Deutsche (luft)HANSA

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I am having way too much fun playing the Hanseatic League, so these first couple of posts won't be too detailed in spots. Hansa is great if you play a economic/diplomatic game as I do.
The rush of adrenaline 'waiting' for that Spanish or Polish DoW keeps you going in the 'non-active' times.

1491 - The joint Wendish/Pomerian Diet sees the light in
establishing a 'very' loose centralized government and has decided on a limited monarchy. After much lobbying of the Diet, I am able to secure the House of Habsburg as the new ruling family of the Hanseatic League. The Diet is offered a Kingdom by my Uncle Maximilliam I - but requests a Duchy (to preclude the new ruler from becoming too grandiose.)

1492 - Maxilliam I sends his least favorite nephew, my dullard cousin Albrect, to Lubeck to become the first Archduke of the Hansa. The Diet is not pleased with the selection, but is reassured that I am coming as well (and will call ALL the shots.) Albrecht is a penalty for the Hansa's irreverence towards the HRE. I am along to assure the success of this venture.

The League's position is precarious at best, enemies surround our confederation. We have great economic potential and a growing population. I first send merchants to Danzig and Flanders to increase our trade levels. I have taken the opportunity to grab a monopoly at Holstein.

In order to secure our borders and reduce the risk of an unwanted DoW, we secure an alliance with Brandenburg. Late in the year we add Hannover to the alliance. I have also begun an upgrade of the Lubeck Fortress, and am promoting a tax collector in Bremen (not particulary popular with the locals - but they've given me a limited budget.)

Spain is unable to drive the Moors from Grenada.
Venice and Portugal ask us for an RM, which I promplty agree to.

1493 - I send Albecht's eldest sister, Magdalena (the mad) to Brandenburg for a Royal Marriage. I send Albrecht's other sister, Uta (the fair) to Hannover for a RM. We upgrade the Holstein Fortress (as the Diet won't spend the $$ to add to our military of 10K woo hoo.)

1494 - We secure a RM with England and Denmark. We add Saxony to our alliance. I finally get the Diet to agree to 3K of additional cavalry.

1494 - RM to Saxony and Spain. We have achieved a glorious Northern alliance, as Hessen accepts our offer to join. I am now satisfied this alliance will, at least, make the major powers think twice about grabbing Hanseatic territory.
Our merchants are doing quite well and our trading income is growing.

1495 - After saving my meagerly annual income, we are able to promote tax collectors in Lubeck and Holstein. RM with P/L and Bavaria. Only France dares turn down a RM with one of Albrechts many sisters. They will regret their affront one day!

Spain is at War with France and her ally Poland-Lithuania.


More later...

 

[BiB]

Many, many sisters

 

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Couple of notes I left out of first post:
1) v1.08
2) normal-normal settings
3) Maximillian I took throne in 1493, but lets just say he took in 1490 for the AAR

 

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Part II - Growth and Peace

The end of the 15th Century is a period of growth for the Hansa. Infrastructure continues to be upgraded. Our trade income becomes significant and I am not forced to raise taxes. Peace reigns with us and our allies. The merchants and burgers gain wealth and seem to take to their centralized government. In 1501 all fortresses have been upgraded. I am quite satisfied when, in 1502, our alliance with Brandenburg, Saxony, Hannover and Hessen is renewed without trouble. We have news England is warring with France - she seems to hold her own, ceeding Wessex to France but holding Calais. The Turks are active against Poland-Lithuania, Hungary and Venice. They manage four provinces in seperate peace treaties. We tarde maps with the Venetians, a large body of water - the Persian Gulf is revealed, however no land mass is known.

In 1507 the good citizens of Lubeck spend their own ducats to raise our fortress there to level three. Our research
and developement is coming along quite well. The University of Arts and Science at Lubeck and the University of Econmics and Trade at Hamburg churn out many gifted students.

Albrecht and his much loved wife (Brundhilde of the Teutons)
have managed eleven healthy children, allowing for plentiful future royal marriages.

My merchant's are an excellent lot. They trip over each other to carry out my orders (in fact I'm back-logged with mission requests.) The diplomatic corp is another story. The exception being some very gifted socialite widows who follow my orders promplty. The bulk of the corp is made up of third and fourth sons of merchant families. I learn these lads tend to spend time at the Hamburg Stock Exchange before they carry out orders. I happen to be in Hamburg on state business, and take a visit to the Exchange. We find a young lad who was to carry out a letter of introduction to the King of England (assigned weeks ago.) I decide to make an example of the lad (as several other future corp members are there as well) and slap him beside the head, take the letter of introduction, and give him a letter of insult to the Turkish court. I further demand he take the letter overland and offer an armed escort ot the border.
My diplomatic corp has shaped up quite nicely since this incident.

 

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Part III - Wassertur

It is the year 1517 and my ambassadors assure me our ecomomy is the most advanced in Northern Europe. Peace has sustained economic growth and our alliance has held quite well. All is well in the realm.

Terrible news reaches me in Lubeck, Albrecht while on holiday at the summer palace in Kiel, has gone quite mad.
The court doctors assure me this is temporary, but I am worried none the less. I have ordered the Archduchess Brunhilde to keep things under wrap. Albrecht's madness effects of diplomatic ability and his contribution to the military and state research. I have altered my budget to help bridge the gap, but this is certainly a set back.

Damn the court doctors, it is eighteen months since the news of the madness of Albrecht, and he is still wandering the halls muttering in tounge!

In early 1519 all hell breaks loose. A certain socialite Marta Mitchell (wife of our Attorney Genral John Mitchell) blabs to a reporter from the Bremen Zietung of Albrecht's illness. Soon the news is known throughout the Hansa and Europe! This story is known as Wassertur after the Gate in Bremen where Marta 'spilled the beans'. I spend the next three years bribing and 'spinning' to help stabilize the Nation. This has put back our economic efforts and displeases me immensely.
When Mr. Mitchell dies in 1521, I decide to inlist Martha's 'gift' and send her to the French court. She sends word that the new French Queen, a Florentine named Catherine de Medicis, should be watched carefully.

I recieve late word that Maximillian I has passed away, and my overrated cousin known as Karl V has assended the thrown of Austria and the Empire. Perhaps he will devote his attention to some foolish crusade against Tunis or Algiers.
As the Hansa have little regard for the Emipre, I expect our relations with Austria and Spain will slip.

Peace continues to regein in the 1520s. The Archduchess Brunhilde has become much loved and overshadows Albecht's 'illness'.