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Von Weimar Volume 1: A History of War 1091 - 1440

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Judas Maccabeus: Keeping track of some of these people is very difficult. I’m taking better notes as the game goes on but still, my ten year saves are what’s saving me.

As for characters, Bruno has been in the Weimar news on and off since the early 1090's but I don’t think I mentioned him too much due to all the wars and excommunications going on. At this point he was my favorite character just because he was so inept yet strangely, so loyal to every Weimar that came into power. I wish I could’ve worked him in more but during quiet times - as in the last update - you’ll probably see him popping in and out until his death. :cool:

Enewald: I even checked the loyalty of the guy before sending him off. At least it makes the story more interesting...

gabor: Lausitz was lost to Poland in the end and I believe it was the only one. Anyway, its a place I want to get back if only because it was once mine. As for Sigfried, I’d like a leader who is able to live/rule beyond his 40's. I’m hoping that’s what happens here. :cool:

To all: It seems I'm a day late on this one. I even had it written two days ago but here it is. And before I forget, thanks for those who voted in the ACAs for this project. I didn't expect to win given the many stable titles I see with so many comments around the CK forum.
 
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Good to see a ruler that is not excommunicated, hopefully Sigfried can put Meissen back on track.

By the way, what is Ulrich III relation to Sigfried? With so many relatives coming and going CK easily turns into Dynasty or Falcon Crest, I get a bit lost :rolleyes:
 
I don’t need to tell you that the looks of this AAR are really good, so I won’t. :p

I really like your alternate history – the slow speed of expansion, the setbacks suffered, the plans gone wrong, the pope interfering, the allies letting Weimar down and the wayward vassals. You manage to forge the game events into a real nice flow of historical ones, and I’m looking forward to see how Sigfried’s going to do.

And, btw, Ulrich II totally is my kind of bastard! :cool:

And I’m loving Poppo. :D
 
Enewald: I’m doing my best to have as few vassals as possible. They all left since Eberhard’s excon. But more land? Yeah, I’m always in to that. :)

A side note, the culture of the Weimars is German so cultural conversion will eventually - hopefully - turn Saxon, Polish and Wendish lands into German. In my map updates I'll begin posting provinces by power, loyalty, land and culture. I may even do economics too...

aldriq: Its been a little while but if I remember correctly, Sigfried is still a direct line from fathers to sons. At the start I wasn’t taking very good notes since note-taking in CK is very different from that of Vicki or EU3. I’m getting better with it, finding that I even need to take notes of the story I’m writing while comparing them with what happened line by line. Its easy to forget what happened and whose who from week to week.

The_Guiscard: Credit for the slow speed of expansion can be given to the harsh rules I’ve imposed upon myself. I probably should update them as I’ve added a few since I first began. Though I haven’t added too many, survival is tough enough!

I like the whole Ulrich line unfortunately, I don’t think there’s another major Ulrich player after Ulrich III (although I haven't completed the CK game yet.) But the Weimars do battle for their world, trying to make themselves noticed.

Unfortunately Poppo is completely out of the picture these days. After he was“banished” he disappeared. I think he went back to Kleves or somewhere around there. He wasn’t very nice to the Weimars even if they were family; he was probably jealous over receiving the Count of Krain title and not the Duke of Meissen.

And to think when I first loaded I thought I’d be a Mediterranean power. :cool:
 
Enewald said:
No one lives long in CK. Too bad that you cannot stick with the same ruler throughout the entire game. Would make matters interesting. :cool:
Click to expand...

What, would you have the ruler be in Scotland and name him Connor MacLeod? :p

Anyway, looks like things have stabilised a bit, and nice to see you've managed to grab Brandenburg, although a shame that the ruler isn't in the best of shape...
 
With the Pope on their side and Brandenburg in the realm, no-one can stop the Weimars :D

Judas Maccabeus said:
What, would you have the ruler be in Scotland and name him Connor MacLeod? :p
Click to expand...

Or Prince Vlad of Wallachia... :rolleyes:
 
Enewald: We still have a few centuries yet till Hayreddin Barbarossa is born.

Judas Maccabeus: In game terms, no depression was suffered by Sigfried but I couldn’t allow him go without feeling some sadness after the departure of Bruno and his wife in such close proximity. He’ll have recovered in the following update. I'm just happy he’s living beyond an update or two.

aldriq: Yes, I’ve found that increasing the cash in your religious slider really affects whether or not your leader will be excommunicated. However, since I’m trying to role-play most of these guys that won’t always be so and in many cases, I’m going to have to rely on luck. By the way, have I mentioned I’d never been excommunicated before this game? Though I’ve never played a CK game so deep as a Catholic dynasty.
 
Enewald: I’m hoping this new Weimar Pope will intervene some more... but on my behalf. ;)

aldriq: I’m not sure why breaking away from your liege is so easy. If their leader dies, you can slip away without problem. Its hard coming up with a good reason especially since relations are usually in tact. If they ever do make a CK 2, hopefully they fix this.

To all: This AAR may continue rather haphazardly as we go on. In order to tighten up some of my time, I’m probably going to drop the “book” premise and write it as other “History Book” AARs. Once I begin finding time again - if I do - I’ll likely go back to the way it was but there are no guarantees. Its quite a bit of work putting that book together, making pics fit and trying to make it so the words don’t look too off centered.
 
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The speed at which the world changed in favor of the Weimars in Meissen had swung like the vicious strokes of a pendulum. Pope Leopold von Weimar set out to show the religious world that he wasn’t about to play favorites, even if it meant pointing out the flaws within his own family.

Sigfried appealed to the Pope, pleading for leniency for what was once Sigfried’s very private alternative Catholic practices. While Leopold accepted the sorrowful reason, the original problem hadn’t been resolved but it had damaged Sigfried’s reputation beyond recovery. Sigfried’s open judgement branded him a heretic.

By 1136 the people of the court had grown to openly despise their ruler. He tried surrounding himself with those he could trust, placing his wife as a Steward, but even that little effort hadn’t helped. The degradation over Pope Leopold’s actions had so damaged Sigfried that in mid 1136, while still recovering from a previous war, the Duchy of Austria amassed its troops.

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The Austrian armies from the south amassed along the Meissen border before pushing their way north​

Unlike previous wars, Meissen would be unable to rely on others. She would have to fight her enemy, Austria, on her own. And such a reality began badly when Lüneburg was lost. Although not all was a terror for the first battle of the war had been won under Sigfried’s command.

This single victory and the brief recovery were the only highlights of the war for Meissen. Nearly 3000 Meissen soldiers were destroyed in a futile attempt to save Lüneburg from Austrian domination. This lopsided loss was the catalyst for complete and total Austrian occupation by the end of November 1136.

Early December, after brief imprisonment in his own castle, Sigfried admitted that the war was lost. It was lost since the initial declaration of war; the Austrian ability to raise more than five times the amount of troops than Meissen should've spelled the end immediately. Austria didn’t annex the Duchy though, instead leaving it barren. Sigfried lost Lausitz, Meissen, Weimar and Plauen but he had managed to enhance the debt.

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After the destruction and ransacking within Meissen, people gathered, praying for answers; receiving none​

Now with an inherent weakness, Sigfried tried recovering. The Duchy was in an abysmal mess. And the Nakonids of Mecklemburg took advantage in late September 1137.

As before, the Duchy of Meissen could do little. And as with the war with Austria, Mecklemburg outnumbered the now-depleted Meissen army five to one. The war was brief but just as devastating. One year after the declaration and without the ability to defend, the war ended. Mecklemburg stole Altmark and Ansbach, leaving Sigfried and the Weimar line with only Brandenburg and the Duchy of Meissen title.

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Former Meissen lands claimed after wars with the Duchies of Austria and Mecklemburg​

Less than one month later Sigfied von Weimar decided that to save his line from annihilation, Meissen had to once gain pledged itself to the King of Poland, Karol Piast. The welcoming wasn’t as great as it was before but it was a fantastic event for Meissen. Piast had nearly decided against re-instituting the Weimars but Karol Piast’s desire to expand into Central Europe encouraged him to accept the Meissen petition.

The safety and protection taken from Poland seemed to have saved the Weimars from annihilation but Meissen was beset on all sides by dangerous powers. A stronger Mecklemburg to the northwest, Austria to the south and west, Poland to the east and one of the few Pagan tribes remaining near the Baltic, to the north. This was where Sigfried sought to expand and rebuild his empire.

This conquest began in the middle of 1139 when Sigfried went to war against the pagan leader, Juliusz, in Stettin. The wars with Mecklemburg and Austria had slashed Meissen’s manpower numbers to less than 1000. However, the pagans amounted to less and were slaughtered in Stettin by Sigfried and his men.

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Sigfried von Weimar’s first war was a success after his disastrous battles against Austria and Mecklemburg​

Sigfried stationed his troops over the next six days, cutting off escape routes to starve and dehydrate the city. But after those six days, 4000 Poles arrived, aiding Sigfried's siege, bringing the fort down in early August. The Weimars were the first to break through the gates, demanding an end to the pagan rule and installing Meissen rule over Stettin.

One day after this recognition, Sigfried welcomed his first born, Berthold von Weimar, as the Count of Stettin. His mission was clear and went beyond merely learning the ropes of rule. It was clear Berthold had to first, convert the population and second, to utilize the newly occupied water lanes. These would be vital in resuscitating the Meissen economy.

Sigfried had taken the first steps to revive the Meissen Duchy. Humbled, this Central European world had changed radically. It was up to him to rebuild what had been lost. There was much to be done.
 
Looks like quite a mess for the Von Weimar's over there. Looks like you can't even trust family bonds anymore...

Sure a good job you're making of this BIII.
 
will phoenix rise from ashes?
don't worry about the format, the book was eye-candy but the way it is now is easier to read :)

btw funny you used the pic from the painting showing of one of the biggest battles of the 15th century to illustrate a minor skirmish
 
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