Rule, Britannia!

[King of Men]

Technical stuff : The following AAR is an IGC 2.0, with options Free Ireland, Free Norway and CoT Copenhagen (compensating Denmark for the loss of the Norwegian provinces). I set the difficulty to Very Hard and AI aggressiveness to Furious.

I have tried to combine play-by-play commentary with a background story. The latter will start with "From the annals of the Brotherhood," my fictional secret society guiding England's kings, and are quite various - diaries, minutes of meetings, speeches. The play-by-play is also written with the voice of a Brotherhood member, but concentrating more on what is happening in the world than on background. If you want more, or less, of either one, please let me know!

From the annals of the Brotherhood : The Founder’s notes.

I face a hard choice. My sage counsel has guided the King safe through the civil wars and the reconstruction; but now, as an age of peace for England approaches, I grow old. It is long since I fought at St. Albans; then I wielded a greatsword, but now my hand can barely guide a pen. Such is the fate of all men; yet without my advice, how can the kingdom, to which I have dedicated my life, prosper? I have no son, no heir to pass my life’s work on to; my line ends with me. Yet I feel there is a way, if only I could see it...

Today I began looking for my successors. It is hard to realise that in only a few years I must lay down the reins I have held for so long; but at least I will be able to pass them on to capable hands, if any such exist in the kingdom.

I have chosen the best men I could find, nobles, priests and commoners; and begun forming them into a Brotherhood of Guides. It is to be a secret society, each man helping the others gain advancement, and all guiding the King and the country to the best course, according to his station.

I watch the young men I have gathered, and it is awesome to see their determination to raise England to its rightful state among nations. They remind me of myself in my youth; they give me hope for the future.

Soon I will face the final mystery. I go to my Creator confident that I do not leave England rudderless; my young men will guide her to her rightful destiny.


From the annals of the Brotherhood : The First Years.

It must be admitted that in these times, our England does not have the power to assume her rightful stature among nations. It will be our work to guide her to the place of dominance now held by Spain and France, capable of standing before any Power without yielding. But for now, we must shelter behind alliances and build our strength.

1492 : As a first step, our island fortress must be inviolate; and later we shall require a foothold on the continent. Thus our first tasks are to keep France at arm’s length.
(OOC : Missions : Keep Calais and No France in British Isles). In order to increase our revenues, we prevail on the King to do away with the feudal levies of tax in London and the surrounding areas, replacing such items as ”A goat every two years unless the harvest is bad” with yearly payments in good hard coin! Of course, the peasants grumble, but then they always do. We also send some of our members to Flanders, where we hope in time to establish a powerful trading presence.
Though the Wars of the Roses are five years gone, there are nevertheless a goodly number of nobles about who have nothing better to do than hang about grumbling that this, that or the next usurper should be king. We are therefore delighted when an offer of marriage arrives from Hannover in February, ridding us of the Baron of Ottersley; happy with this success, we send more nobles out of the country to create ties of marriage with Hessen, Brandenburg and Saxony. Meanwhile, the affairs of Europe stop for no man - or nation : our ally Spain annexes Granada in April, delighting all true Catholics with the successful end to Reconquista, while the Ottoman Turks declare war on the Mamelukes in August. Hopefully the infidels will tear each other to bits.

1493 : It comes to our attention that no proper, official records exist of tax incomes for the entire nation; each year, the King must simply guess how much he will receive from each province. To remedy this intolerable situation, we extend the new taxes – with their attendant officials and scribes – to Bristol, and enlist some monks into the Brotherhood to keep records for us. Thus for the first time, we know that the census tax for this year is 135. A paltry sum! No doubt proper organisation will help.
It is otherwise an uneventful year for England; some of our merchant members achieve some success in Flanders, and ties of marriage are created with Pommerania and the Hanseatic League. In the far east, Russia declares war on Kazan, being joined by Crimea and Ryazan. We had best keep an eye on this rising power, like us a second-rank player on the outskirts of Europe. What we can do, they can do...
1494 : Aided by the end of unrest after the civil wars, our officials are able to extort 158 ducats from the peasantry this year. Further, we are finally able to get our hands on examples of the new weapons that we have heard of on the mainland : Great Guns, capable of laying a fortress to rubble in months. With a pattern to work from, our foundries and ironsmiths begin reinforcing our army in the Marches; for our eyes have turned to Scotland.
Some preparation is necessary. Our garrison in London marches by easy stages to the border, followed at sea by the Home Fleet. Then we need only wait for our guns to be completed; meanwhile, we enter a royal marriage with Austria. Kazan is annexed in March, and in April Poland with its ally Moldavia then declares war on the Teutonic Order, swiftly joined by Venice and Prussia. Further, we receive from one of our members in Flanders a full exposition of how the wine-making countries organise their refineries – all who have tried this in England have failed due to lack of capital and skill; but since we have no great wine-growing provinces, we of necessity shelve this project for now.
But these are secondary events, far from our focus; in July our army is ready, and the Scots ambassador receives our declaration of war. Instantly their armies begin to march across the border; our own army, under the command of Norfolk – long a member of our organisation – evades them by loading onto Home Fleet and debarking into Edinburgh. That city, unprepared for our attack, falls on the first assault, and the army marches on Strathclyde to cut off the supplies of the Scots, who meanwhile have laid siege to the Marches. Without guns they will not win swiftly, while the weakly fortified town of Berwick falls swiftly to our assault. (OOC : Both these minimal castles fell within three days of entering the province). Two peace offers from Scotland are received, one for a White Peace and one for Strathclyde; our King needs no guidance to laugh these envoys out of court!
While our army marches on the Grampians, the Scots assault our castle in the Marches, but are beaten off and lift their siege, coming north instead. A small army interrupts our northward attack; ambushing our columns, they initially cause some confusion by killing Norfolk, but his lieutenants are able to take command of the situation and beat off their attack. Nevertheless our march has been delayed long enough for the Scots’ main army to attack us from the south; but these troops, exhausted and demoralised from long marching, are no match for our confident veterans.
1495 : Our taxes are down to 129, as turmoil in the country and the depredations in the marches combine to make collection difficult. To overcome such problems in the future, we extend our tax collectors’ domains to Wessex while our armies win a brisk victory in the Grampians. Offered peace on the annexation of Strathclyde, we laughingly refuse and, just to make the point, assault the castle denying us control of the Grampians. Halfway through, a small relief force arrives (the main Scots army is now besieging Edinburgh). Our incomparable army turns around, beats off the Scots, and then quite cheerfully continues the assault until the walls are carried. Pursuing the beaten foe into the Highlands, now the last refuge of Scotland, we win a short battle, order yet another assault – and are masters of Scotland.
The beaten Scots send a final envoy to our court; this time, they offer us all of Scotland apart from the ancient heartlands around Forth. And now there is some doubt among the King’s advisors : Might it not be better to accept this offer, lest we become outcasts in Europe? Indeed, if Scotland later allies with an enemy of ours, their presence might be no bad thing, permitting us to declare war, but having no strength to damage us.
But then two messengers arrive : One bears word that the Turkey – Mamelukes war has ended in the annexation of the Mamelukes (removing attention from this corner of Europe); the other is from the commander of our army, informing us that of the eighteen thousand infantry who marched into Scotland, only five thousand remain, while the Scots have an army of fifteen thousand even now, as well as five men-o-war. Thus their offer is refused, and James IV, formerly King of Scots, is reduced to Duke of Edinburgh, his titles and lands accruing to the English crown. Truly an auspicious omen for our Brotherhood!
Turkey is now quite unpopular among the Moslem nations, and Persia is the first to mark this unhappiness by a declaration of war in August. Nowise worried, Turkey and its ally Algeria attack Venice in September – though the Teutonic Order and Prussia uphold their treaty obligations, this is hardly a major problem for Turkey.
As the year ends, we receive word from our informers that French agitators are at work among our peasantry, trying to stir rebellion and revolt among them; but as the King’s prestige is strong, their work is of little effect on our stout yeomen. (OOC : Random event, +5 revolt risk. Since I have Stab -5 and Religion -9, this was hardly very worrying).
1496 : The addition of Scotland and the settling of unrest yields a tax of 184 ducats – a most pleasing development. Feeling it is time those dashed smugglers at least paid taxes on their illegal income, we appoint tax collectors in Cornwall, and find work for our diplomats in marrying off troublesome Scots nobles to Denmark, the Palatinate, Bohemia, Bavaria, Thuringen and the Teutonic Order. In February Crimea (with Russia) declares war on Poland, joined by Moldavia; this war, unusually for one against a power the size of Poland, ends in December with the annexation by Crimea of Donetsk. An impressive performance! Less so are the travails of Prussia, who pay Moldavia 250 for peace in March – which still leaves them at war with Poland. Clearly a nation who could use a Brotherhood to advise them!
Without the pressures of war, our gunsmiths find time to experiment, and a smaller, man-killing gun is added to our ships in August. Perhaps this is the wave of the future?
1497 : Our taxes are 190 this year, and, happy with the effect of our schemes, we appoint tax collector in Wales. But of more pressing importance is the appearance of one J. Cabot at court – a foolhardy adventurer ready to seek new lands for the King in the west. Considering that such madmen are at their best far from the Court – who knows what ideas might enter their heads next? – our King is happy to send him far away to the unknown provinces he firmly believes may be found west over the ocean. (Mission : Discover Hudson Bay). Finding that we have fulfilled our aims for now, we renew our vows to keep Calais in British hands and that no foreigner shall set his boots in the British Isles (Spain this time). In March, Poland annexes Prussia; perhaps annoyed by this, Lorraine breaks their royal marriage in April. The Teutonic order pays Moldavia 12 ducats for peace – what is it with the tribute paid to this minor nation? Spain declares war on the newly discovered heathen tribe of Aztecs, and rather pointedly excludes us, their faithful allies, from the spoils. So be it...
1498 : Taxes are 192, and the Midlands receive the benefits of proper book-keeping and taxation. That madman, Cabot, does actually manage to find some lands in the west; since this apparently causes quite unhealthy excitement among the peasants, our King finds it convenient to yield to his entreaties to send colonists to build him a base for further explorations. Thus an expedition is sent to Wabana to build a harbor. As the year closes, Turkey ends its war with Venice in an annexation of the Cyclades.
1499 : Taxes are 193, and Lancashire, Yorkshire and Lincoln receive tax collectors. No fear of Lincoln-green outlaws now! The Wabana expedition are, somewhat to our surprise and disappointment, not eaten by monsters, drowned by storms, or stricken by disease, and manage to establish a small colony. Our erstwhile ally, Spain, instantly responds by signing the Treaty of Tordesillas with Portugal, technically giving them a claim to our newest lands. We’ll just see about that... Turkey, Algiers, Morocco and the Hafsid Empire declare war on the Knights, who are joined by Genoa and Modena.

From the annals of the Brotherhood : A New Approach.
It is with considerable distress that we observe the fall from the King’s favour, and consequent inability to lead us, of our former Grand Master. He has been successful in guiding us through these our formative years, and set an example that will be hard to follow. This includes, unfortunately, his final act : Getting caught with the King’s mistress. Hopefully this will serve as a reminder to later Grand Masters, including myself, not to get too arrogant. We must serve with humility, if we are to serve at all.
However, perhaps some good may be found in this embarrassment. Our former Master was perhaps somewhat too swift to be dismissive of the new lands west-over-sea; our ally Spain is finding vast riches there, and I see no reason why we should not follow suit. No reason, that is, except the inexplicable lack of brave settlers for our new holdings; but with the influence of the Brotherhood, this may surely be managed in time.
With the passing of the old order, then, it may be time to view the situation here and elsewhere :
Inflation : 2%
Army : 33731 / 8689 / 27
Navy : 42 / 0 / 6
Merchants : 5 each in Flanders, Ile de France, Mecklenburg and Copenhagen.
Eire is a vassal.

In Europe, the main powers and their allies are :
Spain : England, Milan, Cologne, Naples (vassal)
France : Savoy, Papal States, Navarra, Helvetia
Austria (Holy Roman Emperor) : Hungary, Bohemia, Baden, Lorraine, Wurtemburg, Bavaria
Turkey : Algeria, the Hedjaz, Morocco, the Hafsid Empire
Poland-Lithuania : Moldavia.
Four second-rank powers have not been swallowed by this alliance system :
Portugal : Hanseatic League, Holstein, Brandenburg, Pommerania.
Venice : Teutonic Order
Russia : Crimea, Ryazan
Denmark : Norway (vassal), Sweden (vassal), Pskov.
Finally the lesser powers,
Thuringen : Saxony
Hessen : the Palatinate, Kleves
Genoa : Modena, the Knights
Have banded together, while Tuscany and Hannover stand entirely alone. Clearly the powers of greatest concern to us are Portugal and France; in particular France, with its Channel coast and large navy. Indeed, an ideal use of the next decade would be to gain control of northern France, especially the Channel ports, freeing Home Fleet for use elsewhere. With current tensions between Spain and France, this does not look impossible...

 

[unmerged(9191)]

I like it.............I wish you would have gave a little more in-depth war information but it was still intresting...i realize that a war with scotland is almost uneventful

 

[NickT]

This looks like the beginning of a very AAR.......a good mix of events and ideas of the time. Well done.

 

[NickT]

Originally posted by NickT
This looks like the beginning of a very AAR.......a good mix of events and ideas of the time. Well done.

Opps,meant to say a very GOOD AAR

 

[King of Men]

Thanks for your feedback, always good to receive encouragement! Here's the next installment :

1500 : The year starts calmly enough with 194 taxes and new tax collectors appointed in the Marches and Lothian. This calm ends in February, when Portugal and its allies declare war on Spain, obliging us to make a stand. Observing that Portugal’s isolated north German allies have a lot of weakly fortified provinces, we swiftly declare war. The Spanish war machine, too, springs into life, with new armies being recruited all over the Netherlands – a fairly useless process in our opinion, since those areas have no border with our enemies, but impressive nonetheless.
We begin the war by gathering our forces to lay siege to Bremen; unfortunately the first troops ashore cannot be supported in time by our artillery and are defeated in detail, but the main force routs the Hanseatic army and digs in for siege. In August the Teutonic Order finally admits it is overmatched, and cedes 130 ducats and Kurland to Poland; but of more immediate import, Cabot dies (OOC : Just before reaching Hudson Bay, too). In a brave if foolish act, Hannover invalidates our opinion of Spain’s new troops by declaring war.
In September a hastily raised force of recruits attempt to lift the siege of Bremen; they are rapidly seen off by our veteran army. Reaching the Azores, our forces find them more heavily fortified than expected (ie, at all!), but settle in to besiege them nevertheless, while our Spanish allies occupy Oporto and move on to Tago. Our assault on Bremen succeeds, while Spanish troops march into Oldenburg. Everywhere our alliance is meeting with success, and we celebrate by royal marriages with Venice and Hungary.
In November, the entire Austrian alliance declares war on Venice, while in the North Sea our reinforcement convoy is beaten by a vastly inferior Hanseatic fleet (22 / 0 / 5 vs 11 / 0 / 5). Our army perforce marches on Mecklenburg without reinforcement. However, feeling that Spain is about to declare peace without consulting us, we first offer the Hanseatic League peace on the annexation of Bremen. They refuse, a piece of fortitude for which one can only commend them. The bastards.
In December, our fears are confirmed : Spain takes Tago, and immediately annexes Oporto and receives 67 in war indemnities. The sacrifices of our brave army in Bremen are signed away at the peace table. There will be revenge for this!
1501 : Taxes 198. The Aztecs and Spain sign a White Peace. What the devil have the Spaniards been doing? A tax collector is appointed in Strathclyde. In February our army lays siege to Hannover after seeing off an army of 13000 men – about its own strength. The Spaniards, meanwhile, lift their siege of Oldenburg on the very verge of success, and march to Hannover, where they eat all the supplies my army needs. (OOC : Attrition from 0 to 15%). In an attempt to rid ourselves of these unwanted guests, we assault the castle, and are beaten off with quite satisfying Spanish casualties. A few months later we receive a similar army from Cologne, and again the assault fails, though the garrison is reduced to a tenth of its original ten thousand. When the final assault succeeds in October, Hannover ends the war by paying 141 ducats to Spain. That is not only good diplomacy, it is extremely annoying. See if we support the dashed Spanish in another war...
As the year ends, the Hafsid Empire bribes Genoa with 82 ducats in exchange for peace.
1502 : Taxes 200. Our tax collection reaches the Highlands, ending the program in Britain proper. We renew our determination to keep France out of Calais and Spain out of the British Isles, and begin rebuilding our army after our recent vain exertions. This is just as well, for in April Spain declares war on France. In the hope that this war will last some time we join, and march our army on Picardie while our fleet sallies into the Channel.
In May, we win a naval battle in the Channel but lose in Land’s End; however, it is we who have control of the seas and the French who are disputing it. Venice is forced to acknowledge Austrian suzerainty over Mantua, and to pay 250 ducats. In June an assault on Picardie fails, though reducing the garrison to half its former size. A new try in August yields the same result, but Spain, in a sudden excess of peacefulness, pays France 166 ducats, ending the war. If this is going to continue, we’ll have to reconsider this whole alliance. The year ends with Modena being annexed to the Hafsid Empire – a most unusual example of an African nation gaining a European foothold, as opposed to vice-versa.
1503 : Tax 201. We appoint a tax collector in Meath. Studying our recent campaigns, our generals arrive at the startling conclusion that our guns could be put to good use in field engagements, supporting our infantry. We order that our armies be organised to make this possible. (OOC : Land tech to 4 : Artillery support).
1504 : Tax 202. An eventful year, beginning with Holstein’s renunciation of its vassal status. Oddly enough, Denamrk makes no attempt to reverse this. Then in February, Venice and the Teutonic Order declare war on Turkey with the Hafsid Empire, Algeria and Morocco. A follhardy project! The Austrian alliance becomes heavily embroiled, as Bohemia’s declaration of war on Poland in May is followed by France’s on Lorraine in August. In October the last large alliance block in the West joins the war with Milan’s attack on Helvetia. Still hoping for a Channel port or two, we join this one also, although there is now a vocal faction even in the Brotherhood which wishes to get out of this useless Mediterranean alliance and build our own power base in Germany. Several French sallies into the Channel are defeated, giving us access to French maps. In December the King, nervous of these wars, orders a larger fortress built in the Highlands to control access to the Atlantic that way.
1505 : Tax 203. Both Milan and Helvetia are besieged as the year opens, with Milan getting the worst of it. We raise an army of 5000 in Calais, intending to reinforce the siege of Picardie; this turns out to be unnecessary as the fortress falls in February, but our army then marches on to Caux. Our fleets are surprised by French forces in the Channel and defeated in spite of numerical superiority, but as there are no French armies in the north this is not vastly worrying. Determined this time to get in our peace first, we offer France annexation of Picardie near the end of February, which is not unsurpisingly turned down; a demand in March of 250 reparations is also refused. Persia makes a rather more effective use of its diplomats by, along with Astrakhan, declaring war on the Turkish alliance. In May an assault on Caux, intended to gain more bargaining power, fails, and then in June Milan settles with Navarra (250) and then Helvetia (48), ending the war. God knows why they didn’t do Helvetia first.
In November Lorraine becomes the first casualty of the French-Austrian war, being annexed to France. We get the feeling that there will be fewer nations in Europe when the dust settles here...
1506 : Taxes 203. In February Syria is annexed to Persia, and Lorraine is avenged by the absorption of Helvetia into Austria. The Polish war ends in August with Poland taking Silesia and Moravia from Bohemia, reducing that unfortunate power to the third rank. With our newfound prosperity we can afford to introduce new ammunition to our fleet : Metal balls, more expensive but easier to shape and hence with greater smashing power than the old stones. In November we introduce a new policy of support to the enemies of France : Baden and Wurtemburg accept royal marriages, while Bohemia and Bavaria are grateful for small loans. Venice buys peace with Morocco for 171 ducats.
1507 : Tax 203. We renew our vow to keep Calais. The French and Austrian war continues, though Savoy is forced out of it in June, paying 62 ducats for peace. The main events of the year occur near the end, when Russia with Crimea declares war on the Golden Horde. In December, Bohemia annexes Moldavia, Turkey annexes Illyria, and Crimea takes Kujbyschew and 19 ducats from the Golden Horde. An eventful month!
1508 : Tax 203. S. Cabot arrives to take his brother’s place. (Father? Uncle? Whatever). We send him west, with a vow to find new land or die trying. (Discover Manhattan, and No Spain in British Isles). In March Russia ends its war by taking 28 ducats from the Golden Horde – a most generous peace. Wurtemburg, in bad trouble, tries to end it in April by bribing Navarra out of the coalition with 250 ducats; this is a futile effort as they are annexed in May by France. France then bribes Austria with 242 ducats for peace; nevertheless, although Austria is the winner in name, France has clearly come out ahead in this war. However, there will certainly be a rematch.
1509 : Tax 203. We need to conquer something to raise our income! The Turkey – Genoa war ends this year, first with a payment of 35 by the Hafsid Empire to the Knights, then a White Peace between the remaining powers. Turkey, apparently at a loss for something to do, ends the ensuing peace in August with a declaration of war on isolated Georgia, its faithful allies Algiers, Morocco and the Hafsid Empire following suit.
This is somewhat overshadowed in England by the death of our beloved monarch in June, but Henry VIII soon shows his mettle by a swift restructueing of our laws to make trade easier. (Random event : +1 Stab, not that I need it, investment in Infrastructure and Trade). The King is dead – long live the King!
From the annals of the Brotherhood : Death to Spain!
Speech of the Grand Master to a meeting :
The past ten years have taught many lessons; but foremost among them is this : We must stay clear of these entangling foreign alliances! We cannot allow ourselves to be a mere catspaw to the Spanish Empire, flung willy-nilly into wars and peremptorily ordered to peace when it suits our masters. We must strike out on our own, as a free and sovereign nation, beholden to no one!
To that end, we should agree to some basic principles, as follows :
I. Britannia Rules the Waves! Our fleet must be strong enough to stand off any and all powers attempting to invade our islands. A united kingdom such as ours can withstand many years of war, far more than a polyglot empire like Spain; thus we can ride out any war wherein we control the seas, and eventually impose a peace that suits us.
II. Millions for defense, but not one penny for tribute! How many times have we seen even powerful nations pay Danegeld, when even a few months might have turned a war in their favour? And we have no land borders! We need accept no unfavourable peace; let us therefore resolve, that no nation shall ever receive indemnities from England.
III. Blood and Iron. The Germanic states are our natural allies and subjects. Let us therefore expand our dominions in northern Germany, in particular gaining control of Mecklenburg with its rich trade.

To see how the last aim may be accomplished, let us look at the Powers of Europe :
Spain : England, Milan, Cologne, Hessen (Naples has been annexed)
France : Savoy, Papal States, Navarra
Austria : Bohemia, Bavaria, the Palatinate, Hungary, Baden (bound to clash with France!)
Turkey : Algeria, the Hafsids, Morocco, Oman (Wallachia is a vassal)
Poland all alone.
These are the Great Powers; in any alliance with them, we are bound to be overwhelmed and used, as we have seen these past ten years. Let us look at the powers of the second rank :
Portugal : Hanseatic League, Pommerania, Holstein, Brandenburg, Hannover
Venice : the Teutonic Order
Russia : Crimea, Ryazan (vassal), Denmark, Pskov (vassal)
Norway and Sweden are vassals of Denmark.
Of these, Venice has no power in our area of interest, the Russia-Denmark axis is too powerful and remote, and Portugal is allied to those nations we wish to annex! But in the third rank, we see some possibilities :
Tuscany, Thuringen and Saxony all stand alone, while Genoa is ally to the Knights. If we were to gather Thuringen and Saxony to our fold, we would be a power in northern Germany.
We should also consider our internal strength, of course, which is not inconsiderable. Our army stands at (41409 / 6084 / 52), while the Royal Navy commands a full (42 / 0 / 6). Inflation, unfortunately, has risen to 4%, but our trading interests have expanded and now dominate Flanders, Paris, Kurland, Andalusia, Mecklenburg and Copenhagen, with a presence in Novgorod. Our King, Henry VIII, is :
By the Grace of God King of England, King of Scots, Ard Righ of Ireland, Duke of Calais
– and completely under our thumb.

 

[King of Men]

1510 : Tax 203. In March, the work of ten years is completed, and the laws of England are codified into a single volume, whose writ runs everywhere in the land. The old power of the barons is broken, and Low, Middle and High justice taken into the hands of the King and his representatives. (OOC : Infrastructure to 3 : Legal Counsels). Word also arrives that our merchants in Tago have been unprecedentedly successful, burying their internal differences long enough to dominate all other nations’ trade. (OOC : At some point, I must have gotten Trade 3, and not noticed, but OK – it’s not something easily explained as a sudden advance anyway). We can only attribute this to the indoctrination of the Brotherhood : England before yourself!
In November, Georgia is annexed to Turkey. Only one war now remains in Europe : Navarra versus the Austrian coalition – which for obvious reasons is not strongly prosecuted.

1511 : Tax 203. We note to our displeasure that the French have erected a trading post in Placentia, next to our colony at Wabana. One would think that with all the continent to exploit, they might at least have the courtesy to keep out of our back yard! In preparation for the next war, then, we send a small detachment of our army overseas. We hope that this forms no precedent; it would certainly be most unpleasant to attempt to fight a war in the New World, with all the Atlantic for a logistics barrier.
Our explorations continue apace, and in July we send off a settler’s company to our newly discovered territory of Manhattan. The brave Cabot, meanwhile, swears to continue his brother’s work in the high north. (OOC : Completed discover Manhattan, took on Discover Hudson). In October, Ryazan declares that it will no longer be a vassal of Russia; somewhat to our surprise, the Czars do not undertake to teach their erring underlings that some nations are destined to be in service to others. Certainly if Ireland was to try anything of the kind, they would soon find out why we were able to enforce vassalage on them in the first place!

1512 : The first French-English War.
Tax 203. The year opens with a White Peace being signed being Navarra and Austria, treating the world to the spectacle of a Europe completely at peace. Nowhere is a war in sight! This makes it somewhat ironic that our armies are strengthened by the rise to prominence of one Brandon; but it is always well to be prepared, and we are not displeased to have this campaigner commanding our armies on the Continent.
Observing that with the new cohesion of our merchants we are in a position to gain considerably larger market shares than previously, we begin sending large numbers to Flanders in a bid to dominate this closest trade center. Later on we will consider Mecklenburg, but first things first!
In May, the fragile peace is shattered, having lasted for all of four months, by the declaration of war France delivers us. Their sycophants Savoy, Navarra and the Papal States follow them to battle; but when we try to call on our own allies, they refuse to respond – to a nation, they refuse! Granted, we wished to get out of our entangling alliance, but this is going a bit far. However, there is nothing to be done, and so we order our army in Calais to march on Picardie, while the fleet sallies into the channel. Our diplomats entice Thuringen and Saxony into a new alliance, but of course we cannot expect them to aid us in the current war.
The sea war opens with a brisk defeat for the Royal Navy off Dover; but this is compensated by our seizure of Placentia and laying siege to Picardie. Deciding that our armies in France are insufficient to their tasks, we raise a force of (8000 / 0/ 50) in Kent, preparing to cross with the March garrison (8000 / 2000 / 0) and lay siege to Caux also. This, of course, requires control of the Channel; but the French warships seem unwontedly effective, and when in June a large French army is seen loading onto ships, we become somewhat worried, though our spirits are lifted by news of a failed relief of Picardie.
A desperate sally with Home Fleet is beaten off by the French navy, and in August a French army invades Kent, beating the March Garrison stationed there. Even the victory of the Scottish fleet a few days later, reclaiming control of the Channel, fails to cheer us. But then we discover that the French have brought no guns, and now, of course, a considerable part of their army is cut off from relief, with their navy bottled up in Caux. Finally able to concentrate the entire fleet, we stand off Dover and dare the foe to come out.
October brings a mixture of good and bad news, as Cabot dies (again without discovering Hudson Bay!) but our venture in Manhattan succeeds. But our attention is riveted on the continent, where a relief force from Savoy breaks our siege of Picardie and pursues towards Calais. Meanwhile our recruiting in Kent has concentrated our new army to the extent that the French descend on it in force; but we are able to extricate most of our reinforcements (6588 / 0/ 48) and look forward to our revenge when their training is finished.
In December Calais is besieged by a vast force of Navarrans and Savoiese, with a total of (32000 / 11000 / 120) – more than our entire peacetime army! Brandon, completely outmatched, is forced to retreat again to Picardie, which the enemy is apparently content to allow him to do. Turkey continues its bullying tactics by declaring war on the peaceful – and small! – nation of Ragusa, but even its allies are disgusted by this blatant piece of land-grabbing, and only the Hafsids and Algiers join in with pro-forma declarations.

1513 : Taxes are a mere 179 ducats this year, with Calais and Kent unable to contribute. We send the now reinforced March garrison to kick the French out of Kent, and authorise the raising of 6000 cavalry in Wessex in case this should be unsuccessful. In February, Wurtemburg declares its independence from France, cheering the court, which is badly in need of some good news. However, secure in having no land border with their former overlords, they refuse our offer of alliance. On the seventeenth, Venice declares war on Turkey, but too late to save Ragusa, which is annexed on the eighteenth. There has apparently been some reshuffling of alliances here, for Venice is joined by the Teutonic Order, Hanseatic League, and Pommerania, while Turkey still calls on the Hafsids and Algiers.
Our armies in Kent are narrowly defeated in spite of their overwhelming artillery superiority (45 guns to none!), and in March, Calais falls to Savoy. An attack by the puny Papal navy in the Straits of Dover is swiftly beaten, but that is the only bright note in an unending litany of defeat. In April, Prussia declares its independence from Poland, and accepts an offer of royal marriage from us; but the big news is Hungary’s declaration of war on Turkey. The bully of Europe is about to get his comeuppance, for only the Hafsid Empire joins the war against a Hungary allied to Austria, Spain, Bohemia, Bavaria and Baden!
June sees our reinforced March garrison attack Kent again, but in spite of eight-to-one odds in cavalry, equality in infantry, and the same 45 to none guns, we are defeated again! We swear revenge, and empty our coffers to raise ten thousand infantry in London.


From the annals of the Brotherhood : The July Plot.
Conclusions and recommendation of the Investigating Committee :
The Wars of the Roses are long done, but the aftershocks of such an upheaval in the nation are slow to settle. We have allowed ourselves to be lulled by long quiet and our success in purging the more vocal elements by marriage; we must admit that our guard was down, looking only to external dangers. Who would have thought the Yorkists were still a power in the land? But it is so, and only luck and the Grace of God have prevented the death of our King and the loss of all our good works – for certainly no Yorkist king could be expected to listen to us, the main support of the Lancastrian dynasty!
We have been able to uncover only a few details of the plot : The assassination of the King was to be the signal for a local uprising with troops that have been smuggled into London these past weeks. Seizing control of the Tower in the name of restoring order, the conspirators planned to have the Earl of York – a distant relative of Richard III – proclaimed King, and then initiate a pogrom to cover their guilt – blaming things on the Jews, as always, being a popular tactic. There can be little doubt that this would have worked except for the luck of the King awakening in the night and being able to defend himself. The probable loss of Calais with our court in disarray – not to mention the French army a month from London! – would probably be considered an acceptable price by these traitors.
We must guard against this ever happening again! This Committee therefore recommends :
I. The immediate execution of all the known traitors, or their assassination if their guilt cannot be adequately proven in court.
II. The formation of a division of the Brotherhood tasked with hunting out future plots before they can come to fruition, to be called the Committee for the King’s Safety.
III. That the Committee be given also the task of forming a small armed force, to be secretly kept in London, to safeguard against any further attempts to seize the Tower.
IV. That, until the King has produced an unquestioned heir, he be convinced that his safety requires the stepping down of his public appearances and diplomatic functions, which (in all honesty) can be better done by our professionals in any case.
(OOC : Treason at court, Diplo value at 1).

Fortunately, the disruption at Court does not extend to our army, who take Picardie in August. The Savoiese being content to garrison their costly gains (army now at 12805 / 7545 / 120), we march on Caux, and discover a vast French / Papal / Navarran army of sixty-five thousand men standing in Normandie. Since they seem unwilling to attack, we settle down to besiege Caux.
As Turkey is still the bogeyman of the Middle East, we are unsurprised to hear that Persia and Astrakhan have declared war on them; along with the faithful Hafsids, vassal Wallachia joins the war on the Ottoman side. In October poorly-fortified Caux falls, but our offer of peace on the annexation of Picardie is rejected. In retaliation, we burn the French trading post at Placentia, and march on Paris itself. The French fleet of (10 / 8 / 8), forced out of its refuge, is swiftly beaten by our (42 / 0/ 6), but escapes westwards, apparently intending to evacuate the French force in England, who have lifted their siege of Kent and burned Wessex instead. The Normandie army, stung out of its inactivity, marches to retake Caux, beginning their siege on December 29th. Our opinion that this is no way to behave when all should be celebrating the birth of our Lord is not well received in the French court.

1513 : Tax 168. Our pursuing fleet somehow manages to lose to the French evacuation fleet, and is driven into the harbor in Wessex. In April Caux is retaken by assault, and a French army lands in Meath, driven off our garrison and laying siege to the castle. An attempt to reestablish our control of the Channel fails, and Picardie is besieged by the French, cutting off our army before Paris from supplies.
In May, Russia with its allies Ryazan, Denmark and Pskov declares war on the Golden Horde, and Prussia is again annexed to Poland. The garrison of Picardie, though facing the battering French guns with the utmost gallantry, will clearly be unable to hold out much longer. July begins with our fleet failing to retake the Channel, and a fresh French force in consequence attacking Kent. And then – marvellous, our hearts are filled with joy – Paris surrenders! Seizing the opportunity, we gain an honourable peace, and Picardie is added to the lands of the Duke of Calais. We are frankly not vastly impressed with French generalship in this war; it would have been child’s play for their vast army to break the siege of Paris before turning to Picardie. However, we are not averse to victory gained by the blunders of our foes, as long as it is victory.
In August, Russia graciously grants the Golden Horde peace in exchange for a tribute of 26 ducats. Apparently the Muscovites still remember Mongol power, for certainly it can be no strength of the Horde that is keeping them from annexation.


From the annals of the Brotherhood : Schism!
Minutes of the Extraordinary Grand Council :
(...)
Brother Smite-the-Heathen : They are heretics! We cannot tolerate this dissension in our midst; the foundation of the State’s power has always rested on the Church! We must burn them out, root and branch – they would strike at the very sources of our power! How are we to influence the masses if the authority of our priests is weakened?
Brother Strength-through-Faith : The Protestants are no heretics! It is the Church which has fallen into apostasy. I say we give our full support to the rebels in Germany! As for the priests, how is their authority weakened when they speak in the language of the peasants?
Brother Heart-of-Oak: I disagree. The Protestants are clearly heretics. And yet – I feel that the arguments of heretics should not make so much sense! All that they say of corruption in the Church is true! I cannot... (Shakes his head, sits down).
The argument rages long into the night; the scribe’s hand grows weak and shaky. A large and vocal faction favours the introduction of auto-da-fe, some against Protestants, others against Catholics. Others can come to no conclusion, their religious indoctrination at war with their conscience; still others do not address the religious issue at all, but look only to the advantage of England : What has the Pope done for us lately? Ah, but what have the Protestants done for us ever?
At last the Grand Master, who in his role of primus inter pares has been silent until now, speaks:
Brothers, I see that we can reach no consensus tonight. I therefore suggest a compromise : We will not officially condemn the Protestants, but neither will we support them. Tempers are hot; we should not risk weakening the nation by throwing it into holy war. Let us await developments in Europe. If the rebellion peters out, so much the better. If not, we shall have to reconsider our stance. But we can on no account risk a schism within the Brotherhood! In unity lies our strength. Go now, and pray for guidance; and tomorrow, let us debate the issue calmly, and without malice towards our brothers.

1515 : Tax 185. Dissension is rife all over Europe, though not yet breaking into open warfare except from the pulpits. Who would have thought a single priest could cause so much trouble? Protestant views have spread like wildfire through our people; fearing revolt, we have not yet banned them, but the situation is worrying. The stability of the throne, surely, depends on a state Church; but how can we impose such when half our people would believe it hellish in inspiration?
While Protestantism rivets the attention of Western Europe, wars continue elsewhere. Austria annexes Dobrudja from Turkey in January, but fierce fighting continues through the year. For our part, we initiate a trade war against Spain, sending our merchants to Flanders and bidding abandoning all thought of immediate profit in an attempt to drive all others out. We also repair the damaged fortress in Calais, and raise some troops to reinforce our continental army.
In April, Turkey’s decline continues with the loss of Kurdistan to Persia. Portugal attempts to stab Spain in the back, but is forced to pay 29 ducats reparations after a single month of combat. (OOC : I’m beginning to wonder whether Furious really helps the AI). The year ends with Turkey bribing Bavaria out of the war with 65 ducats.

1516 : Tax 213. The trade war with Spain continues, neither side able to gain an advantage, although the number of other powers’ merchants in Flanders has dropped drastically. We are impressed with Spain’s ability to keep up, as this is obviously a secondary front for them; early in the year they annex Kosovo from Turkey. October sees the first signs of a lightening of that nation’s burden, as Venice pays their ally Algiers 72 ducats for peace.

1517 : Tax 213. It is a year for good news and wide restructuring, as new weapons are introduced to our army and new methods to our farms. The Brotherhood, wishing to strengthen the yeomanry on which our armies depends, has put some of its vast wealth into lending money on good terms to farmers who wish to expand their holdings, with excellent results. (OOC : Landtech 4, Early Arquebus, and random event New Agriculture, +1 tax in national provinces).
Elsewhere Turkey makes a serious comeback, taking Maros and Banat from Hungary.

1518 : Tax 233 – our newly prosperous peasants are also capable of being milked, of course. Having held back our merchants for some time, we now send six of them to Flanders, but are unable to dislodge anyone other than some unimportant minor tradesmen. We notice that the French are building a vast army in Paris (75 and building) and begin to reinforce our own continental armies, although we cannot match that weight of metal. In March, we finish codifying the various bureaucratic registration procedures that enable Spain and France to keep track of foreign merchants and if necessary deny them access to their cities, and begin to establish such a system against a day of need. (Trade 4 : Embargo).

1519 : Tax 233. A white peace is signed between France and Wurtemberg. The trade war in Flanders continues, and in September Turkey, the Hafsids, Wallachia and Crimea declare war on the Knights, with their allies Genoa and (fittingly) the Papal States. The resultant burst of sympathy for the crusading order and the cause of Catholicism results in a spontaneous Crusade being declared in the Midlands; although naturally the peasants, having no ships, get no further than their own villages, it is no longer safe to be a Protestant in that area. We watch this development with a jaundiced eye, fearing both religious upheaval and a split within the Brotherhood, as feelings still run high and our compromise satisfies no-one. (OOC : Random event, Midlands goes Catholic).

 

[King of Men]

(OOC : This forum seems fairly dead, so I'll to a post and try to enliven it a little. Looking at my previous postings, it seems to me I am perhaps a little too detailed; I mean, does anyone really care what happens to the minor Third World powers ? If France DWs Austria, sure, that's important, but Ethiopia vs Nubia? Give me your opinions of this; unless someone objects strongly, I'll only report major European wars and actual annexations from now on. That is, 1545 or so, since that's what I'm up to.).

The rising power of England has inspired not only merchants and nobles, but poets as well. The proud Cross of St. George is now seen on two continents, and the White Ensign rules the sea. One of our better bards has written a tribute to its power and majesty :

The English Flag

Winds of the World, give answer! They are whimpering to and fro --
And what should they know of England who only England know? --
The poor little street-bred people that vapour and fume and brag,
They are lifting their heads in the stillness to yelp at the English Flag!

Must we borrow a clout from the Boer -- to plaster anew with dirt?
An Irish liar's bandage, or an English coward's shirt?
We may not speak of England; her Flag's to sell or share.
What is the Flag of England? Winds of the World, declare!

The North Wind blew: -- "From Bergen my steel-shod vanguards go;
I chase your lazy whalers home from the Disko floe;
By the great North Lights above me I work the will of God,
And the liner splits on the ice-field or the Dogger fills with cod.

"I barred my gates with iron, I shuttered my doors with flame,
Because to force my ramparts your nutshell navies came;
I took the sun from their presence, I cut them down with my blast,
And they died, but the Flag of England blew free ere the spirit passed.

"The lean white bear hath seen it in the long, long Arctic night,
The musk-ox knows the standard that flouts the Northern Light:
What is the Flag of England? Ye have but my bergs to dare,
Ye have but my drifts to conquer. Go forth, for it is there!"

The South Wind sighed: -- "From the Virgins my mid-sea course was ta'en
Over a thousand islands lost in an idle main,
Where the sea-egg flames on the coral and the long-backed breakers croon
Their endless ocean legends to the lazy, locked lagoon.

"Strayed amid lonely islets, mazed amid outer keys,
I waked the palms to laughter -- I tossed the scud in the breeze --
Never was isle so little, never was sea so lone,
But over the scud and the palm-trees an English flag was flown.

"I have wrenched it free from the halliard to hang for a wisp on the Horn;
I have chased it north to the Lizard -- ribboned and rolled and torn;
I have spread its fold o'er the dying, adrift in a hopeless sea;
I have hurled it swift on the slaver, and seen the slave set free.

"My basking sunfish know it, and wheeling albatross,
Where the lone wave fills with fire beneath the Southern Cross.
What is the Flag of England? Ye have but my reefs to dare,
Ye have but my seas to furrow. Go forth, for it is there!"

The East Wind roared: -- "From the Kuriles, the Bitter Seas, I come,
And me men call the Home-Wind, for I bring the English home.
Look -- look well to your shipping! By the breath of my mad typhoon
I swept your close-packed Praya and beached your best at Kowloon!

"The reeling junks behind me and the racing seas before,
I raped your richest roadstead -- I plundered Singapore!
I set my hand on the Hoogli; as a hooded snake she rose,
And I flung your stoutest steamers to roost with the startled crows.

"Never the lotus closes, never the wild-fowl wake,
But a soul goes out on the East Wind that died for England's sake --
Man or woman or suckling, mother or bride or maid --
Because on the bones of the English the English Flag is stayed.

"The desert-dust hath dimmed it, the flying wild-ass knows,
The scared white leopard winds it across the taintless snows.
What is the Flag of England? Ye have but my sun to dare,
Ye have but my sands to travel. Go forth, for it is there!"

The West Wind called: -- "In squadrons the thoughtless galleons fly
That bear the wheat and cattle lest street-bred people die.
They make my might their porter, they make my house their path,
Till I loose my neck from their rudder and whelm them all in my wrath.

"I draw the gliding fog-bank as a snake is drawn from the hole,
They bellow one to the other, the frighted ship-bells toll,
For day is a drifting terror till I raise the shroud with my breath,
And they see strange bows above them and the two go locked to death.

"But whether in calm or wrack-wreath, whether by dark or day,
I heave them whole to the conger or rip their plates away,
First of the scattered legions, under a shrieking sky,
Dipping between the rollers, the English Flag goes by.

"The dead dumb fog hath wrapped it -- the frozen dews have kissed --
The naked stars have seen it, a fellow-star in the mist.
What is the Flag of England? Ye have but my breath to dare,
Ye have but my waves to conquer. Go forth, for it is there!"

(OOC : There are some unfortunate anachronistic references here, but overall I feel Kipling is just the sort of poet that would appeal to the Brotherhood. The "seen the slave set free" is going to be part of my RPG'ing once I get access to the African coast).

Impressed by the poet's skill, we prevail on the King to create the new post of Poet Laureate, that we may have more such inspirations for our people.

 

[King of Men]

1520 : Tax 233. Once again Europe is plunged into war, as alliance systems clash on half a dozen fronts. Russia, with Denmark and Ryazan, lead the way by declaring war on the Golden Horde and their ally Astrakhan. But the main event comes in May, when the entire Austrian alliance, (Hungary, Spain, Bohemia, Bavaria, the Palatinate, Baden and Wurtemberg) declare war on Turkey and their faithful sidekicks the Hafsids, Wallachia and Crimea. In August Persia joins the attack on Turkey, while the Golden Horde tries to buy a further lease of life by bribing Ryazan with 55 ducats; but they have chosen the wrong enemy to appease and in November both they and Astrakhan are annexed to Russia, while Austria continues the slaughter of minor powers by absorbing Wallachia.
In December, a proposal for an entirely new type of University comes to our attention : Instead of theology, it is proposed to teach philosophy, mathematics and literature. No doubt it is a good idea – though the Catholics, of course, are howling – but our attention is riveted on the Continent, where France and Navarra join the maelstrom by declaring war on Austria – whose allies all respond, though now fighting on two fronts. (OOC : Level 4 Infrastructure, Arts Academies).

1521 : Tax 233. Russia continues its triumphant southwards march by declaring war on Sibir, not even bothering to call on its allies against the isolated herders. In April Venice, with the Teutonic Order, Hanseatic League and Pommerania, opens still another front against the Austrian alliance.
December brings good news, or so we are told : Snow on St. Lucia’s Day, sunshine on Christ’s Mass, an apple tree in bloom in spite of the season. Now, we have now great belief in these omens of a good harvest; but the peasants do, and so we make sure that they become widely known. Prophecies, after all, are often self-fulfilling. (OOC : Random event, good harvests).

1522 : Tax 233. Persia is first out of the anti-Turkish coalition, ending the war by annexing Nussaybim. In July, Austria pays Crimea 105 ducats for peace, and Venice bribes Baden with 250 in November. Our generals opine that the Venetians should fortify their capital better if they want to play with the big boys (or, indeed, the small boys).

1523 : Tax 233. The inconclusive trade war with Spain over Flanders ends abruptly as the Spaniards embargo us. We shift our attention to Mecklenburg, though not without vows of revenge when the time is right. The war in Europe continues, with nation after nation falling by the wayside : Turkey takes Pest and Croatia from Hungary, Sibir pays Russia 54 ducats, the Hafsids give up Modena and 134 ducats to Genoa, and Bohemia pays France 169 ducats. Our own army is occupied with putting down a minor revolt in Picardie; fortunately the peasants flee as soon as our cavalry shows. (OOC : I lost about eight men, fighting 13000). Meanwhile the navy is strengthened by the addition of the first ships of the new pattern known as galleons. (Naval level 5).


From the annals of the Brotherhood : Decision!
Brother Strength-through-Faith : Enough is enough! It is seven years, now, we have procrastinated, compromised and vacillated. You have mentioned ”political considerations,” spoken of the ”necessity of remaining on good terms with the Powers of Europe,” accused us of ”not seeing the larger picture.” And all the while, the Church has remained in the hands of corrupt priests and wealthy bishops, while good honest peasants are denied Heaven for lack of money!
But now, even that corrupt argument fails. The Powers of Europe are grinding one another to dust; they will not interfere with our internal affairs. The merchants are furious at Spain’s embargo; they will support a war with the most powerful Catholic kingdom. Enough quibbles, I say! As of this day, let the Protestant faith be the law of the land!

Indeed, the compromise imposed by the Grand Master now fails, as those who are swayed by no religious argument, but only the interests of England, turn from their temporary alliance with the Catholic faction, and vote for the Protestant cause.

1524 : Tax 233. In February Spain loses its foothold in Eastern Europe as Kosovo is annexed to Turkey. We prepare for our retaliatory war by moving the March garrison across to France; this leaves England unprotected except by the wooden walls of the Royal Navy. We are not worried. In July, our alliance expires, and we are at last free to change our faith as we wish. In swift succession, England becomes the first nation-state to openly profess Protestantism, we use the proceeds of nationalisation of Church property (500 ducats) to start the first college of the liberal arts in England, and war on Spain is declared.
That is, we try to mobilise our armies to declare war on Spain, and find that our nobles are refusing, down to the pettiest squires. (Stability -3). We have badly underestimated the effect of our conversion on our internal unrest, although only Wabana breaks into open revolt, which is soon crushed. Though we must perforce postpone our war on Spain, we swiftly turn all our efforts to restoring order in the land (OOC : All money except what is required for 0 income / month to Stability). The Committee for the King’s Safety finds work, sniffing out ringleaders, bribing, threatening, and in two cases assassinating.
In Europe, the last two Great Powers are drawn into war in November, when Russia, Sweden and Ryazan declare war on Poland. A new settlement in the Baltic may be in the offing.

1525 : Tax 224. Hessen is first to follow our example and convert to the true faith, although they refuse our offer of alliance. The walls of Venice being by now so much rubble, the Palatinate is able to enforce reparations of 250 ducats on the Venetians. In March, Wurtemberg is again annexed to France, while the Turk, apparently recovered from their troubles, take Moldavia from Bohemia. In April Nubia (where’s that?) declares war on Ethiopia (where the hell’s that?). Though France is cutting a swathe through the minor powers of southern Germany, it does not do so well against an enemy its own size, and in June it is forced to pay Spain 97 ducats. This is redeemed in September by the annexation of Baden.
Though our merchants are not unhappy with our conversion, they are incensed that it is taking us so long to punish Spain for the blockade. They mark their disfavour by ending their contributions to the liberal arts college for some time, on the pretext that they need all their money to survive the loss of Flanders. (OOC : Unhappy merchants, half trade investment lost). The war in Europe is slowly grinding to a halt even among the Great Powers; in November Austria loses its isolated provinces of Wallachia and Dobrudja to the resurgent Turks.

1526 : The Spanish War.
Taxes 224. Holstein and Hannover convert, and in a bid to ease our complete diplomatic isolation we enter marry off some minor noblemen to them and Hessen. In May, Poland pays Russia 183 ducats for peace – and we declare war on Spain. It is time to show the heretics whose side God is on! The addition of Bohemia, Austria, Bavaria, Hungary and the Palatinate to our enemies does not vastly worry us, as those nations have troubles of their own.
Our armies march on Artois and Flanders – the goal of this war – while the Navy puts to sea to block the Channel and prevent Spanish troops from the Iberian pensinsula reinforcing the Netherlands. The Spanish army in Flanders, unfortunately, show us why they have a reputation for being the best in the world; in spite of three-to-one odds, the irresistible push of their pikes forces us to retreat to Calais. But Artois, lightly fortified and not garrisoned, falls immediately to our attack, and Brandon with Home Army marches onward to Luxembourg.
In April the Palatinate is forced to hand over their ill-gotten 250 ducats from the war with Venice; peace with France, unfortunately, frees their army to attack us, and in quick succession they relieve Luxembourg and besiege Calais. However, we are certainly not inclined to pay them 250 ducats, as they insolently demand. We rescue most of a new-raised army from Calais, but Home Army, hoping to find refuge in occupied Artois, is ambushed by a small Spanish relieving force and forced to retreat again. Annoyed, we empty the treasury to raise an army in Meath for a Pensinsular campaign, as the arrogant Spanish, secure in the might of their tercios, have only lightly fortified their core domains. (OOC : In fact, two provinces have no castles at all – what’s this?)
The year ends with France annexing Alsace and Tyrol from the crumbling Austrian empire.

1527 : Tax 215. Sweden is the latest nation to join the Protestant cause, and we welcome her with a royal marriage. Brandon’s Home Army, now reinforced to (32000 / 12000 / 86) and rested from winter quarters, marches again on Artois, brusquely brush aside the Spanish and Palatinate troops (34000 / 2600 / 30) trying to retake the province, and continue in hot pursuit direction Flanders. Clashing there with (0 / 14000 / 44) Spanish troops, we win an annihilating victory and settle down for what promises to be a brief siege.
In June, Ethiopia pays Nubia 94 ducats for peace; but we are considerably more concerned with Flanders, which falls to an assault, allowing us to sue for peace on our terms. In spite of their defeats (4 stars), Spain refuses to sign over the rich trade center, and Home Army marches on Hainaut.
As autumn and winter approach, the war reaches a crescendo : An army of (9000 / 2000 / 0) from England fails to dislodge the (15000 / 2000 / 18) besieging Calais in July, but are successful in October. We assault Hainaut, but are beaten off by the barest of margins. The Palatinate demands 114 ducats for peace; we laugh their ambassador out of our Court. Home Fleet sets sail for Spain with an army of (12000 / 2000 / 30); hopefully attacking Spain on its home ground will bring them to a sensible appreciation of our power. In November, we are surprised by a Spanish army besieging Meath, but laugh off a Bohemian demand for 78 ducats. Artois, besieged again by the Spanish, is again the site of a battle as our army from Calais tries to lift the siege; we lose, but this is more than compensated when our second assault carries Hainaut. This time, Spain is happy to lose nothing more than Flanders at the peace table, and we settle down to finish our trade war. (OOC : Oddly enough, the price of sending merchants to Flanders went from 3 ducats to 5 when I annexed it. Does anyone know what’s going on here? I though CoTs in your own lands were cheaper).

1528 : Tax 206 – our continental possessions are largely burning and unable to contribute much. Our distant relations in Hannover follow our example and declare for the true faith, and we tie them more closely to us with a royal marriage. We also begin again the project of colonising the New World, sending an expedition to Manhattan. In March, Persia and Russia declare war on Turkey and the usual suspects, Crimea, the Hafsids and the Hedjaz. This is followed by Venice handing Bohemia 189 ducats and, quite likely, the key to their city. After all, everybody else has been inside what’s left of the walls. In July they continue this policy, paying Austria 38 ducats; this does at least leave both nations at peace. The Hafsid Empire, having fought a pro-forma war with the Knights, now signs an equally pro-forma peace.
August, and disaster strikes our fleet : 10 ships of the Western Squadron lost to fire. Though it is not clear how it happened, there are some disturbing indications that Brotherhood agents were active in the area just before. Since only one branch of the organisation has the power do keep their doings hidden from the Grand Council, we are somewhat suspicious of the Committee for the King’s Safety’s assurances that they will catch any traitors – and even more so, when, indeed, they find a cabal of Yorkist plotters within the Brotherhood and hang them all before they can be interrogated. But – there is no proof, and what would the motive be? If this was an attempt to gain more power by being visibly effective in hunting down internal threats, it has backfired badly. We resolve to guard our guardians more carefully in the future, and begin rebuilding the fleet.
October sees Hungary declaring war on the Ottomans yet again, and their entire alliance (Austria, Bavaria, the Palatinate and Spain) joins in, against only Crimea and the Hafsids. We are somewhat surprised at the absence of Bohemia from the order of battle, but a check reveals that it is indeed fighting – as part of Austria, having been annexed while we were not watching. November sees Venice follow suit, but this time they are joined by Poland along with Pommerania and the Teutonic Order. Who knows, perhaps they’ll get some of their own back? In order to improve our information, we contract a royal marriage with the Russians.

1529 : Tax 243. The Palatinate sees the light, while the Turk enforces the annexation of Emilia on the Pope. In May Venice’s hopes are dashed and they are forced to pay 98 ducats for peace. Meanwhile we continue to colonise, rebuild our fleet, and strengthen our army, which though victorious was badly battered in the Spanish war.

 

[Carolus Rex]

Damn, that's what I call updates!

 

[unmerged(9191)]

Nice turnout with Spain. Being behind in tech is a killer. Good luck hanging onto Flandres when the Dutch come around just keep a large army there. I think a good alliance at that point for you, for that war atleast would have been one of those small Moslem countries like Tripoli or Tunisia but I dont know your relations with them, they could have provided a nice two front war for you, but they could hate you or one of your allies so who knows.
Did you consider going for the Canary Islands at all during there, because they could provide a nice port as you go to asia.
Of course just getting Flandres may be better then what I would have done . Spain just has so much desirable territory in the early game its hard to choose what is good.

Out of curiosity what was your Stability when you DoW'd them?

 

[unmerged(6975)]

Cool! I love the Brotherhood, I'm always trying to come up with a plausible narrator. Also like the idea of getting provinces on the continent by way of the Spanish instead of the French. Much easier. By the way, I'm back, so there is a new post in Radio HANSE.

 

[King of Men]

Imperial Army : My stability was three both before and after (Protestant vs Catholic, CB over the embargo, and no RM), and it is the Grand Master's aim to keep it there lest the Committee for the King's Safety become too powerful in Council. Watch the power struggle...
As for Flanders, apparently the Dutch there weren't as annoyed with me as with the Habsburgs, for it only had a 15% Dutch nationalism; between stability and religious tolerance, that meant it didn't revolt once during the Dutch War of Independence even though the revolt risk was 5% for two years!
Celt, I always have my eyes on Flanders when playing the English, but the French are going to get theirs, too. It has been too long since a Duke of Normandie sat on the English throne.

 

[King of Men]

I just got EUII, and I've been kind of busy trying to make Byzantium survive into the sixteenth century, hence no posts lately. I'll try to catch up, perhaps with a less detailed style. Notes every year seemed the obvious way, but now I've actually done it for some time, the thought of another 250 years is a bit daunting.

Any tips for Byzantium? The Ottomans seem pretty invincible...

 

[Morlac]

Originally posted by King of Men
I just got EUII, and I've been kind of busy trying to make Byzantium survive into the sixteenth century, hence no posts lately. I'll try to catch up, perhaps with a less detailed style. Notes every year seemed the obvious way, but now I've actually done it for some time, the thought of another 250 years is a bit daunting.

Any tips for Byzantium? The Ottomans seem pretty invincible...

Assuming you mean EUII Byzantium, you must read Peter Ebbesen's World Conquest For Dummies AAR on the EUII AAR board (sorry, too lazy to create a link ) He starts with Trebizond, which is in even worse shape than Byzantium to start but has the option to become Byzantium if they conquer it by an early enough date--I'd assume the opening strategems would be similar. From there he literally takes over the entire world, with some interesting tips and facts along the way and a bang-up civil war at the end.

Good luck, and don't forget us on the EUI boards...

 

[King of Men]

(OOC : Well, here's another ten years, but this means my posts are creeping up on my writings. On the other hand, with Austria declaring war on Byzantium every five years, having just annexed Hungary to become the largest state in Europe, and having tech 11 to my 6, perhaps I'll want to return to the easier task of England...)



1530 : Tax 243. Tired of having to stack the jury in every minor legal action, we prevail on the King to appoint one of our members as Chief Judge in London, thereby ensuring that we can rely on the correct view of the law being applied. In March Persia takes Azow away from Crimea, and Flanders erupts in revolt; a month later, Persia pays the Turk 114 ducats, and the rebel garrison in Flanders surrenders on terms of being hanged to a man. In October Austria manages to take Pest from Turkey, and Flanders revolts again. This time the rebels are successful against our field army, but do not manage to take the castle, and reinforcements from Calais soon scatter them. The year ends with Russia declaring war on Sibir and their allies the Uzbeks.

1531 : Tax 224. In March, the Swedes, now a significant power in the Baltic, declare war on isolated and poor Norway. A quick march into Christiania is followed by a peace settlement in November, the Norwegians handing over 87 ducats. In July, New York becomes the first English city in the New World, and our King consequently adds ”Lord Protector of New England” to his titles. Amazingly, Sibir manages to enforce their will on Russia, taking 69 duats in indemnities. Surely this must be the last gasp of the old power of the steppe.

1532 : Tax 251. Thuringen becomes the latest princedom to break with the Pope, and we encourage this healthy trend with a royal marriage, incidentally ridding ourselves of one of the more fanatically Protestant members of Court. We give orders that the fortress in Flanders, which made it so easy for us to take the province from the Spaniards, is to be upgraded. In February, the Ottomans show the world why they are the most feared Power in Europe by annexing Hungary. Perhaps shocked by this unexpected development, no other Power dares do anything for the rest of the year.

1533 : Tax 252. In February the last, sad remnants of the Crusades are extinguished as the Knights are annexed the Turkey. Although we are no longer part of their religious community, we cannot help but feel a sadness at the ending of this glorious chapter in Christian history. Apparently the hypocritical Catholics feel differently, for in June Spain and Turkey sign a White Peace – a typical piece of treachery from the holier-than-thou Spaniards. They follow this by declaring war on the defenseless Aztecs in August.

1534 : Tax 275. In July Flanders revolts again, but is swiftly and brutally crushed. Perhaps encouraged by the efficiency of our armies, Holstein makes an offer of alliance; touched by this expression of faith from the smallest nation in Europe, we accept. December sees Nubia again declaring war on the supposedly Christian kingdom of Ethiopia; this time things look set for a decision as Turkey, Crimea and the Hedjaz join the Nubians.

From the annals of the Brotherhood : Memoirs of a great man.
I have guided our organisation for thirty-five years now; more than a third of a century in the service of the kingdom, and age is creeping up on me. I have crushed plots against the King, triumphed in two major wars, and led the rebellion against the Pope. I have not stinted my strength; but now it flags and fails, and it is time I looked for a successor.
The choice is difficult, for the Brotherhood has changed since my youth. Then we were a small band of idealists, burning for the cause of the nation; now I see factions, parties that only a strong will can guide in the appropriate direction. I dare not entrust the fate of the nation to either Catholics or Protestants, lest they split us in civil war and the terror of the Inquisition; and as for the ”good-of-England” group, it is amazing how often the good of England coincides with what will benefit the speaker.
Perhaps I grow cynical with age, reading base motives where none exist; perhaps it is only that I envy youth, and its burning fervour for a cause. But in truth, I see only one man in the Grand Council with both the vision and the strength to be my heir; and yet – how can I entrust my life’s work to the Committee for the King’s Safety? The Duke of Edinburgh – the man who might, in another world, be James V of Scotland – has proven himself able in sniffing out traitors, perhaps even too able. I am by no means convinced every confessed traitor hung could have been proven guilty in a court of the King’s law; still less that the justice of our cause is sufficient to let us break the Magna Carta. I cannot give the Grand Master’s power to that branch of our organisation; indeed my successor will have to curb their arrogance, lest their brutality come to dominate the future of England.

1535 : Tax 275. We appoint a judge in Bristol. In February our continuing trade war with Spain at last meets with a small success; the Spanish merchants have proved astonishingly able in retaining their share of the Flanders trade, but we have finally driven one of the five out of business. Poland declares war on the Turks (along with Crimea and the Hafsids, of course). Of Poland’s allies, the Teutonic Order and Pommerania answer the call, but Venice, perhaps made wise by earlier disasters, refuses. Likewise the Hanseatic League declines to be drawn into so far-flung a war, and is snapped up by our alliance instead.
In May the Pope calls for another Crusade, though with more modest aims now – the Holy Land is a goal for another century, for now His Holiness will be content to drive the infidel out of Italy. Milan and Genoa join, but Tuscany, the last member of the Italian alliance, refuses. As usual, the Hafsids and Crimea tag along with the Turk. In December, Austria joins the anti-Turkish coalition, along with Bavaria, Saxony, the faithless Spaniards, and Venice, which apparently has not found wisdom after all. Of more immediate import, our colony in Roanoke becomes the second city of New England.

1536 : Tax 326. Denmark is riven by internal revolt and successful uprising, and a new king announces his conversion to Protestantism. Since he is no relative of the old ruling family, Norway is able to reclaim its coveted independence without repercussions, and we welcome this friendly state to the brotherhood of fully sovereign nations. (OOC : No actual rebellion in Denmark – this is just how I explain the unvassalisation of Norway). In October tests of our new instrument, the Astrolabe, prove successful, and we order examples for all our ships. (OOC : Naval tech VI). Russia announces the resumption of hostilities with Poland, dragging Sweden, Ryazan, Persia, a reluctant and reduced Denmark into conflict with Pommerania and the Teutonic Order.

1537 : Tax 326. Crimea, walking a thin line between its three powerful neighbours, is unable to fight effectively and forced to pay indemnities, first to the Teutonic Order (95 and then to Pommerania (12). Venice pays for its exposed position on the Turk’s flank to the tune of 162 dollars for the Sultan’s coffers.

1538 : Tax 327. The conversion of Kleves brings us an opportunity for a royal marriage; otherwise, we continue our efforts to gain trade dominance in Flanders and prosperous cities in New England. With the increasing centralisation of power in Europe, it is not a good year (or decade, or century!) for being a small state : The Pope are forced to give up their designs on Emilia in April, and a status quo antebellum peace is signed with the Turk – a humiliating spectacle for the Holy See, which once called on army campaigning in the Holy Land itself! Likewise, in June Poland takes Kujbyschew away from Crimea.

1539 : Tax 329. Saxony converts. Aware of the likelihood that naval warfare, in the future, will require more than the ability to shout ”Boarders away!” we establish a naval academy in Bristol, to educate officers for the new fleet. The year goes badly for the Polish alliance :
The Teutonic Order pays Sweden 103 ducats, and Russia 32. Then Poland is forced to pay Ryazan 31 ducats, and sign over Moravia to the Sultan. Our spies bring in examples of a new type of gun for the cavalry, a small hand-held mankiller perfect for adding firepower to a charge. (Land tech VI : Early Pistols).

1540 : Tax 327. The Teutonic Knights become the first military order to add their power to Protestantism. (And the last!) We marry off a minor noble to the newest member of our faith, and settle back to watch the disintegration of Austria. Magyar is lost to Saxony, Pest to Turkey, and then (OOC : ROTFL!) Erz is annexed to the Hafsid Empire! Disgusted by this humiliation of one of the bulwarks of Christianity, we announce a bounty to encourage settlement and mission work in the New World, and are rewarded by a rush of sturdy yeomen to our docks. (Random : +3 colonists).

 

[Carolus Rex]

I rreally think u should give Spain a kcik in the groin and DoW them.

I want carnage dammit!

 

[King of Men]

As I see it, the Spanish are doing my colonisation of South America for me. Their function in the history of the world is to generate six-or-so colonists for the future Empire of Great Britain, each year. Useful, no? Anyway, the plan is to run up my BB until everybody and his grandmother DWs me; then we'll see some carnage.