Europe at War - Part II: - 1634- 1639
Jan 1634
Treasury: 1068d.
On January 1 Poland-Lithuania liberated Wallachia from the heathen. On the 21st a Netherlands force some 85000 strong under Frederik-Hendrik Nassau defeated the Spanish in Lorraine and laid siege to Metz. In Moldavia the Polish-Lithuanians defeated a Turkish army half their number and settled into a siege of Galatz.
Turkey finally captured Styria from the Austrians on February 25th, though the Infidel controlled cities of Triest and Bahchisarai were close to falling to the Austrian and Polish-Lithuanian armies respectively.
On March 11 Sibir was annexed by Russia and on April 5 Istria fell to the Austrians.
Ryazan, perhaps fearing the growing Russian presence, allied herself with Persia April 21. On the 29th Crimea fell to the Polish-Lithuanians, forcing her to the bargaining table yet again. The price for peace was 207d. Crimea had effectively been removed from the war, leaving Turkey and Algiers as the main opponents against Austria and Poland-Lithuania.
On May 17 Spain captured Pfalz. Meanwhile, Wallenstein marched his Austrians into Styria in an attempt to retake the province.
Moldavia was recaptured by the Polish-Lithuanians July 4, much to the delight of her population. 28000 men of the Palatinat/Hessen army laid siege to Strasburg in Alsace on the 20th. The siege in neighbouring Lorraine continued. Spain meanwhile had undertaken a siege of Luxemburg with 12000 men.
Dobrudja fell to a quick invasion and assault by the Polish-Lithuanians September 22, forcing the Turks to raise the siege of Bessarabia and march south to the newly conquered province.
October 16 saw Styria fall back into Austrian hands. After a days rest Wallenstein ordered his men into Carniola to reclaim that province from the heathen. On the 26th Wallachia fell again to the Turk.
On November 20 the Spanish possession of Lorraine fell to the combined armies of Hessen, Netherlands, and Cologne.
On December 1 36000 Polish-Lithuanians invaded Wallachia and fought a series of engagements against 23000 Turks over the course of three days, defeating the heathen and laying siege to poor beleaguered Bucuresti.
Jan 1635
Treasury: 1168d. The year rang in very festive. No place was more festive than Milan who, after quaffing mass quantities of ale and cheap (non-Papal) wine, took it upon themselves to rise in revolt, causing no end of headaches for their Venetian masters. The Pope was heard to chortle.
A grand undertaking was authorised by the Pope January 2. Not to be outdone by the cultural centres that Florence, Dresden and Dessau had become, Pope Urbanus VIII decreed that Rome itself would become a cultural centre the envy of the world over. With a 500d loan package from the Papal Imperial Bank of Commerce and a generous sum from the Papal treasury, construction was started on a Fine Arts Academy to be located in the centre of the Eternal City. I only prayed there would be peace for the two years it was estimated this project would take to complete. On the 10th the combined armies of Hessen, Netherlands, and Cologne beat the Spanish in Franche-Comte and laid siege to Besancon. On the 26th Spain quietly slipped into Lorraine and besieged Metz with 10000 men.
On March 9 Poland-Lithuania recaptured Wallachia from the Infidel again and marched west into Serbia laying siege to Beograd by mid-April.
Lorraine was recaptured by the Spanish April 21, while the Austrians entered Carniola and assaulted the capital. After a direct assault failed the Austrians settled into a siege.
On May 10 Venice succeeded in recapturing Milan from the Rebel Scum.
Franche-Comte fell to the Netherlands and her allies June 2, though the siege in neighbouring Alsace was raised due to disease and attrition in the army rendering her unable to carry on. By the middle of June the Palatinat/Hessen forces were besieging Pfalz with the purpose of liberating it from Spanish control, while Nassau and 57000 Allies marched north towards Alsace with the intention of kick-starting the siege that had stalled there.
On July 18 Spain took Luxemburg from the Netherlands. On the 21st Serbia fell to the Polish-Lithuanians. A day later, Turkey and Polish-Lithuania met in a neutral spot and discussed peace. The deal hammered out had Turkey ceding the province of Serbia to cement the agreement. Now only Austria remained to fight Turkey, Algiers and Oman. The Infidels found themselves in an awkward strategic position, as the only way to reach Austria would be through Istria or Pest, both of which were controlled by Austria. On the 30th of July Russia (Venice, Hungary, Savoy, Papal States) declared war on the Teutonic Order, whom it appeared had no allies. Savoy graciously declined, citing distance. The Pope, not willing to destabilise the government, agreed to join the war, though saying yes and sending troops were two different kettles of fish. At least the Pope would save face, given that the Order consisted of three provinces surrounded by Russia. The feeling was the war would be over quickly.
In what appeared to be a stroke of good fortune, Ethiopia (Nubia) declared war on Turkey (Algiers, Oman, Crimea, Hedjaz) August 24. Only Nubla had the good sense to abandon her ally. Pope Urbanus VIII hoped this would draw attention away from the Balkans and give Italy more time to consolidate. On the 24th Rebel Scum captured Ansbach from the Austrians.
On September 4 Austria liberated Carnolia from the Turk. The army was redirected towards Ansbach. By October the Rebel Scum had spread to Bavaria, laying siege to it's capital.
In October Russia invested Livonia and laid siege to Dorpat, while on the 10th Pfalz was recaptured from the Spanish. Spanish held Alsace fell to the Netherlands and her allies on the 16th, while Russia captured Livonia on the same day.
Russia defeated a Prussian army November 14 in Polotsk and laid siege to the capital with 26000 men.
Russia and the Teutonic Order settled their differences December 7 with Russia receiving 250d in war indemnities. On that same day the Netherlands and her allies recaptured Luxembourg from the Spanish. On the 19th Spain took Franche-Comte back from the Netherlands.
Jan 1636
Treasury: 272d.
Lorraine came under siege again in January by the Netherlands and her allies. On the 20th Austria took control of Ansbach from the Rebel Scum while a Spanish relief force was defeated in Lorraine after a fierce pitched battle between 88000 allies and 22000 Spaniards.
On February 6 Lorraine fell again to the combined forces of Hessen/Netherlands/Cologne. Austria marched into Bavaria on the 27th and surprised the Rebel Scum outside Munchen, totally annihilating the peasants.
On March 4 a Palatinat army of 35000 engaged a Spanish force of 14000 in Franche-Comte. It would take until the 23rd for the Spanish forces to be hunted down and thoroughly destroyed. Immediately after the capital came under siege.
In April a breakthrough in infantry tactics enabled the Papal engineers to fast-track their research, allowing the deployment of Arquebusiers ahead of schedule. (Sp.Event - Reformation of the Army) (LT-9). The Pope could barely control his glee. On April 11 Persia (Ryazan) had declared war on Turkey (Algiers, Oman, Crimea, Hedjaz). With the Fine Arts Centre nearing completion and the pacification of Hellas and Macedonia well under way, this was viewed as another distraction that would keep Turkey busy, with any luck.
So much for pacification. Rebel Scum rose in revolt May 1 in Macedonia, taking the Papal army until the 22nd to crush the movement. She only suffered 1000 losses, but the Pope ordered a detachment of 2000 infantry stationed with the bulk of the army in Hellas to reinforce the weaker garrison in Macedonia.
Pressured by her other conflicts no doubt, Turkey ceded Istria to Austria June 7 as part of their peace treaty, giving the Infidel one less front to fight on.
On July 27 Franche-Comte was taken by the Netherlands, giving them the block of provinces including Alsace, Lorraine, and Franche-Comte.
On August 12 Parma and the Papacy entered into another RM.
On December 7 England allied itself with an interesting collection of countries (Poland-Lithuania, Austria, France, Wurtemburg). Suddenly the alliance looked like a very formidable opponent.
Jan 1637
Treasury: 379d. With great fanfare, the Pope officially opened the brand new Eternal City Fine Arts Academy.
On February 15 Wladyslaw IV Wasa of Poland-Lithuania was elected Holy Roman Emperor.
March. I am a scholar, not a merchant, so please do not ask me to explain this next part. The merchant guild approached the Pope about establishing a presence in the Genoese market. Until now the cost of establishing trade anywhere but Venice had been viewed as cost prohibitive. But recent market forces had drastically lowered that cost, so the Pope was advised that now would be a good time to take advantage of it. The Pope agreed and subsequently merchants were encouraged to set up shop in Genoa.
On March 23 Spain and the Netherlands reached a peace accord. The price for Spain was the loss of Lorraine. The Spaniards had to suffer the ignominy of loosing not only to their one-time subjects, but having further land wrested from them by these same people. The Pope was amused.
On May 2 it was announced that Navarra had become a vassal of Spain.
In October the upstart nation of the Netherlands continued to make their imprint on Europe by making Hessen a vassal. How long would it be before the other countries began to pay this relatively new nation a bit more notice?
Jan 1638
Treasury: 446d. A firm presence in the trade centre of Genoa had been consolidated in the past year. The Pope endeavoured to continue in that direction.
A relatively peaceful year was further encouraged when Persia and the Crimeans settled their differences with Crimea paying 95d in damages.
On the 27th of December Persia settled with the Hedjaz, paying 194d in indemnities and with Turkey ceding control of both Azow and Georgia. It had been a costly war for Persia.
Jan 1639
Treasury: 528d.
The war between Ethiopia and Turkey (Algiers, Crimea, the Hedjaz) continued, though this author found it's importance out side the scope of this document.
On March 11 The Pope journeyed to Tuscany to meet with Ferdinando II and oversee a RM with the two countries. Contrary to popular belief he did not get drunk and run around placing a whoppee cushion on the Cardinal's chairs when they were otherwise engaged. Nope, it's not true.
