From vassal to Empire - Sweden 1492

[unmerged(1180)]

I edited the grand campaign so that I could play Sweden.

1492. I found myself as a vassal of Denmark. My army is strong, though techincally inferior to most European nations.

I swiftly declare war on Denmark. I need to get that vassilization off. Also, Skåne and Gotland is tempting targets.

My South Army moves into Skåne and lays siege to Lund. Meanwhile, the navy transports the Finnish Army to Gotland, fighting of a small Danish flotilla on the way.

A newly raised Army in Västergötland manage to fend off Danish attacks from Jämtland and Östlandet.

After 5 years of vicous warfare, in which Sweden captures Finnmark, Narvik, Gotland, Skåne and Östlandet denmark finally agree to a peace. Gotland and Skåne becomes Swedish.

No time to waste, my troops board the transports setting off east.

Declaring war against Courland was a wise desicion, it tunrs out. I loose stability, but the rich province of Kurland with its Center of Trade can be quickly annexed, along with a sizable Courland fleet and a few thousand men of the Courland field army.

Appearantly, Poland do not fancy me siezing Kurland. They outright hate me!

I manage to get a royal marriage with Russia, and soon they offer me to join their alliance with Pskov and the Golden Horde. I happily accept.

 

[unmerged(1180)]

Development and coups

Sweden has gained two really rich provinces. Is the king of Sweden happy? No!

The Baltic MUST become Mare Balticum!

Poland is a problem. They are very strong, and their alliance with Georgia, Hungary and Hansaetic States is very worryin. Swedens alliance with Russia and Pskov largely make up for this, though.

After some years of developing and increasing the Swedish Army, a rider arrives at the court in Stockholm.

The Hansaetic Legue's alliance with Poland has expired!

With grim determination, the king orders the admiral to transport all available troops to the southern Baltic Sea. Soon, Sweden declare war upon the Hansaetic Legue.

Why? Sweden has a powerful Army in Kurland, and the huge armies of Russia awaits, in case Poland would intervene. A rare chance to overome the economically superior Hansa has presented itself, and the strong Swedish king has decided to take advantage of the situation.

Eastern Pommerania falls quickly to the Swedish army, as it now incorporates field artillery. The meager Hansaetic Army is no macth for the brave Swedish and Finnish boys.

The king is pleased. An annexation of the entire Hansaetic Legue is in sight. Intelligence reports the Hansa fleet as strong, but their field armies as patethic. Their castles are small and unmodern. They will quickly crumble under the heavy artillery of von Melen's troops.

Then: Disaster!!

Poland-Lithuania declares war, despite already at war with Turkey. Fortunately, Russia honours the alliance, and the king's doughter, married to the bother of the Russian Czar, can send ongoing information on huge Russian armies moving west.

The army under von Melen in Eastern Pommerania is quickly shipped to Kurland to reinforce the defences. Meanwhile, the Kurland Army under de la Gardie defeats a small Polish force. Scouts now report more than 80 000 Poles marching north towards Kurland. The combined Swedish armies have less than 50 000 men. In a vicous battle, lasting for weeks, the brave Swedish army under von Melen is defeated and severely decimated. It retreats into Polish territory, hoping to gain aid from Russia.

The Polish forces assaults the fortress in Riga, but the brave defenders manage to hold, despite loosing more than half of its men.

Winter is coming, and the huge Polish army suffers from attrition. Thousands of Poles freeze to death in the most vicous winter Kurland has seen for many years.

As a suprise, the Hansaetic Legue has realized that their weak troops are unable to recapture Eastern Pommerania and offers Sweden a peace, which's terms include an annexation of Eastern Pommerania by Sweden.

The Swedish king, seeing that the fortress in Riga is about to fall in six months, eagerly accepts. A small army is raised in Eastern Pommerania and marches east, pillaging and burning, eventually laying siege to Warszaw.

Victory! The Polish Army besieging Riga is leaving! The tired Finns and Swedes look up from their shelters. Only two thousand defenders remains, but the 40 000 men strong Polish Army is marching away! A cheer comes from the weary and thin troops on the walls of Riga. For eight months they have suffered the siege of a mighty Polish army, beating of two serious assaults!

The king himself visits Riga and promises a farm for every soldier as a reward for their bravery. This is not only because of gratefulness to the brave defenders. Kurland has been pillages and ravaged, and new peasants are required.

Only a month after this, Poland offers a white peace! Sweden accepts, and the Swedish Armies return to Riga. von Melen rides in with girls throwing flowers before him. Riga has proven its loyalty, ans Sweden has proved that it can hold the Poles, altough with a lot of help form Russia.

Also, Eastern Pommerania provides Swede with a rich province on the mainland. Sweden can now attack POland from two directions, should it prove necceseary.

The year is 1532, but Sweden has proven itself as a nation with brave soldiers at its command.

The Teutonic Order proved very silent during the war, as did many other nations.

 

[dr_A]

Very nice. Reminds me that my next game surely will be with Sweden.

 

[Carolus Rex]

Yes, but more on tech development, diplomacy and merchants!

 

[hjarg]

Hmmmm... from what i have heard, total conquest in the beginning of the game isn't that favourable anymore. Your badboy value goes really high and everyone starts attacking you (everyone you have common border with). So you should expect war with Poland every time you go after someone else.

 

[unmerged(1180)]

No shit?

I've had about 20 wars with Poland in 300 years. Jeech!

 

[Carolus Rex]

Yep, making many wars stink...
But if you have few colionists, or none, it can get quite boring...
Though having high techs is great fun too!!
Think I am gonna have that now!!
I'm off playing!

 

[unmerged(1057)]

Nice goin von Adler!

 

[unmerged(1180)]

Another coup

Development continues. There are worries that we have not yet doscovered any new lands to colonize.

After trading maps with Turkey, we know the Arbaian peninsula. The Province of Damman seems like a good base for continued expansion towards india, and a Swedish colony is established.

In the reign of Gustav Eriksson Wasa, new plans are made.

If Poland can be kept out of the war, the Hansaetic League seems like a tempting target. They are only allied with Hannover, which should be easy to overcome.

Holstein is the ultimate target, with its high income and trading harbour.

Unfortunately, our gracious king, Gustav dies before the preparations were ready. Erik XIV, his son, insists on dominating more of the Baltic sea and orders the attack.

While the fleet sails for the south Baltic, carrying the field army to reinforce the troops already present in Eastern Pommerania, we recieve a message that makes us all fall on our knees and thank the Lord.

Poland is at Civil War! Ukraine has broken free, and we can see over 40 000 peasants besieging Danzig! From the smoke rising on the horizon, we estimate that there are several peasant armies fighting the Polish government.

Also, the war between France and Spain-England rages on. The Turks have also declared war on Persia, along with Venice and Austria.

All of the world is at war. No one will notice the small war on the northern end of the world. Sweden can in peace and quit annex the Hansaetic Legue.

The fleet lands the main army in Eastern Pommerania and sets sail for Kurland. Poland is no threat and the Kurland army can join the fighting in Northern Germany.

Sweden declares war, neglecting the offer from Pskov and Russia to join the attack.

Immediately, a small Hansa Army is defeated as they try to march into Eastern Pommerania. The Eastern Army now march into Western Pommerania and starts to besiege the fortress. An assault fails, but the siege will be short, due to the minimal fortifications.

Meanwhile, the Kurland army lands in Holstein after a fierce but short naval battle. The Kurland army assaults the fortress and is victorious wiht minimal casualties! The brave finns and swedes have once again proven their valor!

Hannoverian troops try to force the Holstein Army away, but they are beaten after a long and vicous figth, with high casualties on both sides. The dead lied in piles on both sides and blood coloured the river red.

In August, Western Pommerania fell, and the Eastern Army moved into Mecklemburg. The Holstein Army recieved some reinforcements from Skåne and marched south, into Bremen.

Erik XIV was worried about attrition, and ordered an all-out assault on both fortresses, in a faint hope of ending the war before winter.

Equipped with helmets and pikes, young Finnish and Swedish farming boys stormed against the walls of Mecklemburg and Pommern. The gunpowder smoke lied thick, and masked the movements of the yougn boys. They forged a breach, stormed the walls and challenged the defenders in a blank weapons charge! 'Hakka Pellä!' came from the Finns, and 'Hugg in!' from the Sweden, the battlecry of this day.


In only three days, both Mecklemburg and Bremen fell! In a true grace of God, we had defeated the Hansa! The following peace talks were held in a smoking Mecklemburg, the capital of the once-mighty Hansaetic Legue. The Hansa representants were forces to accept a complete annexation of their lands by the Swedish King!

Long live the King!

So far, no other nations, except Hansa's ally Hannover had declared war. The grand politics did apperantly not allow for involvement in a minor conflict in a backward corner of Europe.

Hannover, yes. They had to be dealt wiht. The king ordered the Holstein and Eastern Armies to combine their strength into a Royal Army, that marches souht into Hannover itself. A small Hannoverian Army was brushed aside as it tried to make a stand outside the very city walls of Hannover.

Winter was here, and attrition high. Many brave finns and swedes died from starvation and pneumonia every day. The king looked at the emptied coffers of Sweden and once again put everything on one card. The Royal Army would assault Hannover.

Once again, the battle-hardened young Swedish and Finnish boys lined upp with pikes, clubs and swords. Many died from the guns at the walls of Hannover, but the walls were scaled and the defenders charged with blank weapons.

The battle-hardened, thin, weary, dirty, ragged and yellig Finns and Swedes became to much for the Hannoverian defenders. They broke and ran, leaving the city at Sweden's mercy!!

Erik XIV quickly negotiated a peace treaty, well knowing that the Royal Army had suffered huge casualties, now numbering less than 10 000 men and soon to be facing more than 12 000 Hannoverians that were marching south in forcer marches.

Erik XIV demanded 1000 Gold Ducats in indemnities and recieved more than 900!! Peace had been re-established, Sweden had aquired all the rich Hansa provinces, with the huge and rich Holstein in the front, and recieved more than 900 Gold Ducats in indemnities.

We knew this was a sign from God the gracious himself. Soon, we converted to the one true faith: Protestantism.

 

[unmerged(1057)]

Beware von Adler to rely too much on the cheatin Finns..
(just kidding)

 

[unmerged(1348)]

The Swedish empire and the dream of Baltic domination. I achieved it today, but I had to give away Kurland because I had been at war constantly for ten years and I was desperate for peace so the revolts would all end.

Nevermind, I'll take it back in a couple of years.

 

[hjarg]

You can soon call Baltic sea Mare Nostrum (our sea) as Romans did call the Mediterrain sea . Hmmmmm... how many still have acess to Baltic? Danes, Polish, Prussians? About all, i think. Oh, and don't forget to colonize some islands in Caribbean... nice place to live after you retire