Butter, bread and green cheese - A Frisian AAR

[luitzen]

The Frisian years of glory lay in the past. The times of the invasion and colonization of England as well as the Frisian Empire which stretched from 't Zwin in nowadays Belgium to the Wezer in nowadays Germany. Only a small nation, still retaining control of the second, third, parts of the fourth and the fifth Frisian Sealands (Seelannen) is left. Holland controls the first Sealand, Frisia shares its fourth Sealand with Gelre, Oldenburg and Bremen possess the sixth and seventh Frisian Sealands. This once glorious nation, bordered by five seas is struggling to keep control of its own territory. The Hansa now controls trade on the Eastsee (Baltic Sea), Holland controls trade on the Sudersee (Southern Sea) and England is master of the Noardsee (Northern Sea), and the Middelsee (Middle Sea) is no more and once rich harbour cities have become unknown inland villages. Of course, we still have the Waadsee (Wadden Sea), but, except for fish, it doesn't provide any wealth. It is the year 1399 A.D., and a new Frisian empire is on the rise. Welcome to my Frisian AAR!

I decided to do my first AAR with the small part of the world where I'm from; Frisia. In order to improve the fun, I decided to make some minor modifications and set specific goals.

My goal will be the colonization of North America and to create a Frisian American Empire. I won't bother with unifying the Netherlands. Therefore I've created a new culture (ineligible to form the Netherlands) in the English culture group. Because in Frisia we have the saying: "Bûter, brea en griene tsiis is goed Ingelsk en goed Frysk" (Butter, bread and green cheese is good English and Frisian). I added some Frisian dynasty names to the files (Cammingha Lycklama Burmania Ripperda Donia Popma Minnema Sixma Bonninga Douma Foppinga Bootsma Albada Aesgema Juckema Wiarda), changed the country name to "Fryslân", allowed the AI to promote cultural unity to prevent Balkanization of great powers.

I will try to grab The Azores, Madeira and the Canaries before Portugal or Spain are able to do so. I will try to conquer Mayas/Aztec/Zapotec and Cherokee/Creek/Shawnee nations as quick as possible and move my capital to the America's. To fund my expeditions I will have to rely on trade, which is a problem, because Frisia has very bad trade sliders. I will first max out free trade, then move to plutocracy. For roleplay reasons I will give all of my territories Frisian names.

Wish me good luck guys.

 

[luitzen]

The Frisian people were blessed with in wize kening; meet Kening Willem V Juckema (7 adm, 8 dip, 5 mil):

Kening Willem V Juckema's first decision was to move the capital back from Grins to Ljouwert:

No good advisors:

Let's wait a year invest our money in the government and send our merchants to Lübeck in the meantime.

Our move to free trade cost us a placed merchant. Luckily we don't have any placed merchants:

 

[Sybot]

Nice AAR so far. I didn't focus on Frisian culture much, so it'll be nice to get a look at from someone who knows their stuff.

 

[luitzen]

Thanks, I also read your AAR in preparation of my campaign. I didn't like the thing you did with the flag, otherwise it was a very good AAR.
It's my first AAR, so if you have hints to improve my style, feel free to comment. I often tend to click too fast through pop-ups instead of making a screenshot.

The first 20 years have passed.

The first twenty years have passed, time to post an update.

A beautiful young lady has been spotted at the Frisian court and she didn't slip past the kening's attention. Kening Willem V is too weak to resist and the romance ends in a pregnancy; Prince Ernst Casimir is born. His legitimacy is highly contested, but no doubt will this administrative genius do his country a great service one day. That's exactly what the Frisians need.

The King of England has rewarded Kening Willem V for marrying a Frisian jonkfrou (esquire) by promising to support the Frisians against any aggressor. Shortly after that England decides to include Frisia in its sphere of influence, but some years later it appears that England isn't that much interested in its closest related people and the proclamation fades, when Englands influence disappears.

How hard can it be to keep such a tiny nation stable? The people should work harder and only the king (and his mistresses) should be allowed to drink.

Frisia's first national idea is a tough decision; only improve competition chance or focus on improving trade efficiency? The latter it is. Hopefully it turns out well.

Horrible news on Venetian trade reaches the court in Ljouwert:

But we don't have that much money, our tiny nation will be bankrupt

In the midst of the second war between de Skieringers en de Fetkeapers Willem 5 decides it is over. The Frisian aristocracy has already destroyed the Frisian Empire before, this won't happen a second time. The aristocracy's claim will be reject, now and in the future.

In 1410 the Kening and a majority of the states of it Hillige Roomske Ryk travel to the diet of Trier to vote in favour of the Reichsreform, giving Frisia a small technological advantage over Portugal and Spain.

Despite the tragic loss of a trader, Frisia fares well and is, by 1419 technologically advanced and dominates trade in various European and North African cities.

 

[luitzen]

It's time for a new update. For a very long time nothing important has happened, but in 1433 A.D. Frisia reaches trade technology 7 and the National Trade Policy national idea is changed to Quest for the New World. And in October 1434 Frisia establishes its first colony, Nij Skylge (New Terschelling because this island will function as a jumping board between two continents) followed by Nij Flielân two months later, because it's the southernmost island, Nij Amelân joins these colonies 4 years later.

In the meantime the people propose some reforms, one is better than the other, and our mapmakers think that Westfryslân should be part of the country again.

Then something strange happens. I didn't notice the Hungarian armies, but suddenly I have a reconquest casus belli on Hungary. I think even the Dutch will agree that Frisia's claims on Westfryslân are more legitimate than those of Hungary. Maybe we could liberate them in the future. Upside is that there will be less competition in European centres of trade and that the blockade of the CoT in Holland is not in place anymore.

In 1446 Frisia declares war on Shawnee and there's quickly a 7000 men army in Muskogee (1000 cavalry and a cog are lost in the coast of Carolina). After the annihilation of 16000 Shawnee soldiers, Shawnee offers a white peace and the colony Nij Fryslân with its capital Nij Ljouwert is born.

 

[Boris ze Spider]

I dont have advice for gameplay, but for the aar. I would show significant peacedeals.

 

[luitzen]

I dont have advice for gameplay, but for the aar. I would show significant peacedeals.

I am talking about advice on my AAR. What significant peace deals do you mean? Which I sign myself or third countries' peace deals?

 

[luitzen]

It's time for a new update. An era has passed in which many things have happened, such as the reinstitution of the National Trade Policy, the second conquest of Shawnee, the peasants' war, the third war between the Skieringers and Fetkeapers and the dead of two kenings.

It appears that we were still in Englands sphere. Now that we have grown too powerful, we are finally guaranteed again.

In 1453 kening Willem V Juckema is called by God and he dies after having the reigned the country for 54 years. His 53 old son Ernst Casimir I takes over the country. Despite the fact that his legitimacy is highly contested, there is no uproar, nor by the peasantry, nor by the nobility.

It's time for a second colonial war. I'm sorry, I forgot to make a screenshot of the declaration of war, but in 1454 a white peace is signed after the native Americans successfully besieged Nij Fryslân, but lost a big territory to the Frisian conquerors.

The Peasants' War​

While the Frisian army is still fighting American patriots and nationalists, the peasants, instigated by the Skieringers en Fetkeapers, at home decide to stand up for themselves and claim parts of the riches of the newly acquired colonies. Truth is that there are no riches. Tariff efficiency is only 33% and the American natives don't want to work for the Frisian crown yet. There are even several peasant revolts in Nij Fryslân, but luckily it stays quiet at home. There are even more revolts in the newly conquered territories now and they are put down as soon as the army is off duty from protecting newly built forts. The revolts are put down rather easy since the native troops are rather weak and small. 2000 peasants are also no match for a well trained 7000 heads strong army in Nij Fryslân.

In 1459, Hungary is forced by the Ottomans to release the Dutch, before the Frisian kening was able to liberate the West Frisians. Now the West Frisians live under the tyranny of the Dutch crown again.

A couple of months later; tragic news, after ruling the country for only 6 years kening Ernst Casimir I passes away and son ascends to the throne. Where his grandfather excelled, Floris V is rather mediocre, but a military genius is exactly what Frisia needs during the peasants' war and in the upcoming colonial wars. His son, prins Hendrik Casimir however is rather dumb.

First the clergy revolt and they're quickly given what they want, because there are rebels standing for kening Floris his palace and the army is still on the other side of the ocean.
Then the peasants come to the palace of the new king to protest and kening Floris V decides it is a good time to restrict serfdom.

Everybody happy? No, the Creek people see that the king is weak and is giving people what they want, so they decide to revolt. They didn't know that the antecedent only was for Frisians, not for heathens, and quickly 4000 Creek rebels are slaughtered.

In the meantime, the third war between the Skieringers en Fetkeapers is still raging on and both parties come to the kening to demand more privileges so that they don't need to fight over it anymore. Floris V enters his grandfather's footsteps and tells them that the time of the aristocracy lies in the past.

Finally, in 1465, after more than ten years, the peasants' war and the third (and last) war between the Skieringers and Fetkeapers, come to an end.

An era in which the squabbles of the nobility and peasants are finally over, the squabbles which have destroyed the country from within, has ended. Now a new era has begun. An era of prosperity. The order is restored in Frisia and the new Frisian Empire is now even more on the rise. Therefore I'd like to show you some maps of the Nij Fryske koloanje and how the fight on the infidels is going. The next episode will see the conquest of central America; how the Zapotec got defeated and how the Maya's got back stabbed and how the suppressed East, North and West Frisians finally find a new home.

 

[soulking]

I think he meant significant peace deals that involve you.

And continue with the AARing!

 

[unmerged(216158)]

Excellent !

 

[Boris ze Spider]

Thank you soulking, i thought i had posted a response but apparently i haven't and good work btw

 

[Sybot]

This is continuing to be interesting. How large to you plan to make your colonial empire while still being a European minor?

 

[luitzen]

In 1497 I will move my capital to New Frisia and if the opportunity comes there I might grab some territories in Europe, but my plans are to cross the Pacific and conquer China and India.

 

[luitzen]

In the end it appears I do not really enjoy writing AARs. Since university has started again and taking much of my time (preventing me from playing the game at all), I've decided to discontinue this AAR.

I apologize for the inconvenience.