The Semnoni-Suebi conquests

[Sans-Souci]

Another game. I started as Semnoni, as they have an interesting starting position, always threatened by barbarians, and a lot of surrounding regions to colonise one they are civilised enough.

Their chieftain, Alfhari, was made for the job to dominate the north-western corner of continental Europe. He gained power in young age and ruled the nation for a very long time. He had a worthy death dying of old age while directing the siege of the capital of the Helvetii.

Even though his wife died in young age, he had three children from her, after her demise. Maybe the devil knows why.

Here his portraits when he had just become the chieftain of the Semnini, and after having united the Suebi nation and having founded a tribal confederacy, and in the age of 40:

He took a second wife, who also died before her daughter (a twin of Alfhari's first daughter) was born:

At his death, he could look back to a long active and interesting life:

 

[Sans-Souci]

The first achievements were the unifcation of the Suebi tribes (The text within the messae was written by a savant who was very unfamiliar with the names of the Germanic tribes):

And the founding of a tribal federation:

Alfhari often spent his time with his troops in Barbarian countries, in order to gain glory, popularity, wealth and slaves, and to attach his troops closer to his person.

The laws passed in the first two years of his chieftainship, and after the creation of the tribal federation:

 

[Sans-Souci]

The expansion of the Suebi nation was not planned, but it followed spontaneous decisions, grasping opportunities, and sometimes the wish of the nation, which had announced it in the form of a "mission".

Quite early a rebellion in Suebi could not be put down quickly, so that this tribe defected and joined the Boii. Reconquering Suebi (the core and eponym of our federation !) led to an expansion towards the east instead of a more natural one towards Gaul. Another reason was that our western neighbours had all concluded alliances amongst themselves, so that declaring war on one of them, tiny as they were, would have meant fighting five of them, which for decades seemed too risky.

So we slowly but steadily, we gained influence in the Balkans:

And 50 years after he had becoem chieftain, Alfhari's reign was quite impressive:

The difficulty with a reign extended over such a long area is that more troops are needed, because for arriving in time to put down the inevitable rebellions, an army detachment must not be too far away. But we were rich enough to afford these extra detachments.

Besides the rebellions, we also had to fight several civil wars. Alfhari was such a great leader that his example instigated the more talented members of our nobility to try to equal him:

Managing their loyality was not always successful.

The last civil war was caused because Alfhari deemed the most prominent potential successor not fit for ruling a nation such as the Suebi and all the associated tribes. He was neither a good leader in the field, nor a good organisator, and not even charismatic. Thus, against his moral convictions, for the sake of the confederation, Alfhari first tried to secretly smear the reputation of this successor, and when that failed, decided to arrest him. However, the successor was warned before things could be settled without bloodshed, and a long civil war resulted. But in the end, the better side won !

In the meantime, the western alliances had been weakend by wars with their western and southern neighbours, and fighting them turned out to be an easy game.

 

[Sans-Souci]

One of the reasons for our success was a strong economy. We tried to trade as much as possible with foreign nations, as this yielded more profts. For regions in strategic locations, bordering to a lot of barbaric regions, we tried to trade with highly civilised rforeign regions, in order to become more civilised and be able to colonise the surrounding bakcward regions.

Below our economics at the very start of Alfhari's reign and in the years 456 (when our tribal federation was formed), 470, 480 and 500. I don't know how our nation ended up dating its history from the alleged foundation of a big town far in the south.

 

[Zamarak500]

Oh, a EU Rome AAR. Let's see how ROme react to your expansion. Subbed.

 

[Sans-Souci]

Rome was and still is too occupied with a long war against a coaltion of Averni and Lusitani.

The new High Chief of the Suebi was Nithard Geroldid. He took the leadership in 507, inmidst a difficult campaign in Gaul, and died on the 1st January 516, ou of joy of having added the whole territory of the Aulerci to our Federation.

 

[Sans-Souci]

Here Nithard's achievments on the map. The situation afte rthe end of the first war, in 510:

And what our territories looked like at his death in 516:

 

[Sans-Souci]

Alas, the reign of our next High Chief, Iacus Correid, turned out to be short. He was a great leader in the field:

His main achievement was closing the gap between the western and eastern parts of our federation. Profiting from the Averni's ongoing war with Rome, he could occupy and annex four of their provinces. In January 518, the rest of their territory fell prey to Rome.

Besides this, High Chief Iacus had to subdue several local uprisings allover our federation and repel incursions by Northern barbarians. He continued the colonisation on our nortehrn and eastern frontiers and died in the field, while he was defending our new colony in Silingae.

His successor will face several difficult tasks.

In science, we are currently amonst the least developed countries:

Wer are civilised enough to install a new type of government: a kingdom, but the stability of our society is at low as it can be, and has to be raised.

And our nobles want to conquer Agrianes from the Taulanti - they have issued an ultimatum of 4 years time to achieve this.

The last years took all our efforts to control local uprisings, and raising new troops is expensive, especially as we try to rely on mercenaries, as, being men who are loyal only to their purse, they don't have any love left to develop loyalties to the commanders who lead them. The native troops which we raise are all first assigned to the High Chief, and only after they have become loyal to him, they are assigned to other commanders.

 

[Sans-Souci]

Addedomarus Sinatid, our next High Chief, who led us from 520 to 526, was already quiet old and died peacefullly in his bed.

Still, he waged a war against the Taulanti. They had concentrated their forces in a huge army of 30 units, and when we tried to fight them with three armies of 33 units, we were defeated and lost one complete army of 10 mercenaries bands. As we had to invade their country, supply of our armies broke down and we lost many a brave man to the effects of starvation.

We didn't have enough units left to counter their army of 30, but luckily they agreed to sign a peace and even ceded the two provinces which we had occupied with minor forces while the main armies were fighting in Liburnia.

Addedomarus Sinatid will also be the leader forever remembered for having made us aquainted in 522 with the concept of philosophy:

 

[Sans-Souci]

The successor, Magneric Geroldid, seemed promising. He was young and vigourous, charismatic, an excellent leader of men in the field. Alas, too young, he suddenly and unexpectedly died after a 10 years' reign. Constant fights with barbarians and rebels, many of them uprising in our newly formed colonies, had worn him down. He ruled from 526 to 536.

His reign brought back stability to our realm, he rebuit the armies, restored our international reputation, and brought down our peoples' war weariness. His last act was to build temples in every province of Germanic religion which did not yet have one. This was possible, because from 525 to 535 our economy had greatly improved, mainly due to a positive development of our tax paying population.

 

[Sans-Souci]

So what is on the new High Chief Segovax Sinatid's agenda ?

The Suebi Federation is, from the number of provinces, the second largest empire in the known world, next to the Antigonids' realm.

Our income and scientific research is also surpassed only by the Antigonids:

Still, in the level of science, we are quite backwards and need some time until we can dare to attack other people. Most of them currently have a higher tech level thn we and thus more effcient units.

So we will focus first on the interior development. Our noblemen want us to build up a manpower reserve anyway. And stil we intend to install a kingship. Segovax Sinatid lacks the necessary qualities, but maybe he will become ambitious, selfish or corrupt one day, and think over his preference for a more liberal and less rigorous loose federation of tribes. As his martial skills are not the best, it is improbable that a battle will turn him into a tactician or conqueror, which would also spur his ambitions to become a king.

Earlier or later, the latent conflict with Rome will escalate. Recently, they have widely expanded in Iberia.

 

[Zamarak500]

That one heck of a big tribe you got there. But Rome is still powerful, and there is that purple kingdom that control most of Anatolia (who is that?). Will have to see if Rome can resist the power of the Suebi Tribe!

Still, sad to see good rulers like Magneric Geroldid last such a short time... Hope that your next chiefs will last longer!

 

[Sans-Souci]

It is the Antigonid kingdom which occupies Anatolia, Syria, extends up to the Iran and has conquered most of Egypt. The main danger of the Romans is that they are technologically more advanced than the Suebi, but the gap is getting smaller.

 

[Sans-Souci]

Here the map of the Western and Eastern Mediterranean in 548. Far in East is the yellow Seleukid Empire:

 

[Sans-Souci]

And yes, 548. I went ahead with the game. Segovax Sinatid ruled, and died.

His main achievements were the improvement of our infrastructure. We discovered the secret of mining, and he built mines everywhere where they could be built. And he constructed a kind of anti-Roman limes: stockades in all provinces bordering the evil Romans. There is a forum now in nearly every province (only six fora are yet to be built, as soon as the funds will be there).

We progressed a bit in science, but so did the others. We are still amongst the seven least scientifically developed countries.

Our dream that Segovax would become our first king was not fulfilled, he was and remained too goodhearted for this.

Concerning territorial expansion, Segovax will be remembered as the ruler under whom we created a colony in Britannia, which in the future will serve as a bridgehead for the conquest of this island.

 

[Sans-Souci]

It is one of the mysteries of history why men who are intelligent and think a lot, ponder too much and let opportunities pass, whereas others who are dumb just grasp a chance and succeed.

Ageric Correid had many siblings, and it seems he had to share the few faculties which he inherited from his parents with all of them. Still, he is proud, plainspeaking and: ambitious. Within a few days after ascending to the position of High Chief (the gods know why he was selected and not someone more talented), he made himself King of the Suebi realm:

He quickly reorganised the government, proclaimed new ideas for the Suebi Nation, and now there is a Suebi King. Hopefully, he will have good advisors - and listen to them ...

 

[King50000]

I love EURome! Can't wait to see how the Suebi Kingdom advances, subbed

 

[Sans-Souci]

The Suebi Kingdom is no more - it is an Empire now !

Slowly, we were expanding conquering minor powers and creating a few colonies, and found out a few years late that he who ocuppies more than 50 provinces can claim to become Emperor:

 

[Sans-Souci]

Now, in 574, Ageric Correid is still in charge. He is still a terrible commander and a terrible administrator, but somehow the country was flourishing under his rule.

Our economy now yields so much money that we can afford to bribe back into line anyone holding an office who is not loyal enough. No more civil wars ! Our research output has also become quite decent and is surpassed only by the Antigonid Empire.

In scientifical knowledge, we have overtaken the evil Romans:

and discovered a lot of useful military techniques:

 

[Sans-Souci]

The known world is dominated by three powers: us, Rome and the huge and powerful Antigonid Empire: