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Ab Ovo

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Sturm und Eisen: a North German Adventure
Welcome to Sturm und Eisen glorious AAR about the North German Federation at large; and in particular two gentlemen within it: Maximilian von Brandenstein, Staatsminister of the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, and Joseph von Brandenstein, Colonel in the Federal Army. These two brothers will be an important part of our tale. Everyone likes the NGF. It's merely Prussia writ large and without all those pesky minorities that Austria has (except the Poles, but we don't talk about them much). This is my sixth AAR, and hopefully the first one I complete. The story will be part narrative, part history-book, and part first-person and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy playing/writing it.

Table of Contents
Prologue: 1861-1866
Krieg ist Frieden: 1866-1870
 
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Prologue: 1861-1866

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Otto von Bismark, Minister-President of Prussia
By the year 1861, the Kingdom of Prussia had attained almost unchallenged dominance among the northern German states. The breakup of the German Confederation years before as a result of the unexpected death of Ferdinand of Austria had paved the way for Prussia to achieve preeminence while Austria stumbled into a succession crisis. Slowly and with Bismark at the helm Prussia began to tighten her grip on northern Germany as the southern states -Bavaria, Wurttemberg, Baden etc- were pulled farther into the sphere of a desperate Austria. The north and south became increasingly polarised under direction from Berlin and Vienna and soon the pan-nationalist dreamed absurd.

Minister-President von Bismark did not give up on his North German ambitions however, and ever-wary France was engaged in her war to liberate Wallonia it seemed like the perfect time to consolidate Prussian control over the north once and for all. Unwitting Denmark delivered a casus belli in the form of a slap, as negotiations between the Danish ambassador and the Prussian Graf von Schleinitz over Schleswig and Holstein grew too heated. The Dane was recalled to Copenhagen and the Graf relieved of his post "for reasons of delicate health" but the incident served as just the type of "Danish thickheaded stubbornness" that justified the Prussian declaration of war; delivered by the German ambassador to the Danish court on the 23rd of July. Holstein honoured her alliance with Denmark as expected, and both sides prepared for war.


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Danish soldiers parade through Copenhagen as they depart for the front
Both nations were thrilled at the prospect of war. Denmark was confident it would repeat the triumphs of the First Schleswig War a decade before as the Prussians were determined to show up the arrogance of the Danes and repay in full the earlier Prussian defeat. Danish soldiers sang and swaggered while marching to their deployment depots, basking in the adulation of patriotic crowds. Prussian soldiers deployed to positions in Hamburg and Lubeck with nary a word; silently assuring themselves of victory. First blood was not the romanticism that inflamed the adversaries but rather an inglorious slaughter. 12,000 Prussians set siege to the province of Lauenburg and before the small Ducal army in Holstein proper could react 50,000 Prussians slammed into them as hammer and anvil. The Battle of Holstein lasted a single day and the Third Corps advanced into Aabenraa while the Fifth and Fourth Corps stayed behind on occupation duty.

Soon the Third Corps was able to move on and siege Esbjerg, Aabenraa firmly under the Prussian heel. As a result, it was decided the Fifth Corps would move across the Oresund to seize the island of Odense before being in a position to roll over Copenhagen. The Royal Danish Navy blockading the straits between Jylland and Odense was swiftly faced with the might of the Prussian Kriegsmarine. Although the Danes' twelve ships heavily outnumbered the six ships of Prussia no-one in Berlin doubted their navy's superiority which would soon clear the way for a quick resolution.

Or not.


The Battle of the Oresund was a nightmarish embarrassment for Bismark and the Prussian court as the flagship was lost and the rest of the navy forced to limp to port in Mecklenburg. Although the battle would later serve as useful fodder for the heavy North German campaign of naval expansion was was to come, at the time it was a disaster; and plans to annex Iceland and Denmark were scrapped by sheepish generals and strategists. The sole silver lining was the renewed focus this permitted for the Jylland campaign and Ribe was also put under siege. A scouting expedition to possibly take Aarhus came under heavy fire by a numerically-superior Danish force and was nearly annihilated before reinforcements arrived from Esbjerg. Afterwards the siege of Aalborg and the fall of Flensburg forced the Danish to come to the table. In the Treaty of Copenhagen a five-year peace was signed and Schleswig was ceded to Prussia as the Duchy of Holstein came under the personal rule of the House of Hohenzollern. All north German states and peoples were either annexed into or in the sphere of Prussia.

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The Proclamation of the North German Federation
On March 7th, 1862, less than a year after the Second Schleswig War began, Bismark proclaimed the creation of the North German Federation; a nation birthed in liberty for all North German peoples to keep safe the purity of that race, and bind together all the North German states into a single protective Federation. All bended knee to Wilhelm as Emperor in North Germany and President of the Federation and vowed to go forwards into the dark future as a single nation, shining bright as a star. Immediate centralisation was begun and the Federation united became one of the greatest of the powers. With a booming industry and a mighty army, popular subscription and government funding meanwhile paid for a comparatively small but advanced new navy and the North German Federation settled in for the long haul.

1862 and 1863 were quiet years, untroubled by any changes or excitement as the Federation continued to quietly build. But the year 1864 was unique, in that the colonial lobby got big. Although colonialism was still in it's infancy it had major supporters in Norddeutschland. The North German tradition of trade and seafaring dated back to the fabled Hanseatic League -Hamburg and Bremen especially noted for sending traders across the globe- and continued into modern times with the institution of Privatkolonisatoren. These were trading houses who conducted themselves as successful small-scale colonisers in their own right, and concluded treaties and small land purchases in Africa and the Pacific with chiefs or other tribal leaders. With lobbyists from Bremen, Hamburg, Lubeck, and the growing Federal shipyards of Oldenburg the government was eventually persuaded to again take up the sword against Portugal; to secure ports near Africa for future use.

As a result, the North German ambassador to Lisbon delivered a declaration of war on Christmas Day, 1865; formally stating the North German intention of seizing the Portuguese state of Alentejo and the valuable port of Bela within it. It had taken quite some time to fabricate a suitable excuse but the Federal government was finally able to stumble upon an old Hamburger fishing rights dispute from 1706 and proclaim that the Federation mus take control of Alentejo for the good of the world. Troops were rather bemusedly deployed to this exotic new front and the region of Coimbra was seized and under North German occupation by February. Unfortunately the size of the Portuguese Army had been vastly underestimated and the 21,000-man initial force was soon in need to reinforcements if they were to hold Coimbra and make a successful offense elsewhere in Portugal. A fresh 20,000 soon arrived and things were set for a difficult war.

To be continued...


[It was at this point that I realised that my 'colonise with the NGF' game would be great for an AAR and started taking screenshots. :p]
 
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Krieg ist Frieden: 1866-1870

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3rd of March, 1866
Dear Joseph,

Salacious news in the halls today; the Hanoverian finance minister was caught in the midst of amorous congress with a young lady. Needless to say, she was not his wife. The papers have had a field-day with the incident and now poor Heinrich is being called out on the actions of 'the little Minister' for delving into the madams 'finances'. The editors are careful to keep outright slander from their publications but their meaning is all the same and he's on the verge of resignation. But the worst thing is: the government refuses to shut down the papers! You know Heinrich is of an old family and all this publicity is causing serious hard to their reputation. Still the government refuses to budge! I suppose it's from all that time they spent under the limeys' boot with their 'liberties' and such nonsense but it really is rather disconcerting.

Anyhow I won't bore you with the details of port expansion here; you shipped out from Oldenburg so you know we're working on it. Thank heavens the Duke is in support of a strong navy or else many of the common people would be out of a job and bread riots are such a headache to keep under control. And I'm glad to hear you're reached Portugal safely. I heard something about a transport ship going down in the Lusitanian Sea last week and was worried so much I nearly took ill. I'm sorry you're attached to von Hessen-Kassel, the man is a blithering fool without an ounce of solid North German backbone so it is up to you to try to keep the soldiers on the straight and narrow. Make the world safe for our ships.

Kindest regards,
Maximilian


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News of the Battle of Lisbon spread like wildfire through a population thirsty for news from the front. Over 14,000 men, half the force, had been put into the earth by superior North German training, technology and firepower. Rumours spread too: King Luis has abandoned his country and fled to Spain, the Portuguese had retaken Coimbra, victory was ours or the cause was lost, etc. However the fighting and the war was not to last much longer. Just two weeks later, on May 14, the Portuguese Prime Minister Aguiar formally ceded the province of Alentejo to the North German Federation as represented by General Eduard von Hessen-Kassel. The Portugiesisch Beruf Polizei were quickly organised out of the Sixth Corps to keep order in the new province, and were placed under the effective control of Colonel Joseph von Brandenstein; a colonial-minded officer from the Oldenburger aristocracy. The Federation now had future access to Africa (although the repeated failure of attempts to learn colonial negotiations held up any effort at colonising) but things were still shaky diplomatically.

Later that year, a crisis arose. Polish nationalists in Russia had been agitating for years for independence and it seemed they had been struck gold once another delegation of Polish emigres finally managed to get Whitehall's attention. Whitehall duly brought the Polish concerns to St Petersburg who roundly rejected them. However as the UK brought the situation to international attention other powers were compelled to make a statement and pick a side. France, tensions still lingering after the brutal Anglo-French War that had sprung from the French Liberation of Wallonia, was first to back the Russians on the issue for the sake of opposing Britain and the old entente cordiale that had sprung up between France and Russia. For Berlin however, the issue was far more complex. One one hand, the North German Federation had been allies with the United Kingdom since the former's birth and opposing them would cause a definite chill in relations with a powerful friend. On the other hand, an independent Poland could press claims on Westpreussen and destabilise Polish elements within the Federation. And if things came to a head and men marched off to die the NGF would be sandwiched between two heavyweights if she sided with Poland, whereas siding with Russia would cause her little alarm in a war.

The Federal Foreign Office soon released a statement emphasizing the Federation's support for the Russian position and the crisis continued to climb. Austria, Spain, and the Ottoman Empire had all indicated their interest in the situation however none had officially supported a side. Worries plagued all nations as the threat of another grand European war in the tradition of Napoleon loomed large on the international stage. However after weeks of diplomatic maneuvering, Great Britain was persuaded to offer a white peace to the Russian Empire in May 1867 and international tensions relieved themselves as the world breathed a sigh of relief.


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"Bewegen, bewegen, bewegen!" came the cries of the guards as they thundered into the inky darkness; shoving a drowsy Staatsminister Maximilian von Brandenstein against a wall in their haste. Tripping, stumbling, the generally making his way Maximilian was able to find someone who knew why in God's name he was up at three in the morning. An impeccably-dressed Julius von Verdy du Vernois, Federal Minister of the Interior stared at the disheveled minor official in front of him until Maximilian was able to clear away the Grogginess and salute. "I hear we have a rebellion on our hands" von Verdy said without preamble. Von Brandenstein took a moment to clear his throat. "We do?" "We do indeed, the Confederalists-" Minister von Verdy nearly spat the word "seem to be right properly upset. They're rioting from Koenigsberg to Trier and the Federal government had to evacuated Berlin." "My god..." Maximilian muttered, half a curse half an entreaty. The Confederalists had despised the NGF from the day it was formed; Prussian ultranationalists who viewed the Federation as nothing but a putrid set of chains binding their nation to inferiors. As an Oldenburger Maximilian had dealt with more than a few of those specimens and it seemed that had decided to take down the Federation or die trying.

And die they would. War Minister Helmuth von Moltke ordered an immediate partial mobilisation and it was not for nothing that the North German Army was regarded as one of the largest and best-trained armies on earth. Although some veterans had joined what was swiftly termed the Große Aufstand (Great Insurgency) it was clear that the vast majority of Confederalist farmers were poorly trained and beyond the relatively widespread size of the rebellion they had no tangible benefits on their side. Rebel-held London was immediately put to siege and fell within a week as the President and Royal family stayed safe in Flensburg. It took until October, but the rebellion was eventually crushed under the mighty heel of the Federal Army as army after army was methodically cleansed from the Earth. The final battle was the Battle of Kattowitz in which 30,000 of the Federation's finest matched up against 6,000 rebel scum lead by the notorious Edwin von Wrangel. Two days after on October 11th, the Army was demobilised.

The Great Insurgency had shaken the nation, undermining the fundamental sense of invincibility and order which would the bedrock of the North German national ideal. Unlike their libertine, uncouth 'brothers; in Bavaria and the Austrian Empire the North Germans cherished law and order above all tenants of society. Rules were an indispensable part of civilisation and riots and rebellions were the antithesis of what the NGF held as right and just. The widespread destruction had only just started to heal when...


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...it happened again. A little over eight months later, a Confederalist uprising broke out which was centred in the eastern provinces. The nation reeled from another large uprising so soon after the last but was soon able to mould that reeling into a collective outrage at this offense to the national sense of decency. Common citizens armed themselves and went to (admittedly, somewhat ineffectively) fight the rebels alongside the boys in blue. Minister von Moltke did not even see the need to order a partial mobilisation and those armies already standing went to do battle with the insidious forces of disorder. The rebellion breathed it's last after three months with the Confederalist defeat at the Battle of Tuchel; the infamous nobleman Edwin von Wrangel (relative to the later, more famous Wrangel of Russian army fame) again at the helm of rebel forces.

Again the nation began to heal, and the rest of 1868 passed in peace and quiet as rebuilding programmes gradually took shape and the Federation patched herself up. Alas this quietude was not to last into the next year as the Polish emigres once again took up the call for independence. However instead of visiting Whitehall, the Polish delegation paid a visit to the Sublime Porte. After stoking the traditional fires of Ottoman hatred for Russia, they were able to be received as an official diplomatic delegation in Constantinople as the Ottoman Empire lodged claim to the region of Mazowieckie on behalf of the "Polish National Congress". This was again roundly rejected by St Petersburg and again sides began to form. This time however, the outcome may not be so peaceful.

France again used her alliance with Russia to indulge her petty vendetta against the British while Italy sided with the Polish cause. The Italian Liberation of Rome had been a disaster after the French intervened and while the Italians gained Lazio they lost the region of Perugia to the Papacy; and were split in half. The Catholic religious hierarchy remained untouched but the civil authority of the Papal States was reformed along republican lines with an elected legislature of parish priests. Austria remained on the fence, forced by world opinion to pick a side but unable to choose between the hated Russians and the hated Turks. Only time would tell the results.


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6th of February, 1869
Dear Joseph,

The crisis over those damn Poles appears to be deepening. The United Kingdom has again foolishly acted against the interests of we her greatest ally and backed the Ottoman demands; while since the Franco-Italian War those tomato-eaters will cheerfully oppose anything France does. And again we are allied with our greatest enemies against Polish perfidy. 'Tis a strange world. The only ones still on the fence are the Austrians; and with luck they'll tip the balance in our favour. Godless hedonists the lot of them, but in a choice between Russia and the Ottomans I have no doubt that they will choose the lesser evil.

In any case I am glad that Hessen-Kassel is considering your promotion to Brigadier. God himself knows you deserve it over anyone else in that godforsaken pseudo-colony. I can't fathom why you have taken fancy to such nonsense as colonies in the first place but I suppose if we don't get them someone else will. Still, your force in the area is not very large and is close to British interests. It behooves you to be prepared if -and quite possibly when- war breaks out. Say safe and kiss Rosa for me.

Regards,
Maximilian


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Less than two months after the Austrian Empire sided with the French and Russians, negotiations in Versailles fell through. War was declared by all parties the following day. The Federation was in a relatively safe position far away from Italy and the Ottomans and simultaneously flanked by allies from the south, east and west. As long as HM North German Navy kept in port it was expected that the Federation could come out of the war with nary a scratch. Until the Italians decided to mix things up by marching through Switzerland and Baden, straight to their foe of least concern.

Imagine the surprise of the North German citizens of Darmstadt when they woke up to find Italian flags flying in their main square as Italian soldiers performed drills in the chilly northern air. A messenger was sent to the nearest town and soon 9,000 Federal soldiers were on their way to liberate the town. The two armies met for a brief battle outside the ancient city walls until the Italian force was forced to disengage due to the number of casualties; roughly equal in number to that of the North Germans yet more significant due to their small size. They ran quickly to Frankfurt where a conscript army of 25,000 -commanded by Maximilian von Brandenstein, temporarily enlisted Staatsminister of the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg- was waiting for them; wiping out the entire Italian force in what was fated to be an oft-told military anecdote about overextension of the front.

By December the war was going well. Northern Italy was entirely under foreign occupation as France demanded Piedmonte and Austria demanded Lombardy. Russian troops were sweeping into the Ottoman Empire as St Petersburg demanded the Kars region be ceded to them as payment for Turkish impudence. Even the Federation was planning to get in on the action as a transport fleet was assembled in Beja for a planned invasion of Sicily and hopeful future North German port in the Mediterranean. Unpleasant news came in December however as reports of a British landing in Beja arrived in Berlin.


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"Sir, I have a telegram for you. From Berlin."

"Thank you Heinz" said Maximilian, sighing as he took the telegram. Minister von Moltke had been pestering him for weeks on the need to expand his port to accommodate the construction of ironclads; which was simply impossible while running on a wartime economy even without mobilisation. He was sure it was more of the same, until he opened it. His eyes quickly scanned the paper:

British in Beja STOP Estimate atleast 30k STOP Beruf Polizei outnumbered in Evora STOP Colonel von Brandenstein requests reinforcements STOP

"Gott im Himmel..."
 
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Subbed, will read through on my phone this weekend when I'm without internet.
 
Ha, well next time target a different minority. I am quite fond of those Poles. Might I suggest the Dutch or the Hungarian?
Nein; an independent Poland is a threat and thus verboten.
 
The Germans conquering a slice of Portugal... interesting start!
 
i like it
 
Well it is your Germany. Do as you will.
Always.

Was ist denn das? Großes Deutschland fürchtet sich vor ein Paar unabhängigen Polen. Ts, ts, ts. :blink:

Anyway, I hope you can bring this one further, than your previous AARs. Good luck on that. ;)
Would you want the Winged Hussars on your doorstep? I think not. And so do I! It's just a shame I have to write updates in between playing the game :p

The Germans conquering a slice of Portugal... interesting start!
Sadly I was forced to break my cardinal rule of "no countries were they don't belong" (ie. Thai Anatolia) in order to get in a prime position for colonisation. I think I managed to make it look vaguely plausible but then I would, wouldn't I?

I really like your style Ab Ovo!! I'll try to follow when I'm not busy playing EU IV :D
Thank you! And I understand your divided attentions :D

i like it
Danke schon mein Herr.
 
I like your writing style a lot. It sounds a very interesting idea in sticking to the NGF, and not making a bid for total unification - certainly spares you a few problems like having to face down France and Austria and upsetting the balance of power, not to mention absorbing all those South German Catholics. Good luck to Prussia!
 
Would you want the Winged Hussars on your doorstep? I think not. And so do I! It's just a shame I have to write updates in between playing the game :p

Oh come on, the Winged Hussars might have been a serious thread in the 17th century, but surely not in 1860s, when they could be used as a parade unit in the best case.

Back to the game - as NGF I would consider forcing Russia to free Poland and Lithuania or UBP in order to have them as vassals and buffer states on my eastern flank, especially as annexing of their provinces wouldn't bring much more than lowering the literacy. But then again it's your AAR, so I am looking forward to see how you will handle that issue.
 
One way to p**s off the british - Attack one of their longest standing allies.
Luckily the British couldn't give a shit about the Treaty of Windsor :D And it looks like I may not be able to get out an update this week after all; as I'm prepping for next weeks' vacation. I'll try to get it done at the beach; there's plenty of screenshots!