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I hope the Russians love their neighbours too. A short Russian AAR 1492-1560

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Marshall Ombre
Feb 13, 2000
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1492 situation : 3 near empty colonies around the White sea. Half a dozen not so rich provinces with Moscow as capital, some unfortified.
Loads of armies though, scattered all around the place with one good general.
Our friends : Denmark, Wallachia, Moldovia, Bohemia.
Our beloved enemies : Sweden, Poland, Golden Horde, Sibir, Astrakhan, Kazan (they block the road to holidays, ie to the warm waters of the Black sea), Turkey… Well all neighbours in fact. You feel so good around true friends…

Economy : Russian serfs are working hard in the fields… Anything else ? No… One COT with a couple of merchants.
Difficulty level very hard, AI aggressiv.

What to do ?
1. Build alliances to keep the Poles at bay.
2. Make a thrust for the warm waters to build a future winter residence
3. Explain the Swedes our point of view concerning Carelia
4. Crush the Poles
5. Colonize
Well, 300 years should not be too long for this program…

Russia and Denmark are nearly natural allies and making an alliance is easy. I regroup my armies and declare war on the Golden Horde, to liberate ancestral Russian territories. They have one army, smaller than mine, minimal fortifications… Less than a year is necessary to get a complete victory and annex them. Now, that’s a start !

After a few years to build strength, I decide to do the same with the next candidate: Kazan (5 or 6 provinces). Armies are massed on the borders, in front of their two armies. The main one is destroyed first then the second. The hopefully-not-so-long way to assault-capture-annex begin but their fortifications, although small prove much more resistant than the Hordes’ ones. After a year two provinces stay unconquered but the Kazan rescue armies have all been shattered. One province is captured, one is left and it is the time the traitorous Poles chose to attack me, without warning ! The Russian diplomacy immediately delegates an emissary to Denmark with a one-word-note : HEEEEEELP ! !
The Danes declare war on Poland, Danes are nice fellows. I decide to finish Kazan before turning against the Poles. This is a stupid decision. I need one year to conquer the last Kazan province and annex the whole country. At first I see no Poles, where are they ? Gathering is the answer. When a 70k army appears on my border, and after a solid swear, I try to propose a white peace to Poland. I wasn’t expecting them to accept. They didn’t.

I have a small army in Moscow, recently levied (15k) and my weary main army in the South (25k inf 25k cav). The Polish steamroller begins its work. My provinces fall one after the other, at incredible speed. My army in Moscow is crushed to peaces, not a single survivor ! Hopefully, Moscow is fortified enough to hold the Poles, but for how long ?
The Poles emissaries propose me a peace against one province and all my gold. This proposition is a good one and refusing it would cause me great problems. However, a foolish proud Russian, I refuse and I lose some stability. A Danish army coming from the far North engage the Poles near Moscow and lose but this gives some time to my capital. I try a desperate move. My main army, which was coming to Moscow is diverted. Direction : the Polish capital. If, as I think, all their armies are in Russia, I can try this. They now want three provinces for peace. I hate them.

My supposition proved to be a good one. Now we have Poles besieging Moscow and Russian under the walls of the Polish capital. I have no time to lose, as attrition is taking a big toll on my men. The assault is decided and succesfull ! Hurrah, now we have nearly evened peace conditions. I offer peace against 250 gold to Poland, which accepts ! Pffffiuuuuuuu… They won't get away with it.

After this war, when the Russian army is back in the Moscow, only 18k infantry and 9k cav are left.
This is the kind of war that make the Russian strategy a bit more careful.
Step 1. Fortify everything
Step 2. Rebuild army
Step 3. Think of what to do next (have had ten years to do so, the time is around 1509). In the meantime, Moldovia and Bohemia have joined our alliance.

As an intermediary, the Teutonic order declares war on Russia. That’s not wise. The Danes are eager to participate. The traitorous Poles (yes, them again) declares war... on the Teutonic order… (always bullying weaker ones those Poles !)
After two years, Teutonic order is entirely swallowed between Russia (which gain an access to the Baltic in St Petersburg and Livonia), Danes (got Estonia) and Poland.

Back to our main affairs: next stop before the sea (Russian are stubborn) : Astrakhan. Around 1520 : Having problems dealing with Astrakhan, I make once again the mistake to send my border troops to the South and Poland declares war on Russia. I immediately make peace with Astrakhan, gaining three provinces from it. Now my allies are strong and active and my army can meet the Poles south of Moscow and win. The peace gives two provinces to Russia. My allies, having done a great job are not too happy with it, so I invest a lot in the following years to compensate.

The next Polish war (wonder who is the more stubborn between the Russian and the Pole ?)
There will be a big domino play bringing four alliances against each other at that time. Poland declares war on Russia. Denmark, Moldovia, Bohemia join. France is allied with Poland. Then Spain declares war on France (along with a bunch of small Italian minor allies including Venice) therefore on Poland. Then Sweden declares war on Denmark (along with Georgia) therefore I declare war on Sweden and Georgia. Then Venice (and Spain follows) declares war on Denmark (that’s a funny one) therefore on Russia (follow ?)

Well this is a bloody mess. Russian Army HQ receive notes of foreign armies everywhere not knowing who is friend, who is foe… Spanish troops land in Sweden and fight there against Swedes then against Russian…
Georgia fights well and can be eventually forced to peace (they pay some gold). Sweden is struck a deadly blow by Danes and Muscovites, loses one province to Denmark and three to Russia. Poland loses three provinces, one to Bohemia, one to Moldovia, one to Russia. I had even forgotten I was still at war against Venice but a white peace occured automatically a few months after.
After that, Poland is much quieter and Russia can finish Astrakhan then Crimea then Sibir. And receive its first colonists to send in small catholic/protestant/muslim provinces to convert them to Orthodoxy and so manage the religion a little bit more easily. The first conquistadors appears also and the long walk to the Pacific slowly begins.

One nice thing was, when conquering the Polish capital a second time, to get their maps (probably bought or stolen from France or England) and showing the way to Carribeans and North America. And yes, Russia has managed to build small colonies in three sugar islands ! :)

By 1560, Russia is second in term of VP behind Spain…
 
how are you possibly going to defend possessions in the Caribbean?
Click to expand...
Well I have two possibilities and I am trying to follow both, just in case...

1. Build ships and bring troops there. Now I have an access to the sea, and beware, Russia has begun its first move as a future naval power: my first two warships are being build in St Petersburg (tradada ! ! )

2. Quickly expand these colonies to reach the size of a city then I will be able to raise troops there (although 1000 men wont be a real challenge for any French, Spanish, Dutch or English there)...
 
I loved the part of the AAR where the multiple alliances got tangled together into war. European politics of the time were pretty tangled, so it's good that you don't get our more recent Axis-Allies or Cold War feeling of the world totally divided into two distinct camps.

Do your relations with someone automatically improve when you go to war against a common enemy (e.g. did they improve with Poland when you both attacked the Teutonic Order)?
 
Do your relations with someone automatically improve when you go to war against a common enemy (e.g. did they improve with Poland when you both attacked the Teutonic Order)?
Click to expand...
As Poland and Russia are eternal feud, the answer is no... Our relations can't be worse, and waging war on the same enemy was just an opportunity...
 
Originally posted by Doomdark:
Now, who said Russia was hard to play? ;)
Click to expand...
Well the start is the key point. If I had not got this 'good' first peace with Poland (ie if I had lost two or three provinces) then everything would have been harder after.
 
Well, the idea of a Muscovite army going onto Warsaw in this scenario is in my opinion a bit of a stretch, especially since Moscow was being torn to pieces. In reality they would have gone to Moscow to relieve it. That's the only thing I don't like about it ..

Same in other cases, not just Poland-Muscovy.

Sap.
 
Yep, but as you know well, taking the ennemy's capital is the only way to get out of such a situation.
Even if I had beaten the Poles in Moscow, I would have had to recapture all the other provinces they had stormed before being able to force such a peace.
 
Continuation 1560-1625.

You know what ? The Czar is happy.

Russia now rules from St Petersburg to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. A great effort of colonisation was done thanks to a handful of daring conquistadors. The Czar had ordered to push back the frontiers of Terra Incognita in the East, deep in Asia and in the South, in the unwelcoming Caucasus.
From Sibir to the Pacific Russian trade posts form a continuous but weak line of civilisation amongst hordes of natives, more or less wanting to welcome the Russian Golden Age. Some provinces have not yet been submitted to Muscovite rule as natives proves very reluctant to allow trade posts’ installation.

However, the first Russian colony on hte Pacific has reached the size of a small city. In Moscow, the Finance minister met his colleague of the (brand new) Navy Minister and the decision has been taken to begin building a small Pacific navy, in order to speed up exploration. No single organized country has been discovered yet, but the presence of China somewhere south of the colony will have to be checked rapidly.

On the other colonisation front, Caucasus, things did not go well at all in the first years. Two exploration armies of 6k men each, led by skilled conquistadors, were created to explore Caucasus and perhaps find a land route to the Indian Ocean. The first army moved along the coast of the Caspian sea, the second moved farther in the east. These regions proved infested by numerous tribes of fierce warriors, aggressiv and proud. The first region entered by the second army was a real trap. Over 10 000 warriors were readily available and our army fell into an ambush. Their defence was brave at first but the rebels’ cavalery broke our lines… The fate of the second army shall remain a dark stone in the Russian history. All men were slaughtered, none survived…

The first army reached the borders of Persia but reported strong natives forces, although they did not engage them. This army was therefore ordered to cover the installation of a Russian settlement. This was the signal for insurrection. However, holding defensive position, our heroic men succeeded in fending off the rebel army that retreating to regroup their forces. Only 2000 men were left… Decision was taken to raise a 6k rescue army in Astrakhan and to send it there asap. After six months and another native attack leaving less than 1200 men, the rescue army arrived and was immediately engaged. One new pyrrhic victory, as 3000 survivors couldn’t do much more than wait for other reinforcements. Eventually, an army of over 16k broke the natives’ resistance and could begin a work of cleansing the region.

The Caucasus wars lasted over ten years and over 35k men were lost to pacify the region. But now, colonies have been established and the two provinces bordering Persia have been developped into fortified cities. The presence of a 35k Persian armiy next to them will surely lead to the sending of a Russian army to this new frontier.

Last but not least, our three sugar islands, although invaded by French or Swedish troops once, developped also into beautiful overseas possessions. One has a brewery installed and produces the finest rhum in the area (no competition against Vodka yet).
Our economy is flourishing, and fine art academies in Moscow and St Petersburg contribute to show the world the perfection of Russian art. Some naval equipment manufactories are also operational. However, reccurent troubles with merchants and other corporations have led to continuous loss in investments for trade and infrastructure and these two areas are now lagging behind…

Russia has waged three more wars during this period : Poland, Sweden, Austria.
This time, Russia decided to go at war against the oppressors of the Russian people. As Poland still controled five or six Russian home provinces, we had a permanent CB. Poland was dragged into yet another war by its French ally, so the time was great. Our allies were more than eager to participate and the onslaught left little then no Polish army on the field. At the end, Bohemia got two provinces (they are now bordering the Polish capital) and Russia two also. It looks like Poland’s fall to hell has just begun earlier than expected… France had invaded one of my sugar isle but got nothing in the peace.

A few years after, my alliance ends and I take some time to build it back. It is the time Sweden chose to attack Denmark. I can just watch Denmark lose Skane and Finnmark and another province. BAD… This unjustified aggression must be punished. When I declare war to Sweden, I know that Moldovia and Bohemia will not honour the alliance as they are landlocked and cannot reach Sweden.
Moreover, Denmark seems not able to wage war this soon. Therefore I decide not to call my allies. As Sweden is not part of any alliance at that time, it will be a one on one fight.

The war is mainly fought in what is modern Finland and ends up with Sweden proposing three provinces against peace. I see two 1k Swedish expeditionnary forces land in Guadeloupe and being crushed by my 5k garisson there… I accept, not seeing a poisonous gift : Finnmark is now Russian, but it is also a Danish home province… I understand this when I realise that Denmark has a permanent CB agaisnt me and our relations are dropping quickly. Shit… I really would like to have the option to sell or give it back… Finnmark is a f… province, became a city shortly, no nothing in it… I’ll have to spend money to fortify it.

Now Austria declares war on Bohemia. It had done so before but as noone in the alliance could reach Austria, Bohemia had not called anyone and the Austrian aggressors had managed to get a province from Bohemia. I am surprised to see Bohemia ask me for support but I accept. I am wondering what I could do (land in Dalmatia seems a bit hazardous) when a look at the political map shows an Austrian Danzig ! Now, I should sometimes keep aware of what’s happening in Europe…

I do not have any land access to Danzig but my fleet (5 warships, 3 transports) lies in St Petersburg as well as armies there and in Livonia. I can transport 11k men and Danzig is fortified with a garrison of 10k men. I need three rotations to land 30k in Danzig and try an assault, that fails miserably (all this preparation was pretty long). Austria proposes me a white peace and I decline. The white peace between Bohemia and Austria catches me waiting for more reinforcement… Now I have to remove my armies from Danzig in two rotations. 18k men come back.

Still second behind Spain in terms of VP…
 
I second your desire for a 'sell province option,' perhaps EU II... after all, where would the US be without the Louisiana Purchase? Perhaps New Orleans would have an English Quarter instead a French Quarter.

However, the AI giving you Finnmark seems to suggest that the whole 'Swiss Cheese' problems still remains in the game. Could you have negotiated for a different province?
 
Originally posted by Jiminov:
I second your desire for a 'sell province option,' perhaps EU II... after all, where would the US be without the Louisiana Purchase? Perhaps New Orleans would have an English Quarter instead a French Quarter.
Click to expand...

Selling large chunks of territory was uncommon in this time period, was it not? The Louisiana Purchase happened in the early 19th century.

However, it might be nice if it was possible in the peace deal to cede territory occupied by your country to an ally.

However, the AI giving you Finnmark seems to suggest that the whole 'Swiss Cheese' problems still remains in the game. Could you have negotiated for a different province?
Click to expand...

Finnmark borders Russia at Kola, I believe. The 'Swiss Cheese Syndrone' does not apply. Moreover, if I was Sweden, I would want to give up the desolate empty province instead of a valuable one.

[This message has been edited by Pole (edited 13-09-2000).]
 
I agree that there should definitely be an option to sell or give territory to an ally, especially if that territory was previously controlled by them.

I'm also almost disappointed that maritime powers haven't made more of an effort to take Russia's Caribbean possessions; although, naturally, this works in yndenwal's favor :).

[This message has been edited by Dark Knight (edited 14-09-2000).]
 
Originally posted by Jiminov:
However, the AI giving you Finnmark seems to suggest that the whole 'Swiss Cheese' problems still remains in the game. Could you have negotiated for a different province?
Click to expand...
Pole is right, Finnmark bordered two of my provinces so there was no Swiss Cheese here. :)
And the AI is always proposing loosy provinces first in peace engociations, of course...
 
Originally posted by Dark Knight:
I agree that there should definitely be an option to sell or give territory to an ally, especially if that territory was previously controlled by them.
Click to expand...
You can't imagine how many tears, threats, swears there were in the beta testers' forum to implement this. Seems too hard to insert in the code however... :(
 
Originally posted by Dark Knight:
I'm also almost disappointed that maritime powers haven't made more of an effort to take Russia's Caribbean possessions; although, naturally, this works in yndenwal's favor :)
Click to expand...

They did, at least those at wars with Russia.
France took control of one or two of them (at least landed in two) but as I agreed to a peace with Poland (their alliance's leader in this case), France had to leave and the isles were left in my possession. Sweden tried but with insufficient means.
What could have happenend is that France ask for a separate peace asking for the isle, but I would have refused...
 
Show must go on 1620-1635
The first Persian war
Trade war sometimes lead to real war… My merchants had taken a monopolistic control of the Persian COT and after a while, Persia had issued Trade Refusal vs Russia. This gave me a CB against them but I had no interest in attacking Persia. Only my two Caucasus colonies bordered Persia and they were quite small. A 15k army was there and Persia had over 35k men on the other side of the frontier. Moreover, only one bordering Persian provinces was known by Russians, the two others being still covered by Terra Incognita.

Perhaps the Persians wanted me to attack and as I didn’t, decided to start hostilities. 45k heretic soldiers began crossing the frontier. My order to my small army to retreat came to late. It was catched while departing and only half of it escaped the Persian onslaught. Orders to raise troops in all nearby provinces were given but as they were all small provinces or colonies, no big army could be created. Therefore, two 25k armies near Georgia and Southern Poland were ordered to march to Caucasus, as well as the Moscow-based Imperial guard : 50k inf, 10k cav.

By the time I could begin regrouping these armies, a first of my border provinces had fallen under Persian control, the second was being besieged, while another 20k Persian task force had entered Russia and was moving North quickly. This long and undecided battle was hardly won by a dimished Russian force with near broken morale. No need to say that when the main Persian army, having conquered the other province moved in some time later, the defeat was quick and dirty. Hopefully, over 75k Russian boys were coming. In a serie of three battle, we totally annihiliated the bloody Persian, then reconquered our two provinces and finally moved in Persian territory. A relief army was defeated there and the main city succesfully assaulted. Immediately after, Persia offered me peace against this small province. I accepted as I could do nothing more : having no conquistadors, I could not move in any other adjacent ‘terra incognita’ provinces.
Now I’ll leave over 25k men on this border just in case…

Poland in Flames
Poland and France constantly drag the other in wars after wars after wars and Poland does not benefit from it. It has lost another province to the Hansa. We learn that Austria and its Hungarian ally have declared war on Poland and France decided to support Poland. Havind dreamt of small backstabbing Knights in red, the Czar orders an attack against Poland a few months later and all our allies join. They sure can smell when the prey is ready…

This campaign is a massacre, as Poland has its armies engaged against Austria and Hungary. Unfortunately, Moldovia is still conquered and annexed by Poland… Bohemia gets his standard share of two provinces and is getting quite big now. At the end of the war, all Polish provinces save 2 have fallen in Russian hands and only French armies coming from God knows where continue to oppose the Russian might. Poland refuses stubbornly to cede me three provinces and keeps offering one or two. Eventually, France asks for a white peace which I accept. Without ally, Poland accepts to cede the 3 provinces I want. Now Poland’s fate is doomed. A few more wars and it won’t exist anymore…

As the war is over, I take a look at the political map to see what changes happened during the three years of this war. And what a surprise ! Now I understand why French armies were roaming around : France has totally annexed Hungary ! ! !

Far East colonies
The fastidious work to create colonies continues but against permanent native opposition. In some provinces, they are annilihated by the conquistadors I have there. This kind of punishement occurs when they totally destroy my settlements in a province. A small Pacific fleet exists (5 warships) but as I don’t have any explorator, nor have reached the naval tech level necessary to explore terra incognita, it is nearly useless…

Still second behind Spain in terms of VP.
 
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