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Erik’s reign certainly had all of the drama and chaos of a Shakespearean tragedy. And the dead for a ducat scene worked nicely, I thought. I’d forgotten just how strong Denmark had become over the centuries. Will be interesting to see how Frederik takes things forward – and whether he faces any more challenges to his rule.
 
Chapter 11 - King Frederik III, 1591-1617
King Frederik III hated the English. It is widely suspected that this hatred stemmed from the aforementioned English play, which Frederik saw as a young boy and may have been the first time he heard the rumors of his questionable parentage. As King, in a classic example of the Streisand effect, Frederik contributed greatly to the play's popularity by banning it. This is probably the only reason we know this play, or the playwright, today. Frederik's hatred did not stop at the English, however. He also hated the Scots and Irish as well, and is largely responsible for dropping "Irish" off of the "Irish Reformed Church," giving us the "Reformed Church" we know today. It is unclear, however, the extent to which the Scots and Irish are the unfortunate victims of getting grouped in with the English in ignorance, and how much of this was a ploy on Frederik's part to fuel his territorial ambitions on the isles. Regardless of his motivations, Frederik, through one part dogged tenacity, one part astute eye for military talent, and eight parts sheer dumb luck, managed to take Denmark from a major world power when he ascended to the throne in 1591, to the major world power when he died in an army camp in Sussex in 1617.
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Frederik's eye for military talent meant that, particularly later in his reign, Danish generals were second to none. [That is military tradition decay reduction, +1 leader shock, and +1 leader maneuver, which stack with the +1 leader shock and +1 leader fire from offensive ideas. I rolled a number of 3-star generals toward the end of his reign]

Frederik III's first order of business on his ascent was to revoke his namesake Frederik I's Act of Danelaw, which gave Denmark's English subjects equal rights under the law as its Scandinavian subjects. This, naturally, infuriated the English and made the integration of the English lands Frederik planned to conquer that much more complicated.
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Shortly thereafter, Frederik declared war on England, bringing France and Poland into the war against England, Spain, Ditmarschen, and Switzerland.
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Danish forces, led by Frederik himself, easily overwhelmed the English defenders and occupied most of England. Most of the fighting against English forces took place in a new theater of war - North America, as Denmark was forced desperately to rush troops to Canada to resist incursions from English and Spanish colonial militias. Several Danish colonies were burned, but ultimately the threat was contained. In France, however, once again, Danish forces proved unable to defeat the Spanish Tercios as they moved into France. Only French support managed to stave off the Spanish incursions and allow Frederik to sign a favorable peace.
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During the war, a strange fever took Frederik's son Neils [it was not a good timeline to be a Danish heir named Neils. Both died of strange fevers]. To avoid returning home or bringing his wife on campaign with him in an effort to produce another heir, he simply legitimized the bastard son of his Welsh mistress. Given Frederik's own violent defense of his parentage, the irony of this move did not escape his contemporaries.
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In Frederik's private writings, however, it appears this development troubled him greatly. He worried about his ability to complete his great task of subduing the British isles before his death, leaving the future of that dream to the uncertain future under his estranged queen and infant, bastard son. And so before the English war was fully concluded, Frederik turned his attention north. His own personal army has been looting the English countryside rather than traveling to France to participate in the fight against the Spanish. In 1597, however, after his son's death, Frederik moved his army north and declared war on Scotland, quickly engaging and destroying the Scottish army before occupying all of Scotland and Ireland. Scotland's strongest ally was France, but France was busy fighting the Spanish alongside Denmark and was reluctant to switch sides.
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Only a few months later, the Spanish agreed to bow out of the war paying indemnities to Denmark, and the English, with their last major protector eliminated, followed suit, ceding the Western Midlands to Denmark.
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With the threat of a two-front war removed, however, France decided to honor the Auld Alliance with Scotland, picking up their cause and joining the war against Denmark, radically altering the balance of power in the conflict. The 150-year alliance between France and Denmark was shattered and the two counties were at war.
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The battlefield for this war was the Danish Low Country, and it quickly became apparent that French troops were superior to those of Denmark. This strength differential is probably due to more extensive French use of field artillery as well as the superior staying power of French soldiers. Denmark's continued reliance on heavy cavalry over artillery likely contributed to its poor military performance in this war.
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The war at sea, however, was much more successful for Denmark. Admiral Lillienskjold, still active in his old age, crushed the French fleet and repelled several French attempts to send soldiers into the Baltic. Although he would not live to see the end of the war, the illustrious admiral would ensure that Danish core possessions were safe for the duration of the war.
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This situation at sea meant that the French struggled to bring the war directly to Denmark, causing them to make a strategic decision that is largely considered the blunder that cost them the war (and is often compared with the Sicilian expedition of Athens during the Peloponnesian Wars). France decided that if they could not penetrate Danish naval defenses in the Sound, they would instead press east to threaten Danish subjects and attempt to ender Scandinavia through Finland in an effort to force Denmark to capitulate. French and Saxon armies seized several of the outdid Danish forts in Prussia, Lithuania, and Estonia that defended Denmark's eastern frontier, and succeeded in inciting revolts against Danish rule in Novgorod. Unfortunately, they underestimated Frederik's resilience and willingness to sacrifice the livelihoods of his subjects for victory in this war.
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Frederik was determined to bring the war to a successful conclusion, and sought help wherever he could find it. Abroad, Pomerania turned out to be the most willing to offer assistance. Domestically, Frederik swallowed his pride and granted concessions to the nobility, largely ostracized under previous rulers, in exchange for help levying additional manpower for the war. This additional manpower, combined with german mercenaries, and additional reinforcements from England, enabled Frederik to refill the ranks of his army and press directly into France.
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Aid from abroad and concessions within allows Frederick to continue the war.

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With English rebels put down, additional Danish troops can be diverted to fight in France.

Danish troops and German mercenaries, having regrouped in Sjelland and Skane, advanced into Northwest France, supported by naval landings in Normandy by Frederik's army, newly freed from England. By May 1603, Paris fell to Danish troops; Two months later, French relief forces finally showed up, having completed their retreat from Eastern Europe. In the climactic battle of the war, three Danish armies converged on Paris, defeating the French relief force. This was the first and only major victory for Danish forces over the French during the war, but with the routes to inland France now open, and Frederik willing to make peace for monetary concessions only, the French sued for peace.
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Scotland made peace shortly after France did, ceding large swaths of Ireland and the Scottish Highlands.
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Frederik's dogged determination during these conflicts, most importantly his willingness to sacrifice all other domestic and foreign agendas to achieve a favorable outcome, was instrumental in achieving victory against one of the world's strongest powers. There was a darker side, however, in that he largely neglected all aspects of rule that did not contribute directly to these goals. Most notably, Frederik refused aid to the province of Holstein, which was directly in the path of the enemy armies from Germany into Jutland, despite the massive famines that took place there. He also refused both the Norwegian requests for monetary aid to help rebuild the city of Oslo following the great fire of 1614 and the Copenhagen Company's requests for Crown investment in expeditions to India. Finally, he broke another century-old alliance when he refused to honor Poland's call to arms during their invasion of Russia.

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But Denmark's economy progressed even without the input of its monarch. The most notable development was the founding of the Copenhagen Company. Although the Danish crown had limited access to most of the New World, independent Danish traders had begun taking an interest in the broader world ever since Frederik I had expanded the Danish Merchant Marine over a century prior. Danish merchants had begun to band together, buying 'shares' in each others ships to help disperse the risk to any one trader. With lower risk on any given investment, money began pouring into Danish merchant companies and shares in ships and later companies themselves became their own commodity for crafty businessmen to buy and sell. As war broke out among Denmark, France, England, and Spain, four of the five strongest maritime powers in the Atlantic (with Portugal being stronger than England but weaker than the other three), and the Danish navy proved superior to that of her foes, the Danish flag became the safest under which a merchant could choose to sail. With that, ambitious merchants from across Europe began flocking to Copenhagen. As the successful banded together to produce new, larger trade companies, and eventually bought out their competitors, the overarching Copenhagen Company was born. This was the first true, multinational corporation in a world that would never be the same.
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This global trade network was creating a new class of person - the nouveau riche. As a result, the old nobility began enforcing increasingly strict social codes as part of their effort to maintain relevance and status, which in turn led to the growth of new industries and trade opportunities, further growing the nouveau riche. The long-term repercussions of these developments would not be felt for many decades, however, and for now the old regime was able to hold onto and even consolidate power in realms around the world. For that reason, this period is now frequently called the "Age of Absolutism".
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But these global and domestic developments were beyond the interest of Frederik III. The moment the truce with England expired, he declared war again - this time to face their Spanish allies without French and Polish help.
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Once again, the English were easily defeated and much of the fighting between Denmark and England took place in the New World. The Spanish, however, perhaps learning from French mistakes, opted to move their soldiers to Germany via the Mediterranean and Italy and from there into the Danish Netherlands and Jutland itself. This tactic might have worked out for them. Unfortunately, luck was once again on Frederik's side.
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Frederik once again deals the hated English an embarrassing defeat.

In early 1612, less than two years after the war began, the French king died without an heir. Both of his sons had died of a sudden fever, while his adventurous younger brother had gotten himself killed in a battle while leading an army in Switzerland the decade before. He also had no living uncles or male-line cousins. In fact, the closest male-line claimant to the French throne following Charles IX's death in 1612 was none other than King Frederik III of Denmark, who could trace the claim back to their mutual great-great grandfather, Charles VII (assuming Frederik III was, in fact, legitimate) - whose sister Adele had married King Christopher III von Wittelsbach in the 1440s and whose younger son Christian I had been chosen as heir to Frederik I von Wittelsbach once he died without an heir. In a twist of fate, Frederik was also the strongest claimant under a female-line claim, since he was Charles IX's nephew via Frederik's mother Louise, who was Charles' sister. As a final point in Frederik's favor, France and Denmark had retained good relations despite the recent war between them - in particular, their mutual distrust of both Spain and Austria along with their non-overlapping claims in western Europe had helped maintain the alliance for nearly a century and a half, and those factors had not yet abated. These factors combined with Frederik's reputation for being relatively hands-off in his administration and his penchant for divesting more power to the nobility in exchange for military support, and made it so the French nobility were willing to accept Frederik as their new King without much objection. And so on March 8, 1612, Frederik III of Denmark was crowned king of France.
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[WritAAR's note: Oh. I see. Good game thanks for playing I guess? Their Liberty Desire is only 21%. I could conceivably even convert them to Reformed and still hold onto the Union...]

Once again, France declared war on Spain. And with most Spanish troops in Germany, there was little opposition to the French invasion. Denmark also rushed additional soldiers to Iberia and within a year and a half Madrid had fallen, with the rest of Spain soon to follow.
fall of madrid.png


That was not to say that Denmark escaped the war without consequence. Spanish armies continued their attempts to besiege Jutland and even managed to sneak past the Danish naval blockade to besiege Copenhagen itself. It was a stark wake up cry that Danish home defenses, which consisted entirely of Late Medieval castles, were massively obsolete in a world increasingly dominated by artillery; or it might have been, to a ruler less single-minded than Frederik.
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This threat to the Danish capital was enough to convince Frederik to accept a Spanish peace offer for monetary reparations only. The English were forced to make peace shortly thereafter, ceding London and the surrounding countryside.
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Two years later, while waiting for the truce with Scotland to end, King Frederik III de Valois died in the army camp in Sussex, leaving his legitimized bastard son as king of Denmark, France, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Estonia, and Canada, Protector of the Isles, the Netherlands, Lithuania, and Novgorod; the most powerful man in the world.
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[This was a long update. I was planning to wait a century between overview posts, but I feel one could be warented here, so I will post pictures of the world and most of Denmark's national tabs. Let me know if there are any ledger pages or closeups of certain areas of the world you'd like to see! This post took a long time to put together, both playing and writing, so I suspect I won't be able to post another until this weekend or early next week.]
 
Interlude 2: 1617 State of the Known World
The Old World:
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The New World:
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Institutions:
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Danish Court:
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Danish Government:
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Danish Diplomacy:
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Danish Economy:
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Danish Technology:
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Danish Ideas:
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Danish Missions:
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Danish Policies:
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Danish Stability:
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Danish Religion:
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Danish Military:
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Danish Subjects:
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Danish Estates:
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Great Powers:
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Age Bonuses:
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Louise has been avenged!
Indeed she has! The Dutch still have a bit of an outpost in Europe but they have largely abandoned it. The decade-long quest for vengeance was highly successful.

Frederik has grown up with a great hate for English and Scots alike.He will seek to complete Danish dominance of the British Isles,including Ireland.
Despite Frederik's single-mindedness, he seems to have done more than any of his predecessors to secure Denmark's place in the world!

Erik’s reign certainly had all of the drama and chaos of a Shakespearean tragedy. And the dead for a ducat scene worked nicely, I thought. I’d forgotten just how strong Denmark had become over the centuries. Will be interesting to see how Frederik takes things forward – and whether he faces any more challenges to his rule.
Denmark has indeed become quite strong. I don't think I've played them since a relatively early patch and I feel they are much stronger than I remember... I suspect the changes to subjects (adding Liberty Desire and allowing integration of PUs) are a big part of that. I regret choosing them for this run a little bit for that reason, but I'm still enjoying it and if you all are too, that's what counts! I am seriously considering dropping the PU with France, though - it might make things a bit too easy from here on out. Plus Maximillian is a bastard, so there is plenty of justification to have France try to go off in its own direction. Then again, having the PU means monarchs can set their sights even higher if they so choose, and it really was just dumb luck, so it might be fun to play with it as well. I'll leave it to you all to decide.
 
As King, in a classic example of the Streisand effect, Frederik contributed greatly to the play's popularity by banning it.

Love the idea that history may be completely rearranged, but you still can’t stop people sharing pictures of Barbara Streisand’s house. :D

Frederik certainly achieved a lot when you put it all together in one post. Being single minded certainly has its benefits… Nice to see Denmark have a bit of trouble with the Spanish, though. Just adds a sense that things might not be entirely plain sailing going forward. :p

On that point, I personally wouldn’t mind you dropping the PU with France. As you say, Maximilian’s lack of legitimacy seems as good a reason as any for a succession dispute.
 
With the threat of a two-front war removed, however, France decided to honor the Auld Alliance with Scotland, picking up their cause and joining the war against Denmark, radically altering the balance of power in the conflict. The 150-year alliance between France and Denmark was shattered and the two counties were at war.

wait, why peace out England before you got enough warscore to prevent france from joining the war? didn't get that part.

Also.. that trade income seems really low.. did you move trade port to channel node? create a trade fleet? you could also charter trade company in gold coast and steer trade to channel..

anyways, please consider overhauling your trade setup completely.. you could get 100+ trade income i think :)
 
Okay,I have a question and a statement to do.
Statement:Since the Dutch capital is in a Colonial Region,the Dutch won't be able to form colonial nations.That basically heralds the end of their colonialism attempts.(on one side,this means no New York,on the other,the Dutch colonizers won't brutally exploit the native Indonesian population:(:)).
Question:When Frederik ascended to the throne,what country was the #1 Great Power?And on what spot was Denmark?
 
Maximilian is a half-insane paranoid lunatic, murdering everyone whom he is afraid of. In his rare moments of sanity, he governs very well, however everyone, from the French & Swedish Nobles, to the Spaniards & Poles, to his own wife and children hate him.
 
Love the idea that history may be completely rearranged, but you still can’t stop people sharing pictures of Barbara Streisand’s house. :D

Frederik certainly achieved a lot when you put it all together in one post. Being single minded certainly has its benefits… Nice to see Denmark have a bit of trouble with the Spanish, though. Just adds a sense that things might not be entirely plain sailing going forward. :p

On that point, I personally wouldn’t mind you dropping the PU with France. As you say, Maximilian’s lack of legitimacy seems as good a reason as any for a succession dispute.
I think Maximillian's character will also contribute to the French breaking off...

Also, yeah, I didn't think about the origin of 'Streisand Effect' when I wrote the update but this is now definitely canon in this timeline :)

Well,Frederik surely was a good ruler.Defeated the Spanish multiple times,PU'ed France,and made his country the Nr.1 Great Power.I think historians will fondly remember Frederik's reign as a golden era!
He was! I was not expecting a golden era under Frederik's reign. Although I think future historians might also remember the human toll that Frederik's reign extracted...

wait, why peace out England before you got enough warscore to prevent france from joining the war? didn't get that part.
Because I wasn't trying to play optimally. Frederik was not the savviest diplomat, he had a fight to fight so he fought it.

Also.. that trade income seems really low.. did you move trade port to channel node? create a trade fleet? you could also charter trade company in gold coast and steer trade to channel..

anyways, please consider overhauling your trade setup completely.. you could get 100+ trade income i think :)
Similarly here - I wasn't trying to play optimally. I haven't had a monarch both interested in the economy and proactive since Christian III, so I haven't touched trade (except to replace trade ships as they died in battle) in over 50 years. And Christian III was more of an administrator than a trader, so I was more interested in trying to buff production than trade even then.

That being said, I don't think I don't think I understand trade well enough get it up to 100+. Double it easily, but more than triple? I'm not sure how to do that without a lot of trial and error.

Edit: Charter Trade Company is from the Dharma DLC, right? I don't have Dharma. And no Danish monarch has ever been interested in India or Africa.

Okay,I have a question and a statement to do.
Statement:Since the Dutch capital is in a Colonial Region,the Dutch won't be able to form colonial nations.That basically heralds the end of their colonialism attempts.(on one side,this means no New York,on the other,the Dutch colonizers won't brutally exploit the native Indonesian population:(:)).
Question:When Frederik ascended to the throne,what country was the #1 Great Power?And on what spot was Denmark?
The Dutch actually have a colony in Canada, and a few in the 13 colonies area. Not sure why they bothered with Canada to be honest. But those will never become colonial nations.

The Great Power rankings were Spain, France, Ottomans, Denmark.

Maximilian is a half-insane paranoid lunatic, murdering everyone whom he is afraid of. In his rare moments of sanity, he governs very well, however everyone, from the French & Swedish Nobles, to the Spaniards & Poles, to his own wife and children hate him.
Thanks! That should be interesting to play. I doubt the French will stick around, though :p

What a very good and sane king!
No Danish princes have ever been paranoid!
 
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Chapter 12 - King Maximillian, 1617 - 1636.
The reign of Maximillian's father, Frederik III, was seen by some historians of the last century as a Golden Age for Denmark.
Well,Frederik surely was a good ruler.Defeated the Spanish multiple times,PU'ed France,and made his country the Nr.1 Great Power.I think historians will fondly remember Frederik's reign as a golden era!
Although modern history is more sympathetic to to the plight of the common people under Frederik III, all historians, past and present, have come to see the reign of Maximillian the Bastard as a dark era. Ravaged by war and a mad, paranoid king, th...

Maximillian: Who the **** are you?
quicksabre: Uh.... I'm the narrator. I'm telling the history of Denmark... [looks around confused]. Wait, why do I have a name now?
Maximillian: You're doing a terrible job. My reign was the greatest Golden Age that Denmark has ever seen.
quicksabre: You see, given the wars, the human suffering, the paranoia, most historians consider....
Maximillian: Ha! They are all nasty and unfair. The wars were not my fault, but they were glorious wars anyway. We were surrounded by enemies and I fought them all.
quicksabre: But you made those enemies by antagonizing all of your neighbors and subjects!
Maximillian: LIES!! I'll have your HEAD! YOUR HEAD!!!
quicksabre: .......
Maximillian: GUARDS!!
Guard: Your Grace?
Maximillian: This man is sentenced to DEATH! Put his head on a stake!
Guard: ..... Who, your Grace?
Maximillian: HIM!
Guard: I.... There is no one there, your Grace.
Maximillian: Narrator!!
quicksabre: I am here.
Maximillian: Why can't I kill you!?
quicksabre: Killing doesn't solve everything. It's a lesson you never learned, sadly.
Maximillian: I will find a way.
quicksabre: I doubt that.
Maximillian: As always, you underestimate me. I am a clever king. I will show you what a glorious reign I had. You will be so sad you will jump out a window in shame for the lies you told about me.
quicksabre: I suppose a primary source cou......
Maximillian: Behold! My enemies, the Spanish. I know they are my enemies because it says so right here!
upload_2020-4-27_21-52-6.png


quicksabre: Well, actually, what that means is...
Maximillian: And the Polish! They surround my poor vassal Lithuania. They must be my enemies as well. I will take necessary precautions and declare them my rival.
upload_2020-4-27_12-52-37.png


quicksabre: ... *sigh* They wanted to be your friend.
Maximillian: And the French! They are my subjects but they are out to get me.
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Maximillian: But they will not get away with it. Let no one ever say that those who oppose me do not get their just desserts.
quicksabre: The historian @atwix thinks you should have spent your time focusing on trade rather than revenge.
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Maximillian: It is probably the Catholics. Every Dane knows you cannot trust the Catholics. Therefore, Catholicism is banned in France. Also they will pay their fair share. Once they give me all of their money they will have nothing left with which to oppose me. It is a win-win solution to the French problem. This is what genius looks like.
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quicksabre: Those policies in France are universally recognized as the main source of your problems there, not as a solution!
Maximillian: Why are the peasants so unhappy? Don't they know they live in the greatest kingdom in the world with the greatest leader ever known? They should be more grateful.
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quicksabre: Maybe because of all the wars they've been forced to fight with their sons and fund with their labor?
Maximillian: But the English are even worse. So ungrateful. No matter. I will show them. London will know the wrath of Maximillian!
quicksabre: Oh, no....
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Maximillian:
I don't understand why people are so opposed to me. My rule is fair and just. All of my subjects say so. Everyone says so! Except the French, of course, the French are jerks.
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Maximillian: I am so mighty, that even new subjects choose to serve me. The French are fools for resisting.
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quicksabre: Well, yes, your dealings with your non-French subjects is widely seen as your greatest personal accomplishment during your reign. It's inspiring to see that you value those relationships as well.
Maximillian: But they are unimportant. What is truly important is that I am SURROUNDED by enemies. The only thing to do is beat them at their own game. Our spies will be the best in the world.
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quicksabre: Hmm... not what I'd have done, but that might actually be useful if used right.
Maximillian: DEATH TO THE FRENCH!!!
quicksabre: Or not.
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Maximillian: The Dutch are back in Vinland!? My grandmother should have taught them a stronger lesson.
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Maximillian: I KNEW Poland was my enemy!
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Maximillian: Poland is so dirty, it would be unacceptable to a dung beetle who had lost interest in its career and really let itself go. Hahahaha!
quicksabre: I'm not sure how helpful this explanation you're giving us is to history, honestly.
3. Poland 2.png


Maximillian: Et tu, Austria? Then fall House of Habsburg!
quicksabre: That isn't how that line goes. Also that is French. Also do you even know who wrote that?
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Maximillian: The French!? Ha! I have showed them a lesson they will never forget. What could they possibly do next?
quicksabre: Next? Well, they could, um... I... Hey look over there it's a, um, a... a....
Maximillian: The FRENCH! THIS WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!!
quicksabre: .... a squirrel?
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quicksabre: Well, even if self-created, this will be a true test of your abilities in a crisis. What will you do?
Maximillian: We are sure to triumph. Our name is larger and more numerous than that of our foe, who shall no longer be named.
quicksabre: Maybe not the best first priority, but sure.
Maximillian: Furthermore, how can the French hope to win with a dynasty as silly as "de Penthierve"
quicksabre: The Dane was too mad so they picked a Britton
Maximillian: **** right I'm mad!
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Maximillian: First we will secure the seas, as Danes always have.
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Maximillian: .....
quicksabre: Ouch.

Maximillian: No matter, our mighty soldiers will carry us to victory in France
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quicksabre: Good start. Do you care that the French are invading Denmark? And that you can't stop them anymore because even Poland has a bigger fleet than you?
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Maximillian: The Realm of Cheese will always do the cowardly thing, but Denmark never will. We will win the war quickly and decisively on their soil. We have already them and their despicable Habsburg lackeys in decisive battle near Paris.
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Maximillian: I eagerly await news of our glorious victory and France's imminent surrender.
upload_2020-4-26_22-4-56.png

Maximillian: *Twitch*
quicksabre: A phyrric victory for them at least.
Maximillian: Tell me, Mr. Narrator - this will not be a quick war, will it?
quicksabre: No, I am afraid not.
Maximillian: *Deep Breath* Very well. Then we must prepare to defend our realm, press onward until the despicable allies of the RTSNBN are tired of their fight and we have a chance to drive a wedge through the alliance.
quicksabre: That is wise. You could also consider simply letting the French go, if you hate them so much?.
Maximillian: WHAT!!?? TREASON! Get out of my sight! You are as bad as they are!
First we will slip General Skram's army back across the Channel to crush the isolated French forces trying to seize London.
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Maximillian: And we will send an army to the East to fight off the Poles.
upload_2020-4-26_22-19-59.png

Maximillian: Well it WOULD have worked had our general not taken an arrow the moment the battle started!

Maximillian: But regardless, we press on. We will assemble the Lords of the realm and have them provide us with necessary manpower to continue to prosecute the war.
upload_2020-4-26_22-18-17.png


Maximillian: Under new leadership, the army of the East will return to Denmark in coordination with the vanguard of our newly constructed fleet to destroy the Austrian army besieging Copenhagen. No enemy Lord will dine in MY palace.
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Maximillian: Hire mercenaries and drive back into Jutland! Reform the fleet!
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quicksabre: Wow, that was some decent governance for a change. Well done keeping your head and defending your realm.
Have you thought much about the impact this war is having on your subjects?
Maximillian: They are merely crying. We will fight until the last breath of the Wine Realm has been spent.
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Maximillian: The war is ours!! WE WILL DESTROY THEM ALL!!
quicksabre: You know what? I should probably go and let you do your thing.
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Maximillian: Victory on all fronts!!!
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Maximillian: Marshall!!
Magnus Holstein, Marshal of Denmark: Your Grace!
Maximillian: Pursue them until you catch them or they collapse from exhaustion. Then dispose of them. Without mercy.
Holstein: Your Grace! We have not yet won. The French are regrouping, the English are rebelling, and we are out of recruits for our armies!
Maximillian: Never say the name of our enemy in my Royal Presence. They deserve no acknowledgement in their defeat.
Holstein: I.... Yes, your grace. It will be done.
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Maximillian: Recruit every man woman, and child into the army! No one is too young, too old, or too feeble to fight for my glory!!
Holstein: Your Grace, we have standards for recruitment.
Maximillian: Are you suggesting some Danes are not brave enough to fight?
Holstein: No, Your Grace.
Maximillian: Did I stutter?
Holstein: Never, Your Grace.
Maximillian: Then get it done or I will have you join the French after you catch them.
Holstein: Yes, Your Grace.
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Holstein: Your Grace! Admiral Lingby was forced to withdraw our ships from the Battle of Jutland, but our fleet has sunk the main French battle line. We control the seas once more!
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Maximillian: Did you authorize this retreat?
Holstein: Your Grace, we were surrounded and demoralized, with our objective to sink the main French battle fleet fulfilled! Further fighting would have reversed all of the gains our brave sailors had made in the fight! We would have lost more ships!
Maximillian: Are you a tree that you value wood more than victory?!
Holstein: I... no, Your Grace, but victory will not be had for years! We need our fleet intact, and now that we have sunk so many French ships!
Maximillian: Do you not believe in victory!? I have said victory is at hand and yet you do not believe me!? ARE YOU CALLING ME A LIAR, MARSHAL?
Holstein: I, no, Your Grace, you said yourself only months ago that....
Maximillian: *Draws sword*
Holstein: Wait what are you doing Maximilian leave the sword down wait don't kill me
Maximillian: I'm sorry talking tree, I must fell you, I'm so sorry.
Holstein: NOOO! *dies*
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Sophie Hvide, Queen Consort of Denmark: What have you done!?
Maximillian: There is no room in this court for cowards and pessimists.
Sophie: He was in charge of prosecuting the war!
Maximillian: I will lead the war myself.
Sophie: You cannot keep making enemies or it will be the end of us!
Maximillian: I keep you safe from our enemies!! I deserve gratitude.
Sophie: You have made every enemy we face. And our kingdom is collapsing because of it. You want to talk about what we deserve, we all deserve a better than you!
Maximillian: SILENCE! Know your place, woman! I rule Denmark, not you!
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Maximillian: *smack*
Sophie: *falls*
Neils de Valois, Heir Apparent of Denmark: Mother! *moves to intervene*
Maximillian: Away, Boy! This is not your business!
quicksabre: Ahem. The rest of this scene will not be shown. The outcome is the same, unfortunately, and the Neils Curse continues.
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Sophie: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!!!??
Maximillian: Guards, take her away and keep her away from me!
Guard: *escorts Sophie into house arrest.*
Karl Eka, Steward of Denmark: Your Grace, your heir... The Kingdom cannot afford to the uncertainty of lacking an heir right now.
Maximillian: I have another son. Use him.
Eka: The Bastard, Your Grace? Are you sure that is wise?
Maximillian: Do you suggest Bastards are unfit to rule Denmark?
Eka: *Looks around at bodies* *gulp*. No, Your Grace.
Maximillian: Good. Then make it so.
Eka: Yes, your Grace. *leaves*

Oluf Lunge, Chief Ambassador of Denmark: *enters* Your Grace! We have offers of Peace!
Maximillian: The Kingdom of Cowards has agreed to make peace?
Lunge: Oh, well, yes, Your Grace, but the offer was so bad I rejected it out of hand.
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Maximillian: Then why do you disturb the Royal Mind?
Lunge: It's the Austrians Your Grace. They have agreed to go home and cease their support of French Independence.
Maximillian: Let the cowards run. This does not absolve them of their crimes against me, however.
Lunge: As you say, Your Grace.
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Messenger: Your Grace, a message from General Sehested. He has driven the Polish out of Finland and Estonia and is pushing into Lithuania.
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Maximillian: Who are you?
Messenger: Messenger from general Sehested, Your Grace.
Maximillian: You sound funny. Are you English?
Messenger: No, Your Grace, Frisian.
Maximillian: You sound English. Are you sure?
Messenger: Yes, Your Grace.
Maximillian: Catholic?
Messenger: No, Your Grace, Reformed.
Maximillian: Good. Tell General Sehested to advance faster. We destroy Poland and force them to suffer for their crimes.
Messenger: Your Grace, General Sahested suggests that if General Moltke's army in France moved to Danzig, we could quickly seize the fort there and that would open the road to Warsaw. Besieging the Polish capital would surely encourage the Poles to renounce their support of the Fr.... RTMNBN.
Maximillian: Preposterous! General Sahested should be able to take care of the vile Poles on his own.
Messenger: I....
Maximillian: PUNISH THEM.
Messenger: I... Your Grace, if I may?
Maximillian: *glares* I had better not hear anything cowardly out of you.
Messenger: Of course not, your Grace. I am your most loyal subject, and, while I would not dare suggest that my bravery comes anywhere close to the example set by your Most Noble person, I like to believe that I am a brave servant of Denmark.
Maximillian: Good.
Messenger: What I meant to say, of course, is that General Sehested's forces are pressing into Novgorod, Estonia, and Lithuania. The Polish offer token resistance for the sake of their honor, but obviously they will not defeat us.
Maximillian: As it should be.
Messenger: But even more humiliating, would be to lose their capital without a fight. Without being able to defend it.
Maximillian: Perhaps.
Messenger: All the Polish armies are currently facing General Sehested. There are none in their capital.
Maximillian: Hmmm.... The Poles do deserve the worst we can give them.
Messenger: Your Grace is most wise.
Maximillian: I think seizing their capital without resistance would be a fitting punishment, don't you?
Messenger: The insights offered by Your Grace boggle this simple mind.
Maximillian: Indeed. I know! We will have General Moltke redeploy from the Low Countries to Western Poland. He will seize the fort of Danzig and then march to Warsaw without resistance!
Messenger: A truly cunning plan, your grace.
Maximillian: Indeed. You are truly blessed to have me as your King. Inform General Sehested of my plan. Dismissed!

[one year later]

Lunge: Your Grace! Warsaw has fallen! Poland has renounced their support of Fr... the RTMNBN. We are at peace with the Poles!
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Maximillian: Excellent! My plan has worked perfectly. What terms have you extracted from the treacherous Poles.
Lunge: Besides renouncing their support of the Fr... RTMNBN?
Maximillian: Yes of course. How have they been punished? How much gold did you extract from them in apology?
Lunge: Gold, your grace?
Maximillian: Are you deaf man!
Lunge: No, Your Grace. We.... er.... we forced them to give us so much gold. More gold than anyone has seen before!
Maximillian: Excellent! Where is it?
Lunge: I, er... we... um.
Eka: I have it Your Grace! It is being used to pay the army and navy.
Lunge: Yes! Yes we have taken care of it. Nothing to worry about, Your Grace. Ahem.
Eka: Exactly! Nothing to worry about.
Maximillian: Good man! I will make an announcement about how much gold Poland paid us for their betrayal. The world will tremble! *exits*
Eka: *exhale*
Lunge: Oh dear god.....
Eka: Since I saved your butt, you have to tell him our forces have been driven from France and that there are more rebels in England. And that the French have invaded Scotland.
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Lunge: Your Grace! Fran.... the RTMNBN is willing to sue for peace acknowledging you as King!
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Maximillian: They want me to PAY them? They should pay ME for the privilege of my enlightened rule! Reject it!
Lunge: But Your Grace! Our realm is exhausted! Our subjects no longer want to fight, and people are resisting recruitment.
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Maximillian: Bah! I need soldiers, not whiners! DO AS I SAY OR I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD AND YOUR FAMILY'S HEADS!
Lunge: Yes, Your Grace. *Leaves to find Eka*

Eka: There you are, Lord Ambassador. How goes the war?
Lunge: General Moltke has driven the French back from London, but they still hold all of Ireland and Scotland, while the English rebels hold all of the midlands.
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Lunge: Admiral Lingby has completely destroyed the French fleet and is supporting General Sehested in his liberation of the Low Countries.
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Lunge: We have finally achieved superiority in the war, but it is still a long way from a favorable resolution. Certainly if we define 'favorable' as more punishing to France than status quo ante bellum, which the King certainly does.
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Lunge: The French are also facing serious internal problems. Unfortunately many of those problems are local separatist movements. It is likely that if we protract the war for too long, even if we win we will find that France is greatly reduced in size at the end of it.
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Lunge: What is the situation internally?
Eka: The situation is grave, the realm is beginning to tear itself apart from the inside. Not just the French separatists and English 'patriots' but from within Denmark itself. I must inform the King.
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Lunge: My Lord Steward, I would advise against it. He is in one of his 'moods' I'm afraid.
Eka: Then we should not discuss it with him, I suppose, it will only be counterproductive. We cannot afford to tiptoe around him and trick him into doing the right thing as the country pulls itself apart. I was speaking with the Queen Consort while traveling to oversee grain distributions in Holstein. She is quite perceptive and persuasive. Perhaps she could be a capable proxy for the King. *serious look*
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Lunge: A proxy you say? Such a thing would be most helpful to the realm in these times.
Eka: Indeed. Do you think such a thing could be arranged?
Lunge: My Lord Steward, what you suggest will go very badly. If you were to fail, you know the consequences as well as I. If you were to succeed... The heir is very young, and he is not her child.
Eka: I understand. But can the realm wait for Erik to come of age? Survive 12 more years of this?
Lunge: Perhaps not. We should retire and discuss further. *Exit together*

*Flashback Goes Dark*

quicksabre:
Oh! Is that it? Ahem. Well then, I'll carry on.

In January and February, 1636, Lunge and Eka built a small conspiracy to overthrow the crown. They recruited the Queen's family in Holstein and readied her to take over as regent. Using the Hvides' personal guard, brought into Copenhagen for this purpose under pretext of escorting their master on a social call, the two councilors secured the council chamber during a meeting with the king, and, in imitation of the toppling of Caesar, stabbed him to death personally. The conspiracy was kept as small as possible to avoid tipping off Maximillian's spies. The Queen Consort, now Queen Regent, took charge immediately, quickly abandoning her house arrest and moving to Copenhagen, bringing a retinue of veteran soldiers with her into the city.
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It has been a tumultuous few decades for Denmark. How will Queen Regent Sofie lead the Kingdom forward?


[Note, since I promised to admit to anything that can't be done in an ironman game: I had to tag swap to get the Austrians and Polish to support French independence. I just couldn't imagine the European powers would allow the union to persist without a fight, especially if France was being held against its will. Spain probably should have joined up as well, but we had a truce when the war broke out. And then I definitely would have lost, which wouldn't necessarily have been a bad thing. Also, to the next poster, feel free to describe Sophie's opinion of her dead husband's bastard son for whom she is acting as 'regent'. This isn't CK II, so I will probably have to use more console commands to make things make sense, but I suspect Denmark is not quite out of the woods yet.]
 
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