Austria erit in orbe ultima: A Habsburg AAR

[Grundius]

That was a harsh peace... Could you not have given them their war goal? All the provinces there are Austrian cores right? You could have taken them back later (on your own terms when France is under attack by others).

How did you get in such a bad position that your forces could not do anything against France?

 

[Tommy4ever]

I'd have given up the Franche-Comte to the French - seems like more trouble than its worth tbh. Looking forward to the reformation - hoping to see Austria play the arch-Catholic Empire, destroying the reformation wherever it appears.

 

[heartofiron997]

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.

That was a harsh peace... Could you not have given them their war goal? All the provinces there are Austrian cores right? You could have taken them back later (on your own terms when France is under attack by others).

How did you get in such a bad position that your forces could not do anything against France?

I'd have given up the Franche-Comte to the French - seems like more trouble than its worth tbh. Looking forward to the reformation - hoping to see Austria play the arch-Catholic Empire, destroying the reformation wherever it appears.

I hate giving territory in a peace treaty. It's one of my biggest pet peeves. And I just finished playing the reign of Franz last night. He will definitely get a double post

 

[heartofiron997]

Chapter IV

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Franz I, The Tenacious
Born: 1475
Archduke of Austria: 1493-1533
Duke of Burgundy: 1493-1533
Lord of the Netherlands: 1493-1533
Duke of Venice: 1493-1533

In 1493, people across Europe firmly believed that the House of Habsburg was on the decline. The failure of the Austrians to defeat the French left Austria's reputation damaged across the continent; many also believed that Matthias had incurred the wrath of God through his use of the Lord's name in vain and that Austria was to suffer for his sins. Franz, not nearly as religious as his father, scoffed at the notion and sought to restore the prestige of Austria. Yet before anything could be done, tragedy struck Europe.

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On November 25, 1493, word arrived from nearby Croatia that an influential Croatian monk named Marinko Leko had nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to a church door in Zagreb. The monk cited frustration with the Catholic Church's abuse of indulgences and a lack of clarity on a variety of issues including atoning for one's sins. The document spread like wildfire across Europe causing chaos in the coming days.

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Only a few months into his reign, Franz immediately wanted to deal with the threat in order to solidify his rule. In response, the Archduke ordered the licensing of press associations throughout the Empire in an effort to stop this blasphemous movement from being spread. Franz's swift response nipped this so-called Reformation in the bud severely limiting its capability to legally spread.

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As Franz was dealing with the issue of Marinko Leko, word arrived from nearby Milan that the Archduke was next in line for throne should the current Duke die with no heir. Franz had a choice to make: should he wait for the Duke to die of natural causes or should he intervene immediately to secure the throne? Franz was not one to act indecisively as he ordered Austrian troops into Milan in the winter of 1497. The resulting war was short and sweet securing the rest of Lombardy for the Archduchy of Austria.

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A few years passed as Franz continued to crush the Protestant heretics throughout the Empire. But in 1507, the Archduke was appalled to hear that the Kingdom of Bohemia, an Electorate of the Empire and longstanding ally of Austria, had converted to Protestantism. The enraged Archduke sent an ultimatum to the Bohemians demanding allegiance to the Catholic faith or conquest by sword. The Bohemians chose poorly.

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The Austrian struggle for the Bohemian throne would continue for almost ten years as the rebellious Protestants proved much more troublesome then expected. Yet in the end, Austria was the last one standing. And Franz had added another title to his ever growing collection. The war, however, had forced Austrian interests away from the rest of Europe as the Reformation continued to fight on...

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[Tommy4ever]

Looks like your staying strong as the Catholic Emperor. So do you now have PUs with Milan and Bohemia? I wasn't quite sure from what you wrote.

 

[MiniaAr]

Are you going to move your capital to either Venice or Antwerpen node? Tyrol is not too bad RP-wise, and since you own a lot of real-estate in the Venetian node, you could benefit from having provinces in the Ragusan and Cracovian nodes.

 

[Grundius]

Shaping up to be quite the empire. Soon you can give France some well-deserved payback.

 

[tnick0225]

An Austria-Bohemian Habsburg Empire I like it! And taking Milan as well giving you a solid foothold in Lombardy. Times are looking quite promising for Franz and his descendants as long as he can continue to crush the Protestants.

 

[heartofiron997]

Looks like your staying strong as the Catholic Emperor. So do you now have PUs with Milan and Bohemia? I wasn't quite sure from what you wrote.

Yes, Austria has PUs with Milan and Bohemia. Sorry for the lack of clarity.

An Austria-Bohemian Habsburg Empire I like it! And taking Milan as well giving you a solid foothold in Lombardy. Times are looking quite promising for Franz and his descendants as long as he can continue to crush the Protestants.

Thanks! And there's more to come...

Shaping up to be quite the empire. Soon you can give France some well-deserved payback.

I'm trying to avoid any major wars with the French for the time being. The cost is just to high at the moment. I am hoping Spain will come to her senses and help me defeat the French menace.