TG,
If you can come up with an alternative port to replace it, I'm certainly willing to hand it over.
DSY,
Er, the English foreign minister has evidently not been paying very close attention, which the Imperial Ministry of Fair and Balanced Information believes ought to discredit his whole analysis.
There has
never been a draw between Austria and France, in seven real wars. Austria won all five one-on-ones and lost two where England and Russia intervened. In every case except the Fifth Rhenish War, so four wars, Austria was in a position to take far more than it did and chose not to-taking, in order, Provence, Luxembourg, Luxembourg again (probably couldn't have taken more), Flanders and Brabant, and Calais.
In the first war France had both numerical and financial superiority. In the second, it had numerical parity and financial supeirority. In the third and fourth, it brought friends. In the fifth, it again had numerical parity and slight financial inferiority. In the sixth, it had near numerical parity and moderate financial inferiority. In the seventh, it had moderate numerical inferiority and significant financial inferiority.
In wars one through five France had the advantage of leaders and morale, and in at least three wars its leader advantage was
great. CF himself has documented the reasons for France's various defeats, but none of them except this last were due to Austria's advantage in strength.
The Empire is second in power to Spain. The only argument is the one you make, that we'll have roughly equal tech speeds, and that's due principally to Spanish DPs, not its size. But that's more than made up for by Spain's greater (and soon to be much greater) income, healthy manpower and upcoming great leaders, where Austria gets none worth talking about until after 1600.
Russia is comparable to Austria. It has great MP (real potential MP greater than Austria's), a healthy income that'll go up once Drake gets a lengthy peace, strong colonial aspirations, etc. Drake's done a fine job with her.
Brandenburg is the weaker of the German states, but it has some advantages. The time to hypertech benefited it enormously, it has only one enemy (presently-Russia), it has only two other potential enemies (Austria and Sweden, of which only Sweden has an immediate motive for attacking). It has a robust income, it's small and compact with a much better ratio of income and manpower to size (helps tech, wartime stability, stab costs, etc.), etc.
France shouldn't be counted out. It needs to focus on colonies and trade for a while, but when it gets Henri IV the chances are fair that the Empire is in for yet another round of leaderless slogging against named French commanders. Although I'll much prefer Henri to Richemont and Dunois.
Venice and England are quite strong, and Venice in particular has the second largest navy, higher manpower than any Venice in memory and already a sizable colonial empire. It's also now completely insulated from the Ottoman Empire and Russia and has only to worry seriously about France or Austria at any given time.
Sweden always has great potential if it's strong economically and politically when Gustavus Adolphus rolls around. With no Holland or Portugal and random explorers and conquistadors, it should be.
And the Ottoman Empire has a long road ahead, but if your recall I argued vigorously in its favor over BB.
Austria fought zero (read = 0) wars with the Turks and even intervened to prevent a two way (although it didn't do any good in the end). So the Emperor is hardly responsible for their plight.
