CHAPTER XXII: BAVARIA
Part 1: Knife Fight!
(1750-1755)
Beer and Sauerkraut!
Welcome to Bavaria! Nestled in southern Germany, they've had their share of ups and downs over the centuries. More downs I'm thinking, since we're a TPM and our provinces don't even connect.
I have a better mouse now, and that means a better map!
Yeah, the HRE is a bit of a mess.
Our political situation is a little clearer:
Our ruler is excellent! And young! Which is good, because our heir is...special.
A read of our modifiers includes a -10% malus for national tax due to leaning heavily on our aristocracy. C'mon: We're two provinces and our ruler is a 4/6/5. Why are we leaning on ANYONE? We'll have to fix that.
Our diplomacy is pretty straight forward: We're allied with Poland, Magdeburg, the Emperor and Milan. We don't like Ulm and Augsburg. This fits in perfectly with my plans: I intend to try and take out Augsburg because they're an OPM right next door. I also plan to do something about Ulm because I'm jealous of Svip's AAR.
We have a 16K army that's among the most advanced in the world: Once we hit Military-28 in February 1752, we'll be 21 years ahead of time. No navy of course. We are loyal Catholics who pay respect to Mitrehead. Where did he wind up anyway? Ah, he's in Luxembourg.
Wait...Luxembourg? As in the country I lost to Burgundy? I'm sorry Luxembourgers! I didn't know!
Luxembourgers? Luxemburgers? Luxembourgeois? No, wait. Mitreheadites! Where was I? Catholic. Right!
Our merchants aren't badly placed, but not well either. They were transferring trade from Ragusa and Wien. Instead, let's actually collect from Wien as well as Frankfurt. The latter is moderately prosperous, and it's where our northern province trades through.
Our diplomats are...wow. Aggessive. We have one improving relations with Austria, which is fine. We're forging a claim on Wurtemberg, the country that has us split in two. I suppose that's alright. We're also sowing discontent in Ansbach (Ulm) and Augsburg. Let's leave the first two alone, but instead of sowing discontent we'll forge a claim on Augsburg. (We already claim Ansbach)
Looking at our neighbors: Wurtemburg is in a PU with Poland. OK, so I guess we're not fighting them any time soon. Wurzburg's alliances don't mean much, but they might be a bit to handle right now. Augsburg's alliance includes Wurzburg and Savoy. Hm... maybe. Ulm is still allied with Spain as well as Bohemia. Frustrating.
It seems I can't DoW either of them anyway: I'm allied with the Emperor, and apparently I can't start wars if the emperor is just recovering from one. Hm. Oh wait, someone's knocking on the door.
Yes?
No thanks. In fact, not only are we not giving more power to the nobles, we're switching to an Absolute Monarchy! Thank you and have a nice day.
Some people.
We pay to get our stability back to 1, and lower our inflation back to 0.
In February 1750, diplomats provide us with documentation claiming Niederbayern in Wurtemberg. As long as they're allied with Poland that's not happening. In fact, it's better to ensure we can move troops between the provinces as needed so we ask for and get military access.
We'll need help if we're going to do anything about Ulm. Heck, we'll need help with Augsburg if Savoy gets involved. Mainz is willing to ally with us! Sure, buddies! Welcome....
...aboard?
Power Politics
So Mainz would like to know if we'd care to help against Wurzburg. At first glance that's a definite 'No!' However, as you can see Mainz has a decent alliance including
Spain. Plus, Augsburg's involved which gives me a chance to take them out. Granted that would be Mainz's decision, but my claim on Augsburg should be done before the war's over. They might see things my way.
So this should be easy, right? I can already see a few Spanish units here and there, so they're at least heading in the right direction! We combine armies and send all 16K to sit on Augsburg in March. Then we wait.
Spies decide to defect in July. We can either let them go (-50% Spy Offense) or sweeten the pot. Our budget is positive, and though Austria's moving some scary stacks around and through Bayern they're all headed north towards Mainz. We give them a bonus so as not to lose any time forging our claim.
Spain is acting oddly. Early in the war they had some decent sized stacks in Austrian Italy, but anything coming north towards Germany numbers 7-10K, and the Austrian doom stacks swarm them. In September 38K land in Munich, our southern province. Fortunately they move on.
They're back, reinforced to 56K in March. 3K Spaniards had been 'garrisoning' Munich and of course they fell within a second.
In May the Augsburg army showed up to break our siege. They had help from Austria and shoved us back with heavy casualties. We fled to Nurnberg.
Notice the hostile armies starting to cover Mainz in the northwest.
Well, there wasn't much we could do from Nurnberg. Rather than wait for the inevitable, I thought to play harasser. Little 1K and 2K units would traverse Wurzburg (north of Nurnberg) to get to Mainz. We intercepted one in November slaying it easily.
The Austrians retaliated with 33K in December, throwing us out of Nurnberg entirely. We fled into Wurtemberg.
One for Ferrara!
So it's January 1752, our homeland is occupied, we're clearly losing this war (Wurzburg will let me bow out if I give Munchen to Augsburg), and only the king of fools would start a new war under these circumstances. Right?
Let's look at their ally list though: We're already fighting Austria. Spain is already on our side. Bohemia is busy fighting Hungary. It turns out several of my allies would love to pound Ulm. We roll the dice: Our allies show up. Ulm fights alone.
Except: DoWing black flagged our army in Wurtemberg, and with both our provinces occupied we have no way to undo it! Fortunately Palatinate finds an army while the Poles get some sort of thrill out of invading Germany for once. In March Wurtemberg and Palatinate catch the Ulm army and destroy it.
Meanwhile, our nobles are demanding renewed privileges. Our country is occupied and our army impotent. What privileges are you talking about?
Still, even as the Austrians occupy Munchen, they abandon the siege on Nurmberg. Our army sprints there to 'unflag', and back to Ansbach by April. The allies move out of the way leaving the siege to me, and Ansbach falls in October 1752. We immediately move on to Ulm.
Meanwhile, the Mainz war is going terribly. Wurzburg frees enough troops to do something about us and invades through Ansbach. In November we begin fighting 9K: This is a fight we can win, but another 38K are on the way. We're not going to get the chance to finish Ulm off: It's time to take what we can get.
Oh. You'll give me that? AND that? Sure, I like gold. Why thank you. You're too kind!
Winding Down
Wurzburg chases my army out of Ulm and promptly starts a siege. That's alright. We retreat to Munich in an attempt to retake it and convince Wurzburg that I am NOT giving it to Augsburg. We settle there in December 1752, watching that 36K army in Ulm with trepidation. It wouldn't take much for them to come over and chase us out. For that matter, Austria's still building and I don't know WHERE Spain went.
Fortunately, in June 1753 Mainz decides they've had enough.
We've achieved one of our aims. Now we need to put some more thought into Augsburg, and I have a new secondary target - though I have some doubt how best to accomplish it. I think we should free the Luxembourgeois from Mitrehead persecution if we can help it.
The peace treaty wrecks Mainz and strengthens the emperor. Well, so be it.
We're forced to pick a new rival since Ulm is off the list. We take this opportunity to show Wurzburg how much we enjoy them calling us their enemies.
We spend a few relatively peaceful years. There's not much to recover from, but still a chance to wind down and deal with business. Three new cav units brought our army to 19K. We converted Ansbach to the wonders of Mitrehead worship and began building a fort. Revolutionaries tried to build support in Munchen, so we introduced them to some 'harsh treatment.' Our merchants were unhappy...
But they're always unhappy about something.
What do you think Johan? Should we stick around?
Johan's Dice
Reign: 5 years
Needed: 2+
Roll: 4
Continue?: Yes
Yes...
Around the League
Things are moving fast around the world, and Bavaria can see nearly all of it, so some news from elsewhere:
Bohemia defeated Hungary, though no land changed hands that I can see.
The Livonian Order has been dismantled. A strong Riga has appeared, while Denmark and Sweden have new lands in the Baltic.
My guess last time was wrong: The Iroquois are not a Spanish protectorate, so I'm surprised the colonies are leaving them alone.
Speaking of colonies, virtually all of them are at 30-45% liberty desire. They can make their move at 50% if they choose.
Norway has a province in the US Pacific Northwest. Russia still isn't interested in Alaska.
They are, however, interested in Madagascar. Britain has joined the Netherlands in Australia.
Ayutthaya has done a number on Khmer and is almost back to their full strength from our Lan Xang days.
The Mughals blew through Gujarat and own a good chunk of central India. They've also occupied Portuguese lands in southern India.
Speaking of which, Ceylon is independent of Portugal again.
The Ottomans have completely occupied Yemen.