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misterbean

Fumbling My Way through History
90 Badges
Oct 18, 2009
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m6TYM4P.jpg

Introduction.

Welcome to my very first EU IV AAR, starring the single most powerful nation in Europe: France.

This game is played on version 1.5.1.(now 1.7, with all expansions), Normal Difficulty, no AI/player bonuses, Ironman, with the normal new world. I was planning to do a test game first, but I just couldn’t resist the temptation to dive right in.
Besides, it’s France. What could possibly go wrong, right?

My goal is to at least get the modern-day borders. Beyond that, we’ll see.
I hope to provide you all with an exciting read, and myself with an interesting game.

Many thanks to Gen. Marshall for the wonderful banner.
 
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Index:

15th Century.​

Chapter 1: The Hundred Years War. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17164572&viewfull=1#post17164572
Chapter 2: The War Of Anjou. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?766523-La-Douce-France.&p=17168875&viewfull=1#post17168875
Chapter 3: Vengeance! http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17186146&viewfull=1#post17186146
Chapter 4: Peace And Prosperity In Paris. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17187387&viewfull=1#post17187387
Chapter 5: The Austrian Succession War. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17195934&viewfull=1#post17195934
Chapter 6: English-French Punitive War. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17196889&viewfull=1#post17196889
Chapter 7: Breaking The Coalition. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17230646&viewfull=1#post17230646
Chapter 8: War Of Cambrai. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17242561&viewfull=1#post17242561

16th Century.

Chapter 9: Centralising Royal Authority http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17253355&viewfull=1#post17253355
Chapter 10: Burgundy, You cheat! http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17258312&viewfull=1#post17258312
Chapter 11: Trouble In Paradise. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17291778&viewfull=1#post17291778
Chapter 12: Impressions Of Europe http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17299631&viewfull=1#post17299631
Chapter 13: victory And Defeat, Part I. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17302425&viewfull=1#post17302425
Chapter 14: Victory And Defeat, Part II. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17302443&viewfull=1#post17302443
Chapter 15: Renewal. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17325500&viewfull=1#post17325500
Chapter 16: Ending The Bloodfeud. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17331913&viewfull=1#post17331913
Chapter 17: Italian Adventures. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17350456&viewfull=1#post17350456
Chapter 18: The Spanish Grain. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17371638&viewfull=1#post17371638
Chapter19: Building Bridges. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17390863&viewfull=1#post17390863
Chapter 20: La Royale. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17402084&viewfull=1#post17402084
Chapter 21: Ending Of An Era. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17413462&viewfull=1#post17413462

17th Century.

Chapter 22: The Cross And The Sickle. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17423270&viewfull=1#post17423270
Chapter 23: Peace, War And More peace. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17434004&viewfull=1#post17434004
Chapter 24: The Italian Gambit. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17448631&viewfull=1#post17448631
Chapter 25: Adapting To A changing World. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17516221&viewfull=1#post17516221
Chapter 26: Taking Back Liguria. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17637868&viewfull=1#post17637868
Chapter 27: Guardsman Of Europe. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17653412&viewfull=1#post17653412
Chapter 28: Buenos Dias, Señor. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17690390&viewfull=1#post17690390
Chapter 29: Republican Affairs. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17751402&viewfull=1#post17751402
Chapter 30: A Tale Of Kings, Dictators And Emperors. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17796153&viewfull=1#post17796153
Chapter 31: India. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17804109&viewfull=1#post17804109
Chapter 32: Lurking In The Shadows. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17814172&viewfull=1#post17814172

18th Century

Chapter 33: Two-Front War! http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17822019&viewfull=1#post17822019
Chapter 34: The Trouble With Colonial Nations. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17832686&viewfull=1#post17832686
Chapter 35: Target Practice. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17842718&viewfull=1#post17842718
Chapter 36: Nowhere To turn? http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17895339&viewfull=1#post17895339
Chapter 37: Breaking The Spell. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17907382&viewfull=1#post17907382
Chapter 38: I Am an Idiot. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17941190&viewfull=1#post17941190
Chapter 39: Turkish Fruit. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=17953744&viewfull=1#post17953744
Chapter 40: Internal issues. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=18011606&viewfull=1#post18011606
Chapter 41: War Of The Americas! http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=18016924&viewfull=1#post18016924
Chapter 42:Changing Worlds. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=18053756&viewfull=1#post18053756

19th Century

Chapter 43: The Empire Strikes Back. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=18067748&viewfull=1#post18067748
Chapter 44: Going Out In A Blaze Of Glory. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=18067818&viewfull=1#post18067818

Epilogues​

Epilogue 1. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=18088095&viewfull=1#post18088095
Epilogue 2. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=18105757&viewfull=1#post18105757
Epilogue 3. http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...ce-France.&p=18113426&viewfull=1#post18113426
 
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Wow. That was fast. I barely had time to log it in Densley's update thread :laugh:

More than welcome, my friend. Hope you enjoy the ride.
 
Wow. That was fast. I barely had time to log it in Densley's update thread :laugh:

More than welcome, my friend. Hope you enjoy the ride.
You are lucky that you logged into the update thread, otherwise I wouldn't have noticed it :D
 
Usually I'd say Brandenburg/Prussia is the most powerful idea wise, but France starts in a far better position to become the big blue blob we all love and hate.

Somehow I'm never able to expand as well as the AI in my France Games however...
 
Usually I'd say Brandenburg/Prussia is the most powerful idea wise, but France starts in a far better position to become the big blue blob we all love and hate.

Somehow I'm never able to expand as well as the AI in my France Games however...

Me neither, actually. In my case it's because I usually prefer empire building to conquest and expansion. Countries like Brandenburg and France, however, lend themselves fairly well to some bloodletting.

I thought about Brandenburg, but I am not that good where it concerns the ruthless politics of the HRE to survive long enough. Besides, it's my first EU AAR ever. Call it a slight case of stage fright;)

first chapter is incoming.
 
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Chapter 1: The Hundred year War.


First things first: get my house in order.

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I get some very nice advisors at the start of the game.

I take the mission to improve prestige first. Being at war should give me no problem getting to 50 prestige. The reward, +1 stability, is not to be taken lightly.

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My home trade node (Bordeaux) only has incoming trade from Western Europe and Genoa, so I decide to leave my merchant there for the time being. I don’t have nearly enough power in Genoa to collect, so I transfer trade power to Bordeaux.

I get a Royal Marriage with Scotland and Hungary. Hungary will later offer me an alliance, which I accept. Austria already dislikes me, and I haven’t even done anything yet.

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Jean Bureau makes quick work of the meagre forces present in France. The English land 4000 troops in Normandy and chase off my siege stack, while the bulk of my army is still in Poitou, racing North. When they do get there, the end result is predictably one-sided.

With all English ports under siege, I plant my main army in Berry and wait. England does not let me down.

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This is the second landing in Normandy. There will be more.

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While I wait, I have this opportunity. The price may be rather steep, but it’s well worth it to keep my pretige up in the early years.

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The English try to land in Gascogne. My siege force, along with my vassals manage to kill them before my main army even has a chance to intervene.

Then, Burgundy gets jealous that I have all the fun, so they DoW England over Calais. I don’t really mind. Taking Calais from Burgundy is easier than from England, given my lack of naval parity with the Royal Navy.
England calls Portugal in, who ask me for military access. After giving it some thought, I decide to give it to them. I will take any chance to mess with that renegade up North. On a more practical level, Burgundy is even worse off against the RN than France is. If Portugal is happy to send their troops to die, who am I to argue? This will enable Burgundy to rack up a warscore, which will get them Calais a lot sooner. Saves me the trouble of finding my way there later on.

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The English high command is taken by surprise. This stack sits there for a week, trying to decide whether to land In Calais or Caux. In the end, they head back to England without doing anything other than waste manpower on board.

You have to love those choices. Cessation Of church functions gives either 20 years of reduced taxes in return for money and Papal influence, or loosing 1 stability and Papal influence? Hmmm. Not really a hard one, is it?

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One month later, that same stack lands in Normandy, and my army pounces.

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After that, I wait and watch, as Aragon tries to subjugate Navarra, only to get their noses bloodied by Castille (who will eventually get the province of Aragon and some money out of the peace deal), and as 7000 Portugese die trying to besiege Nevers.

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December 1446. I finally get my 50 prestige and +1 stability. Good times!

I get the National Epic, another yearly +1 prestige event.

My ticking warscore for controlling Paris gets up to 16.40 by march 1448. England still won’t bite. So we wait.

Somebody makes a gift to the state, and I grab another 10 prestige.

15,000 rebels in Gascogne and 8,000 rebels in Caux cost me about 6,000 men in total.

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January 1450. The peace deal I am looking for is still unacceptable for England. No worries. I can wait.

In June, I get military tech level 4 and start to build some armories.

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Then, in september 1451, I finally get what I was waiting for. An uprising in England makes them see sense. I quickly check. It’s not the War Of The Roses, since it’s still that same useless king in England. Lollard revolt maybe?
Whoever it is, I owe them a debt of gratitude. They land me with all 4 provinces, along with (because of the mission to rid France of English peasants) 50 admin and 50 army tradition. Well worth the wait!

One month later, Burgundy gets Calais, and peace settles down over western Europe, while I prepare to strike out.

Who will be first? Burgundy or Provence?
 
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I don't know whether it was the internet, or my laptop, but the lag was killing me! I had to restart the whole update midway through!
 
Good start. Is the ironman saving to the Steam cloud maybe that is lagging?

Thank you.
no, it was when working on the actual update right here. I had Imgur open at the time, uploading pics here. Maybe that's it? I used to have an account with Imageshack, and I never had an experience like that. I would click the button to paste, and 10 to 15 seconds later it got pasted. Midway through, internet explorer just went on strike.
 
Who will be first? Burgundy or Provence?

Whoever has fewer allies to drag in. Or if both are 'safe', then Provence! Or was that a rhetorical question?
 
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Chapter 2: The War Of Anjou.

The moment I fire up the game, Burgundy joins England in a coalition against France. Since they are allied with Castille at the moment, I will have to leave them alone for now. I guess Provence is the target of my next war, then. Maybe I should fabricate a claim on Anjou, first.


24SVOjl.png



Then again, maybe I don’t.

After moving my troops to the right places, I DoW Provence. They are allied with Venice and Savoy and have a PU with Lorraine. Nothing I can’t handle.

While I move into Provence, Savoyard and Venician forces march into Dauphiné. I leave a siege force and head back up where I came from.


5qLQCuJ.png



That could have been a lot less costly, had I arrived there first. Dauphiné, in the French Alps, is prime defensive terrain. At least I end up inflincting more damage than I received. I think the Venicians ran all the way to Istria. It will be a while before I see them again.


tLRm8YN.png



The rest of the war goes more as planned. Provence and Lorraine are no match for French steel. While I am sieging, I notice a stack of 13K troops of Foix sitting in Languedoc. How the heck did they get such a big army? Turns out, they are not Foix.


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I had wanted to use this war to cut Burgundy in half, but I guess that will have to wait. I can’t allow anyone else getting their hands on Provence. You’ll notice why in a minute.


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The war ended quickly. With the Hundred years War behind me as well, I seem to be off to a good start.


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196 Admin to core Provence? That is going to hurt my progress a little. Then again, the province is worth it: a center of trade, a river estuary and a tax base of 9? It is probably one of the most profitable areas in southern Europe. And it is mine. All mine. Life is good.


YFjBOE4.png



While I wait for either Castille or Burgundy to drop their alliance, I might instead work on something else. I have a naval limit of 27 and only 9 ships. Time to build some trade ships. I also add a couple of Cogs, just in case I ever have to fight England. I also build a heavy ship. I wish I could do more, but there is only so much money to go around. I want to keep some room to build Galleys later on, to protect my Mediterranean coastline.


wecIj8J.png



January 1456. Provence is finally cored and my tax income shoots up like a rocket.


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It’s not all good, of course. I have choice between loosing 30 legitimacy or 1 stability. I don’t know if legitimacy has an impact on your vassals’ opinion of you, so I opt to take the stab hit.


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I will leave you with this good news. Military Tech level 5. Burgundy and Brittany have level 4. Oh, and Castille left the alliance. I wonder what that could mean?
 
I have a question: do you guys prefer the pics to be centered or like in the last chapter? Also, if anybody knows about Legitimacy and vassals, I would be much obliged.
 
I have a question: do you guys prefer the pics to be centered or like in the last chapter? Also, if anybody knows about Legitimacy and vassals, I would be much obliged.

Legitimacy influences your diplomatic reputation (higher is better ofc.), which in turn influences the speed of annexation of vassals (higher dip rep is always better, also for some other things). It doens't influence your vassals opinion of you. I think lower legitimace does influence PU relations (since they share it with you), but I'm not certain about that.