Played on normal GC, 1.08, Very Easy/Coward. This is one of my first GCs anyhow, so I still have to learn more about EU before hiking up the difficulty. I took no notes until about 1530, so please forgive me if I make some mistakes, I'm doing much of this from memory....
The Steppe Wars, Part I (1492 - 1496)
In the year 1492, Russia is only a weak nation in the furthest corners of Europe. That will be no more soon. The Mongols to our south have grown weak, and are no longer united. We shall soon drive them from Russia altogether! So Ivan III has declared, and it shall be carried out. We start the construction of fortifications in Moscow and Norvograd, and gather our armies in Moscow and Vladimir. A diplomat is sent to Copenhagen, and we secure an alliance with the Danes. Under the able general Striga-Oblinski, we will be able to defeat the Mongol scum. In early March, we declare war on the Kazan Khanate. May God bring us victory!
Shortly after the war begins, we hear that the Spainsh have defeated the heathens of Grenada. We take the news with indifference. Striga-Oblinski and his army heads south to Liptesk, while another infantry army heads towards Ryazan. At the same time, another one of our forces with thousands of Cossacks moves eastward to attack the Kazan army head on. In Liptesk and Ryazan, we quickly siege the fortresses, but in Kazan, our Cossack army is defeated by the Kazan! The Kazan pursue our army back to Vladimir, and lay siege there. May they all die of attrition. Our Cossacks retreat to Moscow, in much smaller numbers then when they set out.
As winter sets in, we are still unable to sieze either Liptesk or Ryazan. Early in November, Liptesk surrenders. Striga-Oblinski and his army move southward to besiege Vorones, but the brutal winter costs them many men. As spring sets in again, we recruit 18 thousnad infantry to replace Striga-Oblinski's losses. Ryazan falls, and our army there moves to Tambow and sieges that province too. Meanwhile, our Kazan invaders have happily starved themselves from 56 thousand men to a mear 31 thousand. Seeing a weakness, we order our Coasacks to attack them and try to relieve the siege. They fail, and lose many able calvarymen. We expand our alliance now including the nation of Pskov.
After several months of sieging Vladimir, the Kazan decide totry and relieve Ryazan. They break siege and move to Ryazan. In the meantime, we storm the fortresses of Vorones and Tambow. Striga-Oblinski joins his army with the other siege army, and they move together to Kazan. Elsewhere in the world, the Ottoman Trks have just annexed the Mamelukes. That is still far for our sphere on influence, and we ignore it for now. We notice that the walls of Ryazan are beginning to crack, so we hastily attempt to storm the fortress but we fail. Winter soon sets in. After several months, Ryazan looks as if it is in danger of falling soon. We assult the fortress again, and sieze it. We quickly annex the Kazan Khanate. Ivan III is pleased. He looks southward, and proclaims that all Orthodox confessors will be freed from the grasp of the heathens. And then all of a sudden, he pays for an improvement of Tver's walls out of his own pocket.I thank him, and quickly return to the newly-conquered lands.
In the spring of 1495, our armies are poised to invade the Golden Horde. Those whom we were once forced to pay tribute to will soon become our subjects. We gather our forces, both those of our own and those whom came to us after the Kazan surrendered, and place them in two siege armies. After several months of training new infantry to fill our ranks, we have two whole armies of 20,000 infantry poised to strike at the enemy. In late July, we declare war on the Golden Horde.
Striga-Oblinski leads one of our offensive armies. He sieges Saratow, while the other army marches to Bogutjar. One day, after distributing spirits to the troops, our commander drunkenly orders an assult. We actually win! These Mongols don't seem to be very good at building forts. Striga-Oblinski quickly orders an assult of the fort that his army is besieging. Unfortunately, the Mongols pick this moment to begin launching their army at us. Although Striga-Oblinski wins the battle, we are unable to continue with assulting the fortress. The other army arrives and we assult the fortress again. This time we suceed, and Saratow is ours. We send off Russian maidens to Denmark and Pskov, and secure marriges for them with nobles of those countries. Our allies will be useful in the dark times ahead.
Our brave men march onward, with Samara, the Mongol capital being besieged by Striga-Oblinski's forces while Kuibyshev is besieged by our other army. Quick assults on the flimsy Mongol forts bring us a quick victory before winter sets in. The Mongols surrender their nation, but we put every one of them to the sword. In a few short years, we have managed to more then double our nation's size, and we have freed thousands of Orthodox confessors from the rule of the heathens. We look southward at Astrakhan, and prepare for yet another war. But for now, we must dig in for this winter, and ready our armies for the next summer, and all the summers to come.
The Steppe Wars, Part I (1492 - 1496)
In the year 1492, Russia is only a weak nation in the furthest corners of Europe. That will be no more soon. The Mongols to our south have grown weak, and are no longer united. We shall soon drive them from Russia altogether! So Ivan III has declared, and it shall be carried out. We start the construction of fortifications in Moscow and Norvograd, and gather our armies in Moscow and Vladimir. A diplomat is sent to Copenhagen, and we secure an alliance with the Danes. Under the able general Striga-Oblinski, we will be able to defeat the Mongol scum. In early March, we declare war on the Kazan Khanate. May God bring us victory!
Shortly after the war begins, we hear that the Spainsh have defeated the heathens of Grenada. We take the news with indifference. Striga-Oblinski and his army heads south to Liptesk, while another infantry army heads towards Ryazan. At the same time, another one of our forces with thousands of Cossacks moves eastward to attack the Kazan army head on. In Liptesk and Ryazan, we quickly siege the fortresses, but in Kazan, our Cossack army is defeated by the Kazan! The Kazan pursue our army back to Vladimir, and lay siege there. May they all die of attrition. Our Cossacks retreat to Moscow, in much smaller numbers then when they set out.
As winter sets in, we are still unable to sieze either Liptesk or Ryazan. Early in November, Liptesk surrenders. Striga-Oblinski and his army move southward to besiege Vorones, but the brutal winter costs them many men. As spring sets in again, we recruit 18 thousnad infantry to replace Striga-Oblinski's losses. Ryazan falls, and our army there moves to Tambow and sieges that province too. Meanwhile, our Kazan invaders have happily starved themselves from 56 thousand men to a mear 31 thousand. Seeing a weakness, we order our Coasacks to attack them and try to relieve the siege. They fail, and lose many able calvarymen. We expand our alliance now including the nation of Pskov.
After several months of sieging Vladimir, the Kazan decide totry and relieve Ryazan. They break siege and move to Ryazan. In the meantime, we storm the fortresses of Vorones and Tambow. Striga-Oblinski joins his army with the other siege army, and they move together to Kazan. Elsewhere in the world, the Ottoman Trks have just annexed the Mamelukes. That is still far for our sphere on influence, and we ignore it for now. We notice that the walls of Ryazan are beginning to crack, so we hastily attempt to storm the fortress but we fail. Winter soon sets in. After several months, Ryazan looks as if it is in danger of falling soon. We assult the fortress again, and sieze it. We quickly annex the Kazan Khanate. Ivan III is pleased. He looks southward, and proclaims that all Orthodox confessors will be freed from the grasp of the heathens. And then all of a sudden, he pays for an improvement of Tver's walls out of his own pocket.I thank him, and quickly return to the newly-conquered lands.
In the spring of 1495, our armies are poised to invade the Golden Horde. Those whom we were once forced to pay tribute to will soon become our subjects. We gather our forces, both those of our own and those whom came to us after the Kazan surrendered, and place them in two siege armies. After several months of training new infantry to fill our ranks, we have two whole armies of 20,000 infantry poised to strike at the enemy. In late July, we declare war on the Golden Horde.
Striga-Oblinski leads one of our offensive armies. He sieges Saratow, while the other army marches to Bogutjar. One day, after distributing spirits to the troops, our commander drunkenly orders an assult. We actually win! These Mongols don't seem to be very good at building forts. Striga-Oblinski quickly orders an assult of the fort that his army is besieging. Unfortunately, the Mongols pick this moment to begin launching their army at us. Although Striga-Oblinski wins the battle, we are unable to continue with assulting the fortress. The other army arrives and we assult the fortress again. This time we suceed, and Saratow is ours. We send off Russian maidens to Denmark and Pskov, and secure marriges for them with nobles of those countries. Our allies will be useful in the dark times ahead.
Our brave men march onward, with Samara, the Mongol capital being besieged by Striga-Oblinski's forces while Kuibyshev is besieged by our other army. Quick assults on the flimsy Mongol forts bring us a quick victory before winter sets in. The Mongols surrender their nation, but we put every one of them to the sword. In a few short years, we have managed to more then double our nation's size, and we have freed thousands of Orthodox confessors from the rule of the heathens. We look southward at Astrakhan, and prepare for yet another war. But for now, we must dig in for this winter, and ready our armies for the next summer, and all the summers to come.
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