Here Your Body Shall Rest - A Venetian AAR (AHD 3.21)

[Ab Ovo]

Here Your Body Shall Rest - A Venetian AAR (AHD 2.31)

Pax tibi Marce, evangelista meus. Hic requiescet corpus tuum.
-Attributed to an Angel, speaking to St Mark in relation to Venice​

In this, my first AAR, I will be playing as the beloved land of Venice. Venice in 1861 was part of the larger, Austrian Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia before being ceded to Italy after Austro-German War in 1866. In this game I shall release Venice from Austria; corrected for historical cores in Istria and Dalmatia. I expect to have to fend off an Italian unification war but hopefully my extra land in Dalmatia and a few shrewd alliances should help me fend them off. I should say now that I am not particularly versed in this game and I'm not really that good at it. Therefore I hope you all are not expecting an empire of Alexandrian proportions.

Note: Permission to carry on as a mildly interactive AAR was kindly granted by loki100.

Rules of the House​

I. No gamey-ness or modification of any kind*; beyond the cores I have added that correspond to the Republic at it's height.
II. No warmongering. The historical Venetian Republic was not of a warmongering nature; and neither shall be this one. We will liberate our cores and that will be it. The exception will be colonies for trade should the need arise.
III. Naval and cultural research will be paramount. Very, very little research will be spent on Military affairs. Venice historically did very little land-fighting and relied on mercenaries rather than a standing army. Venetian power will rest with it's bride, the Sea.
IV. Retain the aristocratic and oligarchical nature of the State; but allow limited democracy and allowing reforms as needed to this end.

Goals​

I. Retain independence. Fight off the Italian, Mainland menace!
II. Regain Venetian cores in the Peloponnese, Cyprus, Crete, Albania, and Palestine.
III. Get rid of this damned monarchy and restore the Venetian Republic.
IV. Build the Suez Canal.
V. Become a Secondary Power with trading colonies in the Indies and the Americas.

This will be mostly gameplay, but with an in-universe flair.

*Note: Savegaming will be allowed in dire circumstances.

Sei pur bella, Venezia, in mezzo all'onde
Specchio tranquillo ai monumenti alteri!
-Lorenzo Stecchetti ​

 

[morningSIDEr]

Therefore I hope you all are not expecting an empire of Alexandrian proportions.

I'm expecting an empire of Alexandrian proportions!

Joking aside, quite an interesting setup. Hopefully you are able to secure the required alliances to defeat the menace of Italian unification, as otherwise with little military research planned this will prove rather troublesome. Regardless, good luck and I'll keep an eye on this.

 

[FelixMajor]

I had an incredibly successful vanilla game with the rump Venetian state that you can release in vanilla. The only modifications that I made were to make the state a democracy (not the best translation of Venetian government but I managed to keep reforms very limited.) I imagine that AHD should make the experience a little more difficult than my vanilla campaign. I'm interested in watching this AAR. It sounds as though you have no interest in pursuing Italian unification ... which intrigues me even more.

 

[Ab Ovo]

Fledgling Steps: 1861​

Behold, the Kingdom of Venice:

Gorgeous, isn't she? After an uprising of Venetian nationalists ejected the Austrian Viceroy from Venice proper, months of negotiations by Austrian and Venetian officials led to the independence of Venezia and parts of historic Venetian Dalmatia in exchange for a non-aggression pact, a promise to grant the Austrians military access if they ever wanted to liberate Lombardia, and Austria keeping the Dalmatian city of Kotor. The Kingdom is happy and healthy under King Pietro I, a Austria-born noblemen who had served with the Viceroy before he was overthrown. Now let's see what's going on internationally....

Uh oh. This is going to be a problem. With our immensely powerful next-door neighbour on a war footing, we're going to have to be extra prepared. King Pietro does not want to be the first and last King of an independent Venice and orders a general mobilization of the reserves. Soon the invincible Venetian First Army has been raised and numbers 25,000 standing troops. In order to supplement these reserves, the Privy Council orders that irregular forces be raised to defend Venice in her time of need. However the Lion of St Mark was still rather feeble and persons very high up in the Royal Court felt that assistance by the Austrian eagle would be beneficial. A silver-tongued ambassador was sent to treat with Austrian and Venetians settled down to hope that their neighbour to the north was favourably inclined.

Why, those rat bastards. This is not good for us, no not at all. Much weeping is heard in the Piazza San Marco that fated evening of the ambassador's sad return. Venice is now without allies in a world filled with enemies and this does not inspire warm, happy-funtime feelings among the Venetian populace. Venice is not a Monarchist nation, and the monarcy had often clashed with the aristocratic Republicanism of those fine old families that once ruled the Adriatic. This 'Austrian Crisis' as it came to be known, put tremendous pressure on King Pietro to put an end to his autocratic style of rule; as in the words of Paolo Contarini "If a King must rule Venezia he might as well have someone help him". King Pietro was never a strong-willed man; this having been aptly demonstrated by the lavish purchases of Queen Eugenie beyond what the Royal Purse could afford, and soon the inevitable happened.

And was anyone expecting otherwise? Atleast the political scene soon died dow-

Oh, okay. That was only like two weeks, but whatever makes you happy Venetians. I guess with the frightening behemoth of Italy walking but two steps behind you at any moment you need all the diversion you can get. Things are rather peaceful for a bit, and Venice settles in to enjoy it's life for whatever brief bit it has left before the storm over the horizon breaks and the Italian beast is unleashed upon the lagoon.

The storm has broken, but Hallelujah! it has broken upon Austrian borders and not upon the sandy shoals of the Venetian lagoon. Not to say that the times of trouble and fear for the Venetians has passed, as overt Venetian support for the Austrians would strain relations with Italy and make the situation in the region even more precarious, but that is a risk that the plucky little Kingdom is willing to take. And even though the Austrians are vicious and worthless foreign backstabbers, the unmitigated gall and hubris of the Italians, the jumped-up mainlanders who think themselves better than a civilisation that arose in the days of Attila the Hun, are hardly more advantageous and Venice does after all keep it's promises. Duly, an offer of military access was extended and accepted.

And then Wurttemburg...

And then Italy, because Mainlanders are stupid...

Naturally, Venice graciously denied them military access. After that the Venetians sat back and simply watched the war unfold just beyond their borders, silently rooting for the Austrians but providing no material support as that would hurt trade and Venetians are, of course, trade-minded people. And it is on that note that 1861 ended and the history of the rebirth Venice really began. Watching with trepidation, the Kingdom entered a brave and dangerous new world...

 

[Ab Ovo]

I had an incredibly successful vanilla game with the rump Venetian state that you can release in vanilla. The only modifications that I made were to make the state a democracy (not the best translation of Venetian government but I managed to keep reforms very limited.) I imagine that AHD should make the experience a little more difficult than my vanilla campaign. I'm interested in watching this AAR. It sounds as though you have no interest in pursuing Italian unification ... which intrigues me even more.

No, I plan to resist unification with Italy to the utmost. And I hope you do watch this AAR, as I plan for it to be as entertaining as possible!

 

[Ab Ovo]

I'm expecting an empire of Alexandrian proportions!

Joking aside, quite an interesting setup. Hopefully you are able to secure the required alliances to defeat the menace of Italian unification, as otherwise with little military research planned this will prove rather troublesome. Regardless, good luck and I'll keep an eye on this.

Thank you! I hope to secure a alliance with the Brits, but we all know how chancey they are...

 

[LordTempest]

I do hope you turn Venice fascist at some point, if only for the cool flag.

 

[Guilu]

Any plans for Krete ?
I'll be watching this, sounds interesting.

 

[unmerged(271387)]

I do hope you turn Venice fascist at some point, if only for the cool flag.

It's my flag actually,it stands out from all the other flags in Vic 2.
Consider me supporting this AAR

 

[Ab Ovo]

I do hope you turn Venice fascist at some point, if only for the cool flag.

Perhaps. I don't think Venice and Fascism would mix well.

Any plans for Krete ?
I'll be watching this, sounds interesting.

I've added them as a core, so yeah. Liberation is on the agenda.

It's my flag actually,it stands out from all the other flags in Vic 2.
Consider me supporting this AAR

Your support is appreciated.

 

[Ab Ovo]

Well, half of my screenshots have vanished so I'll have to replay 1863 through 1865 to get more screenshots. Update is probably going to be late. Sorry.

 

[Ab Ovo]

Damn. Not again.

 

[morningSIDEr]

The precariousness of Venice's position makes this tense, interesting stuff from the beginning. Italy declaring war upon Austria rather than Venice was a close run thing, hopefully Italy keeps her attention elsewhere for a while yet.

 

[Ab Ovo]

That Which Once Was Great: 1862-1863

Hurrah! The Italian dogs have been pushed back! Church bells tolled throughout the Kingdom from Padua to Ragusa, and King Pietro declares a carnivale festival in celebration. The first time that the carnivale had been celebrated in nearly six decades since the fall of the Venetian Republic to Napoleon, it was a bacchanalia of feasting and wine. Venetians have always enjoyed a good party and the Carnivale of 1862 was talked about for years afterwards. But while the citizens were at play the cogs of the Venetian government were spinning; trying to figure out the position of Venice in the new geopolitical situation of the region. The Italian threat now subsided a fierce debate sprung up in the Consiglio on where Venice would go. The answer was simple: Liberation. To Candia, Durazzo, Cyprus, and Acre, to the Aegean and the Morea. Liberation of the core Venetian territories and a rebirth of the Venetian Empire. The irredentist faction clearly won out and plans were laid. All the Kingdom needed was an ally...

The envelope with the Papal seal was a godsend, perhaps literally. The Papal States were perhaps not the most formidable of military powers but the Throne of St Peter carried high moral weight; and whilst they could not provide lead ammunition a Papal missive could be invaluable to the devoutly Catholic troops. Themselves in a celebratory mood, the men of the Consiglio celebrated the only way politicians know how: drafting war plans. Not that several hadn't already been drafted, but those were mostly against the fearsome Ottoman Empire; which held a majority of the Venetian lands under occupation. Into the end of 1862 and then as 1863 moseyed by, the months passed in peace and quiet under a benevolent King and a thriving economy. And in the famed shipbuilding yards of Venice, and in the magnificent construction centre of the Arsenale; used even throughout the years of Austrian domination, the construction of transports and convoys continued steadily towards a single goal.

War! Men of Venice! To arms, to arms! The Venetian Army was split in two, with 18,000 troops heading off to act as a spearhead for the invasion of the Greek Peloponnese before the 2nd Fleet went back to fetch reinforcements. Things were going well and the Army had disembarked in Kalamata before the shit hit the fan. Big time.

Italy struck at the perfect moment. With the Venetian army split in half and one half stranded in a land which they had, until very, very recently been at war with, and the other weakened and without a commander the Kingdom had never been more vulnerable. Austria's truce with Italy still held and when the Austrian ambassador to Venice delivered the news that Austria would not help he was captured and lynched by a mod outside the Palazzo Ducale. The 1st Army immediately abandoned Venice to it's fate and went east to Gorizia to await the reinforcements from Kalamata. Unfortunately, the Italians got the drop on the transport fleet.

Bad things happened. The troops never made it home. Venice was in the most dire straits imaginable, nearly as bad as the chain of events that lead to the six decades of Austrian domination which the Venetians had only recently broken free from. The Venetian army could only sit back and watch as tens of thousands of Italian soldiers ravaged Venetia and Dalmatia before they were forced to engage in a desperate last stand.

In a battle worthy to be ranked alongside Thermoplylae in the annals of history a force of a little under 5,000 Venetians defeated a technologically superior Italian force of over 8,000 Italians. Although most of Venetia was under enemy occupation and unable to celebrate, church bells still rang out in celebration. Hope desperately flowered as Italian troops marched ever closer to Dalmatia, with only a few thousand men to protect it.

Or, as it turns out, not protect it. An embittered Italian is a dangerous Italian and nearly 55,000 of them can be mighty dangerous indeed. With the Second Battle of Gorizia complete the Venetian Army was annihilated and the Italian Army set to flow into Dalmatia and caused hundereds of thousands of deaths King Pietro only had once choice left open to him.

And what if she had seen those glories fade,
Those titles vanish, and that strength decay,
Yet shall some tribute of regret be paid
When her long life hath reached its final day:
Men are we, and must grieve when even the Shade
Of that which once was great is passed away.
-Henry Wadsworth​

 

[Ab Ovo]

No, the AAR is not finished. I fixed the screenshot problem, so my original '63-'65 play is still valid. Therefore, Rule I is not broken. However my other play resulted in the above; which I thought perfectly illustrated the precariousness of the Venetian position as mentioned by the esteemed MorningSIDEr. The House Rules are intact and the show shall go on!

 

[Dovahkiing]

Subbed.

 

[Avindian]

A wonderful idea, and an interesting problem you have. There are all too few 1861 AARs.

 

[Ab Ovo]

Thank you both. Next update is this evening.

 

[unmerged(271387)]

Nice AAR>I want to see how you will handle italy.

 

[Maggix]

Get relations with Italy up to over 100. I think they wont attack you if you do so.