Titans.
France. Spain. Poland-Lithuania. The far-off Empires of Russia and the greatly feared Turk.
Titans all.
There are a great many lesser nations in Europe as well, and these were somewhat like litters of puppies….tending to gravitate around and orbit the Titans in a way not unlike a small dog walks at the feet of his Master. And, like dogs, though these smaller nations may hope desperately for a measure of greatness or importance, mostly they get table scraps.
This is the story of one of those tiny nation-states, land locked in central Europe. A “small dog” of a nation not content to be forever chained to one of the great powers in Europe. A nation whose heart and ambition were far greater than the size of her holdings. This is the story of a Land and a People who would not be marginalized or kept down. I saw to that personally. This is their story, and mine. Welcome to the tale of the Lands of Lorraine….
Author’s Note: This game was played out using IGC2.3/EU1.09 on “Hard” settings with AI aggressiveness set to “normal” – Missions were “on” (although many of them were patently silly), and a word about cheats. Although absolutely no cheats were used to further my position, I did use the “deflation” event in order to force national bankruptcy to behave the way it’s supposed to (per the manual) Note that this was not a perfect fix, but any time the event was used, I erred on the side favoring the computer (ie – I never just used the event to give myself a break and I only used it when the 33% reduction would put me somewhere close to what the actual inflation rate, post-bankruptcy was supposed to be). This was done because guiding the nation through a series of “controlled financial breakdowns” was central to my overall strategy. Besides that, there was nothing. No re-loads to get a better result or the “desired” result, no use of any events to further my position in the game. Nothing. For better or worse, the chips fell where they fell. I should also note that this is actually my second attempt at the IGC with this nation. My first one met a gruesome end about 105 years into the game, when I forcibly annexed one too many of the Germanic states and was the recipient of a European gang bang. We held on for 36 months and got a white peace with all parties involved, but at that point (93% inflation, before I thought of using the “deflation event”) it was hopeless, so I gave in and began again.
OoO
Prologue
My name is Hansen Verje, of Bavaria, and yes, that is a sigil ring you see on my finger. The pyramid with the all-seeing eye of the Illuminati.
On December 3rd, 1491, I presented myself to the Lord of Lorraine, King Rene II, hoping to gain a position in his court, and my credentials were, of course, impeccable. Schooled in the arts of diplomacy at the court in Paris, and a letter of recommendation in hand from the Duke of Lyonnais, King Rene II had little difficulty accepting me into his court.
There was, however, a bit of disbelief on his part, that one of my skill, station, and training would want to serve in the (then) relatively minor Court of Lorraine. I remember the conversation as though it took place just yesterday, though King Rene is long-dead as I sit and pen these words….
OoO
“…but a man of your obvious skill and training could gain a position in any court in Europe….why then, would you seek to ply your trade here. We are a small, nay, insignificant nation with little to recommend us.”
“For now, that is true, My Lord, but I can see the gleam of ambition in your eyes, and if you but allow me into your service, I solemnly pledge to help you turn this tiny nation with little to recommend it into an Empire worthy of your blood’s ambition.”
The King contemplated for a long moment, his eyes straying to my sigil ring and weighing the truth of my words.
“Very well, My Lord Verje. Welcome to the Court of Lorraine. I think you may find that we are not destined for the heights of greatness you aspire to, and therefore feel that you may be wasting both your time and talents, but you are certainly are welcomed to try. I would wager that it stands to be a grand adventure at the very least, and the men of Lorraine are nothing if not filled with adventurous spirit.”
I smiled at him then. “My Lord, you have no idea….”
We sat down at the table the King used when meeting with his War Captains and talked long into the night….
OoO
December 4, 1491
The King looked at me as though I was stark-raving mad. “You want to do what?!” He asked incredulously.
“Trust me, My King. I spent four years in the courts of Helvetia, studying the ways of the money-lenders there. I daresay I know finance better than anyone in your kingdom, and I’m telling you with absolute certainty that this plan will work.”
“Never minding the money for a moment…” He sputtered, “But Spain is the most powerful nation in all of Europe! Who are we to declare war on such a mighty nation?”
I smiled a knowing smile and flashed my sigil ring before him, the gold from it reflecting brilliantly in the lamplight.
“Illuminatus at my side or no,” He said in a troubled tone, “I still fail to see the wisdom of attacking the mightiest power in all of Europe, honorable Lord Verje.”
“Ahhh, but that’s just the thing, My King. In the first case, no one will be expecting such audacity, and that works very much to our benefit. In the second case, we will not do it alone….a war of this magnitude requires us to seek strong allies, and in this case, considering their bitter rivalry, I suggest France as our best choice.”
“But you said that eventually we’d need to….”
I held up a hand, and the King fell silent. “Indeed…but let us not get ahead of ourselves. The French need not be made aware of our eventual aims, and for the moment, their long-standing and bitter rivalry with the Spaniards can be made to work to our advantage.
Silence ruled the room.
“And what of our army? We have all of ten thousand soldiers, and our engineers, although they have gained plans for siege guns, have not yet the means for constructing any. In short, Lord Verje, your plan calls for us to attack the mightiest nation in Europe with siege guns that exist only on parchment, call upon allies we do not have, and field an army that we cannot afford.”
“Precisely.” I told him with a smile. “Precisely.”
“And when, pray tell, do you propose that we launch this war that will surely doom us?”
“Well, the first step, of course, will be to seek entrance into the French alliance and gain favor there.” My mind was already turning. I was at least somewhat well known in the court of Paris, and determined that once I had the King more-or-less behind my bold (some would say foolhardy and reckless) plan, I would attend to the Paris matter personally. There was no other way.
“This is madness.” The King murmured.
He was right, and it was delightful.
OoO
January 1st, 1492
Bailiff appointed in Lorraine to assist with the levying of taxes. The peasantry is none too happy with the new development, but then, they rarely are happy at all, and it is necessary for the glory of Lorraine, so it is done.
February 1st, 1492
At a dinner party held in honor of our War Captains and the Nobility of Lorraine, the King decrees that we, as his loyal subjects, are charged with the mission of conquering the French province of Champagne. Cringing at the thought, having already set an appointment to meet with the Peers of the Realm in Paris (in hopes of gaining admittance into their Alliance), I mutter a half-hearted “we’ll try,” and pray that he does not remember his decree in the morning.
April 6th, 1492
I, Lord Verje of Lorraine, ride to Paris to personally attend the Court there, and ask that Lorraine be admitted into the mighty French alliance. I make a strong case and a good impression on the King of France, declaring that if admitted, the King of Lorraine will pledge to take personal charge of driving the cursed Spaniards from the low country.
All of the Low Country.
I’m not sure if those in attendance in the Court of Paris were more shocked or amused. They were impossibly bold words for such a tiny nation as ours, and yet, our request for admission into the alliance of France (along with Brittney, Savoy, and the Papal States) was granted, and our relationship with France further improved by the French King’s proposal of a Royal Marriage to bind us closer. I accepted on the King’s behalf, and began making a mental list of his best-looking unwed family members. We had to impress the French Titans. That was crucial.
We had our ally. We had the will (well…I had the will at least, and was still working on the King). Now all that remained was the means.
April 18th, 1492
After a hastily arranged meeting with some Swiss moneylenders, I borrowed 400 ducats in the King’s name, without consulting him. After a bout of fuming and threatening me with grievous bodily harm, he came to his senses, seeing the necessity of it all, and then ordered the training of 6,000 Infantry and a like number of Cavalry. The clang of steel can be heard all over Lorraine as our army prepares to more than double in size.
April 26th, 1492
After meeting with the King to gain his approval, I appoint one Colonel Jaeger to the head of the Army of Lorraine. An excellent detail man, he immediately takes charge of handling the recruitment, and in the evenings, he and I sit down to write what will become Lorraine’s Doctrines of War (highlights provided below)
Lorraine’s War Doctrine (The Articles of Snow)
Facts: Lorraine is preparing for war with the mightiest nation in all of Europe. We lack both manpower, and the ability to fight a protracted war. We can field one good army, and that’s it. No more for us. Therefore, we must:
1) Never risk the Army of Lorraine. Never fight toe to toe with any enemy. Run from their armies at every turn, unless we have overwhelming numerical superiority.
2) The overriding goal of Lorraine in any confrontation is to increase our lands. Thus, our armies will be designed with siege warfare in mind, and be as balanced as we can possibly make them.
3) In the event of scouts reporting an enemy army moving in the direction of our siege forces, the Army Commander must decide whether to continue the siege or to run (per item #1, above).
In short, we must be as snow. Falling silently, and without apparent pattern on our objectives, and melting away the moment things heat up.
Brothers In Arms:
Wherever possible, we should let our stronger and more numerous allies do the heavy fighting for us, while we move in with precision, toward pre-selected objectives.
Uses of Cavalry:
Cavalry should be kept separate from the rest of the army whenever possible, and used to cover targeted territories to prevent enemy recruitment and/or to cut off supply routes for enemy soldiers, allowing attrition to whittle down the raw numbers of our enemies.
OoO
July 10th, 1492
The Army of Lorraine, under Col. Jaeger now numbers 15,000 Infantry and 7,000 Cavalry, giving Lorraine the largest standing force in the region.
October 5th, 1492
Diplomats are sent to The Palitinat, Kleves, Hessen, and Brandenburg to arrange Royal Marriages with all. Without exception, they agree to our offers, thus binding us a bit closer to our Germanic neighbors.
December 1, 1492
Our engineers complete the first prototype siege cannon for Lorraine. I inform them to gather as many laborers as they can find, because with the dawning of the new year, I’ll be ordering many. A great many.
January 1, 1493
Again, I approach the Swiss moneylenders, and arrange for 600 ducats in the King’s name. Money in hand, I order the construction of 80 siege guns, 1,000 additional cavalry, and 2,000 additional Infantry. The army of Lorraine is almost ready. Surprisingly, when the King learns of what I have done, he barely raises an eyebrow. Whether this means that he’s fully behind the war now, and convinced that we can succeed, or simply that it’s getting more and more difficult to shock the man, I am not certain. Nonetheless, we’re several steps closer….
May 5th, 1493
The Army of Lorraine stands at 17,000/8,000/80, and we are at last ready to strike. The King, though he is still not quite convinced that we can win a war with Spain seems more than game enough to try it, and gives a rousing speech to our eager troops. Rumor held that the roar of our men could be heard halfway to Paris.
May 9th, 1493
The tiny nation of Lorraine shocks the world and declares war on the Empire of Spain. Silence reigns across the land for a number of days as all of Europe digests this news. Surely the report must be false. Tiny Lorraine? She couldn’t! They would not dare declare against such a power as Spain!
But it is so, and our die is cast. Lorraine’s bid for empire begins!
May 12th, 1493
Col. Jaeger takes a detachment of 5,000 Infantry and all 80 of our Siege Guns north to Lux., leaving the balance of the Army of Lorraine at the capitol for the moment. The nations in the proud French alliance all rally to Lorraine’s banner, and France, The Papal States, Brittney, and Savoy all begin preparing for war. Of course, all of Spain’s allies also rally: Milan, Naples, Scotland(?), England, and their newest addition, The Palintat, who has a largish 15,000 man force just to the east of us. They immediately begin marching on Lorraine, and the army there, under the command of one Colonel Huber, decides NOT to follow the War Doctrines we so carefully drafted, and waits in Lorraine for the enemy….
June 21st
Lux is besieged by Col. Jaeger and his 80 guns. Immediately, the minimally fortified town begins to feel the effects of our artillery, but Jaegar’s scouts report that a force of some 2,000 Spanish Regulars is moving south to engage him in an attempt to break the siege. Given the speed at which the town’s defenses are crumbling, Jaeger decides to stand firm and greet them with Cannon and Pike when they arrive.
July 5th
The Army of Pfalz assaults Col. Huber’s forces in Lorraine and meets a crushing defeat in the span of only two days. Huber’s force loses less than a thousand men, all told, while the Palintat’s army is reduced from 15,000 to just over 6,000. A stunning first victory for Lorraine, and a huge morale boost for our forces!
July 11th
Two thousand Spanish Regulars (all infantry), assault the siege works in place at Lux. They are shattered and driven off by a single volley of Jaeger’s relentless guns, and the Siege of Lux. Continues.
Meanwhile, our scouts and spies report that a massive army of 33,000 (or more!) French troops is assaulting the Spanish territory of Frenche Compte. It appears that the territory will not be in Spanish hands for long.
August 6th
Lux. Falls to the Army of Lorraine, and Col. Jaeger immediately marches for Brussels. Our scouts report a large (17,000+) Spanish army marching south from Friesen. Jaeger keeps close watch on their progress, but is not deterred.
August 18th
Lorraine’s troops under the command of Col. Huber leave Lorraine and march on the Spanish province of Artois, with plans to besiege the place. I order the immediate conscription of additional troops (3,000/2,000/20) , which takes most of our remaining funds. It has been determined that the Spaniards marching from Friesen are heading for Lorraine herself. The tiny nation braces for Spanish fury.
September 9th
Seeing an opportunity for true greatness, Col. Jaeger leaves Brussels alone, and marches instead for Flandres, the Jewel of Spain’s northern holdings. On October 12th, the city is under siege. Artois comes under siege some eight days prior to the siege of Flandres, but in a terrifying development, Lorraine is besieged by the Spanish at about this same time. We must bring the war to a rapid conclusion if we are to see gains.
October 20th
Our new recruits from Lorraine are driven off by the Spaniards, but so far, Lorraine’s walls are standing firm (no cannon among the Spanish attack force, much to our relief). By late December, the recruits will arrive in Artois to assist with the ongoing siege. Meanwhile, Col. Jaeger proves himself a canny artillerist, dealing a number of severe blows to the defense works of Flandres (walls at –3).
December 1st
Out of funds and unable to take additional loans, the Kingdom of Lorraine declares bankruptcy. The morale of our troops immediately suffers for it, but since we’re not fighting any armies in the field, it’s not as bad as it could be. The sieges continue, and Lorraine’s garrison continues to stand firm.
December 28th
Artois falls to Lorraine, and Huber’s command marches to Flandres to assist Col. Jaeger in bringing down that city’s mighty walls.
January 4th, 1494
While Huber is still en route to Flandres, the city falls to the ever-impressive Col. Jaeger, and the Spanish immediately send an ambassador to Lorraine, offering the territories of Lux and Flandres to us in exchange for peace.
The King is momentarily stunned into silence at this new development as he surveys the battered defense works of Lorraine. He recovers quickly, however, and graciously accepts the Spanish offer.
The siege of Lorraine is lifted.
The Spanish Army returns home.
OoO
“You called for me, My King?” I asked with more than a bit of trepidation as I entered the Chamber of War Captains and found the King, more than a little drunk, sitting at the head of that oft-used table.
“Sit….sit.” He motioned.
And I did.
“What….just happened here today?” He asked, words slightly slurring together.
“When? What do you mean, Majesty?”
“This….The Spaniards….Lorraine was beaten. Two weeks more and they’d have battered down the walls and reduced us to ashes.”
“No my friend….we were faster and better than they. In the time that it took them to gather their wits about them sufficiently to even think of striking here, we had captured two of their provinces and were on our way to taking a third. And before they could gain much ground on our defense-works, we HAD captured a third province of theirs. By whatever standard you choose to measure the war we just fought, we beat the Spaniards and we beat them soundly. That is why they offered peace on such generous terms.”
“I find myself wondering when I shall wake from this glorious dream.”
“It is no dream, My King….Lorraine’s star is rising and we are standing at the center of the birth of a new Empire.”
“Flandres.” He whispered. “The jewel of the Low Country….Mine.”
“Yours.” I agreed, smiling fondly at this sometimes simple man who was fast becoming more than King to me, but friend as well. “Yours.”
And I left him to his drink and dreaming, while I went to my bed chamber to plan out the next step in Lorraine’s bid for Empire.
*End of Segment One*
(Note – Dates might be off slightly….left notes at home when I came to work this morning!)
-=Vel=-
France. Spain. Poland-Lithuania. The far-off Empires of Russia and the greatly feared Turk.
Titans all.
There are a great many lesser nations in Europe as well, and these were somewhat like litters of puppies….tending to gravitate around and orbit the Titans in a way not unlike a small dog walks at the feet of his Master. And, like dogs, though these smaller nations may hope desperately for a measure of greatness or importance, mostly they get table scraps.
This is the story of one of those tiny nation-states, land locked in central Europe. A “small dog” of a nation not content to be forever chained to one of the great powers in Europe. A nation whose heart and ambition were far greater than the size of her holdings. This is the story of a Land and a People who would not be marginalized or kept down. I saw to that personally. This is their story, and mine. Welcome to the tale of the Lands of Lorraine….
Author’s Note: This game was played out using IGC2.3/EU1.09 on “Hard” settings with AI aggressiveness set to “normal” – Missions were “on” (although many of them were patently silly), and a word about cheats. Although absolutely no cheats were used to further my position, I did use the “deflation” event in order to force national bankruptcy to behave the way it’s supposed to (per the manual) Note that this was not a perfect fix, but any time the event was used, I erred on the side favoring the computer (ie – I never just used the event to give myself a break and I only used it when the 33% reduction would put me somewhere close to what the actual inflation rate, post-bankruptcy was supposed to be). This was done because guiding the nation through a series of “controlled financial breakdowns” was central to my overall strategy. Besides that, there was nothing. No re-loads to get a better result or the “desired” result, no use of any events to further my position in the game. Nothing. For better or worse, the chips fell where they fell. I should also note that this is actually my second attempt at the IGC with this nation. My first one met a gruesome end about 105 years into the game, when I forcibly annexed one too many of the Germanic states and was the recipient of a European gang bang. We held on for 36 months and got a white peace with all parties involved, but at that point (93% inflation, before I thought of using the “deflation event”) it was hopeless, so I gave in and began again.
OoO
Prologue
My name is Hansen Verje, of Bavaria, and yes, that is a sigil ring you see on my finger. The pyramid with the all-seeing eye of the Illuminati.
On December 3rd, 1491, I presented myself to the Lord of Lorraine, King Rene II, hoping to gain a position in his court, and my credentials were, of course, impeccable. Schooled in the arts of diplomacy at the court in Paris, and a letter of recommendation in hand from the Duke of Lyonnais, King Rene II had little difficulty accepting me into his court.
There was, however, a bit of disbelief on his part, that one of my skill, station, and training would want to serve in the (then) relatively minor Court of Lorraine. I remember the conversation as though it took place just yesterday, though King Rene is long-dead as I sit and pen these words….
OoO
“…but a man of your obvious skill and training could gain a position in any court in Europe….why then, would you seek to ply your trade here. We are a small, nay, insignificant nation with little to recommend us.”
“For now, that is true, My Lord, but I can see the gleam of ambition in your eyes, and if you but allow me into your service, I solemnly pledge to help you turn this tiny nation with little to recommend it into an Empire worthy of your blood’s ambition.”
The King contemplated for a long moment, his eyes straying to my sigil ring and weighing the truth of my words.
“Very well, My Lord Verje. Welcome to the Court of Lorraine. I think you may find that we are not destined for the heights of greatness you aspire to, and therefore feel that you may be wasting both your time and talents, but you are certainly are welcomed to try. I would wager that it stands to be a grand adventure at the very least, and the men of Lorraine are nothing if not filled with adventurous spirit.”
I smiled at him then. “My Lord, you have no idea….”
We sat down at the table the King used when meeting with his War Captains and talked long into the night….
OoO
December 4, 1491
The King looked at me as though I was stark-raving mad. “You want to do what?!” He asked incredulously.
“Trust me, My King. I spent four years in the courts of Helvetia, studying the ways of the money-lenders there. I daresay I know finance better than anyone in your kingdom, and I’m telling you with absolute certainty that this plan will work.”
“Never minding the money for a moment…” He sputtered, “But Spain is the most powerful nation in all of Europe! Who are we to declare war on such a mighty nation?”
I smiled a knowing smile and flashed my sigil ring before him, the gold from it reflecting brilliantly in the lamplight.
“Illuminatus at my side or no,” He said in a troubled tone, “I still fail to see the wisdom of attacking the mightiest power in all of Europe, honorable Lord Verje.”
“Ahhh, but that’s just the thing, My King. In the first case, no one will be expecting such audacity, and that works very much to our benefit. In the second case, we will not do it alone….a war of this magnitude requires us to seek strong allies, and in this case, considering their bitter rivalry, I suggest France as our best choice.”
“But you said that eventually we’d need to….”
I held up a hand, and the King fell silent. “Indeed…but let us not get ahead of ourselves. The French need not be made aware of our eventual aims, and for the moment, their long-standing and bitter rivalry with the Spaniards can be made to work to our advantage.
Silence ruled the room.
“And what of our army? We have all of ten thousand soldiers, and our engineers, although they have gained plans for siege guns, have not yet the means for constructing any. In short, Lord Verje, your plan calls for us to attack the mightiest nation in Europe with siege guns that exist only on parchment, call upon allies we do not have, and field an army that we cannot afford.”
“Precisely.” I told him with a smile. “Precisely.”
“And when, pray tell, do you propose that we launch this war that will surely doom us?”
“Well, the first step, of course, will be to seek entrance into the French alliance and gain favor there.” My mind was already turning. I was at least somewhat well known in the court of Paris, and determined that once I had the King more-or-less behind my bold (some would say foolhardy and reckless) plan, I would attend to the Paris matter personally. There was no other way.
“This is madness.” The King murmured.
He was right, and it was delightful.
OoO
January 1st, 1492
Bailiff appointed in Lorraine to assist with the levying of taxes. The peasantry is none too happy with the new development, but then, they rarely are happy at all, and it is necessary for the glory of Lorraine, so it is done.
February 1st, 1492
At a dinner party held in honor of our War Captains and the Nobility of Lorraine, the King decrees that we, as his loyal subjects, are charged with the mission of conquering the French province of Champagne. Cringing at the thought, having already set an appointment to meet with the Peers of the Realm in Paris (in hopes of gaining admittance into their Alliance), I mutter a half-hearted “we’ll try,” and pray that he does not remember his decree in the morning.
April 6th, 1492
I, Lord Verje of Lorraine, ride to Paris to personally attend the Court there, and ask that Lorraine be admitted into the mighty French alliance. I make a strong case and a good impression on the King of France, declaring that if admitted, the King of Lorraine will pledge to take personal charge of driving the cursed Spaniards from the low country.
All of the Low Country.
I’m not sure if those in attendance in the Court of Paris were more shocked or amused. They were impossibly bold words for such a tiny nation as ours, and yet, our request for admission into the alliance of France (along with Brittney, Savoy, and the Papal States) was granted, and our relationship with France further improved by the French King’s proposal of a Royal Marriage to bind us closer. I accepted on the King’s behalf, and began making a mental list of his best-looking unwed family members. We had to impress the French Titans. That was crucial.
We had our ally. We had the will (well…I had the will at least, and was still working on the King). Now all that remained was the means.
April 18th, 1492
After a hastily arranged meeting with some Swiss moneylenders, I borrowed 400 ducats in the King’s name, without consulting him. After a bout of fuming and threatening me with grievous bodily harm, he came to his senses, seeing the necessity of it all, and then ordered the training of 6,000 Infantry and a like number of Cavalry. The clang of steel can be heard all over Lorraine as our army prepares to more than double in size.
April 26th, 1492
After meeting with the King to gain his approval, I appoint one Colonel Jaeger to the head of the Army of Lorraine. An excellent detail man, he immediately takes charge of handling the recruitment, and in the evenings, he and I sit down to write what will become Lorraine’s Doctrines of War (highlights provided below)
Lorraine’s War Doctrine (The Articles of Snow)
Facts: Lorraine is preparing for war with the mightiest nation in all of Europe. We lack both manpower, and the ability to fight a protracted war. We can field one good army, and that’s it. No more for us. Therefore, we must:
1) Never risk the Army of Lorraine. Never fight toe to toe with any enemy. Run from their armies at every turn, unless we have overwhelming numerical superiority.
2) The overriding goal of Lorraine in any confrontation is to increase our lands. Thus, our armies will be designed with siege warfare in mind, and be as balanced as we can possibly make them.
3) In the event of scouts reporting an enemy army moving in the direction of our siege forces, the Army Commander must decide whether to continue the siege or to run (per item #1, above).
In short, we must be as snow. Falling silently, and without apparent pattern on our objectives, and melting away the moment things heat up.
Brothers In Arms:
Wherever possible, we should let our stronger and more numerous allies do the heavy fighting for us, while we move in with precision, toward pre-selected objectives.
Uses of Cavalry:
Cavalry should be kept separate from the rest of the army whenever possible, and used to cover targeted territories to prevent enemy recruitment and/or to cut off supply routes for enemy soldiers, allowing attrition to whittle down the raw numbers of our enemies.
OoO
July 10th, 1492
The Army of Lorraine, under Col. Jaeger now numbers 15,000 Infantry and 7,000 Cavalry, giving Lorraine the largest standing force in the region.
October 5th, 1492
Diplomats are sent to The Palitinat, Kleves, Hessen, and Brandenburg to arrange Royal Marriages with all. Without exception, they agree to our offers, thus binding us a bit closer to our Germanic neighbors.
December 1, 1492
Our engineers complete the first prototype siege cannon for Lorraine. I inform them to gather as many laborers as they can find, because with the dawning of the new year, I’ll be ordering many. A great many.
January 1, 1493
Again, I approach the Swiss moneylenders, and arrange for 600 ducats in the King’s name. Money in hand, I order the construction of 80 siege guns, 1,000 additional cavalry, and 2,000 additional Infantry. The army of Lorraine is almost ready. Surprisingly, when the King learns of what I have done, he barely raises an eyebrow. Whether this means that he’s fully behind the war now, and convinced that we can succeed, or simply that it’s getting more and more difficult to shock the man, I am not certain. Nonetheless, we’re several steps closer….
May 5th, 1493
The Army of Lorraine stands at 17,000/8,000/80, and we are at last ready to strike. The King, though he is still not quite convinced that we can win a war with Spain seems more than game enough to try it, and gives a rousing speech to our eager troops. Rumor held that the roar of our men could be heard halfway to Paris.
May 9th, 1493
The tiny nation of Lorraine shocks the world and declares war on the Empire of Spain. Silence reigns across the land for a number of days as all of Europe digests this news. Surely the report must be false. Tiny Lorraine? She couldn’t! They would not dare declare against such a power as Spain!
But it is so, and our die is cast. Lorraine’s bid for empire begins!
May 12th, 1493
Col. Jaeger takes a detachment of 5,000 Infantry and all 80 of our Siege Guns north to Lux., leaving the balance of the Army of Lorraine at the capitol for the moment. The nations in the proud French alliance all rally to Lorraine’s banner, and France, The Papal States, Brittney, and Savoy all begin preparing for war. Of course, all of Spain’s allies also rally: Milan, Naples, Scotland(?), England, and their newest addition, The Palintat, who has a largish 15,000 man force just to the east of us. They immediately begin marching on Lorraine, and the army there, under the command of one Colonel Huber, decides NOT to follow the War Doctrines we so carefully drafted, and waits in Lorraine for the enemy….
June 21st
Lux is besieged by Col. Jaeger and his 80 guns. Immediately, the minimally fortified town begins to feel the effects of our artillery, but Jaegar’s scouts report that a force of some 2,000 Spanish Regulars is moving south to engage him in an attempt to break the siege. Given the speed at which the town’s defenses are crumbling, Jaeger decides to stand firm and greet them with Cannon and Pike when they arrive.
July 5th
The Army of Pfalz assaults Col. Huber’s forces in Lorraine and meets a crushing defeat in the span of only two days. Huber’s force loses less than a thousand men, all told, while the Palintat’s army is reduced from 15,000 to just over 6,000. A stunning first victory for Lorraine, and a huge morale boost for our forces!
July 11th
Two thousand Spanish Regulars (all infantry), assault the siege works in place at Lux. They are shattered and driven off by a single volley of Jaeger’s relentless guns, and the Siege of Lux. Continues.
Meanwhile, our scouts and spies report that a massive army of 33,000 (or more!) French troops is assaulting the Spanish territory of Frenche Compte. It appears that the territory will not be in Spanish hands for long.
August 6th
Lux. Falls to the Army of Lorraine, and Col. Jaeger immediately marches for Brussels. Our scouts report a large (17,000+) Spanish army marching south from Friesen. Jaeger keeps close watch on their progress, but is not deterred.
August 18th
Lorraine’s troops under the command of Col. Huber leave Lorraine and march on the Spanish province of Artois, with plans to besiege the place. I order the immediate conscription of additional troops (3,000/2,000/20) , which takes most of our remaining funds. It has been determined that the Spaniards marching from Friesen are heading for Lorraine herself. The tiny nation braces for Spanish fury.
September 9th
Seeing an opportunity for true greatness, Col. Jaeger leaves Brussels alone, and marches instead for Flandres, the Jewel of Spain’s northern holdings. On October 12th, the city is under siege. Artois comes under siege some eight days prior to the siege of Flandres, but in a terrifying development, Lorraine is besieged by the Spanish at about this same time. We must bring the war to a rapid conclusion if we are to see gains.
October 20th
Our new recruits from Lorraine are driven off by the Spaniards, but so far, Lorraine’s walls are standing firm (no cannon among the Spanish attack force, much to our relief). By late December, the recruits will arrive in Artois to assist with the ongoing siege. Meanwhile, Col. Jaeger proves himself a canny artillerist, dealing a number of severe blows to the defense works of Flandres (walls at –3).
December 1st
Out of funds and unable to take additional loans, the Kingdom of Lorraine declares bankruptcy. The morale of our troops immediately suffers for it, but since we’re not fighting any armies in the field, it’s not as bad as it could be. The sieges continue, and Lorraine’s garrison continues to stand firm.
December 28th
Artois falls to Lorraine, and Huber’s command marches to Flandres to assist Col. Jaeger in bringing down that city’s mighty walls.
January 4th, 1494
While Huber is still en route to Flandres, the city falls to the ever-impressive Col. Jaeger, and the Spanish immediately send an ambassador to Lorraine, offering the territories of Lux and Flandres to us in exchange for peace.
The King is momentarily stunned into silence at this new development as he surveys the battered defense works of Lorraine. He recovers quickly, however, and graciously accepts the Spanish offer.
The siege of Lorraine is lifted.
The Spanish Army returns home.
OoO
“You called for me, My King?” I asked with more than a bit of trepidation as I entered the Chamber of War Captains and found the King, more than a little drunk, sitting at the head of that oft-used table.
“Sit….sit.” He motioned.
And I did.
“What….just happened here today?” He asked, words slightly slurring together.
“When? What do you mean, Majesty?”
“This….The Spaniards….Lorraine was beaten. Two weeks more and they’d have battered down the walls and reduced us to ashes.”
“No my friend….we were faster and better than they. In the time that it took them to gather their wits about them sufficiently to even think of striking here, we had captured two of their provinces and were on our way to taking a third. And before they could gain much ground on our defense-works, we HAD captured a third province of theirs. By whatever standard you choose to measure the war we just fought, we beat the Spaniards and we beat them soundly. That is why they offered peace on such generous terms.”
“I find myself wondering when I shall wake from this glorious dream.”
“It is no dream, My King….Lorraine’s star is rising and we are standing at the center of the birth of a new Empire.”
“Flandres.” He whispered. “The jewel of the Low Country….Mine.”
“Yours.” I agreed, smiling fondly at this sometimes simple man who was fast becoming more than King to me, but friend as well. “Yours.”
And I left him to his drink and dreaming, while I went to my bed chamber to plan out the next step in Lorraine’s bid for Empire.
*End of Segment One*
(Note – Dates might be off slightly….left notes at home when I came to work this morning!)
-=Vel=-
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