The Swiss Guard: The Helvetia AAR

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I am doing an AAR about Helvetia. This came about when I saw Swiss Guard in their colourful uniforms in Rome. So when I got back, I began to play the Helvetia. This based on normal GC in 1419.

The Swiss history is the strange one, the people who lived there are the most free subjects in the entire Europe during the 14th Century. Swiss culture are surrounding by German, French and Italian. Also the Swiss Guard is in connection with the France and Papal States. They have some form of government called Tagsatzung which is the collection of land ruler. As the result the lands was completed Decentralization. However over their history, their soldiers were in hired by other states such as French, German and Italian states. So their tech was land 2, they are in good quality and well versed in land and offensive doctrines, only Prussia is in equal tech with Helvetia. Their Infra structure is the highest in the world and the trade tech are high as well.

Helvetia’s Domestic Policies;

Aristocracy = 0
Centralization = 0
Innovative = 5
Mercantilism = 5
Offensive = 6
Land = 7
Quality = 7
Serfdom = 0

Helvetia and Austria hated each other, not surprising since Austria’s family originally came from northern Helvetia. Swiss fought with Austria’s family which Swiss won and kicked Austria’s family out. So the Austria’s family moved to Vienna where the new seat of the family of the Austria and expanded their land significant to make Big White Blob. Guess who the Austria’s family was? Habsburg

So the rules of the game are;

Support France and Papal States much as possible, make alliance etc.

Don’t start a war unless in supporting the France or Papal States in the Alliance. If there is other war, stay on the fence.

Look out for Austria because they are the only nation who got CB on Helvetia which make me a little nervous.

Record the activities of France, Papal States and dangerous Austria.

Helvetia’s lands

Helvetia only got two markedly cities called Bern and Zurich and their surrounding provinces.

Bern is the city where all rulers of Tagsatzung met every so often. (I am not sure about this) The population is 12000 people in entire province and Bern is protecting by a small fortress which was garrisoned by 10000 men.

Zurich is another city which was based in Schwyz and the population is 10000 people and is protecting by a small fortress which was garrisoned by 10000 men as well.

Most merchant in Helvetia exported Iron south to Genova.

Helvetia got a military force called Swiss Army which comprised of 20000 Infantries and 1000 Cavalries which was based around Bern. To save money, Tagsatzung disbanded 1000 Cavalries since they were useless in mountains. They also cut the military spending by half.
They promoted Bailiffs to Tax collectors in two provinces at the cost of 100 gold ducats.

This was all done during the beginning of the Year of 1419.

Below: This is the map of Helvetia in the year of 1419.

 

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Advice, get rid of the Big White Blob before it gets rid of you

 

[nalivayko]

I think Tyrol should be a fair target. Take it, fortify it and watch tens of thousands of AI soldiers die in their pathetic attempts to take it by siege

 

[coz1]

Yeah, you know Austria's coming at some point - best to be preemptive. Sounds interesting.

 

[stnylan]

I suppose one of the nice things about playing Helvetia must be that there is no uncertainty about Austria's hostility. It's as reliable as any cuckoo clock.

 

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What is the size of Austrias forces, do you have a chance of competing in a war with them? If you do take them and make them part of Helvetia.

 

[Van Engel]

yeah tryol sounds like a good place to take early on but if you do Austria wil have a pernament CB on you and when they get big..........eh oh.....

 

[unmerged(21085)]

But, Austria do have CB on Helvetia until 1450.
I played the first 3 years. Of course, the war was declared on Helvetia by Austria on 7 Jan 1419, I thought I was to be destroyed by 40000 men against 20000 men however, after three long year of burtal war. Helvetia won and took Tirol, Salzburg and 200 ducats. But lost 17500 men while Austria lost 19500 men dead. The peace was signed on 1st August 1422. I then used the peace money to promoted Bailiffs in Tirol and Salzburg to Tax Collectors. The only reason I thought that I won is Austria went to war with Venice and send majority of troops to Venice's lands.

I failed the first one, now here the second one.

 

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Part 1: The shock of news to Tagsatzung

First few days of January 1419, Helvetia was peacefully silent, Tagsatzung, the governing body of many Swiss city rulers were looking forward to peaceful year, the Rulers of Zurich and Bern were the most powerful factions in Tagsatzung was also most looking forward to peaceful year, the only international news that were interesting to Tagsatzung was that Gian Francesco of Mantua asked Martinus V of Papal States to join him in military alliance, for what reasons they cannot discover. Still, as light conversation, Tagsatzung was discussing whatever they should ask Gian Francesco of Mantua to join the military alliance. However, most rulers of Tagsatzung were against for external alliance, claiming that they have no need for alliance since their private armies was one of the best of the world. The private armies got most advanced paraphernalia of weapons and uniforms, and only Prussian Army is equal to the Tagsatzung’s private armies. They presumed with superciliousness, that their private armies will be victorious at every time they fight the battle after all, they paying a small fortune to their private armies. Nevertheless, this illusion will be exposed by violent way very soon; it will strike Tagsatzung where it hurt those most.

On the 6th January, Swiss city rulers woke up to their last day of conference and received the message from Bern’s palace that there was some vital news that must be heard by all rulers of Tagsatzung. When they arrived into palace, they found the palace were full of Bern’s troops with their face grim. They arrived into the meeting hall and were told by Bern’s ruler about the message arrived from Albert V of Austria. To say they were shocked was understatement of the decade. The news of the message was the declaration of war against Helvetia by Austria. There was no reason apart from that Tagsatzung expelled Habsburg family from Helvetia, and Habsburg wanted revenges on Tagsatzung.

Tagsatzung went into meeting and it appeared was spilt into three parts, a negligible lily-livered faction went mad and lamented about that they will be destroyed by Austria. More powerful agitator faction told other very disdainfully that the private armies of Tagsatzung could invade Austria and easily obliterate every Austrian armies that come found them and can knock on the doors of the Habsburg palace themselves very soon. The most powerful and cooler faction is, Bern’s and Zurich’s rulers and their allies supported the view of defensive war with their private armies simply waited for Austrian army cross the border and then full power of private armies can fall on them with complete lack of restrictions.

There were arguments raged among Tagsatzung until the day was declining into the night. Defensive faction fought with fangs and claws to get the Tagsatzung agree with them. Finally, one by one ruler gave up and the Tagsatzung now not going to put one single toe on the Austrian lands but wait for Austrian armies to come to the private armies and drive the Austrian armies back at worst or at best, annihilate them.

Defeat was not tolerable to Tagsatzung and so they invited Oberstein who was the most experienced commander of private armies in from the waiting room near the meeting hall and told him his order. The Tagsatzung’s order to him was not to lost any battles and do not attempt to go into Austrian lands while hinting that that if he lost a single battle, he will be execute on the charge of treason since he will be disobeying Tagsatzung’s order. He was made into Supreme Commander of Combined Helvetian and International Private Armies of Tagsatzung. (CHIPAT)

Oberstein bowed to Tagsatzung murmured his deference for them and left the meeting hall, once the doors shut with great boom, deathly silent went over Tagsatzung and looked one other with one question rose up in their eyes.

Will they survive the war?

During the next few days, the private armies came at the calls of their rulers to Bern from all over Helvetia, and for the first time in many decades, all the private armies were merged into CHIPAT of 20000 men, all of them got plenty experiences while serving as Swiss mercenaries. They marched to Zurich as one very angry army since most of mercenaries was hoping to have a peaceful season and Austria ruined all that.

CHIPAT arrived there by end of January; there they wait, silently for Austrian troops to march up the passes. Meanwhile, Tagsatzung passed a domestic policy on increase land production while increasing troops’ morale. On the month of March, Tommaso Mocenigo of Vince nervous about Austrian war decided to entered alliance with Mantua and Papal States.

Suddenly, on 16th May, Austrian 24203 Infantries and 7745 Cavalries attacked CHIPAT. CHIPAT outnumbered about 5 to 8 was ready for them and fought them for fifteen days and night. At the beginning of June, they won the battle losing 7692 men while Austrian Army retreated back to Innsbruck in Tirol. They lost 6259 Infantries and 1251 Cavalries to the battle. The first victory was so great that it increased the stability among the people and Tagsatzung was so happy that it raising 3000 men costing them 3000 ducats from people. This bought terrible prices on Tagsatzung; the land was so near bankrupt and was forced to raise tax for war causing unrest among the people. Tagsatzung was so concerned about other nations joining Austria against them so they decided to join the Mantuan military alliance. And so the Austrian Freezing Hell War begins.

 

[unmerged(18239)]

At the head of the Swiss guard you are still a Watergeus.

 

[unmerged(15337)]

Well, as you know from my AAR I had a lot of trouble from Austria. I'd like to see how you handled them. Do they have any allies? It was when I got hit by the Germans, too, that Helvetia really suffered. Good luck!

 

[unmerged(18239)]

Ain't it possible to play the game diplomatic and stay neutral as much as possible without getting provinces other then the two starting ones?

 

[unmerged(21085)]

Well, we see about that,

I have done 50 years of this game already, 350 years to go!

Update coming up, tomorrow as well the Waterguezen.

 

[coz1]

Great start beating back the Austrians. Hope it stays that way.

 

[Amric]

Just be sure to watch out for Savoie and Genoa...they sometimes get ideas about Helvetia. Good stuff so far, and congratulations again on keeping those saurkraut eating Austrians out.

 

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Austrian Freezing Hell War

At the end of the October of 1419, another Austrian army of 17724 Infantries and 6107 Cavalries attacked CHIPAT and fought them for thirteen days and night. CHIPAT won the battle without any fatalities while Austrian withdrew from battle with 6365 Infantries and 1273 Cavalries dead. Suddenly one more Austrian army of 8327 Infantries and 1311 Cavalries marched up the passes and assaulted CHIPAT on 24th December. The CHIPAT was little exasperated about that army and since it was on the holy day made them little put off so they began inventing new ways of using Helvetian mountains’ snows. So the entire Austrian army founded themselves subjected with pleasure by CHIPAT under waves and waves of avalanches, the fatalities among the Austrian army were large, 43% of all Infantries and 54% of all Cavalries died in frozen tombs. The rest of the Austrian Army retreated to their lands in terror spreading the rumour that even nature herself turn against them. But it came at price since CHIPAT lost 539 men, about 3% of the CHIPAT; they died in making avalanches to rumble toward Austrian Army. The year ended with panic spreading across Austria, the peasants making these stories larger than life, it was known that people in the Vienna actually thought that Jesus himself appeared before Austrian Army and warned them that if they don’t turn back, they will suffer God’s fury.

Albert V, the Archdukes of Austria was enraged about these stories and he will strike Helvetia with full strength of Austria. Without a doubt, the year of 1420 was the most bloodiest of these three years of the Austrian Freezing Hell War. CHIPAT suffered seven encounters with Austrian Army. CHIPAT only received a thousand men from Tagsatzung during that year. Tagsatzung was in serious trouble as they tried to find some way to raise money; their mints are working at full speed whereas there was no investment in any projects at all. Every months of the year, there was CHIPAT was fighting in the battlefields around the province of Schwyz. CHIPAT was slowly worn away under repeated attacks of the Austrian Army. For the CHIPAT troops who saw the dawn of the first encounter of the year, about half of them will never see the sunset of the seventh encounter of the year.

This is the shot of every battle taken in the Austrian Freezing Hell War.

At the start of the year of 1421, the final battle was fought between 8160 Swiss and 971 Austrian troops. The Austrian Army was annihilated with the losses of 5 men.

A month later, Tagsatzung received a peace offer of Austrian entire treasury of 29400 ducats from Archduke Albert V of Austria, Tagsatzung were glad to take that offer making a large profit on it. Austrian Freezing Hell War was over. The death tolls was high, Around 16000 CHIPAT troops died in the war, yet the cost of Austrian are much higher, around 46000 Infantries and 6500 Cavalries died in their frozen mass grave. And so with new 3000 recruits, CHIPAT was rose to 11000 troops who was under personal control of Tagsatzung. Oberstein was rewarded quite handsome by Tagsatzung.

 

[unmerged(18239)]

What a bloodshed

 

[unmerged(15337)]

Looks like Austria was fighting you alone. You were lucky. Just wait til they coordinate their attacks with Baden and Wurtemburg. Anyway, well done. Keep holding your ground, and KILL THOSE HABSBURGS!

 

[unmerged(21085)]

This war was over, maybe in later wars. You see, that I am trying to be netural and I only declared war upon on nations I do have CB.

 

[unmerged(18239)]

You see, that I am trying to be netural and I only declared war upon on nations I do have CB.

But Sapphire you do only have a cb on helvetian provinces or am I wrong...