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I had forgotten one little event that occured during Louis XII's reign. In 1586, the Knights, fleeing the Ottomans, had set up shop in Malta. In 1604 or 1605 France invaded. This may have been the reason I declared war on (Knight's ally?) Savoy over Piedmont at one point (with Malta being the actual target). Or maybe it was a sideshow to a different war? Either way, France held Malta for a few years before a rebellion in 1609. As the rebellious forces were much larger than the forces France faced to take the island and my transports were needed elsewhere, it was decided that holding Malta would be more trouble than it was worth and Malta became independent.
Marguerite I 1640-1682
Flighty and sociable, Marguerite’s reign would be known for opulent displays and elaborate state dinners. While she took up her diplomatic duties with passion, most administrative and all military functions were handled by her advisors and underlings (2/4/0). This arrangement started during her regency from 1640-1646, when France would answer Portugal’s call-to-arms in one of their Mexican campaigns against the Tlapmec and Xalisca. To aid this effort, a new weapons manufactory was built in Cork and a thriving Irish arms industry took root; many Franco-Irish companies would supply French soldiers around the world for centuries to come. The conflict would end shortly after her majority in 1646, with Portugal gaining significant territory.
Marguerite would continue to expand the French oversees colonies. She ensured that those colonial nations capable of expanding were well subsidized to encourage expansion, but tensions would rise with Spain over territorial claims in the Louisiana region. She would keep relations with Portugal strong, but the alliance with Spain would eventually break down. New alliances were sought with the Caddo and Osage tribes directly in the path of Spanish expansion, but despite the tensions, war with Spain would not break out during her reign.
In 1649, she would approve of military action in Africa against the Sayo and Luba powers; most the habitable coast of the Kongo was secured within two years. French armies in Europe would join their allies Bohemia and Venice against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Brandenburg, but movements in North America would be the most significant. By 1650, the Chesapeake and Connecticut areas were settled by French colonists (aided by the “importation” of the African “labor market” from the new Kongo territory. Marguerite, as was typical, was not interested in the details). It soon became clear that the Lenape and their allies the Pequot were interfering with French expansion, and it was widely regarded throughout the kingdom that their lands would be better managed by French leaders, their souls better managed by the Reformed church, and their lives would generally be improved by learning to speak French and eat baguettes. The army gladly volunteered to bring about these changes.
Below is a rare surviving map showing the status of the New World nations and French troop positions right before this invasion, with a fragment of a Naval intelligence report attached to it. These documents were likely used by the Admiral in charge of providing naval support to the operation; ultimately the fiercest action would be on the waves as the army would meet little significant opposition. The territory was formally signed over in 1652 and in 1656 the wider area was organized into the new colonial nation of New France.
Expansion into Africa would continue in 1655, with the French pushing the Kasanje and Luba back into the interior of the continent. A colony would be established on the east coast of Africa in 1663 one in Borneo in 1672 to provide a safe port for French traders. In 1666, Britain and their allies were distracted long enough for the French to try once again to retake Calais, this time successfully. Ties with the Dutch were strengthened and conflict with the HRE would increase during this time. The Netherlands would take Aachen, and France would take Liege in 1672 and Lothringen in 1673. The Holy Roman Empire would demand the return of Lothringen in 1676; there was much dispute amongst Marguerite’s advisors over wither France could risk standing up the Hapsburgs.
As the debate raged on into the night, Marguerite would retire to think on the question. In the morning, refreshed and sober-minded, Marguerite would declare that France would indeed stand up to the Holy Roman Empire and prepare to fight to retain the sizeable city of Lothigen. Unfortunately, she accidently checked the wrong box on the diplomatic form and before she knew what she had done the territory was back under Holy Roman influence. (Yes, I clicked on the wrong button immediately after returning to the game the next day.) Despite this unintentional capitulation, tensions would continue to rise against the Holy Roman Empire. A pattern would soon form with French-Imperial relations, with French intelligence officers watching closely for internal HRE wars, and fast strike forces ready to cross the border at weak points at the ideal moment while the Emperor and the princes were distracted.
In 1679, the French aided the Portuguese once again looked for French aide with their Mexican conquests. This time, a pittance of jungle provinces were awarded to French Yucatan, but the small colonial nation was pleased at least to be growing like it’s sibling nations were.
Marguerite was primarily known for her domestic achievements. Many new manufactories were built across the country, Sunday schools were established to educate the young in the Reformed faith, and the Occitan and Burgundian minorities found themselves gaining rights and influence. The French Indian Trade Company was founded to organize the wealth coming in from the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, and with the new found wealth Marguerite built what she considered her most important legacy, the palace at Versailles. A grand and opulent building in the outskirts of Paris, Marguerite would be involved in every architectural and artistic detail, often to a greater degree than she paid to governmental affairs. The court was moved to the new palace and she leveraged it to inspire awe in her courtieres and foreign dignitaries alike.
Marguerite I would unfortunately collapse from a heart attack while strolling the palace gardens in 1682 at the age of 51.
The Northeast border of France; with the disputed territory of Lothringen marked
The New World, with expanding colonies. Spain and Portugal, both Exploration and Expansionist, lead the way with the largest presence, with France, the UK, and Denmark coming up next in the rankings. Note that Norway has started a colony at Manhattan and Friesland one at the mouth of the Amazon.
The Indian Ocean, with French possessions marked
Flighty and sociable, Marguerite’s reign would be known for opulent displays and elaborate state dinners. While she took up her diplomatic duties with passion, most administrative and all military functions were handled by her advisors and underlings (2/4/0). This arrangement started during her regency from 1640-1646, when France would answer Portugal’s call-to-arms in one of their Mexican campaigns against the Tlapmec and Xalisca. To aid this effort, a new weapons manufactory was built in Cork and a thriving Irish arms industry took root; many Franco-Irish companies would supply French soldiers around the world for centuries to come. The conflict would end shortly after her majority in 1646, with Portugal gaining significant territory.
Marguerite would continue to expand the French oversees colonies. She ensured that those colonial nations capable of expanding were well subsidized to encourage expansion, but tensions would rise with Spain over territorial claims in the Louisiana region. She would keep relations with Portugal strong, but the alliance with Spain would eventually break down. New alliances were sought with the Caddo and Osage tribes directly in the path of Spanish expansion, but despite the tensions, war with Spain would not break out during her reign.
In 1649, she would approve of military action in Africa against the Sayo and Luba powers; most the habitable coast of the Kongo was secured within two years. French armies in Europe would join their allies Bohemia and Venice against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Brandenburg, but movements in North America would be the most significant. By 1650, the Chesapeake and Connecticut areas were settled by French colonists (aided by the “importation” of the African “labor market” from the new Kongo territory. Marguerite, as was typical, was not interested in the details). It soon became clear that the Lenape and their allies the Pequot were interfering with French expansion, and it was widely regarded throughout the kingdom that their lands would be better managed by French leaders, their souls better managed by the Reformed church, and their lives would generally be improved by learning to speak French and eat baguettes. The army gladly volunteered to bring about these changes.
Below is a rare surviving map showing the status of the New World nations and French troop positions right before this invasion, with a fragment of a Naval intelligence report attached to it. These documents were likely used by the Admiral in charge of providing naval support to the operation; ultimately the fiercest action would be on the waves as the army would meet little significant opposition. The territory was formally signed over in 1652 and in 1656 the wider area was organized into the new colonial nation of New France.
Expansion into Africa would continue in 1655, with the French pushing the Kasanje and Luba back into the interior of the continent. A colony would be established on the east coast of Africa in 1663 one in Borneo in 1672 to provide a safe port for French traders. In 1666, Britain and their allies were distracted long enough for the French to try once again to retake Calais, this time successfully. Ties with the Dutch were strengthened and conflict with the HRE would increase during this time. The Netherlands would take Aachen, and France would take Liege in 1672 and Lothringen in 1673. The Holy Roman Empire would demand the return of Lothringen in 1676; there was much dispute amongst Marguerite’s advisors over wither France could risk standing up the Hapsburgs.
As the debate raged on into the night, Marguerite would retire to think on the question. In the morning, refreshed and sober-minded, Marguerite would declare that France would indeed stand up to the Holy Roman Empire and prepare to fight to retain the sizeable city of Lothigen. Unfortunately, she accidently checked the wrong box on the diplomatic form and before she knew what she had done the territory was back under Holy Roman influence. (Yes, I clicked on the wrong button immediately after returning to the game the next day.) Despite this unintentional capitulation, tensions would continue to rise against the Holy Roman Empire. A pattern would soon form with French-Imperial relations, with French intelligence officers watching closely for internal HRE wars, and fast strike forces ready to cross the border at weak points at the ideal moment while the Emperor and the princes were distracted.
In 1679, the French aided the Portuguese once again looked for French aide with their Mexican conquests. This time, a pittance of jungle provinces were awarded to French Yucatan, but the small colonial nation was pleased at least to be growing like it’s sibling nations were.
Marguerite was primarily known for her domestic achievements. Many new manufactories were built across the country, Sunday schools were established to educate the young in the Reformed faith, and the Occitan and Burgundian minorities found themselves gaining rights and influence. The French Indian Trade Company was founded to organize the wealth coming in from the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, and with the new found wealth Marguerite built what she considered her most important legacy, the palace at Versailles. A grand and opulent building in the outskirts of Paris, Marguerite would be involved in every architectural and artistic detail, often to a greater degree than she paid to governmental affairs. The court was moved to the new palace and she leveraged it to inspire awe in her courtieres and foreign dignitaries alike.
Marguerite I would unfortunately collapse from a heart attack while strolling the palace gardens in 1682 at the age of 51.
The Northeast border of France; with the disputed territory of Lothringen marked
The New World, with expanding colonies. Spain and Portugal, both Exploration and Expansionist, lead the way with the largest presence, with France, the UK, and Denmark coming up next in the rankings. Note that Norway has started a colony at Manhattan and Friesland one at the mouth of the Amazon.
The Indian Ocean, with French possessions marked
(I had a second bankruptcy at some point in the transition from mid to late game, but I can’t remember when exactly. The early years of Jeanne are devoid of active blobbing, and my archive of screenshots shows positive and growing prestige for the rest of the game, so I am going to deduce that it happened late Marguerite – Early Jeanne era)
Jeanne I 1682-1725
Jeanne was not her mother, that was obvious to all. Where Marguerite had left the generals to their own devices, Jeanne would reign them in. She had studied military tactics and statecraft well during her youth (3/3/5), and was prepared to take a more active control of the countries armies, colonial aspirations, and finances.
First priority was the economy. Jeanne swiftly worked hard and pulled every string to get the economy back on track. When the austerity period passed, she quickly hired a new council of advisors, was able to get the demoralized (but massive) French army funded again, and had the nations accounting back in the green.
During this time, Julie d’Aubiay had come to Versailles. A multitalented, action-loving character whose history is shrouded in legend and rumor, skilled in entertainment and swordplay alike. There are many stories about her past, some more plausible than others. What is not disputed is that court of Jeanne I was one where women who wanted to shape their own destiny were welcome, and the queen took an immediate liking to Julie. Recognized the untapped talent at her disposal, Jeanne offered her a military command, and d’Aubiay soon rose to become one of France’s top generals (4/4/3/4). Julie d’Aubiay could not go anywhere without causing a certain type of delightful chaos (in any timeline), and at the head of the French army, she would travel all around the world helping Jeanne enforce her will.
In 1689-1690, Julie d’Aubiay got her first test of action with the conquest of Metz, bringing the Netherlands and France’s other allies against the Holy Roman forces of Ravensburg, Austria and their minions. Metz was added to France and Luxemburg to the Netherlands. Then, Jeanne sent her to Africa in 1691 for a successful campaign to expand French control deeper into the continent. After this success, d’Aubiay was glad to continue traveling to North America, where she brought the Powhatan under French domination in 1694 followed by the Iroquois in 1698. Joining the Portuguese in their continued efforts to control Mexico, Julie would gain international fame.
Buoyed by this success, Jeanne sent the famous general back to Africa to resume the wars of conquest in 1702 against the diminished Kasanje and Luba. Meanwhile in Europe, the HRE had resumed internal wars again, presenting Jeanne with what she thought was the perfect opportunity to press territorial claims against Halnut. Diplomatic outreaches with vasselization in mind had been attempted since Marguerite’s day with no success, so Jeanne decided that she would not have a better opportunity and opened up a second war.
East Frisia, Lorraine, Leige, Switzerland and other HRE members would put up a vigorous defense. (Venice was happy to help France out, and Bohemia and Netherlands are also involved but I don’t remember if Bohemia was still allied to France or turned on us at this point, or if this was a hostile blip in the otherwise allied relations with Netherlands.) It would be a long stalemate, with sieges and counter-sieges, all along the French border.
Unfortunately, things would start to take a turn for the worse for France. First, word would reach Versailles about the death of Julie d’Aubigny in Africa. Some reports claimed it was a poisoned dart that took her out, others say it was malaria. There were even rumors that she faked her death to run off with a surviving Kasanje prince. While the campaign in Africa would continue to achieve results without her, the news would hit the army back in Europe hard, who had considered her a second Joan of Arc by this point and some had hoped she would return to help with the Halnut war.
A military defeat at Calais soon became the breaking point. A French army sent to relieve Calais from besieging Liege forces was overconfident, and soon found themselves bogged down and fighting more reinforcements than they had anticipated. It was a crushing defeat, and while Jeanne immediately set to work raising more troops, Venice could no longer contain HRE forces from entering the south of France. It was clear that France would not have the strength to carry this war to the end and Jeanne sued for peace in 1703. Negotiations with the HRE would result in a province each being ceded to the OPM nations of Halnut, Savoy and Lorraine and the release of Sardinia as an independent nation. Sardinia, for its part would be willing to stay allied to France and eventually vassalized again, but not during Jeanne’s lifetime.
The campaign in Africa, though, would be wrapped up in 1704 with more than enough territory to make up for that loss. Over in Southeast Asia, Jeanne decided that the French colony on Borneo was not growing fast enough; Portugal already controlled most of the island. War was brought against Brunei in 1706, and France was able to take control of the parts of the island that Portugal did not already claim. The Brunei government would eventually make its way to the island of Palawan and lead a successful revolt against the French there; as in the case of Malta many decades prior, France would elect not to bother retaking the island.
A cycle of rebellion in Borneo would begin. First a large rebellion would spring up on the Portuguese side. As the troops moved around the island, France would move its smaller army to the other side and restore order to the area. Whenever the army got caught not moving it would be crushed, so for the most part France avoided direct conflict and focused on retaking areas lost to rebel control before Portuguese reinforcements would arrive. This pattern would repeat several times throughout history.
In 1706, news from Scandinavia was that Denmark had fully annexed Norway, and the former’s colonial holdings were transferred to Denmark. This caused a stir among the growing French colonies of Louisiana and New France, but there was still room on the east coast. The Netherlands also started a colony on the east coast around this time. The leadership of New France maneuvered their settlements to cut off the Danes in Manhattan and their rivals of Louisiana (although France’s tight control would keep outright hostilities from breaking out).
The Chickasaws and Shawnee were defeated in 1711, and Louisiana was stunned that somehow New France managed to gain territorial control of the area. The French masters had decided to treat the two nations more equitable and gift out territory manually in the future and adjudicate some boundary disputes, but New France would retain enclaves in Louisiana.
In 1718, the French territory in India would be fully annexed, and the small OPM of Malwa, the lone holdout against Vijayanagar, would have been vassalized by now, if not earlier. Finally, another campaign in Africa would wrap up in 1720, this time bringing the French all the way to the shore of Lake Tanganyika and control of a good chuck of the interior of Africa. Rebellious tribes were a constant annoyance, but the deployment of missionaries would gradually raise the religious unity of the area.
Jeanne I spent the last few years of her life in ill health, finally succumbing in 1725.
Jeanne I 1682-1725
Jeanne was not her mother, that was obvious to all. Where Marguerite had left the generals to their own devices, Jeanne would reign them in. She had studied military tactics and statecraft well during her youth (3/3/5), and was prepared to take a more active control of the countries armies, colonial aspirations, and finances.
First priority was the economy. Jeanne swiftly worked hard and pulled every string to get the economy back on track. When the austerity period passed, she quickly hired a new council of advisors, was able to get the demoralized (but massive) French army funded again, and had the nations accounting back in the green.
During this time, Julie d’Aubiay had come to Versailles. A multitalented, action-loving character whose history is shrouded in legend and rumor, skilled in entertainment and swordplay alike. There are many stories about her past, some more plausible than others. What is not disputed is that court of Jeanne I was one where women who wanted to shape their own destiny were welcome, and the queen took an immediate liking to Julie. Recognized the untapped talent at her disposal, Jeanne offered her a military command, and d’Aubiay soon rose to become one of France’s top generals (4/4/3/4). Julie d’Aubiay could not go anywhere without causing a certain type of delightful chaos (in any timeline), and at the head of the French army, she would travel all around the world helping Jeanne enforce her will.
In 1689-1690, Julie d’Aubiay got her first test of action with the conquest of Metz, bringing the Netherlands and France’s other allies against the Holy Roman forces of Ravensburg, Austria and their minions. Metz was added to France and Luxemburg to the Netherlands. Then, Jeanne sent her to Africa in 1691 for a successful campaign to expand French control deeper into the continent. After this success, d’Aubiay was glad to continue traveling to North America, where she brought the Powhatan under French domination in 1694 followed by the Iroquois in 1698. Joining the Portuguese in their continued efforts to control Mexico, Julie would gain international fame.
Buoyed by this success, Jeanne sent the famous general back to Africa to resume the wars of conquest in 1702 against the diminished Kasanje and Luba. Meanwhile in Europe, the HRE had resumed internal wars again, presenting Jeanne with what she thought was the perfect opportunity to press territorial claims against Halnut. Diplomatic outreaches with vasselization in mind had been attempted since Marguerite’s day with no success, so Jeanne decided that she would not have a better opportunity and opened up a second war.
East Frisia, Lorraine, Leige, Switzerland and other HRE members would put up a vigorous defense. (Venice was happy to help France out, and Bohemia and Netherlands are also involved but I don’t remember if Bohemia was still allied to France or turned on us at this point, or if this was a hostile blip in the otherwise allied relations with Netherlands.) It would be a long stalemate, with sieges and counter-sieges, all along the French border.
Unfortunately, things would start to take a turn for the worse for France. First, word would reach Versailles about the death of Julie d’Aubigny in Africa. Some reports claimed it was a poisoned dart that took her out, others say it was malaria. There were even rumors that she faked her death to run off with a surviving Kasanje prince. While the campaign in Africa would continue to achieve results without her, the news would hit the army back in Europe hard, who had considered her a second Joan of Arc by this point and some had hoped she would return to help with the Halnut war.
A military defeat at Calais soon became the breaking point. A French army sent to relieve Calais from besieging Liege forces was overconfident, and soon found themselves bogged down and fighting more reinforcements than they had anticipated. It was a crushing defeat, and while Jeanne immediately set to work raising more troops, Venice could no longer contain HRE forces from entering the south of France. It was clear that France would not have the strength to carry this war to the end and Jeanne sued for peace in 1703. Negotiations with the HRE would result in a province each being ceded to the OPM nations of Halnut, Savoy and Lorraine and the release of Sardinia as an independent nation. Sardinia, for its part would be willing to stay allied to France and eventually vassalized again, but not during Jeanne’s lifetime.
The campaign in Africa, though, would be wrapped up in 1704 with more than enough territory to make up for that loss. Over in Southeast Asia, Jeanne decided that the French colony on Borneo was not growing fast enough; Portugal already controlled most of the island. War was brought against Brunei in 1706, and France was able to take control of the parts of the island that Portugal did not already claim. The Brunei government would eventually make its way to the island of Palawan and lead a successful revolt against the French there; as in the case of Malta many decades prior, France would elect not to bother retaking the island.
A cycle of rebellion in Borneo would begin. First a large rebellion would spring up on the Portuguese side. As the troops moved around the island, France would move its smaller army to the other side and restore order to the area. Whenever the army got caught not moving it would be crushed, so for the most part France avoided direct conflict and focused on retaking areas lost to rebel control before Portuguese reinforcements would arrive. This pattern would repeat several times throughout history.
In 1706, news from Scandinavia was that Denmark had fully annexed Norway, and the former’s colonial holdings were transferred to Denmark. This caused a stir among the growing French colonies of Louisiana and New France, but there was still room on the east coast. The Netherlands also started a colony on the east coast around this time. The leadership of New France maneuvered their settlements to cut off the Danes in Manhattan and their rivals of Louisiana (although France’s tight control would keep outright hostilities from breaking out).
The Chickasaws and Shawnee were defeated in 1711, and Louisiana was stunned that somehow New France managed to gain territorial control of the area. The French masters had decided to treat the two nations more equitable and gift out territory manually in the future and adjudicate some boundary disputes, but New France would retain enclaves in Louisiana.
In 1718, the French territory in India would be fully annexed, and the small OPM of Malwa, the lone holdout against Vijayanagar, would have been vassalized by now, if not earlier. Finally, another campaign in Africa would wrap up in 1720, this time bringing the French all the way to the shore of Lake Tanganyika and control of a good chuck of the interior of Africa. Rebellious tribes were a constant annoyance, but the deployment of missionaries would gradually raise the religious unity of the area.
Jeanne I spent the last few years of her life in ill health, finally succumbing in 1725.
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(At this point, I was taking screenshots a bit more regularly as I knew I was planning on writing an AAR. I was taking snapshots of the reach of the French empire after each game session at least. The sepia-tone “lost fragment” idea was interesting for some of those early screenshots, but I think I’ll stop now)
Charles IX 1725-1734
Charles was not the eldest of Jeanne’s children, so he never expected to inherit the throne. A well-liked (though disorganized) military commander (2/3/4), he remained a bachelor for most of his life. However, a couple of his elder siblings had died before their mother, and Charles found himself both heir and then king within a short period of time. He was already pushing middle age at this point, but a wedding was arranged to a suitable bride. Sadly, most of the children from this union would not survive long past infancy.
Charles IX’s first order of business was the invasion of the North American tribes in the Great Lakes Region. He had already been highly involved in the planning of the operation as Jeanne’s health waned, so it was an easy transition. The Fox and the Potawatomi tribes surrendered quickly in 1725, though the Huron would hold out until 1728. As the French Empire grew, so did the rights of some of the minorities, both the Kongolese and the Bornean would be fully accepted by the French people.
In 1731 he would aid Portugal against the Can Pech, though once again the colony of French Yucatan was shafted in the peace deal and did not gain any land. There would be a brief war of Honor against the Makassri on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, though no territorial gains would come of it. Also on Sulawesi, the colony of Gorontalo would be finished in 1733. He would also help the Netherlands conquer half of East Frisia in a nationalistic war that wrapped up in 1733.
Celebrations would occur throughout the empire with the birth of Charles’ son Louis in 1732. Louis was healthy and grew healthier everyday, and the succession was secure. Sadly, Charles IX himself would not last much longer, passing away in 1734.
(It may be a while before the next update – Louis XIII will be a big one...)
North America, with all the weird colonial borders in the French and Danish holdings.
Central America. French Guyana has run out of space to expand.
Indonesian expansion
Charles IX 1725-1734
Charles was not the eldest of Jeanne’s children, so he never expected to inherit the throne. A well-liked (though disorganized) military commander (2/3/4), he remained a bachelor for most of his life. However, a couple of his elder siblings had died before their mother, and Charles found himself both heir and then king within a short period of time. He was already pushing middle age at this point, but a wedding was arranged to a suitable bride. Sadly, most of the children from this union would not survive long past infancy.
Charles IX’s first order of business was the invasion of the North American tribes in the Great Lakes Region. He had already been highly involved in the planning of the operation as Jeanne’s health waned, so it was an easy transition. The Fox and the Potawatomi tribes surrendered quickly in 1725, though the Huron would hold out until 1728. As the French Empire grew, so did the rights of some of the minorities, both the Kongolese and the Bornean would be fully accepted by the French people.
In 1731 he would aid Portugal against the Can Pech, though once again the colony of French Yucatan was shafted in the peace deal and did not gain any land. There would be a brief war of Honor against the Makassri on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, though no territorial gains would come of it. Also on Sulawesi, the colony of Gorontalo would be finished in 1733. He would also help the Netherlands conquer half of East Frisia in a nationalistic war that wrapped up in 1733.
Celebrations would occur throughout the empire with the birth of Charles’ son Louis in 1732. Louis was healthy and grew healthier everyday, and the succession was secure. Sadly, Charles IX himself would not last much longer, passing away in 1734.
(It may be a while before the next update – Louis XIII will be a big one...)
North America, with all the weird colonial borders in the French and Danish holdings.
Central America. French Guyana has run out of space to expand.
Indonesian expansion
Louis XIII 1734-1803
At two years old, Louis XIII ascended the throne when his father died. During his regency, France went through a period of economic expansion. Many new manufactories sprung up, the reformed church found many new converts, and the colonial nations expanded. In 1742, the colony of Louisiana absorbed the Ojibwa native American nation. A vassalization treaty would be concluded with the Sioux, who would then be able to expand into their neighbors with French help.
Louis XIII would have a particularly unlucky childhood. He would lose his mother to influenza when he was six. He would grow closer to the royal advisors who became substitute parents, but tragedy would strike again in August 1743 when two of them, Barthelemy de Bercy (a brilliant minter who was largely responsible for the financial boom France was experiencing) and the famous Kongolese army reformer Kalala Ilunga Kalonji died on the same day in a carriage accident.
(A sad day in August. Fortunately, I noticed I was starting to finally make some serious ducets around this time)
(French subject nations. Most are OPMs.)
There was a week of celebration when Louis ascended to the throne in his own right in 1747. He was widely regarded as a very good king, something of a workaholic, though difficult occasionally to get along with (4/2/4). He would also frequently give speeches about the importance of Imperialism, setting the groundwork to justify future invasions around the globe. (The imperialism CB was gained around this time.) A war against Maravi and Buganda in Africa netted a few provinces in the southeast of the continent and in the center French control expanded to lake Victoria by 1753. Colonies continued to be established, with the southwest corner of Australia settled during the 1750, and the last few suitable territories in Africa would be settled between 1750 and 1800.
Back in Europe, he answered a Dutch call-to-arms against Bremen and soon found an opportunity to invade Sienna, expanding French control into Italy. While that conflict would continue until 1757, Louis XIII initiated additional imperialistic campaigns against what was left of Luba in Africa. The French finally had the justification they needed to expand the French Yucatan colonial nation at the expense of Can Pech, reaching the Pacific at last in 1761. Also in 1761, Sardinia would be fully annexed and returned to French control.
The ascendant HRE power of Ravensburg had taken out Lorraine, and Louis saw an opportunity to regain the territory lost during his grandmother’s reign and accidently given away during his great-grandmother’s. Austria was not willing to come to Ravensburg’s defense as they were already mad at them for holding illegal territory in the first place. French troops moved in and a peace was signed in 1764. This time the French troops were there to stay, and this time Louis would firmly stand up to the Emperor. He then felt confident enough to invade the one remnants of Savoy. Savoy was allied to Spain, but when the dust settled in 1766, France controlled not only Piedmont some patches of colonial land connecting the French colonial nations to their native allies of Caddo and Osage. (I had hoped that I could vassalize them through the colonial nations – no such luck). The Illiniwek were then conquered in 1768, and the Sioux were rewarded with their loyalty with their neighbors’ land.
Hostilities against the HRE resumed in 1771, when Austria and Bavaria turned on Ravensburg. Louis XIII managed to grab two more provinces off the HRE, then continued to take advantage of the HRE’s internal turmoil to finally absorb the troublesome Hainaut and take Bern off the enemy’s ally of Switzerland by 1773, before Austria was done with Ravensburg. At this point, he had more than made up for his grandmother Jeanne’s failures.
These successes were noteworthy, but paled in comparison to French expansion on the other side of the world in Japan. The initial invasion of Japan was performed by Manchu, who by 1773 managed to control the north and south ends of the islands. Then the Portuguese arrived in 1777, carving out the middle of the country for themselves. However, the Japanese resisted this foreign rule and multiple rebellions sprung up. Before long, rebels of various stripes controlled most of the islands, and a few independent daimyos had established themselves.
It was into this ground the French entered in the early 1780s. Starting at Tsushima island, they quickly took out a few upstart daimyos in the south and north. The colonial subjects were very helpful in clearing out the rebellious and criminal elements from the area as the army moved, until, on the 6thof June 1785, Kyoto fell. While the center of the country was still controlled by one daimyo claiming to representing the Japanese government and the Portuguese still held the middle of the island, large bands of hostile rebels still ran freely in the area, and Louis decided to consolidate his gains rather than press on further at this point.
Louis XIII, like his own father before him, would not have an heir of his own until later in life. At the age of 52, he finally celebrated this birth of his son, Louis, on the 26thof August 1785.
Just because he was now a family man did not mean that Louis XIII was done with his imperialistic ambitions. He moved to acquire several pieces of lightly guarded real estate around the globe, hoping to add safe harbor for the French navy, which he was also working on expanding at this stage of his life. Back during the Japan affair in 1781, the two provinces that remained of Jimma in the Horn of Africa was taken over. In 1791, conquests were resumed in Japan, almost the entire country was taken over, save the territory held by Manchu and Portugal (the later of which lost out to rebels who provided little resistance to the French troops). The Siagoku culture was promoted in order to make the Francification of Japan easier. In 1792, the tiny province of Mosquito, still in the hands of natives in Central America, was conquered in a matter of weeks and handed over to French Guyana. North of Japan, the desolate province of Chukchi was invaded before Russia could get to it in 1794; with so little real estate unclaimed by European powers at this point, Louis felt it might make a decent (if unpleasant) stopover for naval vessels and merchant ships traveling between Japan and the Pacific coast of Mexico. Finally, French Yucatan itself would see a couple more provinces added as more of the dwindling natives were displaced in 1801.
Louis XIII left the kingdom with finances as robust as when he took over. He would initate another campaign in Africa with the aim of connecting the western and eastern holdings, but would not survive to see it through. It was said that he collapsed at his desk, working up until the end, at the age of 71.
At two years old, Louis XIII ascended the throne when his father died. During his regency, France went through a period of economic expansion. Many new manufactories sprung up, the reformed church found many new converts, and the colonial nations expanded. In 1742, the colony of Louisiana absorbed the Ojibwa native American nation. A vassalization treaty would be concluded with the Sioux, who would then be able to expand into their neighbors with French help.
Louis XIII would have a particularly unlucky childhood. He would lose his mother to influenza when he was six. He would grow closer to the royal advisors who became substitute parents, but tragedy would strike again in August 1743 when two of them, Barthelemy de Bercy (a brilliant minter who was largely responsible for the financial boom France was experiencing) and the famous Kongolese army reformer Kalala Ilunga Kalonji died on the same day in a carriage accident.
(A sad day in August. Fortunately, I noticed I was starting to finally make some serious ducets around this time)
(French subject nations. Most are OPMs.)
There was a week of celebration when Louis ascended to the throne in his own right in 1747. He was widely regarded as a very good king, something of a workaholic, though difficult occasionally to get along with (4/2/4). He would also frequently give speeches about the importance of Imperialism, setting the groundwork to justify future invasions around the globe. (The imperialism CB was gained around this time.) A war against Maravi and Buganda in Africa netted a few provinces in the southeast of the continent and in the center French control expanded to lake Victoria by 1753. Colonies continued to be established, with the southwest corner of Australia settled during the 1750, and the last few suitable territories in Africa would be settled between 1750 and 1800.
Back in Europe, he answered a Dutch call-to-arms against Bremen and soon found an opportunity to invade Sienna, expanding French control into Italy. While that conflict would continue until 1757, Louis XIII initiated additional imperialistic campaigns against what was left of Luba in Africa. The French finally had the justification they needed to expand the French Yucatan colonial nation at the expense of Can Pech, reaching the Pacific at last in 1761. Also in 1761, Sardinia would be fully annexed and returned to French control.
The ascendant HRE power of Ravensburg had taken out Lorraine, and Louis saw an opportunity to regain the territory lost during his grandmother’s reign and accidently given away during his great-grandmother’s. Austria was not willing to come to Ravensburg’s defense as they were already mad at them for holding illegal territory in the first place. French troops moved in and a peace was signed in 1764. This time the French troops were there to stay, and this time Louis would firmly stand up to the Emperor. He then felt confident enough to invade the one remnants of Savoy. Savoy was allied to Spain, but when the dust settled in 1766, France controlled not only Piedmont some patches of colonial land connecting the French colonial nations to their native allies of Caddo and Osage. (I had hoped that I could vassalize them through the colonial nations – no such luck). The Illiniwek were then conquered in 1768, and the Sioux were rewarded with their loyalty with their neighbors’ land.
Hostilities against the HRE resumed in 1771, when Austria and Bavaria turned on Ravensburg. Louis XIII managed to grab two more provinces off the HRE, then continued to take advantage of the HRE’s internal turmoil to finally absorb the troublesome Hainaut and take Bern off the enemy’s ally of Switzerland by 1773, before Austria was done with Ravensburg. At this point, he had more than made up for his grandmother Jeanne’s failures.
These successes were noteworthy, but paled in comparison to French expansion on the other side of the world in Japan. The initial invasion of Japan was performed by Manchu, who by 1773 managed to control the north and south ends of the islands. Then the Portuguese arrived in 1777, carving out the middle of the country for themselves. However, the Japanese resisted this foreign rule and multiple rebellions sprung up. Before long, rebels of various stripes controlled most of the islands, and a few independent daimyos had established themselves.
It was into this ground the French entered in the early 1780s. Starting at Tsushima island, they quickly took out a few upstart daimyos in the south and north. The colonial subjects were very helpful in clearing out the rebellious and criminal elements from the area as the army moved, until, on the 6thof June 1785, Kyoto fell. While the center of the country was still controlled by one daimyo claiming to representing the Japanese government and the Portuguese still held the middle of the island, large bands of hostile rebels still ran freely in the area, and Louis decided to consolidate his gains rather than press on further at this point.
Louis XIII, like his own father before him, would not have an heir of his own until later in life. At the age of 52, he finally celebrated this birth of his son, Louis, on the 26thof August 1785.
Just because he was now a family man did not mean that Louis XIII was done with his imperialistic ambitions. He moved to acquire several pieces of lightly guarded real estate around the globe, hoping to add safe harbor for the French navy, which he was also working on expanding at this stage of his life. Back during the Japan affair in 1781, the two provinces that remained of Jimma in the Horn of Africa was taken over. In 1791, conquests were resumed in Japan, almost the entire country was taken over, save the territory held by Manchu and Portugal (the later of which lost out to rebels who provided little resistance to the French troops). The Siagoku culture was promoted in order to make the Francification of Japan easier. In 1792, the tiny province of Mosquito, still in the hands of natives in Central America, was conquered in a matter of weeks and handed over to French Guyana. North of Japan, the desolate province of Chukchi was invaded before Russia could get to it in 1794; with so little real estate unclaimed by European powers at this point, Louis felt it might make a decent (if unpleasant) stopover for naval vessels and merchant ships traveling between Japan and the Pacific coast of Mexico. Finally, French Yucatan itself would see a couple more provinces added as more of the dwindling natives were displaced in 1801.
Louis XIII left the kingdom with finances as robust as when he took over. He would initate another campaign in Africa with the aim of connecting the western and eastern holdings, but would not survive to see it through. It was said that he collapsed at his desk, working up until the end, at the age of 71.
Yes. Portugal still has a diminished core, and Manchu has a couple enclaves, and the last remants of the old Japanese government fled to the northernmost islands. Wound up with a decent chunk of the principal islands, which I credit to being ready to exploit geopolitcial oppurtunites. Only one more monarch to go...
(Meanwhile, my Prussia game has just passed 1800 and I'll be ready to Revoke the Privelaga in 2-3 years. About 50 princes to work with, only 5-6 likely to leave the empire. New goal is to get #1 Great Power (#3 now) and form HRE in the last year. Not a bad recovery from an ousted brandenburg with half the territory stolen by the PLC.)
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Louis XIV 1805-
Efficient and charismatic, but a little reckless (5/4/2), Louis XIV is mostly known for the abolishment of slavery and other more liberal social reforms. He took over from his father on Feb 19 1805, with the French-Maravaian Imperialist War in full swing. It was wrapped up at the end of 1806, with the French finally achieving a connection between the east and west coasts of Africa, leaving them in full control of most of the continent south of the Sahara. In addition, the Brits, who came to Maravi’s aid, were forced to cede Ulster, which Louis hoped would be able to help block off Ireland from British reinforcement in future wars (this would be the last conflict with Britain during the course of this game however)
After this, Louis would give some attention to financial affairs and would be pleased to learn that the economy was quite robust and, despite not excelling in any one area, France had the largest income in the world overall. He would also examine the anthropological makeup of the New World; not only did many native tribes (such as the Carib) retain their cultural identity even after converting to Christianity and centuries of speaking French. It was also noted that several of the Spanish and English colonists in the region were starting to call themselves “Mexican” and “American” respectively.
In 1811, Louis XIV would press French claims to India and invade Vijayanagar. Vijayanagar was warring with several of its northern neighbors at the time. 100,000 troops were sent to the region, and were split into two forces. One advanced down the coast while the other headed to relieve Malwa once the Indian forces were able to react. The 50,000 men intercepted a group of 60,000 Vijayanagar troops. The French forces, better equipped and less demoralized, kept up an impressive kill ratio. Soon another group of 60,000 enemies moved to reinforce, and the second French detachment abandoned the siege of the coastal forts and moved to join the battle. Thousands died each day, but Vijayanagar kept bringing more and more forces to bear in 60,000 and 80,000 increments. The French bravely fought on, continuing to tear into the Indian forces, but in the end there were just too many of them. Eventually, after months of bloody fighting, the French army was overran.
With nothing stopping Vijayanagar from taking the French territories that remained in India, Louis XIV reached a surprisingly favorable peace treaty. The small vassal of Malwa would be absorbed into Vijayanagar at last. The vassal agreements with the Caddo and Osage would also be terminated (good riddance, many court nobles believed, as they were not really pulling their weight in North America and would not be voluntarily added to Louisiana and New France as originally planned. Also, there were two provinces in Japan that still had Portuguese cores after they were captured during Louis XIII’s invasions; they were returned to Portugal (who had remained a loyal ally for centuries). Louis XIV managed to spin this into a win, in that overextended diplomatic relations were trimmed down, but the number of funerals held across France belied that optimism.
This loss was countered by gains in Europe. A war of conquest against Venice and Switzerland added four more highly developed provinces to the French sphere of influence in 1817. (Also note the Austrian enclave that has been controlled by a large rebel army for decades). However, not long after the ink was dry on the peace treaty did bad news arrive from French Guyana. Somehow, Friesland had managed to take over most the colonial nation during the previous conflict (were they able to declare war without calling me in while I was distracted? Did Friesian rebels cross over and were able to enforce their demands?). Also, several nations had entered a coalition against further French expansion.
While he was pondering this new foreign policy situation, a call-to-arms from Potugal arrived in 1817; they had declared war on Manchuria. This final war would close out the game, with most of the conflict taking place in Japan.
Efficient and charismatic, but a little reckless (5/4/2), Louis XIV is mostly known for the abolishment of slavery and other more liberal social reforms. He took over from his father on Feb 19 1805, with the French-Maravaian Imperialist War in full swing. It was wrapped up at the end of 1806, with the French finally achieving a connection between the east and west coasts of Africa, leaving them in full control of most of the continent south of the Sahara. In addition, the Brits, who came to Maravi’s aid, were forced to cede Ulster, which Louis hoped would be able to help block off Ireland from British reinforcement in future wars (this would be the last conflict with Britain during the course of this game however)
After this, Louis would give some attention to financial affairs and would be pleased to learn that the economy was quite robust and, despite not excelling in any one area, France had the largest income in the world overall. He would also examine the anthropological makeup of the New World; not only did many native tribes (such as the Carib) retain their cultural identity even after converting to Christianity and centuries of speaking French. It was also noted that several of the Spanish and English colonists in the region were starting to call themselves “Mexican” and “American” respectively.
In 1811, Louis XIV would press French claims to India and invade Vijayanagar. Vijayanagar was warring with several of its northern neighbors at the time. 100,000 troops were sent to the region, and were split into two forces. One advanced down the coast while the other headed to relieve Malwa once the Indian forces were able to react. The 50,000 men intercepted a group of 60,000 Vijayanagar troops. The French forces, better equipped and less demoralized, kept up an impressive kill ratio. Soon another group of 60,000 enemies moved to reinforce, and the second French detachment abandoned the siege of the coastal forts and moved to join the battle. Thousands died each day, but Vijayanagar kept bringing more and more forces to bear in 60,000 and 80,000 increments. The French bravely fought on, continuing to tear into the Indian forces, but in the end there were just too many of them. Eventually, after months of bloody fighting, the French army was overran.
With nothing stopping Vijayanagar from taking the French territories that remained in India, Louis XIV reached a surprisingly favorable peace treaty. The small vassal of Malwa would be absorbed into Vijayanagar at last. The vassal agreements with the Caddo and Osage would also be terminated (good riddance, many court nobles believed, as they were not really pulling their weight in North America and would not be voluntarily added to Louisiana and New France as originally planned. Also, there were two provinces in Japan that still had Portuguese cores after they were captured during Louis XIII’s invasions; they were returned to Portugal (who had remained a loyal ally for centuries). Louis XIV managed to spin this into a win, in that overextended diplomatic relations were trimmed down, but the number of funerals held across France belied that optimism.
This loss was countered by gains in Europe. A war of conquest against Venice and Switzerland added four more highly developed provinces to the French sphere of influence in 1817. (Also note the Austrian enclave that has been controlled by a large rebel army for decades). However, not long after the ink was dry on the peace treaty did bad news arrive from French Guyana. Somehow, Friesland had managed to take over most the colonial nation during the previous conflict (were they able to declare war without calling me in while I was distracted? Did Friesian rebels cross over and were able to enforce their demands?). Also, several nations had entered a coalition against further French expansion.
While he was pondering this new foreign policy situation, a call-to-arms from Potugal arrived in 1817; they had declared war on Manchuria. This final war would close out the game, with most of the conflict taking place in Japan.
Thank you for joining me on my journey to learn more about eu4. I will be taking any questions on my decisions and experience, as well as comments on any particular brilliant or boneheaded moves that I made.
My Brandenburg ---> Prussia ---> HRE game is mostly in the books (4 years to go, went ahead and formed the Empire as I don't really feel like trying to cram in one more war and want to experiment with a united empire (even though I will have to perform a massive military demobilization) for a bit, and I'll be presenting an AAR soon. I also plan on writing it with a slightly different style as I took many more screenshots to document major events.
I still haven't decided which nation to play for the next game....leaning towards Venice to see how republics work and to experience more of the naval game and learn more about trade, but also considering campaigns around forming the US, playing outside of Europe, and other ideas.
My Brandenburg ---> Prussia ---> HRE game is mostly in the books (4 years to go, went ahead and formed the Empire as I don't really feel like trying to cram in one more war and want to experiment with a united empire (even though I will have to perform a massive military demobilization) for a bit, and I'll be presenting an AAR soon. I also plan on writing it with a slightly different style as I took many more screenshots to document major events.
I still haven't decided which nation to play for the next game....leaning towards Venice to see how republics work and to experience more of the naval game and learn more about trade, but also considering campaigns around forming the US, playing outside of Europe, and other ideas.
Thanks! I just passed 465 hours. I think I am no longer a "total noob" and can now be classified as "beginner".
I am also probably in the minority in this, but I usually play at speed 1, only pausing when I need to take care of several things at once. Sometimes I go as fast as speed 3 if I really want to move things along, but for the most part I found running at speed 1 is a good way to take in all the information from all the different menus and letting time feel like it's passing while also not letting things get out of hand. More than once I've noticed my neighbors troop movement/buildup at this speed and was able to capitalize on the situation (either attacking them, their enemy, or their ally). Point is, 450+ hours for three complete 1444-1821 games at speed 1 is reasonable, and I probably have the equivalent experience (though obviously different) of someone who's played a dozen games at speed 4 or 5 but not beyond year 1700. It's great that EU4 can accommodate so many different styles of play, and I would never have imaged that a snail-pace, role-playing, roll-with-the-punches approach would be the way to experience it that I would ultimately enjoy the most.
Enjoyed reading through this AAR, but had to comment when I saw this. I normally run at speed 5, dropping to speed 4 for wars. And for my own AARs, I typically run at speed 3 to make sure I don't miss anything, and even that seems painfully slow to me. I just can't imagine what playing through on speed 1 must be like. Good to see that we can enjoy this great game in different ways!