Aspirations of Grandeur; The Vainglory of an Empire - A Bohemian DoD AAR

[HIMDogson]

OK, so first we need to flip Wurttemburg under Gehlen to Heydrich's control, then we should probably ger Remer's forces in Hannover on our side by supporting Schorner... if we can take out Kaltenbrunner before he comes under Himmler's protection that would be a major help and- wait, this is the wrong AH mod isn't it? Ah crap.

 

[Derahan]

OK, so first we need to flip Wurttemburg under Gehlen to Heydrich's control, then we should probably ger Remer's forces in Hannover on our side by supporting Schorner... if we can take out Kaltenbrunner before he comes under Himmler's protection that would be a major help and- wait, this is the wrong AH mod isn't it? Ah crap.

Well.... We must still flip Württemberg, but to the empire's control!

That aside, there is not that much difference between DoD and TNO. Both have civil wars in the German area covering at least 4 factions.

 

[DensleyBlair]

Somehow I’m not so sure that Germany is ever going to stop causing all the trouble in Europe…

 

[Derahan]

Somehow I’m not so sure that Germany is ever going to stop causing all the trouble in Europe…

Just like in our timeline, most of what happened in Europe during the 19th century started in Germany or in the region.

 

[Derahan]

Chapter III
Caesar, Pompey and Brutus​

In 1841, when Bohemian armies marched west, the call to arms was sounded throughout the empire’s allies. All German states loyal to the empire answered the call, except for one: Austria. The Habsburgs did not respond to the call and did not mobilise their armies for the war. Even after inquiries and diplomatic overtures, the Habsburgs remained firm and even replied that they, from now on, would not be subservient to the empire going forward. Had it not been for the docile actions of Austria after this some of the imperial army would have had to be rerouted to guard Bohemia’s heartland. But as Austria kept out of the conflict, Bohemia could concentrate all forces west. The objectives of the war was thus: Free the western princes from the Burgundian yoke and liberate the Rheinland from Burgundy itself.

The empire’s plan for the war would be two pronged; The Bohemian army with the princes of the empire would strike through the northern controlled territories of Burgundy later crossing the Rhine into Burgundy proper. All while Bavaria would strike south into Baden, Württemberg and Switzerland. The hope was that Burgundy would concentrate to counter the main imperial thrust through Westphalia and leave the southern theater to each side's local forces. However as it turns out, no plan survives first contact with the enemy.

As the Imperial armies quickly swept into Westphalia, liberating several cities and routing the local Burgundian forces; The Burgundian forces mobilised quickly and rushed to meet the forces of the empire in Westphalia. However it was too little too late, the burgundian forces that managed to assemble to face the Bohemians were defeated in a fast series of battle, notably, in Luneburg and Minden, while also failing to tie down the rest of the Bohemian forces. Within 4 months, most of Westphalia was liberated, with the last Burgundian holdouts under siege. Within the Imperial army the war was viewed as already won.

The battles of Luneburg and Minden were, while not decisive, clear Imperial victories. ​

The Burgundians, forced to concede against the empire, started a counterattack in the southern German states, in late 1841, with the focus to knock Bavaria out of the war. From there the gates of Prague would be wide open as all Bohemian forces were in Westphalia. When the Bavarian forces were blown away by the Burgundian advance, Imperial forces were forced to re-route south to descend upon their northern flank. This action forced the Burgundian advance to a halt and the subsequent campaign in Baden, Württemberg and Switzerland would see the complete destruction of Burgundian and allied forces as well as the region liberated by August 1842.

This would mark the end for the Burgundian army in the war. It was now a scattered force of some regiments across the country and could not mount any effective countermeasure against the Imperial army. At the turn of the year 1842/43 all of the German princes east of the Rhine had been liberated and the Bohemian armies crossed the river to liberate the Rhineland from Burgundian hands. Burgundy had assembled a small army to try and halt the crossings but failed and the campaign became a long siege affair before the Burgundians surrendered in July 1843 with the Imperials about to march into Burgundy’s heartland.

Germany after the liberation of the west.​

Burgundy was forced to withdraw completely from Germany, leaving their continental ambitions in the gutter. For the first time in several centuries the empire had defeated it’s archenemy. It’s victory had been complete without any serious setbacks. The new duchy of the Rheinland had been created from all German lands liberated west of the Rhine, forming a new bulwark westards. However all was not well, when the war first broke out the Habsburgs in Vienna had dissented and refused to fight against the Burgundians. Ever since they were recognised as kingdoms they had been a thorn in the side of Bohemia, disobedient and rebellious. Now with its hands free, it was time to deal with the last obstacle in the path of the empire.

First, Imperial envoys and diplomats were sent to the Habsburgs in Vienna to try and mediate between the Emperor and the king. When this did not work out, the emperor asked the king of Bavaria to mediate between Bohemia and Austria. Even though he tried his hardest, the Habsburgs were too stubborn to give in and fall back into the fold of the empire. As such the emperor was forced to send his ultimatum to the king in Vienna, either bend the knee or prepare your armies for what may come. The Habsburgs chose the latter.

At the end of 1843, Bohemian armies had reorganised after the Burgundian campaign and thus marched south from Bohemia into the “kingdom” of Austria. The Habsburgs tried in vain to give battle outside the gates of Vienna, but as they soon learned the hard way: The new Bohemian army, almost 2 decades in the making, were an overpowering foe and the Austrians were completely defeated. Their soldiers either dying or surrendering, not one escaped the loss. After this defeat the Habsburg monarch fled southwards into the Italian alps, leaving his country ripe for the taking.

Austria as the Austrian monarch accepted the emperor's terms as well as in the process of losing Slovenia to Illyria.​

It would take the Imperial armies about half a year to fully take control of Austria and drag the Austrian monarch out of his mountain hideout. Having realised the futility in his actions he surrendered and accepted the Bohemian terms; Austria would never raise an army again unless on the behalf of the empire and their monarch would swear eternal subservience and loyalty to the emperor of the German nation. With this treaty signed, and a parallel treaty with Illyria, who had taken the chance and invaded Slovenia, to forfeit Slovenia to Illyria, the empire was finally at last as a whole free from foreing yoke.

 

[DensleyBlair]

The Empire throwing its weight around every which way. No rest for the wicked I suppose

 

[The Number 9]

Excellent AAR so far, I just read it through.

 

[Derahan]

The Empire throwing its weight around every which way. No rest for the wicked I suppose

All grudges in the book must be settled, there can be no respite for those who have wronged the empire!

Excellent AAR so far, I just read it through.

Thanks! welcome aboard!

 

[Derahan]

Chapter IV
Lords of the Empire, Unite!​

Even before the ink was put on the paper of the treaty of Trier and the end of the war against Burgundy, there had been frantic activity on how to use the victory in Prague when it became an obvious fact that the war would be won by the empire. The dream of the late emperor, and possible many previous emperors as well, could finally be realised if so wished. The empire was united under the Jagiellon dynasty in Prague with no foreign influence left inside the empire and the kingdom of Burgundy officially kicked out of it. Long, long nights would be spent by the privy council and the emperor to hammer out what to do next. It did not take long before the matter had settled on that the empire needed less division so as to prevent the past half a century of chaos. The obvious solution to this problem would be to simply incorporate the empire into the kingdom of Bohemia’s government apparatus and organization, but there were fears that such action would spark another liberal revolution inside the empire.

Many options would be petitioned, argued and dismissed before a finalized plan could be forged that didn’t raise concerns that it would lead to armed uprisings and revolution. The plan called for a 3 stage unification plan that would hopefully prevent their worst fears and realise their highest ambitions. The empire would unify, first as a federation with wide spanning autonomy with each lord/king ruling their land as a province of the empire, secondly a slow process of degrading the autonomy focusing ever more control over the land to the imperial government, and at last a full abolition of the federation and complete control ceded to the imperial government. This was so as to lessen the impact on the life of the average citizen in the empire and not alienate them towards a perceived dominant and distant ruling czech elite in Prague.

Thus the new constitution of the empire was drafted then finalized. In a large ceremony in Prague on the 20th July 1844 the new constitution of the empire was presented before the lords of the kingdom of Bohemia and the emperor proclaimed the empire united for the first time in centuries; Now the empire would charter its own course and be the helmsman of its destiny. After the new order of the realm had been resoundingly applauded and hailed by the czech lords it was sent by messengers to all the lords of the empire for them to respond to and one copy to the Reichstag to symbolically be accepted by the lords of the empire.

The Prague Proclamation​

When the imperial messengers appeared before the lords of the empire they heralded a new era, one not seen in central Europe for 1000 years since the days of Charlemagne or Otto the great. As they opened the message some would cheer and some would sour but most would silently contemplate what this would mean for them and the empire as a whole as the emperor now had forced upon them a choice, not entierly unexpected, from which there was no option other option than a simple Yay or Ney. As with all matters pertaining to humans and making a choice; There will always be a divide for each and every lord of the empire is but human and wants whats best for them. Therefore when the replies started arriving in Prague the awnsers differed alot between the lords. Although the Reichstag symbolicaly accepted the proclamation, there were a lot of lords who did not awnser with a resounding yes.

There were clear divides among the lords of the empire amongst those who awnsered the emperors call for unity and those who opposed it. Most of the lords who had never fallen from the influence of Bohemia accepted the Prague proclamation joined by a few others in central, northwestern and southwestern regions of the Empire. As the weeks went on clusters of resistance formed on the fringes of the empire: Along the Danube led by Austira, along the Rhine led by the newly liberated Rhineland (not surprisingly averse to anything trying to take away their powers again) and along the Elbe and the coast of the Baltic sea led by Pommerania. As the status of the realm became clear to the emperor and his advisors they decided that force of arms, which they had used for the previous years, may not be the best choice to reel the lords in and so they decided to open negotiation with the doubters on the borders.

Even though the empire had attempted to still the fears of the lords, they had partially failed to do so. What followed the Prague proclamation was a formation of three leagues: League of Berlin, The Rhineland and the Danubian League. These formations was a blend of opponents to a centralized empire, interestgroups looking to change the federalistion to suit themselves and lords afraid of being ostracized in favor of the czech nobility and that the new empire would be inherently czech in its new form. This complicated the state of affairs for the negotiatiors sent out by the emperor as the they had to try to cater to the several interests that had blossomed. This however was not an easy task and as such the negotiation dragged on for several month even into years.

The three leagues that formed after the Prague proclamation​

They tried to convice them of the merits that a new empire would mean for them and their lands. However as the lords remained unconvinced the emperor grew unpatient and would issue an edict: The lords and princes of the empire had been granted their freedom from foreign power by the emperor and were his vassals and as a way of showing their gratitutde they should oblige to what their liege demanded. This did have the opposite effect of what he wanted and the leagues now shutdown the negotiations stating they would not budge to the emperor and his abuse of imperial power. Faced with this response to his edict the emperor was filled with rage and without hesitation ordered the mobilisation of the Imperial armies beginning The League War on 15th March 1846.

And so the fourth war on German soil in eight years started. Bloodshed once again filled the streets and meadows of Germany echoing back to the times of The Great German War as Germans once against fought against Germans. At this point emperor Sigismund V would be seen as a liberator by some and a cruel tyrant by others as his armies marched to subdue to princes of the empire at the point of the barrel of their muskets. This was more or less a civil war that tore through Germany and as such fears of the brutality of war that had been seen during the Libral Revolution came back to the people of the realm.

 

[HIMDogson]

The King of Austria repays our goodwill with yet more treason. I think when this is over his punishment must be more severe.

 

[DensleyBlair]

Amazing how great a continuity there is with, say, diplomatic frameworks of the previous two centuries. Nothing that’s going on feels remotely applicable to our own 19th century. It’s fascinating how divergent (hoho) this alt-history manages to be. Feels properly uncanny rather than just a differently drawn map.

Anyway, this latest war over essentially feudal relations does not promise any imminent end to central Europe’s troubles. Surely the other powers can’t be looking too kindly on Bohemia’s constant meddling?

 

[Derahan]

The King of Austria repays our goodwill with yet more treason. I think when this is over his punishment must be more severe.

Yes, the king of Austria has at every turn been at odds with the Bohemian Crown forgoing centuries of corporation. Justice will be served.

Amazing how great a continuity there is with, say, diplomatic frameworks of the previous two centuries. Nothing that’s going on feels remotely applicable to our own 19th century. It’s fascinating how divergent (hoho) this alt-history manages to be. Feels properly uncanny rather than just a differently drawn map.

Anyway, this latest war over essentially feudal relations does not promise any imminent end to central Europe’s troubles. Surely the other powers can’t be looking too kindly on Bohemia’s constant meddling?

It is indeed a fine work creating 4 centuries of alternate history and making it coherent but still plausible. The most interesting thing is that the various sources for the alt-history background differ somewhat from another with dates etc. They don't differ a lot but it is enough to give impression of being an actual contemporary discourse in our times about when things really happened.

Bohemia has already defeated the Scandinavians and Burgundians in the field decisively while maintaining the strength of their own armies, the only other power that could attempt any interference would be the Dual Monarchy but they have been a (alt-history, plot wise and in-game) ally of Bohemia (though never called to war but kept as a final resort if the war against other powers failed). Otherwise all of Muscovy, The Ottomans (Sublime Porte) and the great powers of Iberia would all be to distant or distracted by their own internal/external problems to interfere at this point in time. Thing will of course change in the future; I do believe this development mirrors the forming of Germany in our own days as there were no foreign intervention in the unification of Germany through the three wars (Danish-German war, Austrian-Prussian war and the French-German war) and Germany were only faced with foreign opposition form more than one power after its unification and subsequent rise of power that threatened enough of the other powers.

So for now, the unification of the HRE is still only a problem to the countries that border it and is really not seen as a big event to the powers beyond until it actually happens and that they then realise what had actually transpired in Germany and the gravity of their ignorance.

 

[The Number 9]

It clearly looks a bit like the German unification from OTL. A lot of conflict, and a great power managing to impose his mark.

 

[Derahan]

It clearly looks a bit like the German unification from OTL. A lot of conflict, and a great power managing to impose his mark.

Yes indeed, it's a clear case of nationalistic imperialism and everyone knows what imperialism led to... (flashback from 1914-1918).

 

[cybandeath]

The Hapsburgs must be PURGED root and stem at this point for such vast, continuous, repeated treason.

 

[Derahan]

The Hapsburgs must be PURGED root and stem at this point for such vast, continuous, repeated treason.

Aye they must. For a dynasty to be allied for so long to suddenly openly oppose their former ally in all forms in the span of a few years it is nothing but unbelieveable. An eye for an eye as the old ones say!

 

[Derahan]

Chapter V
The League War
​

The war started on 15th March 1846 which in hindsight seems almost prophetic. Almost two thousand years ago on the ides of March (15th) Julius Caesar was murdered and ushered in the Roman civil war that would transform the Roman republic into an empire. Now the lord’s refusal to comply with the empire triggered the start of the Imperial civil war which would usher in a new age for Germany. The problem for the empire this time around was that they were not merely fighting one opponent but three at the same time. Waging a three front war was not something even the large military force of the kingdom of Bohemia could do and thus it was decided that for now only rely on local forces to resist the other two leagues and focus the Bohemian forces towards the Danubian league. The Danubians under the leadership of the kingdom of Austria threatened the kingdom's heartlands, which bordered directly the heartlands of Austria so this was the most sensible choice.

Less than two years ago Bohemian soldiers marched down the streets of Vienna and now once again they were headed southwards to quell the most rebellious of the German princes. The beginning of the war with Danubia would follow much the same actions as the previous war with Austria; Danubian forces retreated from both Upper and Lower Austria surrendering Vienna and several other cities in the region in an attempt to buy time to mobilize more of their armies if they were to have any chance in repelling the imperials. However the Austrians were forced to give up most of their kingdom as they retreated west into the Alps. Thus the first battle of the war stood outside the city of Innsbruck where 19.000 Danubians engaged the 13.000 strong Vanguard of the Bohemian armies. The Danubian army tried to charge the entrenched positions of the Bohemians but were ultimately repelled with horrendous casualties forcing a retreat and giving the day to the Bohemians.

First battle of The League War, decisive Bohemian victory although outnumbered. ​

The Danubians regrouped in the Tyrol mountains to the west, linking up with other armies that had mobilised before the Bohemians had descended upon their provinces, while the imperial armies laid siege to the duchy of Austria. Then the Danubians advanced northwards to Salzburg with the plan to bypass the imperial armies and then separate them from their bases of supply in Bohemia by retaking Upper and Lower Austria. But They were betrayed; Defectors from the Danubian army told the Imperials of the plan and so the first Bohemian army were ordered towards Salzburg from Styria where they were in the process of taking the last fortified cities. Knowing nothing of the Bohemian advance the Austrians were taken completely by surprise and in the following chaotic battle outside Salzburg were annihilated as an army leaving the Austrian and Tyrolean parts of the Danubian league completely at the mercy of Imperial forces.

The last Austrian fortresses fell in June and Bohemian armies were redirected towards the Rhineland and the last remnants of the Danubian league in Baden-Württemberg. The remnants of the noble houses that were left in Imperial custody now were all rounded up in their castles and put under strict supervision by Bohemian soldiers while the treasonous Habsburg were all forcibly relocated to a prison-castle in Prague from where they could not escape judgement. The emperor planned to after the war reconstruct the provinces that were now in open rebellion so as they would not be able to do so in the future and this would most likely include the removal of local aristocracy.
When the Bohemian armies marched west the Rheinlanders had already crossed the Rhine and captured several fortresses and provinces that had remained loyal to the empire on the eastern side of the bank. Their plan was to halt the Bohemians on the eastern bank whilst preparing their armies for countermeasures on the western bank and when the Bohemian armies crossed the river they would be struck by the fury of the Rhineland before they could organise an effective resistance and thus be annihilated. The Bohemian plan was on a different plane however as they had to act fast so as not to drag the conflict on and risk foreign interference in the war, most notably from a vengeful Burgundy, and thus opted for a more decisive approach: Strike with a combined force of several armies in the center of the Rhenish fortifications and cross the river before the Rhenish could muster an effective countermeasure and take control of their heartland halting their capabilities to wage war in the future.

Fortune favors the bold it is said and such was true for the Bohemian armies this time as they advanced from the Danubian banks towards the Rhineland. The Bohemian generals, ever eager to outperform one another, forced their armies to march at full speed to be the first to get the glory and spoils of war. Thus fortune struck; Outside Aschaffenburg (near Frankfurt) Two Bohemian armies converged on an unsuspecting Rhenish army, enveloping it from the northeast and south, and gave battle forcing the Rhenish to retreat having suffered more than a third their number in casualties. Retreating west only a few kilometers they stumbled upon a third Bohemian army near Darmstadt and in the short chaotic battle that followed suffered another defeat, though not taking huge casualties, but managed to withdraw north through Frankfurt with the Bohemian hot on their heels. The Rhenish army fell to shambles during the withdrawal and ceased to be an effective fighting force after they crossed into the Rhineland as thousands deserted, not wanting to fight for a lost cause.

The battles outside Frankfurt that decided the fate of the Rhineland in The League War.​

Following this disintegration of Rhenish resistance in the field, all that was left for the Bohemians to do was siege down the remaining fortresses of the Rhenish. With no hope of relief all of the bastions on the eastern side of the Rhine fell rather quickly with promises that the men would be allowed home upon swearing no to bear arms against the empire ever again. As the Bohemians crossed into the Rhineland proper a small short campaign against small localized resistance followed but as it was disorganised nothing bigger than brigade was ever encountered and the last of the forts and cities fell during the Autumn of 1847. When the surrender came, all nobles of the Rhineland had to offer up two family members to be sent to Prague as hostages as a deterrent against future rebellion. This lenient approach was taken as these nobles had never before rebelled against the empire and had the Burugndian oppression still fresh in mind.

Thus the Bohemian boot turned towards the League of Berlin in the north. This league was the least formidable foe that had formed against the emperor as it was spread out along the northern coastlines of Germany, including the duchy of Prussia, and faced severe adversity in tyring the gather its forces efficiently. The war in the north degraded to a series of local skirmishes and sieges before the League gave in and surrendered to the emperor as keeping up the resistance was futile and only prolonged the inevitable. On 8th February 1848 the leader of the League officially surrendered to a Bohemian general in the town hall in Lübeck, ending the League war.

An empire united after years of bloodshed. ​

As the conflict came to an end the matter on how to deal with the defeated came about. the nobles of the north were brought back to status quo before the war merely losing some of their personal lands to the crown, as they had surrendered the emperor chose to apply leniency. It was understandable that the Rhinelanders had revolted with the Burgundian yoke fresh in mind, however instability in this region was a potential threat to national security as it compromised the border against Burgundy, and thus it was decided to revoke all the lands, except for the resident estate, held by those that had revolted but allowed to keep their titles. This turned the Rhinelander nobility away from agriculture and forced them to seek new ventures in finance or industry to rebuild their revenue.

As for the Danubians things were a little different. There were two categories of the damned: The nobles of Baden-Württemberg, who were largely treated just the same as the Rhinelanders, and those nobles who resided in the former Kingdom of Austria. The old Austrian nobility were stripped of all land, all titles and driven from their home as they were seen as largely hostile to Bohemia. The ruling family of Habsburg however was a different story. They were also stripped of titles, land and home but also they were all exiled from the empire under the penalty of death should anyone of them return. The ruler of Austria, who had sworn an oath of loyalty to the emperor and then broken it within the span of two years, were brought to Prague and, in the Wenceslas square upon a raised platform, summarily executed on the spot by judgement from the emperor who were present.

 

[DensleyBlair]

You know, I’m quite looking forward to this empire getting some sort of comeuppance in due course. The Bohemians have gone a bit made with power, I’d say.

Great writing as per.

 

[Derahan]

You know, I’m quite looking forward to this empire getting some sort of comeuppance in due course. The Bohemians have gone a bit made with power, I’d say.

Great writing as per.

There are some quotes that could summarise the situation: "Absolute power absolutely corrupts" and "The bigger they are the harder they fall". Both are true for this empire and I do believe it takes a special kind of man to not be corrupted in at least some way.

And thank you!

 

[Kienzle]

Subscribed! If I remember from my playthrough, there is little to stop the HRE once it is formed. I'm curious to see what challenges you attempt to write for it...