CHAPTER XXI: HUNGARY II
Part 2: Hungary for Turkey
(1735-1740)
More Than We Can Chew
It is January 1735, and I'm feeling pretty good about our chances against the Ottomans. I have no idea what's happening with the Russians, but at least it's not getting worse over there. Spain has invaded the Balkans in force, and I even have the remnants of our army sieging Maros.
Later that month the Ottos try to sneak another army into Marmaros, some 14K strong, but the Spaniards send 28K and annihilate them. Maros falls in April and we're at +19% warscore.
I should have sued for peace.
Instead, our armies marched to Ruthenia, Lublin and Sandomierz. Together they form the thin Ottoman line dividing Hungary from Spanish Lithuania, and I wouldn't mind taking those in the peace.
Meanwhile, the tide's beginning to turn. 59K Ottomans cripple 20K Spaniards in Tarnovo in July, while the Turk seizes Kiev. They march their army into Ruthenia to meet our front line troops.
Uhoh.
Still, there is that large Spaniard force in Krakow. I move our un-routed armies (Lublin and Sandomierz) to the latter to meet up. Spain keeps on going into Lithuania. The Ottos don't. Both armies cease to exist.
Uhoh.
By now there are 17K Turks in Hungary itself to our 5K, while the army in Sandomierz - who thankfully heads into Lithuania - is up to 81K. Where are they getting all these men? I thought the Russians bled them white!
They did. Then they peaced out. I don't know the terms, but now the Ottomans can focus on us.
Uhoh.
Sensing weakness, the Austrians declare us rivals in February 1736. Their declaration (something about our pus filled corpses) impressed our diplomats so much they refined their tactics and took Diplomacy-26 (East Indiamen). We may need one of those ships to run after the war is over.
This becomes more apparent when the Ottomans catch our remaining army that April.
So, once more, we have zero army. We also have only 1,500 or so manpower, so zero point in raising another unless I want to buy mercs. With this many hostiles running around, there's not much point in that either.
In Krakow the last(!) large Spanish army, some 53K strong, slams into 23K Ottomans. The Turk call on reinforcements boosting their army to 80K. Spain loses. Badly.
The ledger doesn't give me much reason for hope.
Code:
Nation Army Manpower
Ottomans 121.3K 5.3K
Spain 144.5K 55.0K
Yet, if Spain still has so many men, where the heck are they? I find 103K in the Portuguese homeland.... and they're not interested in peace. Great.
Through the summer of 1736 the tide turns in earnest. Most of the border provinces are under siege. The same can be said for southern Lithuania. Provinces begin surrendering. I have no army. The Spaniards have nothing in the region worth talking about. The Ottos have 101K scattered between Lithuania and Hungary.
This is ridiculous. Fortunately the Portuguese agree.
The two provinces are in what we'd consider Texas, inland from the coast. Spain has no land connection to it, but at least it's something.
Now something peculiar happens. Portugal is out of the war, but Mexico, Caraibas and Brazil are NOT. In this particular fight it means nothing, but if I were the Spanish player I see a massive exploit here. The homeland is out of the war, so I could get 100% warscore against each colony and take A LOT of land.
Perhaps that's the intent: In the real Seven Years War, the British were able to take A LOT of land. Still, it seems buggy.
Regardless, my hope is that with Portugal subdued, the Spaniards will send their massive armies east to deal with the Turkish threat. Nope. Krakow falls, which oddly gives us a claim on Bohmerwald in Bohemia. Zemplen falls. By March 1737 our experts fear the country is entering a decline.
No crap, Sherlock.
By April I'm convinced Spain isn't coming. I see one small army MARCHING through the Italian Alps towards us. We're at -20% war score, and I need to end this before the Turk AI becomes completely unreasonable. Since Spain failed to hold up its end of the bargain, I think they should pay for the peace. Don't you?
Rebuilding
Well then.
Our trading ships survived in port, so they immediately go out to bring some money in. Our largest priority, especially now that Austria and it's 40K army has declared us rivals, is to rebuild. Fast.
Our army tacticians use this opportunity to renovate and modernize our army. (Military-26) This means White Coat Infantry and Uhlan Cavalry. Our force limit is 34, so the plan is 17 Inf/8 Cav/9 Art. We have plenty of money - manpower is the issue, so we start by building the more expensive units.
This also gives us a chance to reform our finances. (-1 Stability, now at 0. -5 Inflation) Those reforms are virtually undone in November 1738 when we ignore calls to reform our currency. (+3 Inflation)
Modernization worries our nobles. They fear that hiring competent officers instead of incompetent noble sons weakens the kingdom. They're right, of course. (-5 Army Tradition). It won't always be this way though, so we convert to an Absolute Monarchy (-1 RR, +5% Discipline).
1739 is...quiet. Peaceful. Well, except for our slowly growing army, which stands at 2 Inf/8 Cav/9 Art by the end of the year. We do get the opportunity to annoy Austria in a boundary dispute, claiming Ostmarch and giving them a Diplomatic CB.
Honestly, I'm not sure where we go from here. We've proven we can't beat Bohemia. Austria's even stronger. We can't challenge Venice without a navy. The Turk have officially won this game. OK Johan, let's go somewhere else.
Johan's Dice
Reign: 10 years
Needed: 3+
Roll: 6
Continue?: Yes
Oh. Uhm...okay.