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Things looking quite a bit better, so I'll probably start writing the next update soon. Hopefully I'll have it done by tomorrow.
Very short chapter, this way it doesn't jump to narrative mid-way through. Originally had it all as narrative included with the next chapter but this way makes more sense.
This Chapter’s Mood Music
This Chapter’s Mood Music
Trier wasn’t a particularly hard egg to crack. Decades within the French sphere of influence Trier had remained unscathed by Austria’s aggressive expansion into central Europe, and its army had grown progressively weaker as none of their neighbours wanted to tangle with the French juggernaut. But Transylvania was not Trier’s neighbour, and neither did it have any reservations against going toe to toe against the French crown.
Political maneuvering before the outbreak of the first stage in Mihály’s drive to take the crown of the Holy Roman Empire, Transylvania had negotiated for military access from France, and so when the declaration of war was sent in April of 1641, a Transylvanian army 20,000 strong under the leadership of General Lukacs Zrinyi crossed the border into Trier and laid siege to their capital.
The French responded quickly though, and within a month of the war starting Transylvanian and French soldiers met on the outskirts of Trier. General Luckacs managed to hold back the massive amounts of French cavalry brought onto the field, and though the defenders inside Trier sallied out to attack the exposed rear of the Transylvanian army, they too were repulsed at a heavy cost to General Luckas’ army.
Transylvanian and French cavalry clash at the Battle of Trier, July 9th, 1641
Lukacs’ cavalry force had been annihilated entirely during the battle, and as it was progressing he was forced to entertain the thought of a withdraw, but he knew this was their only chance to take Trier. If this army failed it could mean a full invasion of France would be necessary to get the soldiers back over here again. His opportunity came as the German soldiers in Trier sallied out to attack his line. A very good maneuver normally, but the soldiers of Trier had not fought a real enemy in nearly a century, and were using equipment that their grandfathers had probably used, and so Luckas had wheeled a handful of choice battalions around and ordered them to charge. The German force had disintegrated almost instantly and fled back inside the city, but there were Transylvanian soldiers mixed within the mob, and as soon as it became apparent to the French that the city had been lost, they withdrew their army back to France, leaving Transylvania with Trier.
Trier falls to General Lukacs Zrinyi’s army, July 9th, 1641
The Treaty of Trier, July 26th, 1641
Progress was being made in Scandinavia as well, with four separate Transylvanian armies pushing further north into Scandinavia’s Russian lands, sacking cities and breaking armies on the way. Stockholm itself fell to yet another operation originating from Transylvania’s Danish holdings in late August of 1641.
The Scandinavian Campaign, August, 1641
Stockholm falls to the Empire, August 24th, 1641
Mihály had had grand plans for Scandinavia, and had written about his plans for the eventual peace with the Swedish king, saying the he wished to see a Russian state released from their Scandinavian overlords so as to split the Swedish empire in two, but a new development made necessary the scrapping of those plans in September as the bastard Emperor received an envoy from Austria who delivered his King’s declaration of war against Transylvania.
Austria declares war, September 2nd, 1641
There was a huge bustle of diplomatic missions at this point, sending out peace feelers to the states the Empire was at war with. Mihály knew he could not fight France, Austria, and Scandinavia, and lucky the Scandinavians did not want to continue the war any further – their capital had been sacked and their armies turned to rabble, and so Emperor Mihály sent his cousin Janos away to Scandinavia to work out peace and just simply get him out of his court.
The Second Treaty of Stockholm, September 3rd, 1641
Transylvania was hardly safe though, facing down a coalition of German minors, the French juggernaut, and a rapidly expanding Austria. At least there was only a single front…
Oh wow...that's quite a coalition against you! Best of luck there!
Good to see you posting again.
Good to see you posting again.
I think you should demand Erz and Sudety at the very least from Austria when you make peace, that will cut them in half and prevent them from reaching the Northern part. I think the you should take the entirety of the Austrian empire North of Bohemia from them in bits and pieces, or in one go if you can afford the warscore cost and the infamy, and leave the rest to them. Force them to release a few states if you fight them again and that will weaken them sufficiently if you have to fight them again. However, with the Northern bits of their Kingdom in your hands, you will have them surrounded on two sides and you will also have a foothold in Germany, which you will most likely need.
I agree with Vesimir. If you have the war score to take them after cutting Austria in half and do not have the war score to take significant bites out of their northern half, you should take the former Hungarian lands they hold. If not, they will keep till the next, rather inevitable, war with Austria. Also, I think maybe you should only take Erz and not Sudety when you cut them in half. Leaving them with Sudety leaves them an obvious route of attack against you. One army could cover the entirety of what used to be the Northern half of Austria. Taking Sudety means they can come from too many different provinces or, just as likely, all of them at once. Then, when the next war comes, you could do one of two things. You could place an army in Bohemia and it would be able to command the route of invasion into both Erz and Moravia. The second thing you could do is quickly march into and seize it. After doing that, you could just sit on the province while the rest of your armies take everything up to Salzburg and what I think is Lienz (the name of the Austrian province north of Salzburg escapes me at the moment). With most of Austria proper under your control, you could then demand what ever you wanted or fan out. Also, is that Georgia I see on your list of allies? How in the world haven't you inherited them by now?
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Hah!
Transylvania can't really LOSE. So much provinces, you can keep losing wars for a good long while and still have chances of recovery. And why should you lose? Even Stockholm is not safe from Transylvanians!
Transylvania can't really LOSE. So much provinces, you can keep losing wars for a good long while and still have chances of recovery. And why should you lose? Even Stockholm is not safe from Transylvanians!
I believe a quick peace with France is in order, followed by the breaking of Austria. Sure this will not be cookie-cutter stuff, but still doable.
My condition went into a bit of a remission (for lack of a better word...it's nothing chronic, just really debilitating). I'm starting to get a bit back to normal now though, and hopefully I'll have another chapter written up within a week or so.
Sorry to everyone that has been waiting.
Sorry to everyone that has been waiting.
Huzzah! Kapt is Back! I had started to think this truly wonderfull AAR had died. Glad to know it was just hibernating. I am glad you are feeling a little better and hope that you feel just plain better soon.