CHAPTER XXII: BAVARIA
Part 2: Where Are We Going?
(1755-1760)
Okay, fair warning. This turn is going to be slow. Real slow. 'Lame,' I think was the word a few turns ago. We've had worst turns, but I can count them on one hand. Think I'm kidding? Heh heh. Of course you do. Read on, just remember to bring a pillow and blankie.
Epic Nap
It is January 1755, and we've fully recovered from our spat with Wurzburg on Mainz's behalf as well as cutting Ulm down to size. Our army is larger than it's ever been, war exhaustion is non-extant, and we just need a target. Well, Augsburg should be available in a few years, right?
Wrong. Our truce doesn't expire until 1762 now. Did the default change? Last I checked truces were five years.
Well, that makes them unappetizing. Wurtemberg is still in a PU with Poland, Austria's too big, I have a truce with Wurzburg ... you know, I think we're just going to sit tight and build stuff. We start a Fort-5 in Munchen to match the one in Ansbach, and a Regimental Camp in Nurnberg.
We
could also buy Administrative Ideas-1 (Organized Mercenary Payments: -25% cost), but we're not really rich enough to splurge on mercs unless a war is imminent. Still, it's an idea for later. We could also take Innovative Ideas-3 (Scientific Revolution, -5% tech) but we're already ahead of time in all areas.
I take a look at some of the other OPMs that are reasonably close: Switzerland in particular, but it doesn't look very hopeful.
In May Orleans declares war on France. When the dust clears it's AUSTRIA, France, Aachen, Lorraine, Utrecht, Munster, Poland and Wurtemberg vs. ORLEANS, Liege, and Spain+. (The + being her colonies). This
should be a good fight, and being closer to home Spain should be able to effectively weigh in. Right?
We get to select a new mission and choose to incorporate Ulm, though we probably won't succeed in that before we leave. Unfortunately there's some backlash:
We follow up with a royal marriage in August, then take Administration-27 (Tax Assessor). We don't have the funds to actually buy an assessor yet.
Bohemia rivals us in November, with his rather rude but completely irrelevant since we don't share a border. Then 1756 begins with a travelling minstrel who raises our Stability to +2.
This gives me an idea: If I can get Stability to +3, then I'll eat the stab hit of breaking truce with Augsburg. Soon we'll have enough Admin points to buy that last point of Stab.
Still, it's not that simple. Most of Augsburg's allies don't signify, though Wurzburg would be annoying. I'm worried about Savoy though. They're on the rise again after napping for a century or two, and have 60K under arms to my 20K. Even if I merced up.. I really want Savoy in a nasty war before we act.
Our forebearance pays off in January 1757 as we take Diplomacy-28 (Joint Stock Companies) and start a Ponzi scheme for more money.
In March Wurtemberg asks for MA. Since we aren't going to be fighting them anyway, the answer is yes.
That autumn the Ottomans decide to go after the Ukraine again. Portugal+ and Netherlands+ jump in on their respective sides promising more fun in the Western Hemisphere.
Meanwhile, Orleans and Liege have broken through into Wurtemberg. On the other side, the Austrians smashed the only large Spaniard army to show up so far.
I'm somewhat impressed. In all my EU games, in most of my games period, once a position (player or AI) reaches a dominant position it's pretty much over. I've never seen an empire simply
fade before, and that's precisely what Spain is doing. I'm not sure quite why, but I imagine it has to do with having holdings all over the planet making it that much harder to protect any of them.
Their pain isn't over yet, as SAVOY and Palatinate declare war on Spain+, Norway+, Orleans, Mainz and Hungary in April 1758. A few months later NETHERLANDS+, Livonian Order, and Hansa take on NORWAY+, Aachen, Bohemia and Saxony.
The whole world's fighting, and I'm just sitting here! GAH!
I'm watching Savoy's numbers carefully. They started the war at 61K. By May 1759 they'd first fallen to 54K, then recovered to 67K, with 50 rampaging Germany in one stack. They destroy a Spanish army in Mainz, then the Mainz army for good measure. The rest appear to be successfully invading Hungary.
Taking Augsburg means going through Savoy's army. I need at least the stack of 50 to get its comeuppance, and I just don't think Spain's capable of that anymore.
Certainly Brittany doesn't. Recall that Brittany was diploannexed some time in the 1500s, revolted from a colony in Newfoundland, then managed to colonize a solid chunk of North America. Now they want to go home.
It's BRITTANY versus SPAIN+, Hungary, Mainz, Orleans and Norway+ for Loire. I don't think taking Loire back is likely. Kicking the Spanish out of North America though...that they might just figure out how to do.
We can do better than this....
Johan's Dice
Reign: 10 years
Needed: 3+
Roll: 5
Continue?: Yes
And we will.
Around the League
The Ottos wrecked Yemen, reducing them to a few disparate territories in what we'd consider Oman, Southern Egypt and elsewhere.
Mali has finally conquered Kanem Bornu.
Spain, Britain and Japan are colonizing Indonesia.
Austria, Poland and Ukraine have completely occupied Spanish Lithuania.
I'm not sure why the Dutch are fighting the Britain, but they've completely occupied British Argentine as well as other NA colonies. They've also occupied parts of the Portuguese homeland.
