Carefully Applied Force: A Prussian AAR

[phargle]

The Danes were pushovers, but I suppose losing one province is the best they can hope for. . . in most cases, it's worse than that. And now German and France fight each other to a purposeless standstill in the Rhine region. A white peace would be enough for Germany, but probably not enough for France. Hmm.

This is not carefully applied force, but rather frantically applied tens of thousands being sent to their doom against a French cuisenart. Politically, Germany is going to endure some turmoil after this non-victory.

 

[robou]

To All: Update will be tonight or tommorrow, I was just leaving it to see if I would get any more comments

demokratickid: Well one would hope that in such wars of attrition, Germany would be the victor, and Germany is still in possetion of Metz and Strasbourg, but there are such internal weaknesses in the new German 'Union' that attrition is no a viable way to do things at this point.

Enewald: I doubt I will reach Paris, and I never really had my heart in it to be frank, for reasons discussed by Bismarck. As for Denmark, no, they have not seen the back of Germany yet. I have more land to demand yet!

geek_knight: Maximilian is not an ingame character, and if he was he wouldn't be AI, he would be a general of Germany, not Bavaria. But by putting such a prominent figure in charge of the front, I wanted to show the immense power being vested in the Dukes to ensure their loyalty to the soon-to-be Emperor.

coz1: Well it is still not too bad, and I should be able to avoid major land wars in Europe before Breech-loaders come in. So I am only having to deal with Rifles at the moment. So I will get Inkerman casualties, not Sedan casualties. Still, it can exactly be said that victories are costless. Strasbourg was surprisingly costly. But you know how it is, you have pinned so much hope on one battle, and then casualties begin to mount but you can't let up, as then all those deaths would have been a waste, but then the casualties continue to mount. It is a physcological test of how far you are willing to go.

comagoosie: Well, time has hardly flown. So far I have conquered Hati, Mexico, beaten Russia, Austria twice, Denmark and brought France to a standstill. And all that in 9 years of a 100 year game. Not bad progress I think, but the Rhine front has been slow, I admit, but not nearly as tense as that month on the Vistula!

Eöl: Thank you. The fighting was desperate, and there was always a possiblity of encirclement, and I was foolish pinning all my hopes on one battle... so I blamed it on an insufficient Bavarian! Denmark has not seen the start of it yet!

canonized: Well I predicted something of the sort, and the fact that both I and the French had to mobilise slowly meant that there were always going to be large numbers of troops facing each other when mobilisation was finished, and my failed attempts at taking French colonies was the one way I had seen around it, just not enough power behind them. But yes, I will now have to be more innovative, not easy though...

phargle: We shall have to see what the nations think, but a white peace, yes, it would suit me. And I think the French would probably well agree. We need a small half-time to get our forces ready and fight a proper war that will truly test who is the better nation. And you are correct, this was not sticking with the rudimentries of what I will now dub 'Carefully Applied Force Theory' (I might write a chapter soon of just exactly what it entails) and Germany will have to take on just what Prussia has learnt to make the new nation as successful as its founder. Time will tell...

 

[robou]

1846: The Half-Time Whistle

Even before the Second Battle of Metz began to swing in favour of the heavily reinforced German troops there, peace overtures had already been started. It was quite clear to all politicians and generals involved that only with the complete annihilation of one side’s armies, or at least a large portion of it, then a quick and reasonably bloodless end to a pointless conflict could be achieved. It was hard to say to either nation that it has so far been a bloodless fight, and that the faces of both opponents were merely a bit bruised, but the loss of 70,000 Germans, many of whom were ducal troops and not Prussians, and 40,000 Frenchmen was having a profound affect on both nations.

Germany was the more eager for peace. She was burdening the significantly higher losses, and if the new nation wished to complete its objectives, it would have to continue to loose the larger part of the loss ratio as offensives, and against such formidable foes, would be perhaps even more costly than the earlier battles had proved to be. Germany had enough manpower to shoulder the lists of men killed in battle, or by disease, but the nation that was such a new bud, was worried for its own continuing existence if the losses continued in the fashion they had begun.
That was not the only problem. Not only was the nation concerned about its safety, but its safety was as much put in doubt from within as it was from outside. With the unification came massive changes in the ways Germany functioned. As much as could be, the way that Prussia had been run in the preceding years was implemented on the rest of the country, but that would not stand for all clauses proposed. Firstly, the political structure of the nation had to be realigned so as to be able to cater for a whole new nation, and many populations that were still, in the eyes of most, unready for the new liberties that were thrust upon them. As such, any ideas of a more universal voting system for the members of the Landtag would have to be ruled out. It was tough enough for most Germans having to run their farms and manage a living off the terrible lot the country people had in life, and to these people the ‘liberty’ of having the vote, getting a chance for a mediocre say in a few events locally and perhaps nationally, was seen as a hostile burden that would have to be dealt with. Therefore, the system of ‘Voting via wealth in funds’ worked well. Only those who could prove they had a certain amount of money were allowed to have a say, and therefore also dominated the political scene. The oddity in the Prussian system was this idea of ‘wealth in funds’. This played on the idea of increasing the political say the slowly expanding middle class had in the running of the country, using those who had proved themselves most able in making a living as a political base. Of course, the Aristocracy tended to have wealth tied down in land, and this would hopefully, in time, force the higher classes to become business men and expand the economy of Germany if they wish to have a say in the Landtag, and hence how the economy of the country was run. Naturally, the minds of the gentry were voiced in the House of Lords, and the highly conservative holding of that cabinet, who were now selected from all over Germany by the King/Emperor in an expanded house and included the Dukes and the Chancellor, ensured that the higher classes normally got what they wanted as long as the Landtag didn’t have the power to overrule a decision.

There were flaws in this change over to constitutionalism, as one would expect. The build of the nation, and most notably the peculiarities in the South, caused from problems that were hard to get around. Due to the fact that the Dukes of Württemberg, Bavaria and Saxony still had such a degree of autonomy as ‘Governors’ of their respective states, they always made things more problematic than they should have been. They had already latched onto the fact that they could use their unique position, and the powers it gave them, to greaten their power more so. Political manoeuvrings were proving very popular. By using the loyalty of their populations, still small in middle class but growing, they could acquire a great amount of votes for members of the Landtag, which they placed on people would acted as puppets to the Dukes. This way, they could achieve a reasonable number of members in the Landtag and force a ‘Political Bias’ in their favour and pass through, with the help of the other Dukes, various acts that gave them greater powers, higher pensions, and anything they could think of that the Landtag could pass and ensuring they did not lure the attentions of the House of Lords. It was creating a serious amount of instability for the whole nation, as important laws that would help create money for the state and also acts that would help increase the lot of the lower classes* were not getting through as the highly conservative ‘Ducal Faction’, as they became known as without veering out of the Conservative Party itself, opposed those laws and wasted time passing through ones that did little help to anyone but themselves.

This instability did little to assist the troubles the new Germany was facing. Prussia, which made up about 60% of what Germany now consisted of, was a tired nation. Nine years of almost constant wars, and losses over that time that added up to over 300,000 men, had drained the nation dry. Industry had been neglected by the ruling class as all emphasis had been on war, and when things did start to improve as the Landtag began to become a force for the organisation of the economy, they were soon cut off by the Duke’s meddling. Prussia, while not wanting to admit it, was desperate to be released from this period, dubbed the ‘Total War’ period of 1836-1845. Equally, the rest of Germany had proved its dissatisfaction of both being in a very costly war, and having been placed subservient of a nation that, whilst having had defeated the best Europe had so far offered, seemed to lack the punch it once possessed, and hence shifted much of the burden of the Holstein War onto their states. While the revolts of 1845, notably the Stuttgart Massacre, proved anti-climatic during that year and the few years after it, they would soon come back to haunt the German, and Austrian nations once more. Germany needed a period for recuperation and reorganisation, on a massive scale, before it would ever be able to conduct a major European campaign again.

For France, it was a debate of what they wanted in the near future. They, equally, had been unprepared for the war with Germany, mainly due to their being caught blindsided by the unification and, especially, the Danish reaction. They could, however, see Germany slowly unravelling itself around a very long stick, and France was proving to be the hand that was rolling that stick around. For France, the ideal would have been to continue unravelling that stick till the new Union of German States disassembled itself. But at what cost? Would Germany unite behind itself in one last great effort if its borders were put under threat, it seemed likely and France was aware that mobilisation had not yet been proclaimed across Germany yet, and that would add a serious punch to Germany’s strength. The desperate offensives against the French, Strasbourg and Verdun especially, seemed to speak against that, saying that Germany was keeping the French out of their borders at any cost to stop any perceived threat being placed against the weak confederation of states. But the French generals were sure the Germans could throw back a French offensive if they mobilised, so it was agreed that further attacks would be a waste. It was this decision that caused the retreat of General Aumale from Metz, as the French knew they were in a position to bring Germany to peace, as the nation was weak, but still far from being beaten.

When a peace committee met in a snowy Luxembourg to make terms, both sides agreed that a return to a status quo was the best they could ask of each other. The French could not dictate terms as the Germans were, technically, winning the war as they occupied two major French cities, but equally the Germans knew they could not demand anything as the French knew the tight corner the Germans were in. A ‘white peace’ was agreed upon. The French would not take anything, but the Germans would withdraw across the Rhine back into Germany. The Treaty of Luxembourg was signed on January 8th, 1846, as the war entered its tenth inconclusive month. At the cost of somewhere around 120,000 lives, nothing had been achieved, and everyone knew the sides would simply wait out the time of the peace treaty, expanding their military and preparing the borders for war, and after a short half-time break, another bloody war would engulf the Franco-German border, it was sure to happen. It was what both nations would do in this few years gap that would decide the fate of Central Europe.

The change would be profound...​

Notes:
*: This was fueled by the desire of the Middle classes to strengthen their number and be able to outmatch the aristocratic hold over politics, which was leading to scandalous activities like the 'Ducal Faction'.

 

[canonized]

An excellent interlude into the economic situation XD Loved it so far ! Glad we're getting the entirety of the tapestry as you're going along

 

[unmerged(81979)]

Well, here's to the next outbreak of war, whenever it shall come! Good work.

 

[coz1]

It make sense. You got what you wanted out of that war with Denmark and stood your ground against the French, even if costly. The next time war rolls around, let's hope things are much better off on the home front domestically and financially.

 

[Eöl]

So is that a Liberal or Conservative?
Time will tell... sooner or later, time vill tell.
*Winds pocket watch.*

 

[comagoosie]

I think all the talk of politics went straight through my head, I tend to keep my head little above dirt level

So a white peace? I suppose so. I don't know how to play vicky so I won't attempt to give you advice.

 

[unmerged(96020)]

Bonaparte!

Although I like Vicky German AAR's a lot, there's always one thing that bothers me about it, and that every player can't help but beat the tar out of my favorite mid-19th century emperor. Poor France.

Oh, and I'm waiting for Bismarck to push forward radical changes in the government of the German Empire and put those aristocrats where they belong: in the dustbins of history, with their heads offed by a guillotine. Though I suppose that will have to wait for 1852. I wonder if you'll get the counter-revolution event or not, and how that would transpire in the story if it does happen. A Prussian coup against the Dukes? A conspiracy against the landtag? Just a general and distasteful suppression of liberal ideas by the government? Hmm.

 

[tedescooo]

Woa!

Really nice AAR! A damm good reading. :rofl:


But please! Show us how goes the Piratini Republic and Spanish situation!

See ya.

 

[unmerged(81390)]

Bonaparte!

Although I like Vicky German AAR's a lot, there's always one thing that bothers me about it, and that every player can't help but beat the tar out of my favorite mid-19th century emperor. Poor France.

I agree, but what other solution is there?

(Except not going to war, which isn't allowed in a Prussia AAR)

 

[Enewald]

Actually, the fate of Europe has alread been decided.
France, who for centuries has won wars, now loses to a united germany.

 

[ComradeOm]

It looks like internal change is coming to France... but then that's not exactly uncommon. But an aggressive Second Empire, responding to an equally aggressive Germany, might well alienate Britain. Will France limit her colonial ambitions and thus enable a rapprochement with London?

But then I am getting ahead of both myself and the story

 

[robou]

To All: Right, snow day today, so that means plenty of time to write an update. I have reached to the point I have played up to so I will have to play a bit more, but I do promise to be as peaceful as possible Update will come sometime this afternoon.

canonized: I'm glad of it too, I was jsut getting bored of writing about war. I need a peacful break in politics and economi.... ach who am I kidding. More fun to write, though

demokratickid: I'm guessing between 5-15 years, but only time will tell. Though in true 'Careful' style, I will let the French come to me.

coz1: I was just glad the French accepted. I was in a dire state, running out of manpower and long gone out of cash. The peacetime will be used well to ensure that I am not put in that position again.

Eöl: The Landtag is split about 50/50, though it is generally caught by a liberal wave, especially now we have all the rest of Germany voting now. The next elections are not for a while yet, so the conservatives still rule both the Landtag and the Lords.

comagoosie: Its not that complex Just a bribe here and a murder there; Politics...

Irencius: In that case, you won't be dissapointed by the next few years. I, in fact, also like Napoleon III and will give some bias towards him, though not France. They are my enemies, and I cannot back down simply because I like a historical character, though I will try and save his reputation... I hope. As for Bismarck, his time is yet to come, but when it does, the Dukes will have to watch out. I hope I don't have to wait until 1852, and events, as we shall see, quickly overtake my new nation and hence Bismarck's destiny.

tedescooo: Thanks. I must admit, since the troubles started in Europe, I haven't look at South America once. I can't rightly remember what happened there now. I have so much to talk about these years that it just doesn't get centre stage anymore.

Enewald: We shall see, my friend. France still packs a mean punch, and intelligent diplomacy could get her powerful allies. They are a little bloodied, but nowhere near beaten, yet.

ComradeOm: It would certainly be an interesting perspective to see a very early Entente Cordial, but I doubt it. We shall have to take a closer look at the relationship between Britain and Germany before we should look at Britain and France.

 

[robou]

1846: An Old Firecracker

It was just something that happened, that when attention was on one front, trouble sprung up on the other. Before, it had been that when Prussia’s armies were in Russia, war had come to be with France. But now that attention had been put on the west, trouble now reared its ugly head in the east. It was not the Russians, this time, but the Poles that were the problem-makers.

Poland was nothing of its former self, everyone knew that. After the partitions (1772-1795) Poland had had enough trouble integrating itself with its new owners; the Russians proved to be especially harsh. However, things had only got worse with the 1830’s and 40’s. First, the Prussians had brutalised the Polish into submission with military force, the so called ‘Pacification’ of 1836-38. That left a stinging memory in the minds of the Prussian Poles as strong as anyone from Russian Congress Poland could have had of the Cossacks. Then, in 1844, Poland had taken the brunt of the fighting between Prussia, Austria and Russia, and had not as yet recovered from the scars of the bloodiest conflict since the times of Napoleon.

Organised resistance against the three occupying nations had been scarce, the Cossacks and Ulhans making sure that it was nearly impossible to plot an uprising. The Austrians, fearing that such brutality such as displayed by the Prussians and Russians would only provoke not only the Poles but many of the Slavic groups of their Empire into revolt, declined to act harshly. The Poles had always taken this to their advantage and had harassed Austria for independence, both peacefully and in open revolution, for most of the 19th Century. The situation was only electrified by the Franco-German War of 1845. France, taking the advantage of Poles discontent against their occupiers, decided to set up a committee in Paris of Polish refugees that would add pressure from the Great Powers of France and Britain to the feelings of the Polish people and give them the organisation, albeit outside, to rise up against their oppressors.

1846 saw a radical change in Russian policy in Poland, and the Cossack, so long feared by all peoples in the Pale of Settlement, was made redundant as a device of control​

Revolts sprung up in all the nations concerned over Polish independence, though Austria was the worst hit, lacking the impetus to be harsh in repercussions against the populace. As it was, it was agreed between Austria, Prussia and a reluctant Russia that something would need to be done to crush the Polish spirit, once again. None of the nations could achieve a massive pacification scheme; it was not feasible for any of them. So, instead, Austria decided to take matters into their own hands and destroy the true symbol of Polish resistance; Kraków. They invaded on February 14th, and Germany had little choice but to join in, needing Austria as an ally at this point, but soon things began to get out of hand.

Desperate to stop such a hammer blow to their efforts, the French quickly roused the support of freer of the Great Powers. Britain, France and a hesitant Sweden (still aligned more towards Prussia and Russia than France or Britain) sent an ultimatum to Berlin, asking for a withdrawal from Kraków or face further action by the French and British. Germany was outraged that the ultimatum had been sent to Berlin rather than Vienna, when it was the Austrians that had started the war. However, not willing to risk a confrontation of the continent again, Germany backed down and agreed to order all German and Austrian forces out of Kraków. Austria was distraught that they were not allowed to annex Kraków into the Austrian Empire, ending the dispute once and for all, and at first appealed to Russia for support. When St. Petersburg remained silent, Austria also agreed to the ultimatum, and Kraków remained free. The message was clear to the Poles, however, that now all the three nations were more than willing to take very direct action to suppress Polish nationalism.

This was not the only important change the short lived invasion of Kraków brought about. Very important was the change in Russian foreign policy. For once, they seemed to cower from making a decision regarding Poland and their western borders. It seemed to mark a visible change in how Russia would work now. Perhaps the relations with France were warmer than could have been anticipated; perhaps they were hiding a particular lust for taking back lost land? Was an alliance with France a possibility to achieve these goals? No doubt the next few years, the incidents that would, no doubt, happen, would speak much about what the bloodied bear had on its mind.

Undoubtedly, though, the most pungent smell in the political air was the feeling of serious displeasure between Vienna and Berlin. The German government was furious that they, in effect, had been blamed for starting the war against Kraków and that military action would have been taken against them rather than against Austria. Along with the sting of the Stuttgart Massacre still far from worn off, relations began to descend quickly, and the two sides that had seemed like such firm allies, even after half a century of violent competition, such a short time ago, were beginning to see old rifts form between them again. Like with Russia, only time could tell what would come of that new found hate, and events would happen in quick succession.

 

[comagoosie]

Wow, politics in this era must be a pain, and those poles aren't helping.

I was thinking that Austria was going to get DoWed again, and be eaten up, but it seems that they will be spared...for now.

 

[Director]

So the French, having just narrowly escaped disaster, confront the Germans again. At least this time they had sense enough to go for serious help.

Silence from Russia is always ominous. It does mean they are up to something, but it could be internal problems and/or a weak czar. France and Britain can't take Germany and Austria down. But France, Russia and Britain can credibly threaten a Germany isolated from Austria. France and Austria would be a logical - and nasty - alliance.

 

[unmerged(81979)]

The Poles are just another factor in this messy Euro-quasion... :wacko:

 

[canonized]

I definitely don't trust the Russian bear in this at all , and with Poland in the mix it's very volatile . I love the tension XD

 

[unmerged(95429)]

<insert action> De-lurkerizing <insert action>

Great story Robou, way to take Prussia and later Germany to greatness. The story is top notch to say the least.