not complain however as German manufacturers supplied his armies and German banks were a major source of finance. The German - Jerusalem trade established during August Wilhelm and Amalric II’s reign also continued to tie the two nations together. A side effect of Amalric III’s belligerence was that many ambitious young men in Germany interested in a military career migrated to Jerusalem rather than joining the German army. In addition to draining the German pool of skilled generals, this immigration also resulted in a shift of German military theory towards a more defensive viewpoint, which coincidentally suited the ever increasing levels of fortification in Europe. As for Jerusalem, by the end of Emil’s reign in 1633 they had acquired half of Persia and were overrunning the remnants of Syria.
The fierce crusaders in Jerusalem have driven Islam to the brink of annihilation
Gameplay Notes:
- I'm quickly running out of heretics to bash, I was waiting for France to annex some more french minors so I could get the land easier and they literally took decades
- Jerusalem is going nuts! I'm glad the holy war CB expires soon otherwise they'd probably end up in China
The Great Game
The late 1620’s would see a marked increase in positioning by the major powers of Europe. France went on a rampage against the last independent countries on the Franco-German border, annexing the four countries in a few years. Allowing the French to expand unchecked was unpopular with the imperial court, but it would allow for Germany to expand into the same territories with far less diplomatic repercussions in later years. As Emil put it “when Germany attacks the small helpless nations on her borders the entire world screams in protest, but when we gnaw on the heretics of France nary a word is spoken. Let the French do the dirty work and later we shall enter as liberators.”
France continues to consolidate her breakaway nations
Another of Emil’s long term goals was to connect Germany’s Crimean provinces to the fatherland. Although lines of communication were already secured by a chain of German vassals and allies Emil wished for the stronger and more economically sound benefits of absorbing the entire “Crimean corridor.” Unfortunately the desired area was off limits. The Ukrainians were allied with Milan and off limits for attack, while the Moldavians and Poles though staunch German allies were unresponsive to talks of integration. As a preliminary step to consolidation Emil launched a small war against Hungary and her Balkan allies. The small kingdom had recently fallen into heresy, giving Emil the perfect excuse to invade and annex some land bordering Ukrainian held Carpathia. The war was swift and victorious; Hungary was forced to return to Catholicism and cede Ersekujvar to Germany.
The Balkans stood no chance before German might
Annexation of the Bishopric of Moldavia was crucial to Emil’s plans for Crimea, and the local Bishop’s recent conversion to Calvinism made the time seem ripe for invasion. However, Moldavia possessed a major deterrent in their alliance with Muscovy. Emil had been intensely lobbying his brother the Czar for years, and had even established the old alliance though relations were still lukewarm. The renewed alliance was quickly shattered when Emil declared war on Moldavia in 1629 and the Muscovites rose to their defense. Despite Muscovite interference the war was a foregone conclusion. During the time the Czar needed to muster his armies to the West Emil swiftly invaded and annexed Moldavia. With no further reason for war a white peace was signed.
Despite Muscovite interference Moldavia was swiftly annexed
The aftermath of the war for Moldavia saw the achievement of a longtime German goal, an alliance with Milan. The king of Milan had finally been convinced that German support was necessary for him to unite the Italian peninsula, and the betrothal of Princess Francesca to Crown Prince Johann Leopold was an irresistible bonus. The Muscovites were also brought back into the alliance, but the interests of the two nations had clearly diverged.
An alliance is finally signed with Milan, Queen Xenia's efforts were also crucial in re-establishing good relations with the Tsar
The German court settled into the routine once more, but the rest of the world turned swiftly. Muscovy snapped up parts of Novgorod and forced the release of Finland, while France acquired much of Brittany and declared war on the small nation of Navarra, one of the richest trading nations in the world. Across the ocean Spain completed their conquest of the Incans annexing most of their lands with small scraps going to the opportunistic Portuguese and Norwegians. Fredrick III William Davis rose to the throne of Great Britain, and Johann came of age, was introduced to the court and married princess Francesca. Shortly thereafter the happy couple produced a son Wilhelm, making Emil the first Prussian monarch to survive until the birth of his grandchildren. It was in this backdrop that Emil died in the summer of 1633. His twenty one year reign had been one of the most tranquil in German history and marked the beginnin of a series of less warlike Kaisers.
Spain controls most of South America after their conquest of the Incas
Europe at the end of Emil's reign
Crown Prince Johann assumes the throne after Emil's death
