Karl V Leopold (1713-1740)
1713 - Karl's first act as emperor was to incorporate the realms of Venice into the empire. He gave the Venetian merchant lords high ranking offices in the provincial governments, and the provinces of Venice and Crete were added. How far Venice had fallen from her glory. Unfortunately this act caused the CoT in Venice to close.
1715 - Diplomatic expansion was the name of the game. Karl offered the Danish vassal kings a similar proposal to the one proffered to Venice the year before. It was readily accepted and the new provinces of Jylland, Sjaelland, Ostlandet, Finnmark and Iceland were added to the realm. Karl began sending sending colonists to the north and Finnmark in due time became a German province. [Note: I did this without saving once and that was when the two screens below were taking, so they show the wrong date, and a existing Norway in Ostlandet, which in fact is not the case. I forgot to take new screens.]
Thus in 1714 German Europe looked like this:
1715 - Immediately after the annexation Ottaman Empire declared war on Germany. Karl could not have been happier. The Ottomans were far from prepared for this war, and Karl's best generals were already in the Balkans. Daun and Anhalt-Sachsen moved at once into Ottoman territory. Banat, Thrace, Rumelia, Bosnia and others were all instantly under siege. Daun held the straits of the Bosporus against repeated attacks and eventually captured Istanbul.
1716 - Karl offered peace terms, for now content to add just the province of Banat to the realm. It was enough, he had other designs on the Balkans and Eastern Europe.
1717- Russia annexed Poland! Europe was shorn of yet another traditional power.
1720 - Karl was still sending settlers to the new world to finish the colonization of such provinces as Ottawa, Oshawa and others, those acquired from France earlier that were not yet cities.
1721 - With ulterior motives in mind Karl invited Transylvania to the alliance he had with the Netherlands, breaking a long standing tradition of the Transylvanians supporting the Ottoman sultans. The sultans were displeased and they declared war again shortly thereafter. Germany was still lurking in the Balkans and once again German armies sieged Ottoman provinces.
1722 - A quick peace was obtained after Germany captured Serbia and Ottomans captured Macedonia, neither Karl nor the sultan gained anything from this brief war. The rebels in Laurentia joined New Germany, casting off their ties to France.
1724 - Transylvania agreed to come under the protection of the German empire. And there was much rejoicing.
1725 - Karl continued to warmonger, this time renewing the festering hostilities with France. France endeavoured to bring Spain and Portugal to the dance, but Spain wanted nothing to do with Germany at this point and refused.
1726 - The Portuguese attacked and burned several trading posts on the African coast thinking Karl would care. He did not. A German regiment marched through the French provinces in the new world, sacking them systematically. In April France offered to give up even more of her rights in the new world, surrendering Niagara, Detroit, Fox, Hindua and Michilimakinak to Germany. Karl also sent colonists to the nearby Miamis to claim that province as well.
1727 - Wallachia and Croatia joined the alliance.
1729 - Now it is England's turn to declare war. They too have a lot of undefended colonies, but their military presence in the new world is larger than Germany's is. German armies navigate around the English to claim some territories, while English armies siege the coastal provinces of France. This is not a war Karl wants right now, so he quickly offers peace as soon as he has the upper hand in the colonies. England accepts, realizing the folly of this war.
1733 - After 30 years of vassalization the Netherlands accept the idea that maybe it is indeed better to be German. They follow the example set by Venice and Denmark before them. Germany gains Holland and Friesen and a whole slate of colonies, two in South Africa and 7 in the East Indies. Only two of the East Indian colonies, and 1 African are complete so Germany takes over this colonization. Germany also acquires the CoT in Holland and in Jakarta, both of which are extremely wealthy. This addition proves very profitable.
1736 - Wash, rinse, repeat, this is Karl's philosophy. Transylvania is the next acquisition, bringing with it two rich provinces in Transylvania and Moldavia and a massive army, totally 52,000 new troops.
1737 - Karl's map makers outline the holdings of the German Empire:
East Indies:
New Germany:
German Empire:
Not shown are the colonies in South Africa, and a trading post on the South American mainland, as well as Iceland and the northern colony of Finnmark.
1740 - Karl V dies, after a long and successful reign. The emperor who will become known as Frederick the Great, is crowned in Berlin.
Comments: It's getting pretty easy to swallow up my vassals, even with a BB that is going up and a high inflation around 70% still my production and economy are high enough that I can handle the other majors easily, as long as its not all at once. Oddly though, for some reason I can't annex Croatia, despite meeting all 5 requirements. I don't even get the option.
1713 - Karl's first act as emperor was to incorporate the realms of Venice into the empire. He gave the Venetian merchant lords high ranking offices in the provincial governments, and the provinces of Venice and Crete were added. How far Venice had fallen from her glory. Unfortunately this act caused the CoT in Venice to close.
1715 - Diplomatic expansion was the name of the game. Karl offered the Danish vassal kings a similar proposal to the one proffered to Venice the year before. It was readily accepted and the new provinces of Jylland, Sjaelland, Ostlandet, Finnmark and Iceland were added to the realm. Karl began sending sending colonists to the north and Finnmark in due time became a German province. [Note: I did this without saving once and that was when the two screens below were taking, so they show the wrong date, and a existing Norway in Ostlandet, which in fact is not the case. I forgot to take new screens.]
Thus in 1714 German Europe looked like this:
1715 - Immediately after the annexation Ottaman Empire declared war on Germany. Karl could not have been happier. The Ottomans were far from prepared for this war, and Karl's best generals were already in the Balkans. Daun and Anhalt-Sachsen moved at once into Ottoman territory. Banat, Thrace, Rumelia, Bosnia and others were all instantly under siege. Daun held the straits of the Bosporus against repeated attacks and eventually captured Istanbul.
1716 - Karl offered peace terms, for now content to add just the province of Banat to the realm. It was enough, he had other designs on the Balkans and Eastern Europe.
1717- Russia annexed Poland! Europe was shorn of yet another traditional power.
1720 - Karl was still sending settlers to the new world to finish the colonization of such provinces as Ottawa, Oshawa and others, those acquired from France earlier that were not yet cities.
1721 - With ulterior motives in mind Karl invited Transylvania to the alliance he had with the Netherlands, breaking a long standing tradition of the Transylvanians supporting the Ottoman sultans. The sultans were displeased and they declared war again shortly thereafter. Germany was still lurking in the Balkans and once again German armies sieged Ottoman provinces.
1722 - A quick peace was obtained after Germany captured Serbia and Ottomans captured Macedonia, neither Karl nor the sultan gained anything from this brief war. The rebels in Laurentia joined New Germany, casting off their ties to France.
1724 - Transylvania agreed to come under the protection of the German empire. And there was much rejoicing.
1725 - Karl continued to warmonger, this time renewing the festering hostilities with France. France endeavoured to bring Spain and Portugal to the dance, but Spain wanted nothing to do with Germany at this point and refused.
1726 - The Portuguese attacked and burned several trading posts on the African coast thinking Karl would care. He did not. A German regiment marched through the French provinces in the new world, sacking them systematically. In April France offered to give up even more of her rights in the new world, surrendering Niagara, Detroit, Fox, Hindua and Michilimakinak to Germany. Karl also sent colonists to the nearby Miamis to claim that province as well.
1727 - Wallachia and Croatia joined the alliance.
1729 - Now it is England's turn to declare war. They too have a lot of undefended colonies, but their military presence in the new world is larger than Germany's is. German armies navigate around the English to claim some territories, while English armies siege the coastal provinces of France. This is not a war Karl wants right now, so he quickly offers peace as soon as he has the upper hand in the colonies. England accepts, realizing the folly of this war.
1733 - After 30 years of vassalization the Netherlands accept the idea that maybe it is indeed better to be German. They follow the example set by Venice and Denmark before them. Germany gains Holland and Friesen and a whole slate of colonies, two in South Africa and 7 in the East Indies. Only two of the East Indian colonies, and 1 African are complete so Germany takes over this colonization. Germany also acquires the CoT in Holland and in Jakarta, both of which are extremely wealthy. This addition proves very profitable.
1736 - Wash, rinse, repeat, this is Karl's philosophy. Transylvania is the next acquisition, bringing with it two rich provinces in Transylvania and Moldavia and a massive army, totally 52,000 new troops.
1737 - Karl's map makers outline the holdings of the German Empire:
East Indies:
New Germany:
German Empire:
Not shown are the colonies in South Africa, and a trading post on the South American mainland, as well as Iceland and the northern colony of Finnmark.
1740 - Karl V dies, after a long and successful reign. The emperor who will become known as Frederick the Great, is crowned in Berlin.
Comments: It's getting pretty easy to swallow up my vassals, even with a BB that is going up and a high inflation around 70% still my production and economy are high enough that I can handle the other majors easily, as long as its not all at once. Oddly though, for some reason I can't annex Croatia, despite meeting all 5 requirements. I don't even get the option.
