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Farquharson

Mad Clansman
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Nov 7, 2003
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Well, here it is, my first AAR (and indeed my first post). I've only being playing EU II for a few weeks, but I've enjoyed reading other AARs so I thought I'd add my next game.

My last two games were Lenape and the Ottoman Empire and I was getting tired of the low tech disadvantage so I decided to try a German state and picked Brandenburg at random.

Being a newbie, I'm happy playing Normal, Normal and my goals are modest. I'm aiming to unite as many of the 34 culturally German provinces as possible under one crown. If I get them all so much the better, but that will mean annexing Austria:( Any comments or suggestions from more experienced players will be very welcome

The style of the AAR will be basically "straight", ie a simple historical description of events. I do enjoy those witty dialogues that crop up other people's AARs, though, so there'll be occasional snippets thrown in to keep it fun. It will also be pretty short, an AAR you can probably easily read through in one sitting when it's finished.

Each post will cover the reign of one monarch - I tend to play that way, taking a break each time a new ruler appears, to assess the situation and plot a strategy for his reign, then playing straight through till the next one comes along.

My overall startegy from 1419 till the Reformation will be peaceful expansion, so if you like your AARs full of blood and gore you should maybe skip a couple of centuries. Once Protestantism arrives I don't really know what will happen. I'm looking forward to getting a bit of a feel for what it was like to be a German prince in the thick of the Reformation.

So - today, Brandenburg, tomorrow, a slightly bigger Brandenburg!
:) :) :) :)
 
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Originally posted by Farquharson
Being a newbie, I'm happy playing Normal, Normal and my goals are modest. I'm aiming to unite as many of the 32 culturally German provinces as possible under one crown. If I get them all so much the better, but that will mean annexing Austria:( Any comments or suggestions from more experienced players will be very welcome

I would suggest going after the Austrians before they inherit Hungary and all that, get 'em while they are still weak! One way could be to ally with Bohemia once the Hussite revolt puts them outside an alliance, and then march thru Bohemia to Austria, letting Boh. take the damage and act as a buffer state.

Just an idea, otherwise our AAR sounds like great fun (I started my own first AAR just a couple of days ago). Oh, and welcome to these forums! :)
 
good luck for your AAR Farquharson and if you need any advice, come and see us in the French forum (yeah, I know it's shameless advertising, but who cares? :D ;))
 
First of all, thanks anti_strunt for the advice - I'll keep it in mind. Also I checked out your AAR and it looks great.

Sam Vimes, I checked out the French forum and found it interesting, but since I'm not a native speaker (I just live here) I think I'll stick in the English forum.

OK, here's the first instalment:

Friedrich I (b.1372, Elector 1415 - 1440)

In 1419 Brandenburg consisted of two landlocked provinces, Brandenburg to the west of the Oder River, and Küstrin to the east. Friedrich I, first of the Hohenzollern Electors of Brandenburg, had been made Elector four years earlier and was now aged 43. His dream was that one day Berlin would be the capital of a vast German nation, and in order to begin this great project, he had three main prioroities. Firstly he had to find some powerful allies - this he did in the form of Poland and Lithuania, after some careful diplomacy. Secondly he wanted to make sure that Brandenburg was not left behind technologically, so he set about encouraging innovation in his realm. Thirdly he began to develop friendly relations with all other German states, entering royal marriages and sending messages and gifts. Top of the list was his vassal, Magdeburg, with whom he developed exceptionally good relations, and later made a military alliance with them. His pressing need was for territorial expansion. The Brandenburg economy, based as it was entirely on wool production, was never going to do much for the royal coffers.

Meanwhile, Denmark was being extremely troublesome to the north, annexing Holstein and Mecklenburg in 1421. Since Denmark was obviously threatening his vassal, Magdeburg, Friedrich decided that enough was enough and declared war in 1422. Five years later, Denmark sued for peace, giving up Holstein and Mecklenburg to Brandenburg. This was the economic boost that Friedrich needed to pay off his debts, start improving his infrastructure, and finance his diplomatic campaign to woo the German princes to his side. Sadly, he never realised his greatest ambition, to see Magdeburg fully integrated into his realm. He died in 1440 and was succeeded by his son, Friedrich II.


And here's the screenshot (if it works...)
Brandenburg1440.JPG


And finally... I said I wasn’t planning any witty dialogues, but I couldn’t resist the temptation!

Friedrich I on his accession to the Electorship: OK, let’s get going with these plans for German domination. Some provinces we can annex peacefully, others we can conquer by war. Do we have any vassals around by any chance?

Informed advisor: One, sire.

Friedrich I: Great, we’ll send them a state gift. What about some wars - any casus belli?

Advisor: One there too, sire.

Friedrich I: OK, we’ll declare war right away. So who’s our vassal?

Advisor: Magdeburg, my lord.

Friedrich I: Sweet! Right next door and part of our ancestral lands if I’m not mistaken. Let’s send them some chocolates. What about the casus belli?

Advisor: Um... Magdeburg, sire.

Friedrich I: OK, declare war on Mag-... Who did you say?

Advisor: Magdeburg, sire.

Friedrich I: Our vassal?

Advisor: I’m afraid so, sire.

Friedrich I: * Ponders for a moment * OK, state gift it is. Three tonnes of finest Belgian chocolates should hit the spot.

Advisor: Yes, sire. Should we send an explorer to the New World to discover the cocoa bean first, sire?

Friedrich I: Good grief! How I hate these nit-picking advisors...
 
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Originally posted by Farquharson
... My overall startegy from 1419 till the Reformation will be peaceful expansion, so if you like your AARs full of blood and gore you should maybe skip a couple of centuries. Once Protestantism arrives I don't really know what will happen. I'm looking forward to getting a bit of a feel for what it was like to be a German prince in the thick of the Reformation...

Welcome to this forum :)
In history, many German princes converted to Protestantism.
And if I were them, I will do the same thing.
And of course because the Protestantism give us an economic boost (I love it) :)

Oh yeah, I advise you to not waste your money for naval tech.
IMHO you don't need naval power to unite Germany.
 
I agree with you, ladyfabia - I'm definitely counting on converting to Protestantism. The only question is, how many of my provinces will need added persuasion to join me, and how many of my powerful Catholic neighbours will feel the need to try and stop me? Anyway, that's in the future. Meanwhile - next instalment:

Friedrich II (b.1413, Elector 1440 - 1470)

Friedrich II, known as “Irontooth” successfully continued his father’s policy of friendly relations with his German neighbours. Saxony enthusiastically joined the Brandenburg - Magdeburg alliance in 1447.

The next notable event of his reign was the Pommeranian Revolt. The people of Vorpommern, judging that their country Pommern was going nowhere fast, revolted. Why the Pommeranian army, 12,000 strong, stood and watched from the safety of Hinterpommern, while the rebels looted, pillaged, burned and finally took control of Vorpommern, is a question historians may never be able to answer. In any case, Friedrich II watched the events with interest, especially when the Pommeranian army still made no move to recapture the province.

In 1450 Saxony became Friedrich’s vassal and thereupon entered into a disastrous war against Würzburg and her allies, which Friedrich half-heartedly joined in, for appearances’ sake. The war went badly, Brandenburg pulled out with a white peace, and Saxony was forced to run up enormous debts paying indemnities to each of her adversaries in turn. Thus impoverished, she willingly accepted annexation by Brandenburg in 1461.

Meanwhile, in 1459 the people of Vorpommern observing that Friedrich was a wiser ruler than their own one (it would be have been hard to be stupider, in fact) sent him a message in which they explained that they now recognized him as lord and ruler. The realm of Brandenburg was growing.

Saxony and Vorpommern’s eagerness to be part of Friedrich’s realm was in stark contrast to Magdeburg, who despite copious gifts being lavished on them still stubbornly refused annexation. Friedrich decided it was time to take a different approach, and later in 1461 he cancelled the long-standing vassalization of his neighbour. In July 1464 Magdeburg was banned from the alliance and promptly joined the Swedish-Danish alliance. The following month Friedrich declared war, hoping that the Scandinavians would abandon the province, which had been overrun by rebels for several years, to its fate. Unfortunately, they went to war, presumably hoping for some rich pickings in Holstein and Mecklemburg.

Friedrich’s troops immediately laid siege to Magdeburg, and also invaded Jylland in February of 1465, since there seemed no serious Danish opposition on land. The Swedes, on the other hand, landed a sizeable army in Mecklemburg and besieged that city in June. In November Magdeburg fell and at long last the province came under the rule of the Hohenzollerns.

The war with Sweden and Denmark, however, dragged on, despite the Swedes being driven out of Mecklemberg in December. A peace treaty was finally signed in September 1466, whereby Friedrich emptied his coffers (32 ducats) into the Scandinavian treasuries and the land had peace once more.

In March 1465 Friedrich had accepted Poland’s invitation to her alliance with Bohemia (though these nations unfortunately showed no interest in war with Sweden and Denmark), then in December 1466 Poland annexed Bohemia. The following year Milan declared independence from the Papal States and joined the alliance. In 1470 Friedrich was succeeded by his brother Albert Achilles.


And finally... (yes it could become a habit :D )

Pommeranian Army Commander: I hear there’s a spot of trouble over in the west. Pillaging, burning, rapine...

Second-in-command: Isn’t it dreadful the young of today - I blame it on the parents.

Commander: I suppose we should really step in, but...

Second-in-command: That would mean moving...

Commander: Leaving these nice comfy barracks...

Second-in-command: Crossing a river...

Commander: River? What River?

Second-in-command: I believe the river Oder lies in the way, sir.

Commander: Oh, well, that settles it - there’s no way I’m risking my men getting their boots wet.

Second-in-command: It might even be raining, sir.

Commander: Right! Give the order - we’re staying right here!

Second-in-command: Very good sir! Very good indeed...
 
Nice start. That orangered is easy on the eyes. I'll have to remember to use it sometime. :)
 
Nice dialogues ;)

Sounds like you're ticking along at a nice steady pace.
 
Good. Good. Very good. Keep it up.

I'm aiming to unite as many of the 32 culturally German provinces as possible under one crown.

Just be easy on Baden. Diploannex, if possible.

(In case you're wondering, my ancestors were from Baden, so I have a certain attachment to the place...)
 
Thanks for the compliments, all and sundry - with me, flattery gets you everywhere:D

Judas Maccabeus, I'll remember you and your esteemed ancestors when Baden comes up next on the Hohenzollern "to do" list. Of course I'd rather diplo-annex, but what if they don't play ball? In any case, all Germans should be happy eventually in my Wonderful Big Happy German-Land.

Next instalment:

Albert Achilles (b.1414, Elector 1470 - 1486)

Albert, who became Elector at the somewhat advance age of 56, was neither a soldier nor an administrator, but he was a reasonable diplomat. Seeing that four of his German neighbours were currently without any military alliance, he took the opportunity eight days after coming to power, when Austria declared war on Milan, of jumping ship on his allies Poland and Milan, and forming a new “North German Alliance” of Brandenburg, Würzburg, Mainz, Hessen and Hannover.

He then set about plying his new allies with gifts, and in 1477 Hessen was delighted to become his vassal. In 1482 Albert, vaunting Brandenburg’s superior naval technology, succeeded in vassalizing Würzburg, and the following year Hannover became his third vassal.

When he died in 1486, Albert had not expanded Brandenburg’s borders, but he would be remembered as the Father of the North German Alliance. With three neighbouring vassals, and the German provinces of Erz and Silesia in open revolt against their Polish overlords, the prospects for the house of Hohenzollern looked extremely bright.



And finally... :D

Ambassador to Würzburg: Your Highness; I bring warm, brotherly, Germanic greetings from His Excellency Albert III Elector of Brandenburg, etc, etc

Elector of Würzburg: Lovely - and how is old Bertie these days?

Ambassador: His Excellency is doing excellently Your Excellency, and hopes Your Excellency is doing equally excellently.

Elector of Würzburg: Excellent.

Ambassador: And he wonders if you’d be interested in stepping aside and letting the people of Würzburg be ruled by him instead.

Elector of Würzburg: Sure - but, er, why exactly?

Ambassador: Well, basically because our nation is so obviously unbelievably superior to yours.

Elector of Würzburg: Um, is it?

Ambassador: You hadn’t noticed?

Elector of Würzburg: Well - in what way superior, exactly?

Ambassador: Our military land forces are of the most modern calibre.

Elector of Würzburg: Ours too.

Ambassador: And our navy is also absolutely and amazingly cutting edge.

Elector of Würzburg: Navy - what’s that?

Ambassador: Fighting ships Your Highness.

Elector of Würzburg: Goodness gracious, you mean you fight with ships - aren’t they a bit hard to carry around?

Ambassador: They sail on the sea Your Highness.

Elector of Würzburg: What will they think of next? Well, I suppose you chaps better run our country then - in case someone attacks us in a ship. We’d be defenceless...

Ambassador: Righty-ho Your Suddenly-bereft-of-powerness, I’ll take your reply back to Berlin right away.
 
What will they of next indeed. Next they will start fighting in the air ;)
 
Brandenburg gets Bigger

Ladyfabia - hi again - yes, I have a few ships in Mecklenburg, but to be honest I don't know why. I should probably just disband them and save some money!

And meanwhile, the story continues...

Johann Cicero (b.1455, Elector 1486 - 1499)

As in the reign of his father, Johann Cicero’s reign did not see Brandenburg involved in any wars. It did, however, see the realm considerably enlarged.

First of all, in 1487 the German people of Silesia threw off their Polish oppressors and became part of Brandenburg. Unfortunately the neighbouring province of Erz was included in a newly formed Bohemia before the worthy German citizens could explain that they would really much rather be part of Brandenburg.

Then in 1489 Johann persuaded Hessen, the first of the three vassals which his father had made, to join the happy state of Brandenburg in a more permanent way. In the same year the new Bohemia joined the North German Alliance. Johann was particularly interested in the possibility that this would embroil the Alliance in a war with Poland, since the Poles had a vastly inferior army and were impudently occupying two German provinces, namely Hinterpommern and Danzig.

In 1494 Brandenburg’s vassal Würzburg became fully part of the realm, and in 1498 Strassburg, having dishonoured her alliance with France, was promptly brought into the growing North German Alliance.

Meanwhile two other diplomatic initiatives were not so successful. For some inexplicable reason Hannover chose not to be annexed into the glorious realm of Brandenburg at the earliest opportunity, and Mainz would not even accept to become Johann’s vassal. Johann died in 1499 to be succeeded by his son Joachim I.


Brandenburg1499.JPG

Brandenburg in 1499

:) And finally... :)

Ambassador to Bohemia: Sire, his Extremely Friendly Excellency Johann I Hohenzollern, Elector of Brandenburg-which-now-includes-a-number-of-other-bits-and-pieces sends his greetings.

Leader of Bohemian Liberation Front, now First President of Peasants’ Republic of Bohemia: Right, mate. Tell ‘im I sez hullo too.

Ambassador: I have just arrived from Berlin on a special mission and have passed through the province of Erz...

President of PRB: Oh yeah - the Extremely Bohemian province of Erz.

Ambassador: ...in which I couldn’t help noticing that the local populace were speaking in German.

President of PRB: Ah - that what it is they speak? Couldn’t never understand a word of it, personally.

Ambassador: Yes, well, you’ll no doubt have noticed that His Excellency Johann I’s domains are large and prosperous and getting larger and more prosperous by the day.

President of PRB: Stinkin’ rich, that wot you mean?

Ambassador: And I’ve no doubt you’ll want to ally yourself with such a large and at-least-for-the-moment-friendly neighbour.

President of PRB: Let’s just get to the bottom line. Wot’s in it for me, guv?

Ambassador: Well we can’t help noticing that your relations with the foul and hateful blot on the eastern landscape known as Poland are at what could be described as a “low ebb”.

President of PRB: Could be - yeah. I’d probably use slightly more colourful language mind you.

Ambassador: But that you are without powerful allies to help crush them to extinction as you no doubt dream of.

President of PRB: Ah - now yer talking mate.

Ambassador: So if you’ll just sign here... * hands over parchment, stands and watches * Hmm... “X”? Isn’t there something missing, there? “Casimir X”, is it? Or perhaps “Anton X”?

President of PRB: Just “X”.

Ambassador: Yes, I see. Well, I suppose if if it’s just “X” that’ll do, nicely. I will just take this back to His Excellency Johann I. Perhaps we will have the good fortune to meet again some day.

President of PRB: Yeah - like, in Warsaw maybe. * guffaws *

Ambassador: Yes, very drole.

* Leaves hurriedly *
 
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A very nice kingdom you have there. Very impressive with as jwolf said, little fighting. I commend you, sir!
 
I'll join in the general chorus of praise - very well done to come so far so peacefully. But what will you do when you control all German provinces by 1650?

I like your style (wish I could be so concise), your screenies and your little humorous dialogues at the ends of the instalments.
I do however have one warning:
Friedrich was a wiser ruler than their own one (it would be have been hard to be stupider, in fact)
Never say things like that about the AI. It'll feel compelled to show you what it can really do if it tries...
 
Indeed. It is quite a change from the usual run of AARs to have one so peaceful.
 
Well, thankyou, thankyou, for all these positive comments. I feel very honoured. Regarding the success of my peaceful expansion strategy, I should come clean and confes that this is my second attempt in a row to play Brandenburg. In the first game I went for war with my German neighbours right from the start, and, although I grew a bit quicker, by 1470 Brandenburg had a Very Bad reputation, and one by one the remaining German states declared war, usually bringing in powerful allies like France, England and Poland. I soon had no army, no money and no friends, and surrendered to start over. The opposite strategy has proved far better in the longer term, as you can see in the continuing saga.

And thanks for the warning, merrick, concerning upsetting the AI's feelings. I have to say I noted the Pommeranian behaviour simply because it was so UNUSUAL (hear that AI?) - truly in general I'm totally AWESTRUCK by the amazing INTELLIGENCE of the AI engine.

Think that should do the trick?

And now, a war coming up:

Joachim I Nestor (b.1484, Elector 1499 - 1535)

(This reign will be in two parts: pre- and post-Reformation)

Joachim I became Elector of Brandenburg at the tender age of 15, but he showed at least as much diplomatic talent as his forefathers. In 1501 he made Bohemia a vassal, then two years later he succeeded where his father had failed and persuaded the Hanoverians to join the now mighty realm of Brandenburg. In 1504 he also convinced Mainz that it would be advantageous to be his vassal.

Peace reigned supreme in the realm, and throughout the North German Alliance, while money poured into the state coffers. Joachim, a lover of the arts, commissioned two Fine Arts Academies to be built in Berlin in 1502 and Magdeburg in 1512. Kleves was easily persuaded to join this great alliance in 1510 when they dishonoured their former alliance with Austria.

Then, in June of 1512 Bohemia declared war on Poland and Joachim had the opportunity his father had hoped for of seizing Hinterpommern and Danzig. Happily, all the members of the alliance joined the war, while the Teutonic Order came to the aid of Poland - aid that they could certainly do with as it turned out.

Hinterpommern was invaded in September and Stettin besieged, falling to an assault the following March. Danzig’s turn came next, captured by the jubilant Brandenburg armies in September 1513. Foolishly the Poles had not yet realised how things stood, and refused to hand over their German provinces to the Germans. It took the occupation of Poznan in March 1514 and of Wielkopolska a month later, followed by the siege of Warsaw, before, in a sudden change of heart, the Poles handed over all four occupied provinces to a surprised, but very amenable Joachim.

Meanwhile Bohemia had invaded Poland in the south, and were still energetically destroying what was left of the country, but their ill-equipped armies were not able to hold onto any gains for long enough to make a profitable peace deal with the Poles. In 1517 they finally made a white peace.

For Joachim, it was time to consolidate. As soon as the Polish War was over, he invited Bohemia to be annexed, but this turned out to be something of a faux pas, since not only did they refuse, but they cancelled their vassalization soon after. The good news was that later in 1517 Mainz was the next state to see the wisdom of joining the great German nation and was formally annexed. Joachim basked in the warm glow of his achievements, blissfully unaware of the religious storm that was brewing in the very heart of his apparently peaceful realm...


And finally... ;)

Joachim I is at his campaign headquarters in Gniezno, deep in occupied Poland, when a messenger arrives from the city gate.

Messenger: Your excellency, a Polish envoy has arrived at the gates.

Joachim: Wonderful - what is he saying? Not another of these paltry monetary offers I hope?

Messenger: It’s hard to tell Your excellency - he only seems to speak Polish.

Joachim: That’s all we need - you don’t happen to know any Polish do you?

Messenger: Only one word, Your Highness - “dobrze”.

Joachim: What does that mean?

Messenger: It’s Polish for “OK”.

Joachim: Well, that should come in handy - send him in.

The Polish envoy enters - he is in a pitiful state, and crawls forward towards Joachim.

Joachim: Well, I see that you have at last learned to grovel before the might of the glorious state of Brandenburg. What have you to say? The German blood that has been spilt liberating our brethren in Stettin and Danzig from your vile clutches does not endear me to you.

Messenger: <stream of incomrehensible Polish>

Joachim: * thinks he caught a word * What was that? Stettin did you say?

Messenger, nodding profusely: Szczecin.

Joachim: Ah, now we’re getting somewhere - Stettin, dobrze!

Messenger: Dobrze!

Joachim: And Danzig? Danzig too. Dobrze?

Messenger: Gdansk, dobrze, dobrze!

Joachim: Dobrze! Hey this is a really cool word for top-level diplomacy! Stettin and Danzig - dobrze, dobrze. Yes, very dobrze, extremely dobrze in fact. Now just let me sign that parchment you’ve brought covered in incomrehensible Polish scrawls and get out of my sight. * signs his names, pauses, then adds the word “dobrze” *

Later that day...

Joachim, to his military commander: Well, it’s been a wheeze touring Poland, but I think it’s time to take the Brandenburg flag down from the citadel and head back home.

Commander: Ah, actually we did take it down Your Excellency, but the people of the city put it back up.

Joachim: What? Is that their idea of a joke or something?

Commander: Um, no Your Excellency, they say that in fact Gniezno is now part of the glorious realm of Brandenburg.

Joachim: WHAT??!!??

Commander: As is Poznan, it would seem, my Lord.

Joachim: But - but... We don’t want stinking barbarian POLISH cities in our glorious realm!

Commander: Er.. It seems we have some now, Your Highness.

Joachim, setting off at a run down the road towards Krakow: Where did that messenger go - hey, come back you filthy flea-brained Polish nincompoop! Come BAAAAAACK....
 
So the Bohemia is now a republic not a kingdom?
The Brandenburg is so great!
In my game I play as Austria and Brandenburg has all of the northern part of Germany. Wow, that's a biggest Protestant nation I ever see instead of England :eek:
 
Poor Joachim.