In 1710 the Tsar decided that the people of Crimea and The Golden Horde, living in the last remaining provinces of those old enemies of Russia, had suffered enough. They deserved easier lives as Russians but their stubborn leaders disagreed (as always). Some quick troop movements and a year of persuasion lead to The Golden Horde finally realizing the benefits of being Russian, an insight that the somewhat dimwitted Crimeans needed a further two years to reach.
Moscow then concentrated on expanding the colonies and developing the economy. This was successful but there were now no more wild lands suited for settlements left in on the Eurasian continent. Not wanting to dirty himself with the politics and wars of Europe Peter the Great therefor turned his attention south. He mustered some more men after having seen that all of the nations sharing Russia's southern border were allied and invaded Then Kazakh Horde in 1723. The ottomans and the mongols quickly joined the war as predicted and even the Mughal Empire, although not directly threatened, mistakenly decided that the odds were not on Russia's side.
The war stretched from the Gulf of Odessa in the west to the Amur River in the east and was both long and hard. It was quickly clear that the Russian troops were far superior as their enemies were pushed back, but the numerous sieges and long supply chains took a heavy toll. Only the Mughal Empire, sheltered by the lands of their allies, were able to prove a noticeable level of resistance.
The wast distances and blank refusal of the enemies to admit defeat and be happy with what they had left meant that the fighting continued long after the Tsar had won the lands he had planned for and Peter the Great did not live to rejoice in the glorious victories to come. The throne had to pass to first his wife, Catherine I, then his grandson Peter II and finally to his niece Anna until first Mongolia and then the Ottoman Empire agreed to reasonable terms, losing 5 provinces each in 1730 and 1731. The Mughal Empire could then be rather easily convinced to back out. The Kazakh Horde proved the toughest and were, as a reward, relived of all but two of its provinces.
Understanding the tiredness of its people Moscow now concentrated on developing these newly gained territories as well as the trade. But the vision vision of a Russia so great as to surpass all other nations has not yet come to pass...
Session: 1741
Land: Russia
Ledare: 4 Generaler
On-time bonus: -BB
(ARR-Bonus: -BB)
Core: Samarkand, Samarkand, 1592