Austria erit in orbe ultima: A Habsburg AAR

[heartofiron997]

Welcome! This is my first EU IV AAR as I've finally gotten a few games under my belt. Now, I've decided to play as a my favorite historical dynasty: the Hapsburgs!

The goal of this AAR is not a world conquest. Austria, however, will be a world class power by the end of the game!

This AAR will be told through a overview of each monarch. Chapters should follow the reign of one monarch but if too much simply happens I will break that reign up.

The introduction should come later today. Thanks for reading!

 

[Tommy4ever]

I did an Austria AAR with the same style (and a pretty similar title) a few years back in EUIII. This AAR could give me a nostalgia trip . Look forward to seeing this start up, always like the one reign per update style.

 

[heartofiron997]

Introduction


​

In 1444, the House of Hapsburg stood on the edge of greatness. The House had successfully claimed the Imperial throne and was now in a position to exert its influence as Emperor. Yet where do Hapsburg interests lie?

​

Are they to the north, where the crown of Bohemia is ripe for conquest? Or to the east where Hungarian lands might provide living space for an ever expanding Austria? Or to the South where the riches of Italy would fill the coffers of the Hapsburg? Or is the destiny of the Habsburgs to the West where the lands of France and Burgundy beckon?

Only time will tell what will happen to our mighty house. But one thing is certain: Austria erit in obre ultima -- Austria will be the last surviving in the world.

 

[Panzer4life]

Alright, this is going to be fun to watch how things go down. If I may, get Bohemian lands to the north, but Vassalize instead of outright annexing everything, that way you have a guranteed vote in your pocket. Also, repeat for Brandenburg, cause they are within choking distance of Austria, and Saxony. You really only need three votes early on, as some will vote for themselves, and since the AI never coordinate their efforts against you, you can be safe with 3 votes you are going to be the head of the HRE.

 

[Asami_T]

Subscribed.

 

[heartofiron997]

Chapter I


​

Frederich III, The Brave
Born: 1415
Archduke of Austria: 1439-1477

At his ascent to the throne in 1439, Frederich III saw Austria on the precipice of change. As Europe exited the Middle Ages and entered the Early Modern Era, Austria too would have to find its place in this new world order. Any other monarch may not have been able to successfully navigate Austria through the tumultuous second half of the 15th century. Yet luckily for the Austrians, they had their brave Duke--- no, Archduke.

The first major act of Frederich III's reign was the institution of the Archduchy of Austria in 1448. And while the validity of the Privileigum Maius may only now be called into question, the institution of the Archduchy elevated Austria above other all other Princes of the Empire.

​

Yet his bravery did not impair his judgment. Frederich III understood that for Austria to thrive she needed allies. So, he turned to the Bohemians in the North, the Burgundians in the West, and the Electors of the Palatine, Saxony, Brandenburg.

Peace, however, was not meant to last as war was calling the newly crowned Archduke. To the south, the lands of Venice were ripe for the picking. Defenseless after a costly war with the Mamelukes, Venice was weak and so the Archduke declared war in 1450. The result was a swift war forcing the Venetians to hand over the valuable provinces of Treviso and Istria.

​

Frederich III also had great success as the Holy Roman Emperor as he issued the first of many reforms in the Empire. The Call for Reichsreform in 1453 centralized the Empire and gave the Emperor even more authority. Things were certainly looking up for the proud Archduchy.

​

In fact, luck was certainly on the side of the Emperor as in 1458 the King of Burgundy died prompting a crisis in Europe. The French, victorious after the costly Hundred Years War, claimed the dead King's French lands in effort to benefit from the crisis. Frederich III saw this crisis as an opportunity to further expand Austrian authority and keep the aggressive French in check. Thus, the Burgundian Netherlands were promptly integrated into the Archduchy and, and as result, gave her a direct border with France. The result would shape European politics for the next hundred years as a rivalry was born in fire.

​

 

[TromleTromle]

Interresting - will buy the game soon (after patches....) , but playing with the demo made me thinking, how did you make the "Reichsreform" ? and any overextension hits aginst your venice war ?

 

[BogMod]

I recommend checking on how images should be linked. There are ways to get them nice and big.

 

[heartofiron997]

Hi all, thanks for the comments! The images are all fixed accordingly. The next update should come sometime today. I've played up until 1530 so there's a lot to get through.

 

[heartofiron997]

Chapter II

​

Frederich III, The Brave
Born: 1415
Archduke of Austria: 1439-1477
Duke of Burgundy: 1458-1477
Lord of the Netherlands: 1458-1477

By 1458, the House of Habsburg was unmatched in Europe. Emperor Frederich had halted the decline of the Empire and also enriched his personal coffers. With the acquisition of the rich Burgundian possessions, Austria's wealth grew considerably and the Habsburgs were now able to project their influence directly over Western Europe. Ports along the English Channel and the North Sea further enhanced Austrian trade and growth. In commemoration of these new-found riches and lands, Frederich made the journey to his new provinces in order to become head of the esteemed Order of the Golden Fleece.

​

Yet during his trip, disaster struck. Frederich's constant favoring of the Aristocracy over the general population had begun to anger the peasants. Rebellions had sprung up during a few of the Archduke's wars but nothing had ever seriously threatened his control. With his absence from the Crown Lands, the peasants saw their opportunity and rose up across the land.

​

Frederich was horrified; all he had done was in the name of the glory of Austria. Yet his subjects seemed to think otherwise. Brokenhearted, Frederich left the Netherlands for Austria in order squash the rebellions. Yet he realized the current situation could not continue and accordingly began a serious of reforms designed to improve the lives of Austrian peasants.

​

The rebellions, however, would leave Frederich scared for the rest of his reign as he would take on no more major projects or military campaigns. Instead, he began the process of converting his Venetian territories to wholly Austrian provinces in an effort to provide peasants with more opportunities. In addition, the conquest of the Electorate of Mainz by Hesse meant a new Elector had to be appointed so Frederich used the opportunity to appoint his faithful vassal, the Duke of Siena.

​

On Frederich's death, the Austrians utterly dominated the Electorates of the Empire thus securing their rightful role as Emperor. Yet even with peace within the Empire, a storm was coming. The French had become wearisome of Austrian gains and sought to counterbalance the Habsburgs' power. After consolidating most of its vassals, France was arming itself for war along the Rhine...

​

 

[tnick0225]

Nice AAR so far! I like the style you're using for it. Looking forward to seeing if France will be able to curb Habsburg ambitions.

 

[BogMod]

Crush the French! Do it before they are too strong to stop!

 

[BrunoDerKaiser]

Alles Erdreich ist Österreichs Untertan! Go Austria! Stomp some frenchmen.

 

[Gruekiller]

Austriae est imperare orbi universo!

 

[Tommy4ever]

You've made some great gains here. Its time to halt expansion and consolidate what you have (your overextension must be pretty high by now?). Fending off the French won't be easy - but I'm sure you'll manage to do it.

 

[heartofiron997]

You've made some great gains here. Its time to halt expansion and consolidate what you have (your overextension must be pretty high by now?). Fending off the French won't be easy - but I'm sure you'll manage to do it.

Actually, with the way over extension works in EU 4 I haven't really had a problem yet.

Crush the French! Do it before they are too strong to stop!

Austriae est imperare orbi universo!

Alles Erdreich ist Österreichs Untertan! Go Austria! Stomp some frenchmen.

I shall try! Next update coming probably sometime tomorrow.

 

[Grundius]

Ahh yes a good ol'Austria AAR! One of my favourite nations to play (In EU1-EU3, have not played them in 4 yet). Subbed!

 

[Asaris]

Sounds really interesting!

 

[heartofiron997]

Chapter III

​

Matthias I, The Pious
Born: 1450
Archduke of Austria: 1477-1493
Duke of Burgundy: 1477-1493
Lord of the Netherlands: 1477-1493
Duke of Venice: 1481-1493

Unfortunately for Matthias I, his father's untimely demise in 1477 left him the throne. Matthias had never wanted to be Archduke; he had always considered himself a man of God and as such wanted to dedicated his life to the Church. Yet fate had different plans for him as Matthias was sworn in immediately after his father's death. Austria, after all, had business to attend to.

The election of Matthias to the Imperial throne in 1477 meant a increase of Austrian power in the Empire. Accordingly, Matthias decided to use his newfound power to spread the word of God amongst the states of the Empire by instituting the Reichsregiment two years after his coronation.

​

Matthias, like many other men of his age, invoked the name of God when he continued his father's dream of wholly incorporating Venice into the Crown of Austria. A quick war in 1480 ended with the complete annexation of the once proud Republic. The successful conquest of Venice left Austria able to turn her sights to the East where Hungary lied. Rebels tearing apart the country opened the door for Austria to make gains in the region and Matthias declared the Hungarians to be unholy Catholics as his generals invaded from Vienna. The war ended with Hungary being forced to ceded its only port on the Adriatic leaving them isolated and at the mercy of Austria.

​

However, Matthias did not continue his father's constant support for his Elector allies. The annexation of the Electorate of Mainz right before his Election left him outraged that any state of the Empire would consider it pious to conquer the territory of a Archbishop, a man of God. In response, Matthias went to war with his former allies in Brandenburg over the state of Cologne. A humiliating peace treaty forced the Brandeburgians to hand over all conquered lands to Austria's ally Bohemia and to become a vassal of Austria. In a subsequent war with Hesse, Matthias restored the Electorate of Mainz which continued Habsburg control of the Electors.

​

For all his faith in God, Matthias had no understanding of diplomacy. His strict imposing of order on the Empire and conquests along the Adriatic had continued to threaten the integrity of the French monarchy. In 1483, without any warning the French and their allies flooded into the Netherlands and Franche-Comte. The Austrians were completely unprepared for such an attack as the main Imperial was still in the middle of Germany. Through the Pope, Matthias had the declared the French unholy for their "unwarranted attacks." Matthias, clearly, was not certainly one to call the kettle black. By 1485, the situation was looking bleak for Austria; the French had captured all of Franche-Comte and were beginning to breach the Netherlands. Austrian resistance had largely been ineffectual as its armies were too few to match the large French armies.

​

Matthias continued the bloody struggle believing God was on his side. The French, after all, had been excommunicated for their offenses while Matthias had been awarded the grace of God. Surely God would let him be victorious in this war, as well? But Matthias had no such luck. The French continued to advance in the Netherlands and even threatened Austria herself. With the war looking bleaker each day, Matthias urged the Pope to bring the conflict to an end and emptied his coffers in hopes the French would succumb to greed for money over land. The plan worked but the cost was Austria's coffers.

​

The failed war broke Matthias. He believed for the rest of his reign that God had betrayed him in his hour of need. Matthias died broken in 1493 with the people of Austria still upset over the massive indemnity and Matthias' proclamations of God. Change was brewing in Europe. But what side would Austria be on?

​

 

[tnick0225]

Got lucky with that treaty with France even though it cost a pretty pennies worth of gold! Looking forward to see how Emperor Franz deals with the changes in Europe, I imagine the Reformation is getting close to knocking on the door soon.