Nice update, shame that you couldn't get Kars. Well, i suppose you can always come back later 
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Hibernation
After the War of Moldavian Freedom, and signing the Imperial Recruitment Drive into law, I focused into bringing capitalists into the capital. Even though taxes for the wealthy was set at 75% of their income, I still managed to attract 5,689 capitalists to my country over the next four years. The capitalists mainly settled in St. Petersburg, and Kiev with a roughly 200 setting down their roots in Moscow. With capitalists in the country, and now starting to invest in factories ranging from small arms to cloth, I know needed to bring clergymen into Russia.
The more clergymen that were in my country, the more likely the populace would convert to Orthodox, but the main objective was to raise the research. Currently clergymen made up about 1% of my country’s population. By the time the next war with the Ottomans, which was going to be in roughly four or five years, clergymen were going to have to make up 1.25% of my populace. This increase in clergymen would bring in a steady surge of technological advancements to help kick start the industrialization of the steppes.
Russian allies as of 1840
As I walked into my chambers, I saw my state advisor waiting for me. I looked at him very puzzling. No one has ever waited for the emperor in his chambers without notifying the emperor prior to entering the chambers. I sat in my chair, and signaled for the man to step in front of my desk.
“My emperor, I have some news from your Foreign Affairs department,” my advisor started to say.
“If this is a foreign issue then why isn’t he here,” I interrupted my advisor.
“My emperor, that is the thing he asked me to tell you. We have diplomats from Prussia, Greece, Serbia, and The Netherlands on their way. However, a diplomatic team from the United States of America is currently sitting in the foreign affairs meeting hall. The minister is keeping them busy until you got back from your affairs,” my advisor very calmly, and respectfully said.
“Thank you. I please report to the meeting hall, and tell them I will be in shortly,” I waved my advisor out of my office.
I began to wonder why an American diplomatic team would enter my palace. Has the world already seen the might of the Russian military, and are they starting to fear it? Maybe this team has come to talk to us about an alliance. I continued my thinking as I walked to the hall. I couldn’t establish as to why the Americans were here on my soil. When I entered the hall, my diplomatic team stood up immediately with the American team only a second behind my own men. I was pleased to see that the Americans knew our customs, and was elated to see they used them properly. At that moment, I knew they came to talk about an alliance.
“My emperor, I present you Edmund Roberts, and his staff,” my foreign minister introduced the American diplomatic team.
“Welcome Mr. Roberts, to my humble palace. I hope you find your stay comfortable, and full of advancement in our relations. May I ask what you are doing here,” I exchanged pleasantries.
“Emperor of the Rus, I come to your palace today to talk about your war with the Ottomans, and possible establishment of a friendship between our two great nations,” Roberts replied back with an eager smile on his face.
The diplomatic meeting that started shortly after dusk continued throughout the night. We talked about the outstanding maneuvers our military had used to secure several Ottoman states, the Ottoman naval embassament we had delivered to them, and our quick establishment of several new factories in our lands. The meeting never became awkward or angry. The meeting was one of jokes, and stories, it was more of a meeting of friends than strangers. As we all looked out the window to see the sun coming up, Mr. Roberts officially offered an alliance between our two nations. I gladly shook his hand, and accepted his offer! The meetings with Prussia, The Netherlands, Greece, and Serbia went all the same way. An alliance was established with all of them!
The bear now becomes a mobile nation to beware of even more!
During the meetings, our scientists were figuring out how to effectively run a railroad throughout Russia. On December 21st, 1837, our scientists succeeded! With that new discovery I immediately commissioned a railroad to run from St. Petersburg to Kiev then to Constana. This railroad would allow me to move my troops north, and south very easily, and a further invasion of the Ottomans more likely to succeed. This innovation would only lead to the Russian Empire expanding farther into the Balkans, and Anatolia.
@ Bthunder - Just you wait! The next war gets a little bit more "explosive"
@ Onikujo - An enemy old as time is starting to fail, yeah the mighty Bear needs some new lands
@ Onikujo - An enemy old as time is starting to fail, yeah the mighty Bear needs some new lands
I'll only be okay with you gobbling the Turks up if you end up as the USSR...only then will I forgive you...
But nice AAR so far, keep it up! This has my Official Equestrian Seal of Approval!
But nice AAR so far, keep it up! This has my Official Equestrian Seal of Approval!
@ theavenger - I try, and get out an update a day. If I'm going to miss one then I'll upload two a different day. But I'm going with one a day.
@ Onikujo - hmmmm we will see we will see
@ Onikujo - hmmmm we will see we will see
1st Balkan War
I was pleased to see that nations all around the world was starting to join my conquest against the Ottomans! The Americans, and Prussians were both great powers, and they had come to my palace to discuss an alliance, and trade agreements. A few other minor countries came to my doors, and out of respect I listened to them, and accepted their alliances. The only minor country that I gave my full attention to was Serbia. The Serbs were right on the northern border of the Ottomans, but the Southern border of the Austrian empire. The Austrians had been a little bit more aggressive since I moved into the Balkans, and I realized that I was going to need to create buffer states in the Balkans in case the Austrians decided to attack! Serbia was going to be one of those buffer states.
With the current status of the economy stable, and growing fairly steadily, I began to move my military into the newly conquered lands, and Caucasus region to prepare for the second war against the Ottomans. My spies were bringing new reports back to my generals everyday. The news was getting better, and better every time a new spy reached the camps. The biggest news was that the Balkans were beginning to revolt against the Ottomans! Sure the news meant the fighting in the Balkans was going to be a lot tougher, and more resistant, but it also meant the Ottomans were going to be weakened severely since their forces have already been fighting for a year. My fresh four divisions will quickly exterminate any resistance, and move deep into the Balkans allowing several states to be annexed quickly.
The 1st Balkan War begins with the Russians advancing (4th Imperial Division is moving from the Caucasus region)
The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Imperial Divisions were going to be the work horses for this invasion. The 4th Imperial Division was going to play a support role by conquering the lands that the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd leave behind. These four divisions were going to push through Bulgaria, and into the Macedonias. Once they had took North Macedonia, the 4th Imperial Division was going to swing east, and pin all Ottoman reinforcements in Istanbul while the remaining three division finished off the Balkans.This strategy is going to require great speed, and precision to succeed. If the attack got bogged down anywhere, the Ottomans were going to manage to bring in reinforcements, and cause a bloody war.
On the Caucasus front, the 5th, and 6th Imperials Regiments were going to defend our lands. They weren’t going to make a push into Anatolia until the 4th Imperial Division began its eastward swing, or the attack got bogged down. This front was once again going to be a distraction from the main advance in the Balkans. If this front was broken, the 3rd, and 4th Imperial Divisions would swing east as soon as Bulgaria was secured, and push for Istanbul. Hopefully the attack on Istanbul, would cause a front wide retreat to Ankara, allowing the regiments to resecure the front, then secure Kars.
On March 8th, 1843, the 1st, 2nd , 3rd, and 4th Imperial Divisions pushed into the Balkans while the 5th, and 6th Imperial Regiments sighted their weapons for the defense of the Caucasus. The main spearhead pushed to the Rumelia-Bulgaria border before the Ottomans managed to wheel a counterattack north. The initial engagements were short, and small until finally the 2nd Imperial Division hemmed in the Imperial Guards at Edrine. Edrine was a major crossroad city for Rumelia, and Bulgaria. The 2nd Division forced the Imperial Guards to pull into the center of Edrine, and set up of defensive line. The 2nd Division immediately began bombarding the defensive line, and sending scouts up to find soft points, and spot new targets for the artillery. The bombardment continued through the night allowing the entire 2nd Division to reassemble, and allow Valdimir Rostov, the 2nd Imperial Division’s general, to ride up to the front. If Valdimir couldn’t deal with the Imperial Guards, and secure Edrine, then the 4th Imperial Division would have to swing south, out of Wallachia, and chase off the Imperial Guards before they could destroy the 2nd Imperial Division. As dawn approached, Valdimir ordered the entire division to rise, and get in formation. It was time for Valdimir to earn his stripes!
Valdimir’s Trial
The 2nd Imperial Division hadn’t seen combat for four years, and currently has over 75% new soldiers. During the War of Moldavian Freedom, the 2nd Division’s responsibility was a support role, and taking control of Moldavia. This goal was given to the division because of the inexperienced general, Valdimir Rostov. He was an extremely young general, only 35. His father had served as my Imperial Guard commander after the Decembrist Revolt. After a couple years of faithful service, Valdimir’s father came to me asking for his son to be given a battlefield commotion, after striking down a revolt in Moscow with only a few hundred men. After thinking about, and looking at the reports, I approved Valdimir to be appointed general of the newly recruited 2nd Imperial Division.
As the shells continued to rain down on the Ottoman Imperial Guards inside Edrine, Valdimir was studying the maps, and reconnaissance reports to see if there were any weak openings in the Ottoman defensive line. Valdimir wasn’t liking any of the reports. The scouts had uncovered that most of the Imperial Guards had fallen back across the small river, and set up a defensive line to the town hall. Along with the natural barrier, the Ottomans also had the only bridge in twenty miles right in the center of their defensive line. If Valdimir was going to take, and secure Edrine,he was going to need to immediately start bombarding the river. The soldiers in Edrine were just mere distractions, and he was wasting countless cannonballs to sporadic fire. With the cannon fire repurposed, Valdimir started looking for a way to get across the river without using the Ottoman bridge.
“Sir, we found a warehouse full of boats down by the river,” a messenger bursted into Valdimir’s tent.
“Where private,” Valdimir perked up from the maps.
“I’ll lead you to them, sir. I suggest you bring some riflemen with us, sir. The Ottomans are bound to retake that warehouse, sir,” the messenger said with the utmost respect.
Valdimir motioned for four riflemen to follow him, and the messenger to the warehouse. Valdimir was astonished at how little his artillery had actually done. Most of the roads were still intact, little damage was done to any structures, and the Ottomans were able to set up several observation posts. Luckily, the observation posts were unmanned because of the general retreat across the river. The warehouse was unguarded when they all arrived. Valdimir began to look around nervously.
“Private, where are the boats,” Valdimir nervously squeaked out.
“Over there sir,” the messenger pointed to thirty boats in the corner of the warehouse.
“God! Look at them! Private, get the grenadiers down here. You four, setup on the roof, and keep this warehouse secure till the grenadiers can get all the boats out. Understood,” Valdimir gave the orders quickly, and ran off with the messenger back to his tent.
Edrine - the once great capital of the Ottoman Empire
Valdimir immediately knew how he was going to break the Ottoman bridgehead. The grenadiers were going to take the boats, and cross the river a mile down from the Ottoman line during the night. When the sun came up over their shoulders, they would immediately storm the left flank while the artillery focused fire on the entire line so that a cavalry charge on the right flank would break. Finally the infantry would open fire on the entire line with a company storming across the bridge taking the Ottomans by surprise, and securing the bridge. Once the bridge was secured, company by company, the division would cross the bridge, and begin clearing the Imperial Guards out of Edrine.
As the sun fell, the grenadiers began their amphibious assault on the Ottoman left flank. At the same time, 2,500 cavalry swam across the right flank of the Ottomans. The river crossings went by with no mishaps. When they began to approach the Ottoman lines, a couple salvos from the Russian artillery allowed them all to approach with no exposures. The Ottomans had no clue that over 5,000 men were going to sweep down on them in a couple hours. With the sun rising, the artillery immediately began their unrelenting bombardment of the river, and bridgehead. For over an hour straight, the Russian cannons unleashed hell onto the Ottomans. Only for a minute, time required for an experienced gun crew to reload, did the Ottomans get a break. In that hour alone, 3,000 artillery soldiers fired almost 10,000 cannonballs, and explosive rounds into the Ottoman line.
The exact moment the sun hit the shoulders of the grenadiers’ captain, he ordered them all forward. The cavalry were going to wait till the grenadiers, and infantry to begin their assaults before they unleashed themselves onto the backs of the Ottomans. The assault on the Ottoman left flank went smoothly. The grenadiers got within thirty yards, lit their grenades, and charged the trench line, just before reaching the Ottoman trenches, the grenades were thrown into them. As they exploded, the Russian grenadiers, with fixed bayonets, skewered the Ottoman left flank. Simultaneously, the 51st Kiev Infantry Company began their assault across the bridge while the entire 2nd Imperial Division began to fire directly onto the Ottoman lines. The 51st Kiev Infantry Company stormed the Ottoman center with extreme force. The initial assault was hard enough to force the Ottomans to retreat out of their trenches, and into the secondary trenches built fifty yards behind the initial trenches. A couple minutes passed before the cavalry charge skewered the Ottoman right flank. Within twenty minutes of sun rise, the Ottoman Imperial Guard was falling back to the hills south of Edrine.
Valdimir’s brilliant plan allowed 4,000 Ottoman Imperial Guards to be captured, and another 12,000 wounded or killed in combat. The Imperial Guard would be licking its wounds for months if not years to come because of the devastating loss dealt by the Russian 2nd Imperial Division! Valdimir Rostov had done the unthinkable, and destroyed the Imperial Guard, and was able to effectively push into Rumelia. Valdimir had proven his worth to the crown!
The Rus Expand
With Valdimir destroying the Ottoman Imperial Guards, the entire spearhead was able to continue the push into the Balkans. The push ran into a rebel stronghold in West Macedonia, and quickly eradicated it! The 1st Imperial Division pushed South to the Greek-Ottoman border, clearing a few small Ottoman brigades along the way. The 3rd Imperial Division pushed North into Bosnia, killing a few thousand rebels, and a small Ottoman company. The 2nd, and 4th Imperial Divisions set up defensive lines around Edrine, and the crossroads. If the Ottomans were going to try, and re-secure their lost lands, they were going to have to push through Edrine with force!
While the land forces secured the Balkans, the Imperial Black Sea Fleet, and Imperial Northern Fleet fought the small Ottoman navy in the Aegean Sea, and Black Sea. The Ottoman navy was forced to subdue, and retreat back to Istanbul only after a few short weeks of fighting on the sea. With the Balkans secured, the 5th, and 6th Imperial Regiments holding strong in the Caucasus, and most of their ports blockaded, the Ottomans came to the negotiation table. This time the Ottomans were going to be giving us a few states, whether they liked it or not.
As the Ottoman diplomat walked into my chambers, I showed no respect to the man. Normally, during negotiations, you put aside all hostilities, shake one anothers’ hand, pour a drink, and begin negotiations. I showed the man none of that, and just passed a paper over to him. The man opened the piece of paper, with barely any emotion he agreed to the terms. I was confused, the man had willingly just given access to Wallachia, Bulgaria, and Kars to me without any hesitation. I was not saddened, but more or less surprised. The Ottomans were known to be ferocious negotiators regardless of what was happening in the war.
With the war in the Balkans finished, I reassigned the 5th, and 6th Imperial Regiments to the Kokand, and Khiva border. These regiments were going to push into both countries, and secure Khiva, and Kokandi Khiva from Kokand. These regiments performed astonishingly during the Balkan war. They held the Caucasus border with minimal casualties, and destroying a superior Ottoman division with the help of the new established forts along the border. Both commanders of the regiments were given a commendation, and immediately sent on march to perform admirably again, but this time on the offensive.
The Russian invasion plan before the orders were changed at the last minute
The plan was a dual offensive operation, yet again. The 5th Imperial Regiment was going to take the fight to Khiva, while the 6th Imperial Regiment secured the flank in preparation of a pincer attack on the Khivan capital. Once the Khivan capital was secured, the 5th Regiment would secure the rest of Khiva while the 6th held the Khivan capital from a Kokand counterattack. After all of Khiva was secured, both regiments would push into Kokand, methodically taking care of the weaker military, and pushing deep into Kokand. Once the the Northern border was taken, a southern swing towards the capital should end the war giving Russia all of its objectives, and preparing for an invasion of Afghanistan, and Bukhara.
The Russian military quickly pushed into Khiva only a month after declaring peace with the Ottomans. The 6th Imperial Regiment didn’t get the orders in time, and was forced to march around the Aral Sea, and invade Kokand. This mishap delayed the entire advance by three weeks. While the 6th Regiment was securing the right flank, the 5th Regiment began pushing farther into Khiva. Finally, after almost a month delay, the 5th, and 6th Imperial Regiments marched into the Khivan capital, and burned it to the ground! The remaining war was just a formality for my troops. The 5th calmly destroyed the Sheiks army of cavalry, while the 6th swiftly moved into Kokand, and began the methodical takeover of Kokand. Before the 5th even finished securing the last province of Khiva, Kokand offered to give us all of our objectives. The war was over within five months, with roughly a 1,000 casualties, mostly due to the harsh environment of Khiva, and Kokand.
Peace is achieved in a short few months of combat in Central Asia
This.
It's nice that you can keep this rythm of update! Keep it up.
Also, could you post your infamy?
The map is inside the spoiler of Europe! I should point out that I am allies with most of Northern Germany. Sweden, Moldavia, Serbia, Greece, and Tunisia are in my sphere along with being my ally. My infamy is currently at 20.24! Damn thanks for asking that otherwise I would have DoW'ed on Bukhara causing containment wars to come out of the woodwork. But on an update note, the next couple of days will be delayed. I have a major interview coming up in the next few days, and need to prepare. I should have another economic update in the next 2 days. Thanks for the support!
The Peaceful Bear
After the two major wars, I began to establish a new mindset. If I kept fighting, and kept killing Ottomans, and useless civilizations, then why would anyone come to my great country? I need to bring the economy roaring back, and establish a more divisions. Bringing more jobs to the great steppes will not only allow for more money to be brought in, but it will allow me to begin to invest more heavily in different countries around the world. I, Nicholas I, forbid any new assaults on the Ottoman Empire or Central Asian nations until my industry becomes fifth in the world!
Having made that decree, Nicholas immediately began to invest heavily in Ingria, Kiev, Kursk, and Moscow. He wanted to set up all the provinces for great industrial booms seeing as they all had an ample amount of poor farmers, and labourers that could move into factories, as well as a few poor people that had the skills to upgrade to clerks. With these regions needing a kickstart, Nicholas relied heavily on the capitalists to start the boom. He didn’t want to step his bounds, and begin to just start investing his own money into factories that he had no clue would succeed.
The Russian factories thanks to the capitalists investing in the great Russian Empire
“My emperor, I suggest you invest your own money into factories in Moscow, and Kiev. The regions are prime, but the capitalists are refusing to set up factories in the regions! They believe that Moscow is too far away from any ports to be successful, and Kiev is in direct threat of an assault, and could be lost,” my economic advisor began his speech.
“Alexie, why do you insist on doing this? If the capitalists don’t want to invest in the region then why should I? They want to make money, and know where the money will be made. If I invest then that means I’m telling some of the wealthiest people in Russia that they are wrong,” I replied calmly.
“My emperor, you are right that capitalists just want to make money. But you are our emperor! You should want to bring jobs to people all over Russia, even if it won’t bring money back for you. If you have several small factories in regions that don’t make money, but you have four massively industrialized regions that bring in millions of dollars, then you can easily keep a job for the small factories for your people,” Alexie, got a little heated at the end.
“You may be right, but I cannot anger my people. If I anger them they could then incite the poor, and middle class to revolt against me. Sorry Alexie, but it just cannot be done at this time,” I swiftly countered my advisor.
“My emperor, you can do as you wish,” Alexie respectfully said, and left the room.
I allowed the capitalists to keep control of the economy. If I kept the people peaceful, and quiet while just giving the tools to the capitalists then the economy should grow peacefully, and with no mishaps. Sadly, Nicholas I, would be wrong. The economy would barely grow the next seven years, a couple factories would be built, and upgraded, but not the major boom that I was hoping would happen. The major outcomes of the these next years were culture advancements, and the public beginning to start breaking the law.
Major cultural advancement for the Russian people
The Hermitage was one of the first ever established art collections. I built this great building to keep the most interesting pieces of art that my diplomats found or were given as diplomatic gifts. This great building started out by bringing in Greek, and Scythian artifacts that were dug up on the Crimean Peninsula. A few years later, I took control over the Barbargio Collection. The collection contained mostly paintings by the famous painter, Titian. The years that would follow, Nicolas I, would commission The Hermitage to be expanded three times, all of which would bring more prestigious artwork, and antiques to the Russian Empire.
How could the people do this to us?
A couple months after the Hermitage was built, a public meeting was held! The people know that it is illegal to hold meetings regardless of where, or when they are! I ordered the Imperial Guards to arrest the leaders, and disperse the public. Needless to say, the public was outraged. They started holding more, and more meetings, until finally I ordered the Imperial Guard to arrest the entire mob. After that incident, no more public meetings were held, but a private resentment was held. Has the public finally begun the revolts that I’m so desperately trying to put down?
The time to strike has come! The Ottomans will severely pay for going to war without our approval!
The public meeting incident was only a minor incident in the entire world. Countries were fighting left, and right, trade wars began, and diplomatic setbacks continued to bring the entire world in a desperate situation. Finally in 1857, the world erupted! The French Coalition began their assault on the British Alliance. The war erupted over hatred between France, and England finally boiling over, and allowing a major war to occur. With this war erupting, it was going to be our chance to move into the Balkans, and securing a great portion of the Ottoman Empire. It was time for the peaceful bear to awaken, and begin her assault into the horrendous Ottoman horde.
Ummmmmm just a quick question for you all. The 4 militancy that I was given disappeared literally 4 months and 6 days when I was given it. Anyone have any clue how that could happen so fast?
With low consciousness, comes brief bouts of militancy, while higher consciousness creates more lasting militancy, or "meaningful" militancy.
Sorry for the lack of updates, I have had some work issues that needed to be dealt with. The next update should be up by tomorrow night! Thanks for the support!
Same for my AAR, looking forward for the next update! Nice work so far!
Just caught up - very niice progress.. How's the economy looking after all your military adventures?