Anno 1602 the Dauphine War
The war is between my alliance (Genoa, Wurtemburg, Bavaria, Baden, and Cologne) and the French (France, the Knights, Navarra, and Palatinate). The Knights are too far away to play a role, at least they did not arrive with an army. All of my allies have smallish armies in each of their provinces (10,000 or so). I can see no enemy armies other than a largish Navarese army. The war is fought in 4 theatres:
1) Germany. Cologne and Baden share borders with the Palatinate, Baden with Mainz, and Cologne with the Palatinate proper. France and Navarre have access to the Palatinate by way of Lorraine which was annexed some 100 years ago. So the Palatinate is bound to be a battleground, the question is whether it can be driven out of the war before the French annex one of my allies
2) Southern France and Italy. Genoa can only be attacked by sea. On the other hand France has 3 provinces next to Dauphine, where Wurtemburg has an army of about 15,000. Other than Provence the attack from each province would be across the Rhone into the mountains, a huge advantage for the defenders.
3) North America. France has TPs in Catskill, Adirondack, Megantic, and Rimouski, and has an unfortified city in Huronie. It also has TPs in territory to the west that I haven’t discovered. I have two cities, but both are fortified, Delaware at level 2.
4) Caribbean. I have a city in Barbados with an army and 1 ship. France has a TP in Guadaloupe. However, for the moment I can’t get at it as there are 4 Pirate ships off my coast, and I can’t beat them
Africa is not a theatre of the war, the French have a few TPs and I have a colony in Ciskei defended by some 800 men, but no action took place.
In Germany the war opened with Baden’s army marching through Mainz in the winter to the Palatinate province. On January 8th this army defeats the Palatinates small standing army, and on February 1 it defeats a newly raised army in the Palatinate. In the spring the Wurtemburg army marches on Mainz, where it defeats the remaining Palatine armies in March. The Palatine forces retreat across the Rhine where they are defeated by the Baden army, reinforced by the army of Cologne. In May they have returned to Mainz where they are crushed by the combined forces of the southern German allies. In September Mainz falls to the Bavarians – the remnants of the Palatine army watch helplessly from Lorraine. In December Cologne takes the city in the Palatinate and a flurry of diplomatic activity ensues. The Palatinate pays 171d to Cologne for peace, settles for a white peace with Baden, and then settles for a white peace with Wurtemburg. This is the end of the war in the German theatre as it is now impossible for the French to attack any of the German allies, although the victorious Cologne army moves from the Palatinate into Lorraine. The war here was a minor victory for my alliance, but the main danger of this war was averted as no annexations took place.
And where were the French armies while their loyal ally in the Rhineland was being beaten? Well, France started this war (a war that France declared) with no armies in metropolitan France. Although armies were raised in the West – in Lorriane and Franche Comte, they were drawn into the war in the south. As I mentioned before I began by raising an army of 6,000/0/30 in Genoa, and by sending the home fleet to blockade Provence. I follow this by raising 5,000 infantry in Corsica, to be embarked at the same time as the main army to head for France. In the mean time the Wurtemburg army of 15,000 heads from Dauphine to Provence to besiege it. The army arrives, and is helped by the Genoese fleet. Unfortunately, although Wurtemburg has maintained a large army to defend the Dauphine this army has no cannons. The army is well balanced and could given an excellent account of itself fighting the French armies crossing the Rhone, however, it was sent to besiege Provence without any cannons. Wurtemburg raised another army in Dauphine as soon as the war started and sent that one after the first to Provence. Immediately after this army left the eminently defensible terrain of Dauphine the first French army arrived. And the French continued to pour armies into Dauphine, suffering two failed assaults. I addition Navarre sent an army of some 50,000 to join the siege. As soon as the Navarese army had passed from Languedoc to Dauphine (in June) I landed my army in in Languedoc. Unfortunately yet another French army was present and I was defeated. I had hoped to retreat to Cevannes, but instead the army retreated to Provence to assist in the Wurtemburg siege. Although the siege finally has some cannons and I maintain the blockade whenever the fleet is not transporting, it progresses very slowly. As a result when I see a French squadron of 6 fleets in the gulf of Lyons I send the home fleet in pursuit. This squadron escapes out the straits of Gibraltar and my fleet returns to the blockade. In October Dauphine finally falls to the French, and their armies head north to intervene in the German theatre. When that war ends in December the French armies head south again and lift the siege of Provence (the Genoese army retreats onto the fleet). The French (and Navarese) pursue the Wrtemburg army into Orleannais and defeat them there. Seeing that victory is increasingly unlikely Wurtemburg surrenders Dauphine to the French ending the war for Wurtemburg, Bavaria and Genoa, although immediately prior to the peace I finally win a naval battle defeating 6 French ships in the cote d’Azure. Unfortunately, no rutters. War between France and Cologne and Baden continues (they made separate peace with the Palatinate), but the combatants have no way to attack one another. The Cologne army marches about France, but is eventually hunted down by the far superior French forces, and in July 1607, after 3 years without action the two sides accept a white peace. Unfortunately this extends my alliance, but is a pretty minor loss compared to how the war could have turned out.
In North America my army heads north from Manhattan and occupies Catskill, Adirondack and Huronie, giving me one star against France. From there the army heads for Megantic, while the TP in Adirondack burns. By May the army is in Rimouski and I burn the TPs in Megantic and Rimouski. At the same time a French army arrives to liberate Huronie from the west (terra incognito to me). It is led by Champlain, so I am quite concerned, and decide to try to protect Manhattan and Delaware by meeting him on good terrain. The army moves to Catskill and I raise 3,000 infantry in Delaware to provide support. This leaves Kebec exposed, but I can’t afford to protect it. In the event, Champlain marches through Adirondack on his way east, stops in Megantic, but does not march on Kebec, which survives to the generous peace treaty negotiated by Wurtemburg. When Dauphine falls I burn the last French TP under my control, the one in Catskill. I hope to be able to claim Catskill - it was first discovered by Genoese under Corelli long age, and he had destroyed the natives there so it ought to be Genoese territory. In the Caribbean, I get very lucky when the Pirates are driven off in August, I immediately send my ship to sea, and board 1,000 men on it, and land them in Guadeloupe. By October Guadeloupe is under Genoese control, and is burned shortly thereafter with the fall of Dauphine. I immediately send a colonist, as this is a very valuable province.
Overall the war was a success for Genoese arms, although it will not earn me any VPs. France has lost its CB, and I was able to destroy most of her North American possessions, and pick up Guadeloupe, a very nice province to have. On the down side was a delay in my colonization of Ciskei, an extension of my alliance, and the general waste of resources in any war. On balance a big plus.
The war is between my alliance (Genoa, Wurtemburg, Bavaria, Baden, and Cologne) and the French (France, the Knights, Navarra, and Palatinate). The Knights are too far away to play a role, at least they did not arrive with an army. All of my allies have smallish armies in each of their provinces (10,000 or so). I can see no enemy armies other than a largish Navarese army. The war is fought in 4 theatres:
1) Germany. Cologne and Baden share borders with the Palatinate, Baden with Mainz, and Cologne with the Palatinate proper. France and Navarre have access to the Palatinate by way of Lorraine which was annexed some 100 years ago. So the Palatinate is bound to be a battleground, the question is whether it can be driven out of the war before the French annex one of my allies
2) Southern France and Italy. Genoa can only be attacked by sea. On the other hand France has 3 provinces next to Dauphine, where Wurtemburg has an army of about 15,000. Other than Provence the attack from each province would be across the Rhone into the mountains, a huge advantage for the defenders.
3) North America. France has TPs in Catskill, Adirondack, Megantic, and Rimouski, and has an unfortified city in Huronie. It also has TPs in territory to the west that I haven’t discovered. I have two cities, but both are fortified, Delaware at level 2.
4) Caribbean. I have a city in Barbados with an army and 1 ship. France has a TP in Guadaloupe. However, for the moment I can’t get at it as there are 4 Pirate ships off my coast, and I can’t beat them
Africa is not a theatre of the war, the French have a few TPs and I have a colony in Ciskei defended by some 800 men, but no action took place.
In Germany the war opened with Baden’s army marching through Mainz in the winter to the Palatinate province. On January 8th this army defeats the Palatinates small standing army, and on February 1 it defeats a newly raised army in the Palatinate. In the spring the Wurtemburg army marches on Mainz, where it defeats the remaining Palatine armies in March. The Palatine forces retreat across the Rhine where they are defeated by the Baden army, reinforced by the army of Cologne. In May they have returned to Mainz where they are crushed by the combined forces of the southern German allies. In September Mainz falls to the Bavarians – the remnants of the Palatine army watch helplessly from Lorraine. In December Cologne takes the city in the Palatinate and a flurry of diplomatic activity ensues. The Palatinate pays 171d to Cologne for peace, settles for a white peace with Baden, and then settles for a white peace with Wurtemburg. This is the end of the war in the German theatre as it is now impossible for the French to attack any of the German allies, although the victorious Cologne army moves from the Palatinate into Lorraine. The war here was a minor victory for my alliance, but the main danger of this war was averted as no annexations took place.
And where were the French armies while their loyal ally in the Rhineland was being beaten? Well, France started this war (a war that France declared) with no armies in metropolitan France. Although armies were raised in the West – in Lorriane and Franche Comte, they were drawn into the war in the south. As I mentioned before I began by raising an army of 6,000/0/30 in Genoa, and by sending the home fleet to blockade Provence. I follow this by raising 5,000 infantry in Corsica, to be embarked at the same time as the main army to head for France. In the mean time the Wurtemburg army of 15,000 heads from Dauphine to Provence to besiege it. The army arrives, and is helped by the Genoese fleet. Unfortunately, although Wurtemburg has maintained a large army to defend the Dauphine this army has no cannons. The army is well balanced and could given an excellent account of itself fighting the French armies crossing the Rhone, however, it was sent to besiege Provence without any cannons. Wurtemburg raised another army in Dauphine as soon as the war started and sent that one after the first to Provence. Immediately after this army left the eminently defensible terrain of Dauphine the first French army arrived. And the French continued to pour armies into Dauphine, suffering two failed assaults. I addition Navarre sent an army of some 50,000 to join the siege. As soon as the Navarese army had passed from Languedoc to Dauphine (in June) I landed my army in in Languedoc. Unfortunately yet another French army was present and I was defeated. I had hoped to retreat to Cevannes, but instead the army retreated to Provence to assist in the Wurtemburg siege. Although the siege finally has some cannons and I maintain the blockade whenever the fleet is not transporting, it progresses very slowly. As a result when I see a French squadron of 6 fleets in the gulf of Lyons I send the home fleet in pursuit. This squadron escapes out the straits of Gibraltar and my fleet returns to the blockade. In October Dauphine finally falls to the French, and their armies head north to intervene in the German theatre. When that war ends in December the French armies head south again and lift the siege of Provence (the Genoese army retreats onto the fleet). The French (and Navarese) pursue the Wrtemburg army into Orleannais and defeat them there. Seeing that victory is increasingly unlikely Wurtemburg surrenders Dauphine to the French ending the war for Wurtemburg, Bavaria and Genoa, although immediately prior to the peace I finally win a naval battle defeating 6 French ships in the cote d’Azure. Unfortunately, no rutters. War between France and Cologne and Baden continues (they made separate peace with the Palatinate), but the combatants have no way to attack one another. The Cologne army marches about France, but is eventually hunted down by the far superior French forces, and in July 1607, after 3 years without action the two sides accept a white peace. Unfortunately this extends my alliance, but is a pretty minor loss compared to how the war could have turned out.
In North America my army heads north from Manhattan and occupies Catskill, Adirondack and Huronie, giving me one star against France. From there the army heads for Megantic, while the TP in Adirondack burns. By May the army is in Rimouski and I burn the TPs in Megantic and Rimouski. At the same time a French army arrives to liberate Huronie from the west (terra incognito to me). It is led by Champlain, so I am quite concerned, and decide to try to protect Manhattan and Delaware by meeting him on good terrain. The army moves to Catskill and I raise 3,000 infantry in Delaware to provide support. This leaves Kebec exposed, but I can’t afford to protect it. In the event, Champlain marches through Adirondack on his way east, stops in Megantic, but does not march on Kebec, which survives to the generous peace treaty negotiated by Wurtemburg. When Dauphine falls I burn the last French TP under my control, the one in Catskill. I hope to be able to claim Catskill - it was first discovered by Genoese under Corelli long age, and he had destroyed the natives there so it ought to be Genoese territory. In the Caribbean, I get very lucky when the Pirates are driven off in August, I immediately send my ship to sea, and board 1,000 men on it, and land them in Guadeloupe. By October Guadeloupe is under Genoese control, and is burned shortly thereafter with the fall of Dauphine. I immediately send a colonist, as this is a very valuable province.
Overall the war was a success for Genoese arms, although it will not earn me any VPs. France has lost its CB, and I was able to destroy most of her North American possessions, and pick up Guadeloupe, a very nice province to have. On the down side was a delay in my colonization of Ciskei, an extension of my alliance, and the general waste of resources in any war. On balance a big plus.
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