-
We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
- Status
Wämö said:Nice updates.Aren't Charles and the Emperor a tad old?
I decided to make them 18 when I started posting. That way it'd be feasable for them to be around the whole time. :rofl:
The blue in Africa (besides me) is Oman and Bundlekhun, a nation added in VIP.
Chapter 14
January 1, 1870
January 1, 1870:
Joshua awoke with the worst hang over he'd ever had in his life. He had spent last night drinking and enjoying himself until his body could not physically take any more, at which point he passed out. Somehow he ended up in his bed. I just hope, Joshua thought, that I didn't do anything too . . . Know what? Screw it! This last year was an amazing year! I finally got my first colony and it wasn't even all that difficult. Now I need some more. Speaking of which, I really need to send word for Admiral Ford to return home. He will receive an amazing reward. I need to let him finish building the rails down there first, though. I wonder how the weather is down there. Certainly the winters are much better. Some day I'll have to --
Joshua's chaotic and nonsensicle thoughts were interrupted as Bennear and Charles entered his bedroom. Except for Sara and the occasional servant, they were the only ones that he would ever allow to see him in such a condition. Of course, before his spectacular victories for Sweden, Bennear would never have been allowed to see him this way. That was, of course, one of the perks of the successful completion of any assignment -- familiarity with the emperor.
"Emperor, we have captured a Russian ship off of the coast of Sweden. There are armed soldiers aboa--"
"I told you," Charles screamed, "it is Alexander! The soldiers are his bodyguard!"
"I don't care whothe hell is it," Bennear, ever the military man, kept his cool, "foreign soldiers will not be allowed to set foot on Swedish soil without the emperor's permission. Such permission was not granted . . ."
"Your majesty, Bennear has detained the emperor of Russia and disarmed his guards! Certainly he will not allow this to stand. How would you feel if a Russian tried that stunt with you?"
"Our emperor would never make an unannouced visit such as this. If this is indeed the Tsar, perhaps I should teach him a lesson in manners."
Bennear and Charles were facing each other now. Though Bennear was much taller, Charles would not back down, even if it should come to blows. There was no doubt in anyone's mind who would win, but it was a matter of pride. Just like children competing for a father's affections, pain didn't matter to either one of them.
"Enough!" Joshua was loud enough to be heard, but not loud enough to cause his headache to become any worse. "Charles, go see if it truely is Alexander, if it is, have him meet me for lunch --"
"Lunch is over sire. It's 2:30 PM."
"WHATEVER! Have him meet me for dinner. And Bennear, good job. Even if it is Alexander, he has come unannounced. I commend you and your men for catching him. Just don't treat him too rough."
The two men walked out, both with their heads held high. Joshua could tell that both of them felt that they had won their argument. That was exactly what he wanted. Men who felt dejected would be of no use to him.
Later that evening at dinner:
"So, Alexander, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"
Alexander sighed, it was quite obvious that something was weighing heavy on his mind. In fact, if Joshua was not mistaken, it appeared that he was on the verge of tears! How unregal! Luckily for Alexander, Joshua had dismissed all of his servants and advisors. If he were going to cry, now was the perfect time.
"And before I forget, Bennear returned your weapons to your soldiers, did he not? I apologize for that, but certainly you can see his concern."
Alexander nodded. After what seemed like an eternity he finally raised his head. Joshua was right, he was about to cry! In order to shame him as little as possible, Joshua looked away. That's when he noticed that Alexander hadn't touched his food. Why that little, Joshua thought, he's wasting my money and my food! If he wants to do that, he can do it in his own damned --
"I have lost my country Joshua."
For the first time in a while Joshua was caught completely by surprise. Lost his country? Russia wasn't at war with anyone. Even if they were, all Alexander would have to do would be retreat and let attrition fight his battles for him. It worked with Napoleon, after all. Why, the only enemy Alexander had right now was the rebe--
"The communists have taken over. Thankfully I was able to slip away before they were able to catch me. If our capitol still been at Moscow, though . . . suffice it to say, I would be a head shorter."
Communists? Dear Lord! And Joshua was worried about the Tsar trying to take back Finland. These communists, though, they were crazy. They believed that the whole world would eventually become commie. What if they're plotting an attack right --
"What would you have me do? I don't have a large enough army right now to launch an offensive against them. We can't starve them out, they have Ukraine. They can get all of the food they want. I just don't know what I could do to help you."
"You could let me stay here."
The Tsar in Sweden? Joshua never would have imagined it. But, he thought, what if he does stay here and some royalists overthrow the communist regime? After so much war and rebellion they couldn't possibly want to launch another offensive. Sweden cold ransom the Tsar! Kola would be his at the very least!
"Alexander, your father was a friend of Sweden. He was willing to trade us our historic lands in exchange for technology. That was very kind of him. And now, I will return this kindness to you. I will allow you to live in Sweden in exile. There is a wonderful tract of land that I own in Kristianstad. You may have it as long as you live here and you may build a grand palace there if you wish. I will even provide you with food, money, and clothing until you are able to get your finances in order. At that time, you may repay me if you wish. If you are unable, no hard feelings. The most important thing is to keep you healthy."
"Thank you Joshua, you are very kind. I knew you were the only one I could trust. I will gather my things. May God bless you for your kindness here today."
Indeed. It seemed that God had smiled favorably upon Sweden. With all of these rebels everywhere, maybe a province or two would willingly join Sweden. Or, barring that, the communists may be so distrated that Sweden's army, small as it may be, could snatch a few provinces away from the Russian bear. So much to think about. So much to plan . . .
Next: Rebels, Rebels Everywhere
Thanks. And you'll be happy to know that I traded Russia for steamer technology too. I just didn't include it in an update because it wasn't too exciting.
Don't worry, the mighty Swedish navy will set sail soon!
Don't worry, the mighty Swedish navy will set sail soon!
Chapter 15
January 28, 1870
January 28, 1870:
Prologue:
By the end of January the communists were in control of most of Russia.
The Emperor's Palace
". . . so how many more troops would you need for Moscow?"
"Well, it's hard to say emperor, probably twenty--"
Charles burst into the room to find Bennear and the emperor bent over a map. Sara was in the corner of the room reading by herself. Odd, her father must have hired someone to teach her to read. If Charles wasn't mistaken, though, it looked like Bennear and the emperor were looking at a map of Russ-- Bennear rolled up the map, hardly containing a snear as he looked at Charles. This was becoming more and more disturbing to Charles. It seemed that every time he saw Joshua now Bennear was somewhere near. Certainly the emperor hadn't given up on diplomacy completely. He did have a new taste for imperial pursuits, but there had to be a limit.
"What is it Charles?" The emperor was clearly annoyed. Charles must have interrupted something very important.
"Um, your majesty," Bennear's snear was becoming very annoying, "Estonia and Lithuania have declared their independance from Russia." Joshua's eyes widened a bit as he looked at Bennear. "If we were so inclined, we could reinstall the Tsar --"
"What areas do they control?"
"Well, they control. Here, I'll just let you look at the map."
Charles carefully unrolled the map on the emperor's table.
Joshua looked at Bennear. "What do you think?" Bennear paused for a minute, arms crossed, looking down at the map.
"Estonia."
"Right now? No other preparations?"
"Right now. No problem."
Charles wasn't exactly sure what they were talking about but he didn't like where this was going.
"Wonderful. Charles? Send a declaration of war to Estonia. Bennear, begin the assault."
"Yes sir." With that, Bennear left the room to begin the Baltic War.
"Emperor! What about the Tsar? We can't just --"
"He's not the Tsar anymore! He's a man without a country and he's staying here because of my good graces."
"Your majesty! We can't just--"
"ENOUGH!" Joshua slammed his hand down on the table. Sara jumped in the corner dropping her book. As she picked it up again she cursed the noise for making her lose her place. "Either send the declaration of war or I'll find someone who will!"
"Fine, your majesty. I'll send it immediately."
As Charles left the room he heard the emperor cussing him. This was the first time he had ever heard such things about him come from the emperor's mouth. Was his position in trouble?
The start of the Baltic War:
Next: The Baltic War
Last edited:
I think Charles should incite a revolution and get personal revenge for being insulted like that...
But people don't know what all he's done. As far as they know, it's all Joshua. I don't think he'd get much support. Besides, Bennear controls the military and he's on Joshua's side.
Super cool AAR.But you really should conquer pommerania and recreate the old swedish empire.
AAR.But you really should conquer pommerania and recreate the old swedish empire.
Chapter 16
June 6, 1870
June 6, 1870:
The Baltic War seemed to begin rather well for Sweden. Estonia, a newly formed nation, had not had enough time to raise or train any soldiers. Worse yet, they had absolutely no conscripts either. Sweden, on the other hand, while not posessing a large army, had some of the best military technology in the world. With absolutely no denfenses standing between them and Narva, the Swedish soldiers believed that they were but a short march away from absolute victory. With unwavering faith in their abilities, the Swedish army at Reval marched northeast to claim their newest prize, Bennear himself leading the charge.
The situation soon deteriorated, though. Under Russian dominion this Baltic province had been largely ignored. As a result, there were absolutely no railroads leading into or out of the country. That was something that Joshua would change very soon, though. Bennear, a student of Federick the Great, had come to rely heavily on railroads when drawing up battle plans. They allowed for the rapid transport of troops from one section of the country to another, a crucial element for a nation, such as Sweden, that often faced much larger armies. For him, the battle was all about mobility. The lines must remain completely fluid yet completely solid at the same time. Despite this setback and being a military man, he made the best of it. "At least we don't have any soldiers to fight," he reasoned as his men trod through the mud. Unfortunately, soldiers were not the enemy about which they had to worry. Disease and malnutrition soon set in causing attrition rates to skyrocket.
Capturing the province was a largely ceremonial affair. With no defenses and no armies, the Swedes merely had to make their presence known. The lack of action did not make their victory any less sweet, though. When the soldiers finally reached an actual city, they were ecstatic. Though it was hardly a city in the style of Western Europe, it was at least civilization. The long marches on muddy roads in endless forests were behind them, or so they thought.
Swedish troops capture Narva:
After a few days of rejoicing, word reached Bennear from the emperor that Lithuania had declared war on Sweden in fulfilment of their defensive pact with Estonia. This wouldn't be the cakewalk that Estonia was, though. Lithuania had actually had time to raise armies. Though they weren't the quality of troops that Sweden had, there were plenty of them. To make matters worse, the army formerly stationed at Riga had been moved to Denmark not three months before as a defensive measure against possible revolts. It would be up to Bennear to head south, once more through the forests and muddy roads, to repulse the Lithuanianian army who, by the time Estonia signed a treaty of annexation, were beginning their assault on Mitava.
Estonian independance is short-lived:
Though there was no longer a border between Estonia and Sweden, the former border was very distinct. For the soldiers it seemed as if they were emerging from the Middle Ages into the 19th Century. The trains ran on time. Disease was all but non-existant. Food was plentiful. In short, they were once again living the life to which they had grown accustomed. Though moral was already high, it skyrocketed when Bennear read a personal letter of thanks from the emperor. "Though you have already done so much for Sweden," the letter read, "I am sending you forth to do more. This is a war that was brough to us. It is a war that we did not want. The Lithuanians, in their greed for land, started this war. I, and Sweden, am counting on you to finish it." The irony of condemning Lithuania for launching a war for land didn't seem to effect anyone.
Many in the Swedish Army, they had taken to calling themselves Swedes though many were ethnically Russian or Estonian, were beginning to believe that they were all but invincible. After all, they had never lost a war. More than that, they had never lost a battle. Sure thousands of their comrads had died, but that was a part of life. To many of the soldiers it seemed that no one in the world could beat them, a conviction not shared by the emperor. His doubts, though, were somewhat alleviated by the Swede's absolute rout of the Lithuanians at the Battle of Mitava. After shattering the seige, Bennear marched his army west, capturing city after city. Lihava was the province to capitulate, followed closely after by Shavli and Panevezys. It seemed to Bennear and Joshua that the war was all but finished. However, all good things must come to an end. Just as Bennear was about to head south to capture Vilna, several pieces of bad news reached the front ahd the royal palace. A Lithuanian army had launched a counter-offensive in Shavli. Even worse, a second army was following close behind. It seemed that the liberation of Vilna would be denied to Bennear on this day. Securing his supply lines was the most important concern. The worst news, though, was yet to come. On June 6, 1870, Denmark declared war on Sweden in fulfillment of a pact they had with Lithuania. Though this concerned Bennear greatly, he had to convince himself that it was not his concern. The emperor had appointed him to control this army and that is what he must do. Besides, it was not his concern. The emperor had other generals for exactly this sort of situation. For now, he must lead his army west into armed conflict.
Bennear heads west:
Next: The Baltic War: Part 2
Last edited:
Good update. With an army near Denmark already I'm sure you'll have no problem with them. How big is the Danish army BTW?
Excellent. What do you plan to do with Lithuania - satellite it or annex as much as you can? I imagine reputation is becoming a problem, especially if you're going to snuff out Denmark's life at last.
- Status