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Cow Pie - Absolutely. I am definitely planning at least one or two new AAR's after this.

Braedonnal - Thanks for the compliments. I had some personal issues which meant I couldn’t devote the time to the game like I used to. Hopefully this will change :)

Morpheus506 - Well hopefully you wont have to wait too long. I played up to 1736 last night. There is a gap between the last installment and about 1706 (or so) as the original notes I made during that occasion are now gone. I have turned france into easily the strongest world power and virtually brushed aside a series of badboy wars in the 1730's. Good stuff.

Estonianzulu - Huzzah!
 
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Mmm, BB wars.... I smell some tasty conquest coming up! :D
 
Morpheus506 said:
Mmm, BB wars.... I smell some tasty conquest coming up! :D

I entered into two of them in the 1730's and, if i recall, in the 1750/60's a couple of nights back. I made some pretty cool "acquisitions" ;)...

I wont be doing any updates until i finish the game - which isnt that far off to be truthful, ten or so more years.
 
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I'll be waiting to hear all about it!
 
Part XV. Military and Economic Power.

In 1702 a terrible fire ravaged the French Imperial Library and a huge swathe of records covering the period from 1693-1702 are lost forever. Sketchy information was uncovered and presented for your edification.

From 1693 to 1694 huge armies and fortfications are established in Savoie and Genoa reading to enact a french declaration of war against unaligned and vulnerable Venice. The reason for the war is obvious... the wealth of Milan alone is coveted greatly. Venetian forces are brushed aside as Milan, Mantua and Venice come under enermous and well sustained sieges. Venice itself falls in April 1695 although that was never in doubt from the start. In February 1696 demands for the cessation of Milan to French rule are ignominously accepted (Fig.62).

In 1703-4 the first attempts to colonise North America, beyond Louisiana, are attempted with the settlement of Quebec (Fig.63)... a huge area untouched since the arrival of the europeans... even the English hadnt penetrated that far. In 1704 early clocks ensured that storms posed no further threat to travel on the sea in turbulent times.

In 1705, somewhat awkwardly the Palatinat (France and England) declared War on Austria (Spain, Austria, Papal States Poland-Lithuania. Helvetia and Wurtemburg), and the French were left pondering what to do with the status quo on the eastern part of their kingdom... in addition to the southern power of Spain. After 9 days of deliberations it was decided that France should uphold the Protestant alliance and defend its lands. Armies used in the occupation of Milan and the defense of Genoa were allocated to sieges of Tyrol and an invasion of Northern Italy. An immense, near 200,000 man strong, army descended towards spain (Fig.64)... keen to knock them out early. An additional front was opened in Louisiana were successes were quickly made. Rather than risk losing virtually all of their colonies the spanish hastily offered Rio Grande and Wichita were we agreed to free up huge armies currently besieging northern spain.

The full weight of the French Army was sent eastwards and the large forces quickly overran the heavily defended swiss forcing them into a white peace rather than annex them. Northern italy quickly falls to marauding french forces culminating in the fall of rome in April 1706. It is decided that the Papacy should be ruled by France and the vatican state is annexed (Fig.65) causing huge consternation accross europe. The war however is far from over...

Fig. 62 - - - - - - Fig. 63 - - - - - - Fig. 64 - - - - - - Fig. 66​
 
Part XVI. Master of Europe.

The quick defeat of Spain, the humbling of Eastern France, and the annexation of a good slice of italy prove to europe that the power of France cannot be under-estimated in any manner. Austria, one of the few combatants remaining, begins to plea for a white peace almost immediately. The pleas fall upon deaf ears as the French seek "proper" clarification of peace. Unconditional peace of course...

In october 1706, with the fall of Tyrol, the Polish decide they do not want to be next and sue for peace. The French, keen to isolate them, agree. Intense battles in Austria, including on the outskirts of Vienna convince the Austrians to cede Tyrol to the French. The war in Europe, started by the puny Palatinat is over, leaving France master of an increasingly powerful and influential protestant alliance.

One of the more curious developments in this time is the moroccan capture of Mantua (Fig.66). Initially stunned, this islamic incursion at the very borders of France positively riles the king, and he instructs his armies to attack at one of the key centres of islam... the Ottoman Empire. Despite attending to severe rebellions in Tyrol and throughout French Italy an enormous buildup culminates in the creation of a formidable Navy (Fig.67) which is designed to carry a huge army under the pretense of "liberating the greeks from turkish slavery"... In 1714 the self-styled crusade sales eastwards towards their destination.

The fleet arrives (Fig.68) in August 1714 in the adriatic, ionian and black seas where a stunned sultan is handed a declaration by tens of thousands of frenchmen encamped outside of Istanbul. The Crusade is a complete pushover shattering the myth of Ottoman "invincibility". The strongest christian power utterly annihilated ottoman armies sent to face it. In April 1715 the Ottoman fleet is destroyed and sent to the bottom of the black sea. This is followed by the capture of Macedonia, Anatolia, Istanbul (which is ransacked), and the rest of Greece. A second fleet sent to Morocco captures Fez and forces the release of Mantua to French rule. The ottomans are suitably humiliated as all of Modern Greece is ceeded to the French unconditionally (Fig.69).

Fig. 66 - - - - - - Fig. 67 - - - - - - Fig. 68 - - - - - - Fig. 69​

Please note - Illyria is in fact Swedish!
 
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Ahhaha, that made me laugh. Swedish Illyria.... :D

Nice job handling the war. I just wonder--how do the Orthodox Greeks like going from Islamic rule to Protestant? :D ;)
 
Morpheus506 said:
Ahhaha, that made me laugh. Swedish Illyria.... :D

Nice job handling the war. I just wonder--how do the Orthodox Greeks like going from Islamic rule to Protestant? :D ;)

Morpheus506 - It doesn’t remain Swedish for much longer ;) As for the Greeks, from what I have seen they have welcomed French rule with open arms... It seems to be a far more attractive prospect than being ruled by the Turk.
 
Part XVII. Louis XV, l'etat c'est moi.

In 1723, Louis XV was coronated King of France, and all her domains. He inherited a large and powerful state, argueably the most powerful anywhere in Europe. His interests were primarily in expanding the growing French colonies in the new world, and of continuing the crusade against the heathen Turks. In September 1730 he authorised a declaration of war and two vast armies marched on Macedonia to the north (Fig.70). The Turks however, had not sat idle, and had somehow enlisted the military assistance of the Dutch. The Dutch, were the only serious opposition to France, in Europe as they fielded a massive and far more technologically proficient army. They were fortunately lacking however in capable leaders, a fact the French would soon exploit.

In March 1731 the Dutch invade Hainault (Fig.71) in the Low Countries with a monstrously huge army. It was decided that combat with this force should, initially, be avoided. The Dutch would remain a thorn in the side of the French until the decisive defeat of the Turks. The Turks, humiliated again by rampagaing French forces, were forced to cede Macedonia and the Cyclades to French rule (Fig.72). The Dutch meanwhile, had inflicted impressive defeats on the French armies, were left with nothing. The only substantial developments in the few years after the war was the consolidation of French forces in the North of France and in Greece along with the increase of French influence in Lousiana (Fig.73) in the Americas.

Fig. 70 - - - - - - Fig. 71 - - - - - - Fig. 72 - - - - - - Fig. 73​
 
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Part XVIII. Growing Italian Influence.

Shortly after the conclusion of the war against the Turk, Louis XV was to cast his eyes at the remaining independent provinces in Italy, he wanted them - and backed by the powerful and seemingly invincible armies declared war on the hapless Tuscans in May 1735. Multiple armies (Fig.74) invaded the two province kingdom and swept away the tiny defence force and two years later, in April 1737, Tuscany was annexed to France (Fig.75). The French influence and agression in Italy did not cease there, and for several years after, the French - aided with huge subsidies, "encouraged the Venetians to enter a vassalisation agreement in 1746 (Fig.76). Meanwhile, the provinces in Quebec, in the north continued to grow apace and by 1747 had grown to engulf the st.lawrence and all of nova scotia and new brunswick (Fig.77). English settlers, although they had a right to settle, had simply not bothered to colonise the lands.

Fig. 74 - - - - - - Fig. 75 - - - - - - Fig. 76 - - - - - - Fig. 77​
 
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Mm, conquest. Can't wait for you to get your pics up so we can see your new acquisitions :D
 
Part XIX. The Unification of Italy.

Unexpectedly on May the 1st 1758 England (France & Prussia) declare war on Spain (Russia & Scotland). This is a surprising but welcome development as it allows France to finally realise a united italy under French rule. The armies are mobilized and sent to Naples and into northern Spain where they quickly score impressive victories against the Spanish. In November of 1758 Naples had already fallen and Northern Spain utterly decimated. By May 1759, a war weary Spain agree to cede the provinces in Naples to france, eliminating the last vestiges of Spanish rule there. Seeing the opportunity France quickly declare war on Modena (Austria, Poland-Lithuania, Helvetia, Wurtemburg, and Georgia) and soon annexed the small kingdom. France, however, are left fighting a large alliance...

 
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Part XX. The Empire of France.

The war with Modena, despite their recent annexation, continued unabated for several years afterwards. Helvetia, despite the huge fortifications and supposed neutrality, found themselves eventually under control - and later - annexed by France*. Shortly after the annexation of the Swiss, Palatinate and her allies, declared war on France. They were, however, bought off with a huge indemnity (500d) so that the focus of the fighting could be brought against the Austrians. The war was to spiral off into other theatres as other nations, weary of French imperialism, declared war (Some serious badboy wars erupted!). French armies found themselves fighting from the low countries to macedonia.

By 1763, France had enlarged her empire to Zeeland from the Netherlands and Bavaria and Salzburg from the Austrians**. In 1765, the Turks humiliated from the recent capture of Istanbul, were forced to handover control of Bulgaria**. By 1776, the Spanish, who had also become involved in the conflict found themselves loosing Gerona in Europe and the last remnants of La Florida in the New World****. It was a glorious time in French history -- and indeed for her allies, England, who had not faltered even once in her loyalty to France.

 
Yay, BB wars! :D

I find England's devoted loyalty to France very funny....:p
 
Ok, then I guess I will shout.
The French seem to be unstopable, one wonders if we will see the flag of France from sea to sea.
 
Well Languish we are some that are reading your great AAR, so please keep it going:) We might be few, but we are all great fans who wants to hear more from your tale about France:D