BohemiAAR: An Alternate History

[Qorten]

@Enewald: Well, I have quite a manpower from my empire now, so it's not that bad. Still, I'd really love to be Emperor again.
Who's colonizing America? South America is being colonized by me and Castille for the greatest part, the Caribbean by Castille and Portugal, can't say about North America. For the rest some nations with one or two colonies there, like Savoy, France and Milan.

@comagoosie and stnylan: Building customs houses by the boatload!

@AlexanderPrimus: The war is over again, as Poland was alliance leader and made peace, but if they had continued, we could have handled it easily.

 

[stnylan]

You have to be watchful of those Poles - you have no idea what they might get up to

 

[Enewald]

poland should be teached a lesson.
Ally with turk, and beat them!

 

[comagoosie]

More wars! what is your BB, make sure it is low, you can't take on the world...yet.

 

[unmerged(8915)]

nothing like a good crusade against the ottomans. your empire has firmly taken over the mantle of the historical hapsburgs being the bastion against the ottomans

 

[Qorten]

April 13th 1634 AD

Dear Diary,

After the Second Ottoman War there was time again to focus on converting the heretics in our realm. Too long now had certain regions remained in the hands of unbelievers. Missionary waves were sent first to Sopron and Schlesien in 1633.

Our last appointed adviser Adler-Salvius, found out after a visit to the library of the Ducal (formerly Royal) Palace in Buda that certain parts of Niederösterreich were actually part of Steiermark. The Austrians had replaced lots of border stones prior to accepting peace in the war that gave us Steiermark. As a result of this claim on more Austrian land and the fact that this land would be Bohemian territory eventually, I declared Austrians equal to all other cultures in the Bohemian Empire.

Meanwhile a wave of pride over our army was washing over the country as the armies marched back from the two recent Ottoman wars.

Also today the first convoy with gold arrived from Kuruya in Pula, Istria.

 

[Qorten]

November 25th 1635 AD

Dear Diary,

The Polish really are a warmongering folk. In the autumn of last year they started another war against Muscowy. They asked our assistance, but it was just a formal measure, as they could handle Muscowy very well on their own.

Our initial missionary wave in Sopron had had success, most of the heretics there were now good Catholics again, but Schlesien would need more to be converted back.

1635 has been a very good year, with an exceptionally good harvest.

As a result of our growing colonial holdings and recent reforms in the central government I instated the office of Viceroys to rule over the colonies. The Vice-kingdoms of Brazil and East Africa were created in August this year.

And as a last fact today we signed a White Peace with the Muscovites, they are still at war with Poland.

 

[Qorten]

February 7th 1638 AD

Dear Diary,

Almost exactly two years ago I ordered a second wave of missionaries be sent to Schlesien and today I received word that they have succeeded in converting back the people to Roman Catholicism.

In the meantime our dear adviser Franz Dietrichstein died in September 1636. Paul Gerhardt, a well known abbot and missionary was hired to replace him and organize the conversion efforts.

The high nobility caused some problems again after years of silence. Some old heads of once grand noble houses demanded back their rights and were of course turned down; Now they have stirred some unrest against the central government in their holdings, but nothing serious.

Another achievement of the central government was inaugurated in January, the new highroad connecting Opole and Breslau to Reichenberg. It will increase the wealth of the citizens in those regions greatly, as well as trade.

 

[comagoosie]

Good choice for your NI. Vicerorys, hopefully, will boost your income now and in the future.

 

[Enewald]

Awwies... I was waiting to read the last placeholder... and meantime comagoosie was already there.

Time to expand in north and west?
And Poland is growing too huge... you should backstab asap.

 

[Qorten]

@stnylan and Enewald: Yeah, I know the Polish are getting way to big, but I still need someone that big as an ally if I want to turn down the Ottomans. but I assure you, as soon as that's done, Poland is doomed to undergo he same fate as the Ottomans.

@comagoosie: My BB is something like 4 or 5 right now, so that's quite decent. Viceroys helps a lot with overseas territory.

@Ladislav: Another two wars or so and then the Ottomans won't be too big a problem I think. I'll also have to take Niederösterriech from Austria now that I have a claim on that province.

 

[comagoosie]

Awwies... I was waiting to read the last placeholder... and meantime comagoosie was already there.

Time to expand in north and west?
And Poland is growing too huge... you should backstab asap.

now that you mention it, I don't think I noticed that there was a place holder. Sorry about that

*adding onto previous comment*

Losing one stability is tough, especially when you are quite large. What is your current stability.

 

[Qorten]

I'm at +1 stab atm.

 

[stnylan]

Viceroys is a very useful NI once the colonies have started to grow. Good choice. Nice to convert those heretics too.

 

[Qorten]

Thanks.

 

[Qorten]

March 17th 1641

Dear Diary,

Some turbulent years are ahead of us. You'll soon see why at the end of this entry, but first the usual things.

About three years ago missionaries were sent to Banat to convert the mainly muslim population there. A year later it became apparent more would be needed and a second wave was dispatched.

France, our once ally, was struck by massive rebellions in the years 1639 and 1640, but the French king managed to take them down.

In our Brazilian holdings another massive gold vein was found and once again a great amount of gold flowed into the economy at once and thus also into our treasury.

Our most excellent adviser Schwarzenberg died in March this year and was quickly replaced by Thomas Roe, an old and hardened diplomat.

And now the reason why I am certain we are facing some very turbulent and exciting years:

 

[Enewald]

another kicking of the ottomans...

just make sure polans get no provinces...

and maybe time to do something about france?
It is coming towards you...

 

[comagoosie]

There is less and less places for the major powers to expand, there will have to be a showdown sooner or later.

 

[stnylan]

Time perhaps to establish yourself in the Balkans?

 

[Qorten]

March 18th 1642 AD

Dear Diary,

A year of war has passed. It went reasonably well, but it isn't over yet. Part of the reason it's going fairly easy, is that the Ottomans were at war with Muscowy while we declared and most of their armies were in the east. I would have declared war if they weren't at war too, but it would have been much more difficult.

After a month our first two conquests were secured. General Pardubice took Zagreb by assault and pacified Hrvatska, that wasn't really happy being a part of an islamic nation anyway. Most of the Croatian territories didn't. General Praha advanced from Slavonia to Bihac and did the same there as Pardubice in Hrvatska.

General Boleslav took his army from Banat to Siebenbürgen, a main objective, and took over the countryside quickly. Only the Ottoman stronghold at Klausenberg needed to be defeated. After six months of sieging Boleslav got enough of it and ordered an assault which easily succeeded. He then quickly moved his army to the neighboring province Moldova and took the capital Vlach by assault before the Ottomans knew what happened.

By September Pardubice had conquered and secured Lika-Krbava and moved to Dalmacija, where Zadar is being sieged still.

It was nearly December when General Boleslav marched from Vlaska, Wallachia to Silistria. Poland was by then sieging Budzhac, north of Moldova and together we'd block the shortest return route for their armies in Muscowy. They would have to march all across the Black Sea and through the Caucasus and Asia Minor to get to us.

Start of January the siege of Varna was complete and Boleslav was ready to move south to Rumelia, where Edirne, the capital, was quickly and successfully assaulted.

As said, the war is going very well. The Ottomans have no decent armies in the Balkans as far as our spies and scouts can tell us. The future looks bright.

As a last remark a letter arrived from Reichenberg today mentioning that the second missionary wave succeeded to convert the muslims in Banat. I guess our apparent victory over the heathen Ottomans may have helped somewhat.
Sad news came from Dalmacija where Pardubice was leading the siege of Zadar, but died during the course of it. Now I'll have to appoint a new leader there.