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Wait no more!
The Habsburg empire and it's vassals and allies
Our story begins where the other king’s left; January 1499. It’s save to say the Habsburg empire is the strongest force in central Europe, and it’s well-liked by most of the rest of Europe as well. So well-liked, in fact, that we have a honourable reputation amongst the European nobility. Some notable countries don’t like me, though. The English feel a bit hostile towards me, and so do the Hungarians. The French hate my guts as well, so much in fact that I’m starting out in a war against them.
The French outnumber me and outtech me. But that never stopped anyone from kicking the superior force’s ass. They have already lost Champagne, Nivernais and Schwyz by January 1499. My highest leader, who also happens to be my HoS, marches off to the front to kick more French behinds. The French main force retook Nivernias, but by the time Max arrived on the front they retreated to the south and northern France is largely undefended. I couldn’t let that opportunity slip, and began to siege Orleanais. My new leader Von Frundsberg gathers an army and seized Lyonais unchallenged, and then headed to Nivernais to retake it for the house of Habsburg again.
Let the sieges begin!
Taking Orleanais was easy, but Nivernais posed a greater challenge and required a lot of dead Austrians, Bourgondians and Bohemians. By the time it fell Maximilian had already taken Paris as well and besieged Caux, and the French finally launched a worthy counterattack by trying to retake their capital. Luckily I could retake it again, as the French army scattered after they took their capital. When Nivernais is finally taken, and Paris and Caux had also fallen back to the Habsburg crown, it was time to set peace.
The area the Austrian-Bourgondian alliance occupied during the peacetalks. Notice the sizes of French and Austrian armies...
The French had gathered their army on the border and attacked my army in Nivernais a couple of times. Though I won all three times, my army was seriously decimated and I knew I could not keep up any more heavy fighting up, as they outnumbered me (and the Bourgonians) about three to one. I lost Lyonnais to them. I tried to offer peace and demanded most occupied provinces. They rejected. I tried again, this time for a much greater stake. They accepted this peace, and thus this placed the great, powerful and potential kingdom of France under the Archduke of Austria as a petty vassal. Touché!
The remaining years of my first decade were particularly boring. The Bourgondians took Gelre and the Palatinate joined my grand alliance. I was planning to diplovassal and then annex it, as I gained go territory from the French war and I felt a bit disappointed about that. So I started sucking up to the count palatine, but he rejected my vassalisation offer, only to accept Bohemia’s four days later. I felt double-crossed by both Bohemia and the Palatinate, and decided that they should rot in hell.
In December 1508, I expressed my support for the League of Cambrai, giving me a casus belli and improving my standing with the French and the pope. Venice is allied to most of northern Italy (including the papal states), and I think that area should be my new theatre of operations. Currently a war rages on between Genua and Savoy on one side and Venice, Milan, Modena and the Pope on the other. As this was is going for a while without serious successes, I reasoned this would be a good time to get involved into Italy and take full advantage of my enemy’s weaknesses. But that is a whole different tale that needs to be told later
(edit: 1508 instead of 1509... I'm too far ahead of my time )
The Third King - Cecasander
Part I, the first decade (1499-1509)
Part I, the first decade (1499-1509)
The Habsburg empire and it's vassals and allies
Our story begins where the other king’s left; January 1499. It’s save to say the Habsburg empire is the strongest force in central Europe, and it’s well-liked by most of the rest of Europe as well. So well-liked, in fact, that we have a honourable reputation amongst the European nobility. Some notable countries don’t like me, though. The English feel a bit hostile towards me, and so do the Hungarians. The French hate my guts as well, so much in fact that I’m starting out in a war against them.
The French outnumber me and outtech me. But that never stopped anyone from kicking the superior force’s ass. They have already lost Champagne, Nivernais and Schwyz by January 1499. My highest leader, who also happens to be my HoS, marches off to the front to kick more French behinds. The French main force retook Nivernias, but by the time Max arrived on the front they retreated to the south and northern France is largely undefended. I couldn’t let that opportunity slip, and began to siege Orleanais. My new leader Von Frundsberg gathers an army and seized Lyonais unchallenged, and then headed to Nivernais to retake it for the house of Habsburg again.
Let the sieges begin!
Taking Orleanais was easy, but Nivernais posed a greater challenge and required a lot of dead Austrians, Bourgondians and Bohemians. By the time it fell Maximilian had already taken Paris as well and besieged Caux, and the French finally launched a worthy counterattack by trying to retake their capital. Luckily I could retake it again, as the French army scattered after they took their capital. When Nivernais is finally taken, and Paris and Caux had also fallen back to the Habsburg crown, it was time to set peace.
The area the Austrian-Bourgondian alliance occupied during the peacetalks. Notice the sizes of French and Austrian armies...
The French had gathered their army on the border and attacked my army in Nivernais a couple of times. Though I won all three times, my army was seriously decimated and I knew I could not keep up any more heavy fighting up, as they outnumbered me (and the Bourgonians) about three to one. I lost Lyonnais to them. I tried to offer peace and demanded most occupied provinces. They rejected. I tried again, this time for a much greater stake. They accepted this peace, and thus this placed the great, powerful and potential kingdom of France under the Archduke of Austria as a petty vassal. Touché!
Touché!
The remaining years of my first decade were particularly boring. The Bourgondians took Gelre and the Palatinate joined my grand alliance. I was planning to diplovassal and then annex it, as I gained go territory from the French war and I felt a bit disappointed about that. So I started sucking up to the count palatine, but he rejected my vassalisation offer, only to accept Bohemia’s four days later. I felt double-crossed by both Bohemia and the Palatinate, and decided that they should rot in hell.
The grand betrayal. I'm bigger, richer and better-liked than Bohemia. Did my breath stink?
In December 1508, I expressed my support for the League of Cambrai, giving me a casus belli and improving my standing with the French and the pope. Venice is allied to most of northern Italy (including the papal states), and I think that area should be my new theatre of operations. Currently a war rages on between Genua and Savoy on one side and Venice, Milan, Modena and the Pope on the other. As this was is going for a while without serious successes, I reasoned this would be a good time to get involved into Italy and take full advantage of my enemy’s weaknesses. But that is a whole different tale that needs to be told later
(edit: 1508 instead of 1509... I'm too far ahead of my time
)
Northern Italy in 1509. Genua is under siege, as is her other mainland province, Siena
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Looking good now and it always warms the heart a little to see France beaten so well
Cool Work with France! And Those Palatinate will see who really rocks in Europe, Austria or *cough* Bohemia!
My computer in my dorm got fried due to the tropical weather here in the Netherlands. I managed to typ most of my notes into a story at this computer at the uni, but I haven't got access to my screensaves here. So I'll upload them to my photpbucket-account when I get to my parents at the weekend. Expect a second update before saterday afternoon, and perhaps I'll even get a third one before monday as well
Indeed nice work with the france, Intrigued by the vassalisation as I tend to "nibble" the larger countries a bit before making them acknowledhe my mastery. Roll on saturday
The Third King – Cecasander
Part II, the second decade (1509-1519)
Part II, the second decade (1509-1519)
At the end of my previous chapter, I revealed my plans to invade northern Italy. I had several reasons to do so (or so I believed in late 1508): I. Italy is rich and has big cities II. Italy will not cause religious problems as it will certainly remain catholic III. The Italians were weakened by internal warfare (against Savoy and Genua) IV. I had a casus belli on Venice and I hate wasting casus belli’s against interesting opponents and V. I wanted to test my power. Venice, Milan, Modena and the Papal States were in one alliance. My prime goals were to make Modena and Milan my vassals and take their secondary provinces; Mantua and Emilia. Secondly, I would try to take as much land from the pope as possible. The Papal states stretched from Firenze in the north to Apulia in the south, so pretty such entire central and southern Italy felt under the pope’s reign (save Siena, part of Genua, and Sicily, part of Spain). Being a real Habsburger, I would challenge the pope’s worldly reign!
The army marches for Milan!
I began producing spare armies, and declared war on Venice. Darn, both Modena and the Papals dishonoured the alliance (probably because they had a very good standing (+200) with me. How unmachiavellian of them!). Not turned off by this, I started to invade Milan. Meanwhile the army of Milan tried to besiege Genua, and didn’t have time to defend their own capital. The Venicians took Istria, owned by my ally Bohemia, and marched off to Austrian Croatia. The Bohemians weren’t very happy with this, and marched their gigantic 50.000 man army through Austria, destroyed most of the Venicians, retook Istria and returned to Bohemia like nothing happened.
Meanwhile, Modena decided it didn’t like me after all and rejoined the alliance with Venice and Milan, followed by the Papal states a few months later. After I took Milan, my army clashed with the Papal one and I was to retreat from Emilia. When I managed to arrive in Emilia on a second try, the Papals marched through Modena and started to siege Milan. A race began; which city would fall first? If Emilia would fall, I would be able to make a separate peace with Milan, make her my bitch and claim Emilia. Alas, it wasn’t supposed to be. Meanwhile, I started a siege on Venice, soon aided by my Bohemian buddies, and soon armies from Burgundy and the Palatinate came to help too, and in the end about 100.000 men besieged the grand city. After a mere assault it fell, but… hey, those damn Palatinates stole my siege! And that was only the beginning. They also stole my later sieges on Milan and Mantua, which made me loose a chance to power in Nothern Italy. Annoyed, I felt those stupid allies to their siege on Modena on their own (they were even aided by Hessen now) and invaded the Papal lands, taking Firenze and Marche without little trouble.
Curse my allies!
The Papal morale was inferior to mine, as was the size of their army. I managed to take Rome, the Eternal City itself, on (of all days!) the 14th of February, 1513. Encourgaged by these swift successes, I defeated the Papal army and took Napels, then defeated it a final time and managed to take Apulia as well, before that filthy siege-stealing Palatine leader, mister von Sickening… I mean, Von Sickingen, could ‘aid’ me. A guardian angel must have been on my side with that. With even the Kingdom of Napels under my control, it was finally time for Peace in Our Time (and on My Terms).
I took Firenze, Marche, Napels and Apulia from the Pope, leaving him to rot with only the city of Rome itself under his command. Then I made peace with Milan, demanding Emilia (and sadly no vassalage, but 200 ducats) and peace with Venice and Modena was signed instantly as well, leaving nothing for these greedy Palatines and Hessians except for their share of Milan’s booty.
A new power has risen in Italy The power of the Big White Blob... which looks like a big white blob with an ackward antipasta tentacle that looks like grabbing Greece in unappropriate places.
Meanwhile it had became 1514. Spain had annexed Portugal a year earlier, and I noticed England apparently annexed Scotland as well. I have a tamished reputation with 9.8 BB, which is acceptable for me so far. I also discovered my income is higher that than of France (They have 38.49, I have 52.27) which would give me a chance annexing them. Also, My landtech reached 10 on march 1 1514, making mine the most advanced army in the world, followed closely by France (which had level 9). To celebrate, I decided to dedicate less of the treasury into army, but start investing into Infrastructure and Trade. My current inflation is only 1.9%, which is really very low after nearly a century.
On February 1515, the French king, still like wax in my hands, denounced claims to the throne of Milan, which made me a happy man. In April, merchants from Italy would establish a monopoly company. The greatest news after the First Italian War came on the 11th of March, 1516 however. Apparently the electors of the Holy Roman Empire supported my seizure of the pope’s worldly possession, as they finally crowned me Emperor! Rejoice! The Hessians even expressed their love to me even more by becoming a vassal in October, which made all my allies vassals as well.
Recognition for House Habsburg, at last!
On the 13th of October 1517 the Spanish inherited Burgundy sadly. I lost an ally and a vassal that way, and instantly started to hate my brother’s (Charles V) guts and developed a hatred towards these darn Spanish Habsburgers. There was little I could do, sadly. Or was there? I allied and then vassalized Lorraine, which had previously been Burgundy’s vassal. And began to plot how to bring Burgundy’s lands back to my own reign. By force. However, matters in Italy required my attention first. The Venicians boycotted my trade a year after the inheritance giving me a permanent casus belli on them. This could be my second chance to establish myself in northern Italy. Without the help of those blasted Palatines this time!
The map of my empire at january 1, 1519. Nothing really happened after the peace with the pope.
Well, that´s some great expansion! Austria have grown a lot since I left it, great work, both of you,
And I´m glad to see that my strong anti-inflation-style helped in the end,
Saulta
And I´m glad to see that my strong anti-inflation-style helped in the end,
Saulta
Looks good in Italy. You should ban Palatinate and DoW them, in order to massacrate everyone.
Nah BB is fine, especially on normal, will just have to wait a few years, in the meantime we/he can forcevassalise all the remaining italian statelets like venice, genoa and the pope
Looking good, soon all Italy will be yours and then Bohemia and then you should be unstoppable
Some bad news. I forgot my notes when leaving my dorm, and my memory is terrible. Thus I am unable to write down my final two decades. I won't get back to my dorm for two weeks, as I'll be going on vacation. My sincere apologies
If the fourth king can PM me his e-mail adress, I'll send the savegame when I get back in the country.
If the fourth king can PM me his e-mail adress, I'll send the savegame when I get back in the country.
A nice austrian AAR! There's one thing i kept on thinking of since the first time i saw political maps: How the hell austria got a core on baden?
I'd like to see a future war between Carlos V from spain and Karl V from austria
There's one thing i kept on thinking of since the first time i saw political maps: How the hell austria got a core on baden? I'd like to see a future war between Carlos V from spain and Karl V from austria