A Vision of Glory: A Brandenburg AAR

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Kaiser,

Don't worry, I have some of those later, when things are really confusing with regards to how much I have and don't.

Besides some people like seeing those seige & wreckage screenshots too, so I thought I'd throw that one in.

 

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Congratulations - great AAR!

Please post a zoomed-out political map screenshot.

Also it would be nice to make a bit more references to the overal political situation. Great powers, etc.

Keep up the good work.

 

[Sorcerer]

Your German empire slowly takes shape. I saw on your screenshot that you have a colonist. Why don't you trade a few maps and try to build a colony? Anyway, keep up the good work! Merry Christmas!

 

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Sorcerer,

I try to trade maps. But no one ever does it. So I'll just have to get some maps the old fashion way in the future...



As for saying more on the Great Powers, I try to mention most of the major things going on with the ones around me(England, France, Spain, Austria, Poland). As for others, I've had other people say that they appreciate the fact that I focus on what goes on around me too.

To post a narrative AAR and include all those events would take twice as long, and I'm already spending 2 hours a day typing updates. I have to spend some time with my wife, and working, and other things.

As I said, I have a political screenshot in the not-too-distant future. I'm also at a limit here, as I still don't have my own wed domain, and I don't want to be an imposition on the person who is kindly letting me use a portion of his own. I've already tried Tripod, they take a dim view to "remote transfers" and Geocities does more than that, they simply don't allow it. And spending money on a web site is money I can't justify spending right now.

 

[unmerged(5910)]

Why not Greater Germany?

Why not include Austria Proper in your German Empire? Do not the people of Austria speak German and are they not of German ethnicity? ANd what about the Swiss lands, and also I believe that there are Germans in the Sudetanland. Why not go and unite all german people into one empire?

 

[unmerged(4007)]

Kaiser,

Austria expands too far south for me to get too serious about including them, I could never annex all those lands, and I'd have to get THEM to get Vienna.

The Swiss are their own culture in EU2--not German. So whether or not I add them or not...

As for Sudeten...stay tuned.

 

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Chapter 17

Chapter XVII- King Joachim's War (June 1595-1604)

For the first time in a generation, Brandenburg is at peace and stable. But the second of these is still a relative term, as the newly acquired provinces are not exactly overjoyed to be part of our realm. But consolidation is a necessary part of our policies, and so we embark on a much-needed period of integration.

On Feb 11, 1595, we send a letter of introduction to Saxony. This again affirms our closest of friendships. On May 1, there is a peasant revolt in Mainz, but it is put down on the 14th by the 9000 defenders. June 1 brings the military annexation of Novograd by tver. On July 1st, there is another peasatn revolt in Mainz, but it is put down on the 16th.

On April 12, 1596 Genoa declares war on us, but they have no allied support, and they cannot march on us, and we cannot march on them. However Luxembourg and Lorraine dishonor the alliance, and this hurts us diplomatically. On Nov 26th, we send a letter of introduction to Luxembourg, they call us "Very Dear Friends" in response. But our reputation is still seen as "tarnished" in the eyes of the world.

On Sept 8. 1597, we rener royal ties with Denmark. On Oct 1, Bohemia converts to Protestantism and finds itself bereft of alliances.. But otherwise the year is quiet. Officially we may be at war, but our world would never have known it.

On July 27,1597, Luxembourg rejoins our alliancem, and we continue our marshalling of strength. Otherwise the year is quiet. On Jan 9, 1598, Joachim Friedrich asends to the throne. he is brilliant economically, and wise militarily. But he lacks tact diplomatically. Fortunately we are about as established in that regard as we need to be for the moment.

 

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Tyrol

Maybe not all of Austria proper but Tyrol, Presburg, Ostmarch, and Salzburg?

 

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Feb 17. sees some Catholic heretics demanding the conversion of our realm to the "True Faith." We laugh, the result is a revolt in Koln. But it is put down on April 29th. We make sure it is clearly known that it is the miltarism, not the beliefs, of these perpetrators that has lead to their execution.

On July 21, we sign a white peace with genoa. And now that we are technically as well as factually at peace once again, the king comes to me and discusses a plan of his...audacious to say the least. Oct 23rd brings a renewal of royal ties with Sweden. On Dec 1st, a war breaks out between Friesland, Croatia, and Venice against Austria, Spain, Sardinia, the Knights, Cyprus, and Hellas. On the 6th there is another war, this one between Strassburg and Austria and her allies.

July 6, 1589 sees another war erupts, this between Lorraine, bereft of her allies (us)against France, Denmark, and Scotland. On Sept 17 Strassburg survives, paying 25d to the Austrians for peace. On Feb 1, 1600 Eire declares itself independant from England. But on Feb 11, Lorraine is annexed (predictably) by France. On June 1st, we renew royal ties with Courland, and on Oct 29th, we also do this with Scotland as well.

On Jan 19, 1602, Austria and her allies declare war on Bohemia, attempting to annex the one province left. Our King says the opportunity has arrived, and perhaps we can even make ourselves look virtuous in the eyes of the world by appearing to defend our Protestant cousins. It is still audacious, but perhaps a measure of audacity is appropriate at the moment...

 

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On April 15, we declare war on Austria, and march 31000 on Erz, Luxembourg dishonors the alliance (again), but we cannot really hold this against them. We will however, let them stew for the time being. On May 26, we raise war taxes (stability to +2). On June 19th, Bavaria, Venice, and Friesland think that they can profit in our apparent distraction. it is a mistake Bavaria has made twice before, this time, they will not escape lightly.

Spain backs out of the war as fast as she got in (July 10th, white peace). On July 30, 17000 Bavarians attack 27000 defenders in Wurtemburg. We crush them and chase the fleeing troops into Bavaria. they continue retreating into Ansbach, and we continue to chase them, reinforcing them with 2000 more from Baden. They are again defeated and Ansbach is beseiged.

Erz manages to survive an assault thrown on it, and its defences prove stout (+2 on Dec 3), but our engineers devise an alternate plan, we explode a mine on the 27th causing significant damage (-2). We hear in 1603 that Russia is wracked by internal dissension (the time of Troubles). Meanwhile, the retreating remnants of the Bavarian army, 10000 strong, try to turn their retreat into an advance on Wurtemburg. We choose to maintain our seige on Ansbach, knowing that when Erz falls, it will free those troops to deal with the Bavarians.

On May 23, Erz falls. Sardinia offers a white peace, we accept, and order the 17000 men from Erz to march on Wurtemburg. On June 1our military makes improvements in land technology again (lvl 16), and on Aug 30, we engage the Bavarians in Wurtemburg, 17000 vs 10000, the result is never in doubt.

On Sept 25, we sign status quo treaties with Hellas, the Knights, and Cyprus. the seige having been lifted in Wurtemburg, we begin raising 7000 troops to aid the seige of the Bavarians.

 

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On Nov 30, 18000 of our men engage 12000 Bavarians at the vary gates of Munich in atrocious weather. Fog and snow make visability nearly impossible. But our men are well-trained and our elan is high. The Bavarians are demoralized and many are just recently pressed into service. Even if we did not have half again as many men, the weight of experience and motivation on our side would tell. They are crushed, leaving only the walls of Bavaria standing against us.

On jan 2, 1604 Kleves rebels due to war-weariness adn rebels in neighboring Zeeland. But on the 12th Ansbach falls, and we split the army and march 7000 men to put down the revolt. On March 7, we score a coup as Austria, wracked by internal dissension and war-wearniess, accepts a peace settlement that cedes Erz to us. (OOC--This is actually a couple percent more than we deserve.) Now only Bavaria stands against us.

On March 1, the revolt in Kleves is crushed. And on the 2nd Munich falls to our forces/ On May 22, 1604 the Elector of Bavaria comes to the Halls of Brandenburg to treat with us regarding terms of surrender.

 

[Lord Durham]

This AAR is an absolute blast shawng1. The mix of First Person, witticisms and history is a perfect blend.

Merry Christmas and keep up the good work!

 

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"Well met, Elector Maximillian I."

"Well met Elector Joachim Friedrich."

"Do you start a treaty negotiation you requested by insulting the one whose armies have been victorious over you in every engagement and who holds your very halls?"

"No, but I do not recognize a self-styled King, or any King but the Emperor." Joachim laughs in response.

"If at one time," he says, "we claimed the right of Kingship more for political purposes that political reality, that time is long past. our throne is not one that is 'self-styled' as you put it. If it were, we would not have brought both you and your emperor to terms. This is something that you would be wise to consider in the future. It might not always be impossible for us to access your Italian holdings in the future. Now, what purpose, other than the bantying of words, brings you to our halls? Or do you merely wish to impugn what has been given to us by the right of God and nations?"

He lowers his head, he is, after all, in the end, defeated, "I would ask by what terms we may attain a cessation of the hostilities that now engulf our lands."

"Elector, the terms are simple, you will forthwith cede the province of Ansbach to the German state of which Brandenburg is the head. anything less will be met with a continuation of hostilities."

"Why should I give up land that has been Bavarian for centuries?"

"Because you have thrice tried to take land that is rightly under the rule of Brandenburg. Because you were warned not to meddle in our affairs after our last engagement. Because you ignored that warning. And because you have failed, for yet a third time. the price of that failure is clear."

"I PROTEST THIS RAPE OF OUR LANDS!"

"Do as you wish. But we both know you will sign the treaty. You knew that before you arrived. Consider yourselffortunate that you have an electorate to return to."

Bavaria signs the treaty and surrenders Ansbach to Brandenburg. The result is our reputation is once again "rather bad." But time will deal with this ill. King Joachim was right. the cost was high, we have only 13000 in erz, 12000 in Ansbach, and 12000 in Kleves. But we have time and funds to rebuild our forces in due course. to have defeated Austria again, and also to have crushed the pride of Bavaria, suits our purposes in every way.

OOC-- Merry christmas to all.

 

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LD,

Thanks. Any complement from you is a high one indeed.

 

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Screenie

Here's the political map of Europe, circa 1607.

 

[unmerged(4007)]

The Danes will diplo-annex Pommern, early in the next chapter. That will give them the former Low Country holdings of Pommern (Zeeland and Brabant) as well as their own former holding of Flandern, not to mention Pommern proper.

Holland holds the title of "province in western Europe held by most unlikely power." Poland gained it waaay back when Burgundy was still war-mongering and getting thrashed by us (and everyone else).

As you see, and I mentioned in the "treaty" discussion of the last chapter. Bavaria holds Lombardie--it is what has protected them from being annexed by me so far. They also hold Savoy as a vassal.

Austria is about to acquire Hungary--but they won't hold it long--at least not all of it.

You can also see that Polish-Lithuanian unity did not come off in my GC. This was because I allied them to me, and then they went off warring with each other and tanked their relations. The unity of the two has a relations clause on it. It failed the check. This was not entirely by my design. But I have to admit it caused me some pleasure...

 

[Sorcerer]

I don't doubt that

But looking at your screenshot, it still itches me that there is this triangle called Saxony between your eastern and western holdings. Annex them! Annex Hanover! I know, I know, you try...

 

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Sorcerer,

Patience, grasshopper. In the fullness of time, I promise you all will be made right with our most loyal vassals. They know where home is.

I promise you that you will be MOST satisfied at the end results.

 

[C.N.]

Great AAR!

Could you post a summary about which German-culture provinces you still lack?

 

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CN

Sure!

Bremen and Holstein, the Pommernian home provinces, Danzig, Saxony's provinces, Hannover's provinces, Luxembourg, Oldenburg, Alsace, and the Austrian home provinces.

Note, Sudeten is not--yet--a "German" province culturally. it will be though, and I note in the narrative when I see it switch culture.

Prussia's provinces are actually "baltic" in culture, an issue I am currently arguing about on the EEP event folder.