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Lithuania won't make it alive out...
Bohemia is going to vanish.
Austria bleed to death.
Spain shall shake.
Persia be purified.
Scandinavia shall scourge the north.
Whilst France fails probably. :D
 
Blood, blood, blood! :D This must be the biggest war I've seen in my EUIII's career.. Are you gonna invade the Iberian Peninsula, or are you going to invade the Spanish provinces in nothern Africa?
 
Holy crap that is a war and a half! I've been reading this since the beginning--loving it!
 
Epic war. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out!
 
This is going to be Epic!!!! :D

Crush those Spanish, French, Italian, Persia, Lithuanian basterds. Show them that the world belongs to the Translavanian Empire.

The drums of war shall beat deep in Transylvania! ;)

I always knew it would be Lithuania...

They are trixy!

What a war! :eek:

Oh trust me I know. When it happened I was like "Holy shit...this is fucking epic."

WOW! That is one heck of an Early world war! Very interesting. Really looking forward to this.

Transylvania means business! Haha

Lithuania won't make it alive out...
Bohemia is going to vanish.
Austria bleed to death.
Spain shall shake.
Persia be purified.
Scandinavia shall scourge the north.
Whilst France fails probably. :D

Close, very close.

So I read the entirety of this epic and the world war hasn't started yet? Heavens! I shall be awaiting it eagerly, good sir! :)

Hehe, thank you very much. I hope it does not disappoint!

Blood, blood, blood! :D This must be the biggest war I've seen in my EUIII's career.. Are you gonna invade the Iberian Peninsula, or are you going to invade the Spanish provinces in nothern Africa?

Invade Iberia haha, with Transylvania's piddly navy? I suppose I could march through Austria and then France...hmmm

You shall have to see!

Holy crap that is a war and a half! I've been reading this since the beginning--loving it!

:D Glad you like it, and glad you commented!

Epic war. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out!

I shall try my best to appease!
 
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This Chapter’s Mood Music

Lieutenant Colonel Levi Dinófs was annoyed. He was in command of the 1st Banat Regiment which was camped in Kartli awaiting orders, along with the rest of the Army de Mihály. A Lithuanian army was somewhere north in Alania, looting and pillaging, and riders had been sent out to find exactly where that army was. He tightened his hands on the reins and turned to Captain Johannsson.

“Where the hell are the scouts? They should be back by now.”

Captain Hinrik Johannsson was a Norwegian born cavalryman who had been sent from Scandinavia to the Army de Mihály to assist the army in their invasion of Lithuania, but that was on hold until the damned Lithuanian army in Georgia could be pushed out. Hinrik shrugged.

“They’ll be back soon enough, sir. It’s not like the Lithuanians can get away.”

Levi harrumphed and turned back to looking north, as if he thought to see the scouts come galloping across the skyline to deliver news of the Lithuanian army’s position.

The overall strategy for the war was fairly simple, Transylvania lacked the manpower and resources to fight on two fronts again Spain and Lithuania, and so the Emperor (more realistically – one of his competent advisors) had decided to crush Lithuania early on, and then hurry the armies south to fight against the Spanish in the Levant and Anatolia, where already Spanish troops were being transported. Transylvania lacked the navy to challenge the Spaniards for supremacy over the Eastern Mediterranean seas, a fact that was proved quite unmercifully by the Spanish sinking of a Transylvanian fleet that had been sent to the Canary Islands to reinforce the small garrison there, but they could dispute their hold over the land well enough.

Lieutenant Colonel Dinófs made his way back to the army’s camp, marveling at the site of so many men come together for a single purpose. He picked his way through the artillery park, admiring the neat rows of cannons lined wheel to wheel – cannons that hurled round shot, canister, and grapeshot at enemy lines, flaying them to ribbons for the infantry to pour in with pikes, blades, and bayonets. He found his way back to his regiment, Banat’s 1st, and found the Officer of the Day and told him to make sure the men were ready to march at a moment’s notice. All was left was to wait for the scouts to return with the information that would send the whole mass of men, women, and children shuffling off North to square off with the Lithuanians.

The scouts returned in the dead of night, making their way past the picket lines to deliver the news to Brigadier General Zabanius. The Lithuanian army of around 18,000 strong was camped just outside the city of Ardon in Alania province. The army was thrown into a flurry of activity, but it would not march until early morning, fearing getting lost in Georgian territory. General Zabanius was a cautious man, though it was rumoured that he was merely afraid of the dark.

The first rays of sunlight peeked beyond the horizon to shine upon a giant snake slithering its way north. There was 20,000 fighting men in the army, but another army three times the size followed them. They were an army of army wives, merchants, whores, slaves, and all manner of people that sought their fortune alongside the brave, and they followed the men who marched to war.

bairO.png

The Transylvanian Army de Mihály makes it way North into Alania during the opening stages of the First World War, March, 1575

The army marched for nearly a month, a ponderously slow gait; so slow that Levi was convinced the Lithuanian army would somehow escape further North to their home territory, and he appealed to General Zabanius to abandon the artillery and baggage train that was slowing down the army, but his request was denied and so the army lumbered onwards, covering barely ten miles a day.

“It’s frustrating.”

Captain Johannsson was standing beside the Lieutenant Colonel again, atop a hill that overlooked the giant snake that wound its way through the dusty road. He nodded to Levi, agreeing with his frustration.

“We would never take this long, sir,” the ‘we’ meant Scandinavians, “one cannot afford to be so slow in such a desolate landscape as our own. The entire army would starve within weeks.”

“How do you advance into territory like that then?”

Hinrik Johannsson pondered the question, debating whether telling the Colonel would come back to bite his nation later, but finally deciding that any attack into Scandinavia by Transylvania could easily be defeated anyways.

“You move quick, supply depot to supply depot, sir. And then you make damn sure you have somewhere warm and cozy to wait for the winter to end; only idiots campaign during the winter up North, and they’re usually dead idiots soon enough.”

Down below the 1st Banat was passing, and the men cheered up at their commander when he waved to them. The 1st was undoubtedly the most distinguished unit in the Transylvanian army, and it was an immense honour to be given their command, one that had taken every ounce of Levi’s father and his friend’s influence. It had been mostly Kázmér’s help that had secured the position, and Levi's hand went to the scar across his neck unconsciously as he thought about his friend. The scar had been given to him by Kázmér when they were boys, playing Crusader and Pagan. Levi chuckled to himself, drawing a curious glance from Captain Johannsson. He was lucky to have got away with a simple scar from the game, as it seemed at least a dozen children died each month from playing the silly game.

He turned as one of the General’s staff officers rode up to his position, and the man gave a hasty salute and handed him a slip of paper bearing General Zabanius’ signature before riding away. Lieutenant Colonel Levi Dinófs, it said, you are to deploy your regiment on the right flank near the village of Ardon. Levi smiled. The right flank was the place of honour on a battlefield, but more importantly the message meant that there was to be a battle.

The Lithuanians had tried to escape the oncoming Army de Mihály by striking North, but the road through the mountainous terrain had been blocked by heavy partisan activity and sporadic engagements with Georgian units, and so the Lithuanians had no choice but to wheel around and face the approaching Transylvanians, deciding to make their way back to Ardon and make their stand in and about the village. It was a good site, offering a large advantage to the Lithuanian army, but they were outnumbered and faced some of Transylvania’s best units.

April 17th, 1575. The two armies finally faced each other across the valley that separated the village of Ardon from the nearby forest that the Army de Mihály was assembling on the edge of. The cannons of the Transylvanian army had been firing all through the night and into the town, though it was likely it caused more sleep to be lost from the Transylvanians than it did the Lithuanians. Lieutenant Colonel Levi Dinófs trotted his big Holsteiner horse down the line of the 1st, calling encouragement to his men. A sergeant stepped forward from the line and bellowed in his parade voice.

“Who are we?” He yelled

“The Battered Bastards of Banat!” They shouted back, and Levi whooped as a cheer rippled through the entire army’s line as it started forward.

Four regiments of cavalry flanked the advancing Transylvanian line, and cannon shot screamed overhead, crashing into the lines of the Lithuanian army. The men armed with Arqebus’ and crude muskets were at the front; they would pour their volley into the front of the Lithuanian army and then charge with the rest of the mass of men. Regimental colours flapped in the light breeze as the Lithuanian cannons were brought up from where they had been sheltered from the Transylvanian bombardment the night before and coughed their response back, and the Transylvanian line shuddered as cannon shot and canister ripped through the line, but the ranks closed and marched solidly on, shouting their defiance.

Levi turned to Captain Johannsson, “They won’t hold.” He said, gesturing to the Lithuanian line that was already edging back ever so slowly.

“No, sir.” Hinrik nodded his consent.

The two were at the head of the advancing line, as Levi believed an officer should always lead from the front. He wasn’t paid to cower behind the lines while the men who received less for their service died.

There was a cheer from the left side of the Transylvanian line as a company of hussars cut apart a Lithuanian gun crew that had wheeled their cannon too far beyond the Lithuanian line. The drummer boys enclosed deep within the Transylvanian line banged their instruments, driving the men’s blood up until the whole line was around a hundred paces from the Lithuanians. It was a far shot for any sort of accuracy, but General Zabanius had seen how frayed the Lithuanian morale was and so doubtless he hoped that a single thunderous volley would see them break and run. The Transylvanian line halted and the weapons were brought to shoulder before company captain’s shouted the order to fire. The entire battlefield seemed to erupt in smoke and noise as the crude weapons spat their lead at the Lithuanian line, and then a cheer went up as it smacked home and the men advanced again.

The Lithuanian line didn’t break, but it faltered as the mass of men came charging at them. The two lines crashed against one another and the cavalry on the flanks met their counter-parts. Levi and Hinrik were side by side, pressed forward by their men behind, and pikes came up the stab at the two officers but the soldiers of the 1st regiment were already carving a path through the Lithuanian army, hacking them apart, and then as suddenly as it had begun there were no pikes in front and the entire Lithuanian line was crumbling as men ran to escape the fiery eyed demons that cut and slashed and hacked limbs apart.

“Cut them down! Cut them down! Cut them down!” Lieutenant Colonel Dinófs was screaming, and his men gladly obliged, flooding into the wide streets of the village of Ardon, stabbing at the backs of Lithuanian men who threw off their armour and weapons to run faster. It was madness in the streets as the 1st worked its trade, and as the Lithuanians crossed to the field outside the village Levi called his men back and they rested. The field was a cavalry man’s dream, and they made good use of it, riding down the fleeing fugitives and leaving a bloody trail of bodies in their wake. It was over. Of the 18 or so thousand men the Lithuanians had fielded at the start of the battle, barely a quarter of that number would manage to escape, and only a tenth of that would make it back to Lithuanian lands, the others having starved, surrendered, or been killed by partisans.

eLnXs.jpg

Lieutenant Colonel Levi Dinófs leads the Battered Bastards of Banat through the streets of Ardon in the Battle of Ardon, April 17th, 1575

Captain Hinrik Johannsson trotted over to Lieutenant Colonel Levi Dinófs and handed him a skin of wine taken from a dead Lithuanian soldier. “Rare old fight, eh?” He chuckled as Levi took a gulp of the wine.

“Rare old fight.” Levi echoed before tossing the rest of the wine skin back and turning to the soldiers that were resting along the street. He raised his voice and shouted to them, “Glory to the Empire!”

“And death to her enemies!” They shouted back.

----------​

Happy birthday Dinofs :)
 
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Great work. Now to fight the Spanish. :)
 
An update? For me? You shouldn't have. :D Thank you Kapt! :)
 
I note that this is merely the FIRST World War...
bwhaaaaaahaaa!
Seriously, you'll do well to crush the Lithuanians but then what? Or is it going to be a smackdown grab everything possible and wait for your former allies to turn to enemies and kick off Big Mistake #2? I look forward with interest.
 
Great work. Now to fight the Spanish. :)

That was just the first battle of the war, still gotta push into Lithuania proper and bloody their noses a bit more.

An update? For me? You shouldn't have. :D Thank you Kapt! :)

:p Happy birthday again, hope it was good !

I note that this is merely the FIRST World War...
bwhaaaaaahaaa!
Seriously, you'll do well to crush the Lithuanians but then what? Or is it going to be a smackdown grab everything possible and wait for your former allies to turn to enemies and kick off Big Mistake #2? I look forward with interest.

I'm sure there'll be another world war...;)

Might grab something from the Lithuanians, I can't quite remember if I do hmm. Then cut the Spanish out of the Levant and Anatolia.

Happy birthday dinofs!

Enjoy it, tomorrow Lithuanians might have your head. :D

A tragic end! Haha

Kicked some ass! :D But was your navy really defeated by a small Spanish transport-navy? :(

Not all of it. I lost like 16 galleys though trying to thread the needle through Gibraltar. Damn galleys are slow as hell, had to watch as the Spanish slowly caught up to them with Caravels and Barques (or whatever the hell they are...frigates? Idk).


Battered Bastards of Banat.:rofl:

:p

Awesome update. That will send those pesky Lithuanians crying all the back to their mothers, now go kick some Spanish ass (with a side of some Lithuanians, and Frenchies of course :D)

Thanks! I think I'll let the Austrians deal with the Frenchies though.

--

And let me know if any of you guys want a cameo at some point in the story :cool:
 
A chapter that certainly did not disappoint! :)

:D

--

Might be able to finish off an update by tonight, but I have some other things planned so it might not be until tomorrow.
 
excuse me but where is the fall in this story :p
Maybe this is it? Perhaps WW1 will be the last time the eagle standards of the Empire march towards battle?

We shall see! Muwahaha.