A newbie AAR (Holland Grand Campaign)

[unmerged(225264)]

Part 7: Interbellum

Three and a half year of war had taken a heavily toll on the young Prince. Pre-occupied with the war effort he had neglected home-affairs a bit. The only thing that had had his attention was making money. He had kept the Mint running at full speed, merchant subsidies had returned good income and thanks to Raes' efforts he had early in the war managed to proclaim a National Trade Policy that increased Trade Efficiency and the state's revenue from it by a third. At the end of the war Willem's income had more then doubled and investments in technologies were ordered.

In the mean time Willem had been tasked by the Emperor to improve his relations with Flanders and he did what he could, going as far as offering Flanders Military access to Holland in the process. His efforts suffered a great setback when England excommunicated Flanders in June 1402. By August four of the seven cardinals had their base on the island and all hopes of completing his task had vanished.

It was only after his Danish conquests that the Emperor trusted Willem with a honourable new task: Cologne was under the influence of Gelre and the Emperor wanted Willem to gain the favour of the Archbishop should a vote take place anytime soon.

Internationally a couple of things of note had passed during the war:
- Following Flanders also Greece and Corsica had declared their independence (from Genoa) as well as Aydin (from the Ottoman Empire).
- Guarantees on their independence were given by Willem. Issuing guarantees were practically the only political leverage Willem had in international affairs and he used them generously, especially to small states.

- Military Access was granted by Portugal so that Willem acquired a naval base at the entrance of the Mediterranean which was far out of reach of his supply ships. Sicily granted him the same with finally a base in Cyprus was secured.
- The Ottomans had laid siege on Byzantium which led to a large war on the Balkan between the Italian States and a grand Muslim Coalition.

Had Willem wanted some easy and peaceful times in his realm he was not destined to get it. The foul Brabantians, who had put no effort at all into the defence of Holstein started to quarrel over their border with Holland. Resolute to stand firm Willem decided he would not cede an inch. If Brabant wanted it they would have to come and take it. He made claims of his own.

 

[Ashantai]

Nice work with the trade increase! That's a big difference in income so early on!

 

[Darkspleen]

This is very enjoyable to read. I look forward to your next update.

 

[unmerged(225264)]

Part 8: Free at last

On Saint Egbert's day in the year of Our Lord 1406 Willem received a Call to Arms from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Georgia and it's ally Trebizond had declared war on this strategic island off the coast of the Holy Land. Lorraine promised a relieve force on behalf of France, Burgundy and Holland. Willem was confident that the backing of France assured victory in these far lands.

No sooner had the first regiments set sail under command of Admiral Caspar van Limburg or Danish patriots revolted in Jylland.

Crushing the Danes had slowed down the deployment in Asia Minor considerably and only some mounted mercenaries reached the Black Sea in Autumn. By now Georgia probably had lost it's appetite to invade Cyprus as it had a serious problem with Mohammedan Zealots. This put Willem in a difficult position: should he fight the Georgian heritics or the heathen Musselman? For now the mercenaries landed in undefended Georgia-proper only to be beaten or bribed by a Georgian relieve force in November. Willem (nor the French that landed a few weeks later) ever heard of them again. It took six months before Willem could mount a new invasion on the Black Sea shores. This time Trebizond was the target and after a one-sided battle under the leadership of General Rembrandt van Valkenswaard the capital was besieged. The army was overwhelmed by a Musselman invasion from Imerti in August and withdrew. The regiments embarked in high spirits: the order to return home had come with the Royal Seal of Willem V, Count of Holland and Zeeland, Prince of Jylland, Protector of Brabant.

Raes and Willem worked tirelessly to make the most of the opportunaties that the crowning on Willem's 22nd birthday (14 october 1407) would bring. They forged an alliance with Friesland, secured Cologne's loyalty and established royal ties with Friesland and Cleves. Trade continued to boom as merchants settled all over Europe and riches accumilated.

Early January, two years after the War of the Sont, two Basilicas were consecrated in the prescence of the new King and the heroes of the war were laid to rest there in an elaborate ceremony. They had paid with their lives for what Scandinavian loot had made possible for God's praise.

The tomb of General of the Army Karel van Kampen, fallen in the 2nd Battle of Västergötland, 24 June 1404.​

Willem wanted to end the current war once and for all and set sail with his army to the (by now) legendary shores of the Black Sea. It took him five months to build up a force sufficient to drive out the Musselman from Trebizond. It brought the citizens no respite: the trenches and seige engines that were left behind remained in place and Willem's men thought surrender was eminent. But the citizens proved to be toughened hardened by 18 months of hardship and showed no sign of giving in. By February of the next year Willem was so desparate that he ordered an assault when the walls were breached and the city was sacked.

It was however Lorraine that pocketed the 15 ducats tribute paid by King Manual III. Digusted Willem left for home, leaving only a small troop to assist the French. This expedition had cost him valuable time, money, men (including an Admiral) and now Lorraine had bereft him of his fair share?! “May God strike down that coward! He never sent even a single soldier!” Willem exclaimed.

It seemed that while he had been stuck in the trenches war had broken out all over Europe. The most distressing news had been that Flanders declared war on Utrecht. Flemish armies had marched unopposed through his lands after the Emperor and Brabant had pledged Utrecht their support. The English had been probably right to excommunicate his wicked half-sister Margarethe. The Flemish had no doubt made a strategic blunder and Willem was eager to reap the rewards. Summer was nearing it's end before he and his army had sailed home and they watched the battles rage back and forth from afar. Scouts were sent into France and Brabant to spy on the progress the various parties made. After initial Flemish successes the Brabanders and Utrechters had rebuild their armies and had started a counteroffensive. The winter of 1410 saw the provinces of Limburg, Brabant, Antwerpen, Valenciennes and Cambrai all suffer from seiges, occupation or both. Willem knew he had to make a move soon. But where, when and against whom?

 

[Darkspleen]

The plot thickens. I can't wait to see who you fight your next war against.

 

[mac85]

Excellent stuff

 

[unmerged(225264)]

Part 9: War of the Lowlands

Winter lasted forever. When snow and frost had finally left the Lowlands storms and rain lashed the countryside. Spring had forgotten this war-torn lands. For the besieged cities it was a blessing: fresh water fell from the sky, food could be grown and it were the bogged down armies that suffered the most. Willem called for a meeting with his closest advisors: Raes the statesman, Ramon the mint master, General van Valkenswaard and the new Admiral, Johan van Zwijndrecht.

“Gentlemen, we must intervene in this war that is ravaging the lands around us. Our merchants cannot reach Antwerpen anymore. Trade in Brabant's textiles has become all but impossible. I have sworn to protect that province and it is clear that Brabant's King is not up to the task. The people there are suffering. We must act. I have asked you here to discuss our options.” The men at the table nodded in silent agreement. “General, what is the military situation?”
“My King, the situation is complex. The Flemish army has been cornered in Limburg and cannot receive supplies. The 21 regiments can only field eight thousand men. Their retreat is blocked by Brabant's army that is trying to retake Brussels. They are roughly of equal strength. If they were to break out they would still have to face the small army of Utrecht that is besieging Antwerpen. The Flemish have no reinforcements and the Emperor is holding considerable territory in the south. Brabant has a fully rested army in Breda of 4 regiments, probably consisting of mercenaries. Their regular army was wiped out early in the war.”
“Hmm. So Flanders seems ripe for the picking. What about their navy?”
“They have a sizeable fleet of five ships sir”, the Admiral said: “We dont have to worry about these cogs though, our fleet is double their size and our carracks alone outnumber them”
“Right.”
“Sir,” Raes looked at the young King: “What is your goal for this military enterprise?”
“My goal? Glory on the battlefield off-course! And to teach my foul sister a lesson.” Willem laughed out loud.
“Sir, glory in arms should never be a goal in itself.” Van Valkenwaard frowned. “And teaching lessons to anyone doesn't require force either,” Raes continued without hesitation: “Our armies are expensive to maintain and if we commit them to battle replacing their losses will require funding as well. We must not squander our wealth in pointless battles. If you commit yourself to war you need to have a goal that will benefit our country. We cannot afford another victory like Trebizond.”
These words stung the young Commander of the Army. Had he not shown valour in his first battle? Had he not submitted his enemy? He remembered his return a year ago. Sure, he had received praise from the Nobles and Burghers, but they had seemed not very genuine. Nor had there been a great banquet in the Ridderzaal. To be honest, Willem had been depressed all through winter. He needed to redeem himself and yes, that was why he wanted to see battle again.
“You are right,” he said solemly. “Perhaps we can seize Antwerpen? It's rich and will bring as a lot of money.” A wry smile settled on his face.
“Sir, the Utrechters have already laid siege to the city. The spoils of war will be theirs, even if we assist them in breaking the Flemish resistance,” Rembrandt answered. “If we, god willing, beat the Flemish and make them cede any land, we have to conquer Vlaanderen or Artois. I must advise against that. We have enough trouble supplying Jylland by sea. Vlaanderen will require a similar effort. Artois will be even worse.”
“Our kinsmen in Brabant are suffering beyond imagination!” Willem shouted in disbelieve. “I must, as their protector, come to their aid! The Flemish occupation is intolerable!
“Why not bringue thee province to you directa controll?” Everybody had forgotten about Ramon Gilando but now they turned towards him, baffled. “Mi Kingue,” he said in his strange Spanish accent: “Thee people will welcome their protector. Thei will pay their taxes without mucho protest. Affirming to you controll over their lands will bring mucho needed ducados, year after year. Thee estate of Brabante is weak. Ghave you forgotten their cowardiche in Dinamarca? Take what is to you.”
Raes was the first to burst out in laughter. “Whahaha, this is excellent! Here we sit contemplating fighting Flanders in a pointless war and our foreign friend here is the only one to see the full potential this bloodshed has given us. Bien hecho, Ramon, magnífico”.

Preperations were made. They would strike at the end of summer. Regiments were recruited, mercenaries hired. Then news reached the Court that Limburg had fallen to the Flamish, followed by the announcement of a cease-fire. Armies had started to march back home.
“Now what?”, asked Willem.
“We still have militairy acces to Brabant sir, declaring war will throw our nation into utter chaos, the peasants won't understand.” Rembrandt and Raes explained. “We must cancel the treaty at once.”
“We don't have time. Declare war on Utrecht. Brabant will come to their aid.”
“But sir, that will also cause great unrest!”
“Yes it will, but considerably less. I can't stand Archbishop Frederick anyway. I have wanted to see him gone for a long time. Utrecht is defenceless. We'll strike there first.”

A small army under personal command of Willem was dispatched for the siege of Utrecht while the main force invaded Brabant proper. General van Valkenswaard's war plans had been shattered by these sudden events and it all had become a gamble. Luckily Friesland joined the war on their side and marched on Utrecht while their navy joined a battle with the Utrecht ships off the Coast of Holland .
Willem had agreed to plans to defeat Brabant's armies first and Zeeland was left vulnerable to Utrecht's retreating armies from Antwerpen. It was however the stronger army of Breda that crossed the border and the recruits and mercenaries of Zeeland barely escaped from a one-sided battle with considerable losses.

Within a month the Danes seized the opportunity and declared war. Their allies Norway and Sweden were swift to follow. A Frisian envoy showed up with the message that they could not support Willem on this second front, but vowed they would stay committed to the defeat of Utrecht. Everything was in disarray now. “Don't despair, my lord”, his commanders told Willem: “We will bring you victory.” The look in their eyes told a different story.

The first succes came at the end of September when the army of Brabant was defeated and fled for Limburg. The cavalry quickly moved, laid siege to Maastricht and waited for the enemy. Another sound victory came when the infantry attacked the Brabantians in the back. This tactic was repeated in Breda where the enemy was utterly crushed.

With Barabant's main force out of the war the army regrouped, exchanging regiments with the army at Utrecht. Meanwhile the Emperor had joined the siege of Middelburg and with the Utrechters still in Antwerpen something had to be done. Van Valkenswaard marched on Zeeland with the best regiments he could muster. As winter fell battles raged over the islands of Zeeland. Utrecht made a dash for the depleted forces that were left to guard Brussles.
Christmas masses were held in overcrowded churches. A miracle was needed.

The prayers secured a victory on the 26th and the Utrecht navy limped home. The cog Dom van Utrecht (this made Raes laugh) was captured and put to repairs. With the coast now free Admiral van Zwijndrecht was put to the task of cleansing the Danish waters. Aarhus was under siege for months now and Willem was not going to give up on Jylland without a shot.

Aarhus fell to the Danes. It hurted Willem's pride but he didn't care much. This hostile place had been a pain in the ass from the moment he had conquered it. He focussed on the war at home. Zeeland was freed in January, scattering the armies of Breda and the Emperor. He let the Brabanders escape to Breda but ordered his general to chase the Kaiserliche truppen to Brussels, hoping to squat two flies with one stroke. It worked, more or less. The army of Utrecht fled to Limburg, the Emperor's army was later slaughtered on the retreat in the tidal marches of the Scheldt. The seige held. That the war was turning in his favour was signalled by Cologne's offer of an alliance, leaving Breda and Limburg encircled. It was now a matter of tightening the noose. Pressed for time as his populace was on the verge of breaking into revolt an epic series of battles between ever more tired armies ravaged the countryside of Utrecht, Breda, Limburg and Brabant and by spring it was all but over. Roving bands of mercenaries would emerge from the woods in the months to come, but poor morale and insufficient numbers made that they never posed a serious thread to the beseiging armies.

Utrecht was stormed in April. Their navy sailed and Admiral van Zwijdrecht was given strict orders not to sink the vessels but to capture them. A long chase followed, aided by the Frisians, all the way to the Baltic. The Danes did not dare to intervene.

Brussels was stormed in June. Willem reorganized his regiments and anxiously waited for news from his admiral. If revolts broke out he would have to sue for peace but he was prepared to wait that long. He offered a white peace to the Sweden, but to no avail. When a second carrack was captured in August he annexed Utrecht, made Brabant cede their core province and returned home triumphant. The people lined the streets. Willem had dreamed of this but he wasn't happy. He had to fight the foul Scandinavians once more. He wept bitterly beside the tomb of Karel van Kampen, lighted forty candles in front of the altar and confessed to the vice of Pride.

 

[unmerged(225264)]

I'll probably discontinue this AAR when I buy DW. If there is interest, I'll AAR my first DW game as it happens.