View Full Version : Paradox AAR - Saga of the Slavs
SilverLeaf167
2018-12-20, 04:49 PM
Long, long ago, in the age of heroes and song, the three brothers Lech, Czech and Rus said their farewells and went their respective ways.
Czech went west, Rus went east, and Lech made his home in the great Polish Plain.
Now the sons of Lech find their ancient way of life under threat by the pawns of patriarchs and crucified gods.
Their promises of wealth and salvation hide motives much more sinister, and the only way the Poles can survive
is by making the gods of old their sword and shield...
This is an AAR, or "After Action Report", chronicling the events of a game starting in Crusader Kings 2 and hopefully continuing into Europa Universalis 4 and beyond, should we get that far. Though primarily played by myself and then... reported after the action... readers are encouraged to participate either in the form of free-for-all comments or the occasional special vote. There will be emphasis on the characters and narrative elements themselves, hopefully crafting ourselves an extensive alternate history along the way. May the song of the old gods never cease to play across the plains!
Mods: Self-made cosmetic changes
Prologue: The Legendary Lechoslaw (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23585362&postcount=2) (Lechoslaw, 867-924)
Chapter #1: Skarbimir the Unscarred (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23587124&postcount=5) (Skarbimir, 924-948)
Chapter #2: Unholy Alliances (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23589866&postcount=7) (Mszczuj, 948-980)
Chapter #3: The Stargazer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23590918&postcount=11) (Bozydar, 980-987)
Chapter #4: Parades & Poisonings (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23592037&postcount=12) (Gniewosz + Wladyslaw, 987-1002)
Chapter #5: Of Gods and Kings (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23593569&postcount=15) (Spytko, 1002-1014)
Chapter #6: Divine Disgrace (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23594895&postcount=20) (Nadbor, 1014-1041)
Special #1: Centennial of the Slavic Church (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23594906&postcount=21) (1041)
Chapter #7: A Small Step for a King (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23595860&postcount=24) (Prendota, 1041-1056)
Chapter #8: Feudal Faceoff (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23597236&postcount=25) (Strasz, 1056-1057)
Chapter #9: Apocalypse After Another (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23602236&postcount=38) (Strasz + Skarbimir, 1057-1082)
Chapter #10: No Time to Lick Old Wounds (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23624395&postcount=41) (Pelka + Gaudenty, 1082-1104)
Chapter #11: Architecture of Demise (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23626019&postcount=42) (Zelibrat, 1104-1116)
Special #2: Politics & Estates of Medieval Poland (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23626026&postcount=43) (1116)
Chapter #12: An Island in the Storm (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23629555&postcount=46) (Nadbor II, 1116-1154)
Chapter #13: A Sword in a Sheath (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23632521&postcount=49) (Swietoslaw, 1154-1174)
Chapter #14: How to Build a Well (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23639082&postcount=53) (Sulislaw, 1174-1194)
Chapter #15: Witch & Witcher (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23647401&postcount=55) (Wojciech + Zygmunt, 1194-1240)
Chapter #16: The Great Oriental War (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23662398&postcount=57) (Krzeslaw + Sambor, 1240-1254)
Chapter #17: Waves in the Aegean (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23962616&postcount=61) (Niezamysl, 1254-1269)
Chapter #18: Sword and Plowshare of Triglav (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23962884&postcount=62) (Niezamysl, 1269-1283)
Chapter #19: Szczesny's Legacy (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23965653&postcount=66) (Szczesny + Trojden, 1283-1301)
Special #3: The Matter of Moldavia (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23967198&postcount=67) (1283)
Chapter #20: Sins of the Father (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23974728&postcount=68) (Trojden + Lechoslaw, 1301-1345)
Chapter #21: Gods Save the Queen (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23976815&postcount=71) (Grzymislawa, 1345-1373)
Chapter #22: Warlords vs. Warlocks (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24002809&postcount=73) (Grzymislawa + Dobrogost, 1373-1403)
Interlude #1: The End of the Beginning (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24014138&postcount=74) (1404-1444)
Mods: Thicker Borders and Recolored Water (http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=297339191), TBARW Extra: White Font (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=309155854), handmade conversion and assorted mechanical changes
Interlude #2: Polska Uniwersalna (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24015946&postcount=78) (1444)
Chapter #23: Noble Intentions (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24017878&postcount=79) (Stanislaw, 1444-1459)
Chapter #24: Reshuffling of Rights (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24022055&postcount=90) (Stanislaw + Elizabeth, 1459-1472)
Chapter #25: Renaissance, Man (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24023328&postcount=91) (Wladyslaw II, 1472-1484)
Chapter #26: With Friends Like These (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24034684&postcount=95) (Wladyslaw II, 1484-1500)
Chapter #27: Noble Republic (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24037186&postcount=97) (Wladyslaw II + Wolislawa, 1500-1510)
Chapter #28: Here's Waldo (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24041457&postcount=98) (Wolislawa, 1510-1525)
Chapter #29: Cat's Out of the Bag (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24057578&postcount=100) (Wolislawa + Zygmunt II, 1525-1535)
Chapter #30: The Alpine War (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24059440&postcount=101) (Grzymislawa II, 1535-1550)
Special #4: States of the Moscow Pact (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24060708&postcount=102) (1550)
Chapter #31: Heretic-Heathen Unity (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24063405&postcount=103) (Grzymislawa II, 1550-1572)
Chapter #32: Peace of Champagne & Treaty of Algonquin (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24071186&postcount=104) (Kazimierz I, 1572-1589)
Chapter #33: Lightning from a Blue Sky (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24073767&postcount=106) (Sulislaw II, 1589-1604)
Chapter #34: Being Repressed (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24077686&postcount=109) (Sulislaw II, 1604-1619)
Special #5: Story of Eastern Wonderland (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24078879&postcount=110) (1619)
Chapter #35: The Amsterdam Compromise (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24090017&postcount=111) (Lechoslaw III, 1619-1632)
Chapter #36: Bound in Blood (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24093417&postcount=114) (Jan I, 1632-1638)
Chapter #37: Rises and Falls (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24099175&postcount=115) (Kazimierz II, 1638-1657)
Chapter #38: The Kazimierz Gambit (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24108605&postcount=116) (Kazimierz II, 1657-1675)
Chapter #39: Hijacked Ships of State (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24125762&postcount=120) (Kazimierz II, 1675-1685)
Chapter #40: Going South (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24342968&postcount=129) (Stanislaw II, 1685-1695)
Chapter #41: Age of Empires (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24357111&postcount=133) (Stanislaw II, 1695-1711)
Chapter #42: When in Rome (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24359716&postcount=135) (Niezamysl II, 1711-1718)
Special #6: Pagans of the World (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24369647&postcount=139) (1718)
Chapter #43: So Many Emperors, Only One Europe (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24369973&postcount=140) (Niezamysl II, 1718-1734)
Chapter #44: The Dalmatian War (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24375132&postcount=142) (Niezamysl II, 1734-1738)
Chapter #45: Enemies in the Spirit of Civility (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24434287&postcount=145) (Aleksander I, 1738-1745)
Chapter #46: The Meczennik Menace (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24446171&postcount=149) (Aleksander II, 1745-1746)
Chapter #47: Altered Allegiances (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24454214&postcount=152) (Aleksander II, 1746-1758)
Chapter #48: Front Row Seats (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24471787&postcount=155) (Aleksander II, 1758-1770)
Chapter #49: High King on Vacation (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24495015&postcount=158) (Aleksander II, 1770-1776)
Chapter #50: The Amatican Revolution (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24503998&postcount=160) (Aleksander II, 1776-1779)
Chapter #51: Closer to Home (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24515614&postcount=163) (Aleksander II, 1779-1788)
Chapter #52: The New Normal? (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24519933&postcount=166) (Aleksander II, 1788-1805)
Chapter #53: The World of Realpolitik (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24519933&postcount=167) (Nadbor III, 1805-1821)
Interlude #3: Between Wars (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24541944&postcount=170) (Nadbor III, 1821-1836)
Mods: Conversion with a baseline provided by EU4-Vic 2 converter (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=392447667), with elements of Pop Demand Mod (https://popdemandmod.fandom.com/wiki/Pop_Demand_Mod_Wiki)
Interlude #4: Towards Victory (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24552493&postcount=172) (1836)
Chapter #54: Revolutionary (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24559842&postcount=177) (1836-1840)
Chapter #55: Must Be Something in the Water (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24564284&postcount=179) (1841-1847)
Chapter #56: The Free Nations (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24564284&postcount=183) (1847-1848)
Chapter #57: The Long Revolution (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24564284&postcount=185) (1848-1850)
Chapter #58: World's Unfair (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24564284&postcount=186) (1850-1852)
Chapter #59: The Right to Party (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24564284&postcount=191) (1852-1856)
Chapter #60: Smacked by the Invisible Hand (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24564284&postcount=192) (1856-1861)
Chapter #61: High Queen Wieslawa (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24564284&postcount=194) (1861-1864)
Chapter #62: Red Flags (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24629916&postcount=197) (1864-1870)
Chapter #63: Power Projects (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24638241&postcount=200) (1870-1874)
Chapter #64: Art of the Deal (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24643599&postcount=203) (1875-1880)
Chapter #65: Break Some Eggs (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24655947&postcount=205) (1880-1886)
Special #7: The New Millennium (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24655947&postcount=205) (1886)
Chapter #66: Communication Problems (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24665669&postcount=212) (1887-1896)
Chapter #67: Their Own Gravediggers (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24755234&postcount=218) (1896-1903)
Chapter #68: Red-Stained Band-Aid (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24764672&postcount=220) (1903-1905)
Special #8: At the Dawn of War (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24768800&postcount=223) (1905)
Chapter #69: Not Nice (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24898641&postcount=226) (1905-1906)
Chapter #70: The Two Fronts (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24902841&postcount=230) (1907-1908)
Special #9: The Three Treaties (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24905584&postcount=232) (1908)
Chapter #71: Look Left, Look Right, Look Left Again (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24909799&postcount=234) (1908-1912)
Chapter #72: Crash and Burn (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24915536&postcount=237) (1912-1918)
Chapter #73: Constitution Score (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24938645&postcount=241) (1918-1922)
Chapter #74: Changes in Order (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24950516&postcount=244) (1922-1927)
Chapter #75: Commies, Colonies and Civilization (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24963663&postcount=250) (1927-1933)
Chapter #76: The Common Good (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24967280&postcount=253) (1933-1935)
Interlude #5: Reflection (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24977270&postcount=256) (1936)
Mods: More Division Icons (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=699735138), Player-Led Peace Conferences (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=846066944), Recall Volunteers (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2048998725), handmade conversion and assorted mechanical changes
Interlude #6: Atlas Antebellum (1936) Part I (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25233498&postcount=274), II (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25233500&postcount=275), III (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25233501&postcount=276), IV (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25233502&postcount=277)
Chapter #77: The Waiting Game (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25239640&postcount=281) (January–May 1936)
Chapter #78: The Lights in the North are Fires (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25244686&postcount=283) (May–October 1936)
Chapter #79: Network Work (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25253403&postcount=286) (October 1936–June 1937)
Chapter #80: The Beast in the East (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25260601&postcount=287) (July 1937–January 1938)
Chapter #81: Voluntary Divisions (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25270087&postcount=290) (February–November 1938)
Chapter #82: The Big One (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25272810&postcount=291) (December 1938–July 1939)
Chapter #83: Novelty (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25260601&postcount=287) (July–August 1939)
Chapter #84: A Week Into War (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25862163&postcount=304) (September 1939)
https://i.postimg.cc/KjYy2BM4/image.jpg
SilverLeaf167
2018-12-20, 04:51 PM
Prologue: The Legendary Lechoslaw (867-924)
http://u.cubeupload.com/Levander/201812191703101.jpg
The history of the great Kingdom of Poland is seen to have started in the year 867 (by the Christian calendar), when the 22-year-old Lechoslaw Lechowicz became one of many opportunists to invade the sinking ship known as Great Moravia. This war in itself was easy, brief and unremarkable, but it saw the liberation of Krakow, previously taken by the Moravians but now the future capital of Poland, and marked the beginning of an age of glorious conquest.
Lechoslaw was the highest of the chiefs in the region that would come to be known as Upper Poland, and his prestigious clan could trace its inheritance directly to the legendary Lech himself, ancestor of all the Poles and so-called Lechites. Despite the diligent efforts of his literal and figurative bastard brother Boryslaw, Lechoslaw managed to maintain control of the tribes and further cement his own position as something greater than a mere chief. Boryslaw himself spent the last years of his life as Lechoslaw’s prisoner after a barely defeated armed rebellion, the great leader being too honorable to be branded a kinslayer yet not foolish enough to pardon him.
http://u.cubeupload.com/Levander/f37201812202233371.jpg
The years went by. Having dealt with these internal problems, Lechoslaw was free to leverage his ever stronger position to conquer most of the Polish Plain and unify the splintered tribes. With the support of his loyal followers, he was officially crowned King of All Poles on July 1st, 883, a ceremony which would hopefully go down in history for the birth of a great nation.
The very image of a tribal chief, it is said that Lechoslaw was a man with little patience for peacetime rulership, intrigue or the economy, which became increasingly important in the nascent realm of Poland, but no shortage of charisma at the table or the battlefield. He personally led his hussars to countless victories against Moravian, Pomeranian, Norseman, Hungarian, Kievan and Bolghar enemies alike, earning himself a fearsome reputation across Europe. Only at the age of 60 did he finally retire from frontline leadership and grow fat on his throne, but still maintained an active hunting lifestyle, refusing to grow old in silence. And grow old he did, for two more decades.
However, though his own fame and popularity with the chiefs was great as ever, it was clear that Poland was still just an overgrown alliance of tribes held together by his personal power. It had no real established government, no great castles or cities beyond the scant few taken from its neighbors, and a jumble of chiefs vying for power over each other. The Poles had a tradition of electing their leaders, generally after announcing their favorites far ahead of time; however, Lechoslaw had already outlived several of his heirs-to-be, and it was less than certain how long his eventual successor could truly hold the people together.
The Poles had remained ardent believers in their traditional gods of old even while Christianity encroached on their borders, only hardening their will to resist. Lechoslaw himself, a zealous follower of Perun, once had to beat back a Christian holy war for Silesia. Yet even as a source of power and unity, the Old Gods and their disparate local traditions also seemed to stand in the way of much-needed reform, without which they couldn’t survive much longer. Lechoslaw’s own view of the situation likely wasn’t nearly that nuanced; however, in his final years he took it upon himself to proclaim some grand reforms, with the wise counsel of his religious advisors of course.
http://u.cubeupload.com/Levander/201812202236431.jpg
Some of these decrees were modest on the surface: in 924, various important legends were decreed to be written down and standardized, for which a written language obviously had to be developed. They also placed high(er) emphasis on respect towards elders, ancestors and lineage, and the importance of the ruling dynasty as the fathers of the people. He even decreed that to ensure a wise choice, the king should be elected by a council of revered elders rather than every single chief. Furthermore, the office of Archpriest of Perun was established, holding authority over all the various priests, shamans and volhvs of the realm.
All in all, it was a rather transparent attempt to secure his own dynasty, but mostly in line with the Poles’ existing beliefs, and managed to get pushed through due to the sheer respect he commanded.
http://u.cubeupload.com/Levander/201812202235101.jpg
Unfortunately, King Lechoslaw ‘Ironside’ Lechowicz himself didn’t stick around long enough to see those reforms bear much fruit. He passed away the same year at the very respectable age of 79, having apparently filled his purpose in life. It’d been a life of honor, full of great deeds and void of dishonesty, with the founding of a powerful kingdom and perhaps a whole new religion; however, his successors had big boots to fill. Would they simply be partitioned by their neighbors and become a mere footnote of history? Or could they build a civilization that would stand the test of time?
http://u.cubeupload.com/Levander/201812202250101.jpg
http://u.cubeupload.com/Levander/201812202257031.jpg
Hi, I’m SilverLeaf167! You may remember me from such AARs as Tibet, Novgorod and the Hellenic Empire, all of which have… tragically ended prematurely, usually due to technical issues, but have always been fun (for me) while they lasted. Here’s hoping for more of that!
I knew I wanted to do a game in Central Europe to contrast the last one, and preferably pagan. Still, for a while I was convinced that tribal pagans were pretty unsuited to my style of AAR, being inherently more hectic, chaotic and frankly repetitive, not to mention very gamey with some weirdly arbitrary goals and limitations that I’d have trouble justifying from an in-character perspective. This here was actually one of many practice games to test the plausibility of an AAR and get used to the new mechanics, since I haven’t played in a while, but when I somehow managed to reform my religion within one very long lifespan, I decided to make the AAR about this one after all.
Hence why this first chapter speedruns 58 years with minimal pictures; it was made completely post de facto, allowing me to effectively skip the most annoying part of tribal gameplay for the purposes of this AAR and start as a reformed pagan. Now that I’ve got Eldership succession, adopting feudalism isn’t as urgent either, though obviously still on the list. From the next chapter on I’ll be going back to my typical blow-by-blow style, with a proper overview of the world too. :smallwink:
I’m looking forward to just how different the world might become with a stronger pagan presence in Europe!
As a side note: gods I miss using Imgur for these. Every other site I've found sucks in comparison.
InvisibleBison
2018-12-21, 12:37 AM
I like what I've read so far, and I'll be interested to see where this goes. Although I must ask, what is going on with Francia? Did Charlemagne become immortal or something?
SilverLeaf167
2018-12-21, 03:36 AM
Nah, the game started in 867, so he was already long dead. Karling shenanigans, but I optimistically think it's only a matter of time before they break apart. A closer look in the next chapter.
SilverLeaf167
2018-12-21, 01:04 PM
Chapter #1: Skarbimir the Unscarred (Skarbimir, 924-948)
24 September, 924
Morning dawns on Krakow. A modest wooden fort stands on Wavel Hill, overlooking a bend in the Vistula River and surrounded by a small trading town. A rider brings Chief Skarbimir a message everyone’s been anticipating for a while now: Lechoslaw is dead. Word is that the elderly king threw one last great feast for his friends before retiring to his quarters for the night and sleeping away peacefully.
The king is dead! Long live King Skarbimir of Poland!
https://i.postimg.cc/XqBqk9HT/20181221131048-1.jpg
Skarbimir is only the fourth of Lechoslaw's eleven children, but the oldest of his living sons and thus his rightful heir. Despite the old king generously handing out land and leadership positions to all his other sons and male relatives, Skarbimir has still inherited a decent number of personal estates in Upper Poland. Much like Lechoslaw, he’s a jovial, hedonistic man with a taste for drink and women and zero subtlety, but perhaps even more fearsome a warrior than his father ever was.
This day has been a long time coming: Skarbimir had been the favored heir for many years now, and that hadn’t changed even with the newly-formed House of Elders, although that in itself was still a work in progress, only including the king himself and the Grand Mayor of Gdansk. Letting Poland’s only real trade port organize itself as a Republic with special privileges was one of the few economically-minded decisions Lechoslaw ever made in his life.
https://i.postimg.cc/Qd9mKzJb/20181221135943-1.jpg
As is tradition, upon accepting his inheritance, Skarbimir must also make a sacrifice to his ancestors to thank them for it. While a large audience gathers, a thrall captured on a raid into Hungary is dragged out and pinned to a stone tablet, her throat slit by one of the local shamans so that her blood may flow into the earth and feed the dead. This manner of human sacrifice is a momentous occasion, only performed about once a decade by any given chief. The victims don't quite seem to appreciate the honor, though.
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The Archpriestess and High Diviner of Poland herself is present as well. While tradition bars women from inheritance and many high positions, one area where they’re equal or even dominant is religious authority, as they can possess quite powerful sorcery and knowledge of the spirit realm. Also, while only male chiefs can take concubines, neither priests nor priestesses are in any way barred from marrying like any other Pole.
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Speaking of Lechoslaw’s reformed Slavic Church, it’s been quite eagerly adopted by many other Slavic rulers as soon as they heard of it. Lesser chiefs and the common people themselves are being somewhat slower to accept these new ideas, or even hear of them, but with the leaders on its side the Church will surely grow and prosper.
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One of the most notable early adopters is King Thorbjörn of Garthariki – or Novgorod, as the Slavs call it. Though originally a clan of northern warlords, the Rurikids were eventually swayed by the local gods and are now in a position to become some of their strongest protectors. Skarbimir himself should probably pay Thor-boy here a diplomatic visit sometime soon.
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As usual, most of winter is spent indoors trying not to die, but come spring it’s time for the king to legitimize himself by throwing a festival for the god of fertility, Jarylo. Similar celebrations are held in every little village, but it’s a much grander occasion with the king involved. The king going out of his way to let his loyal servants indulge in their beloved traditions is a big part of convincing them that all this talk of dynasties and reforms is no threat to their way of life.
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Indeed, while the Lechowicz’ personal patron Perun is the king of gods and god of kings, polytheism plays a vital part in Slavic belief, and it’s just as important to honor these other deities as well.
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With his position looking solid, it’s time for Skarbimir to turn to his father’s favorite pastime: conquest. The chiefs are eager to get looting, too, so they rush over the border into Great Moravia. Despite seeming on the verge of collapse half a century ago, the kingdom has somehow managed to survive; still, its king is chronically weak and unable to put up anything but token resistance. A valuable chunk of well-settled territory is added to the kingdom, along with plenty of loot.
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Speaking of loot, the King of Poland’s current crown is actually something stolen from the King of Hungary (like a lot of things, apparently). While nice and all, it’s more valuable as an object than as a symbol, and Skarbimir feels the need to acquire some unique crown jewels for Poland. A call goes out for the greatest goldsmiths in the country to come and display their talents.
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Oddly enough, Skarbimir later encounters his chosen blacksmith Kinga showing his 1-year-old son Krakus around the workshop. While Krakus’ mother, the concubine Dobromila, is scared half to death, Skarbimir himself just laughs happily and says that it’s an excellent sign for the boy to show interest in metal and flame at such a young age. Very young indeed.
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Kinga presents Skarbimir with works of amber from Reval and obsidian from Sicily, symbolizing his realm that stretches from north to south and distinguishing him from every other wannabe king on the continent. Indeed, whatever the objects’ actual value may be, Skarbimir himself is enthralled enough that this Kinga may go down in legend as a very literal wizard of the forge.
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A couple years go by. After a very painful night, Skarbimir suspects his half-brother Wielislaw of poisoning him and, in his wrath, personally executes him with his shiny new axe. And by executes we mean “murders”. Everyone seems to think it’s fair, though, nor does another assassin ever try to target Skarbimir again.
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Even with these minor internal squabbles, his true enemies for the time being lie to the north. Despite Lechoslaw fighting and beating them a few times to clear a way to the coast, the Norse colonies of Svithjod have been a thorn in Poland’s hide for decades, jabbing right into its heartland. All agree that more war is required to weaken their grip on the area. War they shall have.
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King Björn II af Munsö rules a wide realm, but very sparsely settled and on the other side of the Baltic. Skarbimir is confident that the Poles will be a match for them as they always have been. Indeed, the first major battle goes in Skarbimir’s favor, even with both kings leading their armies in person.
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After that, though, the Swedes come back in force, and the Poles opt to move out of the way and regroup rather than fight them there. The Swedes march straight down to Krakow, ravaging the countryside as they do, and the Poles are actually forced to hire some of the Pecheneg mercenaries skulking around their border. It’s proof of Polish, uh… wealth and resourcefulness? With these fresh reinforcements, the viking army is finally intercepted and sent packing after a couple more similar fights.
Even then, forcing Svithjod to actually admit defeat might take some more time. The treasury runs low and the Pechenegs must eventually be sent home, or wherever they live. At the sight of this bloody war against the pagans – different pagans, that is – some of the bravest warriors of Perun have banded together to form a holy order known as the, well, Warriors of Perun. They aren’t yet in fighting shape to help with the current war, but will surely prove their mettle in the future.
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The war goes on, and Skarbimir gets a chance to show his skill in personal combat as well. Though usually a fan of heavier weapons, like his beloved axe, he deftly wields a light dagger to disable one of the enemy generals in a single well-placed strike and allow him to be taken captive.
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Although initially full of close calls, the rest of the war is a string of victories for Poland as the mighty Swedish army is split into smaller disparate warbands, easily caught and picked off by Skarbimir’s well-led army. As 930 nears its end, after three years of war a truce is called and the Swedes withdraw from Kulm/Chelmno. Much remains to be done, though.
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In the wake of their defeat, the Norsemen seem to have followed the Warriors of Perun’s example and formed their own holy order, the Jomsvikings, in service to the suspiciously similar Thor. Opinions are split on whether this Thor himself is a lazy copy, a distorted interpretation or in fact just a different aspect of Perun. Either way, these vikings may become a problem.
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Skarbimir is just getting started, though, and decides to top off the cash reserves with a little looting of weakly protected neighbors. While scouring Pomerania, he comes across a strange-looking, heavily fortified box. Upon seeing the mighty axe within, visibly magical unlike anything he’s ever seen with a mysterious glow and powerful symbols, he immediately tosses aside his obsidian axe and proclaims this the new crown jewel. One of his soldiers respectfully hands it back and suggests he wield both. One can see a glimpse of Perun’s lightning in the king’s eyes at the idea.
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It doesn’t end at raiding, and with his divine relic in hand, Skarbimir conquers bits and pieces of those same neighbors.
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Skarbimir’s beloved cousin, friend, general and favored heir Wanko dies in 934, his limbs twisted with gout. The two chieftains had gotten incredibly close on their shared campaigns, and his death leads Skarbimir to drink. Even more than usual, that is. And less jolly. Enough to make people worry.
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He seeks catharsis on the battlefield: Svithjod is currently under the rule of the young, weak King Vagn who’s betrayed his ancestors by turning to the accursed Christian faith. The Swedes should be easy prey.
Indeed, the war passes quite uneventfully, the Swedes failing to even show up due to dealing with other wars against their Norse brethren. A nice chunk of land is easily taken, and the Swedes are now almost entirely out of traditional Polish lands. If current trends continue, they’ll likely keep getting weaker and weaker in the near future, which the Poles are obviously happy to exploit.
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At one of his many festivals, the king gets a little too drunk (again) and decides to join a singing contest meant for bards, spellsingers and other professional musicians. No one dares stop him, so on the stage he goes. However, to the bafflement of all the realm, he’s unironically amazing. Turns out that all these years, the king has been hiding a great talent even he himself probably didn’t know of. He’ll be happy to hear about his victory once he wakes up, having blacked out on stage after the very last note.
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Given his age and his dangerous lifestyle of combining drink and war, many expect the king to drop dead any day now, but he ends up living for over another decade. In that time he does more drinking and more warring, further expanding Poland towards its natural borders. Only in late 948, over a decade later, does he finally die – and of natural causes at that. He actually was in the middle of another war, but apparently that had nothing to do with it, and his life simply left his body of its own accord.
King Skarbimir ‘the Lionheart’ goes down as another great leader who managed to live up to his father’s considerable legacy and find great personal valor on the battlefield, though also falling victim to the same vices. Just like his father, he was a warlord at heart and king only second, but that didn’t stop him from being popular with the people. While it's fair to say that Lechoslaw may have founded Poland, Skarbimir surely deserves credit for keeping it together as well.
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The king is dead! Long live King Mszczuj ‘the Lecher’ ‘the Unspellable’ of Poland!
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At the time of his death, King Skarbimir was just in the middle of wrapping up a war to grab some more Prussian land from the Baltic tribes that had split off of Sweden. That war itself will poses little challenge. However, Skarbimir’s conquests in Pomerania and Moravia have led to him locking borders with the humongous Empire of Francia. It’ll be a miracle if this doesn’t cause any trouble.
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Francia is currently ruled by a lovely emperor known by his vassals as ‘the Mutilator’, his capital located in Bar (what a coincidence, Skarbimir’s was in a tavern). He has spent all of his reign struggling with internal problems, and even came within an inch of being defeated and deposed by someone called an “antipope”, whatever that is, in a civil war that only ended some months ago. However, his defeat of the antipope and his ongoing defensive war against the Fadlid dynasty in Iberia seem to have earned him new favor with his vassals for the time being.
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All of Britannia is under the rule of five competing Norse invaders. Only East Anglia and Lothian are in Catholic Anglo-Saxon hands.
Denmark remains (unreformed) pagan and stable, whereas the Swedish kings’ switch to Catholicism made the country a ripe target for invasion while failing to convert literally any of the populace itself. Its Baltic dominions took the opportunity to break off, and the af Munsö themselves are unlikely to even keep their throne for much longer.
Garthariki has tragically lost its capital to Denmark, which has clearly become the dominant Norse power with the fall of Sweden.
Jewish Khazaria has pushed deep into Hungary, but is currently very weak and on the receiving end of several invasions.
Apparently it's pronounced the same way it's spelled. Hope that helps.
Since the Obsidian Axe is technically a ceremonial weapon, I really can dual-wield these things. And since the treasury is inherited, so can all future kings. :smallbiggrin:
The first chapter(s) will obviously have a lot more of me showing off things that’ll become more routine and unremarkable later. Gotta establish stuff about the religion and culture and such, y’know? Not that it isn’t fun to write about. They won’t necessarily be the same length, especially since I tend to split up chapters based on character lifespan.
Something I completely forgot about, though: I now have reduced supply limit in enemy pagan lands. Gods, that hurts. Also, I decided to conquer Kulm ahead of actual de jure Poland because I needed a bit more prestige to use the de jure claim on all of Mazovia at once, but then Sweden became Christian, so the CB didn’t work anymore. Luckily I happened to have that random claimant sitting around.
Rockphed
2018-12-21, 01:36 PM
The worst part of being a tribal is that even if you get enough tech to ignore defensive attrition, your idiot vassals will happily waltz in and die by thousands.
Oh, and this looks incredibly amusing. Do keep it coming!
SilverLeaf167
2018-12-22, 07:55 PM
Chapter #2: Unholy Alliances (Mszczuj, 948-980)
15 September, 948
King Mszczuj ‘the Lecher’. When asked about his nickname, he likes to quip that it means ‘son of Lech’, but his reputation as the kingdom’s greatest playboy precedes him. His cousin the late Skarbimir detested him for bedding one of his royal concubines, and fought tooth and nail to get the House of Elders to elect his dead friend Wanko’s son, or anyone else for that matter. He was nearly successful, but mere weeks ago the top candidate had a tragic accident – one of those classic “fell on a knife” situations – and the crown was placed on Mszczuj’s well-groomed curls after all.
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Detractors grumble that he only got elected because four out of the seven Elders are women (Polish men have a rather low life expectancy), which isn’t entirely false: Jarylo has blessed him with divine virility that makes him simply irresistible to the ladies. It’s said that even the 56-year-old archpriestess is head over heels for him. Men on the other hand like to laugh along with his antics and slap him on the back, right up until it’s their own turn to get cucked.
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The king’s had six legitimate children with his wife, six acknowledged bastards, and who knows how many more around the country. Despite his clear love for women, he’s never taken actual concubines of his own, since apparently that just ruins the fun of the chase. He does seem to love his long-suffering wife Premyslava in some way, though. Premyslava herself can’t seem to resist his roguelike charisma despite all his open fornicating.
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Though cunning and quick on his feet compared to his predecessors, and a decent soldier as well, people can’t help but wonder why the Lecher sought the throne to begin with – besides simple power, anyway. After all, he seems to lack any non-carnal desires, and surely his royal duties will just get in the way. Mszczuj chuckles to himself: of course he has ambitions.
He’s going to party, for one thing!
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And sleep with more wives!
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And then, uh… well, he’ll think of something eventually.
As the years go by, Mszczuj spends less and less time in Poland and more on diplomatic visits. People nudge-nudge and roll their eyes, knowing full well what he’s up to, sleeping with the concubines of Denmark and the Queen of Estonia and whatnot.
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In his absence, they’re effectively given the go-ahead for minor wars along the Polish border while the king focuses on his own “conquests”.
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However, one snowy day in January 955, the king brings home a guest no one had dared to expect in their wildest nightmares.
The Mutilator.
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No, he’s not trying to seduce him, geez. Probably. Seeing as Poland would clearly be on the receiving end of any war between the two realms, the king has spent a lot of time practicing his Latin and making visits to the Francian court. With enough badgering, he finally convinced the Mutilator to take a detour on his way home after crushing some Moravian heretics, and pay a visit to Krakow. The castle on Wavel Hill has grown a lot over the last few decades, and while it’s surely nothing compared to the ones in Bar, it is enough to earn a snide remark that it’s "far better than expected from a filthy pagan". Everyone but the king is too afraid to react.
To everyone’s surprise, the night seems to get off to a pleasant start, the two monarchs sharing drinks and conversing in Latin while their respective guard companies awkwardly stare at each other from across the room. The Muti... sorry, Frédéric is quite tired and a bit wounded from his recent battles, but Mszczuj figures he knows just the thing: a taste of the local ladies.
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The heaviest silence in the history of mankind follows. Both sides’ guards inch nervously towards their weapons, anticipating the bloodbath that is surely about to ensue…
The Emperor laughs and accepts.
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Apparently he appreciates the chance to get away from Empress Elisabeth every now and then. She can be a real stick-in-the-mud sometimes, and he’s been dealing with Waldensian after Cathar after Waldensian and… you know how it is, right? Of course, he’s also drunk out of his mind, but who cares?
Frédéric leaves the next day, and it’s less than certain whether this actually had any effect on Polish-Francian relations, but it sure was an event that historians are probably not going to accept ever happened.
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In any case, now that the king is home for once, his generals take the opportunity to give him the full details of their recent gains in the west. They’ve moved closer and closer to their goal of the Elbe River, which many consider Poland’s natural and rightful border, and gained control over most of the Pomeranian tribes in the process.
“So, I’m the King of the Pomeranians now, you say?”
“Ahem… If that is how you wish to put it, my king.”
Eventually, though, they decide that the title of the Kingdom of Poland should stand unparalleled by any other in the realm. King Mszczuj is thus styled King of Poland, Grand Duke of Pomerania, greatly adding to the Lechowicz’ prestige. After all, based on what the Poles have been learning from their Christian neighbors, the longer the title, the better.
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Shockingly, Frédéric actually accepts another invitation to dinner. Perhaps Poland and Francia really could be on friendly terms after all.
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Alas, to no avail: in 956 the Mutilator’s mistreatment of his vassals finally catches up to him, and he is openly murdered at the hands of a conspiracy led by his own aunt. The mood in Poland is actually… not quite sad, but a bit wistful. Better the devil you know, right? He’s succeeded by his barely-adult son Gauthier, but whoever sits on the throne, one can only hope that Francia will either collapse some time soon or stay in check for the time being.
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Not much later, Emperor Gauthier is excommunicated… by the Pope… at the request of a freshly-converted Norseman who just invaded a chunk of Italy. Christendom really is a strange place.
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Meanwhile in the east, the Jewish hordes of Khazaria have fragmented into a number of (still Jewish) successor states, the largest being the Khanate of Jabdertim, which the Poles soon invade to drive them out of rightful Slavic lands in Belz.
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A foolhardy member of the disgraced and dethroned family af Munsö decides to try and claim the recently founded Grand Duchy for himself. Also, King 'Bloodaxe' seems to have earned himself a new, probably ironic nickname. He does own two very nice axes inherited from Skarbimir, but they haven’t seen a drop of blood in years.
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To pass time, Mszczuj continues his attempts to strike up a friendship with Gauthier the way he did with his father, but with little success. While Gauthier holds him no personal ill will, he’s simply too busy dealing with the same heretic uprisings over and over as Frédéríc was. It seems that all these antipopes, looters, jihadists and whatnot have shaken the core of Catholic authority to the extent that Francia is constantly fraught with Cathar, Waldensian, Fraticelli and Lollard sects, many of them militant. Mszczuj has no idea what most of those words mean, but he nods along and pretends to listen. The man clearly needs to vent a little.
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These heretics, however, have never been an actual match for the massive imperial army. August 964 brings a very different uprising: King Aimery, from another branch of the Karling dynasty, has spent a long time consolidating power inside the empire and now finally raises his banners in rebellion. Onlookers hold their breaths: will this finally be death of Francia as we know it? Will it merely change hands? Or will this all fizzle out, just like the civil war the Mutilator had to face? Whatever the case, it’s likely to be another close call.
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Of course, the actual details of the war are of little concern for the Poles, who are perfectly happy in their own corner of Europe, drinking with one hand and pummeling Lithuanians with the other.
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These minor skirmishes are only a prelude to something greater: the Norsemen of Denmark threaten the Slavic lands, just like the Swedes before them, and their presence this side of the Baltic Sea must be removed before it can dig its roots any deeper.
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Again in the west, Emperor Gauthier is already on the losing end when his civil war suddenly gains a third party, a relatively lowly Duchess of Ferrara who has nonetheless rallied herself a decent number of supporters to support her claimant of choice. Quite a strange character, she’s called both ‘the Beguiling’ for her witch-like charisma and ‘Empress Nun’ for her zealous faith and vow of celibacy. Francia really has become a royal – no, imperial mess.
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If the integrity of the Catholic Church seems to be faltering, the Slavic Church is looking stronger than ever. The Poles make enough noise about driving out the (wrong type of) pagans that the combined wrath of all Norsedom descends upon them, only to be sent back as quickly as it came. Even a pathetically small band of those so-called Jomsvikings is spotted on the battlefields of Lithuania, singing themselves a nice rousing song before throwing themselves against the Poles and dying in droves.
It may not be enough to truly cripple the Danes, but perhaps this first step will provide the other Slavs with the opportunity to fight back themselves.
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The Poles for their part take the only mildly traitorous opportunity to go and pillage some juicy Francian land while the rebel lords are too busy fighting elsewhere. Whoever ends up winning will never notice a couple burnt churches all the way in Brandenburg, right?
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The civil war ravaging the empire has also created perfect conditions for a massive epidemic of smallpox to spread across its heartland, slaying untold tens of thousands in areas already devastated by battle. Largely due to their far lower population density, Poland’s own lands have seemed quite resistant to disease so far.
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The rebel Aimery himself is killed by the pox, but his son Waldemar manages to force Gauthier’s surrender. Gauthier is allowed to remain King of West Francia, but Waldemar is now Emperor. However, he still needs to deal with Empress Nun, and there are plenty of other elements within Francia who might take this opportunity to rebel against their effeminate, Jew-hugging liege…
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Poland feels, perhaps foolhardily, emboldened by this weakness in the west. The state of Great Moravia has still clung onto life despite having lost all of actual Moravia; now the city and fortress of Prague, the center of the Duchy of Bohemia, is finally lost to the Poles as well.
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Speaking of lost glory, the 60-year-old King Mszczuj has been doing his best to maintain his youthful lifestyle, but it’s shamefully apparent that the years are making themselves known. He can no longer hold his drink like he used to, and even his own sons can’t resist mocking his pathetic demeanor behind his back. Well, guess who’s not getting Prague for his birthday, jackass!
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This old man still has some fight left in him, gods dammit! As a result of his… well, his chiefs’ recent conquests up north, he declares himself the Grand Duke of Lithuania. He might not realize it, but while all these fancy titles do make him seem fancy by proxy, they can also become something for his less loyal vassals to lust after…
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He also personally joins in on a sacking of the Jomsvikings’ precious Castle Jomsborg, just to prove he can. Our dear king may be having something of a delayed midlife crisis.
https://i.postimg.cc/VN7LFpDS/20181222235308-1.jpg
With the fall of Prague, Poland’s very own High Chief of Moravia decides to finish the job and take the rest of Great Moravia for himself. There is no longer anything resembling a buffer between Poland and Francia, but truth be told, that ship has long since sailed, and probably wrecked somewhere around Brandenburg.
https://i.postimg.cc/zBVD27cx/20181223000914-1.jpg
Moravia isn’t the only Great thing to fall in 977: Zegota ‘the Undefeated’ of Kuyavia, a 7-foot-tall “gentle” giant who served as Marshal and Champion of Poland (and “most competent horse-tamer of Krakow”) for a full fifty years under both Mszczuj and Skarbimir, finally dies in his home. The sages always said that men like him are blessed by Radogost with great strength at the cost of a shorter time in our mortal realm; however, Zegota proved all doubters wrong by living a full 71 years at the height of power. He was a great national symbol, the pride of all Polish soldiers (most of whom have never known another marshal) and a close personal friend of the king (who slept with Zegota's wife at one point but later made amends). A moment of weakness leading him to Catholicism in his final days may have been what finally caused the gods to withdraw their favor; however, there is no doubt that it’ll be forgiven and he’ll get his well-earned seat drinking with the ancestors. Feast in peace.
https://i.postimg.cc/76dHF7vw/20181223001103-1.jpg
In 979, at the same time that the Poles are dealing with a quick and easy border war against Sweden – and the 68-year-old King Mszczuj has indeed decided to reclaim his youth by leading from the front – they receive the first offensive declaration of war since the days of Lechoslaw. The Duke of Saxony’s holy war for the High Chiefdom of Lausitz. Of course, just looking at the numbers he should stand no chance, so either he’s seriously overestimated Poland’s distraction with Sweden or is hiding some ace up his sleeve.
https://i.postimg.cc/GtDLd2rY/20181223003617-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/ZYvKrf3R/20181223003626-1.jpg
Duke Minigolf over here does end up getting a couple other lords on his side, but still nowhere near enough to actually threaten Poland. Nevertheless, in these uncertain times (what other kind is there?), the Slavic faithful need all the moral support they can get. As such, the new and youthful Archpriest has been riding around the kingdom, proclaiming that this fight against the Christian menace is a holy war in itself. Once they’ve been driven back, more will follow in the future, until all of Slavdom stands unthreatened by any foreign god.
https://i.postimg.cc/4NC4wzb1/20181223004346_1.jpg
The power of Poland is brought out in full as the foolish Christians proceed right into a risky crossing over the Elbe and into their laps. Polish archers dye the river red before they even make it across, and then the rest of the army crushes the survivors with overwhelming force.
https://i.postimg.cc/J4brFGpC/20181223004641_1.jpg
King Mszczuj ‘Bloodaxe’, finally earning his title, marches right for the Saxon capital of Braunschweig and the war is over less than a year after it started. The invaders and their already wobbly church are humiliated even further, and while the fighting itself was a relatively easy victory, this unprovoked (?) Francian aggression will surely leave a lasting mark on the Polish spirit, as evidenced by the Archpriest’s grand anti-Christian campaign.
https://i.postimg.cc/y8s1CsGg/20181223004903_1.jpg
Indeed, as the King turns his attention back towards the Norsemen, they prove a numerically and morally far stronger foe despite their weak showing in the last war. Though the Poles seem to have the initial advantage, something goes horribly wrong and the royal hussars get stuck in an unseen quagmire. An arrow to the chest knocks the king off his horse and he hits his head on the way down. When he wakes up… who knows how much later, the battle has already moved elsewhere, and his only comfort is a fellow dying soldier lying nearby. “Go with Perun,” the man barks. “Go with Perun,” the King mumbles in a haze. They do the closest thing to a handshake they can muster, and with Perun they go.
https://i.postimg.cc/zG7JJ4md/20181223005208_1.jpg
Against all odds, as of 980, Mszczuj ‘the Lecher’ has earned the dubious honor of being the first King of Poland to die on the battlefield, at the age of 69 (nice).
https://i.postimg.cc/6qYsvjn9/20181223135319-1.jpg
The king is dead! Long live King Bozydar of Poland, Grand Duke of Pomerania and Lithuania!
https://i.postimg.cc/kGn3D3V1/20181223135311-1.jpg
Despite his personal contribution being quite minimal, Mszczuj’s life saw a fair bit of expansion especially in the north, and the symbolically important founding of the two Grand Duchies. The purpose of the current war was to drive the Swedes out of Werle, their last foothold in Pomerania, but we all saw how well that’s going.
https://i.postimg.cc/sXQy4XM8/20181223010526_1.jpg
Despite its vassals looking quite cranky, Francia failed to do anything resembling a collapse, though the comparatively tiny Friuli and Gelre did manage to split off. Currently the empire is fighting a holy war to push the Shia Caliph of Aghlabid out of Benevento, Italy, and should have little trouble with it. Could it be that the empire has simply exceeded that critical mass where its military might is just too great to fail?
https://i.postimg.cc/50hJ7Vvt/20181223010857_1.jpg
The Lollard Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of England has been established in the southeast of the isles, but the great majority of the isles is still a battleground for the Norse (who to their credit have still managed to stay pagan and actually proselytize a bit).
Garthariki’s promising expansion has been completely blocked by Denmark, and their attempts at reconquest have been unsuccessful.
Khazaria has truly and thoroughly broken down, giving the unlikely black horse of Estonia (with a Norse king) space to expand.
The state of Galilee in the Levant, established by Bolghar invasion, has proven surprisingly resilient, even conquering the holy city of Jerusalem. On the other hand, despite their ethnic and cultural differences, they’ve been quick to adopt Sunni Islam and are thus not seen as a religious threat by their neighbors.
Goes to show that for all this talk of emperors, the Norsemen are the true enemy after all…
Ah, what a refreshing change of pace. For me, anyway. Those new “Sway” events are stupid in the best of ways. :smallbiggrin: I also love characters like Zegota… distinctive NPCs who stick around for multiple generations and forge memorable relationships with the player and the world. *sniff* Even if I only remember to mention them at their deathbed.
It’s nice how Eldership allows me to take all the land and make all the babies I want, unlike Gavelkind, while still leaving a degree of choice, randomness and politicking around the election, unlike Primogeniture. I actually wouldn’t mind the throne passing out of the dynasty (like with plain Elective), but meh. You could say this makes Eldership a fair bit better than any of those, but as far as I’m concerned, it was necessary to make this AAR work in the first place.
Also, in case someone’s wondering, my northern, western and southern borders are now just about where I want them, besides a couple more counties in Pomerania. From now on our expansion (which doesn’t get a lot of detail due to being pretty simple so far) will preferably be directed towards the east, perhaps all the way to Crimea; however, it’ll be slower going, since a lot of the land is held by fellow Slavics, and there’s no way I’m using holy wars on the Jews, either. Besides, we’re looking pretty nice, visually speaking... except for Bohemia. Ignore Bohemia.
mythmonster2
2018-12-22, 11:19 PM
Ouch, that Francia looks quite threatening. Hope they don't get into the mood for a holy war.
Rockphed
2018-12-22, 11:35 PM
Wow. You really got that emperor drunk.
Do you have plans for empire, or are you going to be king of Poland forever? Also, did you mod the game to use the new crusade mechanic for slavic great holy wars, or are you using the old style great holy wars? Maybe after you supplant catholics as the dominant european religion you can change to using crusade style great holy wars. I haven't actually played with the new crusade mechanics yet, but they look awesome. And somehow the crusader state of Sinai keeps forming.
SilverLeaf167
2018-12-23, 04:22 AM
Ouch, that Francia looks quite threatening. Hope they don't get into the mood for a holy war.
Yeah, they're... a problem. I want them to break apart for variety's sake as much as anything, but yes, they'd also whup me if we ever came to blows. I'm worried that they've reached the point where it'll take all their vassal kings breaking off at once to make a difference. These civil wars are pretty massive, but as long as they're just fighting for the throne rather than independence, may not actually affect them long-term.
Wow. You really got that emperor drunk.
Do you have plans for empire, or are you going to be king of Poland forever? Also, did you mod the game to use the new crusade mechanic for slavic great holy wars, or are you using the old style great holy wars? Maybe after you supplant catholics as the dominant european religion you can change to using crusade style great holy wars. I haven't actually played with the new crusade mechanics yet, but they look awesome. And somehow the crusader state of Sinai keeps forming.
I didn't mod anything about the Holy Wars (all my modding so far is just a couple flags and title names, like the Grand Duchies) but now that you mention it, I should see how much work that'd be. Who knows, could be a simple yes/no flag in the files, but I doubt it.
And I may form an empire for mechanical reasons if it comes down to it, but if I do, it'll still be Poland. :smallbiggrin:
SilverLeaf167
2018-12-23, 02:00 PM
Chapter #3: The Stargazer (Bozydar, 980-987)
13 November, 980
How Bozydar managed to get elected is actually a bit of a mystery: the second-eldest living son of old King Skarbimir, the only honor he had to his name was the ownership of Castle Stargard near Szczecin, taken from the Jomsvikings some years ago. Though well-learned in tactics, he tends to be a little withdrawn, and a bit too bookish for Polish tastes (books being a new concept in general). On the other hand, perhaps this helped endear him to the also-bookish Elders – or perhaps he seemed like a nice change of pace after three decades of the Lecher.
https://i.postimg.cc/kGn3D3V1/20181223135311-1.jpg
He was chosen over his older brother and former liege Twardomir of Pomerania, most likely because he has more of a reputation for stabbing backs than shaking hands, and isn’t exactly popular in the realm.
https://i.postimg.cc/C5qn7xj1/20181223173249-1.jpg
Bozydar receives what could be called a battlefield coronation, being present at the Battle of Werle when a warrior informs him of Mszczuj’s death and basically goes “well, I guess you’re King now”. He doesn't seem that excited, and said battle isn’t going terribly well either.
https://i.postimg.cc/mDqF7H1J/20181223173514-1.jpg
The Poles are forced to retreat, ultimately taking only slightly more casualties than the enemy, but those casualties happen to include the late king as well as another high chief. The generals blame their fellow chiefs for not reinforcing them in time and running around somewhere in Silesia instead.
https://i.postimg.cc/BQFVyWsP/20181223174803-1.jpg
While that was a tragic embarrassment, the war is far from lost if they can just manage to regroup. Bozydar remains on the front to avenge his predecessor and thus legitimize his rule. Still, despite his theoretical knowledge, he doesn't consider himself much of a fighter. The next summer a rematch is sought just west of Werle, and goes quite differently than the previous fight to say the least.
https://i.postimg.cc/K4hkHhN5/20181223175313-1.jpg
A few battles of similar scale and success follow. This seems to get the famously zealous Archpriest a little overexcited, as he declares the First Great Holy War in December 981, urging all the faithful to arms against the Estonian holdings in Ruthenia. This seems like a questionable decision at best, since not only is the royal army still busy in the west, surely Denmark, which is currently far weaker and has far more land in the area, would’ve been a better target…?
Sure, the temple of Kiev has been under Polish protection since the days of Lechoslaw, giving a foothold in the area, but the Estonian lands are currently a battleground between them and the Kozar Khaganate, which has mostly taken Khazaria’s place as the dominant horde west of the Urals.
https://i.postimg.cc/8zV0gyPK/20181223180338-1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/rwCYVSD8/20181223180427-1.jpg
In any case, Bozydar forces another battle to wrap things up in Werle and then heads east. He hasn’t really had time to get his bearings as King of Poland, having to ride straight from battle to battle so far.
https://i.postimg.cc/ZY2QVYkh/20181223191045-1.jpg
It’s about time he stopped in Krakow to take care of certain rituals, though.
https://i.postimg.cc/qRgmxSjR/20181223191215-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/R0SpNNtw/20181223191734-1.jpg
However, before he even has time to pack his things and leave for the front, it seems like the other Slavs – including the Warriors of Perun themselves – have this quite well under control. Some shout that it’s a disgrace for the King of Poland not to participate, but to the contrary, Bozydar argues that it’s about time for the others to pull their weight and prove that this is the Slavic Church we’re talking about, not merely a Polish one. Unless something truly dramatic happens, he opts to sit this one out…
https://i.postimg.cc/LsxCf2kw/20181223191519-1.jpg
As more and more chiefs raise their banners to go to war on their own, Bozydar does something else unprecedented by starting the construction of an observatory in Krakow based on some fuzzy drawings, vague western stories and a lot of lucky guesses. He’s a believer in the school of thought that the gods’ will and movements can be read in the sky, but that truly understanding them requires some specialized equipment.
https://i.postimg.cc/Ss5gTdvG/20181223193142-1.jpg
He’s missing out on some really good fighting, but oh well.
https://i.postimg.cc/XqCQTFM6/20181223193438-1.jpg
The king digs up a simple telescope looted from who-knows-where and gets to work, trying to get a comprehensive idea of the starry sky before making any further conclusions. To his great surprise, some of the stars don’t seem to be acting… naturally. Or the way they should, whatever you want to call it.
https://i.postimg.cc/9XR8R3Dg/20181223193812-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/v8JP5P9Y/20181223193942-1.jpg
While he's busy stargazing, the war goes just fine without him, and in late 985, the King of Estonia finally gives up his relatively meager holdings and the First Great Holy War is a grand success! Though the Warriors of Perun really shone on the battlefield and would be happy to take care of these lands, in the end the Archpriest decides that they should go to the High Chief of Kiev, their rightful ruler.
https://i.postimg.cc/X79sLwcw/20181223194619-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/XY3QzpQt/20181223195306-1.jpg
The newly crowned King Vasilko is what one could call a “valiant brute” at best, but as a sign of good will and piety, Bozydar is happy to hand over Kiev itself. It’s been nothing but a bother, anyway. Tends to get looted every couple years or so.
https://i.postimg.cc/JzqPVMF0/20181223195549-1.jpg
Many chiefs had been hungering for these eastern lands for years now, causing some outrage. To appease them, Bozydar promises to try and take care of the unclaimed border regions in the near future. In the end, though, isn’t it good to have another strong Slavic kingdom covering their flank?
The chiefs go about their routine conquests, but Bozydar just can’t stop thinking about the stars. There’s something… wrong out there. Could he in fact be watching the gods with his own eyes? Or perhaps... some other gods? He spends every waking hour investigating this matter, and a vague rumor eventually drives him to depart Krakow almost unannounced and head far into the Khazar steppes, where he finally finds the right man sitting in a secluded cave. Bozydar must have this book he speaks of, this… Necronomicon…
https://i.postimg.cc/jjSvRBVX/20181223200349-1.jpg
That’s when things really start to go downhill. Day and night, Bozydar is haunted by distracting, disturbing hallucinations, movements in the corner of his eye, that leave him unable to either get any work done or get any sleep, as he always feel like he's being watched.
https://i.postimg.cc/1z7BXMsZ/20181223200940-1.jpg
Needing to clear his head, he takes a walk around Krakow, and happens to befriend a charming woman who turns out to be a Christian nun. Bozydar has no interest in turning away the only comfort in his increasingly disturbing life, though, and allows this Eugenia to stay in Wavel Castle as his guest.
However, later that night, Eugenia comes to his quarters (where he hasn’t slept an eyeful). After eliminating the first and most obvious explanation for visiting someone’s room at night, the sleep-deprived Bozydar finally realizes what’s going on…
Eugenia is a messenger of the goddess of death Marzanna herself. This is about the book, isn’t it!?
https://i.postimg.cc/85FH6Wzf/20181223201118-1.jpg
It’s an insane idea, but, well, in Bozydar’s quickly deteriorating state of mind it sounds reasonable enough. Bozydar isn’t going to go out so easy, not when he’s so close to his greatest breakthrough…! He challenges Eugenia to a game of this “chess” he’s had imported from the south.
https://i.postimg.cc/L5L3ypfH/20181223201617-1.jpg
The time that he spends playing this game for his life is, fittingly, the longest hour of his life. However, it truly was a desperate gambit, as he’s only played a couple matches of this damn thing…!
https://i.postimg.cc/xjz5jKZW/20181223201906-1.jpghttps://i.postimg.cc/gkbDxxFr/20181223201910-1.jpghttps://i.postimg.cc/tCdzW9pk/20181223201921-1.jpghttps://i.postimg.cc/mgbySKrs/20181223201935-1.jpg
Bozydar loses the game, and thus, his life.
https://i.postimg.cc/JzPcYKyB/20181223201952-1.jpg
His death is a true mystery, as he is found in the morning with no external wounds of any kind. Given his bizarre behavior as of late, there are rumors afoot, including a claim that his heart had been missing from his chest when they found him. How anyone could notice his heart missing if there were no external wounds, the story doesn’t clarify. He leaves behind quite a strange legacy, letting his chiefs do most of the fighting just like his predecessor, but spending most of his short reign cooped up in his study rather than chasing women. His ramshackle little observatory will likely go neglected and rot where it stands, assuming someone doesn’t just loot it. No one else knows of the strange horrors he experienced, so to them, it must’ve seemed like he didn’t really do much. And yes, indeed, no one knows to look for it anyway, but the Necronomicon has also vanished into thin air…
https://i.postimg.cc/QMzghtJ8/20181223202237-1.jpg
The king is dead! Long live King Gniewosz of Poland, Grand Duke of Pomerania and Lithuania!
https://i.postimg.cc/RFn7FBgc/20181223202529-1.jpg
…Well, that was certainly a chapter. Short one, too, but I feel like I’d rather maintain the chapter-a-character format for the time being.
Our eastern expansion seems to be checked for a while, as long as Ruthenia doesn’t just collapse or turn hostile, but I’m honestly fine with that. If only they fix their damn bordergore…
SilverLeaf167
2018-12-24, 06:49 AM
Chapter #4: Parades & Poisonings (Gniewosz + Wladyslaw, 987-1002)
17 August, 987
After the seemingly unremarkable reign of the unremarkable Bozydar, people have high hopes for King Gniewosz. As the grandson of good old Wanko, who himself is remembered more for his death than for his life, he’s only a distant cousin and quite a long leap from any of the previous kings. However, the youngest king since Lechoslaw has absolutely charmed the realm with his skill on the battlefield, hard-working nature, absolute devotion to the kingdom over all else, and sheer competence. Given all this, people expect a long and glorious reign.
https://i.postimg.cc/RFn7FBgc/20181223202529-1.jpg
After getting the usual formalities out of the way, one of the first things Gniewosz does is petition the Archpriest for authorization to settle some claims in Volhynia and make sure they won’t become a source of friction with their new friends the Ruthenians. Though the Archpriest considers such worldly matters a bit untasteful, he sees his point and grants him the blessing he asks.
https://i.postimg.cc/ZKYNQTjn/20181223224126-1.jpg
The Volhynians are fellow Slavs, but they’ll be better off as part of Poland. Gniewosz is first over the border, as is his duty, and the few warriors foolish enough to resist are summarily crushed, the region annexed in months.
https://i.postimg.cc/jSmJCyTn/20181223225006-1.jpg
Despite his earlier misgivings, it seems like the Archpriest might be a member of Gniewosz’ fan club after all.
https://i.postimg.cc/mkLPKwYJ/20181223224913-1.jpg
With that out of the way, though, Poland doesn’t have a lot more places it can reasonably expand, which is a first. To the west lies good old Francia, to the east is now Ruthenia; Estonia just plain doesn’t seem worthwhile; the south has some easy targets ripe for the taking, but the Poles generally consider the Carpathian Mountains a natural border they’d rather not cross too much. Besides, the so-called government of the kingdom feels a bit overextended to begin with, and the more land and ranting chieftains it has to deal with, the less effective the whole mess will become.
https://i.postimg.cc/50qHPGC8/20181223225302-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/Kv9TSdsN/20181223225620-1.jpg
As such, initial signs seem to point towards Gniewosz’ reign being one of relative peace after all. Knock on wood.
The same may not be the case for Francia, as the third Pope in a row excommunicates the reigning emperor. The emperors and capitals keep switching so often that the Poles have stopped bothering to keep track, but this Giselbert has actually been doing surprisingly well, all things considered…
https://i.postimg.cc/5tzQzj97/20181223230404-1.jpg
Not that the Pope himself seems too secure these days. Christendom really has become a free-for-all since the foundation and expansion of Francia turned its external conflicts into internal ones.
https://i.postimg.cc/85VJmDj1/20181223230657-1.jpg
(Not sure what happened here or if it even did anything)
Even if Poland is nominally at peace, the chiefs will get bored and start causing trouble with nothing to do, so Gniewosz agrees to lead a daring raid over the Francian border. Nürnberg, the capital of Bavaria, has been looking deliciously prosperous for a while now…
https://i.postimg.cc/BnXKqMrG/20181223231914-1.jpg
In fact, the castle turns out to be hiding a Christian relic: the finger bone of a saint! Very holy, and also kind of gross. It’ll look great in the treasury – we can put it right next to the mummified tongue.
https://i.postimg.cc/GtX4Ryz2/20181223232135-1.jpg
The predictable counterattack arrives days later, but even as his cackling chiefs are preparing to run off with their loot, King Gniewosz shocks them all by declaring that they shall hold their ground. Even more shockingly, the decision actually pays off, and the Francians are driven off with comparatively small losses on the Polish side. Quite cunning of the king to find such opportunities to prove his mettle even in, uh, “peacetime”.
https://i.postimg.cc/nV2jByZJ/20181223232433-1.jpg
Now having free rein of the region, the Poles leave the whole country a smoldering ruin and ride home singing, happy to spend that gold on drink and castles of their own. Better to leave while they’re ahead and before the emperor can bring his full force to bear. The finger has no special value to them, other than as a hunting trophy, but a fine trophy it is. The dutiful king just grins contently.
https://i.postimg.cc/ZKq9cwKy/20181223233038-1.jpg
Everything seems to be going swimmingly, until 992, five years into his reign. At one completely ordinary royal dinner in Krakow, Gniewosz is handed a drink by his Steward Twardomir, whom he thanks politely as usual. However, everyone at court seems to have forgotten that this is Bozydar's brother we're talking about here, that same old Back-Stabbin’ Twardomir. When the king keels over dead minutes later, everyone immediately knows where to look.
https://i.postimg.cc/GhS4SvHg/20181223234254-1.jpg
Feast in peace, Gniewosz. You were too good to last.
https://i.postimg.cc/JzfGRm3b/20181223234733-1.jpg
The king is dead! Long live King Wladyslaw of Poland, Grand Duke of Pomerania and Lithuania!
https://i.postimg.cc/Y9k0m3s0/20181223234738-1.jpg
No one knows what sort of motive Twardomir could’ve possibly had – besides sheer spite for being sidelined as king – but against all odds, he somehow manages to flee back to his holdings in Pomerania. When Wladyslaw comes to administer a summary execution by blunt force trauma, he resists in an act of desperate rebellion, but there’s little he can do against the king’s honor guard. Tragically, said guard also stops the king from simply charging at the man and advises him not to become a kinslayer himself; instead, Twardomir will rot under Wavel Castle for the rest of his hopefully short days.
https://i.postimg.cc/1zD4tTMb/20181223235547-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/vBzB7VJz/20181223235902-1.jpg
As for the newly crowned King Wladyslaw himself, he’s yet another distant cousin from yet another branch. Compared to these last three oddities, he’s a return to the traditional Lechoslaw and Skarbimir brand of Polish king: big, loutish, most happy with drink and women always within arm's reach, but a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.
His options for expansion aren’t much wider than Gniewosz’, but he’s eager to take what he can get, with little care for the consequences. The Pope has somehow come into possession of Znojmo in the rightfully Polish lands of Moravia, and despite many warnings that attacking the Pope of all people might draw the ire of other Catholics – out of principle if nothing else – Wladyslaw pays them no heed.
https://i.postimg.cc/qvhNfgKJ/20181224000809-1.jpg
Unfortunately, yes, the Pope is indeed joined by the Emperor of Francia (another new one, since Giselbert died a while ago, big surprise). Let’s hope Wladyslaw can replicate Gniewosz’ miracle…
https://i.postimg.cc/j2SjMjKr/20181224001512-1.jpg
The day he goes to war, though, one of his concubines – the Finnish woman Kaarina, ominously nicknamed ‘the Cleansing Flame’ for the sheer zealousness of her faith despite being a fresh convert – gives him a child. And what a special child he is. The Archpriest himself claims that young Niezamysl’s destiny is written in the stars, and it’s an omen of great glory for all of Poland. Wladyslaw doesn’t really understand the gravity of the priest’s words, only quipping that hopefully it’ll bring good luck for this current fight as well.
https://i.postimg.cc/MH3pN8Kf/20181224001646-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/RCghNwQC/20181224001703-1.jpg
The king does seem to have the gods on his side, finding personal honor and success on the battlefield.
https://i.postimg.cc/Gh92Y9qF/20181224002102-1.jpg
Still, trying to fight the Francians head-on might be a bad idea to say the least, so he sets his sights on the much weaker Papal army that has somehow managed to wander deep into Poland.
https://i.postimg.cc/m2qrSR50/20181224002240-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/QdTd4wLV/20181224002329-1.jpg
They are easily dealt with, and with some help from his more careful commanders, he manages to find a defensive position in the Carpathian Mountains to lure one of the Francian armies into. During the massive, pitched battle, he takes it upon himself to chase down the enemy commander – an entirely incompetent obese man pushing 60 – and with his heirloom Axe of Plusdwa in hand, it really isn’t much of a fight. He takes the sniveling man captive, just so he can mock him some more on the way back.
https://i.postimg.cc/R01V9tZB/20181224002525-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/sXVf22MZ/20181224002650-1.jpg
The rest of the battle is a great victory as well, but it’s worth keeping in mind that it involved nearly the entire Polish army against only a third of Francia’s. Apparently the emperor has some rebellions to deal with back west (as usual), seeing as his great armies depart the area mere weeks later and leave the severely outclassed Pope's forces to fend for themselves.
https://i.postimg.cc/W3XNqPZY/20181224002847-1.jpg
Wladyslaw is in a hurry to end the war before the emperor can return, and as it turns out, his banners are just about looming over the horizon when the Pope finally decides to just be done with the whole thing.
It’s not a massively important victory territorially speaking, but it is highly appreciated proof that Poland can face the massive Francia in open warfare and still prevail due to superior leadership and tribal unity. They probably still shouldn’t make a habit of it, though.
https://i.postimg.cc/PJJtmFzX/20181224003546-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/fbQT6CZC/20181224003738-1.jpg
Returning home, the king doesn’t have much sympathy for those who fail to appreciate the glory of conquest, especially if they try to imply that he’s to blame for their losses somehow.
https://i.postimg.cc/XqPnxcQw/20181224004407-1.jpg
Forced to return to domestic life, for lack of targets if nothing else, the great conqueror spends a little more time following the antics of his so-called Child of Destiny. There are even rumors of the infant Niezamysl once strangling a venomous snake, and the rest of the court seems to view the boy with confused awe, but Wladyslaw is still convinced that it’s nothing.
https://i.postimg.cc/sfHfVssv/20181224004815-1.jpghttps://i.postimg.cc/nhBnYm7D/20181224011240-1.jpg
The king aims to kill time by raiding the south some more, but some of his vassals have grander ambitions: in 999, the Republic of Gdansk decides to invade Denmark, which is already struggling with all sorts of other wars. If successful, this would be quite an interesting development; not something the Polish crown would have directly pursued, but still. On the other hand, king after king has been bothered by these Grand Mayors getting a little too snobbish for their tastes, even if never rising up in open revolt, so them grabbing too much land might cause trouble in the future.
https://i.postimg.cc/MKc6HNpt/20181224005908-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/kXknbsVC/20181224010057-1.jpg
Wladyslaw doesn’t live to see what becomes of the war, though, nor of his son. One night in January 1002, he dies the same way as his predecessor Gniewosz, though his poison comes from a viper rather than a goblet. Maybe he really should’ve let little Niezamysl sleep in his bed like he asked. Much like his pre-predecessor Bozydar, his death isn’t discovered until the next morning, and there are no obvious suspects to blame, even if foul play is evident.
https://i.postimg.cc/vmybPmLS/20181224011458-1.jpghttps://i.postimg.cc/jjhKBrMq/20181224011507-1.jpg
While rather unpopular, Wladyslaw still goes down as the first King of Poland – hell, perhaps one of the first people in general – to win an open war against the Empire of Francia, even if the emperor wasn’t really trying his hardest. He also leaves behind his most intriguing son Niezamysl...
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The king is dead! Long live King Spytko of Poland, Grand Duke of Pomerania and Lithuania!
https://i.postimg.cc/zBtNXFm9/20181224012415-1.jpg
Even with people’s insistence to the contrary, Poland’s borders seem to keep creeping outward little by little, whether by the hand of the king or of his diligent vassals. At this point, though, they don’t really have anywhere to go but north.
https://i.postimg.cc/nrXJs9pM/20181224012511-1.jpg
Denmark is losing ground in the east, yet an especially adventurous warband has somehow managed to... conquer a large chunk of Iberia, including Cordoba itself?
A couple more minor states have broken off of Francia, while others were reabsorbed. The most notable so far is Carinthia, but its position is shaky as well.
https://i.postimg.cc/T2sxz0Jb/20181224012805-1.jpg
While the Shia Caliph reigns in Africa, the Sunni Caliphs of Abbasid have been pushed all the way back to the Gulf of Persia, with the Tulunids of Egypt isolating the two from each other.
India is almost entirely dominated by the two massive empires of Pratihara (Rajasthan) and Pallava (Deccan), with Bengal stuck as a permanent tributary of the latter.
https://i.postimg.cc/Yqm7MFds/20181224012919-1.jpg
Yeah, screw chapter-a-character, this would get dumb. :smalltongue:
Eldership really is a weird dynamic, since the Elders are constantly cranky and tend to elect odd, usually older heirs, especially if I have a somewhat shorter reign and don’t have time to convince them about my own candidate.
Is it just me, or am I getting an abnormal amount of supernatural events these days? Anyway, happy holidays! I should look up some more Slavic festivals...
Rockphed
2018-12-24, 07:13 AM
So the good news is that Children of Destiny tend to go conquer themselves a nice new kingdom somewhere. The bad news is that they tend to convert to the local culture and religion. You might end up with a sunni egyptian branch of the family.
SilverLeaf167
2018-12-24, 08:10 AM
Well, we'll still get to live vicariously through him, knock on wood. And whether we end up allies or rivals down the road, it'll be interesting either way. :smallbiggrin:
SilverLeaf167
2018-12-25, 06:38 AM
Chapter #5: Of Gods and Kings (Spytko, 1002-1014)
27 January, 1002
Spytko Lechowicz is a somewhat unorthodox but sensible choice for King of Poland. He himself has the air of an Elder – more than that of a King, some detractors argue – but he’s seen a lot in his day, and should be a very good leader, well-spoken and intelligent even if not necessarily charismatic. He’s also fought in at least two dozen duels, eventually forced to put that hobby on ice after it cost an eye and a leg, but after this series of short reigns and assassinations, he wants to take good care of the throne without much lust for personal glory. Of course, his reign might still end up short due to his old age if nothing else.
https://i.postimg.cc/zBtNXFm9/20181224012415-1.jpg
Despite having trouble running or sometimes even walking, Spytko can still ride, and tries to stay out and about by adopting a form of hunting that allows something else to do the killing for him: falconry.
https://i.postimg.cc/7LZJ01XP/20181224233555-1.jpg
He’s heard the stories about Wladyslaw’s son Niezamysl, too, and decides to keep a close eye (singular) on the boy, allowing him and his mother to stay in Krakow. The Archpriest seems to be quite unnerved around the child, fully convinced that he’s some sort of divine vessel; problem is, he can’t tell of which god. Spytko insists on the boy getting a decent spiritual upbringing from the High Diviner, though, and after a little journey to Kiev, the Archpriest reports the boy having some sort of intense, spasmatic vision at the grand temple that seems to have changed him somehow…
https://i.postimg.cc/vB11SQpp/20181224233812-1.jpg
With almost suspiciously good timing, a shaman arrives from the western provinces to speak with Spytko about the state of the Slavic Church, and how it could play a part in the great future Niezamysl has ahead of him. The way he says it, it almost sounds like there’s some sort of cult forming around the boy. Spytko sternly commands him to cut it out; whether the boy is “divine” or not – the King is a faithful Slav himself, after all, and doesn’t deny the possibility – fanning the flames like this is going to make the 8-year-old lad grow up twisted if he hasn’t already.
https://i.postimg.cc/gkyx7tTk/20181224234506-1.jpg
Not all have a positive view of the littlest avatar, though. One would-be assassin – and a big brute of a man at that – sneaks into his quarters, only to get himself killed in one decisive strike from an improvised weapon before the boy, completely unflustered, walks downstairs and informs someone of the dead man on his carpet. Obviously he must be given better protection, but at this point, it almost doesn’t seem like he needs it…
https://i.postimg.cc/DZtS99hm/20181224235647-1.jpg
What’s that book he’s reading? The… Necronomicon? First off, what even is that, and second, when and where did the boy learn Latin?
https://i.postimg.cc/QC1FhfNm/20181225001221-1.jpg
Spytko was elected to be King, though, not a babysitter! Even if he's unable to lead from the front, he sends his chiefs to continue the process of rooting out Norse influence in the Baltics. The Swedes aren’t nearly the terror they used to be, struggling with just as many problems as their friends the Danes (although Gdansk’s war in particular was a failure), and really not much of a problem for the veteran Polish troops.
https://i.postimg.cc/R0p6R3b7/20181225000112-1.jpg
With yet another piece of land added to the realm, albeit a small one, King Spytko decides to finally deal with an issue that the more politically aware Poles have been throwing around for a while now. While the rise (hopefully without the fall) of Poland has been a time of great glory and prosperity for all, it’s been getting too big for its britches, as even King Gniewosz acknowledged. The crown struggles to maintain direct control of its most distant border areas, and High Chiefs often lack the power to do so themselves. The sheer number of complainers and petitioners of all sorts is too much for the King to personally handle, too, especially as he has to constantly travel around the realm.
As such, Spytko does something unprecedented: he decides to name another man Grand Duke to serve as his direct representative, though in this case the new Grand Duchy of Galich-Volhynia is created out of a border region rather than the King giving away one of his own.
https://i.postimg.cc/RCH67Z1t/20181225002842-1.jpg
However, this raises some eyebrows: many people were under the impression that “Grand Duchy” was just a term used for the King of Poland’s secondary titles, not something granted to a lesser chief under him. Is it truly appropriate for Grand Dukes to be under the service of a King? After all, the Poles have been quick to learn that the semantics of noble titles are a critical part of modern statecraft.
Tut tut! Spytko clarifies that in addition to this, the King of Poland shall now be the High King of Poland, a much more accurate show of their power. The country will still be called just a Kingdom, though, and don’t worry about getting the name wrong a couple times. Still, better get used to it soon.
https://i.postimg.cc/Dw2S3Q9Q/20181225003253-1.jpg
In a sense, the simple change from King to High King makes the monarch of Poland equivalent in rank to an Emperor, as he can now comfortably have King-equivalents serving as his vassals – of course, Francia for one is unlikely to recognize this any time soon. It also has wider implications, though, as the state of Poland has now been been placed far above any other kingdom in terms of prestige. How much this will go to their heads remains to be seen. Even if some obviously view this as a power play they wouldn’t have expected from Spytko, it’d be at least moderately treasonous to imply that Poland isn’t deserving of this honor.
Alas, it does open up Grand Duchies as something for individual vassals to fight over.
https://i.postimg.cc/K8JRGkb6/20181225003816-1.jpg
Speaking of empires, there’s been an unsuccessful “Jihad” or two in the past, but rumors arrive from over the steppe saying that the Aghlabid Caliph (isn’t he all the way in Tunis?) has called one against the massive Pratihara Empire, which has been creeping farther and farther west from its heartland in India. Something similar to the Slavs’ own Great Holy War, it seems? It doesn’t exactly concern the Poles in any way, but seems to be a matter of great import in the Muslim sphere down south.
https://i.postimg.cc/bvrdsyNs/20181225005617-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/SKPR9BJV/20181225005719-1.jpg
The Godling is already carrying himself like an emperor too, and certainly getting treated like one. Despite being only 14 winters old, he could easily pass for a grown man twice his age in terms of both looks and behavior. Spytko himself is far past certain that what they say about the boy is true; he’s just opted not to take a public stand on this matter, trying not to make things worse.
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On the 7th of February, 1011, the long-awaited day comes as Niezamysl turns 16 and is finally a full-grown adult in the eyes of gods and men. His name, meaning “The Unthinking”, has become sort of a title in itself, as he seems to be an utterly effortless genius at everything he gets up to, especially combat; the rumors (more like legends) say that in a sparring match, he can routinely beat dozens of men at once. There’s no way a young man of his divine talent will be content to just serve the Polish crown, especially as he has proven more than aware of his special status. What on earth will become of this son of Wladyslaw…?
https://i.postimg.cc/brxwKdLF/20181225011457-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/66nq71wL/20181225011655-1.jpg
It’s in the air: the Lechowicz clan seems to be on the verge of something great. With that in mind, Spytko – perhaps hoping to stop Niezamysl from stealing all his thunder – decides that he should write a short history of the dynasty’s deeds, one of the very few “books” written in Polish so far and perhaps the very first non-religious one.
https://i.postimg.cc/28Y6nFSp/20181225013124-1.jpg
He’s aided by a recent arrival at court, Scholastyka, well-versed in all things… well, scholastic, and actually said to be a very powerful sorceress.
https://i.postimg.cc/sDJ2mQMM/20181225013418-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/BnQnVSFM/20181225013423-1.jpg
However, his health has been deteriorating rapidly, and progress on the book slows down before stopping entirely. On the 14th of February, 1014, he finally succumbs to old age, dying peacefully in bed surrounded by his court.
While a very competent King, and in fact the first High King, the eyes of the realm really seem to have been focusing on Niezamysl over him, a fact which made him rather bitter despite his seeming disinterest in such things. Indeed, history may end up viewing him as more of a regent than the true ruler. Even his death just makes those eyes turn to the Godling once again. What will he do now, especially once he finds out that he’s been overlooked in favor of another youngster far less qualified than him…?
https://i.postimg.cc/bwCwX7H8/20181225013946-1.jpg
The High King is dead! Long live High King Nadbor of Poland, Grand Duke of Pomerania and Lithuania, Liege Lord of Galicia-Volhynia!
https://i.postimg.cc/8C7PTZtv/20181225015445-1.jpg
Told you we’d still be Poland.
I think I want to keep these supernatural elements at least mildly ambiguous, as to whether they’re real or just rumors and superstitions. It’s a bit harder at times, especially with something as potentially important as the Child of Destiny (I sure wish he doesn’t just fizzle out), but things like the Axe of Plusdwa etc. might only be “glistening with magic” due to having an iridescent sheen or something. :smalltongue:
When do you think it might be best to try and adopt feudalism, either mechanically or thematically, whichever you prefer? We’re already kinda proto-feudal, but it’ll be a process taking several decades, upsetting vassals and thus making us vulnerable to rebellion during it, and then greatly weakening us for a while when finally finished. We’ve been making decent use of the tribal Conquest CB, but not really anything else, and it’s becoming less and less and necessary anyway.
Also interesting to see the Shia doing decently for once. It’s been a while since I even saw them manage to get independent in a CK2 game. If their Jihad works out (and they’re currently winning), it'll be a major power boost.
Rockphed
2018-12-25, 07:28 AM
I'm almost surprised you didn't get Niezamysl elected as the next High King. Then again, it is more fun to watch something like that develop without your interference. Also, 137 personal combat skill! I half expect to see him take the Byzantine throne with those stats.
As for adopting feudalism, I'm never sure when to give up tribalism. Do you have any feudal vassals yet? Maybe after Niezamysl goes a conquering Poland will feudalize to show that their branch of the family is better than Niezamysl's.
SilverLeaf167
2018-12-25, 08:45 AM
I'm almost surprised you didn't get Niezamysl elected as the next High King. Then again, it is more fun to watch something like that develop without your interference. Also, 137 personal combat skill! I half expect to see him take the Byzantine throne with those stats.
Yeah, I actually had the opportunity to elect him, but decided that it felt both like cheating and a waste of a good narrative. :smallbiggrin: If you look at his traits, the elders do have good reason not to elect him.
As for adopting feudalism, I'm never sure when to give up tribalism. Do you have any feudal vassals yet? Maybe after Niezamysl goes a conquering Poland will feudalize to show that their branch of the family is better than Niezamysl's.
Not a bad idea. As for vassals, I do have a couple feudal High Chiefs in the conquered parts of Pomerania and Bohemia. Thematically speaking we're far enough into "feudalism", especially with the introduction of the Grand Duchies and such, that we're effectively halfway there.
Rockphed
2018-12-25, 02:59 PM
I'm fairly certain the big loss of power from feudalization comes from hitting high tribal authority, not from the actual feudaliziation itself. At high tribal authority, you get vassal levies instead of being able to call vassals in to wars. This makes fighting more predictable, since your vassals won't decide to wonder off and try to siege a harsh winter province with 10,000 men, but you only get about 10% of the troops your vassals could produce, instead of 100% when you call them in to war.
HMS Invincible
2018-12-25, 03:41 PM
I'm saving this until it hits eu4. You're doing great.
SilverLeaf167
2018-12-26, 07:43 AM
Chapter #6: Divine Disgrace (Nadbor, 1014-1041)
14 February, 1014
Though it comes as a shock to many, the House of Elders had its reasons not to elect the Godling Niezamysl. Even if he already has a huge number of supporters and seems almost terrifyingly qualified to be High King, the side worried rather than excited about him has been gaining traction. These years of what amounts to godlike worship have made him exceedingly callous, arrogant and deaf to dissent, which no electoral organ in the world could consider a virtue. They fear how Poland might be transformed under his absolute authority. There are worrying rumors that he routinely humiliates, beats or even kills his fanatical followers, who thank him for the honor, or commands them to do the same to each other. Furthermore, while most are still convinced of his divine blessing, the idea of him actually being a god or even a demigod has been denounced, and the Elders don’t want to encourage such dangerous ideas about someone so… well, dangerous.
High King Nadbor, on the other hand, is Niezamysl’s opposite in many ways. Though very bright, well-educated and dutiful, he’s quite modest and physically frail compared to the young god of war over there. However, the fact that Nadbor is the exact same age as Niezamysl just makes him all the more furious, since the Elders can’t even use that as an excuse.
https://i.postimg.cc/8C7PTZtv/20181225015445-1.jpg
Nadbor is married to the also young Adelajda, very talented herself and a very rare sight as a female High Chief who managed to inherit due to a lack of male siblings. Not only does she rule wealthy coastal Prussia, she’s also taken control of Poland’s small foothold in Bârlad in the south and managed to expand it farther north to almost reach back to the Polish mainland.
https://i.postimg.cc/fLX5Wq7g/20181225224905-1.jpg
What does Niezamysl do? Well, storm out of Krakow, ride south into the mountains, and leave the country altogether. Nothing is heard of him for a few very worrying months, until eventually news arrive that he has found patronage in the court of Nitra and is now planning to invade Poland with his personal army of zealots. The Polish reaction is one of terror. It appears that by scorning their gift from the gods, they have only managed to turn it against themselves. They can only wait, and prepare.
https://i.postimg.cc/MpP99QKt/20181225230327-1.jpg
Word also arrives from the south that the Shia Caliph has in fact succeeded in his Jihad against the Pratihara, securing himself a strong domain right next door to his Sunni counterpart. The Poles really couldn’t care less on the best of days, and this certainly isn’t that.
https://i.postimg.cc/dQ2nzXVh/20181225230921-1.jpg
As always, the High King has plenty of people around telling who they’d like him to attack, but with the Niezamysl question still up in the air, he’s too worried to actually send his armies anywhere. However, the wait grows long, and in January 1016, Archpriest Czcibor decides to call a second Great Holy War for Volga Bulgaria: a barely inhabited wilderness way, way east near the Urals, far outside traditional Slavic lands. While weakening the Kozar Khaganate is an acceptable goal, such a dubious war with dubious timing is incredibly worrying to say the least. The previous Archpriest was relatively anti-Niezamysl, but he died some years ago and left this man in charge; could this be just a treasonous plot to divide the Polish forces, leaving a clear path for Niezamysl to walk right into the capital and take Nadbor’s head!?
https://i.postimg.cc/NFk4myz6/20181225231647-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/j2bcD6Zq/20181225232406-1.jpg
Nadbor certainly thinks so. The gates of Wavel Castle remain shut tight until further notice, please leave a message, we’ll get back to you.
https://i.postimg.cc/135W0HPf/20181225232544-1.jpg
A tragically large number of powerful chiefs are taken in by this frivolous distraction.
https://i.postimg.cc/CKRmXxR0/20181225232920-1.jpg
However, no attack ever comes. Nadbor sits shivering in his fortress while the world carries on around him. In fact, in late September 1016, his wife sends him a letter: Niezamysl has shown up in Bârlad, without an army (certainly not for lack of volunteers), looking very sheepish and asking to be allowed back into the realm. Understandably confused, Adelajda has taken him in and let him train the troops or something.
Nadbor is no less baffled, and finally comes out of seclusion to go meet with Niezamysl. He still hates the High King’s guts, but deeply regrets his previous behavior and wants to serve the clan the best he can. He claims to have never heard of any invasion plans, but whether that’s true or not, Nadbor has the creeping feeling that Niezamysl might be more than a little unstable, and decides not to rock the boat. The man still has an army eagerly awaiting his return, after all. Better let him stay here, in the farthest reach of the realm. Nadbor is forced to make the nervous promise to ensure that Niezamysl be at the top of the election candidates, though.
But in the end, it seems that sitting still just really isn’t for him. Only a few years later, he declares that he’ll be departing to the east to seeking his fortune far abroad, across the steppes, where his clan or Poland can’t stop him from chasing his destiny. He makes this statement out loud in the Krakow market square, and word travels quickly, attracting an army of thousands of zealous warriors to accompany him. There’s little doubt as to what type of fortune he’ll be pursuing. The High King bids him farewell, both mildly wistful to have lost such a man and just happy to be rid of him. Perhaps the Slavs will hear of him again one day.
https://i.postimg.cc/TYQ0PDmG/20181226000351-1.jpg
(Stats reduced by the loss of modifiers upon departure)
Some years pass with the realm in relative peace, even though several chiefs are still running around in Volga Bulgaria. At the request of the Nadbor’s older brother, the Grand Duchy of Bohemia is founded and then delegated to him. His own wife Adelajda, meanwhile, is made the High Chieftess of Moldavia as well as Prussia.
https://i.postimg.cc/QdtbKdk7/20181226003049-1.jpg
The High King’s troops make another brave raid into Bavaria, the Poles’ personal storehouse, but for once the Emperor of Francia manages to respond with overwhelming force and convince them to retreat while they still can.
https://i.postimg.cc/zGckCY0c/20181226003700-1.jpg
While Nadbor himself hasn’t been too active on the military front, he has proven a masterful administrator when not cowering in his basement. Trade and agriculture around the capital have prospered greatly, leading to a lot of land being cleared that will be useful for centuries to come.
https://i.postimg.cc/4dCb0bCv/20181226003923-1.jpg
The second Great Holy War ends up fizzling out just like Niezamysl's invasion – in 1026, a full ten years after it started, nothing has been achieved. The High King probably could’ve settled it by actually participating, but he may have been feeling a bit spiteful, seeing as he still believes it started as a plot to get him killed.
https://i.postimg.cc/mDQNWzRv/20181226004948-1.jpg
Still, his mastery of home front politics, decently long reign and popularity with the chiefs allows him to push through a lot of other reforms. He starts steadily ramping up the amount of control he has over his realm; however, to keep his chiefs happy, the Crown Council that previously served a purely advisory role is given explicit voting rights on legislation and other matters of national importance.
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At the suggestion of his niece Wszebora – another conqueror High Chieftess, curiously enough – he does agree to send his troops north, to push the Polish border to the Daugava River and Gulf of Riga. Of course, this means that Swede-held Riga itself looms just across the river, and then they’re already at the Estonian border… if they keep following this line of thought, they’ll be in Finnmark before they know it.
https://i.postimg.cc/ryNChrfW/20181226012046-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/yN3ynpGY/20181226012409-1.jpg
While the Poles have little sympathy for their northern neighbors, the fact that as of 1031 the Danes finally decide to embrace Christianity is still a loss for pagans as a whole. The Norse faith has already been losing ground in the British Isles, but at least it’s still holding strong in Norway and Sweden… for now.
https://i.postimg.cc/8PkdxzYY/20181226013001-1.jpg
Nadbor’s reforms continue, establishing concrete laws for more and more things that used to be handled through simple tradition or gentleman’s agreements – some of them seemingly frivolous, but others quite critical, such as the supplying of soldiers in wartime. While the chiefs deserve some credit for their loyalty so far, his long-term goal is to make it so they’ll be obligated to serve the realm at all times whether they like it or not, but he obviously can’t say that out loud. He also isn’t above quietly replacing people on the Council to steer the voting in his favor.
https://i.postimg.cc/gkMypPF2/20181226015543-1.jpg
Around his 40th birthday, the High King starts to suffer from health problems – soon identified by his healer as the great pox, or “syphilis” – and for fear that his reforms might go unfinished, decides to write a book that’ll guide both his eventual successor in implementing them and other chiefs in obeying them in practice.
https://i.postimg.cc/Bnkx8cvW/20181226020052-1.jpg
While he lives on, pained but mostly alright, the illness also spreads to his wife – as the pox tends to do – who seems to be much more strongly afflicted, all the way up to the illness gnawing on her mind and rendering her almost too insane to be allowed in public.
https://i.postimg.cc/nLmqqjsX/20181226021552-1.jpg
In 1040, the Warriors of Perun request permission to construct a castle on an empty plot of royal land. The High King is more than happy to grant it, as that spot is perfect for a fortress but useless for much else. The Warriors already have four such castles within Poland, but they’ve continued to perform admirably in the holy wars and are universally honored for their devotion.
https://i.postimg.cc/50MLg4vn/20181226021808-1.jpg
Despite Adelajda being less than lucid at the moment, and people snickering about the High King taking orders from women, her request to Nadbor that he take control of the Galich Corridor (as it’s come to be called) and connect her southern holdings to the rest of the realm sounds quite reasonable. The land used to be held by Ruthenia, which is supposedly a “traditional Polish ally”, but recently broke off and can now easily be gobbled up with little consequences. Also, don’t mind the fighting on both sides of the corridor, that’s just some local feud again.
https://i.postimg.cc/sgvYD0s9/20181226022629-1.jpg
Ah, Poland’s borders are looking a lot better. It now controls a direct path down the Dniestr River east of the Carpathians. In fact, it’s very close to acquiring a port in the Black Sea; quite an interesting thought…
https://i.postimg.cc/XJcFDRk3/20181226022952-1.jpg
However, just as Nadbor had feared, in September 1041 the pox takes his life before he can finish his reforms; that duty will be left to his successor who, as expected, doesn’t have Nadbor’s book to help him. Everyone starting their life's work on their damn deathbed must be the real reason there’s no Polish literature. The epic rivalry between Nadbor and Niezamysl ended up having quite an unsatisfying ending as Niezamysl simply exited stage left, but Nadbor’s own reign still became long and prosperous enough that he got himself titled ‘the Great’. It’s a shame that his potentially greatest legacy might be credited to whoever succeeds him.
https://i.postimg.cc/YC5q4kv3/20181226204541-1.jpg
The High King is dead! Long live High King Prendota of Poland, Grand Duke of Pomerania and Lithuania, Liege Lord of Bohemia and Galicia-Volhynia!
https://i.postimg.cc/QMcN1P5r/20181226204531-1.jpg
No matter how many times the Polish monarch goes “fine, we’ll move the border there, but no farther!”, some vassal of his goes and does it anyway. See: Latvia.
https://i.postimg.cc/FFp3bQKV/20181226023735-1.jpg
Francia just keeps on going, I’m afraid. Small individual vassals keep breaking off every now and then, only to get reabsorbed by those who didn’t, or on very rare occasion a foreign neighbor.
The Umayyads of Toledo have managed to reclaim most of Iberia for Islam. Denmark grabbed Sicily, but is now at the receiving end of multiple competing conquerors.
Britannia remains culturally Norse-dominated, but most of them have adopted Catholicism.
Long-suffering Sweden finally got subjugated by Norway, but then again, they have Gavelkind succession, so it can only be temporary…
Despite trying and trying to make a comeback, Garthariki just keeps getting beat back down, now to the point that the actual Russian tribe of Novgorod has broken off from the kingdom and laid its own claim on the area.
The promising Shia Caliphate lost to a decadence revolt and fell into pieces. The Tulunids of Egypt remain the largest and most stable Muslim state by far.
The Bolghar invaders of Galilee have managed to expand into the Khanate of Syria.
https://i.postimg.cc/tCm6ftW1/20181226025317-1.jpg
The fall of the Shia Caliph also doomed his holdings in Persia, many of which got reconquered by the Indians.
The Western Protectorate of China has… somehow… managed to establish tributaries all the way at the Gulf of Persia and the Caspian Sea.
Don’t even ask about that random Polish province, because I don’t know.
https://i.postimg.cc/TYPmCHLM/20181226025347-1.jpg
http://e.lvme.me/5ecad35.jpg
Gods dammit, Niezamysl! The game definitely bugged out somewhere in there. I saw him try to invade Dulafid Yemen... problem is, the Dulafids hold no actual land in Yemen, and the CB was instantly disqualified. Bummer.
https://i.postimg.cc/cJPXSG3n/20181225231207-1.jpg
His departure to China still leaves some options for EU4, though, should we pursue them... :smallwink: Speaking of: the hell is up with the Western Protectorate?
Also, I quite seriously misremembered how raising Tribal Organization works… the opinion malus is for unreformed pagans only, and the cooldown timer a lot shorter than I thought. But at least that means we managed to achieve something this chapter. Almost.
Often during long periods on inactivity I think “man, this is going to make for such boring reading”. Then I realize I simply don’t need to write about it. I guess. It’s easy to forget that we still have 403 years to go, especially when I look at the map and wonder how I’m going to convert it to EU4. If the Francian blob still remains at that point, I might end up turning it into some sort of massive HRE… It’s certainly got the instability to match, without ever actually collapsing.
I'm saving this until it hits eu4. You're doing great.
Hey, that's great to hear! I might even message you once we get there, if I still remember. :smallbiggrin:
SilverLeaf167
2018-12-26, 07:51 AM
Special #1: Centennial of the Slavic Church (1041)
https://i.postimg.cc/hjpWsG6B/59c22e8315e9f91f3d0d99b0.jpg
Over a hundred years and seven monarchs have passed since King Lechoslaw ‘Ironside’ of Poland announced his new plans for the Slavs’ traditional faith, founding the Slavic Church in 924 (no exact date is known, but will likely be made up sooner or later so they can celebrate the anniversary). Due to his death later that year and general lack of spiritual knowledge, the actual process was left in the hands of what passes as clergy in the Slavic realms, most importantly the Archpriests of Perun: some of the only Slavic priests with any official status beyond personal respect.
Due to being naturally sculpted over millennia and existing almost exclusively among the native Slavs themselves, the Slavic faith is what some future scholars might call an ethnoreligious community that can’t be cleanly separated from the local culture as a whole. However, it’s worthwhile to take a closer look at what the Church actually means, and how it may have developed over the last century.
Geographic Spread
The Kingdom of Poland can be considered the “center” of the Slavic Church, being the most powerful Slavic state by far, the original reformer of the faith, and the home of the Archpriest of Perun. However, it still has notable Christian, Baltic and Norse minorities, which it has tried to deal with in a variety of ways.
Established minorities exist along the Baltic coast and the great inland rivers, regions with a history of foreign rule, but generally speaking the Slavs north of the Carpathians have been very successful in maintaining their traditions without converting to any strange faiths. Curiously, the resurgent Khazars recently promised to join the church, but no one got too excited, as they predictably turned back to Judaism only a few years later.
The South Slavs are the big exception, having been subjugated by a variety of invaders and thus forced to adopt Judaism, Catholicism or Orthodox Christianity, depending on the invader in question. As a result, the more traditional Slavs to the north feel increasingly detached from them, even if not necessarily spiteful, and tend to refer to their fallen brethren as “Carpathians” – or anything other than Slavs.
https://i.postimg.cc/ncV5TZGF/20181226025527-1.jpg
Tenets and Organization
Compared to the Abrahamic faiths, the Slavic Church could be said to have little interest in moralizing, but as mentioned, it’s inseparable from local cultural values. There is only one afterlife, Wyraj, domain of the death god Weles: a lush, green, ultimately quite happy place where all souls go after death, regardless of their deeds in life (though similar to Norse pagans, there’s a widespread idea that particularly grand individuals get to go and feast with the gods). The concept of eternal salvation or punishment is thus somewhat foreign to the Slavic mindset. However, those who severely violate the nebulous concept of “honor” by committing crimes such as murder, kinslaying or other treachery will get their just desserts here in the mortal realm, up to and including execution. Presumably the other souls in Wyraj also get to beat them up or something.
The most central spiritual tenet of the Slavic Church is to not deny the existence of any gods or spirits acknowledged by the Church, even the “evil” ones. The Church exists to maintain tradition and divine the truth, not to make it more pleasant or convenient, and trying to ignore some gods or conflate them with each other is a large, dangerous step towards Abrahamic monotheism. Not only that, many of the less tasteful gods also have their important positive sides, such as Weles being the god of music, or Marzanna the goddess of rebirth.
Other than that, the Slavic Church tends to highly value certain “masculine” traits such as bravery, strength, outspokenness and sexual virility; while these traits are valued regardless of gender, women are barred from most leadership positions. Only men may take official concubines, and most women only have what little power their husband gives them. As a side note, male homosexuality is considered unusual but acceptable as long as you’re the “dominant” half, whereas female earns a shrug at best. However, women are considered naturally “wiser” in a spiritual sense, and hold equal power in religious matters (or sometimes greater, due to more women than men pursuing this path). The so-called clergy so far consists of a hodgepodge of wise elders, sages, witches and shamans, most of whom have accepted the Slavic Church’s reforms. While they certainly exist as a separate social class, they have little real organization, and also aren’t expected to abstain from carnal desires or marriage like most Abrahamic priests are. The only prerequisite to be considered a Slavic priest is the possession of spiritual power and knowledge. Many of them even make their living hunting and farming on the side like any regular tribesman.
https://i.postimg.cc/wjZG6N8M/886df-601452-482239285176503-42016190-n.jpg
Polytheism
Indeed, polytheism is central to the Slavic Church, which upholds its traditional belief in a multitude of gods and spirits. There exists something of an ur-god, Rod, supreme creator of all things; below him are the ultimate "good” Bialobog and “evil” Czarnobog; all other gods are aspects of one or the other. These top-level gods are somewhat abstract and distant, and the highest actively worshipped deities are Tryglaw, Swarog and especially Perun, each an aspect of Bialobog.
This view of deities as aspects of each other makes it easy to integrate foreign gods and traditions in a way that doesn’t threaten the foundations of Slavism. This syncretism is most notable between Slavs from different regions, or between Slavs and other pagans (the Slavic Church includes a lot of Norse and Baltic influence), but there have also been attempts at reconciliation with Christianity. The Slavs are perfectly happy to think of Jesus, the Crucified God, as a benevolent god of mercy, healing and rebirth, but to loyal Christians this obviously reeks of high blasphemy: they refuse to acknowledge the Slavic gods as anything but maybe demons in service to Satan. A small number have tried to meet the Slavs halfway, though, by admitting that some of their pagan gods might be angels or at least saints. Without direct contact with Papal authorities, what remains of the Christian minority in Poland is developing some interesting heresies of its own.
Ancestor worship also plays a role, overlapping with the worship of spirits in general. It tends to be performed in the abstract, with offerings made to the vague entity of “the ancestors” rather than any specific individuals, but the royal Lechowicz dynasty of Poland in particular has a growing collection of tomb-shrines devoted to the personal worship of previous kings, not least in an attempt to justify why the family gets to stay in power. Respect for one’s elders and predecessors is universally valued, though, and local traditions may take it further: some, especially in the distant northeast with Finnic influence, believe that people only truly die once they’re forgotten, and stick around to protect their descendants as long as they continue to pay their respects.
https://i.postimg.cc/zX0m13GH/dawapara-slavic-kolovrat-symbol-pagan-jewelry.jpg
Missionary Work
First and foremost, Christian missionary work in Slavic lands has virtually ceased. This was the Slavic Church’s main goal from the start, so they can definitely pat themselves on the back for this great success. The Slavs’ own conversion work has focused on rural practitioners of “Old Slavic” traditions who were either resistant to or simply ignorant of the Slavic Church’s reforms, before moving onto other pagans on the Baltic coast, and finally the Christians of Bohemia. The latter originally saw very little success, only for a wave of conversions to occur in the last couple decades.
The Slavic faith could be expected to be poorly suited to evangelism: it has no great salvation and very little clear-cut dogma to offer, so while the shamans can recite the legends all they want, it’s understandably hard for people to see why they should go and convert. It can be assumed that the conversions in Bohemia are a combination of steady cultural assimilation, weakened Papal authority, and the Bohemian Slavs simply returning to their roots - they were forcefully converted to Christianity only a century ago, after all. Most of them never fully abandoned their old gods, merely placed Jesus as the highest among them.
Also, despite the peculiar precedent set by the Great Holy Wars, religiously motivated warfare (other than in the general sense of warriors being favored by the gods) has little basis in Slavic tradition. The Great Holy War for Ruthenia was fought to liberate Slavs from Norse rule, not to aggressively spread the Slavic faith beyond its own borders; Volga Bulgaria was just a farce no one can really explain. While the Slavs are often seen attacking other faiths, this is usually about sheer opportunism or “preemptive self-defense” with religion itself being a low priority at best. Of course, this is subject to change at the drop of a hat, and people who are going to war anyway don’t mind getting the gods involved.
https://i.postimg.cc/PqbkLyMN/slavicpaganism.jpg
Rituals
Many everyday rituals are performed by laymen and even rulers, but the more important ones require a representative of the clergy. In the Slavic mindset, there isn’t necessarily a difference between a prayer, a ritual and a spell; only less and more powerful magic. Priests go around casting all sorts of spells, and are expected to pull double duty as healers through magic and medicine alike. However, one doesn’t need to be a “priest” to learn magic, nor does knowing magic make you a “priest” if you don’t consider yourself one. Of course, as with any other religious ritual, some (be they Christians or simple cynics) see this so-called magic as mere superstition.
As with most pagan traditions, nature-related themes such as the seasons play an important part in Slavic rituals. On the winter solstice, bonfires are lit in cemeteries to warm up the dead and divinations made for the coming year. In March, an effigy of Marzanna is drowned in a river to signify the end of winter, after which a great feast is dedicated to Jarylo and the start of spring. More bonfires are lit for the goddess Kupala on the summer solstice. The harvest begins with a tribute to Swarog, and ends with yet more feasting.
However, one would be amiss not to mention that certain rituals are exactly the part of Slavic religion that others find most questionable. It’s not unusual for warriors to take prisoners during raids or warfare, demand a hefty ransom, and if one isn't paid, use them for human sacrifice. Supposedly the ancestors consider it a rare treat to feed on blood instead of the usual beer. These sacrifices are relatively infrequent, grand occasions, performed by great men to seek guidance from the spirits, but it’s only a honor for themselves; the involuntary sacrifice has all the dignity of cattle. To the Slavs, taking someone prisoner and then killing them later is no more or less heinous than simply killing them outright, but this little tradition is something that non-pagans find understandably difficult to swallow.
https://i.postimg.cc/CLnXBJhY/slavic-tree-800x445-758x422.jpg
Language
Though not directly a part of the Slavic faith, the need to create written versions of various texts and documents was what led to the standardization of written Polish, and they are thus closely intertwined. It’s clearly a work in progress – they’re still trying to figure out vowels, for one – and not many Polish works have yet been written, but it’s still a major leap forward for the culture and government of a purely oral language. Of course, literacy is still extremely marginal, but on its way to becoming a part of the broad knowledge expected from clergy and nobility.
Due to their cultural conflicts with the west, the Poles found the Cyrillic alphabet developed by their southern neighbors more palatable than its Latin equivalent. Though Polish has predictably become the lingua franca of the Kingdom of Poland and some of the surrounding region, other groups – including Poland’s own Pomeranians, Lithuanians, Bohemians, Ruthenians and so on – are also likely to want written languages sometime soon. The Slavic languages form a long continuum with very hazy boundaries between them, but one of them being standardized will quickly lead to others doing the same to reaffirm their own identity.
https://i.postimg.cc/3RMVZvnV/38e6d614771d4c0ba49d9791761fd37a.jpg
Niezamyslism
Last but not least, given recent events, the strange case of Niezamysl Lechowicz merits some mention. Growing up in a period when Poland was rapidly rising in power and even managed to beat the Francians on the battlefield, Prince Niezamysl – son of King Wladyslaw (r. 992-1002) – showed extraordinary talent in myriad fields from a very young age, something which the Poles soon labeled supernatural, and a major cult developed around the prepubescent boy. The Slavic Church’s “official” position was that he was divinely blessed but not divine himself, but they were far from united in this matter, and even Archpriest Czcibor himself was a suspected Niezamyslist. When the 19-year-old Niezamysl failed to be elected High King, there were widespread fears of him attempting a coup with his army of fervent followers, but it never came to fruition, and may indeed have been just a false rumor spread by said cultists or their opponents. In the end, the only title Niezamysl ever held for a short time was Marshal of Prussia, and in 1019 he ultimately took his army and ventured east. Nothing is known of what happened to him since.
As time goes by, skeptics and opponents are likely to keep downplaying Niezamysl’s divine powers, while his remaining followers get more and more outlandish in their beliefs. Though he took his able-bodied warriors with him, many others were left behind, and still maintain their little cult of personality within the Kingdom of Poland. They seem to believe that Niezamysl will return one day to strike down the Christians, expand Poland and turn it into a thousand-year paradise on earth; however, the Slavic Church criticizes this not only as a clear form of Abrahamic messianism, but for supposedly undermining the elected High King’s right to rule.
Quite the wall of text, but personally I love writing these worldbuilding interludes. As usual, requests for topics of interest are welcome. :smalltongue:
It was fun to try and picture what an organized pagan (and not neo-pagan) religion might look like. While it’ll likely develop in a more rigid direction over the years as we adopt feudalism and a stricter hierarchy, the basic tenets will remain the same. I also tried to find a balance between its more and less enlightened aspects, as our society in this story is quite religiously tolerant but still very violent and very patriarchal. Kind of like another Roman Empire, come to think of it?
Standard disclaimer that the narrative doesn’t reflect my personal views of Slavs, Christians, pagans or any other group, this is strictly fiction, do point out anything that strikes you as offensive, etc. etc. Paradox games are kinda fundamentally forced to deal with matters of culture and religion.
Rockphed
2018-12-26, 09:19 AM
Okay, you should add a Niezamyslism Heresy to Slavic. Well, probably not since he decided to go off to china after accomplishing nothing of note, but if he had gotten himself killed or had actually taken a kingdom I could see a heresy forming around him.
And I love the occasional world-building post. They make this seem like a glimpse into another world, rather than simply a recounting of strange events.
mythmonster2
2018-12-26, 02:05 PM
Well, some Destiny that was. But, loved the worldbuilding post; it's always nice to see the world beyond the throne room and the battlefield.
SilverLeaf167
2018-12-26, 06:30 PM
Chapter #7: A Small Step for a King (Prendota, 1041-1056)
27 September, 1041
High King Prendota, one of the late Nadbor’s best commanders, has spent most of his life as the chief of a small domain in the Carpathian Mountains, harsh and poor but very close to Krakow. Nadbor is relying on him and his decisive nature to finish the job he couldn’t. One could almost think that the Polish people are getting tired of indulgent, brutish rulers, but worry not, it’s just that the High Kings themselves are being given more of a say in who their heir should be.
https://i.postimg.cc/QMcN1P5r/20181226204531-1.jpg
However, after the great statesman Nadbor dies, his cranky council immediately starts testing its limits, and Prendota has trouble getting them to do something as simple as assign chiefs to the conquered Galician provinces without ending up in an electoral gridlock. It’ll take at least a while longer before he can obtain the political clout his predecessor had.
He rolls his eyes and decides to give the childish chiefs some time to cool their heads. Meanwhile in the south, the Catholics and Shia have been fighting over Sicily for a while now, only for some Norse lords from Karelia to now roll up on shore, kick everyone off the island and declare it theirs. All sides are confused enough by this turn of events to cease hostilities for the time being. The islanders later end up rebelling, sending away the Norsemen and gaining their most likely brief independence.
https://i.postimg.cc/bN3GMvzr/20181226210556-1.jpg
In terms of conquered islands, Poland’s getting some too, as the High Chief of Rügen has decided to take his bite of the Danish pastry and conquer the kingdom’s capital isles in Sjaelland. They’re an unexpected addition to the realm to say the least, but also potentially valuable as they control the only straits between the North and Baltic Seas, as well as the main crossing between Scandinavia and continental Europe.
https://i.postimg.cc/K8W1Gs3y/20181226211717-1.jpg
This impressive conquest, while unauthorized by Prendota, is the perfect pretext for him to appoint Rügen to the Council in place of Galicia-Volhynia, which can’t even keep its own lands in order (and keeps arguing with the High King no less). With that, he finally manages to get the ball rolling.
https://i.postimg.cc/R0nNNQwJ/20181226213032-1.jpg
And so, though there’s no individual decision significant enough to give an exact anniversary or even register in the councilors’ heads, 1044 marks a year of great change in Polish politics: the High King wishes to push it away from tribalism, and closer to the feudalism prevalent in the rest of Europe. In this system, the vassals are bound to the ruler through a web of loyalty and legally binding obligations rather than simple tradition (though having that is a plus), and a detailed chain of taxation exists from top to bottom. And the centerpiece of feudalism… is the lord’s castle.
Of course, getting the chiefs to build bigger and fancier castles doesn’t exactly take a lot of convincing; in fact, many in Poland already more than rival Krakow's own Wavel Castle. The conquered regions in the west and coastal regions in the north have already gone a long way towards modernizing their estates, the Republic of Gdansk being the oldest and most famous example of a Polish (Pomeranian) city.
https://i.postimg.cc/QCSMR6Zw/20181226213233-1.jpg
It’s all the rules that follow, and the cities that surround these castles, and the people who live in those cities. If the Poles are to grow powerful, populous and prosperous enough to live without the nagging fear of Francia declaring war any day now – which it only miraculously hasn’t done yet – then an increasing number of them will have to move away from their small villages, away from their ancestral holy groves, and perhaps most importantly, hand over their farmland to feudal lords. The High Kings certainly have no interest in weakening Polish traditions or the Slavic Church… but they’ll have to figure out a compromise with the unstoppable march of time.
The transition may be rough. If the gods have mercy, all will be well, and this speech just rambling paranoia.
https://i.postimg.cc/L85qMMXT/20181226214519-1.jpg
One of the more concrete things that place this switch in 1044 specifically is the number of massive renovation and construction projects begun in the capital region. Wavel Castle itself undergoes some major upgrades, with the last remaining wooden palisades being replaced with higher-than-ever stone walls, and the interior rebuilt to match the High King’s prestige. Foundations are also laid for the brand new temple of Bialaskala, which is to be the official seat of the Archpriest of Perun and the finest in the realm, embellished with sparkling stone from the recently opened salt mines nearby.
https://i.postimg.cc/26Qyxkcz/20181226215235-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/RF5qf6Ts/20181226215641-1.jpg
Similar undertakings take place in the crown’s other holdings, hoping to bring security (and with it, control) to the oft-lawless countryside as well.
https://i.postimg.cc/tRz7Zgnk/20181226220115-1.jpg
Of course, in the vein of following tradition, much of the funding for all this comes from “involuntary donations” from Poland's neighbors.
https://i.postimg.cc/cCdH9p2f/20181226220559-1.jpg
While everything seems to be going swimmingly, it’s only due to High King Prendota’s constant efforts. Years of work with very little time for yourself are enough to make anyone a bit stressed.
https://i.postimg.cc/dtt38K8Y/20181226222027-1.jpg
In late 1048, a major civil war erupts in the west as the King of France rebels against the Emperor of Francia’s (wait, those aren’t the same thing?) attempts to consolidate power at his expense. While the malformed Emperor still holds the advantage, the King does get some other major lords on his side. As usual, the Poles will metaphorically sit in the audience and hope that this war might weaken the realm, but at this point, Francia has a rather unshakable reputation.
https://i.postimg.cc/jdg5ckXJ/20181226222730-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/Z5WqMF7s/20181226222925-1.jpg
Yup, no such luck – the Emperor dies “of severe stress” mere months later, leaving the throne to his son, who has no interest in continuing the conflict and lets the King of France keep his counties. Both sides’ armies go unkilled and the status quo unchanged.
As for Poland’s reforms, in these few short years they’ve been quite enthusiastically adopted everywhere but Galicia-Volhynia, which is apparently just too much of a backwater. There is the occasional peasant revolt – apparently some chiefs’ attempts at “encouraged migration” have been veering more into “forced relocation”– but they’re easily put down as usual.
https://i.postimg.cc/y82N4g21/20181226223503-1.jpg
Prendota’s fame as a military leader helps him in convincing the chiefs to grant the royal army greater levies, in exchange for lower taxes.
https://i.postimg.cc/Dzsw2fKq/20181226224644-1.jpg
In 1052, the… apparently less than stable King of Estonia sends messengers to the Polish court, saying that he’s very impressed with the Slavic Church and would like to convert his little (newly conquered) kingdom forthwith. While highly unusual, Prendota sees no reason to deny his request, perhaps ushering in a new age of Slavic expansion.
https://i.postimg.cc/NMkGHNFF/20181226230059-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/zBrX3mJ4/20181226230050-1.jpg
‘Tis a glorious day for so many people to voluntarily embrace the faith. The nomads a while back don’t count. There are even some ambitious ideas of developing the Church into an united community of all pagandom, but that sounds a bit sketchy to say the least. King Kezhevat is also wed to a young Lechowicz lady soon after, cementing good relations with Poland.
https://i.postimg.cc/cC1xMQtm/20181226230238-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/Vv7Y7djc/20181226230439-1.jpg
The late Nadbor realized that he required the support of a council of chiefs to legitimize his reforms, but now that the new system is mostly in place, they and their squabbles are frankly just inconvenient. Prendota manages to pull some strings and make enough promises for them to willingly give away some of their less important privileges; hopefully, he and his successors can eventually revoke enough of them that the council can’t disrupt the kingdom when it matters most.
https://i.postimg.cc/44wN4FjF/20181226232857-1.jpg
However, much like those dogs biting the hand that feeds them, a dog… bites Prendota’s hand while he’s feeding it. The royal healer concludes that this hunting dog of his had somehow contracted rabies out in the woods, and now it has spread to the High King. He’ll do what he can, but this particular illness doesn’t exactly have a high recovery rate, and they should probably prepare for the worst…
https://i.postimg.cc/DyZfSPTf/20181226233423-1.jpg
The previous king’s wife High Chieftess Adelajda on the other hand is somehow still kicking, unstable as ever, yet somehow manages to secure Belgorod, a notable port in the Black Sea. Of course, now it’d be in Poland’s best interest to grab some more land to strengthen its grip on what it already has… Why must conquest be such a slippery slope?
https://i.postimg.cc/g2LYDcjf/20181226234001-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/wTGqLRqX/20181226233940-1.jpg
She’s not the only warrior spirit around, however. As one of her first deeds in office, the 22 years old and clearly very zealous Archpriestess Smiechna has decided to call a Great Holy War against Francia itself to settle a century-long cold war once and for all. If East Francia – the part bordering Poland – can be taken, the Slavs will be so greatly strengthened and the Francians so weakened that they’ll never be a threat again. The King of East Francia has been one of the more loyal ones, so if he can be taken out of the equation, the western and southern rebels should hopefully have free rein. The Emperor is at the weakest he’s ever been, she argues, and if they miss this opportunity, there’s no telling when the next one will come.
Rise, for the Old Gods! Down with the Crucified! Our ancestors shall judge us!
https://i.postimg.cc/wBK9bKs3/20181226234902-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/k5xq0jxs/20181226235154-1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/hjccc9sB/20181226235338-1.jpg
Whatever the case, unlike those previous holy wars in the east, this one is too high profile and too vital for the High King of Poland to miss. His involvement will make or break this war, and hopefully Francia with it. Poland wouldn’t be able to defeat the Empire alone; however, with the combined strength of the whole Slavic Church, he just might do it, majorly shake up Catholic Europe, and prove that he can do it again if needed.
As of the 19th of July, 1056, Poland declares war on Francia itself for the first time.
Alas, Prendota himself will be unable to see it through, as his illness is long past the point of no return, and he dies in his beautiful new castle while the armies are still mustering. The Polish chiefs have always had some trouble appreciating the efforts of talented administrators rather than warriors, but as High King Prendota was both of those, he will be fondly remembered as ‘the Wise’. His reforms themselves may have gone almost unnoticed in their subtlety, but what the Poles didn’t miss was the prosperity they’ve already brought. As his successor will be in charge of the Great Holy War, we can only hope that he’ll prove even greater, despite first impressions…
https://i.postimg.cc/mDjRDtpF/20181227000403-1.jpg
The High King is dead! Long live High King Strasz ‘the Lewd’ of Poland, Grand Duke of Pomerania and Lithuania, Liege Lord of Bohemia and Galicia-Volhynia!
https://i.postimg.cc/NF0trBZC/20181227002705-1.jpg
Welp. There you go. It’s do or die now, boys!
…Not really, since even losing this war can’t actually backfire on us in any major way, which I’d say is one of CK2’s bigger weaknesses. But still, read the mood!
If we do get East Francia, there’ll probably be a vote on what to do with it, so the next chapter might be pretty short, and with a longer gap before the next one (oh, the horror). Wait, why is it always Germany we’re voting about, no matter the game? :smalltongue:
Speaking of posting rate, I know it’s kind of ridiculous that I’ve averaged a chapter a day so far, but that’s just because I’m on winter holiday with nothing better to do. :smallbiggrin: There’ll be at least a week’s break starting on the New Year since I’m going overseas, and things will obviously slow down eventually. But, in my experience, ain’t nobody ever complained about too many chapters.
Nice to know that the world-building is popular, too. I'll keep 'em coming every now and then, when I figure I have a good topic.
SilverLeaf167
2018-12-27, 01:52 PM
Chapter #8: Feudal Faceoff (Strasz, 1056-1057)
10 August, 1056
It’s been over a century since the election of King Mszczuj ‘the Lecher’, so no one really remembers the specifics, but if they did, they’d probably be getting some flashbacks right about now. Strasz ‘the Lewd’ is a notorious womanizer, and while a decent soldier, his imposing eyepatch and rakish charm may or may not have been the deciding factor. Still, if he can put his hobbies on hold for the time being, he’s also a fiercely devout follower of Perun; a suitable High King to lead Poland headfirst into a Great Holy War.
https://i.postimg.cc/NF0trBZC/20181227002705-1.jpg
The first Slavic armies cross into East Francia in early September 1056, led by High King Strasz and Poland’s greatest warriors. Though the crown should be able to put together some 23,000 troops, the Warriors of Perun around 11,000 and the other Slavs who knows how many, they’re all eager to be the first ones over the border.
https://i.postimg.cc/y8M6zNVK/20181227180357-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/XqCQTFM6/20181223193438-1.jpg
The Emperor, meanwhile, is left with far fewer allies due to the sheer lack of Catholics outside Francia, but that's just another way to say that Francia is massive enough to contain more or less all the Catholics in the world.
https://i.postimg.cc/t4ZRf6GD/20181227180644-1.jpg
By spring next year, the Slavs have already made great headway into enemy territory, and are now gearing up for the battle of a lifetime that just may set the course of this war.
https://i.postimg.cc/QCdhq9qQ/20181227181322-1.jpg
One of the Francian armies ends up (perhaps wisely) chickening out, but that just seals the other's doom at the Battle of Roth, which will go down as the most famous battle of the war, or more accurately the only one people remember: relatively small but decisive.
https://i.postimg.cc/N0RsGwMH/20181227181441-1.jpg
This trend continues, as the quarrelsome Francians coordinate their armies much more poorly than the Slavs, and are thus outnumbered in basically every fight they have, at least by the time Slavic reinforcements arrive. The Slavs are making quick work of the area: grabbing whatever loot they can and, as no one will ever let them forget, inflicting some incredible cruelty on the local populace. It can only be assumed that in spite of the Slavic Church’s usually relatively soft rhetoric towards other religions, this sudden holy war must really have brought up some built-up zeal in the Slavic warriors, as there are even reports of them crucifying many Christians in a mockery of their feeble god. Indeed, the very meaning of a Great Holy War in Slavic theology will come into question in the aftermath of this war: it involves no Slavic populace to liberate or immediate threat to defend against, and is thus hard to justify in traditional terms.
On the 19th of September, 1057, as High King Strasz himself is almost knocking on the gates of the imperial capital Vermandois, Emperor Theodorich II ‘the Bold’ decides to prove he’s not worthy of his name and send a messenger with an offer of full surrender. No one had expected him to give up such a massive amount of territory without a far harsher beatdown, but the Third Great Holy War has ended barely a year after it started, in an overwhelming Slavic victory.
https://i.postimg.cc/d3NvNsWz/20181227183055-1.jpg
The fact that they’ve already won doesn’t stop the jubilant warriors from wrecking the place even more before finally heading home for the real party. Were he just a regular soldier, Strasz would likely be among them; however, now the future of Germany – let’s be real, we’re not going to keep calling it East Francia – is left in his and the Council’s hands. And boy, do they have a lot of work to do…
https://i.postimg.cc/xjN35xc4/20181227203223-1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/Hx2T54bW/20181227184136-1.jpg
The good news: if the Poles’ most optimistic estimates prove true, the loss of Germany will cripple Francia to the point of impending collapse, and even if not, it’s still a great blow in itself, not to mention a moral victory for Poland. Of course, the Christians will likely view them as a barbarian horde pouring over their borders rather than a righteous kingdom proving the power of its faith, but still.
The sad truth: this conquered territory, though far smaller, has almost the same population as the entire Kingdom of Poland, except completely Christian (whether Catholic or heretic) and very much German. They have little knowledge of and even less sympathy for their new Polish overlords. They can’t be simply annexed into the kingdom without shaking it to its very foundations, something which no one has any will to do. Not to mention how horrible it would look on a hypothetical map.
https://i.postimg.cc/y6LV8jVv/20181227185036-1.jpg
In a meeting even more secretive than usual, the Crown Council discusses several options with the help of additional advisors brought in just for this highly critical question. Obviously, many of them hadn’t even considered the possibility of doing anything but annexing Germany. Whether zealous, greedy, simply expansionist or perhaps simple-minded, they thought it obvious that Germany would remain part of Poland just like every other conquest in the past. Why would they spend all this time gazing wistfully over the border, only to immediately give it away after first spilling the blood of thousands on both sides? Perhaps it’ll be granted full or limited independence in the future when the situation is more stable, but for the time being, Germany should become another Grand Duchy and a jewel in the High King’s crown.
Others acknowledge that Germany is too vast and different to be ruled from Krakow, and the seemingly most popular option is to crown a Lechowicz as King of Germany, grant them independence from Polish rule and then maintain an alliance rather than direct vassalage. As King against High King, Germany would still be the junior partner in the relationship. Of course, a single look at the Karlings will tell you that simple dynastic links do not ensure lasting cooperation, but it’s certainly better than nothing. Local titles would be distributed to other Polish nobles and accomplished soldiers.
Whether they're pro-Archpriest or just secretly anti-Lechowicz, some suggest that since the Archpriestess of Perun (who's somehow managed to die of food poisoning) was responsible for starting this war, and the gods themselves for winning it, all of Germany could just be placed under the authority of the Archpriest to create the Priest-Kingdom of Germany. Giving all power to the wise shamans should discourage dynastic instability, even if some are worried about this making them grow too worldly.
If this option were chosen, the Warriors of Perun would likely be given some authority within the realm to add to its military arm and reward their contribution to the war. However, some suggest putting them in charge of the whole thing as Perunic Germany. Of course, this would hugely transform their role from an independent holy order into a very much political kingdom, but surely stronger than any of the other options. (Since gameplay-wise the kingdom title would supersede the holy order, I’d create a custom kingdom for them to fix this. And yes, this may or may not end up buggy.)
The Council… may be getting a little too excited. Other suggestions keep being tossed around, more outlandish by the minute. Obviously this whole discussion is already dancing around the issue that whoever gets this prize, the Slavic Church is being forcefully imposed on several million people who have nothing to do with Slavs, something it was never meant to do. All of Poland's previous conquests have been either fellow Slavs or closely related pagans. Everyone is either forgetting this in their zeal or all too willing to ignore it, but then again, handing the land back to Francia or even installing Christian rulers isn’t exactly on the table…
So, the question remains: who shall rule Germany?
High King of Poland
Lesser Lechowicz
Archpriest of Perun
Warriors of Perun
Other (please specify)
There are also some smaller details to discuss: so that Poland doesn’t come out completely empty-handed, if Germany is taken by someone other than the High King, many are interested in still keeping the duchies of Saxony and Bremen on the west bank of the Elbe River. This would give Poland a valuable port in the North Sea, and of course liberate the small Pomeranian minority in the area. They really are thinking like modern statesmen these days…
https://i.postimg.cc/QxPhpMK7/20181227195150-1.jpg
[That’s two separate matters to vote on: the future of Germany, and of Bremen-Saxony. Please vote, ask questions and/or discuss in the thread!] (CLOSED)
"Vote on your phones! And everyone voted so hard that the palace caught on fire and burnt down."
Maybe somewhat anticlimactic, but that’s warfare for ya. It’s not about the process, it’s the results!
This is very much a coincidental repeat of the Hellenic Empire’s German question, albeit 200 years earlier under vastly different circumstances, and unfortunately fewer options: breaking it apart or creating the Germanic League isn’t on the table if Francian reconquest is to be prevented, or at least not among the default options. Feel free to still vote under “Other” if you want, I suppose.
And remember, vote your conscience. The “mechanically better” or “sensible” choices may be obvious, while some are pretty out there, and one or two somewhere in between, but you should vote for what you want, however you happen to decide that. :smallwink: I wouldn’t give options I’m not willing to go through with, even if I find them unlikely to be chosen, so go ahead and surprise me. You’ll have at least a couple days to vote.
Rockphed
2018-12-27, 02:27 PM
Oh, wow. That went much better than expected. Um, wow. Are you sure we can't just find a bunch of Cathars to install as counts across Germany? They all hate us just as much as the Catholics? Hmmm.
Isn't the Archpriest of Perun currently our vassal? If we grant them the kingdom, would we keep them as our vassal, or would they become independent?
SilverLeaf167
2018-12-27, 02:36 PM
There's assorted heretics all over Europe, namely Waldensians, Lollards, Fraticelli and Cathars (from most to least common), but we have no way of getting them into our country, and yeah, they hate us even more than each other. Catholic moral authority is at 16.5 after the war, by the way, so there'll probably be more and more heretics popping up.
The Archpriest of Perun is our vassal, but there's at least the button to Grant Independence (and I checked that it's available and works). Failing that, we'd just give Germany to plain old priests, I suppose.
Rockphed
2018-12-27, 03:25 PM
In that case, my vote is for Give Germany to the Archpriest! The Archpriest's predecessor started the war for Germany, let the Archpriest figure out how to handle all the Catholics and their various heresies.
mythmonster2
2018-12-27, 03:28 PM
Granting the priests control of Germany sounds like it'd be interesting. Don't think I've ever seen a particularly large theocratic realm. But, of course, Poland should be recognized for its efforts and keep Bremen-Saxony
Keep Bremen-Saxony, with the promise to gift it to the Warriors of Perun as soon as you conquer Holstein and its environs
InvisibleBison
2018-12-27, 08:58 PM
I'll vote to give Germany to the Archpriest. It seems appropriate to let the priests deal with all those Christians. I'll also vote to not annex any territory, for much the same reason.
Rockphed
2018-12-27, 09:07 PM
Depending on how big you are, you might even be able to grant all the counties to priests before granting the kingdom to the archpriest.
Tehnar
2018-12-28, 09:14 AM
Give it to Niezamysl if he is still around, or if not give it to Warriors of Perun.
SilverLeaf167
2018-12-28, 09:44 AM
Give it to Niezamysl if he is still around, or if not give it to Warriors of Perun.
As far as I understand, the game considers Niezamysl legally dead ever since he left for China.
Tehnar
2018-12-28, 03:24 PM
As far as I understand, the game considers Niezamysl legally dead ever since he left for China.
Can you console him out of China? He seems like the kind of guy to lead a country full of Catholics. Interesting things are bound to happen.
Tentreto
2018-12-29, 12:45 PM
I'd say give it to the warriors of Perun personally, as are essentially a mixture of by world and godly affairs, but I feel I'm outvoted. :P
SilverLeaf167
2018-12-29, 02:09 PM
Can you console him out of China? He seems like the kind of guy to lead a country full of Catholics. Interesting things are bound to happen.
No, I mean, the game literally considers him dead. He has passed on. He is no more. He has ceased to be. He's an ex-Pole.
Keep Bremen-Saxony, with the promise to gift it to the Warriors of Perun as soon as you conquer Holstein and its environs
Does this count as a vote for the Warriors of Perun?
EDIT: I'll interpret it as "give it to the Warriors later" with no vote on the rest of Germany. It would've just led to a tie anyway, in which case I would've had to be the tiebreaker.
The vote is now closed, as I'm starting to play the next chapter. Thanks for participating!
SilverLeaf167
2018-12-30, 10:55 AM
Chapter #9: Apocalypse After Another (Strasz + Skarbimir, 1057-1082)
1 October, 1057
High King of Poland: 0
Lesser Lechowicz: 0
Archpriest of Perun: 3
Warriors of Perun: 2
Other (please specify): 0
Keep Bremen-Saxony: 1
Give it to Germany: 1
Give it to the Warriors later: 1
In the end, everyone seems increasingly convinced that control of – or “responsibility for”, as some put it – Germany should be given to one religious authority or the other. Whether that should be the Archpriest or the Warriors is a rather even split, but ultimately it is deemed that the Slavic Church would be better suited to rule, since as we all know, the priests are defined by their wisdom and contact with the gods.
It’s all relative, of course: though the Church has adopted the system of temple-estates led by priests with some authority over the surrounding area, they definitely haven’t had any resemblance of an actual government structure, never mind anything like what they’re going to need for Germany. The idea of priests holding temporal power isn’t that strange in itself, as priests in the Slavic Church are simply individuals of magical might, and the legends provide plenty of precedent for rulers who could be considered such. However, in the largely feudal Europe of today – the Papacy is the only real theocracy around, not counting the Caliphs – people don’t seem entirely sure whether this Germany is supposed to be an actually permanent setup, some sort of short-lived occupation or purely an extension of Poland.
The Archpriest himself ends up being left out of it, at his own request and others’, as it's deemed best that the spiritual head of the Slavic Church stay at least somewhat detached from politics to avoid losing credibility as has happened to the Papacy. Besides, it’d mean abandoning his snazzy new temple Bialaskala. Instead, Germany is divided between a number of priests who together form the Congregation of Germany and elect one of them to serve as Guardian. It remains to be seen how the Christians appreciate being ruled by a very literal coven of witches.
https://i.postimg.cc/L5BYGFz2/20181230121650-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/qvmnkrW7/20181230121645-1.jpg
As the runner-ups of the vote (which they don’t need to know about), the Warriors of Perun are granted a total of seven major castles within Germany, with the understanding that they’ll use these in their continued defense of Slavdom and now the Congregation. As a full consensus couldn’t be reached about Bremen-Saxony, it’s decided that only the land between the Elbe and Aller Rivers remain in Polish hands while Brunswick and Verden go to Germany; the final fate of this “Allermarch” will be rediscussed should Poland acquire another North Sea port in the future. Finally, the seat of the Guardian is placed in Weimar right at the Polish border, but the priests can feel free to move it in the future if they wish.
https://i.postimg.cc/KzTgrMjK/20181230121710-1.jpg
As one might expect, the Christians stand poised and eager to take back Germany and prove that the Catholic Church can’t be so easily humiliated by mere barbarians. New knightly orders are being founded in the vein of the Warriors and Jomsvikings. Germany really will need all the help it can get if it’s to stay in Slavic hands.
https://i.postimg.cc/0NFwwfkR/20181230121411-1.jpg
Over the course of 1058, Germany already has to deal with several petty Francian lords who think they can just sneak in under Poland’s nose without the High King intervening. They are very wrong.
https://i.postimg.cc/cJr3CjNB/20181230130203-1.jpg
However, June 1059 brings something much bigger: a true Crusade, the Christian answer to the Great Holy War. Shockingly, the Christians have decided to bypass Germany entirely and aim for Pomerania, a well-established part of the Polish heartland! Perhaps they aim to do to Poland the same thing that the Poles hoped with the conquest of Germany.
https://i.postimg.cc/kXqtKDm4/20181230130500-1.jpg
A truly massive battle takes place in Zgorzelice, January 1060, where the Francians once again make the mistake of trying to cross the frozen Elbe right into Polish lines, only for the Poles to bombard the river with stones and sink the heavily armored knights into the icy depths below. With more reinforcements arriving by the day, the battle becomes a real meatgrinder with truly appalling losses on the Christian side, the likes of which will later become the norm for this great war.
https://i.postimg.cc/jqz7DPBm/20181230130820-1.jpg
The war is off to a good start for the Slavs. However, they shouldn’t get complacent, since there are plenty more Christians to cut through. The Pope’s war of vengeance has attracted plenty of supporters, mainly inside Francia since, again, it controls practically all the Catholic lands; meanwhile the Kingdom of Poland enjoys widespread support from here to Russia, even if most of the eastern lords are comparatively weak.
https://i.postimg.cc/sxRGngGT/20181230131035-1.jpg
While the Poles’ defensive tactics are highly effective on the, well, defense, they’re far less suited to assaulting strong enemy positions. On the flipside, the Christians’ usually bad habit of splitting up their forces gives them the opportunity to establish a bridgehead farther north even when the Poles are decimating them elsewhere. This strategic situation proves very inconvenient for the Poles, and much of Pomerania falls under Christian occupation while the High King’s forces try to pick off those who stray from their allies.
However, unlike the Emperor, High King Strasz refuses to sue for peace the instant that the situation looks grim, and instead, the fighting goes on for several years. West Pomerania changes hands countless times as the Poles rush in to drive off the Christian garrisons whenever the main forces are elsewhere, only to retreat east as soon as they show up again. Still, this constant skirmishing leads to the Poles getting caught up in several unwanted battles, leading to great casualties for them as well. They’re forced to turn to foreign mercenaries to top off their numbers, though they try not to make much noise about the fact that they're bringing Khazar Jews and even some especially opportunistic Christians into this holiest of wars.
On the 24th of September, after five years of war, High King Strasz ‘the Great’ becomes the second ruler of Poland to fall on the battlefield, right next door to Werle where King Mszczuj ‘the Lecher’ met his end. His reign was dominated by holy war to say the least, with him leading from the frontlines through most of it, and it falls to his successor to lead Poland to hard-earned victory in its greatest trial yet.
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The High King is dead! Long live High King Skarbimir of Poland, Grand Duke of Pomerania and Lithuania, Liege Lord of Bohemia and Galicia-Volhynia!
https://i.postimg.cc/vZmg2jDw/20181230141925-1.jpg
Interestingly, the House of Elders has decided to elect one from amongst their own ranks. He seems a bit too much like a kindly old man to rule in times like this, but one can only hope that he’ll prove worthy.
At least the Battle of Wolgast ends in victory, despite the High King’s passing. Thus begins another cycle of the Poles liberating Pomerania, doubtful that it'll last.
https://i.postimg.cc/d0k7wy8W/20181230142204-1.jpg
High King Skarbimir does try leading from the front to earn his place, but promptly gets seriously wounded, leading to the infection and amputation of his left leg. Looks like he’ll have to sit in Krakow and get his thunder stolen by more valiant individuals such as the elderly Grand Mayor of Gdansk, who keeps fighting on despite grievous injuries of his own. Admittedly, Gdansk itself is among the territories on the line, so he has reason to be committed…
https://i.postimg.cc/KY61z8fm/20181230143331-1.jpg
Indeed, so great is Grand Mayor Bozydar’s fame that after his death in 1068, the Archpriest declares him an exemplary Blessed Ancestor to try and raise morale for the war.
https://i.postimg.cc/4yZn62jM/20181230144741-1.jpg
That internal unrest the Poles have long been waiting for proves a godsend for the war effort: the King of Aquitaine among others decides to try and break off from the weakened Emperor’s rule, thus drawing Francian forces elsewhere. Tragically, Germany has been caught in the crossfire with Poland too busy to protect it, and the Christians have managed to retake some land in Swabia; hopefully it can be re-retaken after this long, incredibly bloody war is over with.
https://i.postimg.cc/4dpmhR2V/20181230143502-1.jpg
No matter how many times they’re sent packing, the Christians always come back, though with dwindling numbers. Luckily, as the defender in this war, Poland has a distinct logistical advantage in recovering from its own losses, and the Christians’ attempts become more and more desperate, their gains more and more fleeting. As time goes on, the winner starts to become clear and the war more tedious than anything, plus a massive waste of lives. The Pope receives several letters saying as much, but apparently takes this as a sign that Poland is just about to fall and decides to push on even harder. Clearly he isn’t putting his own life on the line…
https://i.postimg.cc/J7csrmkW/20181230145412-1.jpg
Many think the war was already settled years ago, but it takes until October 1070 for the Pope to finally accept a peace settlement under growing pressure from his allies. The only actual demand is for sizable reparations to be paid to Poland; however, the wasted efforts and implications of the peace paint the whole Crusade as a huge failure, and Catholic unity continues to deteriorate.
https://i.postimg.cc/02kbr3YK/20181230150556-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/yxPxvXHN/20181230150125-1.jpg
While hardly a crushing a victory for Poland either, being so long and hard-fought makes it all the more sweet. This great conflict has involved most of mainland Europe from Moscow to Barcelona, even if the fighting was concentrated in Germany and Pomerania. Though no one has the exact numbers, combined casualties must have easily exceeded a hundred thousand, not to even mention all the civilians lost to famine, looters or the outbreak of camp fever that swept across the warring nations.
This Crusade has been largely conflated with the much shorter Great Holy War that preceded it, forming one long 14-year war commonly known as, well, the 14 Years’ War, the Slav-Christian War or a whole variety of other names. Even with the break in between, the last 11 years have been filled with near-constant fighting deep in Polish territory, truly defining a generation. Temples across Poland have been decorated with frankly rather tasteless imagery of Perun burying his axe in the skull of what seems to be some type of Jesus with a sword.
As for the end results, Germany lost some ground in the south but still exceeded all expectations by actually fending off several attackers and even grabbing a piece of the Dutch coast. Francia finally lost its latest civil war, allowing Aquitaine, Pest and others to shake off the imperial yoke, while rebels in Francian Pomerania managed to do the same and then very promptly got grabbed by Sweden and Norway. Overall, a great success at a great cost.
https://i.postimg.cc/qM1gKLwb/20181230152351-1.jpg
On the downside, some opportunistic Christian rebels in Poland’s own Moldavia, far from the front, have managed to establish independent control of the area while the armies were busy. They will have to be dealt with in the near future.
https://i.postimg.cc/GmN27mZv/20181230153343-1.jpg
However, even as Poland starts its painful recovery from the camp fever and war, a pandemic far greater and deadlier lurks just beyond its borders...
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Now of all times, the weakened Emperor of Francia decides that it’d be a good time to invade the Byzantine Empire and march right into the heart of the plague. The war will prove another long and expensive failure, achieving nothing, while the mass of soldiers sallying back and forth only accelerates the greater estruction that is to come.
https://i.postimg.cc/j56SSQCh/20181230154108-1.jpg
The Black Death (as it has come to be called) manages to spread throughout all of Francia before the first reports of outbreaks in Polish territory finally arrive from Moravia. At his advisors’ behest, High King Skarbimir has funded a number of purpose-built hospitals where the infected of Upper Poland can hopefully be isolated, but it might be too little too late…
October 1072 marks the point that the Black Death is almost knocking on the gates of the royal palace, which the High King orders to be shut up tight until the wave of devastation has passed. Many other lords follow his example. Major cities in general are urged to set up quarantines the best they can, while traffic into all of Upper Poland must be kept to a minimum.
https://i.postimg.cc/cCs4ggnG/20181230155106-1.jpg
Indeed, even though major epidemics are nothing new in Europe, this one is extraordinary in its apocalyptic spread and severity. Bodies are burned by the cartful in a desperate attempt to slow it down, but it’s of little use. Many Christians proclaim it a godly punishment for their failure in the Crusade, but in that case, why are the Slavs being affected despite being model servants of their own gods? So universal is this Black Death that untouched regions are the rare exception, including some isolated mountainous areas and, miraculously, innermost Poland. Perhaps there is some divine intervention at play after all.
https://i.postimg.cc/63xQK163/20181230160742-1.jpg
By 1074, the Black Death has reached even northernmost Europe, but is slowly starting to falter in its southern regions, if only due to already wiping them clean of every available victim.
https://i.postimg.cc/d34Q8s2k/20181230161419-1.jpg
Perhaps due to the High King’s wise judgment, or possibly dumb luck, Upper Poland manages to survive almost entirely unscathed. While the rest of the world goes up in flames, his advisors continue their efforts and research to keep their corner of it safe.
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It isn’t until 1077 that the plague is considered to have left Poland and most of Europe, evaporating as suddenly as it came. People can hardly agree on where it came from, besides having passed into Europe through the Byzantine Empire. While the court at Krakow was spared, High King Skarbimir still managed to lose both of his sons living elsewhere in the kingdom, where far more nobles were lost in general. More importantly, if people thought that the 14 Years’ War was bloody with its casualties at a couple hundred thousand at best, the Black Death’s casualties so far are measured in the tens of millions and Europe’s whole population has taken a noticeable dip in just five short years. The second half of the 11th century really has proven harsh on the whole continent.
https://i.postimg.cc/c4k4CJ1P/20181230164109-1.jpg
Even this hasn’t stopped the Europeans from indulging in their usual wars, though. In addition to the fighting in Germany (which the Poles have mostly sat out), the Grand Duke of Galicia-Volhynia has been hard at work to reclaim rebel-held Moldavia, with little success. Given the end of the epidemic, the royal army finally mobilizes for the same purpose. The war is settled in months and Moldavia returned into the kingdom, the Grand Duchy of Wallachia formed shortly after to hopefully keep a better grip on the region.
https://i.postimg.cc/kgkJNhbc/20181230163705-1.jpg
Germany also manages to retake Swabia with some Polish help, but in the east, Jewish Khazaria has exploited the chaos of the last two decades to conquer almost all of Ruthenia. It might be time for another holy war sometime soon…
https://i.postimg.cc/tgWXBtdH/20181230165345-1.jpg
No one’s eager to rush back into battle after all this, though. The First Crusade is unlikely to be the last, either, and certainly proved that the Catholics are capable of banding together even when their higher authorities seem weak. While the Poles are confident that they could win another time through sheer perseverance, they’ve had their share of death for the time being…
On the 20th of July, 1082, death finally comes for the elderly Skarbimir as well. Though one of the most mild-mannered monarchs so far and an armchair strategist at best, under his guidance Poland appears have to weathered the storm of both the Crusade and the Black Death. Years of isolation in his palace brought out a pettier, angrier side of him, but he still remained a wise ruler who always listened to his advisors. Unfortunately, his reign will likely be overshadowed by the crises that most defined it, even if he had little to do with them.
https://i.postimg.cc/63KBg2z4/20181230170359-1.jpg
The High King is dead! Long live High King Pelka of Poland, Grand Duke of Pomerania and Lithuania, Liege Lord of Bohemia, Galicia-Volhynia and Wallachia!
https://i.postimg.cc/cHcdSx59/20181230171241-1.jpg
The opportunity to place the capital in Weimar was too good to miss. :smallbiggrin: The reason I didn’t give Germany to the Archpriest directly was that I couldn’t sync up their successions, so once the Archpriest died, Germany would likely pass to someone else. It now has Absolute Cognatic Elective succession, meaning that the priests actually elect the Guardian, with equal rights for priestesses. Weirdly for a theocracy, they can also elect the current ruler's children, but who cares, they're pagans.
The Crusade was a really close call, dipping as low as -80% due to occupations giving so damn much warscore, but unfortunately a bit hard for me to describe in that much detail while also dealing with all that micromanagement. Although, personally I think these larger-scale descriptions make more sense than taking a picture of every single battle anyway.
Quite a long and eventful (?) chapter, huh. The Black Death couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time, either. Right after the bloodiest war in Medieval European history and all that.
Tentreto
2018-12-31, 05:28 PM
This is looking pretty gritty already. Thats a lot of fighting, and apparantly pretty close as well.
And always beware Khazaria. They always seem to be a wildcard. :smallwink:
SilverLeaf167
2019-01-04, 04:27 PM
This is looking pretty gritty already. Thats a lot of fighting, and apparantly pretty close as well.
And always beware Khazaria. They always seem to be a wildcard. :smallwink:
Heh, indeed. Last time everyone was surprised they managed to blob and stay Jewish, but that seems to have become the new norm.
I'm out on holiday (Madeira!), so the next chapter will likely be out on the 9th or so. :smallwink:
SilverLeaf167
2019-01-09, 08:48 AM
Chapter #10: No Time to Lick Old Wounds (Pelka + Gaudenty, 1082-1104)
20 July, 1082
The Black Death has really thinned out the ranks of Polish nobility, to the point that the House of Elders had trouble finding a High King to their liking. Their eventual nominee Pelka is a veteran of the 14 Years’ War, distinguished by faithful service, a missing eye and left hand, and what may or may not be mild brain damage. He’s a very intelligent and forthright man, but hard on his opponents, and with an awkward tendency to break out into raving, foaming rages every now and then. Apparently that doesn't stop him from being respected by his peers.
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The stump of his hand causes him no small degree of trouble, either. Shamans have told him that his soul hasn’t gotten used to its meaty vessel missing a piece, and this disparity causes it to cry out in pain.
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The Archpriest-slash-healer suggests a very complicated and painful-sounding procedure that would, in some way Pelka can’t even pretend to understand, rid him of this pain. Given how much it’s impairing his abilities as High King, he’s willing to accept the risks.
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Unfortunately it doesn’t pay off, and the Archpriest’s clumsy poking around just makes things worse.
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Around the same time, Upper Poland – which was so graciously spared the Black Death – is struck by a large outbreak of measles, forcing Wavel Castle to go on lockdown once more. The start of Pelka’s reign isn’t really going well for anyone, to no fault of his own, and his health keeps getting worse and worse until by 1085 he’s barely capable of getting out of bed, needing a regent to take care of daily affairs.
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Mere months later he dies in his quarters after suffering a long, intense seizure. Apparently his soul decided that no body was better than bad body. His 3-year reign is a tragic little footnote in Polish history, and another grim reminder of the toll that this era has taken on all of Europe.
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The High King is dead! Long live High King Gaudenty of Poland, Grand Duke of Pomerania and Lithuania, Liege Lord of Bohemia, Galicia-Volhynia and Moldavia! (Quietly renamed due to not including any of actual Wallachia)
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High King Gaudenty is similarly battle-scarred and one-handed, though he is too young to have fought in the 14 Years’ War and actually suffered his wounds in a much smaller battle in Moldavia. As usual, his young age means that he might have a very long reign ahead of him, or it might be cut short by random tragedy just as well as anyone else’s.
Speaking of the 14 Years’ War, something really must be done about Poland’s Slavic allies who so bravely came to her aid but have since been struck with misfortune. As usual, the nomad conquerors themselves seem less than stable, but the fact remains that most Slavs east of Poland are currently under foreign occupation. Make no mistake, these so-called Georgians are just another offshoot of Khazaria.
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Poland is still recovering from its past troubles, but all agree that something must be done. If there is to be war, Gaudenty wishes to be at the front, despite his disability. In order to protect himself from further harm, he decides that the Axe of Plusdwa, Obsidian Axe and Amber Crown should finally be joined by a further royal relic in the form of an exquisite suit of armor. The greatest blacksmith in the kingdom is located and given all the funding he needs to craft the masterwork of a lifetime.
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Crafted from legendary Syrian steel and Polish leather and embellished with German Rheingold, “the Immortal” is a fine symbol of Polish military might and the High King’s personal prestige.
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It’s a matter of opinion whether the funding actually having come from Francian coffers is supposed to be awkward or just further proof of Polish superiority.
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Indeed, by 1088 the latest Archpriest decides that the time is ripe for another Great Holy War for Ruthenia, just like the first one that previously liberated it from the Jews. Gaudenty will have his chance for glory, decked out in the best gear money can afford.
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Compared to Francia, these Khazars prove quite easy pickings, and even the High King manages to find himself in a duel that he wins single-handedly (heh), his inept opponent’s blows glancing helplessly off his armor. As Gaudenty prepares for the finishing blow, the man sputters and claims to be of Slavic faith himself, but traitors who fight on the wrong side of a Great Holy War receive no mercy.
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The war is over in less than two years, the Kingdom of Ruthenia given to the daughter of the man who ruled it before the Jewish conquest. The Poles have their doubts of how this second attempt will fare, especially since it looks quite weak already, but given that they were just hoping to take some of the land for themselves, they hold their tongues. The nomads’ defeat in the war has also led to the other tribes shaking off their tyrannical yoke before it was even over.
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Poland isn’t the only one involved in some holy wars. The Byzantine Empire, representing the “other” branch of Christianity, has never gotten much attention due to lacking a border with Poland or seemingly any northward ambitions. Just as the Francian Empire controls almost all Catholic lands, the Byzantine controls all the Orthodox. It long had a strong foothold in the Levant, but after the failed Francian invasion and a further civil war, several of its neighbors decided to exploit its moment of weakness. The Sultanates of Egypt and Iraq, as well as the Khanate of Syria, have all been grabbing whatever land they could get.
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After a bit of a break, in 1090 the High King decides that the Poles must push into the Khazars’ own heartland to stop the cycle of Jewish conquest from repeating. Khazaria is already under attack on several fronts, so he adds another to the list by invading their lands this side of the Dniepr. Predictably, the war only lasts a year or so. Even without their current trouble, these nomads have a long-standing reputation of being quick to rush into any opening but equally easy to push away again. Around the same time, Polish vassals succeed in pushing south towards the Danube River, rounding out Poland’s borders quite nicely.
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This is a new situation for Poland, though, since it’s the first time that it’s actually a conquered a bunch of Jews, Khazars, or Jewish Khazars. Not a lot of them, since – being nomads and all – most of them simply move away, but a notable amount still remain in the more established settlements along the river or simply eking out a living in the wilderness. It’ll take some effort, including border fortifications, to stop them from moving back in and actually make some use of this mostly empty but very fertile land.
Interestingly, these new conquests also give Poland a border with the Byzantine Empire. Since the Empire seems to be wracked by another civil war, it’s a great opportunity for the first “official” Polish raid into very juicy Byzantine lands. It’s about time the Orthodox get their share.
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Emboldened by his successes thus far, High King Gaudenty is hard at work to perfect the way of the one-handed waraxe, including the use of his hook hand as a tool in combat. However, a terrible fumble leads to a horrible stumble that leads to his face getting cut wide open in a seemingly routine sparring match. The Immortal isn’t much use when he isn’t wearing it. He will live; however, his noseless, oft-festering face is disgusting enough that he opts to wear a mask whenever in public. It’s quite imposing in a sense, but also incredibly off-putting.
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In 1098, the masked Gaudenty is contacted by Queen Thordis ‘the Just’ of Norway, England, Scotland and Ireland, an already legendary warrior queen who’s brought most of the pagan north under the heel of her so-called North Sea Empire. However, just like the Poles long ago, she has found the organization of her traditional Norse faith insufficient to serve such a wide realm, and wishes to join the Slavic Church like the Estonians before her. Such a potentially powerful ally and boon for the faith is something the Poles cannot refuse.
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Of course, a conversion of such scale is quite a boost to Gaudenty’s own reputation as well. For Thordis it means dealing with quite a few dissatisfied subjects, but surely she can handle a little rebellion or two? The priests of Germany have been struggling to figure out how much they can compromise with the Christians without… well, compromising the Slavic Church, but in Norway’s case, Thordis can just take the same approach as the Poles with their Norse minorities and Sjaelland, letting everyone keep their traditional ways with a few cosmetic changes. In time, this arrangement will come to be known as the Nordic Church, somewhat separate from the Slavic.
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His encounter with this woman convinces the previously somewhat disheartened Gaudenty that he can’t give up his own martial pursuits. Though you’d think that he’d learned his lesson, he makes the unprecedented decision to try and join the Champions of Perun. Somewhat confusingly named, not to be confused with Warriors of Perun, the Champions are a less official society where men – and women – come together to drink, sing and fight. One of the basic rules is that all are treated equally, regardless of their rank, but the introduction of the High King himself stretches those principles a liiittle bit. He actually ends up getting trounced – by a woman – in his trial match, but the leaders dare not deny him entry, baffled as they may be by the whole situation. Gaudenty is invited to continue fighting and training with them.
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Speaking of conversions, it was previously assumed that the Congregation of Germany being governed by priests would make it resistant to the dynastic oddities of many other states, but on the flipside, it seems that the shamans’ disinterest in worldly concerns can lead to some strange results as well. Upon the previous Guardian’s death in 1100, the Congregation decides to elect not one of themselves, but the recently converted Dutch-Norse leader of Scania who awed them with his magical might. Whether this means Onno's holdings in Scania and Saaremaa being integrated into Germany, or in fact the opposite, is a matter of perspective.
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The growth of the Slavic Church and the final touches on Bialaskala put Krakow well on the path to becoming a center of worship and pilgrimage, in addition to the trade hub that it already is.
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The Archpriest of Perun further decorates Bialaskala with the unveiling of what he calls the arm bones of an ancient hero, hung from the ceiling above the altar for all to see. It’s not entirely unlike the ancient fingers and bones that those Christians keep hoarding, except far more impressive: almost six feet long, this arm must’ve belonged to a real giant!
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That’s all good, since the Christians in the west seem to be stirring once more, and the Slavs are going to need all the zeal they can muster...
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Come the 11th of April, 1102, the Crusade for Germany begins. The Pope has been making many rousing speeches over the past several years, and now finally urged the Christian faithful to go and reclaim what they lost 45 years ago. God wills it! Well, unfortunately for them, the Slavs have more gods who will that it stay with them. Both sides have just about recovered from the devastation that the 14 Years’ War and the Black Death caused, and now they want to do it all over again…?
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By all accounts, it looks like the Christian offensive should actually be weaker than the last time around, but that doesn’t mean the war will be any less messy. It comes at a very awkward time for them, seeing as both Francia and Aquitaine are struggling with several more of their trademark civil wars, but as it happens, Germany itself has just about lost control of Swabia as well: the Polish priests there have refused to accept the Dutch upstart Onno, believing that his election somehow betrayed all that the Congregation stood for and that they’d rather run their own coven than be part of his. Further, Germany’s location means that it’s surrounded by enemies and may prove much harder to defend than Pomerania, where Poland had the home advantage.
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At least this attack didn’t come as a total surprise, so the High King had some warning to ready his troops. He decides to seize the Francian holdings in Pomerania for starters, to stop them from threatening his rear after he moves into Germany. He is of course leading from the front, being one of the best warriors in the realm by far.
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Massive fighting is already taking place farther south, with the combined Polish-German vassals performing admirably so far. On a much less positive note, Swabia’s declaration of independence leads to its nigh-instant annexation by Bavarian forces. May this stand as a reminder of just how reliant the Slavs are on their graceful lords’ protection.
In January 1103, the High King finds his first real battle that soon becomes the largest of the entire war to come. Over 100,000 soldiers smash against each other throughout the plains, hills and woods of Hammelburg near Würzburg, the German capital. With over 50,000 combined dead in this drawn-out fighting, this war really is shaping up to be just as bad as its predecessor. The High King’s personal levies, having led the charge, take the worst of the Polish casualties, and Hammelburg will go down in history as an infamously hard-won victory.
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After driving out the remaining Christian garrisons, the High King marches west to reinforce his allies in another massive clash. However, his great valor shows its dark side once more, as it leads him to face the equally formidable Duke of Modena and receive a critical hit that sends him sprawling into the mud.
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With the High King down for the count and enemy reinforcements swarming in, the Poles are forced to retreat. At least they get some spiteful joy from the fact that the vassals of Francia are unable to put aside their existing grievances even for the Crusade, leading them to fight each other at least as much as the Slavs.
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Lacking their valiant leader, the Polish armies take a slightly more passive role for the time being and focus on rooting out Christian occupiers rather than seeking pitched battles. On their way they sacrifice many of their prisoners to the gods, hoping that they’ll accept these lives as payment to spare the High King’s.
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No such luck: Gaudenty gives up the ghost on the 9th of May, 1104, after almost a year comatose in bed. Gaudenty ‘the Legendary’ was one of the best battlefield commanders that Poland has ever seen, but his track record in personal combat proved less flattering. Judging from his constant mishaps, naming his armor ‘the Immortal’ may have been tempting fate, and he seemingly did everything in his power to make his reign as short as possible. Of course, all this posthumous snarking (a vital part of the mourning process) does nothing to reduce the great prestige that he brought to Poland and the Slavic Church in these two decades. Considering how fond they are of warrior kings, he’ll surely go down as a hero the likes of Lechoslaw and Skarbimir, and his considerable litter of nine children will carry his legacy far into the future. May his successor continue to find glory on the fields of Germany.
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The High King is dead! Long live High King Zelibrat of Poland, Grand Duke of Pomerania and Lithuania, Liege Lord of Bohemia, Galicia-Volhynia and Moldavia!
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Queen Thordis’ civil war for the conversion of Norway enters its sixth year, with her narrowly taking the lead again in the last few months. However, the end result may be unimportant in the long run: even if the rebels win, the Nordic Church has already taken root in Norway, Lapland and all three kingdoms of the British Isles.
The fight for Germany is about even for the time being, but it looks like the Slavs are getting the upper hand - if you ignore the fait accompli loss of Swabia.
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The Pratihara Empire continues to prosper and expand, but is also facing a second formidable Jihad for Persia, this time from the Sunni. Ever since the coup destroyed their powerful state in Africa, the Shia seem to have faded into obscurity.
Should they survive into EU4, Nordic and any other variants of Slavic will become religions of their own. Unless something dramatic happens, the Congregation won’t be “Germanic” or anything given its origins and relationship with us, but if the faith continues to spread into completely different cultural spheres, I’ll split it up further. I mean, there’s always a chance that the Mongols or something decide to adopt it all of a sudden…
I didn’t even realize how big Norway had gotten, but Queen Thordis is a very cool character, especially if her legacy actually remains. Norway has Elective Gavelkind, but seeing as she has no living children to split the pot and all four kingdoms have elected the same heir, I think the North Sea Empire might actually survive for at least a while longer? It’d certainly be an interesting great power, but here I go thinking too far ahead again.
As a sidenote: I still don’t know how I should treat Arabia being part of the Western Protectorate. It’s kind of inexplicable fluff-wise, which has led me to ignore it and hope it goes away, but if it persists much longer, I’ll probably have to take an official stance on it sooner or later. It helps that we’ve had zero interest in either China or Arabia thus far, but…
SilverLeaf167
2019-01-09, 08:49 PM
Chapter #11: Architecture of Demise (Zelibrat, 1104-1116)
9 May, 1104
High King Zelibrat, Prince of Bohemia, has been in charge of the late High King Gaudenty’s army ever since his tragic accident last year, and is thus a natural choice as his successor. He’s also actually Gaudenty’s half-uncle, despite being younger than him. In addition to his powerful physique and skill in combat, he’s extremely well-learned by Polish standards, especially in the field of “applied architecture” – that is, knowing where to hit things to make them fall down. Before this war his main claim to fame was the construction of a great tower in Prague, but during it, he’s earned himself a fierce reputation across the realm.
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With a gleaming axe in each hand and a massive suit of unbreakable (but apparently not impregnable) armor, the High King of Poland is a very visible and imposing presence on the battlefield, which clearly has its downsides but also makes less valiant enemies flee at the mere sight of him. Of course, the armor also had to be readjusted to fit his different frame.
It seems more and more that the risk might be greater than the reward, though, as the freshly-crowned Zelibrat heads south and gets wounded in the first battle of his reign. At least the wound itself is shallow and the battle a victory, but people still see it as an ill omen.
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Realizing that war will just turn into another decade-long meatgrinder if the Poles only stay on the defensive, Zelibrat marches for the appropriately named Francian capital Nancy, which sits conveniently close to the German border. The Christians fighting each other even in the middle of the German warzone makes it easy to get past them. However, as the loss of Nancy seems to do nothing to the enemy morale – imperial capitals are a dime a dozen, apparently – the notoriously brave Zelibrat realizes that this calls for more radical measures.
In the summer of 1105, pagans arrive at the gates of Rome.
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Zelibrat writes a scathing critique over the form-over-function design of said gates, which fall over with a light push. However, it turns out that Rome is indeed more important than Nancy – so much so, in fact, that Francia sends 20,000 men to defend it. The relatively small Polish force is driven off with heavy losses, having delivered insult in exchange for injury. At least Zelibrat himself didn’t get wounded this time. He considers it a good excuse to go home and restock.
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In 1107, Queen Thordis of Norway’s war against her uppity chiefs ends in her victory and the establishment of the Nordic Church throughout her four kingdoms. However, the 73-year-old conqueror ends up dying of the measles she caught on her march through England. Still, her great legacy in the form of the North Sea Empire survives, being passed in its entirety to her distant cousin Inge, who soon even adds Vladimir to his growing list of kingdoms.
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The Crusade rages on. In January 1108, fate comes full circle once more as both sides brave the Alpine snows to fight in the mountains of Switzerland, and suddenly Zelibrat lays his eyes on the Duke of Modena! The very same man who struck the lethal blow against Gaudenty ‘the Legendary’! Obviously tempting fate, Zelibrat immediately charges the man on his horse and, after knocking him to the ground, dismounts to fight him one-on-one.
“You! Milkdrinker! Slayer of Gaudenty Lechowicz, son of Gaudenty, High King of Poland, and my beloved brother in arms! The axe of Perun will show if it was truly your honor that brought you victory, or the black arts of the Crucified God! Tell your god I'm coming for him next!”
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Unfortunately the Duke of Modena doesn’t know any Polish, only that there’s a very angry and heavily armored specimen coming right at him. He makes a valiant stand, but what he doesn’t stand is a chance. The Axe of Plusdwa strikes true. Blood for blood. Gaudenty is avenged, and Zelibrat’s own legend grows.
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For all his personal and tactical skill, though, Zelibrat might be a bit less talented on the strategic side of things (as his bold Roman expedition goes to show), and the Christians seem to be winning the war of attrition. He’s still convinced that he can turn the tables with a single perfect battle, though!
…All the way until the 2nd of October, 1108, when word arrives that the Crusade for Germany is already over. For all the bad things said of him, Guardian Onno remained fiercely devout to his office and defended Germany to the death, which he found on the battlefield; the priests who had elected him were so impressed that they elected his 15-year-son as his successor. However, Lodewijk was far less zealous, and in fact thought the whole war was “dumb”. He sent the Pope a letter saying he’d happily convert or whatever if that’s what it took, and… well, that’s what happened.
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No one knows what’ll happen to the Congregation of Germany now while the rest of the priesthood is still in place, yet the Guardian (who isn’t even a grown man yet!) has suddenly become Catholic. Most of the actual populace seems overjoyed, placing the Slavic shamans between a rock and a hard place to say the least.
Zelibrat is outraged, threatening to invade Germany himself and give Lodewijk a good spanking, with the vocal support of most of his warriors. However, the Crown Council is strongly against it, saying that six years of war have weakened the kingdom and any further excursions could leave it vulnerable to internal problems. A reasonable man at heart, he is forced to relent.
Indeed, his council’s words seem almost prophetic, as mere weeks later, an alliance of chiefs demands that he hand over the Grand Duchy of Pomerania to a distant kinsman of his. The kinsman himself is just a childless old man, and probably entirely irrelevant. The true purpose of this plot is to even further decentralize the realm – as if the High King didn’t give his chiefs more than enough freedom to begin with – by making him hand over some of his lesser titles to his vassals. The chiefs make thinly veiled threats of armed rebellion should he refuse. That’s exactly what Zelibrat would like to do in the face of such treason, but he can definitely count, and the numbers aren’t in his favor; not only that, he isn’t going to start the remarkably stable Poland’s first major civil war over something so ridiculously minor. Stanislaw will have his Pomerania. With one exception: the Republic of Gdansk will remain a direct vassal of the crown, as it refuses to consider itself part of any Grand Duchy (and also provides a huge chunk of the crown’s income).
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Though large-scale conflict is thus averted, the kingdom seems to be afflicted by countless feudal wars on a lower level as various chiefs note their neighbors’ current weakness and decide to press old claims here and there. Years pass as Zelibrat waits and works to replenish his own depleted retinues. However, he keeps a curious eye on the east: Khazaria and Georgia seem to be on the rise once more, giving him some ideas…
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He makes sure not to blame the Archpriests directly, but it’s become clear that the Kingdom of Ruthenia is simply incapable of holding back the nomads’ recurring conquests. As such, he believes that Poland should henceforth consider the Dniepr River its eastern border. Anything this side of it will be integrated into the kingdom; the other bank will be under the High King's avowed protection to make sure that the Jews finally stop harassing the poor Slavs. The young Archpriest Sadzimir, frankly a rather incompetent crony, agrees with his plan and commands the other chiefs to accept it. When they inevitably refuse, Zelibrat has no choice but to force them for their own good.
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They don’t like this too much, though, and vow to band together against any further attack. Zelibrat wisely decides to give it some time rather than rock the boat too much.
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As the other Slavs seem to not know what’s best for them and Germany has proven a lost cause, Zelibrat sends a lot of gold and priests north, to Norway. King Inge’s vassals actually forced his return to the old faith at one point, but he immediately turned to Poland for support and readopted the Slavic Church with renewed vigor. Conversion work is going well, even bringing Sweden into the fold and leaving Finland as the last non-reformed kingdom in the north. In late 1115, Inge dies of the complications of an infected wound, and unlike last time, his five kingdoms are split among his five children, breaking apart the North Sea Empire too vast to last; however, all of them have been raised in the new faith, and it’s in no danger of dying out. Every new believer is another shield against the next crusade.
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In less pleasant news, High King Zelibrat manages to contract the maligned great pox while visiting some camp or other. His court healer Wit, clearly not living up to his name, has the bright idea to treat it with a cocktail of quicksilver. As one might imagine, this doesn’t really help things.
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Indeed, though it’s obviously not understood by the medicine of the day, people in the distant future will one day scoff and see that it’s probably this so-called ‘medicine’ and not the pox that causes Zelibrat’s death on the 8th of December 1116. Dubbed ‘the Legendary’ just like his predecessor, he was indeed a great commander and administrator, but again just like his predecessor, his hubris seemed to get in the way of success. Though it’d seem that Poland itself is under no existential threat for now, it’s clearly been having a rough patch this last half-century or so.
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The High King is dead! Long live High King Nadbor II of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, Liege Lord of Pomerania, Bohemia, Galicia-Volhynia and Moldavia!
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Okay, so the Elective succession for Germany didn’t really work out. Sue me. :smalltongue: Or just blame the Congregation being a weird social experiment to begin with.
Remember all those times I said I was content with my borders? Yeah, that’s back when I thought Francia was about to collapse and I shouldn’t blob that much. Now it seems likely that we’ll be threatened by crusades for a while and Francia isn’t going anywhere quite yet, so I’m not too worried about expanding a bit.
SilverLeaf167
2019-01-09, 08:52 PM
Special #2: Politics & Estates of Medieval Poland (1116)
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Despite being one of the three great powers of Europe (sitting somewhere between Francia and the Byzantines), many later historians would adopt the expression that Poland in its first few centuries was less a political and more a geographical entity. As with most states in this period, Poland’s so-called government was nothing like how we understand that word today. There was no bureaucracy, few permanent institutions, and precious little communication between its far-flung regions. Offices big and small were created at the whim of a ruler, often had no real meaning and were abandoned when people simply stopped referring to them. Certainly not the well-oiled machine of state that’d start to become more typical in the early modern era.
Indeed, a feudal realm was less like a modern government and more like an amateur organization – a massively bloated, ambitious one – where people were given tasks to handle, only expected to report back if they absolutely had to, and then given free reign as long as they didn’t flaunt certain basic rules and paid their membership fees. Upstart Poland with its tribal origins and pseudo-imperial nature was a prime example of this. Though the situation was always in flux, the study of Polish history might be well served by a snapshot of a given year: in this case 1116, the year of the death of High King Zelibrat and coronation of Nadbor II. It isn’t particularly remarkable in itself, but to the people at the time, it was never clear what would be a passing trend, and what had come to stay…
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High King
The title of High King itself could be considered an artificial creation of King Spytko (r. 1002-1014), but was eagerly adopted by the Poles and used ever since. Its purpose was to elevate the ruler of Poland above mere kings and into the ranks of emperors, where he admittedly belonged in terms of military might. The term "Emperor" was considered too Christian in tone, being of Latin origin, though foreign sources would occasionally fail to make the distinction and refer to the Emperor of Poland anyway. The Christian empires for their part were more than happy to consider Poland’s rank a notch below their own.
The system of the High King being elected by a supposedly independent House of Elders has proven surprisingly stable. It allows Poland to avoid the regency councils and other succession crises that plague most feudal states, and though the elders obviously elect the most popular candidate and not the most competent per se, those often go hand in hand, or at least closer than simple inheritance would. The lords of the realm are used to the cycle of heirs building a career in their youth, being crowned in their 30’s or so and only ruling for a decade or two before making way for the next one. The change of monarch tends to cause little confusion or space for claimants to emerge. Rather than a single royal line, the Kingdom of Poland is seen as the shared responsibility of all descendants of its legendary founder Lechoslaw (r. 883-924), and in fact it’s the norm for the throne to pass between extremely distant cousins without further ado. Of course, this leaves all the non-Lechowicz nobles out of the picture, but as we’ll see below, they’re kept in the margins in general.
Partly due to the High King’s elected nature, partly due to the Poles’ tribal and pagan traditions, the difference in social status between him and his subjects – though still considerable – is much smaller than in the case of most Christian nobility. The High King is expected to mingle with the common Pole, and people feel free to critique and even backtalk him should the need arise. High King Gaudenty set a particular precedent by joining an informal warrior lodge and having frequent sparring matches with his fellow members. This does wonders for legitimacy; less so for authority. To a modern reader, the position of the High King may seem like a mix of contradictions, being simultaneously sovereign, highly respected and autocratic yet also down-to-earth, open to dissent and in the lords’ own view “democratic”, not that they ever thought of it by such a name. Of course, every High King is also his own person with his own relationships and hard to generalize.
The High Kings traditionally consider the five provinces of Upper Poland their personal fief, and the capital has by now been well-established in Krakow. However, given the nature of medieval communications (or lack thereof), the ruler spends most of his time on the road, personally touring the halls of his vassals when he isn’t off leading his armies – military leadership is, after all, at the core of the Polish idea of kingship. Most Polish nobles remain barely if at all literate, so messages often have to be passed orally or through scribes, and any manner of bookkeeping is kept to a bare minimum.
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Nobility
Outside of Upper Poland, the land is divided among a number of Grand Dukes and High Chiefs, each of whom has near-sovereign power in their own territory as long as they provide the crown with a portion of the levies and taxes they collect. All the Grand Dukes except one are Lechowicz, and the vast majority of lords belong to one of the Four Tribes of Poland: Lechowicz, Piast, Kujawski or Mazowiecki. The Lyakhovich clan of Galicia-Volhynia is actually a "brother clan" of the Lechowicz (see the similarity in name), but strongly identifies as Ruthenian, and this combined with their relatively strong position tends to cause a bit of friction with the others, but they’ve been a loyal part of the realm for over a century now. The Republic of Gdansk is obviously an exception, which we’ll discuss below.
In addition to having exclusive rights to the crown, the Lechowicz clan is usually first in line for any new lands and titles added to the realm, maintaining their dominance in Polish politics. If the other clans are unhappy with this, their weakness leaves them unable to do much about it. Of course, it’d be naïve to assume that all the Lechowicz lords get along just because they’re family, but they have a vested interest in keeping the realm strong and one of their own on the throne and are thus ultimately loyal to the High King, especially as he tends to stay out of their personal business.
It’d almost seem that lower-ranking chiefs are usually more heavy-handed than the High King, having a need to monitor their subjects more closely and wring everything they can out of their limited holdings. They’re equally bellicose towards each other, and the smaller difference in power leaves more opportunity to demand new rights and privileges, invade each other and expand their fiefdoms by force, or try and revoke their vassals’ lands to increase their own. Despite the fact that some part of Poland is almost always at war with itself, open (not to mention credible) threats to the High King’s authority are exceedingly rare. In fact, the recent alliance against Zelibrat set the very first precedent for a real risk of civil war; the crown can only hope that it doesn’t become more common in the future.
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Crown Council
The Crown Council is the closest thing that Poland has to a government office with established tasks and powers. It traditionally consists of a Chancellor, Marshal, Steward, Spymaster and High Diviner, each of whom is the High King’s second-in-command in their respective field of expertise. Originally they were simply the crown’s most respected advisors with no authority beyond their direct duties; however, after King Wladyslaw’s (r. 992-1002) reforms made the Council itself a seat of power, these positions suddenly became much more valuable and sought-after. As such, the number of members has grown to seven. These two do-nothing councilors are generally given titles such as “Keeper of Horses” or “Minister of Rivers” to justify their presence, but in reality, everyone knows they’re only there to vote and eat some biscuits.
Ever since the Crown Council was given the right to vote about important matters, the mighty of the realm immediately demanded to get in on it. Thus the basic function of the advisors was reversed from “best man for the job” to “best job for the man”, since every High King is practically obligated to reserve seats for the Grand Dukes and then make do with whoever he gets. It usually turns out decently enough, but every generation tends to end up with an useless buffoon or two. Unfortunately, a seat on the Council tends to be for life.
Seeing as the councilors and their votes were originally needed in order to legitimize wide-spanning reforms to the kingdom, they still have extremely wide voting rights. All matters from taxation to execution to declaration of war must be brought before the Council, which only convenes once a year or so due to the logistics involved in summoning all those lords to Krakow. One major exception is the right to grant titles, since even the Council itself was forced to acknowledge that the country simply couldn’t run as long as all of them demanded every single title for themselves.
In fact, the great power of the Council might be a major factor in the High Kings’ hands-off approach to the realm; the best way not to clash with the councilors is to not even bother to try. It’s not that unusual for the monarch to go above their heads in matters of either little or great enough import, though, and it’s not like they actually even want to be dragged to the capital for every little vote.
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Burghers
Just like most of Europe, Poland is still largely rural, its towns serving more as crossroads of crafts and trade than as actual population centers. Most of those towns are less than a century old and heavily fortified at the expense of size. In fact, a mess of laws involved with their hasty founding has effectively made it so that only nobles, their staff, priests, merchants, guild members and a few other people are even allowed to live in them, notably excluding the peasants and assorted tribesmen who form some 97% of the population. Given the undeveloped nature of Poland’s towns, burghers haven’t really emerged as an official estate or even a distinct social class, but with these laws in place it’s only a matter of time. Generally speaking, Polish towns are bigger than in Eastern but much smaller than in Western Europe.
Among the most notable towns are Krakow, Rostock, Bremen, Belgorod, Szczecin and Prague, some of which almost resemble a proper city (if you squint), but the unrivalled jewel in the Polish crown really must be Gdansk. The oldest truly urban settlement in Poland, the “Free City” was given its special status as a republic by King Lechoslaw himself. With special laws allowing peasants to live in the city as professional laborers, its population of over 50,000 stands out as the largest of any city in this corner of Europe. Gdansk’s powerful merchant families dominate the trade of the Southern Baltic but have also established fortified trading posts in Stockholm, Reval, Bremen and most recently Hartlepool, always seeking new markets to get a leg up on each other.
Gdanski politics are dominated by the five patrician clans who, not unlike Poland as a whole, elect one from their midst to serve as Grand Mayor for life. These patricians are the richest people in the realm, rivaling even the High King in splendor. The Grand Mayor is a frequent member of the Crown Council, and not without reason: the Republic contributes as much taxes to the crown coffers as the four Grand Duchies combined. Whatever they’re doing to make all that money, it’s obviously working, so the High King has zero interest in bothering them, even if these city folk tend to get a bit too snobby at times.
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Clergy
Last but not least, the Slavic Church and its ever-nebulous hierarchy. The seat of High Diviner in the Crown Council is almost always reserved for the Archpriest; but other than that, the priests have no official power, and the majority are in fact just local or wandering miracle-workers who help people with their everyday woes and entertain them with tales of gods, heroes and monsters, often in exchange for money. However, not all priests are such “hedge witches”, and some have been put in charge of actual temples rather than just cobbled-together shrines.
The Slavic clergy often seems intentionally obtuse about its business, jealously safeguarding its trade secrets and powerful magics. All that’s clear is that everyone respects (but doesn’t necessarily answer to) the Archpriest of Perun, master of Bialaskala, supposedly the greatest temple in all pagandom. As a middle step below him are a number of Patriarchs and Matriarchs: a total of seven exist in Ruthenia, Norway, Scotland and the four Grand Duchies. Much like the Archpriest, they’re more like revered sages than official authorities.
With rare exceptions such as Bialaskala, a monument of granite and masterfully worked salt crystals that glisten like gems, most Slavic temples are relatively simple wooden longhouses decorated with holy symbols, animal parts and loot. However, the priests within have started to gather economic and even military influence from the towns that naturally tend to form around their temples. With the Archpriest’s support, the Crown Council has tried to maintain the sanctity of the sacred groves by passing a law against any construction within a hundred yards of a temple; this has led to the uniquely Polish phenomenon of circular spots of forest in the middle of otherwise seemingly normal settlements. Many of these will survive well into modern times as beautiful parks, living, breathing symbols of pagan tradition.
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Summation
All in all, the state of Poland could well be described as “everyone just doing their own thing”. They’re mostly brought together by their will to defend the Slavic Church, resist foreign aggression and expand their own power in the meantime. Indeed, in this the Poles have been remarkably united; it can only be hoped that this relative harmony will continue many years into the future…
This special is a mix of some trivia that I haven’t gotten a chance to mention in the AAR, and my own “peek behind the curtain” of how the world of CK2 functions in general – sometimes very close to true history, sometimes with big abstractions. Things like the council are technically shared by every single ruler in the game, but a little flavor can still make them feel unique (if you ask me). If I ever make someone view a game mechanic in a new light, that’s a victory for me. :smallwink:
We spend a lot of time in Poland so to speak, but since the vassals tend to keep their heads down, it falls to me to give them some attention.
mythmonster2
2019-01-09, 10:18 PM
Aw, anticlimactic ends to crusades like that are always a shame. Did the Slavic Church end up earning any converts in Germany that will hopefully be a thorn in their side?
SilverLeaf167
2019-01-10, 10:35 AM
There actually is a grand total of nine Slavic provinces in Germany, with the largest concentration in the Alps of all places. As the next chapter will show, though, Germany is quickly disintegrating, and those Slavs will likely join the various heresies as a thorn in Francia's side instead.
SilverLeaf167
2019-01-11, 10:09 AM
Chapter #12: An Island in the Storm (Nadbor II, 1116-1154)
8 December, 1116
Nadbor II is another relatively young High King, and a rather odd one at that. Some claim that he’s the greatest military genius Poland has ever seen, yet he seems somewhat neurotic, nervous to lead from the front lines and prone to lashing out in anger or fear, meaning that most of his fellow warriors don’t actually want to see him in the fray. One of the sons of King Gaudenty who were assigned to govern the so-called “Wild Fields” conquered from Khazaria (despite being a literal toddler at the time), Nadbor has spent all his life on the frontier. Perhaps the constant fear of raids wasn’t really good for him. It remains to be seen whether he’s more of an asset or liability in a serious battle.
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The general opinion is that he should bide his time a while longer before continuing with Zelibrat’s “eastern policy”. As such, the world goes round while Poland remains at peace for the time being. This peace is only broken by an easily defeated nomad rebellion in one of his former provinces, obviously due to the mismanagement of the brother he gave it to after his coronation.
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The Grand Duke of Pomerania, that meaningless pawn installed by the nobles’ scheme against Zelibrat, decides to openly defy the terms of their agreement and invade the Free City of Gdansk, ignoring the huge damage that disrupting the Republic would deal to the entire Polish economy. Luckily, a “strongly worded” message from Nadbor is enough to make him back down, but the High King’s less than friendly relationship with his vassals is already starting an ominous trend.
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The Pope decides to bring back an old tradition by excommunicating the Emperor of Francia. Clearly Francia is about to fall. Speaking of: “Francia is about to fall” has become an extremely popular phrase throughout Poland over the last two centuries, both with and without irony.
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Nadbor decides to bring back an old tradition as well, by becoming the first Polish king in nearly a century to actually push some meaningful legislation through the Crown Council. The crown economy is strong and filling the coffers isn’t a problem, thanks in no small part to Gdansk, but that last farce of a Crusade proved that the Polish army, while massive, still lacks enough men to fight the fights that matter. As such, he continues the practice of promising less peacetime taxation in trade for more wartime levies. All it takes is a lot of flattery and monetary concessions to certain key councilors.
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The Archpriest seems to be doing his best to throw those soldiers away, though, as 1120 brings a Great Holy War for Perm: a huge belt of wilderness in the distant, frozen northeast. The High King will commit no forces to this idiocy, but if history is any indication, the zealous lords of the realm will jump at the Archpriest’s call.
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Meanwhile in the west, the fruits of past victories continue to fall to ash as more priests rebel against Germany’s new Catholic leadership and declare their secession. They’re going to have to think of something really clever if they want to avoid being quickly annexed by Francia. It’s enough to drive Nadbor to drink.
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Somehow or other the County of Provence and Knights of Santiago (who are nowhere near Santiago) manage to break out of Francian rule.
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Umayyad Iberia has broken apart into three infighting states.
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The seemingly so stable Tulunids of Egypt have lost control of their massive realm….
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And the Byzantine Empire was never stable to begin with, but now it’s losing more ground while also stuck in a three-way civil war for the throne. Listening to all these news from Europe and beyond, it’s like the world’s suddenly coming apart at the seams for no visible reason.
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Nadbor does his part to contribute to the chaos and keep himself occupied by raiding the Byzantines' defenseless borders. He also takes up hunting in the Carpathian wilderness. At the same time, though, the Council seems intent on blocking his attempts to conquer his way to the Dniepr River as Zelibrat intended. No matter how much he rages and threatens to have them all hanged for this insubordination, they seem to just get more stubborn in return. One summer day in 1124, this internal conflict reaches a new high as the High Queen herself, whom Nadbor had asked to investigate some worrying rumors for him, is ambushed and murdered in broad daylight in the streets of Krakow.
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The culprits manage to escape in the confusion, but Nadbor – foaming at the mouth with all Perun’s fury – sends the full royal retinue to chase them down and have them brought to justice. Slow, painful, satisfying justice. He gets nothing useful out of them, but is increasingly convinced that the Crown Council is running a deep-rooted conspiracy against him. Why else would his wife of all people, the mother of his children, be murdered like this?
He makes himself very clear: if they don’t give him what he wants, right now, he will have them all suffer the same fate as his wife’s murderers. They pretend to be confused and have no idea what he’s talking about, but his threats ring worryingly true, and he finally gets their “agreement” for some limited expansion in the east, ongoing Great Holy War be damned. However, after this small concession, Poland’s pagan neighbors seem to once again lock ranks in protest and stop any further wars for a while.
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He also proves that he isn’t above kicking out the worst troublemakers to show who is High King, and who’s a washed-up Grand Duke only here for the drinks. The nobles resent not just their new obligations, but also the way that they’re forced upon them. Nadbor doesn’t care; he’s spent almost ten years now just sitting around because, for whatever reason, they oppose his every move out of sheer principle. Even his newly appointed, supposedly more favorable councilors seem to forget their loyalties as soon as their bribes are spent, so he has to keep replacing them to push any reforms through.
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In 1126, the last major lord of the north finally sees what’s best for him and, as must be tradition at this point, approaches the High King of Poland with a humble request for aid in the conversion of Finland. Nadbor is happy to comply, seeming to think that this will earn him a place among the greatest heroes of the Church.
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It doesn’t go quite that well: just as with Norway, many of the Finnish chiefs rise up in revolt, but this King has far less success putting it down. The actual conversion ends up being quite… limited in scale.
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Meanwhile, the war in Perm is finally wrapping up, allowing the warriors to return home frostbitten but supposedly victorious. That’s odd, though; no one can seem to find these great conquered territories. Is the Archpriest just lying through his teeth to cover up his bumbling or something?
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(That "Mongolian Revolt" is just the Kirghiz, not the actual Mongols. Seems that this revolt firing bugged out the holy war.)
The 42-year-old, increasingly frustrated Nadbor seems to be having some sort of midlife crisis about how he’s going to be remembered after his passing, be it next week or decades from now. He of course realizes that his heavy-handed measures haven’t made him the most popular with his vassals. However, he also knows that he’s not in the wrong here! It’s the vassals’ own fault for refusing to pay him the respect a High King deserves! He shall devote himself to making sure they never forget just what that respect means.
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Until now, he’s simply ignored the Crown Council’s complaints and happily gone over their heads: if the High King just walks out and says something confidently enough, no one in the world will think to ask if it was approved the Council. However, if this autocratic power is to last – and pass onto his successors as well – he realizes that he’ll need to try and change some of the laws that give the Council all this power to begin with. Since he thinks that most of the realm’s "legal experts” are on the conspiracy’s payroll anyway, he’ll just have to figure out what he can do himself.
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In November that year, one of Nadbor’s new crony councilors comes up to ask, nay, demand that in return for his previous support, Poland should declare war on Francia for some backwater province deep in the Carpathians. Nadbor is already about to throw something at him for even daring to suggest wasting thousands of men on such a ridiculous invasion, only to stop and realize that the deeply unpopular Emperor is actually in the middle of his third, maybe fourth civil war in a row. Perhaps this really would be a good opportunity to humiliate him a bit?
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As it turns out, the invasion lasts less than a year and ends without a single real battle, besides a small squabble with some local rebels. Eventually the Emperor’s clearly overworked magnate simply sends a message that he really couldn’t care less about that stupid valley right now, as long as the Poles get off his goddamn lawn. They’re happy to comply. Although, Nadbor kind of feels like this war was too quick and easy to actually register as a humiliation.
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Nonetheless, perhaps the Poles should make a habit of doing this whenever the Francians are busy, which is very often. Excited that his councilors are being cooperative for once, he decides to start a separate border dispute against the other side of the civil war while he’s at it. It ends up being a similar success, allowing Poland to finally pick off one of those Francian exclaves in Pomerania.
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Despite these “glorious” victories, his vassals seem unconvinced about his fledgling legal reforms. To motivate them to stay in line and not try anything funny, he spends lavishly on foreign mercenaries to patrol Krakow and glare at them menacingly around the clock.
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The Francian civil war ends with the claimant taking the throne, which is relatively uncommon but not unheard of, and is then followed by yet another one starting literally days later. How, how does that country still stand? But at the same time, something… far more unusual is happening up north.
A couple years back, the King of Svithjod ended up abandoning the Slavic Church and returning to his unreformed pagan ways. However, apparently at some point the priests of Germany ended up electing a Khazarian Jew, and then that Jew’s son, as Guardian of Germany. Where did they even come from? And now, these two giants of sense have decided to knock their wise heads together and also convert Svithjod to the Jewish faith.
Nadbor has no words.
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Indeed, it doesn’t take long before the clearly insane priests of Germany elect the actual Khagan of Khazaria as their new Guardian.
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Coincidentally, “Khagan” is actually one of Nadbor’s less flattering new nicknames. He has certainly accomplished his goal: everyone will remember him, but mostly as a power-hungry tyrant with no respect for tradition, civility or common sense. The power of the High King is supposed to be based on an implicit alliance between him and his vassals; people believe he has violated that alliance thoroughly enough to be beyond salvation, and his infamy will probably brand even his descendants for ages to come. Though no rebellion has been suicidal enough to rise against him, there’s no knowing how many of his illegitimate laws will actually stay in the books after his much-anticipated passing.
It’s a questionable honor to say the least, but perhaps he’ll calm down a bit now that he’s had it?
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At least Nadbor ‘the Ruthless’ isn’t the only one who’ll go down in infamy. In 1142, he is startled to hear that the Catholics have started another Crusade… but shock turns to confusion when he hears that they’re actually invading the Byzantine Empire. It seems that the Byzantine Emperor, having regained some semblance of stability, originally requested the Pope’s help in driving the Muslims out of Anatolia. However, a sinister conspiracy between Italian and Greek merchants ended up steering the warriors north towards Constantinople itself, the richest city this side of the world, and what started as a holy war has basically turned into the largest, most brutal raid in history. Some make the ridiculous claim that the Byzantine Emperor is a Muslim puppet to be deposed; others say that Second Rome must be brought back under Catholic control to unite the Christians against heathens of all kinds. Whatever the reason, it’s fair to say that right now, all of Christianity is at war with itself. The Pope excommunicating the Emperor yet again does little to stem the tide.
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On the home front, Nadbor is content to continue his push for more and more men for the army. Since the Slavic priests are becoming increasingly important landowners with cadres of loyal warriors, yet little political presence, they make for a rather easy and uncontroversial target.
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After only four years of war, in 1146 the Byzantine Empire is completely shattered and the Latin Empire raised from its ashes. However, this is an Empire in name only, maintaining a tenuous grasp on the area immediately around Constantinople and nothing else. The Byzantine vassals are scattered to the winds. While the Poles feel a rush of spiteful joy at these news – any trouble for the Christians is good for the Slavs – they quickly realize that not only have their actual enemies the Catholics made great gains here, these break-off states might become easy prey for Francia as well. Should they remain scattered, good; but should they just be absorbed into the other Empire, all of Nadbor’s hard work to narrow the gap between Poland and Francia might be undone.
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Whatever the case, it’s a real mess for everyone involved. Sinope, Epirus and Serbia would seem like the most powerful successor states for the time being. The year 1146 may be remembered as one of the most important in Christian history. Francia might consider itself a new Rome, built on the acclaimed Charlemagne’s short-lived Holy Roman Empire; however, to everyone else, it is apparent that the last true remnant of the imperium that shaped European history has been shattered and broken to satisfy the Catholics’ simple greed.
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As Nadbor approaches his 60th birthday, having lived longer than most of his vassals would’ve liked, some would say that he’s actually softened with age. However, as he notices himself getting sick more and more often, he knows that his time on this earth is limited. Now that he’s accomplished his ambition of forging an undying reputation (for better or worse), if there’s one concrete legacy he wants to leave behind, it’d be to finally finish his decades-long project and claim the Dniepr for Poland. He spent so much of his youth banging tables and yelling about it, demanding men and immediate action, only for the plans to be sidelined by his councilors’ machinations.
Bringing Poland’s entire army of what is now 55,000 into Ruthenia is a rather unnecessary show of force, though.
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The war is a success – not that there was ever any doubt – and though people are loathe to admit it, indeed a rather significant milestone. It is officially celebrated by the founding of the Grand Duchy of Ruthenia, held by the High King himself for now; he has no interest in creating another self-centered Grand Duke to obstruct him.
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With his life’s work complete, Nadbor proudly starts writing a book (about war rather than statesmanship, luckily), and then follows tradition by dying in 1154 without ever finishing it. The less is said about his 38-year reign, the better… but even if overshadowed by his unacceptable behavior, the actual reforms and goals that he strove for may really have been in Poland’s best interest. In addition to reaching the Dniepr as promised, he greatly expanded the Polish military, ultimately streamlined the government and kept the kingdom safe through some very confusing years. His name will live on in infamy, but perhaps with time, his accomplishments will be remembered longer than his less pleasant actions. Perhaps.
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The High King is finally dead! Long live High King Swietoslaw of Poland, Grand Duke of Pomerania, Lithuania and Ruthenia, Liege Lord of Pomerania, Bohemia, Galicia-Volhynia and Moldavia!
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In addition to Nadbor’s conquests, his vassals have grabbed some additional pieces of land beyond the Dniepr, in Scania and in Riga.
After brief unification under the North Sea Empire, the British Isles have become a mess once more, but the Norse presence remains strong even if divided. Worryingly, Francia has been slowly creeping up from the southeast.
Iberian weakness has, perhaps predictably, led to all manner of invasion by the accursed Christians.
Some of the splinter states in Germany still survive under Slavic priests, but there’s also a growing Papist presence in the area…
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Despite the conversions of Sweden and Finland proving… abortive, the Nordic Church has come to stay in the North Sea Empire.
The Jewish faith remains in Svithjod, but has yet to spread very much.
Suomenusko pagans have regained some ground as well.
Despite the number of heretics within Francia dwindling over time and the Catholic Church technically being the strongest it’s been in centuries, they haven’t given up on their endless (hopeless) revolts.
The world is a mess. I do feel like it’s hard to write a coherent chapter when a long period of time is filled with back and forth wars in every direction; hopefully the end result doesn’t look that way. I actually considered splitting this chapter in two, but didn’t see a very good cutoff point and saw little point in it when I’d be posting them back-to-back anyway.
Anyway, that special chapter had the side-effect of reminding me of things I’d neglected for quite a while. Luckily the next ruler happened to be the perfect person to toss the Council around a bit. :smalltongue:
Also, that bloodline we got…? Probably not that great. Right now I’m just glad we don’t have primogeniture, so hopefully we don’t actually have to play as any of Nadbor’s descendants. I think the reason we haven’t gotten any bloodlines so far is bugged somehow; I don’t see why none of our characters so far deserve bloodlines when the Archpriest keeps beatifying insignificant dorks from around the realm.
As a bonus: Epirus seems to be ruled by a familiar dynasty. I know who I’m rooting for in the Byzantine free-for-all.
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mythmonster2
2019-01-11, 10:56 AM
Honestly, what is it with your AARs and Jews ending up in the strangest areas? I don't think I've ever seen them last more than 100 years.
SilverLeaf167
2019-01-11, 11:28 AM
You tell me. I also really, really don't know how it's possible for the Catholic-Slavic vassals of a Catholic ruler to end up electing a random Jew from across Europe (and I did check, he really was elected). With the Skleroi making an appearance too, I think there might be some sort of Spiderverse situation going on here.
SilverLeaf167
2019-01-12, 04:39 PM
Chapter #13: A Sword in a Sheath (Swietoslaw, 1154-1174)
27 October, 1154
The new High King of Poland is the current Grand Duke of Pomerania, who just like his predecessor became one of the late Nadbor’s most bitter enemies – and is in fact the first reigning Grand Duke to inherit the throne. The House of Elders wisely hid its choice from Nadbor, as he probably wouldn’t have taken it well. In this roundabout way, the forcefully removed Grand Duchy has been returned to the royal demesne, as Swietoslaw decides to hold onto the title. He can’t be everywhere at the same time, though, so he has to give his actual estates in Pomerania to his younger sons to govern (the oldest has run off to join the Warriors of Perun).
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Swietoslaw wasn’t the one to conquer Scania, but at the time of his election, he’s using it as a staging ground to push deeper into Scandinavia with his Pomeranian army. Svithjod was a much closer match for Pomerania than for Poland, though. His inheritance couldn’t have come at a better time, as it allows him to order the royal retinue to be shipped across the Baltic to help him and tip the scales decisively in his favor.
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With their help, the war is over in months.
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Actually surveying the lands he’s taken really drives home the difference between Poland and Svithjod, though. Denmark and Scania are relatively developed by this point, but when you go even slightly farther inland, the scenery looks more like Poland 200 years ago. People still live in tiny little villages protected by only the smallest of hill forts. For all the raiding they always do on the Polish coast, you’d expect the Swedes to put that loot to good use, but it seems like they’re just hoarding it or spending it on baubles. At least the local chiefs seem to have accepted the Slavic… uh, Nordic Church, so Swietoslaw graciously lets them keep their lands and tribes as long as they keep spreading the good word.
High King ‘Sword of Swarog’ himself is a rather zealous type, a true holy warrior who somehow managed to miss the Great Holy War for Perm, perhaps just realizing how stupid it was. He has learned from Nadbor's “example”, too, and is hopefully going to treat his vassals and councilors a lot better than the late autocrat. Of course, that doesn’t mean he’s going to abstain from politics entirely. He is still the High King, after all. Nadbor’s half-baked and heavy-handed reforms have left much of the legislation in a state of limbo, something which Swietoslaw is eager to fix in order to clear things up. He makes sure that the new laws seem to favor the councilors and roll back the worst of Nadbor’s tyranny, so they’re happy to accept them without him having to force the issue. The modestly named but massively important Statement of 1156 is passed with only minor disagreement, clarifying the division of power between Crown and Crown Council.
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Those laws immediately bite one of said councilors in the ass: Swietoslaw asks the 17-year-old Grand Duke of Galicia-Volhynia to stay after the rest of the Council is adjourned. He gently reminds him that the Statement they signed dictates he must stop his petty squabble with the High Chief of Mazovia as well. The young man stumbles and stutters and almost starts accusing him of following in Nadbor’s footsteps, but is forced to relent as Swietoslaw notes that he himself appointed the boy to the Council mere months ago and is well within his rights to enforce the laws they all just signed. Swietoslaw has a long reputation as an understanding man, but also a stone-faced soldier who won’t stand for insubordination.
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Perhaps as an attempt to curry favor or just to apologize, the Grand Duke later presents him with a very beaten and rusty old blade, which he claims to be the sword of Lech himself. Apparently his men found it stabbed into a stone in the middle of the Dniestr River. Swietoslaw has never heard of such a sword, though, and neither has the Archpriest. While you can make out some engravings that might have looked nice back when the sword was made, it could be no more than a couple decades old. However, based on the great care he takes with the weapon, the somewhat simple young man probably believes everything he’s saying, and the High King decides to humor him for now. It’s the thought that matters.
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Overestimating the so-called Latin Empire’s weakness, the Grand Duke of Moldavia tries to invade their holdings on the Bulgarian coast, which for better or worse would put the Poles right at the gates of Constantinople. However, with the help of the Knights Hospitaller, the Grand Duke is beaten back and his war only succeeds in bringing Byzantine (?) soldiers into Poland for the first time.
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Swietoslaw lets his vassals make their own mistakes and tries to focus on enforcing the Statement of 1156 instead. For one thing, it gives the High King wider rights and responsibilities to personally judge his subjects’ legal disputes. As such, 1159 brings a rather unusual case into Wavel Castle: a witch trial. Not for being a witch, as in the Christian realms, but for pretending to be one and taking money for spells that don’t work. The peasants who paid the woman to save their crops demand refunds as well as punishment. The baffled Swietoslaw consults the clergy, and after a brief interrogation, they can confirm that the accused doesn’t know a thing about magic. Lacking proper laws or precedent about how to handle this, Swietoslaw sentences her to brief jailtime and a moderate fine. The Archpriest starts working on a law against impersonating a witch to be presented at the next Council meeting. At least it’s a good thing that the laws of Poland are finally being written down into a coherent whole rather than being based entirely on “common sense and tradition”, which some people seem to lack.
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Archpriest Sedzimir (who has held the title for over 50 years now despite being the Council’s designated buffoon) seems to be quite fond of this new High King, which may contribute to his decision to beatify Swietoslaw’s late uncle, the Warchief of the Warriors of Perun, as a Blessed Ancestor; the second of his uncles to receive that honor, in fact. The process has always seemed quite arbitrary and the High Kings typically don’t pay it much mind, perhaps because not a single one of them has been chosen yet. The clergy has yet to make an official statement on whether this is intentional, but the significance of being a Blessed Ancestor has yet to be formalized either.
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Meanwhile to the north, as of 1159, the Kingdom of Novgorod has reemerged in the strangest of ways after disappearing for over a hundred years. In the wake of Norway losing control over the area, an adventurer with an army of zealots seems to have sailed up from the south and quickly reunited the tribes under his own rule. This Mehtar, apparently the son of an ordinary Egyptian Sheikh, has already adopted the local religion and culture, speaking fluent Russian, Polish, and most shockingly Finnish within months of arrival. Many of the fanciful stories regarding his past and incredible martial ability are eerily reminiscent of the long-lost Prince Niezamysl.
Even though Norway was a friend of Poland as well, this turn of events doesn’t look too bad at all. Swietoslaw makes sure to send the newcomer his gifts and warm regards.
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The 25th of December, 1159 – a day on which both Slavs and Christians should be home celebrating with their families – brings a highly unexpected declaration of war from the Teutonic Knights. After establishing a small foothold in Jylland, they have now set off on a strange little Crusade of their own, targeting Poland directly. The High King makes a rousing speech in the light of the cemetery bonfires for people to rally under his banners and show these knights exactly who they’re dealing with.
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For a single knightly order, though, there sure is a lot of them. Apparently they too have called in volunteers of their own and mustered an army of a whopping 40,000 men in Denmark. While Nadbor’s surviving reforms should allow Swietoslaw to raise at least 60,000, that’s still one of the largest armies in Europe. To his great credit, King Mehtar already stands eager to join in the defense of his new faith. A few lesser chiefs follow his example.
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Given the distances involved, it takes almost half a year for the Polish armies to muster in Gdansk, just barely in time to meet the Teutons marching up the coast. However, following everyone's favorite Crusader tradition, the knights have split up their forces and decided to assault fortified positions against 2-to-1 odds. The Poles let the valiant crusaders skewer themselves on their pikes, taking absolutely laughable casualties on their own side. By the time that the Teutons’ reinforcements are in position to join the battle, they think better of it.
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The fighting moves inland as the Teutons desperately try to regroup, but their losses have only made Poland’s numerical advantage even greater, and now Mehtar has had time to arrive as well. Their already slim chances are dwindling by the day.
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Even if it’s largely a formality by now, the King of Ireland and England (actually a maternal grandson of High King Gaudenty, by the way) throws his lot in with Poland as well. It’s always great to see how a little Crusade brings pagandom closer together.
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The largest surviving Teutonic army is forced to flee south into the Carpathians. The Poles spit on the ground and smirk at the thought of what the coming winter will do to them, but leave a third of their own army nearby in case the knights try to violate the capital. Gdansk rallies its own forces to deal with some stragglers, while the main Polish force heads west to take the fight to the Christians.
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Their prediction proves correct, as December snows give the Teutons the push they need to descend from the mountains and launch a desperate attack on Krakow. The Poles are there ready for them, meaning that this war has now seen glorious defenses at the gates of both Krakow and Gdansk.
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The Teutons' defense of Jylland is much less glorious, and the piddly wooden forts there quickly fall under the Polish onslaught with a little Irish help. In March 1161, an armistice is signed, the Teutonic Knights’ great army thoroughly humiliated. Permanently pushing them out of Jylland will have to wait, lest Francia decide to get involved. Even though it’s spring, the High King calls for a repetition of the winter celebrations that the Christians so rudely interrupted twice in a row.
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The first seven years of Swietoslaw’s reign have been a refreshing change from the previous four decades, and with the great favor of his vassals, he seems to be starting to believe his own hype to speak.
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Archpriest Sedzimir finally keels over, but his seemingly more competent successor seems to insist on repeating his mistakes after all. The second Great Holy War for Perm starts in December 1161, only half a year after the Crusade just ended. Besides, didn’t the Archpriest claim Perm was already conquered, hmmm…?
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Swietoslaw has no more interest in that mess than Nadbor did. Instead, back at home, his warm and almost fatherly relationship with the Grand Duke has done a great deal to improve the crown’s relations with Galicia-Volhynia. Due to its distinctly Ruthenian lords and population, the region has always had an annoying tendency to consider itself somewhat separate from the rest of Poland, even if mostly loyal. However, as Poland’s rule has proven both lasting and mutually beneficial, these attitudes are steadily dying out and being replaced with a sense of greater belonging with the rest of the realm.
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Apparently that sense of belonging extends even beyond the Kingdom's borders: even as Swietoslaw is reluctant to continue Nadbor’s aggressive policies in the east, his great reputation is enough for the Chief of Bryansk to swear fealty voluntarily, further motivated by a generous donation of course.
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Rumors arrive in Krakow that Gniewomir, one of Nadbor’s sons, seems to have gotten some mad ideas about his family being mistreated by the other lords and himself being the rightful High King. He’s even raising an army to try and take the throne by force; a lost cause at the best of times, never mind now with Poland at the peak of its power. Of course, random invaders like this emerge and get swatted down like once a decade, but rarely is the matter as high profile and personal as this.
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When the attack does arrive, crossing the border into Lithuania, Swietoslaw feels that his legitimacy requires him to lead the defense himself. After all, he was already recognized as a great commander in his Pomeranian days. In the thick of the battle, however, he ends up being pushed off his horse and cornered by one of Gniewomir’s lieutenants, ironically named Nadbor – which he proudly announces before charging. Did the man have some sort of cult following? Even though Swietoslaw wins the fight, it’s clear that his years are getting to him, as the younger man manages to cause him some serious wounds in the process. Nadbor is taken prisoner by Swietoslaw’s soldiers, but before the High King can limp to safety, he’s caught by a surprise attack from another enemy commander.
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The High King is carted off the battlefield but lives to fight another day. His visible injuries do nothing to reduce the weight of the ceremony when Gniewomir himself is dragged to Krakow in chains and made to kneel before the throne he so desired. Gniewomir refuses to have him executed and become a kinslayer – half the nobles being somehow related has its downsides – but will gladly toss him into the dungeons for his treason and let time do the deed for him.
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Despite being a hardened veteran of many wars, this particular one seems to have a profoundly terrible effect on his majesty. Probably not because of his wounding – he already lost an eye in his days as Grand Duke, after all – but perhaps something to do with fighting fellow Poles, led by a fellow-if-distant Lechowicz. One sleepless night, he actually descends into the dungeons to go and see Nadbor, the very man who first attacked him. Nadbor snaps awake and thinks he’s here to kill him personally, not being kin like Gniewomir, but the clearly rattled High King just wants to have a stern talk with him. As they speak through the bars of his cell, Swietoslaw comes to the realization that this is just a mildly hapless farmer’s son, afraid for his life, who happened to get taken in by Gniewomir’s false rhetoric. He has seen countless tragic fates big and small in his life, but somehow… this moment, this one feels like it embodies them all, and the immense weight on every ruler’s shoulders.
He returns to the nervous guard waiting outside and orders Nadbor released into the night, on the absolute condition that he never show his face again. Still, the 52-year-old High King seems to be having a bit of an existential crisis. Surely it’ll pass.
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At the same time, Poland is shaken by simultaneous waves of slow fever and measles. Swietoslaw doesn’t even want to hear it. Only after his own daughter Katarzyna is infected, which he rightfully blames himself for, does he finally seal up Wavel Castle. It’s too late, though, and apparently he manages to catch the illness himself. Eventually, as a breakdown in the castle’s rationing system forces them to open the gates again and get food from outside, the quarantine seems to have been a total failure.
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Swietoslaw receives treatment from his completely blind but very much reliable court physician Karol, a powerful wizard, who brews him his strongest potions. Too strong, it would appear. Alcohol seems to be a major ingredient.
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The Great Holy War is a failure, yadda yadda. Swietoslaw had so much on his plate that he basically forgot it was even a thing.
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As more and more eastern tribes join Poland by sheer diplomacy or through his vassal’s independent shenanigans, Swietoslaw organizes them into the Grand Duchy of Chernigov. He has no interest in hoarding any more titles, though, and grants it to the most loyal-looking of the local chiefs instead.
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Swietoslaw’s illness only recedes years after the outbreak is supposedly over, but its aftereffects (and the drinking problem, and the clinical depression) will torment him for the rest of his life. At least his little Katarzyna makes a full recovery, though, and even gets married to the similarly young crown prince of England on her 16th birthday.
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Prince Gunnarr actually inherits mere months later, but shortly after, the High King receives scandalous news that Gunnarr’s cousin, King Åle of Norway, has attacked his castle and forcefully taken away the 16-year-old Queen Katarzyna as a concubine! While there might be nothing wrong with concubinage itself, this is so wrong on so many levels, not least the massive insult to the honor of both England and Poland! Swietoslaw is the most furious he’s ever been in his life, yet King Åle has the utter audacity to refer to the non-aggression pact forged by his brother’s previous marriage to Swietoslaw’s older daughter Elzbieta.
That’s it. This piece of filth is too good for war.
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Swietoslaw swears to the heartbroken Gunnarr that he shall have his wife back. A mere month later back in Norway, King Åle’s carriage is attacked by an unnaturally large group of armed men who easily overpower his bodyguards and drag him out of his wagon into the dark woods. As he is thrown to the ground, one of the attackers takes off their helmet to reveal themselves as Elzbieta herself before delivering the first stab to Åle’s stomach. By the time everyone's had their turn, not much is left of him. The absolutely terrified Katarzyna is “abducted” from the wagon and safely ferried back to England, but not before meeting his father on the beach for a heartfelt reunion. Though the attack is carried out in secrecy, Swietoslaw makes no secret of exactly who was behind it, and why.
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Perhaps impressed by the tenacity with which the Poles uphold their marriages, King Mehtar also seeks a Lechowicz as his new wife after the death of his previous Muslim one.
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On the 9th of December 1174, after almost exactly 20 years of accomplished rule, the 62-year-old Swietoslaw’s myriad health problems get the better of him and he finally gets his chance to feast in peace. Despite originally making a warrior’s career, after his coronation he turned out to be one of the most level-headed and peace-minded rulers Poland has ever seen. Still, even in his final difficult years he kept proving his will to protect his honor against threats both direct and indirect, something which his fellow Poles consider the greatest virtue of all. As befits someone endearingly called the ‘Sword of Swarog’, he should be remembered as another exemplar of a king, especially in contrast to the tyrant that was Nadbor before him.
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The High King is dead! Long live High King Sulislaw of Poland, Grand Duke of Pomerania, Lithuania and Ruthenia, Liege Lord of Bohemia, Galicia-Volhynia, Moldavia and Chernigov!
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As usual, Poland’s opportunistic lords have picked up a motley of lands in Cherson, Estonia and Russia. They even got some of that Bulgarian coastline they wanted.
After a Cathar Emperor inherited the throne, Francia was plunged into yet another civil war, but it’s just for the inheritance again and Poland isn’t in a position to exploit it anyway.
Not much of note has happened in former Byzantium other than Epirus violently splitting in half, with the Skleros-ruled Kingdom of Sicily actually being based near Athens.
Oh, so the computer’s Child of Destiny gets to work properly, huh? I see how it is, CK2. Keep your secrets.
Many of my mental images of Polish politics are based on pre-Gustavian Sweden, which as a history major in Finland I’ve had to study quite a bit. While obviously not completely identical, it provides a decent comparison for how a random tribe turned largely rural kingdom might function, and there’s a fair bit of artistic license thrown in anyway. :smalltongue: It helps that I’ve spent much of the last couple weeks reading books about legal reforms and witch trials…
For some reason I’ve suddenly been generating a ton of Threat in these last couple chapters (currently hovering around 30% after already sitting around twenty years), meaning that I couldn’t really fight offensive wars if I tried. Luckily the game is keeping things interesting for me. Personal drama! Been a while since we had any of that.
I find myself in a bit of a bind with that ugly land across the Dniepr, though. I wanted to release an independent Chernigov and then make it a tributary with the console, but there doesn’t seem to be a command for that, so it’d take some war shenanigans and risk angering the defensive pact. If I just give them full independence, I know for a fact they’ll simply be gobbled up before long. I’ll have to think of something. I guess one tried and true option would be to actually commit to this whole eastern expansion thing and then just release it all in the EU4 conversion – thoughts?
Rockphed
2019-01-13, 12:55 AM
I am fairly certain that how much threat you produce scales with how large you are. So as you grow bigger, you generate more threat. So if you commit to further expansion, you will generate oodles of threat. At the same time, when your vassals win wars, they generate threat for you.
SilverLeaf167
2019-01-13, 04:34 AM
Hmm... Well, I won't start big wars against the defensive pacts, so I guess I'll just take high-priority land when I can and then patiently wait for it to tick down.
Rockphed
2019-01-14, 12:49 PM
Hmm... Well, I won't start big wars against the defensive pacts, so I guess I'll just take high-priority land when I can and then patiently wait for it to tick down.
Just remember that rebels are never part of defensive pacts. Also, I am fairly certain that freeing land drops your threat by as much as it would raise it. I think kingdoms drop threat more than the sum total of their duchies.
SilverLeaf167
2019-01-15, 03:32 PM
Chapter #14: How to Build a Well (Sulislaw, 1174-1194)
9 December, 1174
High King Sulislaw is a former Steward of Poland from another Pomeranian branch of the family, known as the country’s foremost number cruncher (not that there’s a lot of competition) but also a very devout Slav. While a skilled warrior and perhaps even a true jack-of-all-trades, he seems most interested in expressing his devotion through hard work and thrift, making him a very safe if somewhat colorless choice to run the realm.
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Whenever he finds the time, though, he’s determined to break the old curse and actually finish a book so he can share his knowledge with future generations.
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Given the long-standing prosperity of Krakow, a number of Christian merchant guilds from Bohemia have joined together to petition for Sulislaw’s blessing for their expansion into the capital, which has become a major center of trade. Were it not for his religiousness, Sulislaw would certainly appreciate the potential profit, but as it happens, he not only denies them his blessing, but actually starts considering further laws to restrict Christian activities outside their established minority regions.
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Despite being devoted to his faith, though, he otherwise sees all the various subjects of Poland as one people under one crown, and has no qualms about learning their languages and customs. In fact, he (somewhat exaggerating) takes pride in speaking all the languages common within the Kingdom, including “foreign” ones, from German to Ruthenian.
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In the spring of 1178, the Pope declares yet another Crusade for Germany. Poland has long since lost its foothold and frankly interest in the area, so most people assume this Crusade to be targeted at the disgrace of a Khazar state that the Congregation has become. However, it turns out that the Pope is actually calling the faithful to arms against the Cathar boy currently sitting on the Francian throne (following his Cathar father’s recent assassination). Given that Francia is actually in the middle of a civil war to depose said heretic, it’s left a little ambiguous whether the Pope is merely drumming up support for that war or actually intending a conventional, separate Crusade.
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As it turns out, the Pope’s armies end up becoming a third party in the civil war, capturing Germany from under the Francians’ nose and invoking divine authority to make it into an independent crusader state in 1180. The Congregation has thus been followed by another equally artificial religious order in the form of the Crusader Kingdom of Germany. Who knows whether this was the actual purpose, or if it’s just Constantinople all over again. The Pope could’ve even been pushing his own interests, seeing as he also owns a large chunk of Germany.
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The first Crusader King of Germany – or King of Crusader Germany, apparently – is a total nobody, the formerly landless brother of the Countess of Gloucester. Either he managed to distinguish himself in this short war or, more likely, had a powerful backer behind him. Indeed, what probably really matters here is his Karling name lending some veneer of legitimacy to this whole farce.
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The mess that Germany has become makes one wonder whether the Congregation was ever a reasonable idea to begin with, or just a zealous fever dream in the atmosphere of a victorious Great Holy War. Reasonable or not, the fact is that it ultimately fell due to an individual Guardian’s cowardly decision to convert in the face of aggression, not necessarily the state’s own impossibility. Of course, said decision was made under the pressure of a Crusade that seemed to be on the verge of success, so Germany might've been lost all the same, only with even more fruitless fighting. Most of the Germans who did accept the Slavic Church (but didn’t flee to Poland) currently live in Khazar Germany, “safe” from the Crusaders for now.
Within mere months of this news, the Grand Duke of Bohemia invades Crusader Germany’s detached estates in Oldenburg in hopes of claiming them while the strange state is still weak.
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The vassals in the east are not about to be outdone, attacking and annexing the chiefdom of Karachev. Those original plans of reaching the Dniepr seem to have… overshot a bit, as the Poles are now mere miles away from the Volga (miles which they’re very much looking to conquer). Some are concerned that this might hurt relations with Novgorod, and some clashes have in fact already occurred. There's only so much that the High King denying personal involvement in his vassals' affairs can help, not to mention the poor impression it gives of Poland as a state.
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The High King seems to have little interest in external politics, though. In 1184, his 10-year writing project finally comes to an end with the publication of the humble but masterful ‘How to Build a Well’. Chronicling the founding and development of a hypothetical town in the countryside, starting with the very first well, at a glance the book appears very bland and matter-of-fact, even despite its quality illustrations. However, on closer analysis, it actually explains complex economical and architectural concepts, even original theorems, in a form that should be comprehensible to even the thickest, least literate Polish nobleman.
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Bohemia’s attack into Germany ends up being a failure, but right next door, the people of Frisia have finally had enough of Francia’s endless infighting and decided to unite behind a local rebel leader to found their own Kingdom. While not terribly large in size – barely larger than Upper Poland alone – these are some of the richest, most populous lands in the Empire, or indeed all of Europe, and may well stand a chance of maintaining their independence if Francia remains unstable.
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No feudal state is entirely solid, of course, and even the mighty Poland faces some internal unrest every now and then. One particular rebellion in Moldavia is notable for being the first such uprising organized by Bulgarian Orthodox Christians, but otherwise just as unremarkable as all the rest and easily put down. It’s always hard to tell whether such rebellions happen out of sheer desperation, or if they actually believe that they could ever win. Of course, Moldavia of all places did momentarily break off during the 14 Years’ War, but…
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Finland’s religious confusion continues as well, having toyed with the idea of Slavism in the past and now, in 1190, deciding to adopt the Catholic faith. The af Munsö kings of Sweden were once invaded and deposed for doing just that; Denmark didn’t last long, either. It remains to be seen whether Finland will become the first Nordic state to actually hold onto Christianity for any amount of time. Hopefully not. The immediate rebellion against the King's conversion doesn’t bode very well for him, at least.
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In 1193 the Francian civil war finally ends, having inexplicably lasted for 19 long, long years despite originally looking like it should’ve been over in months. Ironically, it seems that Crusader Germany was spared a lot of trouble by being invaded so early into the war. Even though he seemingly had the young Emperor on the verge of surrender for more than a decade, the Bishop of Trier in charge of the rebellion ends up signing a white peace, leaving the Cathar heretic on the throne on the condition that he keep his own seat as well. This can’t be good for Christendom’s future peace. Francia is about to fall, etc. etc.
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In those same 19 years, Poland has seen great prosperity under High King Sulislaw’s enlightened rule, including but not limited to the founding of over a dozen new castles and towns on the less fortified fronts and in the newly-civilized east. Even despite his vassals’ demands, he has refused to throw all that away by declaring any wars of opportunity, forcing them to try and do so on their own with mixed success. The next year, on the 24th of July 1194, that prosperity takes its price, as the 56-year-old Sulislaw’s worsening health problems finally lead to a heart attack and his almost immediate death – he appears to have simply worked himself to death, building wells and all that. His name is written on many, many a plaque around the country, and historians will surely appreciate him as the great builder he was, but even if he was also popular in his own time, his vassals seem to be looking forward to his successor…
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The High King is dead! Long live High King Wojciech of Poland, Grand Duke of Pomerania, Lithuania and Ruthenia, Liege Lord of Bohemia, Galicia-Volhynia, Moldavia and Chernigov!
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A bit of an in-between episode, but there’s some interesting stuff going on outside our borders. Doubt that Cathar situation will last, but I’m hoping it’ll at least cause some chaos.
The next chapter should be a bit more aggressive, since our Threat has ticked down and the next High King looks like a pretty proactive sort… and yeah, looks like we definitely will need to release countries in the conversion, the way my borders keep expanding on their own. Still, thinking too far ahead again.
Rockphed
2019-01-16, 03:51 PM
Hey, somebody finally completed a book! Polish now has literature!
SilverLeaf167
2019-01-19, 08:22 AM
Chapter #15: Witch & Witcher (Wojciech + Zygmunt, 1194-1240)
24 July, 1194
Formerly a minor Allermarch chief, High King Wojciech is the archetypical Polish soldier. Despite charming the realm with his physical strength, martial ability, bravery, dashing good looks and wit, he’s best known for his heavy drinking and womanizing – though the lattermost has been just for show ever since meeting his wife Adleta, with whom he’s been head over heels in love for the last 30 years. Even with all this popularity, though, the promise that raised him to the throne was that he’d finally go and attack Francia. Poland has been gaining a lot of weight, and it’s about time it throw that weight around! At his coronation ceremony, he reasserts his promises and gives the chiefs some time to prepare.
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What the adoring public doesn’t know is that the jolly drunk is actually a member of the Cold Ones, a secretive cult worshiping the dark god Czarnobog, the evil counterpart to the good Bialobog. While not denying the less palatable gods is a central part of Slavic theology, outright favoring them is unorthodox to say the least, as are the Cold Ones’ brutal methods. Wojciech himself is a mere Uchenik, “student”, an initiate of the order, but he has every intention to rise through the ranks. He seems to truly believe that Poland can prosper under the patronage of this dark deity.
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Moving into Wavel Castle gives him an ample supply of sacrifices, too: people captured on some raid or other and then simply forgotten in the dungeons. A young Greek woman is the first of his victims. One can only imagine what the Cold Ones might be able to do with the most powerful Slav of the world on their side…
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His membership being revealed would be a disaster, though. While no individual cult has technically been outlawed, many of the Cold Ones’ deeds themselves tend to be punishable by death should they be caught.
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One of Wojciech’s co-conspirators is his good friend and Chancellor, the High Chief of Livonia. Their mutual involvement in politics in Krakow gives them plenty of opportunities to go out in disguise and perform dark rituals, often making the townsfolk their hapless partners in crime, yet the rest of the government remains blissfully unaware, assuming their nightly escapades are simply them going out drinking as they always have.
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He still has his actual job as High King to take care of, though. In the spring of 1197, the perfect opportunity arrives when another massive rebellion rises against the Cathar Emperor, just as expected. Wojciech’s invasion is seemingly modest in its goals, simply demanding the “return” of France’s remaining holdings in Pomerania, but if successful, it surely won’t be the last.
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At 50 years old, it’s considered inadvisable for the High King to participate in battle himself, though he still travels with the army and offers his sage commands. Of course, given that the Emperor in his current state can only muster some 20,000 soldiers to Poland’s 70,000, it’s not exactly a close battle. Realizing that any effort that he puts into this comparatively meaningless war will weaken his efforts against the rebels, the Emperor sees the horde of Poles flooding across the border and wisely buckles before the end of the year. Poland’s gains include not just the pesky enclave of Brandenburg, but also the Duchy of Mecklenburg. Berlin isn't much to write home about, but Lübeck and Hamburg are among the largest towns in Northern Europe, though unfortunately very much Christian.
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As the High King’s power grows, it’s time for him to summon himself a familiar, a guardian spirit. This is in no way unusual for a shaman or witch to be doing – in fact, in some traditions it’s a prerequisite of being a proper witch – but quite unprecedented for a High King. He chooses to summon a wolf, a fierce hunter and protector to follow him around at all times. Of course, most people can’t see this beast and have no idea it’s there, but to the High King and his fellow magicians, its presence is as obvious as can be.
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They might just be abusing the High King’s naivety or something, but the leaders of the Cold Ones – clearly enjoying amount of power they have over him – give Wojciech the task of corrupting the Archpriest of Perun himself. It might actually be possible for someone in his position, especially as the Archpriest seems to even be a personal admirer of his. Wojciech takes to his mission with great enthusiasm.
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It shouldn’t be that difficult, seeing as Sulistryj ‘the Ill-Ruler’ is a bit of a despot who often toys with people for his own profit and amusement, and seems to have a taste for young women. However, Wojciech actually hinting at these flaws in any way is enough to greatly anger him and apparently let him catch onto the plot to tempt him over to the dark side. He leaves in a huff, accusing the High King of tampering with divine authority, and even his involvement with the Cold Ones seems to be at risk of being revealed.
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Mere days later, on the 25th of February 1200, the High King is found dead after collapsing on the floor of his study, apparently having choked on a piece of food. Among the Cold Ones, it is said that the true cause of death was his own familiar crushing his throat with its jaws after deeming him unworthy. His short 6-year reign saw a great, long-expected victory against Francia, but frankly not much else, and High King Wojciech goes down as an unremarkable footnote in history for all those not in the know about his dark double life…
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The High King is dead! Long live High King Zygmunt of Poland, Grand Duke of Pomerania, Lithuania and Ruthenia, Liege Lord of Bohemia, Galicia-Volhynia, Moldavia and Chernigov!
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The young Zygmunt is an all-around sharp and admirable Prussian chief. He was actually the late Wojciech’s favorite, and perhaps even a potential recruit for the Cold Ones, but despite possessing a great deal of religious and temporal knowledge, Zygmunt makes no pretensions of being a witch, especially now: the Cold Ones have – for some mysterious reason – been particularly active lately, rising from an obscure minor cult to a country-wide menace in the span of a few years. At least so you’d think from the way people speak of them in terrified whispers. It’s not entirely implausible that the Christians’ paranoia towards Cathars has somehow spread into Poland and transformed along the way to target a different kind of heretic. The clergy has its hands full making sure people remember the difference between Cold Ones and normal, benevolent shamans, and some even push for tighter discipline among the shamans to emphasize this.
Even Zygmunt’s own wife Rycheza, mother of his children, has recently been accused of horrible crimes in worship of Czarnobog and is currently imprisoned in her quarters. It was only due to Zygmunt’s own skillful rhetoric that this sudden scandal miraculously didn’t stop his election from going through.
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Following an interrogation by the Archpriest, who’s looking oddly shaken for some reason he won’t talk about, Zygmunt is allowed to divorce Rycheza. She is spared the death penalty due to the lack of evidence of specific atrocities, and being the (former) High Queen does still bring a degree of legal protection. Many would prefer her to be banished from the realm, but for political (not to mention personal) reasons, she is instead sentenced to extended house arrest at her father’s estates in Memel.
Seizing on Christian weakness in the region, Poland’s vassals finally succeed in bringing the rest of the Duchy of Nitra into the fold. The mountainous northern half has been part of the realm since the days of Lechoslaw, but the border was ambiguous at best, and the Slovak population – although long Catholic – have always been considered brethren of the Poles, not that this saved them from the constant raids. Although small, the area is of great importance due to its proximity to Krakow.
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The continuing shifts in the east are far larger. Grand Duke Vladislav II of Chernigov has taken matters into his own hands and pushed the border all the way to the Volga in not one, but two different directions, north and east. This has introduced a great number of Russians, Mordvins and especially Khazars to the realm, but also given Poland a border with the Dulafid Sultanate, which has been similarly pushing in from the south. The Poles have generally had a degree of sympathy for the Muslims, given their mutual struggles against Christians and lack of clashing interests, but given the vassals’ behavior, the first major Slavic-Muslim war might now be just a matter of time.
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Not long after, the Archpriest declares yet another Great Holy War for Perm. Just the third? Could’ve sworn there’d been more. However, Zygmunt sighs and decides to become the first High King to actually join one of them. These repeated attempts are both a disgrace and a waste of resources that he should just put an end to, especially since Poland seems to have greater and greater interest in the east anyway.
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Given the lack of Uralic pagans almost anywhere outside Perm, which itself is large but poor and sparsely populated, Zygmunt really can’t even imagine how this has proven so damn difficult in the past. The answer becomes clear when the armies start marching in, though: the sheer distance between settlements is huge, there is little food to be found, the Permians keep launching surprisingly competent raids on overstretched supply lines, and then there’s the snow. Oh gods, the snow. He can only be glad he isn’t leading the army himself, as it seems to have shrunk to about a third of its old self by the time it’s anywhere near the Permian “capital”.
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It all makes for a fine reminder in the afterword of his long-awaited book, ‘On Feudal Warfare’, even less creatively named than ‘How to Build a Well’ but somewhat more interesting to the nobility. Detailing both the tactical and strategic aspects of warfare in light of Poland’s feudal military, the book might be a little too much on the theoretical side of things, but even if no plan ever survives first contact with the enemy, they’re still a vital thing to have. Right at the end, the fighting in Perm makes Zygmunt realize that his views were strongly colored by his past experience in the more fertile and temperate parts of Poland, and tries his best to amend that before release.
These notes basically amount to “If however, Thou dost lack theyse vital Supplyes and the Means to acquyre Them, then That is too Bad and Thou hast better goe Hoome.”
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In the summer of 1202, after a couple dozen thousand brave Poles have marched up north and been eaten by wolves, King Tikshayka of Perm decides that he’d rather convert and keep his lands than lose them to some invader. Thus the Uralic Church has been born alongside the Slavic and Nordic ones, with the help of frostbitten Polish advisors terrified to hear that they have to stay behind. Hopefully it will grow and prosper, so we don’t need to have a fourth Great Holy War for these damn woods.
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Speaking of conversions, the situation in Scandinavia is getting outright bizarre. Not only has the King of Finland managed to spread Christianity to much of his lands, the King of Sweden has married an Andalusian woman and then decided to convert to Islam himself! Norse, Nordic, Jewish, Christian, Muslim… who knows, we might be seeing Hindus in Sweden before long. Not a lot of chiefs have decided to follow his example, but at this point the religious situation in Sweden is a real smorgasbord, with small portions of the population holding onto each religion the country has even briefly adopted in the past. Oh, and Poland is also there for some reason.
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By 1209, Frisia has continued to exploit small states breaking off of Francia every now and then, pushing down to Köln in the south. However, more importantly, it has previously grabbed a big chunk of Britain, and is now trying to expand its foothold in Ireland. To his misfortune, the young King Claes of Frisia has been using a lot of religious rhetoric and calling this a holy war against the pagan menace, giving Poland all the justification it needs to interfere. Previous rulers have been rather lazy about western affairs beyond Poland’s own borders, but Zygmunt can see that allowing Frisia to conquer the British Isles piece by piece might not be such a great idea when they’re such a good support base for the Nordic Church.
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Conveniently, the royal retinue was already raiding Francia right in the neighborhood and can easily march into Frisia. To their surprise, they find out that English troops are already at the gates of the capital, while the local defenders are nowhere to be seen, having been shipped over to Ireland. However, the High King soon realizes that no matter what they do on the mainland, a bad enough defeat in Ireland might still force them to surrender. As such, a large fleet is quickly raised from Poland’s local ports to carry the troops across the North Sea. Though no one comes to think of it at the time, it’s actually a rather momentous occasion, as Polish crown forces are staging a naval operation outside the Baltic Sea for the very first time.
They arrive only days too late to save the Irish army, but just in time to stop the Frisians from causing any more permanent damage. The Norwegian troops running rampant in the area aren’t really helping things, but at least their feud with Ireland is only over tiny little Shetland in the north and not really relevant to the security of the Church. Months later, Frisia is forced to surrender and the Poles get to return home.
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While the war itself seems to have been a good idea, during it, High King Zygmunt has somehow managed to contract the great pox despite never leaving Krakow. The origin of the sickness is a whispered mystery, since he has barely left his castle and everyone else at court seems healthy. The high fever seems to do a number on his formerly so bright brain, as he soon starts introducing completely ridiculous or just plain unintelligible laws and pushing them through the Council. A couple more charitable councilors interpret that he wants to support the barter economy in the Polish countryside. He sternly clarifies that no, he literally wants to use turnips in place of gold, and that they better get working on it if they want to get their turnip salary next month.
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Down south, the Muslims succeed in their Jihad for Anatolia, thus seizing a huge part of the former Byzantine heartland. Whoever orchestrated this whole mess with the Latin Empire would probably be feeling pretty awkward if they weren’t long dead already. At the same time, Moldavia has succeeded in its ambitions to creep down the coast and is finally at the gates of Constantinople. Could the ruins of the Roman Empire end up being split in two between Muslims and pagans?
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In late 1212, the Pope answers these threats with a Crusade, not for Anatolia but for Sicily. While it is valuable land with a Christian population, it doesn’t seem all that useful for the defense of the east. The war is a quick success, leading to the establishment of Crusader Sicily under… the aunt of the King of Frisia, of all people. It’s unclear what exactly her involvement in the war was, but there you have it. A Crusader Queen.
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Of course, all parties are blissfully unaware that even farther east, a whole new potential threat raises its head…
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But more on that later.
Back home, for 16 years ever since the highly publicized trial of High Queen Rycheza, the Cold Ones seem to have stayed remarkably quiet. However, as with any dark cult, staying quiet doesn’t have to mean they’ve actually disappeared. Indeed, in 1216, Zygmunt has to face some unpleasant memories as the High Chief of Pomerania himself is dragged into the throne room and accused of publicly worshiping Czarnobog in the market square, with a ton of witnesses. The High Chief is looking less than stable, but the same can be said of the High King. He is furious about having to deal with this in the first place and doesn’t hesitate to have the man burned for his crimes, distant kinslaying be damned. He lost his Lechowicz name when he turned to the dark gods and started gutting people in the street.
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The great pox never entirely lets go of Zygmunt, nor does his mind ever recover, even though his physical health seems fairly safe and he “reigns” for many, many more years. In between outright unintelligible rambling, he sometimes manages to make a remarkably lucid yet still utterly insane statement that his councilors and other helpers do their best to either veto or just ignore. At the same time, they’re actually forced to shelter their liege from a lot of information that he could have an unpredictable reaction to. For really the first time, the concept of the House of Elders being able to force the abdication of an incapable High King is discussed, but quickly dismissed. As such, despite having had such a promising start with Ireland, Poland’s foreign policy is torn between utter chaos and simple inaction, ultimately leaning towards the latter.
Not so for the lesser chiefs. In 1225, the ambitious Grand Dukes of Moldavia and Chernigov, Poland’s biggest conquerors in these past years, join forces in their (in a sense) most ambitious plan yet, invading the Latin Empire once more and conquering the Duchy of Adrianopolis. Polish pagan warriors are now enjoying the sun and eating tzatziki on the Aegean Sea coast, and a wedge has been driven between Greece and Anatolia.
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A couple years later, this is followed up by the Emperor of Francia himself declaring the Latin Empire a failed experiment, outright seizing its final lands in an attempt to try and stop Second Rome from falling to infidels. The Latin rump state thus disappears after only 83 years of pained existence. Just as a slap in his face, the Poles put together a large army to storm and sack Constantinople in 1229, making that at least the third time within the century that this has happened to the so-called greatest city in the world. First time by Poland, though! Boatloads of booty, including a great deal of art and other unique treasure, are brought to Krakow, but obviously the cream of the crop has already been taken by previous looters.
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GAAAAAAAAAAAH
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The mad king isn’t even informed of the Great Holy War, lest he get any weird ideas. As it turns out, it’s something of a personal affair, with the previously converted King of Perm’s daughter asking for help against a Jewish usurper. For once the war is a quick success even without getting the crown involved. However, the new Queen is assassinated mere months later, and Perm passes right back into non-reformed Uralic hands, so we can probably look forward to the fifth (?) one.
Unfortunately, the combination of his long-lasting sickness, stress of his intensified madness and already quite respectable age finally brings Zygmunt an ignoble death by pox and malnutrition on the 18th of November, 1240. He reigned for a whole 40 years, but over half of that time was spent increasingly ill and unstable, letting his vassals run rampant (when they weren’t busy reining him in). Even his notable legacy in the aid of Ireland ended up being undone by later events. The Poles mostly viewed him as a somewhat pitiful figure, which just might be an even worse reputation than that of a tyrant. Indeed, even if it didn’t go anywhere, the very idea that the person elected to the throne could be deprived of it if he ceases to be the best candidate has some interesting (worrying?) implications for the Polish monarchy. Let us all hope that future kings prove capable enough to make people forget about these doubts.
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The High King is dead! Long live High King Krzeslaw of Poland, Grand Duke of Pomerania, Lithuania and Ruthenia, Liege Lord of Bohemia, Galicia-Volhynia, Moldavia and Chernigov!
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Poland’s warmongering vassals have been expanding into every direction except west, even reaching the Caspian Sea, almost pushing the Khazars off the Black Sea coast, and conquering Estonia and half of Sweden just because they could.
In the end, both Finland and Sweden’s ill-advised conversions have simply led to partition by their neighbors, leaving only small independent chiefdoms.
Since the High King’s illness prevented him from continuing to defend the British Isles, Francia, Frisia and Aquitaine have all been making very worrying headway there.
The Sultanate of Fes has reshaped itself into the Sultanate of Andalusia.
With the fall of Anatolia, Epirus has decisively established itself as the most powerful of the Greek successor states. Serbia has curiously enough converted to Islam, but failed to affect much of its actual populace. The so-called Empire of Sinope maintains its meaningless claim to the Byzantine throne despite only holding a smattering of islands and individual castles.
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Rajasthan continues to be absolutely massive, albeit under a few different dynasties. They technically even share a tiny border with Poland now.
Just to the north of them, the Mongols have already invaded China and set up the Yuan dynasty there, but as far as anyone in Europe is concerned, they still haven’t really consolidated the steppes and have thus been of little interest. Barbarian hordes come and go, usually without posing a real threat to the civilized realms; surely they will be no exception.
As it turns out, Perm has by far the highest weight as a Holy War target for Slavic pagans out of any areas that don’t actually start with Slavic culture. I decided to finally tone it down in the code, because geez louise.
Man, I didn’t even realize that Wojciech was a Cold One before some tooltip reminded me of it. Provided some random filler/interesting flavor for a short-lived ruler, though. I aimed to keep the supernatural aspects ambiguous again, but if they’re going to keep popping up with this sort of frequency, I might just have to start ignoring them, since this is still supposed to be at least very, very roughly historical.
I also seriously don’t remember my vassals ever expanding this much before. I literally couldn’t stop them if I wanted to, though. In some ways it’s pretty annoying, since it gets me ugly borders, makes me blob against my will and often keeps my Threat too high for me to actually do much myself, but in a sense it’s also amusing to see what they get up to.
That being said, it runs a high risk of ending up as directionless faffing about, so if there’s a specific goal you’d like to see us try and pursue, share! At this point it can even be pretty ambitious, up to and including the full dissolution of Francia, which I’ve mostly just “let happen” until now (with little success). Don’t worry about the specifics, I’ll make sure the EU4 conversion ends up balanced enough that we’ll actually have something to do. Of course, the Mongols are a wildcard, and given our location, they could actually cause us major trouble… or not, if they just don’t feel like it.
Eldan
2019-01-19, 09:12 AM
Specific goals... I can't think of anything big, but please remove the Khazars from the Crimean if you can? That should deuglify your borders a bit. Though your border gore has nothing on Francias.
SilverLeaf167
2019-01-25, 06:17 PM
Chapter #16: The Great Oriental War (Krzeslaw + Sambor, 1240-1254)
18 November, 1240
The already 50-year-old High King Krzeslaw is another relatively safe vote, a scion of the Dniepr branch of the family who has previously distinguished himself in the Crown Council and as the Chancellor of Poland. A hard-working and reliable man, if sometimes a little too hungry for gold and influence, he’s expected to lead Poland through a safe transition out of Mad King Zygmunt’s long, frustrating reign.
https://i.postimg.cc/bv5mpKHZ/20190125211402-1.jpg
He doesn’t intend to be seen as just an interim leader, though. One of Zygmunt’s most widely criticized flaws was his failure to keep protecting the British Isles, which have been falling under Christian influence despite his admittedly admirable victory in Ireland. Even now, the pagan-converted tribes of Wales are under attack by the Frisian-aligned Duchess of Mercia. Just like Zygmunt so many years ago, Krzeslaw vows to send Polish forces to defend this small area and hopefully mark a turning point in the battle for the Isles.
https://i.postimg.cc/Jh0Tw1Jw/20190125212620-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/hvTyCpmf/20190125212500-1.jpg
Levies are raised and told to gather in Gdansk to be ferried overseas in smaller groups as they make it there. Despite never really considering itself a naval power, Poland does have quite an impressive coastline with lots of ports, and through wartime purchases and conscriptions it can muster a huge fleet of almost 700 transports – not that nearly that amount is actually needed for this war.
https://i.postimg.cc/nhHRkKhh/20190125213222-1.jpg
After capturing a bridgehead on the coast, the Polish troops head to take care of Mercia’s. No other Christian lords seem to have seen it fit to participate.
https://i.postimg.cc/mZH522nB/20190125213801-1.jpg
Mercia is too stubborn to surrender despite its crushing defeat, but after Poles storm Warwick in January 1242, the Duchess finally decides to call it quits. However, this time Poland has to be careful not to get complacent and turn a blind eye on the Isles after just this one victory.
https://i.postimg.cc/pXQczcxS/20190125214050-1.jpg
Meanwhile, Poland’s own chiefs keep expanding in the north. Sweden has become a free-for-all, with the Swedish chiefs subjugated by Swietoslaw many years ago being the most active conquerors, while Livonia appears to have taken a foothold around the town of Siuntio in the Gulf of Finland. All this has happened without much input or even attention from the crown, yet pretty much half of Sweden has just “slipped” under Polish rule in the last couple decades. It may be that Poland will have to further consolidate or otherwise take care of this region in the future, up to and including the option of granting it autonomy.
https://i.postimg.cc/SxDZtXn7/20190125215439-1.jpg
Not to be outdone, Moldavia takes advantage of a revolt in Epirus to invade its northern parts. The problem with these independent vassals is that they have no care for administrative questions or foreign policy, only immediate opportunity and material gain, which leads the crown to wonder what it's supposed to do with all these scattered estates and angry new subjects.
https://i.postimg.cc/MKJrcJkR/20190125220046-1.jpg
At least Krzeslaw seems intent on keeping his own promises, intervening in another Irish war in 1244.
https://i.postimg.cc/nzQ0z000/20190125220752-1.jpg
August 1245 brings far more disappointing and frankly mystifying news: the Warchief of Perun, from the Bohemian branch of the Lechowicz clan, has for whatever utterly insane reason decided to declare war on Poland to push another Lechowicz’s claim on the High Chiefdom of Yatvingia and bring it under the Warriors’ control. Besides the political side – Poland and the Warriors have mostly been on good terms since their inception – this decision is quite strange for military reasons, as the Warriors can apparently muster about 5,000 soldiers to Poland’s… 95,000?
https://i.postimg.cc/rs1jGz64/20190125221729-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/NFqbrmnY/20190125221349-1.jpg
It’s quite frustrating, since the Warriors rule only a few small areas in Chernigov, but a smattering of castles all over Poland from which they can launch raids and bother the citizenry. The nearest such fortress, Ostiecim, is mere miles from Krakow, and the obvious first target for the royal retinue.
https://i.postimg.cc/c1wFGkKJ/20190125221749-1.jpg
While it’s a shame that this war has to be fought at all, it isn’t a real threat to Poland. The same cannot be said of the other ultimatum that arrives in Krakow some months later in January 1246. Poland’s dealings with China have been extremely limited, and in the Polish consciousness it’s mostly associated with the legendary Prince Niezamysl, who took his fanatical armies and rode east towards the Chinese Empire. Some legends claimed that he’d gone and conquered the whole place, but this would suggest otherwise. The message is written in strange runes that no one at court can actually read, and the posh ambassador’s speech has to be clumsily translated by one of his local guides. The Protector General demands that the honorable High King bow to his rightful liege, the Yuan Emperor, and make Poland an official tributary of the Chinese Empire. The offer is blatantly ridiculous, and sent back the way it came: down the ambassador’s throat. Riders are immediately dispatched to the east to find out who the hell this so-called Protector General thinks he is.
https://i.postimg.cc/DyhBvQsP/20190125222913-1.jpg
Apparently even the humongous Empire of Rajasthan, which the Poles have long considered the greatest state in the east, has been forced to bend the knee and become part of this so-called Western Protectorate (western relative to China, presumably). It’s not hard to see why: just as Poland has gotten used to having the mightiest army in Europe, reports estimate that this General Protector can muster an incredible 155,000 men, half again as much as Poland! Apparently the man is a Muslim, as is the Yuan Emperor himself, and has close connections to the… “Mongol Empire”? That’s a whole other can of worms that Poland will have to look at later. The first major Slavic-Muslim war has come in a very different form than anyone ever expected, and China has entered the Polish political scene with a bang.
https://i.postimg.cc/c4cTrKBy/20190125223043-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/3xJ1pKty/20190125223245-1.jpg
With this turn of events, the war against the Warriors immediately changes from disappointing to immensely frustrating, as Polish armies are forced to busy themselves with something so frivolous while the largest barbarian horde since the Huns looms over the horizon. At least they’ll probably take a while to make their way over, but this stupid squabble couldn’t be over soon enough, for Poland really should be getting ready for them.
The closest thing to a silver lining is that the rumored Crusade for Thrace fails to materialize due to not gathering enough interest on the Christian side and Francia becoming too preoccupied with, yup, another civil war. Even if the Crusade itself wouldn't have been that big, Poland is in no position to split its attention any further.
https://i.postimg.cc/7ZsVnpRK/20190125224254-1.jpg
In January 1247 a treaty is signed with the Warriors, forcing them to pay indemnities to Poland. How dare they fight Poland at a time when the Slavs' independence is under such threat, the High King says. "Not the Slavs, just Poland," they say. Look at a goddamn map, the High King says! Poland is the Slavs!
https://i.postimg.cc/BvjCYm94/20190125224453-1.jpg
A year into the war, the Chinese have yet to make an appearance, but are surely making their way across the continent. Polish troops start heading east as well, hoping to check their advance with a well-prepared defense. Poland has faced superior numbers before and won.
Speak of the devil: a mere month later, the first wave of 23,000 arrives on this side of the Caspian Sea.
https://i.postimg.cc/HLF9fbd5/20190125225150-1.jpg
The High King understandably doesn’t feel that great and relaxed after the events of these last few years.
https://i.postimg.cc/zvrSf5LG/20190125225254-1.jpg
Luckily, these Chinese seem to have a bad habit of splitting up their forces much like the Crusaders do. The first major battle of the war is fought on the Black Sea coast of all places and ends in a crushing Polish victory against a smaller fragment of the Protectorate’s army. However, as latecomer reinforcements arrive on both sides, the situation devolves into a series of more, ever larger clashes. As Poland has the home advantage, it seems to acquire the upper hand for now, but the brunt of the Chinese forces are still on their way…
https://i.postimg.cc/QNQJyBP9/20190125225646-1.jpg
At least 1247 is looking like a moral victory for the Poles, though, as Protector General Taghai himself is surrounded and slain by the royal retinue in December (while the High King follows the events from safely way behind the frontlines). One of Krzeslaw’s generals rides up to him and presents him with Taghai’s ornamental spear, decorated with the Yuan banner and more runes that no one can read. It’ll make a fine trophy back in Wavel, should this war end well…
https://i.postimg.cc/KvmDSGS9/20190125230012-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/SRfL2587/20190125230651-1.jpg
As it turns out, December 1247 will be the last bit of Polish success for a while. By next month the new Protector General has already managed to regroup his forces, rendezvous with the last reinforcements from the east and strike back, hard. Defensive positions or not, the Poles prove unable to stand against their sheer numbers, and are forced to retreat with less than half the men they brought. A year later in December 1248, the Chinese reach the Dniepr.
(Now there’s a sentence…)
https://i.postimg.cc/tCDt9K99/20190125231651-1.jpg
All too suddenly, foreign (very foreign) armies are rampaging across Poland itself, and the possibility of imperial subjugation is all too real. The Poles can’t give up just yet, especially when it comes to the defense of their homeland, but their valiant efforts are once again met with the cruel reality of numbers. But, no matter how hopeless the situation, it simply will not do for Krzeslaw to present an offer of surrender, so his men will have to keep dying until they can say they really did all they could.
https://i.postimg.cc/vZNrV51j/20190125232024-1.jpg
Apparently some utter lunatics from India have brought along war elephants this far north. At least the surviving Poles will have tales to tell, that’s for sure.
https://i.postimg.cc/L8Xk5xsL/20190125232623-1.jpg
1250 brings a sudden glimmer of hope, as the Chinese mysteriously pull back their forces and leave their meager garrisons defenseless for Poland to move back in. Unfortunately, the extreme stress of the front proves too much for the 60-year-old Krzeslaw, whose health keeps getting worse, culminating in a fatal heart attack in May 1251. Though no one expected his reign to last decades to begin with, it was tragically overshadowed by completely unforeseen events outside his control, which he did best to deal with. He clearly did something right to get himself titled ‘the Wise’, though.
https://i.postimg.cc/6Q4dLTnQ/20190125233207-1.jpg
The High King is dead! Long live High King Sambor of Poland, Grand Duke of Pomerania, Lithuania and Ruthenia, Liege Lord of Bohemia, Galicia-Volhynia, Moldavia and Chernigov!
https://i.postimg.cc/9MGZKSx5/20190125234519-1.jpg
Sambor’s election is a real enigma, and probably a panicked decision by the House of Elders. Even older than the late Krzeslaw, in even worse health and frankly rather incompetent, with nothing but a long yet unremarkable service at court to his name. He himself is probably just as confused. Many speculate that he won’t even see the end of the war.
A war which, against all odds, still seems to be undecided. Though the Chinese have occupied vast amounts of “Polish” territory, it’s mostly just recently conquered Jewish steppe, while the real heartland remains untouched. Despite them grabbing a few critical victories, overall the score in terms of major battles seems to be vastly in Poland’s favor. Hopefully they can capitalize on that now that the enemy’s main force is mysteriously absent.
https://i.postimg.cc/MTk1sxmm/20190125234018-1.jpg
While most of the army focuses on clearing out the occupiers, scouts are once again sent east to find out where the hell this massive horde could be hiding, lest it make a surprise attack and turn the tables again. However, all they find is mass graves, covered with even more corpses that the enemy didn’t have time to bury! It appears that in his fury to avenge his predecessor, the new and inexperienced General Protector Eljigedei has learned the hard way what happens when you bring elephants into Poland. A succession of harsh winters spent deep inside Poland, well away from their own supply lines, led almost a hundred thousand Chinese soldiers to simply run out of food and either starve or freeze to death while the Poles only arrived to clean up the scraps. This could never have happened under the previous leader, a true warrior raised on the steppe, but his little protégé was a different story – and it seems to have won Poland the war. Not to celebrate too soon, since the war isn’t over yet.
https://i.postimg.cc/Bb4H0gy8/20190125235402-1.jpg
…Except it kind of is. When news of Eljigedei’s massive failure reach the Yuan court, he is ordered to make peace accompanied by his humblest apologies at once. In October 1252, a new ambassador arrives and an agreement is reached without either side having to formally admit defeat, though everyone knows who's the real winner here. After six perplexing years, the Chinese invasion of Poland is finally over, and people are wondering whether this will be a sign of Poland’s foreign interests (and enemies) truly shifting to the east. For what it’s worth, this war will come to be known as the Great Oriental War. Hopefully there’s no need to add a numeral to that name.
https://i.postimg.cc/brgbNncm/20190126000114-1.jpg
So who is this Yuan Emperor, anyway? Sambor (who managed to outlast the war after all) sends out people to get to the bottom of this whole mess. The Chinese Empire, as everyone has at least heard, is a vast realm to the east of the great steppes and the Himalayan Mountains that has never before been relevant to Poland in the slightest. A couple Chinese artifacts have passed through several owners to end up at Wavel Castle, but that’s all, really. Apparently in 1224 the Mongol Empire set up its own ruling clan in place of the previous Bi dynasty, and this Gaozu – a son of Genghis Khan – has been in charge ever since then. Against all odds, China seems to be prospering under his rule, and leveraging that prosperity to expand its influence in the west; all the way in Poland, apparently. Had that war gone just a bit differently, the Western Protectorate would have stretched from the Bay of Bengal to the North Sea, at least in name.
https://i.postimg.cc/FFV0xMd0/20190126001127-1.jpg
But what is this mighty Mongol Empire, then, to dictate the Emperor of China? The name is familiar, but has garnered little attention from Poland in the past. It was founded in 1213 by a tribal leader by the name of Temujin Borjigin, who has since become known among his people as the legendary Genghis Khan. However, while conquering China and almost all of the northern steppe is quite impressive indeed, the Mongols seem to have lost steam since then, and haven’t expanded much after Temujin’s death. His sons may or may not prove up to the task of keeping the tribes together.
https://i.postimg.cc/BQZH7mHk/20190126001842-1.jpg
As for Poland’s own tasks, despite the country being so utterly relieved and exhausted after this windfall of a victory, it still has to send troops to help out in the British Isles with little time to rest. Sambor himself only ends up living for a while longer before his already poor health gets the better of him on the 6th of December, 1254. At 3 years and 7 months, he doesn’t even get the dubious honor of the shortest reign so far: that belongs to High King Pelka, who died of complications related to his lost hand after only 2 years and 10 months on the throne. Sambor becomes another footnote dismissed with a shrug, most of the historiography of the Great Oriental War focusing on the frontline generals instead. It does become a massively studied, glorified and strange part of Polish history, though, with many a tapestry depicting the colossal battle between the dragon, the white crowned eagle, and the goddess of winter. And also elephants.
https://i.postimg.cc/28Hvsnx6/20190126003832-1.jpg
The High King is dead! Long live High King Niezamysl (not that one) of Poland, Grand Duke of Pomerania, Lithuania and Ruthenia, Liege Lord of Bohemia, Galicia-Volhynia, Moldavia and Chernigov!
https://i.postimg.cc/mgtMBhdS/20190126004731-1.jpg
…Well now. Can’t say I expected THE CHINESE to be a threat in this particular game, not that being their tributary is actually the end of the world. Does this count as a Mongol invasion? Because that’s what I was expecting. Well, anyway, I should probably pay more attention to Chinese events from now on.
While the Chinese army being so utterly wrecked by attrition was very cathartic, it’s also kind of ridiculous and disappointing. They were way stronger and I made some mistakes, so by all accounts I should have lost that war. Now to see if they’ll try again.
And don't worry, I'll definitely get around to cleaning up Khazaria. I was... kind of preoccupied, so to speak. :smalltongue:
Rockphed
2019-01-25, 06:47 PM
Okay, you should definitely conquer china. I don't have any advice on how, but you must!
mythmonster2
2019-01-25, 07:06 PM
Glad to see Poland stands strong, even against the OPness of China!
SilverLeaf167
2019-02-09, 05:11 PM
Sorry about the delay, I've been having issues with my hard drive (the one with the saves and other files is safe). The chapter will come out ASAP once I get that dealt with.
SilverLeaf167
2019-06-09, 05:18 AM
Chapter #17: Waves in the Aegean (Niezamysl, 1254-1269)
6 December, 1254
High King Niezamysl (not that one), formerly Chief of Hradec, Bohemia, is undeniably a strange choice for the throne, being a notably simple-minded if at least amicable individual who seems to have little taste for anything but women. He’s an infamous if not particularly successful womanizer, but due to his otherwise mild personality, isn’t a particularly divisive figure so much as unknown.
The ways of the House of Elders are ever enigmatic, given that about half the High Kings in recent generations have been “strange choices” with wildly varying results. There are rumors that the House could be mixed up in conspiracies of its own, or perhaps basing its choices on arcane divinations of some sort, but these rumors are so far unfounded, and the members have no official role in politics beyond their vote for the next monarch.
https://i.postimg.cc/RhGf66K4/20190608220836-1.jpg
Besides the legendary Lechowicz prince who left for China in 1019, Niezamysl’s name also invokes his great-grandfather (a son of High King Swietoslaw, r. 1154-74) who was declared a Blessed Ancestor for his distinguished service and devotion to the Slavic Church.
https://i.postimg.cc/L8Wt317s/20190608220854-1.jpg
His vassals, however, assume that Niezamysl will be a relatively easy ruler to lead by the nose. Their main area of interest is in the east, in the parts occupied by Chinese forces for a couple years in the Great Oriental War but now back under Poland’s strenuous control. There’s constant fighting in the region, be it against raiders or conquered peoples unhappy with Polish rule, or part of the local chiefs’ attempts to conquer even more of them. Sending armies over the steppes and marshlands is a major drain on crown resources and attention span, yet Krakow is often forced to intervene against some of the larger enemy incursions. By the eastern policy of High King Sulislaw (r. 1174-94), Poland ends at the Dniepr, but it’s been a long time since that was actually the case.
https://i.postimg.cc/5tFw7tdS/20190608221014-1.jpg
Like many large states throughout history, Poland finds itself faced with a damned-if-you-do situation of having to waste its resources either “pacifying” this relatively worthless wilderness or fending off endless attacks. Still, in the name of protecting Slavdom (and obtaining more titles to parcel out), general opinion seems to lean towards driving out the Khazars, slow and painful or not. The Muslim Dulafids’ fate is less clear, but while hostilities have been avoided thus far, it'd be a stretch to call them friendly either.
Of course, farther south, the Grand Duke of Moldavia is hard at work expanding (sigh) his holdings on the Aegean Sea, invading and conquering Thessalonika with little resistance. The successor states of the shattered Byzantine Empire are too busy fighting each other to help a fellow Christian in need, not to mention that despite being just a Grand Duchy, Moldavia has a large enough army to fight most independent kingdoms head-on.
https://i.postimg.cc/g2jyhDg5/20190608222707-1.jpg
Not to be outdone, Niezamysl’s own advisors – not least his Marshal, the Grand Duke of Chernigov – insist on waging a similar holy war against Crimea, the last bastion of Judaism on the Black Sea coast. The Khaganate’s best days are long past, and defense has never been their strongest suit anyway, so the war is just about over the moment that the Polish army crosses the border.
https://i.postimg.cc/0QR7Lq9R/20190608223237-1.jpg
That doesn’t stop the Slavs from brutally looting the largest synagogue of the region. Though the fair-hearted High King, personally leading his troops, tries to object at first, his commanders skillfully convince him that it’s what the Khazars deserve in return for all those Slavic holy sites they’ve ravaged, and divert his attention elsewhere.
https://i.postimg.cc/sx37g9BT/20190608223809-1.jpg
The conquerors soon get a harsh reminder, though, that with all the expenses of waging war and incorporating the gains, the crown coffers actually won’t allow much more warfare for several years. That is not the case for the Christians, who seem to have found their anti-Muslim wars more successful than their anti-Slav ones and in September 1257 decided to declare a Crusade for Jerusalem, that holy city featured in all Abrahamic religions (but of no interest for pagans). The city has been held by the mighty Kufrids of Egypt for about the past hundred years or so, and the Bolghar invaders for the century before that, and various other Muslims going all the way back to the time it was taken from the Byzantines, but now the Christians seem to think they can finally reclaim the Holy Land. Whatever, as long as they’re not bothering Poland. Of course, it’s right in the middle of the Muslim heartland, so they’re likely to face heavy resistance.
https://i.postimg.cc/MT71wrGc/20190608225631-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/MZY1r44N/20190608230822-1.jpg
As it turns out, the Francian-held Sea of Marmara – Christendom’s closest frontier with the Muslims – seem to become the main battleground between the two, and it doesn’t go terribly well for the crusaders. They clash countless times starting in 1259, ending in Christian defeat almost every single time. The Poles also take the opportunity to loot the region yet again once the crusaders seem sufficiently distracted.
https://i.postimg.cc/bNN1XgfJ/20190608231831-1.jpg
A side note: though both the Byzantine Empire and its successor the Latin Empire seem to be long gone, the latter still exists, even if in name only. Constantinople may belong to the Franks, yet the lawful heirs of the Latin Empire still persist as the Counts of Paris of all places – not that anyone takes them seriously. Francia’s own ever-migrating capital, for what it’s worth, is currently in the rather obscure fortress of Salins. The Emperor is only 8 years old, so he likely won’t be playing much of a role in the Crusade, but his countless vassals are participating nonetheless.
https://i.postimg.cc/vTz0XmFZ/20190609001016-2.jpg
On the home front, these years pass in peace, as Niezamysl seems to have had enough of senseless fighting and prefers to stay in Krakow enjoying the simple pleasures of life. He’s even given up his skirt-chasing ways, but not before producing a decent litter of children.
https://i.postimg.cc/sgMSx2XC/20190608233437-1.jpg
…Well, “peace” as long as you ignore the lesser chiefs’ infighting just outside of Krakow, but that’s just taken for granted.
https://i.postimg.cc/qvWK3dhh/20190608233941-1.jpg
In 1263, Queen Petronia Charsianites of Sicily inherits the crown of Epiros, creating a sizable twin kingdom that just might be able to resist further Moldavian expansion. To further cement her prestige, Petronia soon declares herself Queen of all Greece and starts working on her independent efforts to drive the Muslims out of Anatolia.
https://i.postimg.cc/zfWgwPKd/20190608235920-1.jpg
In 1265, a ‘miscalculation’ out on a raiding trip makes the Polish soldiers cross paths with a larger army of crusaders on its way through, resulting in some needless and humiliating losses that the High King has no need to hear about.
https://i.postimg.cc/26DB0FxC/20190609001153-1.jpg
Having to dodge Slavic warriors on their way through does nothing to help the Christian war effort, and later that same year – with the Christians unable to make it past Marmara while the Sultan himself rides triumphant into Rome – the Crusade is finally declared a failure after eight painful years that the Poles have gotten to watch from the best seats in the house.
https://i.postimg.cc/MHZfS644/20190609001439-1.jpg
On that note, the unification of Greece proves insufficient to hinder Moldavia’s armies after all as they push ever deeper onto the peninsula. Poland is extremely close to acquiring an Adriatic coastline to go with its Aegean one.
https://i.postimg.cc/mDy1JzdC/20190609002607-1.jpg
The Grand Duke isn’t the only one emboldened by the failure of the Crusade for Jerusalem. On the 22th of April 1269, the zealous Archpriestess of Perun decides that it’s about time the Slavs had another Great Holy War of their own, invading Germany once more. The previous experiment with the Congregation of Germany ended up quite the farce, but at least it’s no Perm, and the Slavs have learned from their mistakes (probably). Most specifically, Archpriestess Danuta is targeting King Gautselin of so-called Crusader Germany, the makeshift crusader state founded in 1180. He himself should be easy prey, and the rest of Christendom might have trouble helping given its other distractions.
https://i.postimg.cc/QC69xLZM/20190609003840-1.jpg
As is very well known, the High King himself isn’t a very warlike sort, but the Archpriestess sits on the Crown Council and is a close personal associate of his, and he is easily persuaded to pursue this war. It should be one of little risk and potentially great prestige…
https://i.postimg.cc/44wh1cHT/20190609003951-1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/qM5hPdGb/20190609020603-1.jpg
Francia (its capital now in Hainaut) is once again stuck in a civil war, but the stakes are relatively low and the numbers in the Emperor’s favor as usual. Still, this should be a good thing for the war in Germany.
Despite Poland slacking off in its duty to defend the British Isles from Christianity, the local kingdoms (especially Scotland) seem to have succeeded in turning the tide on their own, with a little help from autonomous Polish chiefs in Norway and the Frisian coast. Those same chiefs’ independent conquests also continue in Sweden and Finland.
The Muslim world is increasingly firmly divided between the Kufrid, Dulafid, Tulunid and Andalusian Sultanates (in order of descending power) as they absorb the smaller emirates outside their borders.
https://i.postimg.cc/QxtKYMcK/20190609020539-1.jpg
Unlike the chiefs of the northern or eastern wilds with their haphazard, patchwork territories, the Grand Duke of Moldavia actually rules a remarkably solid realm-within-a-realm covering everything south of the Dniester River, and only a smallish colony east of Crimea.
https://i.postimg.cc/JzHDmd61/20190609020615-1.jpg
The Mongol Empire, still largely irrelevant for Poland, continues its slow but steady consolidation of the steppes. However, assuming they don’t somehow collapse before then, they’ll inevitably meddle in western affairs at some point…
Rajasthan and with it the Western Protectorate remain ridiculous as ever, finally absorbing the scraps of the Abbasid Caliphate as well (though a Latin-style remnant survives in Anatolia). The Great Oriental War was a true oddity with no foreseaable cause, but that lack of reason also means that they could theoretically seek a rematch with Poland at any time…
As a reminder, the Mongols and China are Sunni, whereas Rajasthan is Hindu.
You know how it goes. Technical issues give way to temporary real-life hurries give way to plain old procrastination give way to actual honest forgetfulness. But hey, at least the save isn’t gone this time, and a bit over four months later, we’re back! Lately I’ve found myself tiredly hopping between different Paradox games, wondering why none of them seemed to give me what I wanted, when I realized once more (to wax a bit dramatic) that what I craved was the narrative and context that only an AAR can provide.
Since I’ve reread the AAR up to this point to jog my memory, I’ll probably remember some facts better and others worse than before, and will assume that the same applies to you. Also take the opportunity to ask me on updates or refreshers on anything while we’re at it, or request for special chapters, since those are frankly my favorite!
Note that I’m probably releasing Moldavia in the next couple chapters or so, as it really has gotten massive, annoying both me and plausibly the other chiefs of the realm. In fact, I was just about to do it already when the Holy War popping up kind of distracted me. Then I need to do something about Scandinavia and Chernigov too…
SilverLeaf167
2019-06-09, 09:35 AM
Chapter #18: Sword and Plowshare of Triglav (Niezamysl, 1269-1283)
22 April, 1269
High King Niezamysl is one of the first to declare his support for the Great Holy War in a public address, soon joined by a slew of other chiefs hoping to get themselves or their nephew a piece of Germany. As the Slavs rapidly approach the border, it seems that Crusader Germany will be getting no help whatsoever from its fellow Christians.
https://i.postimg.cc/3JwVdccp/20190609144941-1.jpg
The High King’s involvement seems to end up being a formality at best, but still a respectable gesture.
https://i.postimg.cc/xj5Bj2tn/20190609145414-1.jpg
The Archpriestess’ own men and the Warriors of Perun take the lead in capturing the capital Marburg in February 1270, and the war seems all but decided. However, this seems to be the event that finally attracts the neighbors’ attention, as the Papacy, Teutonic Knights and Knights Templar all declare their support of Germany almost simultaneously. The crown forces, held in reserve until now, suddenly have a very good reason to wade into the fray.
https://i.postimg.cc/3NtqtXdd/20190609145527-1.jpg
The crown commanders are worried that the Slavic armies that have dispersed to loot the countryside will be caught unawares by these new enemies, but the chiefs’ ability to coordinate amongst themselves exceeds all expectations and they manage to drive off a Teutonic army of almost 50,000. By the time that the royal retinues arrive, it’s largely a matter of mopping up the survivors.
https://i.postimg.cc/G216t3Wh/20190609150433-1.jpg
By March 1271, King Gautselin has accepted the impossibility of his situation and agrees to surrender Germany on the condition that he, as well as his soldiers and associates, are allowed to leave unharmed. Considering the casual cruelty that the looters have already visited upon the countryside, this is a rather wise demand, and gladly granted. Germany – or at least this part of it – is in Slavic hands once more. Well, for a certain definition of Slavic, anyway.
https://i.postimg.cc/9MtK752P/20190609150838-1.jpg
The end result of the war is at least as strange as last time. Archpriestess Danuta dictates that the land should go to a Khazar commander named Alp who no one else has ever heard of before. At the meeting of the chiefs where it is made, this declaration is met with confusion and outrage at first, but the Archpriestess soon explains that despite hailing from the eastern border, Alp has willingly and devotedly joined the Slavic Church, and his mercenary band has served with great distinction in the Holy War. The Archpriestess is personally very impressed with his piety. This soothes people’s concerns only somewhat, but whatever the case, a decent chunk of Germany is now “ruled” by a newcomer chief from Qazan, and all will be watching his fate with curious eyes. The tiny Slavic minorities still huddling in the mountains rejoice, but the Christian Duchy of Swabia takes the opportunity to break off in the middle of this confusion.
https://i.postimg.cc/Qd9zqWsd/20190609151406-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/rFYbWNBH/20190609151346-1.jpg
As should probably be expected, Polish military presence is still required in the area to stop it from being immediately conquered by Christian opportunists, several of whom try to invade within the next few years, including a lot of minor counts and dukes but even the King of France at worst.
And of course, this era of constant holy wars is far from over, as an army of 9,000 or so zealous (and very likely insane) peasants set off from wartorn Francia to seek a rematch for Jerusalem. The only possible explanation is that the Crucified God’s indoctrination has finally reached critical levels. Surprising absolutely no one, they are never heard from again. Ironically, though the Slavs don't quite grasp the difference, the island of Sardinia where the shepherds set off has also become one of the main bastions of the Cathar heresy due to its relative isolation. This might in fact be a factor fueling the shepherds' piety.
https://i.postimg.cc/8cp3dKk2/20190609152957-1.jpg
In 1278, for the first time in a long while, a smattering of vassals all over Francia rise up to declare their independence from the Emperor, who has last all favor with them for his aggressive revocation of their rights and lands and just general unpleasantness. The Emperor resists, of course, but the rebels’ men number 63,000 against his 50,000, so they should have a decent chance for once. Surely, Francia is about to fall.
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1279 brings a strange visitor to Krakow: a minor Chinese nobleman named Xu Shang, who has had to explain countless times between here and the border that he is not in fact bringing another demand that Poland bow before the Emperor. In fact, he’s something of a rebel, saying that his entire family has been not so much executed as simply slaughtered by the Mongols for a minor slight. The story of Poland defeating China is kept under wraps, but well-known in the right circles - there's only so much you can do to explain away 100,000 missing soldiers - so through a variety of adventures he ended up fleeing all the way here to seek asylum and hopefully peace at last. Of course, the kindly Niezamysl doesn’t even consider the option of refusing him, not to mention how it could be taken as a gesture of deference to China.
https://i.postimg.cc/9MVNV89D/20190609161451-1.jpg
The Great Oriental War truly has opened some strange channels between East and West, and the Poles are curious to hear what Xu Shang can tell them of these distant lands. In fact, being a (by Polish standards) well-educated architect by trade, Shang’s little tea parties end up becoming a popular event with the nobles of Krakow, even introducing some Taoist ideas into the Slavic philosophical sphere. A few months later, everyone is disappointed to hear that Shang has decided to leave court and continue his travels around Europe, maybe write a book, but not before leaving the High King with a gracious gift as thanks.
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In the north, the realm of Novgorod splits into a civil war of sorts, as the crowns of Novgorod and Vladimir end up passing to two different cousins, only for the former to immediately claim the latter's titles as rightfully his. The young King of Novgorod is married to one of Niezamysl’s many daughters, so he has Poland’s moral support, but both sides are Slavic-faith Russians, so the end result doesn’t really matter that much.
https://i.postimg.cc/2y9HQCKW/20190609163141-1.jpg
Niezamysl has always been a relatively passive ruler, but around the time of his 65th birthday, he’s starting to spend a growing part of his time in his quarters or even in bed – and indeed, as all his courtiers have noticed, has trouble getting out even when he needs to. His growing girth certainly plays a part, but the usual ravages of age aren’t doing him any favors either.
https://i.postimg.cc/Y2dyKxCS/20190609165208-1.jpg
That doesn’t mean his quiet governance has been a bad thing for the realm, though. If anything, Upper Poland is doing better than it has in decades.
https://i.postimg.cc/Kv4pZg1D/20190609165339-1.jpg
The rebellion in Francia unfortunately fizzles out after five years of fighting, as the rebels’ scattered locations prove to be a critical weakness and the leader signs a white peace to save his own neck. Shortly after, on the 27th of March 1283, the bedridden Niezamysl 'Sword of Triglav' finally gives up the ghost as well. His 29 years of slow but steady rule have ended up being a disappointment for some, but at the same time, the Polish heartland has prospered while its vassals and allies have made great gains on their own fronts, and Niezamysl himself has been well-loved as a person. He is grieved – certainly more so than his last couple predecessors, whose reigns were short and unremarkable – but for better or worse, his successor is promising to make some big changes in the realm.
https://i.postimg.cc/DwXCGkdW/20190609171448-1.jpg
The High King is dead! Long live High King Szczesny of Poland, Grand Duke of Pomerania, Lithuania and Ruthenia, Liege Lord of Bohemia, Galicia-Volhynia, Moldavia and Chernigov!
https://i.postimg.cc/HsKZjs5D/20190609170411-1.jpg
Germany is just officially a weirdness magnet in this game, huh.
Threat and financial issues continue to stop me from doing much clean-up of my own – did they rebalance the money system when I wasn’t looking or something? – but at least I can still follow foreign events, and am still looking forward to the upcoming internal clean-up. No, not a purge. At least I don’t think so.
tonberrian
2019-06-09, 09:48 PM
Would you consider continuing after Iron Hearts 4 into Stellaris? Poland can into space?
IthilanorStPete
2019-06-09, 11:32 PM
Glad to see this is back! TIme to reread the whole LP. :smalltongue:
SilverLeaf167
2019-06-10, 03:02 AM
Would you consider continuing after Iron Hearts 4 into Stellaris? Poland can into space?
I mean yeah, that's crossed my mind, but it's still a waaays off. Let's just try to break our record and at least reach, dunno, Vic 2 for now.
Glad to see this is back! TIme to reread the whole LP. :smalltongue:
Glad to have ya!
SilverLeaf167
2019-06-10, 02:46 PM
Chapter #19: Szczesny's Legacy (Szczesny + Trojden, 1283-1301)
27 March, 1283
Szczesny ‘the Mule’ – thus nicknamed for his willful nature – is known for his stubbornness and aristocratic pride. As a chief on the German border, he’s made himself a decent if not necessarily outstanding career as a hussar commander, but certainly there doesn’t seem to be much about him that would warrant making him High King. Instead, he has done something that other aspiring monarchs should probably try in the future: he has run on an agenda, one that clearly resonated with the nobility and the House of Elders.
https://i.postimg.cc/HsKZjs5D/20190609170411-1.jpg
That agenda, counter-intuitive as it might seem on the surface, is to do something about Moldavia. The largest and strongest of Poland’s vassals by a clear margin, and the second-richest after the Free City of Gdansk, the Grand Duchy of Moldavia started out small, only to rapidly expand southward by exploiting the power vacuum left by the Byzantine Empire in 1146. Despite being just a vassal of Poland, the Grand Duchy has proven itself capable of beating even decently powerful independent states like Greece. While the expansion of Slavdom is ostensibly a glorious thing, the other chiefs have come to resent this one branch’s disproportionate wealth, power and influence within the Kingdom – not to mention that there are still those who feel uncomfortable about hundreds of thousands of Christians being added to the realm, even if Moldavia is far from the only offender in that sense, and is even doing decently at conversion work.
https://i.postimg.cc/BQGc9dfs/20190609192054-1.jpg
The Grand Dukes are of the Lechowicz clan, of course, and Grand Duke Izbor was a close friend of the late Niezamysl, who was far too “soft” to stand up to him. Due to his position, Izbor has been Steward of Poland for almost 30 years, yet remains just as clueless about questions of coin as he was when he started, and has been blamed for countless economic crises big and small over the years. Some have even attributed the Kingdom’s unexpected struggles with army funding to his mismanagement of the treasury. In addition, he is called brutal, craven, prideful, hunchbacked and just overall unpleasant to be around (yet also too far away and busy to socialize even if they tried). But perhaps most damning of all, there is word that he has taken to calling himself King of Bulgaria, a clear affront to the High King of Poland, the only one allowed to use that title within the realm. He claims that he’s merely King in Bulgaria, as a loophole of some sort, but his protests fall on deaf ears.
The other chiefs (quite hypocritically, perhaps) believe that Izbor has been coasting through life on sheer opportunism and the legacy of his predecessors while trampling on more qualified nobles, and these personal issues do nothing to help Moldavia’s popularity in the eyes of the realm.
https://i.postimg.cc/YCr6jYSs/20190609192456-1.jpg
Yes, the agenda that Szczesny ran on was the expulsion of Moldavia from the Kingdom. A grand conference is organized in Krakow in July 1283 to discuss the matter, and Izbor is invited as well. He’s very much aware of his precarious position, and that the best he can do is try to break off on good terms rather than be driven out and have his lands confiscated, or worse. Still, the other chiefs make some token effort to make it look like a mutually respectful deal and not the ostracism that it practically is.
The deal itself is quite simple: in exchange for handing over his strips of land east of Crimea, the Grand Duke of Moldavia will be given independence from the crown and the right to dub himself King, while still technically “part” of Poland as a “trusted ally” and “distinguished member” of the Slavic Church. However, this isn’t as straight-forwardly positive for him as it might sound: while he won’t have to pay taxes or provide 15,000 soldiers for the crown as he currently does, his vassalage with Krakow until now has also brought him military protection and a front seat in Slavic politics, which he won’t necessarily have in this new relationship. Alas, his passionate haggling only earns some vague reassurances of continued alliance and protection in the shared interest of all Slavdom. Once the conference and its various feasts are concluded, Moldavia has split off from Poland, and "King" Izbor leaves the capital, humiliated. Poland will, of course, follow his fate with great interest.
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If it seems odd for the Poles to be eagerly getting rid of one of their strongest members, it just goes to show what the self-interested nobility is willing to do out of sheer spite, but also that they feel truly invincible after generations of unrivaled power and believe that they can afford to make such sacrifices. Some might call it complacency. Although, even if Izbor tried his best to make it sound like that, it’s not like he’s a baby being cast into the wilderness to die or something. He and Moldavia might well be better off independent – it’s just that they’re clearly afraid of the Christian backlash to their conquests, now that they may have lost Polish protection.
Over in the other direction, Novgorod’s civil war has been going less than swimmingly with some other border disputes and a Finnish tribal rebellion being added to the mix. Worst of all, King Stanislav II is killed in a skirmish with some Mongol raiders of all things, and some distant cousin has just conveniently sailed up from Egypt – where the Vetamid dynasty originates – to claim his contested inheritance. This cousin is a Zikri Muslim rather than a Slav, so it might be for the better that Novgorod’s manpower has been bled dry and it is unlikely to reconquer Vladimir after all.
https://i.postimg.cc/bNH0z3qn/20190610143710-1.jpg
Similarly, only a decade after the lands conquered in the Great Holy War for Germany were gifted to the Khazar called Alp, they have ended up being inherited by his still-Jewish relatives (who seem likely to be driven out by yet more Christians). Many Poles spit on the ground and see these as a cautionary examples of what happens when you fraternize with converts, never mind give them land.
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Far to the south, the Kufrids with the help of countless other Sunni succeed in their grand Jihad to drive the Indians almost entirely off the Arabian Peninsula. They have no intention of giving it back to the Abbasids, though.
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As for High King Szczesny, having fulfilled his “campaign promise”, he’s now free to rule as he sees fit. What that should be is a more difficult question. He’s a rather warlike sort himself, but as the handling of the Moldavian question shows, the Poles seem to more concerned about internal power plays than about expansion. As his new Steward wades through Izbor’s jumbled records and tries to get the crown economy in shape, Szczesny decides to leave his mark some other way, and in doing so remind the Poles just what their great alliance is truly about. He begins construction on the Temple of Blessed Lechoslaw at the edge of Krakow’s central square. Named after the legendary founder of Poland (and quietly taking some architectural cues from Christian cathedrals), this grand monument will provide the bustling capital with a holy site worthy of its prestige. Most importantly, of course, it’s a vanity project to cement his own legacy.
https://i.postimg.cc/BvyHhzBr/20190610150120-1.jpg
The temple isn’t intended to replace Bialaskala, the seat of the Archpriest of Perun. However, Bialaskala is actually located some distance away from Krakow and the surrounding settlement has even grown into a fortified town of its own, making it a bit impractical for the daily needs of the capital population.
https://i.postimg.cc/XJCFtg2p/20190610151419-1.jpg
It’s a good thing Szczesny didn’t waste time on starting that project, though, since mere months later he actually starts suffering from serious chest pains that often strike him in the middle of the day and leave him incapacitated for the rest of it. His royal healers use all their tricks to try and heal him, from spells to liquor to healthy food, but his condition rapidly gets worse, and it becomes obvious that he won't live much longer.
https://i.postimg.cc/SRb84z5V/20190610152411-1.jpg
On the 27th of January 1286, Szczesny’s most serious seizure proves his last, and he collapses on a staircase outside his quarters, apparently dead before he hits the ground. At precisely 2 years and 10 months, he just barely beats High King Pelka (r. 1082-85) for the shortest reign of any Polish monarch so far, but with Moldavia and the great temple, he has left a disproportionately large mark indeed. He has died all too young, and left his work for others to finish in his name.
The High King is dead! Long live High King Trojden of Poland, Grand Duke of Pomerania, Lithuania and Ruthenia, Liege Lord of Bohemia, Galicia-Volhynia and Chernigov!
https://i.postimg.cc/L6Tfd5VB/20190610154200-1.jpg
The barely-adult Trojden is in fact Szczesny’s eldest legitimate son, and it was only with a fair bit of string-pulling that he managed to secure the vote for his beloved child. At 16 years old, he stands a chance of being High King for a looong time, but as usual, might just die randomly well before then, just as his father’s tragic demise reminded everyone. Those familiar with him already see him as a scheming young man more interested in cheating his way to glory than earning it honestly, but most people are still hopeful that he can mature and change. Why on earth they’d elect someone like that, once again, comes down to sheer self-interest, and of course the inherent swinginess of the House of Elders: with six people chosen on relatively vague criteria all voting for their personal favorites, getting as few as two votes – or just one vote and the High King's favor – can make you the ruler of the most powerful state in Europe. Not even an actual majority is needed, merely more votes than anyone else.
Trojden is determined to further inflate Blessed Lechoslaw’s ever-ballooning budget by spending a great deal of money on a grandiose funeral in the temple mausoleum that hasn’t technically even begun construction yet, breaking tradition with previous High Kings who have all been buried around Bialaskala.
https://i.postimg.cc/nVqBk0jW/20190610153658-1.jpg
Tradition doesn’t seem to be high on his list of priorities in general, as shown by things like his callous treatment of the Wavel Castle library. The original manuscript of High King Sulislaw’s (r. 1174-94) How to Build a Well, among others, is lost to the ages.
https://i.postimg.cc/bwwnqPCX/20190610160707-1.jpg
Still, what really matters to most people is his adherence to the more visible and popular trappings of royalty, such as generous feasts to the gods with lots of food and drink.
https://i.postimg.cc/cLknHz2v/20190610160933-1.jpg
He has to pay for these things out of pocket, of course, but such temporary bumps in spending can be covered up by generous donations from his vassals. One such donation comes from the Grand Duke of Chernigov who, just by the way, humbly suggests that the honorable High King deal with the long-standing question of the Warriors of Perun – or rather, their occupation of the city of Chernigov itself.
While the Warriors of Perun are naturally still respected protectors of the faith, their services have been needed less and less and time goes on, and their ‘betrayal’ of Poland right before the Great Oriental War really did a number on their reputation. Their main base has been in Chernigov ever since the Warchief at the time inherited the fortress in 1123, long before the Grand Duchy was founded in fact, but with all that has happened in between, the Grand Duke makes a persuading argument that the area be finally moved under his jurisdiction.
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The Warriors of course refuse, citing the very same points mentioned above, so the High King has no choice but to force the issue. Just as last time, the war is made rather awkward by the fact that the Warriors own a smattering of estates all over Poland, greatly disrupting local connections until the Polish armies can get them under control, but it’s still mostly an afterthought.
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The war is quickly wrapped up and Chernigov added to the Grand Duchy where it belongs, the Warriors’ main power base moving farther east beyond the Don River. Polish relations with them are now worse than ever.
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However, almost immediately afterwards in January 1288, Trojden is called upon to protect Slavdom in their stead. Word arrives that the Kufrid Sultanate is in the process of invading newly-independent Moldavia, citing the liberation of some tiny Muslim minority as a blatantly false excuse for war. Well, no more false than any other, but still. Even if the same people who wanted Grand Duke Izbor out in the first place might be getting some spiteful glee out of this, it's still in Poland’s best interest to maintain Slavic power in the south, and thus its armies will join Moldavia in its struggle against the much larger enemy.
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The Muslims have already reached Bulgaria, so Trojden’s men must rally quickly if they are to be of any help – especially as Moldavia has made the questionable decision of taking the fight to the enemy heartland and already lost much of its army in the process. The initial Polish offense is a success, and the Moldavians luckily manage to regroup, so even as 1288 turns to 1289 and the region becomes a real free-for-all with some Christian rebels and nearby opportunists joining the mix, the combined Slavic forces are more than capable of pushing them back. Still, it takes until 1292 for the Kufrids to finally call off the whole invasion. The first major clash between Poland and the Muslims has ended in a Polish victory, but it's become very clear that their invasion of Anatolia has made them a lot more prominent in European politics.
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Around the same time, the withered “Sultanate of Novgorod” all but ceases to be as its lands are conquered by the Finnic tribes of Pskov and Karelia and the Polish vassal Polotsk. Its sister state Vladimir isn’t doing that much better, being stuck in a civil war against the Finnic clan that seized power there as well, but all these rulers are part of the Slavic Church, so it's no less a relief for Poland.
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As the soldiers finally return home, the Grand Duke of Chernigov (now also Marshal of Poland) invites Trojden to a celebratory feast in his new capital. Actually, over the course of these recent dealings and wars they’ve fought together – even if Trojden has stayed far from the front lines – the two young men seem to have become personal friends rather than just co-conspirators. Of course, there are very good practical reasons to be friends with the High King. Trojden affords the Marshal even more trust than his office might normally entail.
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Soon enough, as of 1294, Moldavia is back on track with its conquests and aiming straight for Athens itself. In light of this shocking announcement, Greece immediately decides to split right in half, perhaps in an unorthodox attempt to confuse the Slavic invaders.
https://i.postimg.cc/G3j9tNsb/20190610173527-1.jpg
Novgorod and Greece aren’t even the only places fraught with internal division. As the Pope continues the beloved tradition of excommunicating Emperor Folkmar of Francia, the Teutonic Order has decided to use this as a pretext to invade and remove him from the throne. The Emperor should still have a slight advantage, but the Teutonic army is disproportionately large for a realm of its size, fielding 54,000 soldiers from its seemingly meager holdings in Jylland. In addition to taxes and conscripts, the Knights are funded largely by donations, volunteers, Papal funds and dynastic connections with the rest of Europe. That might be reason why no Polish chiefs have dared to attack them too lightly.
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Now would be the perfect time to do so, however, with the greatest Christian powers at war with each other. The Poles have far from forgotten the Teutons’ little invasion over a century ago, and it’s about time they got payback. Bohemia's recent conquests in Frisia, while somewhat controversial, have also raised Polish interest in the North Sea coast. The Crown Council is unanimously in favor, as is the rest of the realm when Trojden gives his best impression of an inspiring speech in the Krakow square where Blessed Lechoslaw is being built. War is declared on Christmas Day 1295, just as the Teutons did last time. Even the Warriors of Perun are invited, and they dare not compromise their own image by refusing.
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The Teutons’ main fortress in Kiel falls before they can even return to defend it. In fact, they seem to have considerable trouble deciding whether they should keep fighting in France or return to protect their own lands, and end up walking back and forth somewhere in between. However, rather than storm every fortress and try to grab as much as possible like they usually do, the Poles realize the potential threat of the Teutonic army and keep most of their own forces in reserve.
This proves to be a wise move, as it isn’t until January 1297 that the Teutons arrive and immediately rush the Polish besiegers, utterly blind to the reinforcements waiting just a short distance away. Trojden himself is present on the snowy fields of Jylland, and despite trying to play it safe, he can’t resist the prestige that participating in the Battle of Reinholdsburg, the largest battle in Polish history, would bring. Indeed: the largest, with 120,000 combatants, though the Slavs actually outnumber the knights 2:1. Trojden ends up getting excited as well and strays a bit to pick a fight with the fattest, crummiest-looking knight he can find.
https://i.postimg.cc/cLvJDLkJ/20190610190758-1.jpg
Well, he tries to, only to be shoved aside by a 51-year-old soldier supposedly there to protect him. “I’ll take this one, my Lord!” the brave soldier yells and charges the knight. Well, he does take it. “It” being a sword to the stomach. Which kills him. Trojden just shakes his head in disbelief and rides off, his groove thoroughly ruined.
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https://i.postimg.cc/nz4rvSRY/20190610191559-1.jpg
In any case, the battle is a rout, with the Poles taking absolutely pathetic losses on their own side.
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Having thoroughly broken the Teutons’ back, the Poles now finally get more aggressive and quickly seize enough castles that the knights have no chance of recovery. Still, knowing the Teutons, they’d probably fight literally to the last man if they had to, so Trojden decides to quit while he’s ahead and demand only half of Jylland instead of the whole thing. The prideful knights are forced to accept rather than lose their power base entirely. Their own war to depose the Emperor has of course been ruined by all this, but he ends up dying on his own, so it’s sort of a moot point. Trojden’s half-brother is made High Chief of Holstein.
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With all this talk of holy wars and treaties, a messenger arrives from the Warriors of Perun, swinging around some obscure old document from around the first conquest of Germany, with a promise that Allermarch be given to the Warriors should Poland ever acquire alternative ports in the North Sea. Given their current relations, Trojden laughs in his face. In fact, he keeps laughing and laughing until the messenger finally takes the hint and leaves.
More years pass. At 32 years old, despite having proven himself a passable ruler, it doesn’t look like Trojden’s worse traits have actually gone anywhere, and his own spending has caused delays in the Temple of Blessed Lechoslaw’s construction work. Yet one other thing that remains unchanged is his love for his late father Szczesny… which will surely make historians a long time from now wonder why Krakow is so full of art devoted to this one guy who didn’t reign for even three years.
https://i.postimg.cc/mDyZczkm/20190610194946-1.jpg
Seeing as Eldership has taken an increasingly silly turn lately (or I've just become more aware of it), I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if a more powerful, determined and/or popular ruler tried to abolish it at some point. That this would be more convenient for EU4 certainly has nothing to do with it. We’ll just have to wait and see…
SilverLeaf167
2019-06-11, 08:22 AM
Special #3: The Matter of Moldavia (1283)
July, 1283 – Krakow
”What’s with all the ruckus? Seems a tad bigger than the usual festival, and Kupala's already passed,” Anatol grumbled, holding his horse by the reins and waiting for the baggage train to move past so he and his cart could cross the road. A covered wagon was slowly rolling down the main avenue, escorted by a whole column of burly men-at-arms on every side, banners with some unfamiliar but most assuredly important crest waving in the wind.
“You seriously haven’t heard?” Wit asked with feigned astonishment, leaning on the wall next to Anatol.
“I told you, I just got back from Poznan. I don’t got time to stay informed on every bit of noble gossip.”
“Should. You can make good money on it,” Wit said and conjured a small cloth pouch that jingled in his hand. “I rented out that empty pasture of mine for one High Chief of Smolensk to put up his tents.”
“Wait, Smolensk? What is happening here, exactly? That’s a bit far to come for a drinking party. Gods, do those people even come for coronations?” Anatol had heard of Smolensk but couldn’t really place it on a map if asked, other than somewhere in the nebulous, distant 'east'. He and his ilk rarely bothered to stray far from the smaller circles of Poland proper, especially not over land where travel was much slower.
Wit shrugged. “Guess not, since the last one was just a couple months ago. Seems like the chiefs are having some sorta dispute of their own, but instead of warring over it like they usually do, High King Szczesny called together this big… ‘conference’, he called it. The Steward didn’t wanna say much about it. A few of them put their tents in the castle courtyard, but obviously they couldn’t fit everyone, so the rest just have to go back and forth through here every single day. All we need to know is there’s a lot of nobles in town, and they’re all paying premium for food, shelter, and folks to shine their boots.”
Anatol rolled his eyes. He himself was part of the Silversmiths’ Guild, but as Wit was just an employee of the Steward’s Chamber, the only way he could legally make money on the side was through things not regulated by the guilds, such as renting his personal property and running errands on demand. “You sure they’re not gearing up for war? I heard there were some Swedes sighted out by Gdansk again.”
“You seriously think they’d do all this for some goddamn Swedes? They’ve never done this before. Czarn, I doubt they even did it for Germany. When there’s war, they’re usually too busy heading towards it, not drinking up on goddamn Wavel.”
“I - I was just making a point, alright? Doesn’t have to be Swedes. I mean, maybe it’s Khazars?”
The Grand Duchess of Bohemia spoke up. With Wislawa of Brandenburg notably absent to deal with an armed revolt back home, the 24-year-old Grzymislawa was the only woman in the room, and she too seemed to hate Izbor’s guts. The fact that Bohemia was the second-most powerful vassal right after Moldavia meant that anyone who no doubt had a problem with her gender would just have to stay quiet about it.
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“The reputation of the Grand Duke, his father and his father’s father is known to us all. They have used the Kingdom of Poland, granted to us by our most revered and blessed common ancestor Lechoslaw, and the Grand Duchy of Moldavia, granted by the grace of the High King, to callously advance their own ambitions and keep the spoils for themselves. As the utterly incompetent Grand Duke –”
“Hey!"
“– sits on the Crown Council as Steward for almost the fourth decade now, and the crown coffers are mysteriously drained, Moldavia grows ever richer and fatter, conducting endless wars in the south while neglecting its actual Slavic brethren in the north.”
The irony of the fact that she was just about as expansionist as Izbor was not lost on him, nor the rest of the room, but everyone seemed to be ignoring that as well. “Tell me, friend and fellow councilor, how goes the fighting in Germany?” he interjected with a sour smirk.
“Yes, friend, my brave warriors are bringing honor to their ancestors in Frisia. That you don’t understand the difference just goes to show how little Moldavia knows of the realities of the land,” she sidestepped and kept on rambling about his numerous slights. Izbor’s attention wandered around the room.
It wasn’t necessarily the first time that so many Polish great lords were in the same place at once, but he certainly couldn’t name such an occasion, at least not outside legends. Almost all the direct vassals of the High King – the four Grand Dukes, the Grand Mayor and numerous High Chiefs – were seated around one massive round table that had been purpose-built in the great hall of Wavel Castle. They were joined by the Archpriest and of course the High King himself, bringing the total to around 30 people, not counting the guards lining the walls of the room. Most of them didn’t necessarily know each other’s faces, but they’d helpfully hung up their banners to identify themselves, and the High King was obviously distinguished by his taller seat, amber-decorated crown and various other regalia. The Grand Dukes wore more modest golden circlets, including Izbor – although, not for long.
“If I may ask, my friend and chief prosecutor, it was my impression that this joyous meeting was to be a conference, not a trial. Many people have now taken turns expressing in no uncertain words why they don’t like me, yes, but am I here to answer for a crime of some sort?”
“You are!” shouted the High King, striking his golden scepter against the table. After the opening ceremonies, Szczesny had spent most of the meeting leaning on his armrest and listening to others, but now suddenly sprang into action with a fury that seemed more rhetorical than real. His handsome, one-eyed face and warrior’s body did strike an imposing figure no less. “We know that you dub yourself King of Bulgaria and harbor hopes to weaken the authority of the one and only Polish crown.”
“My greatest apologies. With all due respect, Your High Majesty, let me explain. I am merely King in Bulgaria, which I and my father and my father’s father have governed. It means that before you, here in Krakow, I stand only as my humble self. And not only that, it was merely a title granted to me by my own vassal chiefs, and –”
“So you say you were named King by others?”
“That’s –“
“The only ones allowed to crown a King are the House of Elders!” shrieked Archpriest Henryk. An utter dullard, too dull to even hide the fact that he was probably the most corrupt official in Upper Poland, he only knew how to speak in simple slogans. Izbor had thought that he might be able to convince the Archpriest of the importance of expanding Slavdom and subjugating Christians, but that was obviously a lost cause. He’d probably been bought off anyway.
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“What he said,” added Szczesny. The various High Chiefs murmured and nodded in agreement. Izbor aimed a quick glare at some whom he’d foolishly taken for his friends.
“But you’re correct! This is not a trial, but a discussion,” said the Grand Duke of Galicia-Volhynia, gesturing for the others to calm down. Halych and Targoviste were located reasonably close to each other, and Mstislav was perhaps the chief on the best terms with Izbor. Not that it’d save him. “As I’ve said before, it’s a long way from Krakow, and a lot of mountains in the way. And just as we accuse the Grand Dukes of neglecting the north, perhaps truthfully, can it not also be said that we haven’t done much for the south? Forsooth, at the same time that they’re hard at work to strengthen Slavdom, all we do is divert their taxes and levies for our own needs and provide no aid in return. ‘Tis only understandable that they would feel uneasy about their station. After all, what is our alliance based on if not mutual assistance?”
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The High Chiefs, whose job here apparently was to murmur, now murmured in slight confusion.
“If it is true that his loyal subjects have decided to call him King, the signs are clear. He should be King, not Grand Duke of Moldavia. And in doing so, Moldavia’s path should separate from Poland’s, and the whole state separate with it. The gods will it!”
By the lack of reaction on the High King and Grand Dukes’ part, they’d clearly decided this well beforehand. Izbor was more shocked. He had come expecting some fine or other punishment, maybe even some stripping of his titles. Certainly not… whatever this was. Apparently the purpose of all this pomp and occasion was to add some legitimacy to this unprecedented move.
April, 1296 – Holstein
“What do you mean, ‘Blessed Ancestor’!?”
“You heard me,” said Grand Duke Vyshata of Chernigov. Both men were in full armored regalia, riding in front of and supposedly inspecting their troops, many of whom were trying to look like they weren’t listening curiously to the High King’s outburst. “King Izbor died last month. He was getting up there in years and all. Buried with full royal honors and declared a Blessed Ancestor for his righteous wars against the Crucified God. Apparently his heir's called Izbor too.”
“What exactly is so goddamn Blessed about the traitor that my father and every other chief exiled!?” High King Trojden yelled with his armor clanging, not even trying to hide his rage from the onlookers. “Here I am, fighting the greatest holy war in a long time, all on my own initiative, and what do I get!? Where’s my Blessed Ancestor…hood!? Ancestordom?”
“You do have to die first…”
“My father, then! I should hang that damn Archpriest…!”
“Oh, it wasn’t actually the Archpriest. It was, you know, the Matriarch of Moldavia. Same thing they got in over in Norway, or Scotland. The local high priest, basically.”
“Well, they can worship him all they want, but not here! Izbor was exiled in life, he’s exiled in death!”
“’Exile’ is a strong word… I was right there at the conference with your father, you know? A little after my own went with Weles…” The 14-year-old boy dressed as a Grand Duke must’ve been a rather humorous sight. “I mean, I didn’t really say or do much, but I do remember that he departed as an ‘ally’ and all that. You even went down there to fight a war for him!”
“Not for him! Against the Muslims! There’s a big difference, and you better remember it! And I didn't go there personally, anyway!” Trojden had abandoned all pretension of actually looking at the troops, having stopped and turned his horse around so he could better fume at Vyshata. All the courtiers trailing behind them awkwardly averted their eyes. “This is what a war I care about looks like! I’m fighting here with you, myself!”
“Yes, you sure are, Your High Majesty.”
“Tell… Tell that new Izbor that if he wants to set foot in Krakow, he better come bowing before his superior. Now, if you’ll excuse me, you have spoiled my mood. I shall have to take it out on those knights.”
https://i.postimg.cc/MKPTbQD4/20190610190206-1.jpg
Somehow I feel kinda sorry towards Moldavia for treating them like this even though it was done entirely for meta reasons, which is probably why I’m going so far to make it an RP thing. But at least it’s a good opportunity to shove some more world-building and politics in there.
Czarn is just my made-up pagan swear, short for Czarnobog. Felt weird about writing “hell”, but Wyraj just doesn’t work the same, y’know?
SilverLeaf167
2019-06-14, 02:14 PM
Chapter #20: Sins of the Father (Trojden + Lechoslaw, 1301-1345)
3 October, 1301
In the fall of 1301, the infamous Archpriest Henryk declares a Great Holy War for Volga Bulgaria. Trojden at first wonders whether he’s seriously advocating an invasion of Moldavia, but is eager to join, only to be informed that this particular "Bulgaria" is actually far to the east near Perm. Had Perm not joined the Slavic Church (again) a few years prior, Henryk probably would’ve gone for that instead. Trojden loses interest, but dismissively promises to send some troops anyway.
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Volga Bulgaria forms the majority of what remains of Khazaria, which of course is as good a target as any, but those who keep track are under the impression that Khazaria is part of China’s Western Protectorate. One can only hope that this information is outdated or the Protectorate busy elsewhere. The holy warriors begin their long march eastward.
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Elsewhere, a great empire topples overnight as the Kufrids are violently ousted from their palaces and the most powerful state in the East Mediterranean dissolves into a variety of much smaller Emirates that are sure to start fighting over the scraps. At the moment, the strongest candidate for the Sultan’s eventual successor would be either the Tekle dynasty of Egypt and Syria, or the Madjid dynasty that controls much of Anatolia, Arabia and the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. However, reunification is far from a given, and this power vacuum is also sure to attract outside intervention.
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As luck would have it, the Western Protectorate is indeed busy fighting somewhere in India, and Volga Bulgaria is easily conquered by January 1303. It’s a bit further south and most of the serious marching takes place in the summer, so the Slavs manage to dodge the worst of the horrible winter that made their previous expeditions to Perm so deadly. The lands are added to Poland’s ever-larger domain, more specifically to an accomplished minor chief from Smolensk.
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The warriors return home triumphant, only to find out that China has taken offense after all. The Yuan Empress has sent a new messenger to Krakow bearing a declaration almost identical to the one from 1246, only with added references to “giving the Land of Po another chance” and forgiving its great transgressions if it should accept the Empress’ mercy. Trojden is, if even possible, even cruder with his treatment of the messenger than High King Krzeslaw was back in the day.
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As far as anyone can tell, the Protectorate isn’t actually all that strong in terms of manpower, having merely enough soldiers to escort its convoys and carry out some routine duties. However, the observers that the Spymaster has wisely placed in the area confirm that they are soon joined by a much, much larger contingent from mainland China. Poland seems to be facing at least another 100,000 men thrown its way, not even counting other enemies like Rajasthan.
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Just to be safe, at his Marshal’s urging and after replacing several advisors with more loyal men, Trojden pushes through an urgent law to demand even more crown levies from his vassal chiefs. After his easy defeat over the Teutons, he seems convinced of Poland’s invincibility, but those with a more accurate impression of military matters know that regardless of its strategic blunders last time, the Western Protectorate is not to be taken lightly. The additional levies are counterbalanced by reduced taxes, and at this point the Polish economy is becoming about as military-focused as can be, which raises the question of how those levies are supposed to be funded.
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War is declared in August 1303, and the very first enemy vanguard – part of the Rajasthani army – arrives almost exactly a year later. They storm Chernigov’s frankly irresponsibly placed fortifications along the Caspian Sea, but rather than rush in, the Poles have spent the last year studying their records of the Great Oriental War and decided to at least try and see if the enemy might tire itself out. Indeed, especially as more troops start coming in, their aggressive tactics and weak supply lines are already costing them a lot of men.
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However, this strategy isn’t sustainable for Poland either, as despite the seeming “worthlessness” of those easternmost territories, the chiefs those lands belong to – including the Marshal himself, the Grand Duke of Chernigov – get increasingly restless. They find the very idea of willingly allowing the enemy into their territory an abomination. In May 1305, as the Chinese cross the Don River and a humiliating peace treaty is already being waved in Trojden’s face, he finally makes up his mind to engage the enemy then and there.
The High King is present at yet another of Poland’s greatest battles, as more and more reinforcements on both sides bring the total number of soldiers to over 130,000. Win or lose, the Battle of Sugrov will go down in history and very possibly decide this war. However, with his bodyguard unit lying dead around him and feeling overwhelmed by the sheer chaos of the situation, the High King decides to seek personal glory once more.
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He had hoped to find the elderly Protector General Nakhu, but unfortunately, his opponent of choice is the enemy commander Shiraghul, a battle-hardened Mongol and real giant of a man. The Poles were under the impression that the Chinese were supposed to be short, yet he looks almost seven feet tall! With his ancestral weapons and ornate armor, Trojden charges him on foot, and if anything, gets off easy by only losing an eye to a quick slash before falling to the ground unconscious. Fortunately, he is rescued by a nearby hussar before Shiraghul has time to take him captive or finish him off.
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Trojden wakes up minutes later, and his men actually have to physically restrain him from chasing after Shiraghul while foaming at the mouth. At least the one-eyed High King now looks a lot more like his father, and seems to be alive for the time being.
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The Battle of Sugrov isn’t actually a single massive battle, but a series of end-to-end massive battles taking place in May-August 1305, most of which Trojden is forced to spend in recovery. For a while it seems like the Chinese are doing a better job at using the hilly terrain in the area to their advantage, but in the end, largely through the efforts of Poland’s lowborn yet quite legendary commander Sbyszko, the final victory goes to the Slavs.
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Well, “final” might be the wrong word to use, as the Chinese launch several more counter-attacks over the next few weeks, but they are repulsed with relative ease. Despite the Poles being in rather rough shape as well, they can only ride this momentum and reclaim some of the Chinese-occupied fortresses while they have the chance to placate their restless chiefs. Despite Poland’s string of victories, the Chinese could still end up winning in the long run with their far superior manpower.
Trojden declares himself healed and joins the fighting once more, but it soon becomes apparent that his gruesome eye wound is festering. Due in no small part to his own stubbornness, the healers are unable to do anything about it, and a bit of pus soon turns into a high fever and other complications that render him bedridden and, finally, dead at the age of 36 in February 1306. For what it’s worth, he goes down in history as a rather unpopular but all things considered surprisingly successful warlord. The Temple of Blessed Lechoslaw his father started is still a work in progress, but a certain other Lechoslaw stands ready to serve…
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The High King is dead! Long live High King Lechoslaw of Poland, Grand Duke of Pomerania, Lithuania and Ruthenia, Liege Lord of Bohemia, Galicia-Volhynia and Chernigov!
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Well before his death, Trojden followed his father’s example and laid the groundwork for his own son Lechoslaw’s election to the throne, giving him a castle near Krakow, a seat on the Council and an “introduction” to the House of Elders. And just like Trojden twenty years ago, Lechoslaw too is forced to inherit at a tragically young age, but judging from his name, his father had great hopes for him. There are no doubt a lot of chiefs grumbling about the third High King in a row from the same family, but for the time being, they have to focus on prosecuting this war to the end. Trojden is buried in the Blessed Lechoslaw mausoleum, next to Szczesny.
Luckily, after the massive clashes of Sugrov, the Chinese forces have been sufficiently divided that the Poles are able to pursue their fleeing armies and then spread out to restock their own supplies.
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Having ordered a general retreat way, way to the east, the Protector General seems to have little interest in coming back, yet it takes until August 1307 – exactly four years into the war – for a peace treaty to finally be signed, seemingly a white peace but once again showing Poland in a better light given that China was the arrogant and failed aggressor. Of course, many lives have been lost and coffers emptied, so this all comes at a high price for both sides, but Lechoslaw (who barely had time to participate in the fighting) does his best to make the Battle of Sugrov and “War on the Don“ go down in history as great shows of honor by Trojden and his men. In Polish legend, the king-killer Shiraghul will go on to become a literal giant and something of an anti-Chinese propaganda figure that may stick in the general consciousness for decades or even centuries to come.
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Upon arriving home and starting his work to get the realm back in order, Lechoslaw presents a bill to make up for the nobles’ reduced taxes by demanding more from the towns, including but not limited to the Free City of Gdansk. Seeing as the towns aren’t currently even represented at the Council, it goes through a lot easier than Trojden’s levy reform some years prior.
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Having been largely a “custodian king” for the first couple years of his reign, Lechoslaw hasn’t really gotten to show his true colors yet, but he definitely hides some personal ambitions passed down from his father. Namely, Trojden arranged Lechoslaw's marriage to the younger sister of the Grand Duchess of Bohemia. The famous Grzymislawa ‘Bloodaxe’, conqueror of Frisia, died young with no other children but her two daughters, so the elder of them became the second female ruler of Bohemia in a row. However, this Grand Duchess Nadzieja has yet to marry or have any kids, so should something happen to her, the title would pass to Lechoslaw’s wife Samboja and then to her future children. The High Kings of Poland have shown remarkably little interest in dynastical power plays until now, but with this recent streak of inheritance, Lechoslaw is clearly hoping to get his own son on the throne one day. Adding the most powerful Grand Duchy to the mix would greatly centralize power in the hands of the High King…
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Throughout the summer of 1308, Grand Duchess Nadzieja – currently fighting the Christians in northern Germany – narrowly escapes several fatal accidents, most of them easily dismissed as enemy attacks in the field. She even suffers a serious head injury and facial disfiguration, yet soldiers on. In the end, the Spymaster of Bohemia, bribed by Lechoslaw and promised great benefits once Samboja is in charge, is forced to take a more direct approach by poisoning his sick and recovering liege while she’s at camp. This unsubtle attempt is successful, but also leads to his capture and brutal interrogation by Nadzieja’s men – but the truth of Lechoslaw’s involvement only comes out long after Samboja has already been crowned the new Grand Duchess.
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As it turns out, Samboja herself was very fond of her sister and never informed of this entire plot. In addition to Lechoslaw being considered a treacherous kinslayer, having murdered not just a Lechowicz but a Grand Duchess and his very own sister-in-law, his already strained relationship with Samboja has suffered to say the least. No matter – as long as she can pop out some sons. Although, she doesn’t seem exactly eager to do so, and there are even malicious rumors afoot that she prefers spending time with unofficial “concubines” of her own.
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After centuries of even the more controversial High Kings still being quite universally respected “fathers of the realm”, Lechoslaw has become perhaps the first to truly have more enemies than friends. Murdering a close relative in cold blood is an even more serious crime in Polish society than most other places, after all, even if the High King can’t actually be brought to any sort of trial for it. However, the Grand Dukes of Chernigov and Galicia-Moldavia being from outside the Lechoslaw clan finally seems to be paying off, as they’re also a lot less sensitive to dynastic squabbles as a result. In fact, Trojden’s best friend Vyshata seems to have remained Lechoslaw’s firmest supporter, close friend and Marshal as well. Having been around the High King since the day he was born certainly plays a part.
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Lechoslaw will have to toe the line carefully if he doesn’t want to be remembered for having started the first major civil war in Polish history since… fittingly, the rebellion of the original Lechoslaw’s brother.
Things look worrying on the other side of the border, too, as the Dulafid Sultanate is defeated by the Western Protectorate and forced to bend the knee. If or when the Great Oriental War and the War on the Don are followed by a third invasion, it might be even harsher than either of its predecessors – and those are already the closest that Poland has ever come to total humiliation.
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The west is at least as tumultuous as the east. In early 1312, Francia breaks out into yet another civil war – which is nothing new, of course, and most people have already grown quite apathetic about Francia ever since it started to seem that it would neither collapse nor seriously threaten Poland any longer. This one doesn’t actually threaten to break apart the Empire either, but it does demonstrate something else: the massive imbalance that has been growing under the surface for ages now.
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The Poles have long had a tendency to confuse the Emperor of Francia with the King of France, which seems quite appropriate right now, seeing as France has long since grown into the true power behind the throne. The head of the family von Tunna has slowly but surely worked his way to becoming King of France, Italy, Lotharingia and Croatia, all while the so-called Emperor’s personal holdings have shrunk to almost nothing and he’s become entirely dependent on his “most loyal” vassal who never betrayed him before now. Von Tunna’s forces outnumber the Emperor’s by more than two to one, and should he manage to place his beloved daughter on the throne, the Empire would pass out of Karling hands for the very first since its founding in 751. Surely a cautionary tale for the High King of Poland… though in his case, his replacement would likely be just some other Lechowicz.
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And as expected, on Christmas Day 1313, the Pope is called to crown Empress Aurengarde as the first non-Karling and first female ruler of Francia. Truly a momentous day for the world’s greatest Christian power – for better or worse, who knows. Perhaps this change in dynasty and reshuffling of power is exactly what it needs to end its long stagnation. Looking at her, though, many believe that the main flaw of this plan might be how she seems to be completely unprepared to rule, having little understanding of the practical side outside courtly etiquette. Her father will likely remain the true mastermind of the realm.
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Samboja’s main flaw, on the other hand, is how she remains stubbornly not pregnant. In fact, she seems to be actively avoiding Lechoslaw, made easy by having her own lands to govern. Lechoslaw can’t just get a concubine or three, either, since the Grand Duchy is in Samboja’s name and the child needs to be hers!
At least in Krakow, after 29 years in the works, the Temple of Blessed Lechoslaw is finally complete! Well… due to its troubled construction, repeatedly interrupted by war, expensive feasts or “architectural indecision”, it’s ended up a lot smaller and less impressive than originally intended. It will be up to the coming generations of High Kings to renovate and expand it to its deserved glory.
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Lechoslaw doesn’t have time for such frivolities, after all, as he has his hands full trying to placate his increasingly unruly vassals and make sure that his ill-advised machinations weren’t all for naught. In fact, in his pursuit of the crown of Bohemia, he ends up turning to truly desperate methods: giving out the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to a vassal. It’s one of the oldest Grand Duchies, right after Pomerania, but relatively neglected, splintered and far less valuable than Bohemia, so he considers it a worthy sacrifice. Besides, there’s been a growing movement for reform in the region anyway, so sidestepping this little issue should earn him a valuable ally and hopefully dissuade the other chiefs from doing anything stupid. Like actually overthrowing the High King for example. It seems to work for the time being.
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The High King and his allies still believe that a war of one sort or another is likely on its way, though, and the Marshal is hard at work experimenting with some of the more eccentric weapons captured from the Chinese in their two invasions. Though there are still some problems with things like the required alchemical substances, he has done an impressive job replicating the highly explosive “screaming arrows” that the Poles have come to fear. They probably can’t be produced in sufficient quantities to be of practical use as anything other than a terror weapon, but of course, sometimes that’s just what you need.
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July 1320 brings another greatly unwanted distraction, as the Empire of Rajasthan declares war on Poland for the largely symbolical possession of a small steppe region. The mysterious Rajasthani have been encountered only as lackeys of the Western Protectorate so far, but their realm is vast and their army actually larger than Poland’s. Such a massive war in the east is the last thing Lechoslaw needs when traitors lurk behind every corner, especially over something so irrelevant. The province belongs to Vyshata, who is actually fighting the Mongols in the neighborhood, and he pleads that Lechoslaw reconsider, but to no avail.
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Lechoslaw does the unthinkable, and surrenders the disputed bit of territory without a fight. Vyshata is not happy, nor are the rest of the chiefs, but it’s better than throwing away the crown armies and leaving the High King’s back wide open for a stabbing.
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He thinks of yet another way to turn their attention the other way, namely the long-ignored northern frontier. The Polish chiefs’ expansion into Sweden and Finland has been almost entirely autonomous, and the crown has taken little interest in it, but little by little it has become the dominant power in the parts south of Norway. Lechoslaw decides to “celebrate” this by declaring the former Chief of Värend the new Grand Duke of Sweden, trying to look like he’s willingly giving away power and decentralizing the realm.
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Big chunks of both Sweden and Finland are actually vassals of Lithuania and not the new Grand Duchy, but this move does serve the purpose of splitting up the already weakened but still independent Swedes. Now they have to choose whether they'll accept the Grand Duke as their rightful ruler or still resist in vain.
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In late 1322, Lechoslaw finally achieves the impossible: after over a decade of trying to court his own wife, surely a great humiliation for a man among men such as he, their relationship has finally softened to the point that he can convince Samboja of the great future that would await their son, would she only agree to have one. Despite his general ruthlessness (and the whole “killing her sister” thing), Lechoslaw has gone out of his way to be nothing but sweet in his desperate attempts to woo her, and now it bears fruit, as it turns out that the High Queen is begrudgingly pregnant.
Lechoslaw thanks the gods for this gift, throws a great feast to Jarylo shortly before the birth, and makes plans for the next 16 years. The House of Elders can’t elect a child, of course, so he himself will have to survive until then, making this long delay quite unfortunate, but at last, their son —
Their son is a daughter. Samboja names her Grzymislawa. People will later say that Lechoslaw went catatonic for a week. Grzymislawa will be raised at her mother’s court.
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Another tragedy strikes mere months later as Lechoslaw's good friend Vyshata dies in bed and is replaced by his son Svetozar, who is decidedly less appreciative of Lechoslaw than his father had been. However, despite the initial shock, Grzymislawa’s birth seems to have led to a major shift in the royal couple’s relationship after all. The little girl can never rule Poland, but she is set to inherit Bohemia, and is still Lechoslaw’s own flesh and blood that he’ll have to protect at all costs. And of course, he’s still looking to try for another one.
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For whatever reason, most of Lechoslaw’s reign has been plagued by countless “small” revolts among the general populace, especially the German border and the already unstable Khazar regions. He suspects that traitorous chiefs are putting them up to it, but all have been easily defeated by local troops. Even though most have taken place in more distant territories, the largest uprising of all happens near Krakow itself in April 1327. Luckily the royal army stands ready to disperse the massive but poorly organized mob before it can even reach the city proper.
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Indeed, even though the chiefs themselves look like they’ve calmed down, events like this keep the High King on his toes and deathly afraid of committing his forces anywhere outside the capital, so he ends up being far more isolationist than his father for instance. His long-term plans don’t seem to be going any better, though: in July 1336, Samboja gives birth to another daughter, whom they name Scholastyka.
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It seems like Lechoslaw should just give up on his grand scheme and let bygones be bygones. He will do no such thing, though: instead, he’ll change his approach. Even if he can’t get a son to put on the throne, by the gods, he’s putting someone there. It takes years of making amends, handing out gifts, networking, lobbying, and even philosophical debates – many of them handled by the more charismatic and popular Samboja, who is now happy to be his co-conspirator – to bring a truly unprecedented suggestion to the Council. Several times, Lechoslaw has to stop himself from resorting to “getting rid” of his opponents, but this is such a large and important law that for it to have any legitimacy, it has to be passed almost unanimously without any blackmail or other shenanigans. But it succeeds.
As of the 8th of August 1343, the Council and the House of Elders agree that a woman can be elected as the ruler of Poland. Theoretically. Someday.
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Advocates of women’s rights hundreds of years in the future certainly won’t treat Lechoslaw as any sort of proto-feminist, seeing as his motivations are more than obvious – he immediately starts pushing young Grzymislawa as his heir – but that doesn’t mean that the change, or the fact that the chiefs agreed to it, isn’t an important step towards changing the Kingdom of Poland’s intensely patriarchal traditions. Also, his wife Samboja ‘the Great’ is credited as both the inspiration and the driving force behind the decision. It’s accompanied by a mix of other edicts, collectively remembered as the Samboja Laws, that grant women across Poland some very rudimentary legal rights in terms of things like inheritance and personal property that the vast majority of them used to lack, being entirely subservient to their husbands (unless they became witches).
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The ancient sin of kinslaying still weighs heavily on Lechoslaw’s shoulders, but at long last, he feels like he’s accomplished something and also earned the favor of the chiefs. He decides to try and finally look outwards to accomplish something else as well. One thing he can do is send some troops to help out Moldavia, which has already been losing ground in a series of Christian holy wars.
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That war, albeit successful, ends up being his last. On the 23rd of December, 1345, the 58-year-old Lechoslaw ‘the Wicked’ passes away peacefully after a lifetime of looking over his shoulder. Despite at one point being the most hated High King to date, he managed to turn it around against all odds and accomplish his selfish, dearest wish, leaving a monumental mark in Polish politics almost as a side-effect. Many of the chiefs that previously voted for the Samboja Laws already feel like they were duped somehow, and it’s uncertain what the future holds for them. Francia had its first Empress just a few decades ago, and she didn’t last long. However, for the time being, it looks like Lechoslaw and his wife did manage to convince the people who mattered…
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The High King is dead! Long live High Queen Grzymislawa of Poland, Grand Duchess of Pomerania and Ruthenia, Heiress to Bohemia, Liege Lady of Chernigov, Galicia-Volhynia, Lithuania and Sweden!
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Francia did indeed enter a new period of aggression and reconquest under its new leadership, pushing into Germany, Aquitaine, Anatolia and Moldavia, but after a number of very short-lived Emperors, a noble rebellion reinstalled the Karlings on the throne. However, those Karlings are now facing yet another von Tunna civil war.
For decades, Scotland looked like it was about to unify the entirety of the British Isles under pagan rule, until a very ill-considered noble rebellion broke it apart and allowed the Christian kingdoms to push back once more.
Greece has managed to get itself back together and resist Moldavia as well; however, it has lost much of Sicily to the Teutonic Order.
A strange popular uprising broke apart from the other major monastic order, the Knights of Santiago, and dubbed itself the rather tiny Kingdom of Germany. It’s not working out so well for them.
The Dulafids seem to have shaken off the Protectorate after all.
Serious lack of character drama, plots, skullduggery, and assassinations in this AAR, largely due to our government structure making them a bit unnecessary. There’s no gameplay reason for me to care about electing my own kids, but obviously it makes sense from an RP perspective. About time we had a more “dramatic” chapter (at least that’s how it felt to me) that introduced some major changes to the status quo. It ended up being a bit long, too, but I didn’t feel like cutting it apart when I had the whole thing ready anyway.
Start of the final century! In 1444, CK2 will end and we’ll transfer to EU4, which I can’t deny I’m really looking forward to, but more about that then.
IthilanorStPete
2019-06-14, 05:21 PM
Well, this should certainly be a change! If there's ever going to be a major Polish civil war, I'm guessing now is the time.
Manticoran
2019-06-14, 08:52 PM
Just read all of this while on vacation away from my computer, great fun and thanks for doing it!
SilverLeaf167
2019-06-15, 05:51 PM
Chapter #21: Gods Save the Queen (Grzymislawa, 1345-1373)
23 December, 1345
Clearly a product of the years spent enabling her rise to the throne, High Queen Grzymislawa is a willful young woman with a cynical, “realistic” perception of what it takes to rule a country, but also an adept diplomat who knows how to be generous and appeal to her subjects. However, in addition to being a woman – which people definitely haven’t yet adjusted to – she’s also the fourth monarch in a row from the “Hradec line” of the Lechowicz, named for the modest chiefdom that her great-grandfather Szczesny used to rule before his election. The basic idea of the Polish system was that the Kingdom was the shared responsibility of every Lechowicz, and all of them or their children had at least a theoretical chance of being the next High King, but the House of Elders has proven easy to manipulate and a lot of chiefs may be starting to feel disenfranchised about the whole thing. After 64 years, there are few chiefs alive who even remember a non-Hradec High King.
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Then again, while the late Lechoslaw’s idea was to obtain Bohemia for the Hradec line, from Grzymislawa and her mother Samboja’s perspective it was the Bohemian line that obtained the crown and not vice versa. Samboja eventually learned to love her husband as a person despite all his… flaws… but she had no illusions about his true nature, and it wasn’t just her moral responsibility but also personal benefit that made her join his attempts to improve the status of women and arrange Grzymislawa’s election. She now has influence as Grand Duke, Queen Mother and long-time Chancellor of Poland, and when she one day dies, her lands will hopefully pass to her daughter as planned.
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Grzymislawa is unsurprisingly being courted by countless minor nobles, but sadly for all parties, a less than optimal marriage arrangement has gotten Grzymislawa hitched with a non-inheriting Prince of Galicia-Moldavia, and their child is considered part of his clan, not hers. Even better, since he’s so thoroughly uninteresting, she may have had a little tryst some years ago and produced a bastard daughter as a result, making him less than pleased with her to say the least.
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As much she would like to arrange a divorce now that she’s High Queen, something which she couldn’t have done before the Samboja Laws, foreign matters demand her attention. For one, the civil war next door has ended with predictable results, putting a von Tunna on the Francian throne once more. Perhaps more importantly, Francia and France are in the same hands for once, making the young Humbert II the most powerful Emperor in a long time.
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For two, in March 1347, a new Crusade is called against Poland for the first time in a while. They aim to reclaim Frisia, which is not only highly valuable but officially part of Bohemia, making the whole war even more personal than holy wars already tend to be. The Emperor himself is participating, as are a lot of his most powerful vassals, and numerically the sides seem quite evenly matched.
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It’s a good thing that during Lechoslaw’s long and surprisingly peaceful reign, Poland has recovered from its various wars and should be stronger than ever. It’s less good that the Christian side is also a lot stronger than last time. Frisia is a small, dense region with lots of open plains, making it harder for the Poles to use the terrain to their advantage and easier for a huge number of soldiers to stuff themselves onto one big field of slaughter. The first such battle – once again breaking the record of largest Polish in history – is a crushing defeat for the Slavs, as the inconvenient location of Frisia means that the Christians are able to mobilize there a lot faster.
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Luckily the classically cocky crusaders of the Crucified Christ immediately repeat history and split up their forces, allowing the retreating Slavs to make a U-turn and pick off their armies one by one. The High Queen is not present at the front, however, as she is busy making funeral arrangements for her beloved mother Samboja. She has died of smallpox, one of many epidemics undermining the Polish war effort on the home front.
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Although, this means that Grzymislawa is now indeed the Grand Duchess of Bohemia. She decides to double down and assert dominance by also naming herself Grand Duchess of Frisia, the very area currently being fought over.
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After that, she finally heads there herself – as a commander, just like her mother, aunt and grandmother before her. Despite a relative lack of military education (which, to be fair, is true for a lot of noble generals), at least she’s a quick learner. One beautiful thing about holy wars of this scale is the sheer number of big names involved: at one point the High Queen of Poland, three Grand Dukes, the Emperor of Francia, and the Pope are all commanding troops in the same pitched battle! Of course, the mortality rate for nobles is decently high as well, as even though soldiers usually prefer to take them captive rather than kill, that doesn’t always matter so much when a hundred thousand men crash together... and doesn't always hold true when the enemy is a hated infidel, anyway.
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Taking an unusual number of risks, Grzymislawa earns a lot of experience in close combat. She even joins the ranks of those who can boast to have cracked open a man in full plate, certainly a rite of passage for any pagan warrior. She makes sure to have bards and spellsingers spread word of her battles far and wide to consciously grow her legend.
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The war quickly devolves into a constant back-and-forth not unlike the infamous fighting in Pomerania, with both sides taking turns rushing in to occupy the area and then retreating again. Zealots commit countless atrocities against civilians on both sides of the border, often including their own countrymen of the wrong faith. In any case, as the Christians are on the offense here, the Slavs’ options are basically to hold out until their enemies finally get tired, or venture across the border and try to hasten their surrender. They opt for the latter, raiding as far south as Paris, but it seems to have little effect on enemy morale after all, and the fighting continues unabated.
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However, regardless of her fearsome reputation, Grzymislawa is still a relative amateur, and would probably be better off avoiding more competent opponents. Luckily the people around her are always hard at work trying to protect her. Nice to see the realm come together, eh?
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Most of the important chiefs are busy fighting rather than taking care of things back home, but Grzymislawa does take a moment to finally acquire her divorce. The Archpriest was a bit iffy on it earlier, but now lacks the guts to refuse the warrior queen.
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One of the strangest coincidences of the war is when Grzymislawa ends up in melee with another woman: the Duchess of Savoy. It’s not much of a fight, though, since the Duchess seems to have been caught off guard by cavalry while trying to lead from the rear, while the High Queen is decked out with heavy armor, a Khazarian destrier and a magic ancestral axe. It becomes an iconic moment of the war nonetheless.
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Despite countless seemingly devastating defeats on both sides, the Crusade for Frisia is far from decided at any point and either side could seemingly still win – or they could just keep fighting forever. It only comes to a sudden end in August 1354, after seven years of non-stop carnage, when the Pope himself is captured on the battlefield by a minor Prussian chief. In return for his life, the Pope is forced to declare his surrender in front of his own troops, pay massive indemnities to the High Queen and renounce all claims to the Grand Duchy of Frisia. She announces that nothing can pay for this massive loss of brave Slavic soldiers, but she’ll be happy to spend most of this gold on expansions to the Temple of Blessed Lechoslaw – and that the humiliation of the Crucified God is priceless in any case.
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Besides, she gets to enjoy personally sacrificing the Emperor of Francia’s mysteriously disappeared wife to the Ancestors!
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After all those years of personal hardship, honor and ultimately success on the front, no one can dispute that Grzymislawa ‘the Glorious’ is a great leader worthy of the Poles. It’s hard for someone like her to find a truly worthy husband, though, so she lets the matter sit, and will prove thoroughly uninterested in remarrying after all. Most of her “suitors” seem to be already married men who still somehow think it’s appropriate to try and bed the High Queen.
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For all her apparent talent at warfare and occasional brutality, Grzymislawa isn’t necessarily any more warlike than any previous High King (which admittedly isn’t saying much). However, while it’d be greatly premature to say that her personal prestige has somehow upended Poland’s traditional opinion of the fairer sex, it is sufficient to convince the Crown Council that there’s no harm in expanding the previous Samboja Laws after all. It’s worth noting that her popularity at the moment is almost cult-like – or why not literally, this being a pagan country and all. With these reforms, women are eligible for all public office except military (unless they’re rulers themselves). She’s also pressuring the recently-replaced Archpriest to add his religious perspective to the debate: there are some texts in The Legends to back up the status quo, but it’d be equally easy to find some arguments in the other direction, and the priesthood itself is already open to women after all.
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Their combined efforts are effective, and over the years, Grzymislawa manages to haggle for even more rights, including the right to become Marshal. It’s hard to say how much of this is caused by the Council’s actual beliefs, how much by the promise of political favors and how much by their respect for Grzymislawa personally, but the end result is the same. Legally, Polish women are suddenly in a much better position than almost any other place in Europe, but it’ll take time for most of these laws to really be applied on a local level, never mind change the lives of the common people rather than just well-off nobles.
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Outside the meeting room, Grzymislawa spends her time as High Queen doing things like sending military support to besieged Slavs, overseeing those promised additions to Blessed Lechoslaw and overall switching from wartime to peacetime leadership. The Council isn’t always too happy when she refuses to do suicidal things like declare war on Francia over some tiny province just to pay back a favor, but people are overall content with her rule. It doesn’t always go perfectly, of course: for instance, while Poland was busy with the Crusade for Frisia, Moldavia got cut down to almost its original size in just Moldavia proper. Szczesny's decision to evict Moldavia from the Kingdom would be heavily criticized, had it not been retroactively painted as a peaceful splitting of ways.
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As the High Queen exerts a lot of sway over religious questions, many other Slavic realms shrink, and Poland itself grows, it almost seems like the kingdom is becoming more and more synonymous with the Slavic Church. Autonomous chiefs continue to expand in the north and east, absorbing any pagan tribes too weak to take care of themselves. After a long break off the battlefield, Grzymislawa finally puts in an effort of her own, declaring war on the Teutonic Order in June 1368. It’s about time that they were driven out of Jylland, where they have long harassed Slavic ships passing through the straits. The 44-year-old High Queen has grown some meat on her bones, but still considers herself fit as a fiddle, and ready to show it on the front.
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Other Christians seem to have little interest in protecting the Teutons this time either, and their armies, while still formidable, are obviously no match for the Slavic forces. Those knights who fail to retreat to their territories in the Alps and thus become trapped on the peninsula are wiped out almost to the last man.
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The war ends as quickly as it started, in July 1369. The Teutons are evicted from the snazzy castles they’ve built over the last century or two, and the Baltic Sea is finally 100% pagan! Well, the people the Teutons left behind in Jylland are probably some of the most zealous Christians around, but still.
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In March 1373, many of Poland’s soldiers are just on their way to help their much-suffering Scottish friends with another war when an all-too familiar call rings out from Krakow. These Great Holy Wars definitely cause some split opinions to say the least, but combined with the reciprocal Crusades and the occasional raid, they create the impression of truly unending religious warfare around the border. But, just enough time passes between each of them that there’s always a new generation of young eager soldiers for the veterans of the last one to lead to their deaths. Onwards to Germany! Again! Screw the Scots, I guess.
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Geez. Just imagine what Medieval Europe would've been like if it actually had constant crusade-level violence in its most densely populated areas.
Anyway, while it is a rather sudden and perhaps unrealistically fast shift in culture if you think about it, I will try to pursue the last gender law reform too. Having “full” gender equality with female generals and advisors in EU4 would add a nice unique touch, now that the mechanics have made it possible in both CK2 and EU4. And a smug air of superiority over everyone else, obviously.
And, well, our culture in this game already had a better groundwork for relative equality, so it could actually be less far-fetched than it seems, especially if one assumes enough abstraction in how long these changes actually take and that legal equality doesn’t immediately erase old attitudes. The Cathars, who still have some enclaves in Francia, are a decent example of radical gender-related beliefs with religious backing, and I imagine that a queen like Grzymislawa would have a pretty big impact in a warrior culture too. Realistic or not, it’s an interesting concept – and still leaves us with plenty of other vices like religious fanaticism, classism, racism, thralldom, human sacrifice, overall ruthless violence and mistreatment of our subjects…
That being said, this part of the AAR is definitely a bit challenging both narrative and gameplay-wise, as we're clearly in the very late game and a massive blob surrounded by other massive blobs. I still need to figure out how the heck I’m going to handle all these in the conversion, but I do have some ideas.
Well, this should certainly be a change! If there's ever going to be a major Polish civil war, I'm guessing now is the time.
I thought so too, since a lot of major vassals looked like they absolutely hated me at the end of the last chapter, but I dunno what happened to that.
Just read all of this while on vacation away from my computer, great fun and thanks for doing it!
Thanks! The occasional comments like these are what keeps me motivated!
SilverLeaf167
2019-06-20, 12:52 PM
I'm going out of town to celebrate Midsummer for the rest of June, so there'll be a bit more of a break until I'm back.
SilverLeaf167
2019-06-28, 04:00 PM
Chapter #22: Warlords vs. Warlocks (Grzymislawa + Dobrogost, 1373-1403)
March 12, 1373
The first Great Holy War for Germany (1056-57) was a fast and smashing success that conquered a huge chunk of East Francia, but the Congregation established to rule it eventually devolved into utter nonsense, slipping first into Christian and then Jewish hands and then slowly back into Francia. This greatly weakened Slavic trust in the very idea of a theocratic state, or the priests’ ability to govern themselves. The second attempt (1269-1271) was nice and easy too, but only targeted the smaller and weaker Crusader Germany, which then slipped into Jewish and Christian hands and eventually back into Francia. The third is about to be another ambitious attempt more similar to the first, but Francia is far more powerful than it has been in a long time, as the barely-defeated Crusade for Frisia went to show. However, even if the High Queen of Poland didn’t join, every other Slav would still go rushing into Germany and very likely to their deaths, plus she has a reputation to maintain. Well, at least a lot of Polish troops originally headed for Scotland were already waiting on the North Sea coast, easy to send south instead.
https://i.postimg.cc/0QysHSrc/20190619130323-1.jpg
The war is… a bit of a mystery, to be entirely honest. Grzymislawa goes in expecting the toughest fight so far, yet what she finds is the opposite. Partly because the Poles were in such good positions, they’re able to rush across the border and capture vast swaths of land like some sort of metaphorical red tide. Even though all evidence points to the Francian army being strong and not busy with anything else, the 13-year-old boy Emperor signs a shamefully fast peace, perhaps pressured by some power behind the scenes, or just trying to save the populace from the terror of a prolonged holy war. The treaty is signed on the 1st of January 1374 and Germany is Polish once more, after less than 10 months and barely any open field fighting.
https://i.postimg.cc/SKr4rdQn/20190619212904-1.jpg
However, there are certain caveats: the treaty only concerns the parts of Germany in Francian hands, which means it doesn’t concern the Papacy, the Teutons or the so-called Kingdom of Germany, nor the part that apparently isn’t “legally” considered Germany these days. The Poles would otherwise care little for such laws, but for this pleasantly quick and painless victory, they’re willing to take what they can get.
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(Münster and Thüringia have de jure drifted into the Kingdom of France)
Grzymislawa takes care of handing out the somewhat scattered but very populous territories to some landless relatives, but despite having signed a peace with Francia, she’s more than willing to attack the other Christians around. In order to strengthen her grip on Germany and give her disappointed warriors something to do, the High Queen immediately turns around and declares war on the Pope. A bunch of Christians are unsurprisingly not happy about this.
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With the involvement of the Teutons, Hospitaller and Knights of Santiago, the enemy side does have a decent army as well, but it’s nothing compared to back in Frisia. The Slavs finally get a chance to prove their superiority against these previously unseen flavors of knight, too!
https://i.postimg.cc/gjwPGPVh/20190620194631-1.jpg
Poland’s new German holdings are quite awkwardly located and take a lot of damage in the fighting, of course, but luckily the Poles aren’t all that attached to them and were probably going to do some looting there anyway.
https://i.postimg.cc/sf8rwvz4/20190620195223-1.jpg
Unfortunately, the battlefield life does prove a bit too harsh for the warrior queen after all. The stress and fatigue, combined with disease outbreaks at camp and minor scrapes from her personal melees, render her seriously ill while passing through the recently seized city of Rottenburg, a name everyone would find very appropriate if they just spoke English. She rests in the empty mayor’s manor, where all available commanders and priests visit her and pray for her health, and many more are on their way when they hear the news that she has unexpectedly passed away after only a few days in bed. Even though Poland’s first (and thus by default greatest) High Queen may not have gotten the glorious death she deserved, it doesn’t change the fact that it was during the “extended” holy war for Germany. After ruling Poland for 31 good years and leaving an indelible mark on her country, as of 1st August, 1376, Grzymislawa feasts with the ancestors.
https://i.postimg.cc/02wq3P2R/20190620195552-1.jpg
The High Queen is dead! Long live High King Dobrogost of Poland, Grand Duke of Pomerania, Bohemia, Ruthenia and Frisia, Liege Lord of Chernigov, Galicia-Volhynia, Lithuania and Sweden!
https://i.postimg.cc/2SNfNMVq/20190628182016-1.jpg
The crown has finally passed out of the hands of the Hradec line. If there were one arguable defeat in Grzymislawa’s life, it’d be her failure to produce any appropriate heirs or secure the vote for her younger sister, but once it had become clear that said sister wasn’t really suited for the throne anyway, she'd mostly accepted this fate. Dobrogost, a frontier chief from the Black Sea and one of Grzymislawa’s top commanders, is a stern and very much competent successor who has already made it clear that he won’t try to repeat the Hradec line’s success and hog the throne for his own family.
The first thing he does is finish what Grzymislawa started, and the war is over in two more months without further ado.
https://i.postimg.cc/vm3R9mX9/20190628183125-1.jpg
In that same vein, dutiful as he is, he fulfills what he calls the High Queen’s last wish and lays the groundwork for the final additions to the Samboja-Grzymislawa Laws. The tone of discussion is very different now that there’s actually no women in the room, but he evokes the councilors’ respect for the late monarch to push the matter through. With this, the women of Poland are all but equal to men in terms of political and economic rights, including military leadership, and what rough edges there remain will hopefully be smoothed up over time. Of course, the issue of people not training or allowing their daughters to enter those roles is something that the state has little power or will to change, but now they can at least move to other matters.
https://i.postimg.cc/PqtsPDbT/20190628190227-1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/4xvRfP9W/20190628190233-1.jpg
Of course, the transition of power isn’t a total cakewalk: the fighting in Germany has once again distracted Poland badly enough that basically every surrounding lord had the opportunity to gang up on Moldavia and finally reduce it to, well, pretty much just Moldavia proper in a matter of months. Independence really hasn’t treated them well.
https://i.postimg.cc/tTTKzHmc/20190628193425-1.jpg
Poland itself soon returns to its routine of outward peace with small-scale warring between chiefs and the occasional epidemic. However, in the fall of 1382, during one particularly severe wave of consumption, the temporary Court Diviner (the Archpriest is apparently imprisoned in Gdansk for… reasons) shares his concern that it could be the work of a rebellious cult of Weles and other dark gods. If such powerful shamans had really chosen to oppose Poland, they could threaten not just the realm’s health but its very integrity, so Dobrogost makes the matter his top priority, even while secluded deep within Wavel to avoid getting infected himself.
https://i.postimg.cc/B6VdYwrn/20190628195127-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/ZnvX1xmF/20190628195207-1.jpg
Shockingly, one of the very first suspects is Grzymislawa’s sister herself, a honored guest at court. Having known the woman for years, Dobrogost is quite certain that she’s merely eccentric and maybe a bit sick, certainly not a malicious mage of any kind.
https://i.postimg.cc/3ryR8MJ9/20190628195657-1.jpg
It doesn’t take long before Diviner Zelibrat himself stands accused by Dobrogost’s very own wife Thordys. It all makes sense now: even the Archpriest’s mysterious disappearance must’ve been the work of this devious, malformed dwarf no one else at court has even heard of! The fact that Zelibrat has the gall to accuse Thordys of the same only inflames Dobrogost’s anger further, and he is thrown into the dungeons.
https://i.postimg.cc/w3KnHRTK/20190628195737-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/ryvpzhDT/20190628195744-1.jpg
The High King grows increasingly paranoid and has trouble believing that Zelibrat could truly be working alone. His fears are confirmed when Commander Wojciech turns in the other witch Nadzieja, the widow of some long-forgotten courtier who has nonetheless hung around at court for years, obviously for this very purpose. Dobrogost ignores the oddity that Wojciech ‘the Blind’ claims to have “seen” Nadzieja acting strange. Just a manner of speech, obviously.
https://i.postimg.cc/yYc8RFRZ/20190628200142-1.jpg
The true Archpriest Stanislaw makes a triumphant return, having apparently been in Gdansk after all, but he brings with him another accursed apostate: a minor chief all the way from Estonia. Into the dungeons he goes, and the High King and Archpriest redouble their efforts to solve this mystery once and for all. Stanislaw claims to have discovered proof that the underground sect known as the Cold Ones has in fact reemerged to plague Krakow once more.
https://i.postimg.cc/nhxcGCKw/20190628200512-1.jpg
And yet, almost immediately after, Wojciech pulls the High King aside and claims to have seen with his own eyes how Archpriest Stanislaw was murdered just a few days ago! This one is but a shapeshifting impostor! How deep does the rabbit hole go?
https://i.postimg.cc/kgyM1qfM/20190628200747-1.jpg
Finally, after weeks of finger-pointing and even as the epidemic still rages on outside the castle walls, the servants are ordered to build several pyres out of firewood and old furniture in the courtyard. All four heretics, including the fake Archpriest, are tied up and burnt alive, not only as punishment but also as a blood sacrifice to the gods so that they might end this madness. It still takes several months, but finally the epidemic subsides.
https://i.postimg.cc/9fFmsKnd/20190628201024-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/LXGmYX6D/20190628201515-1.jpg
Several more “clean-up burnings” follow, though, as Dobrogost and the new non-fake Archpriestess Aldona continue their work to make sure that no more Cold Ones remain in Krakow. In fact, they become a signature trait of Dobrogost’s reign for years to come, alongside other hallmarks of superstitious zeal. As he nears his 60th birthday, the unstable High King spends weeks, then months, running all over Poland chasing rumors of a legendary white bear. Apparently the bear’s pelt can make one impervious to magic, and after the terrors of Wavel some years back, he would give anything for such a ward. After what seemed like a promising start, a lot of people are probably starting to miss the Hradecs…
https://i.postimg.cc/XvHjWLRT/20190628204244-1.jpg
At least the long-awaited expansion of the Temple of Blessed Lechoslaw is finally finished… so to speak. Many feel that the whole thing is still far from ready, but Poland definitely doesn’t have the funds to continue it any time soon.
https://i.postimg.cc/mDPbgMRh/20190628205406-1.jpg
The period is also dotted by not one but two frankly rather ridiculous invasions by the Warriors of Perun, trying to claim Livonia for themselves.
https://i.postimg.cc/GtYdkC4C/20190628212838-1.jpg
Of course, especially after the witch burnings kind of die down, most of the chiefs who don’t have to personally deal with him don’t necessarily mind having an eccentric, ineffectual ruler, as long as he can still take care of his daily duties and doesn’t topple the realm entirely. In fact, after the often heavy-handed leadership of Grzymislawa, many almost seem to thrive under this “Hermit King”. His surprisingly long reign provides the most distant lords with an opportunity to garner more and more autonomy, all the while the Polish heartland is becoming more centralized as he insists on personally monitoring everything and massively expands the royal retinue to make sure he is protected from any threat. The Archpriestess doesn’t hesitate to perform some sweeping purges among the priestly classes, either.
When the senile Dobrogost finally sleeps away on the 17th of July, 1403, at the age of 71, a little hint of change can perhaps be smelled in the stagnant air of Wavel Castle… and as the Elders convene to elect another toss-up of a ruler, people across the realm are surely wondering what exactly they want from their country.
https://i.postimg.cc/BZ1SWxMV/20190628213628-1.jpg
The High King is dead! Long live High King Dytryk of Poland, Grand Duke of Pomerania, Bohemia, Ruthenia and Frisia, Liege Lord of Chernigov, Galicia-Volhynia, Lithuania and Sweden!
https://i.postimg.cc/ncbHnCWc/20190628215945-1.jpg
Germany, man. Germany is weird.
And, to be honest, this CK2 portion has become something of a grind. On both a meta and gameplay level my hands are tied from doing much other than responding to outside threats, which are usually not very varied either, with only the occasional spot of color like the witch hunt here. I can only be glad that my new computer can still run it without much lag. However, as I’ve already mentioned, I’m very much looking forward to the EU4 conversion process itself, the opportunity to clean up the map a bit, and the new options that come with it. True, some of my boredom with CK2 can probably be blamed on that same enthusiasm, but it is what it is.
So for both our sakes, I’m going to be speed-running the last 41 years just to see if anything big happens, wrapping up the CK2 portion and moving on to EU4, with nice summaries and an extensive State of the World. Forcing myself to write one or two more regular chapters about nothing in particular risks losing momentum for this whole thing, and frankly, I’m not even sure why I feel so bound by some imagined rule of not skipping anything in an AAR.
SilverLeaf167
2019-07-05, 07:15 AM
Interlude #1: The End of the Beginning (1403-44)
Lech. Czech. Rus.
Long ago, the three nations lived in a constant state of war with each other. Then everything changed when the worshipers of the Crucified God attacked.
Only a great king, ruler of all the Slavs, could stop them. And when the Children of Perun needed him most, that great king emerged in the form of Lechoslaw Lechowicz.
Decades passed, and Lechoslaw and his clan unified the tribes under one kingdom, flag and glorious Slavic Church. And although their zeal and vigor were great, they had a long way to go before they could truly stand before the forces of the Francian Empire. But the Poles believed that Lechoslaw’s successors could save the pagan world.
Ever since Lechoslaw was crowned King of Poland in 883 A.D., the state’s history has been one of often erratic but nonetheless constant expansion. Near the beginning, the Poles’ main goal was to garner enough strength to resist Christendom’s forcible conversion of traditionally pagan lands, but this initial phase could be seen as having ended with Francia’s defeat in the first Great Holy War for Germany in 1057. However, even after then, the relationship between Poland and Francia has been an arms race of constant enmity and small-scale hostilities, flaring up in several major holy wars on either side. The main site of these clashes has been the Catholic-Pagan frontier in Germany and Frisia, but endless wars of lesser importance have also been fought on the British Isles and in Moldavia. Poland’s failure to better protect its pagan brethren on these other fronts is a source of embarrassment, but also a fine illustration of the issues that made the reforms of the early 15th century necessary.
Poland’s basic problem, in terms of effective governance, is its origin as an alliance of loosely organized warrior tribes. Partly due to practical concern but largely just tradition, almost all power in the provinces has been delegated to the chiefs in charge of them. They expect wide autonomy, and the crown gives it to them – what power the central government might have, it doesn’t actually use. Due to the great distances involved, and often with lacking ship routes no less, it’s always been a herculean task to coordinate the chiefs in anything more complicated than a call to war. The mighty Grand Duchies in particular have basically become realms within realms – both in terms of power and, more problematically, size. The way the government and even the succession are laid out basically ensures that distant lords can live their lives without ever needing to care who’s actually on the throne.
And what the vassals generally do with their power and autonomy is of course conquest, either of each other or of Poland’s neighbors. Unlike the heavily defended Christian front, their expansion among fellow pagans has been practically unresisted. Like any other feudal lord, they want more land for taxes, manpower, and fiefs to give their children, and the protective umbrella of the Polish crown ensures that they seldom face any consequences from vengeful enemies. The tragedy of Moldavia, although a tale of Polish carelessness, also serves as an example of what can happen to an overgrown chiefdom when that protection is removed. Recognizing this, the chiefs have remained remarkably loyal to the High King, even the ones from outside the privileged Lechowicz clan. Though there have been some close calls, not a single armed rebellion in these 560 years of Poland’s existence has originated with the landholding nobility. Revolts by upset soldiers, peasants and conquered minorities on the other hand have been commonplace, and there too the chiefs have relied on the crown to keep them in check.
The end result is a High King who can govern the core of his realm just fine but in the frontier regions is basically a ruler in name only, can only afford to wage war when it is to clean up his subjects’ messes, and has to wrestle with both a finicky Crown Council and a heap of traditional baggage whenever he does try to make a change. The chiefs pay him lip service and let a lot of things slide, but whether their religious and other respect for the monarchy is real or not, it hasn’t been truly tested and no ruler has shaken the boat in a way that mattered. At its current level of decentralization, one wouldn’t be amiss to call the whole Polish state a confederation more than a truly unified kingdom.
When High King Dytryk ascends the throne in 1403 as the 28th ruler of Poland, he inherits a realm in an awkward position. Though few will say it out loud, he can see that they are facing that eternal bane of great empires: stagnation. Even if the frontier chiefs continue their slow crawl forwards and outwards, the High King has become almost a caretaker statesman who has to spend all his time just maintaining the status quo, not improving it. Most of Poland’s foreign policy projects fail and flounder due to lack of attention or resources, and random purges like those of Dobrogost and Aldona really don’t help things internally. People like High Queen Grzymislawa have stood out as exceptions to the rule, but sweeping as their changes were, they haven’t even tried to address the root of the problem. And even then, the chiefs are starting to run out of targets. Dytryk has read enough history to suspect that they'll waste more and more energy fighting each other, until that fighting either expands to a countrywide level or otherwise leaves it weak enough to fall to outside invasion. Though it’s easy to forget given their past failures, Francia, Rajasthan and the Western Protectorate are all powerful enough to seriously threaten Poland if there were just one serious slip-up, and that one defeat could create a destructive snowball effect, be it a sudden collapse or slow decline.
Of course, that’s just the worst-case scenario, and Dytryk has no ready answers for how to deal with it. But he’s sure that something must be done.
Though formerly a rather humble provincial steward, Dytryk seems like he could be one of the most promising rulers that Poland has had, certainly in recent history. He is well-read, patient yet brave, honest, charitable, but perhaps most importantly, ambitious.
https://i.postimg.cc/qvgtspz9/20190629115903-1.jpg
He and every other chief can only roll their eyes when the late Dobrogost actually becomes the first High King to be declared a Blessed Ancestor for his tireless work against the Cold Ones. The equally infamous Archpriest Aldona also passed away a few years ago, but her successor seems to be just more of the same.
https://i.postimg.cc/h4b7gCk3/20190629122153-1.jpg
Dytryk devotes his time to figuring out just what he could and should do for the improvement of Poland, and writing down all his observations. In stark contrast to Dobrogost, he spends as much time as possible touring the realm, investigating the real situation on the ground, interviewing the nobility – not necessarily so he can give them what they want, but more to see what it is. Though he doesn’t stray across the border, he also tries to keep an eye and an ear out for events in Francia. The Pope seems to be constantly hanging the threat of a Crusade for Germany above his head, but never actually delivers. That’s good, because just as Dytryk predicted, the last thing Poland needs is a massive war. He was mostly worried about internal revolt leaving the realm vulnerable to external threats, but the opposite seems very much possible as well: a worrying number of chiefs harbor hopes of instituting new laws that would require the High King to further split up the crown demesne, or even abolish the elective monarchy altogether. Should the crown ever be too distracted or weak, they could probably try to enforce their demands by force, and whether they failed or succeeded, it would put an end to over 500 years without a major civil war.
https://i.postimg.cc/GhLTpFr3/20190629142857-1.jpg
To his credit, Dytryk proves remarkably healthy, long-lived and devoted to his cause. Perhaps his greatest feat is convincing the chiefs that it’s all their own idea. Instead of shooting them down, he plays along with their wishes of formalizing the division of power and strengthening the Grand Dukes’ autonomy, but rather than splitting up Poland’s core regions, he drives the conversation in a different direction. Where possible, he instead forms new titles and negotiates small adjustments to their borders for some unknown purpose. However, despite a slew of other smaller reforms, he doesn’t actually undertake any of his greatest plans during his own life. As he was already 42 when he inherited the throne, few would’ve expected him to reign for so long, yet he lives all the way to 77, dying in his chambers on the 12th of February, 1437. Despite growing a bit unstable and prone to drink in his final years, he never loses his virtues and motivation.
https://i.postimg.cc/P5cCK0DN/20190629153015-1.jpg
What he leaves to his favored heir and long-time protégé Stanislaw ‘the Young’ is the groundwork for some great changes, and a thick, thick book with precise instructions on how to achieve them. In fact, if everything goes as planned, the chiefs will soon demand those changes on their own initiative…
https://i.postimg.cc/HLyVN30z/20190629153637-1.jpg
867: High Chief Lechoslaw of Upper Poland conquers his future capital Krakow.
871: Lechoslaw narrowly defeats an attempted coup by his bastard brother Boryslaw, a small conflict which in retrospect would’ve had a massive impact on world history had it gone just a little differently.
883: Lechoslaw is crowned King of Poland in Sandomierz.
924: Lechoslaw founds the reformed Slavic Church and with it the office of the Archpriest of Perun.
929: The order of the Warriors of Perun is founded during a war against the Swedes. The Norse Jomsvikings soon follow.
955: King Mszczuj founds the Grand Duchy of Pomerania, setting the precedent for the King of Poland also holding other “kingdoms” in the form of such titles.
981: Inspired by a previous war against Saxony, Archpriest Bozydar declares the first Great Slavic Holy War for Ruthenia.
1007: King Spytko changes his title to High King, setting himself and future monarchs a step above the other royals of Europe.
1019: As the threat of civil war hangs in the air, the potential claimant Prince Niezamysl instead takes his fanatical followers east towards China, never to be heard from again.
1026: High King Nadbor I formalizes the Crown Council, giving a number of chiefs direct say in the matters of the realm but also establishing more concrete government control where none existed.
1044: High King Prendota begins his series of reforms that future historians will argue mark the tipping point in Poland’s shift away from tribal society and towards a feudal system more along West European lines. Construction is also started on Bialaskala, the seat of the Archpriest of Perun and the most important Slavic temple.
1056-57: The Great Holy War for Germany is a quick success, leading to the formation of the now infamous Congregation of Germany.
1059-70: The Christians answer with a holy war of their own, the destructive Crusade for Pomerania that blends together with the above to form the 14 Years’ War, establishing a pattern of mutual holy wars in the German region. If there was ever any hope of reconciliation between pagans and Christians, in retrospect, this is probably where it was truly buried.
1070-1077: The first and largest wave of the bubonic plague sweeps across Europe, killing as much as 30% of the entire population. The pagan lands fare better than average, due in part to their lower population density, but still face great tragedy. Though not obvious at the time, the effects of this plague and the unsuccessful crusade contribute to the slump in Christian power and rise in popularity of heretical movements.
1098: Queen Thordis’ wide-spanning North Sea Empire joins the Slavic Church. Though the empire proves short-lived after her death, this religious shift survives the tests of time and civil war. The other Norse lands eventually follow suit.
1108: An alliance of chiefs demands that High King Zelibrat cede the Grand Duchy of Pomerania to a relative, marking the first and so far last time that the chiefs of the realm come all the way to Wavel with open threats of rebellion. The High King complies.
1120: The first Great Holy War for Perm begins, quite inconsequential in the large scale of things but marking the first of several farcical wars that give rise to the idiom “questing for Perm”, meaning a stubborn insistence on something unimportant that only results in disaster.
1120: The Congregation of Germany is all but dead in the water, as its leadership has gone Catholic and the remaining Slavs start to abandon ship.
1146: After long bouts of trouble with civil war and Muslim invaders, the Byzantine Empire is toppled by a crusade that was supposed to save it. The Latin Empire is established in its place, but soon proves unviable and is put under direct Francian control. Most of it breaks apart into a smattering of weak successor states.
1156: High King Swietoslaw’s so-called Statement of 1156 gives the monarch more clearly defined legal powers and also establishes that “the High King reigns with the Council's advice”, though 'clearly' is a very relative term here: this can and will be taken as support for either parliamentarism or absolutism depending on who’s talking. In the far future, the Statement will be referred to as the first informal constitution of Poland.
1159-61: The Teutons launch an ambitious but unsuccessful crusade against Poland from their bases in Denmark, leading to heavy fighting as far east as the gates of Krakow itself.
1194-1200: A sudden spike in activity from the underground cult of the Cold Ones plagues central Poland, and then mysteriously disappears as suddenly as it came, but not before a number of high-profile trials even involving the High Queen.
1212: Far to the east, Temujin Borjigin is crowned Genghis Khan of the Mongol Empire.
1224: The Mongols invade China and install their own Yuan dynasty on the throne.
1246-52: After having zero previous contact with Poland, the Western Protectorate of China suddenly sends an ultimatum that High King Krzeslaw bend the knee and become their official tributary. The Poles refuse, leading to the Great Oriental War that brings hundreds of thousands of Chinese and Indian soldiers marching all the way to central Poland. Total defeat is only averted by a logistical disaster of unprecedented scale that leads to almost all those soldiers starving or freezing to death.
1269-1271: The second Great Holy War for Germany somehow establishes a strange and luckily short-lived Khazar presence in the area.
1283: As one of his first deeds, High King Szczesny organizes the grand Conference of Krakow that leads to the exclusion of the problematic Grand Duchy of Moldavia from the realm. Construction is started on the Temple of Blessed Lechoslaw, which will become the largest temple in Krakow proper.
1286: Szczesny’s son Trojden inherits the throne, starting what is known as the “Hradec line” of the realm passing consistently from father to child.
1303-1307: The Western Protectorate invades once more, in what will become known as the War on the Don after the site of its most important battles. The war is narrowly decided by pitched battles rather than attrition like last time, but Poland triumphs once again.
1320: Rajasthan declares war for one of Poland’s easternmost outposts, but High King Lechoslaw II is too preoccupied with fears of rebellion to commit his forces to such an affair. The plot of land is ceded without a fight and, though truly insignificant, marks the only time that territory under the Polish crown has been seized by invasion and officially surrendered by the High King.
1345: Despite the controversies surrounding her father, Grzymislawa becomes the first High Queen, and during her reign pushes through several revolutionary laws to elevate the status of women in Poland which pass with religious backing. Her death in 1376 marks the end of the Hradec line.
1373-1376: The third Great Holy War for Germany and the subsequent war against the Papacy once again establish Polish control over most of Germany, which remains for the time being.
1444: High King Dytryk and Stanislaw’s decades-long plans culminate in the groundbreaking Moscow Pact.
As a final bonus: literally the only non-pagan Lechowicz in the world. And look where that got him.
https://i.postimg.cc/Wb5FqdbG/20190705124605-1.jpg
Manticoran
2019-07-05, 12:39 PM
As a final bonus: literally the only non-pagan Lechowicz in the world. And look where that got him.
https://i.postimg.cc/Wb5FqdbG/20190705124605-1.jpg
Color me amused by the homosexual pope.
russdm
2019-07-05, 03:52 PM
What about the symbol of the Menorah? Is the Pope also secretly a Jew or Jewish?
SilverLeaf167
2019-07-05, 04:16 PM
What about the symbol of the Menorah? Is the Pope also secretly a Jew or Jewish?
That's just "Sympathy for Judaism", but it does indeed add some further irony to the whole thing.
SilverLeaf167
2019-07-06, 08:22 AM
Interlude #2: Polska Uniwersalna (1444)
https://i.postimg.cc/NMvmwKjT/20190705173620-1-kopio.jpg (https://i.postimg.cc/5xtMdshs/20190705173620-1.jpg)
(Click for full size. A lot of big pictures below!)
https://i.postimg.cc/DZZqf9Kd/20190706123408_1.jpg
Yorkish culture added to represent centuries of Norse settlement in England. Welsh moved into Celtic culture group to compensate for the removal of Highland Scottish.
Pomeranian and Slovak moved into West Slavic group. Silesian absorbed into Polish. Prussian moved into Baltic group.
Karelian moved into Scandinavian group.
East Slavic cultures shrunk, moved around and renamed.
Khazar, Bolghar and Cuman cultures added to represent different Jewish hordes collectively known in-universe as the Khazars.
Finno-Ugric cultures expanded farther into Russia.
Pannonian (Carantanian) culture added to South Slavic group. Romanian split into Wallachian and Moldavian, Bulgarian moved into Carpathian group.
Greek culture expanded. Pontic Greek renamed to Anatolian and expanded.
Dagestani renamed to Avar.
https://i.postimg.cc/T2JkP6mg/20190705221038-1.jpg
Catholicism has all but supplanted Orthodoxy in the east, largely absorbing its organization into itself and leaving Greece as the only remaining Orthodox state. Greece actually has to deal with some heretics of its own, but the various Catholic heresies have been mostly defeated and forced underground.
The Nordic and Uralic Churches, though technically still under the so-called authority of the Archpriest of Perun, have long since diverged into their own recognizably different branches. All have high tolerance of heretics and the “misguided heretics” modifier for a reduced relationship penalty with each other. Outside Scandinavia, the Nordic Church exists in Scotland, some formerly Scottish provinces, and Polish Denmark. There are no independent Jewish states, but Jewish majority areas still exist around Crimea, Caspia and the Urals.
Shiite Muslims "exist" but have remained a sad minority, not having a single majority province in the world.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan has spread Hinduism into most of its western provinces, but some border regions are still Muslim.
11 November, 1444
Four kings and two queens have just concluded their meeting in Kremlin Fortress, Moscow. It had been long in the works, but many of the final details were only ironed out over the last few days in a series of intensive negotiations. Moscow was chosen as the site of this meeting due to its in a way central location, yet many of them have had to travel a very long way to be here. Now all six have sworn under the watchful eyes of the gods and ancestors that they and their successors will honor the terms of the so-called Moscow Pact from here to perpetuity, and not just as long as it remains convenient. They have all cut a tuft of their hair into a golden box that will be kept at the Kremlin as a gross relic and a symbol of their promise, and other ritual sacrifices (some of them bloody) have taken place in the courtyard to bring luck for the future.
The vassals of the Polish state have expanded to control effectively all the land from the North Sea to the Urals, yet the actual High King’s “control” over the most distant regions has grown increasingly tenuous. While it may seem like people have forgotten the cautionary example of Moldavia, it may in fact be that the vassals have decided to approach Krakow with a suggestion of their own to avoid a similarly messy break-up. Rather than bring together all the nobles to humiliate and cast out one of their own with only vague promises of protection, they have opted for a mutual pact of friendship on their own terms. Now six independent monarchs stand where there used to be only one, hopefully stronger separate than together.
https://i.postimg.cc/P5395kg2/20190705175400-1.jpg
The western chiefs have spent the last few decades consolidating their gains from the latest Great Holy War, and the situation has been deemed stable enough for another attempt at an independent Slavic Germany, though this time under a good old Lechowicz king rather than anything like the Congregation. The Christian “King of Germany” hasn’t been taken seriously for a long time now, but still lays claim to the title from his little realm known as the Palatinate. He is only one of many lords threatening Germany’s unsecure borders and a big chunk of the country, especially in the south, remains dangerously Catholic. The heart of Germany is in the northern Allermarch region, which was conquered all the way back in 1057 and is already quite solidly Slavic. The capital is in Braunschweig.
https://i.postimg.cc/rsNYX6GG/20190705175743-1.jpg
Due to the convenience of Baltic Sea shipping and lack of major fighting, Sweden’s independence wasn’t such a high priority as many of the others’, but Krakow never paid much attention to the region anyway and at least its borders were relatively clean-cut. Grand Duke Orvar Inger is allowed to keep his throne, which includes Finland and a good chunk of Norway. His territory is most notable for its ample supplies of fur, copper and tar, but its large size is actually a problem, since most of it is either forested or mountainous empty wilderness. The capital is in Stockholm.
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The rest of the new states’ borders were less obvious, and often ended up being drawn along geographical markers or just straight across empty land. In Novgorod’s case, its border with Poland is defined by the Daugava River. Adleta Lechowicz used to be merely one of the stronger chiefs in the disunited region, but now she is its uncontested ruler. Like the eastern realms in general, much of it is wilderness, but its core is centered on major trading towns like Reval, Pskov, Smolensk, Oreshek and of course Novgorod, one of the richest Slavic cities even comparable to Krakow. Having little in common with the previous states calling themselves Novgorod, its diverse lands include various tribes of Slav (mainly Ilmenians) but also Latvians, Estonians, Karelians and Samoyeds.
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Vladimir is another relatively new state formed only a few decades ago out of the most recently conquered tribes in the region. Much of its land used to belong to other lords like Chernigov or Galicia-Volhynia, but has been given up under the terms of the Pact. Though the ruling family is Russian, most of the actual population belongs to less Slavicized tribes like Mordvins, Samoyeds and the Komi people. It’s undeniably the most remote and least developed of the new kingdoms, which is one reason that the most heated debate of the meeting ended with it being given the valuable market town of Moscow itself, right in the middle where all their borders meet. Some tension in this area is inevitable, but hopefully they can handle it peacefully as they promised.
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And last but certainly not least, beyond the Dniepr River lies Chernigov, a mainstay of Polish politics and military power but also the primary troublemaker in the region. It is in many ways the new Moldavia and the main power in the east, but about two thirds of it are still inhabited by unruly Khazarian tribes and it’s located the closest to some very dangerous enemies. It’s ruled by the same old Artamonovich family, which has deep roots in all the eastern kingdoms. Chernigov may have been the main “loser” of the Pact in terms of feudal territory lost, but Queen Alexandra has considered the independence and consolidation of power to be worth the trade. And it’s not like they’re truly lost, as the lands of the Moscow Pact are still seen as part of the same community in a sense.
https://i.postimg.cc/GtCS53Dh/20190705175842-1.jpg
All these new states have also inherited Poland’s by now relatively entrenched Samboja-Grzymislawa laws regarding legal rights for women. However, that leaves the real elephant in the room: the status of Poland itself in the aftermath of this agreement.
Despite giving up these massive tracts of land, the Kingdom of Poland remains the richest, strongest and most populous of the pagan realms and the undisputed center of the Slavic world. Hopefully the other accompanying or upcoming reforms will actually leave it in a better position than ever before, and without all those powerful vassals breathing down the High King’s neck. He still has hold of Poland itself, Bohemia, Slovakia, Pomerania, Prussia, Lithuania, Galicia-Volhynia, Denmark, Crimea and even Frisia. The lattermost in particular will surely be in the line of fire during any European conflict, making it critical to have under direct crown administration. It also lacked a local Slavic power base it could be entrusted to.
https://i.postimg.cc/qqkKzWnv/20190706154552-1.jpg
Even without any official law being changed, Poland's unique elective monarchy has reached something of a compromise where the High King gets to name his own heir and the House of Elders' vote is basically just a formality. While far from everyone is pleased, it's generally considered an improvement over the previous system where the Elders often proved either erratic or easy to bribe. It also represents the widespread feeling that, regardless of any respect for elders and ancestors in general, the House is an antiquated and haphazard remnant from Poland's tribal days that was never reformed into the serious political organ it could've been. However, following the century-long dominance of the Hradec line in 1283-1375 (also achieved by playing the House), the chiefs only accept this on the condition that every Lechowicz child, not just the current royal family, get a fair chance to be nominated. A fully elective monarchy where every chief gets a vote has also been discussed, but firmly rejected by the crown due to fears of the constant scheming and politics that it'd bring. It’s better that the nobility doesn’t spend all its time focusing on the next election.
https://i.postimg.cc/zBnxKmQm/20190705193506-1.jpg
Speaking of those nobles, with the obvious exception of the precious few who just became kings, those who still remain in Poland have had their “less important” political powers curtailed a fair bit. This development probably started with High King Dobrogost’s purges and the expansion of the crown retinue, but centralizing control of Poland’s core regions was an important goal of Dytryk and Stanislaw’s reforms as well. While those countless nobles big and small whose estates now lie in multiple countries are still allowed to keep all of them, it’s obviously an inconvenience and places some of them in legal limbo. The Crown Council still exists, but has moved towards more of the advisory organ implied in its name. And even as the nobles, or szlachta, still haven’t quite finished their unsteady transition from tribal leaders to feudal elite, they also have to deal with the quiet rise of other competing estates.
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The most important of course are the clergy. While the Archpriest of Perun’s power is still mostly unformalized, there’s been a new trend of appointing locally influential priests as “magisters”, servants of the Archpriest very roughly comparable to Christian bishops. While their power is no more official than his, it still serves as the foundation for a countrywide network of priests. As a side effect of the Moscow Pact, religion has gained a greater role in foreign politics yet again as the High King has renewed his traditional promise of protecting the Slavic faithful, which may or may not hold this time. The ageless tradition of rulers paying tribute to their patron gods and taking an active role in religious rites shows no sign of dying out, either.
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Elsewhere, the burghers and merchant guilds’ influence has been growing in Poland’s more important trading cities. The greatest of these is still Gdansk, entirely under the rule of said merchants, which maintains its position as an autonomous Free City and pays an extra tax for not having to contribute to the crown army. As a side note, its republican system has shifted away from life-long terms and towards a much shorter 4 years to stop what was seen as a slide towards a highly corrupt pseudo-monarchy.
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And finally, not so much an estate as a protected minority, Poland has the oddani, or “the devoted”. They represent the monotheistic Christians and Jews who are subject to special taxes and responsibilities in exchange for being allowed to maintain their faith without (much) harassment from the Slavic majority. The oddani live all over the country, be it in their own districts, small villages or just mixed with everyone else, but specific areas have also been laid out for them, both to placate and maybe herd them into one place. Parts of Bohemia and Slovakia near the border have centuries-old Christian minorities with their own cultures, while Frisia and Jylland are more recent conquests. The Crimean Peninsula has been set up as a haven/quarantine for Khazar Jews, but members of the much less talked about Israeli Jew diaspora are also a common sight throughout the country, having found the status of oddani preferable to the pogroms that take place in the Christian west.
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Ethnicity, culture and even language remain quite nebulous terms in the Europe of 1444, often overlapping in contradictory ways. Even Poland mainly operates in terms of “Slav” and “miscellaneous”, and all loyal subjects usually count as the former by default, but a certain degree of regional identity obviously exists and not all regions are equal. In Poland’s case this means that the nobility and other elite are still disproportionately composed of traditionally West Slavic people like Poles, Czechs and Pomeranians, and those from just plain richer areas like Prussia and Denmark.
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With the signing of the Moscow Pact, it’s no secret that the state of Poland is in flux. Any and all interest groups within the country can see that they might have an opportunity to have a say in the emerging new status quo, a chance that they’re not going to let slip easily. However, it’s not just Poland that’s evolving: great changes among comparable lines have also taken place in the entire rest of Europe.
Though Francia’s borders still reach from Scotland to Cilicia and officially haven’t moved an inch, its internal workings couldn’t be more different – or perhaps they've just better recognized the way things already were. After centuries of various bloody yet fruitless civil wars, in 1313 the von Tunna family became the first to actually take the imperial throne from the Karlings. However, the Karlings were reinstalled by popular demand, only to be ousted by the von Tunna again, until finally the throne passed to the entirely new dynasty de Serra. Probably seeing what awaited them if they didn’t make some major reforms, the de Serra soon got to work, transforming the Francian Empire into a more loose confederation of mostly independent states, and an elective monarchy where the throne can at least theoretically change hands peacefully rather than through endless wars.
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While superficially similar to Poland’s reforms, this actually represents a shift towards a less centralized state in order to end a long cycle of rebellion, whereas in Poland’s case it was distant regions being cast off entirely and the core becoming more centralized to preemptively stop such a cycle from occurring. Of course, the end result is roughly the same: a more stable center with less control over its former vassals. The Emperor reigns for life, but after his death, the seven King-Electors will choose the next one, likely from amongst themselves. The Electors were mostly chosen from the main powers of the Empire, with the exception of Essex, which represents the fragmented and effectively defunct Kingdom of England. Given the small number of voters, the system is actually quite similar to the extremely swingy House of Elders, and it’s possible to win with only two votes.
https://i.postimg.cc/Gh3X85JN/20190705223454-1.jpg
(Everyone will be changing their votes a lot, so just ignore them here)
Many in Poland were worried about the risks of independence, but in Francia the vassals were always rebellious to begin with, and the Empire in its new form still obligates the Emperor to protect them against outside threats. The current leader is the 17-year-old Dietmar II of France, son of the mastermind of most of these reforms. France itself is still the most powerful individual state within Francia, but likely to have trouble bringing its full force to bear the way it did in the latest Crusade for instance. France has traditionally been either the Emperor’s demesne or alternatively the shadowy power behind the throne, but who knows how this little experiment will go.
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Lotharingia, the main holdout of the remaining Karlings, has its capital in Charleroi, Wallonia, a very rich region but located right between France, Germany and Frisia. It’s always been one of the most obviously “feudal” kingdoms of the region, with awkwardly positioned exclaves and hardly any unified identity, but all things considered, the Karlings have done quite well for themselves. They definitely have their eye on the smattering of smaller states between them and Germany, as the Emperor’s responsibilities quite notably only mention outside threats.
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The Christian reconquest of Britain has gone quite disappointingly well, but even though the pagans have been pushed back all the way to Scotland, the result isn’t a strong Catholic England but a mess of smaller duchies. Most of them are quite evenly matched and sure to devolve into a lot of infighting, but Essex has been given the honorable status of Prince-Elector largely by happening to hold the traditional capital London.
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Asturias is the main imperial power in Iberia, together with the much smaller Navarra and Murcia. It’s spent most of its time feuding against the Sultanate of Cordoba, a.k.a. Andalusia, and is somewhat separated from the rest of the Empire, though luckily in a decent position for trade. In fact, due to feeling quite constricted on all fronts, it’s been exploring its options regarding the Atlantic trade – namely with the north of Europe, since obviously there’s nothing across the Atlantic to trade with, right?
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The Kingdom of Italy has its roots in the Lombard Kingdom of old and only controls the very north of the Apennine Peninsula, but its size conceals the fact that those lands are some of the richest in Europe and Italy the second-strongest imperial state. Unlike most others, it’s conveniently surrounded by potential targets for expansion that aren’t yet part of the Empire, but then again, that also has its obvious downsides. It has a foothold in Dalmatia, too, for better access to the eastern parts of the Empire.
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Sardinia isn’t traditionally the mightiest of kingdoms, yet through some stroke of luck or genius, it has not only conquered itself a good chunk of the North African coast but also won the Kingdom of Serbia in a personal union, and now had its status recognized as an elector. It’s actually a major naval power in the Western Mediterranean; unfortunately that title is rather contested, with many of the largest navies of Europe sailing the same waters.
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Last and easternmost of the electors is another neo-kingdom in the form of Anatolia: neo-Latin, that is, with Neophytos I Karling at the helm. Flanked by the fellow imperial states of Thrace and Paphlagonia to the north and a variety of Muslims to the east, it has rushed in to fill the latest of many power vacuums in the region. Some suspect that the Karlings might dream of resurrecting the failure that was the Latin Empire, but for now, Anatolia and its neighbors remain mostly allied and united against mutual foes.
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Nestled at the back of the Adriatic, the small Kingdom of Carinthia is a strange mix of German and Italian territories not entirely dissimilar to Lotharingia. Though not afforded elector status, it is located in a strategically critical spot, and will likely become either a very sought-after ally or a fought-over borderland for more powerful states. It also has an exclave in Urbino, Italy, further entangling itself in the matters of the peninsula.
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And, though the Empire contains a great number of states not worth wasting too much ink on (a grand total of 46 including the seven electors), most of them duchies with a few bishoprics, four deserve special mention for their nature as republics. Pisa, Venice and Normandy (effectively the city of Rouen) are relatively standard merchant republics similar to Gdansk. Dauphine, however, stands out as a “noble republic” where most power is held by a large council consisting of all the nobility of the realm, the Lord being merely their elected representative in some strange mix of monarchy and republicanism. What a curious concept. Hopefully the szlachta aren’t taking notes.
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Little Munster is part of the Empire, but independent Ireland was founded by a local noble rising up against Aquitanian tyranny (though he’s still Catholic). Apparently he actually calls himself a High King too, in reference to the fact that every petty lord in Ireland is considered a king and he rules over several of them. Scotland is the last pagan state on the isles, though the Norse conquerors and their religion have certainly left their mark on the rest as well.
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Aquitaine, the strongest non-imperial Christian power by a large margin, used to be part of the Empire, but while the fall of Francia may have failed to manifest in full, at least it’s managed to hold out until now. Probably not forever, though, as it seems to be hated by all its neighbors, not counting its own vassal Poitou (ruled by a Karling, by the way). Andalusia has also fared well under prolonged Christian assault, expanding into Morocco and exceeding Asturias in terms of naval power. Djerid is a march under Andalusia.
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Besides the obvious one right in the middle, it’s hard to point out the most important state in the German region, as the difference in power between them is small enough that the outcome of any conflict will likely be decided by allies or happenstance. This even goes for the seemingly major duchies like the Palatinate, Savoy, Bavaria and Austria. The Knights of Santiago and the Teutonic Order aren’t officially part of the Empire and thus have far less space to maneuver without stepping on some toes.
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In addition to the small state of Tuscany, the Italian region has the non-imperial Kingdom of Romagna, founded by an adventuring condottiero who decided to conquer Rome itself and somehow got away with it. The Pope himself is something of a travesty, as the cardinals have elected “the world’s only non-pagan Lechowicz” of all people. This is awkward to say the least, as people including the Pope have spent centuries calling the Lechowicz the scourge of all good Christians. It’s unclear how this even came to be, but apparently the man is from the Moldavian royal family and actually the younger brother of the current Patriarch of Moldavia, so obviously the conspiracy runs deep. Whatever the case, the Papacy currently doesn’t even have access to the Vatican, and its authority looks rather shaky.
Meanwhile, Sardinia holds Naples, the southern parts belong to Greece, and the Teutons still hold on to Sicily, being entirely dependent on other states’ goodwill to be able to access the island at all.
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The ever-messy Baltics have been split among a number of imperial states, but to the south of them, Greece remains the last bastion of the Orthodox faith and the claimed successor of the Byzantine Empire, having set up its own Patriarchate to replace the one absorbed by the Catholics. Moldavia only still exists by the mercy of Poland, but seems to hold onto hopes of reconquering its vast domain with the help of the newly invigorated High King. Thrace enjoys the honor and responsibility of having Constantinople as its capital, though the city of the world’s desire has been greatly diminished by years of neglect and countless lootings. Crete is held by Pisa, and Cyprus by Greece.
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The parts immediately to the east of Francia are Sunni. The Emirates of Cilicia, Edessa and Trebizond are all remnants of old Muslim conquests in Anatolia that used to stretch much farther before the Catholics pushed them back. Armenia and Iraq are merely marches set up by the vast Rajasthan to have one less border to deal with, but the Sultanate of Circassia remains independent, ruled by Fatimids who held out when the south was conquered from them. The Sultanate of Syria and Emirate of Jordan are quite dangerously positioned in regards to their southern neighbor Arabia, especially if Syria wants to hold on to its long strip of African coastline.
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As perhaps expected, the Madjids have emerged as the most powerful successor state after the fall of the Kufrid Caliphate in 1301. They’ve placed their capital in the holy city of Mecca and named themselves not only Sultans but actually Imams of Arabia, highlighting their position as religious leaders. They should be able to overpower their weaker neighbors, and doing so is sure to be high on their list of priorities, given the lack of a direct land connection between their Arabian and Egyptian holdings. The formerly powerful Tulunids have been largely banished to Abyssinia in the south.
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Speaking of the Kufrids, in their heyday they maintained a series of lucrative trans-Saharan trade routes, but after the loss of the central state, those connections have largely faded. The influence of those routes is there to stay, however, as Islam has established a strong foothold in the Sub-Saharan region, and the main power is the former Tulunid ally of Kanem Bornu. The Europeans neither know nor care much about the place, but some western powers have shown interest in finding a way to sail around the entire continent and access Asia that way.
https://i.postimg.cc/vH13t6kL/20190706011334_1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/sfHTWJ6g/20190706011417_1.jpg
(Disclaimer: This area was messy enough that all I really did was enlarge Kanem Bornu a bunch and call it a day)
To the west of Arabia lies Rajasthan, a credible claimant for both “the Ultimate Empire” and “Center of the World”, stretching from Mesopotamia to the Chinese border and reigning over almost a third of the entire world population. Though it started out small, the Pratihara dynasty has managed not only massive expansion but also internal stability, holding onto the throne for centuries now despite the occasional intra-dynasty conflict. To most Europeans the Pratihara Empire might as well be mythical, or maybe a name for products from the Silk Road, and the Poles are mostly familiar with it as a lackey of China and the Western Protectorate. Indeed, therein lies the Pratiharas’ greatest shame: for all their great prestige, even they have been forced to pay tribute to the Yuan. However, there are signs in the air that this might be about to change.
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Despite its massive size, Rajasthan hasn’t entirely conquered India itself. Deccan is still a proud independent Empire, though Karnata, Bengal and Sri Lanka have been forced under Yuan protection too. Some more adventurous Chinese Emperor has even established fortified exclaves on the coast, as well as the Andaman Islands. Deccan and Karnata are Hindu, while Bengal is Buddhist and Sri Lanka is Sunni.
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To the north of Rajasthan lies the equally famous Mongol Empire, technically even larger but with a much smaller population. The Pratiharas hate them perhaps even more than they do the Yuan, as they were the ones to start this whole mess. Though the Mongols seem to have run out of steam before ever seriously threatening Europe, and have indeed taken a beating in their minor squabbles with Polish vassals, in Asia they have thoroughly upturned the entire status quo in their two centuries of existence. From their humble beginnings as a minor steppe horde, they’ve formed the largest empire in world history and… become a major steppe horde, never really making the leap to a properly organized state. In more recent times they’ve been fraught with unrest, finally leading to the replacement of the decadent and weak Borjigin clan with the more determined Bujakhin. Still, the smallest incident anywhere on their 3,000-mile long border with Rajasthan could lead to a great war at any time, and it’s not guaranteed that they’d be on the winning side this time.
As for the weak Khanty state of Yugra, they’ll likely have to decide whether they want to align with Mongolia or the Slavs. As Vladimir and Chernigov are allegedly not supposed to be fighting each other, they’re sure to be hungrily eyeing the east for any sign of weakness.
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The Mongols’ greatest legacy is the dynasty they set up in China when their own empire was barely a decade old, but recently that dynasty hasn’t been feeling so great either. China has been in the grips of a massive famine for several years now, worsening the populace’s existing dissatisfaction with the ruling Sunni Mongol minority. The armies of the Western Protectorate that once allowed them to dominate half of Eurasia and wage war against Poland have lost funding and mostly ceased to exist, especially as the Bujakhin aren’t so interested in supporting them. Mongolia’s change in leadership has damaged the two empires’ long-standing alliance, and they’ve already had some disagreements about their overlapping spheres of interest in Manchuria. Ostensibly most of Asia pays tribute to the Yuan Emperor, but once a single tributary senses his weakness and refuses, many of the others are likely to follow.
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The Yuan are Sunni, but a large portion of the country remains stubbornly Confucian.
Mongolia also has sizable Uralic, Tengri and Hindu minorities.
The Tibetan Bön pagans were successful in reforming their religion before their conquest by Rajasthan.
Chinese Animists were rebranded as “Shenxian” for just a bit of flavor, but minor difference in mechanics.
A decent Jain minority exists in scattered bits of India.
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This chapter may come right after the last one, but I've actually spent all week working on the conversion. The original plan was to use the automatic conversion as a base and then edit as needed, but when I realized just what a mess it was and how extensive changes I wanted to make, I ended up only taking some basic stuff and doing the rest manually - including every individual province for instance, and everything that goes with the new countries, though some of them are rebranded vanilla ones. A lot of effort, but I'm much, much happier with the results, and also even more attached to this stupid alt history.
Fixing CK2's bordergore and splitting up both myself and Francia obviously involved a lot of artistic license, but I took as much as possible from CK2 - including all the rulers for instance - and tried to stay true to the "spirit" while hopefully making the game playable and the in-universe explanations reasonable. And while I often erred in favor of balance in (literal) borderline cases, compared to a regular EU4 game this start isn't even remotely balanced, and just the first few decades may or may not see a lot of conquests in every direction, ruining these beautiful borders I made. But, well, that's just normal EU4, I guess!
As a side note, I just realized that due to the way the Mandate of Heaven works these days, Yuan is going to have a very bad time.
SilverLeaf167
2019-07-07, 04:35 PM
Chapter #23: Noble Intentions (Stanislaw, 1444-1459)
15 December, 1444
High King Stanislaw I and his escorts have finally made it back from the Congress of Moscow, having had to switch between several riverboats on the way, loop around through the Black Sea and travel long stretches overland due to some rivers being frozen. It was probably a bad idea to have this meeting in winter, but, well, the schedule just kept slipping, and it also serves as a good reminder of exactly how painful it was to travel to these farthest stretches of Poland.
In a sense, Europe’s two greatest powers have suddenly split into 52 considerably smaller ones, even though Francia is still officially one empire and the Moscow Pact is also seen as a confederation of sorts. What this does is make foreign politics a lot more complicated, but at as far Stanislaw is concerned, more interesting. He has a keen eye for politics, and to one who has spent decades studying the inner workings of massive realms, it’s obvious just how splintered Francia has really become in these recent reforms.
https://i.postimg.cc/15V3KZFT/20190707145557-1.jpg
The “Privilegia” give the already unruly vassals unprecedented freedom, and it might even become possible to actively play them against each other. Of course, France itself still considers the High King the Antichrist and has little interest in diplomacy. Strangely enough, the Sultan of Cordoba has also been very vocal in his condemnation of Poland despite having no real historical grievances, seemingly just because Poland keeps him from claiming to have the largest navy in Europe.
https://i.postimg.cc/fypTh8GB/20190707145531-1.jpg
In addition to vowing to defend the Moscow Pact and the rest of Slavdom, Stanislaw has made specific deals of alliance and military access with Moldavia, Germany and Scotland, the pagan countries he considers most vulnerable. Of course, helping Scotland is going to require a strong naval presence, and in spite of Andalusia’s complaints, Poland has never really seen itself as a seafaring nation. Its seemingly large “navy” consists mostly of transport ships and light galleys to patrol its coasts, having little capacity to fight in the Atlantic. Andalusia, Sweden and even others like Norway have more oceangoing warships than Poland does, especially since Gdansk doesn’t want its own fleet fighting unnecessary battles. The navy will have to be reformed and expanded if Poland is going to have any reach outside its borders, but the ongoing changes to the administration should hopefully allow just that.
https://i.postimg.cc/RZrVsbQ0/20190706021855-1.jpg
Replacing Poland’s traditionally ad hoc ferry fleets with a professional force is a high priority, but that’s even more true for the army. At their height before the Moscow Pact, Poland’s crown levies could muster over 200,000 soldiers, but that mustering was slow and the troops often of mixed quality. Peasant levies couldn’t be used as a proper standing army due to having work to do back home, and this system was also reliant on the personal loyalty of their masters. The new goal is to maintain a permanent force of 100,000, with the expanded royal retinue forming the core of a mix of noble officers, career soldiers, mercenaries, Warriors of Perun, marauders and pretty much anyone else they can scrounge up, supplemented by levies only as needed.
An important role is served by the kolekcja, literally “collection”. Some years ago, Stanislaw introduced this system by which oddani conscripts are given the option to choose lifelong service in exchange for greater benefits and pay, up to and including a job in the developing bureaucracy or in the meczenniks, “martyrs”. The meczenniks are an elite military corps of almost thrall-like discipline, small in number for the time being but with potential to expand if found effective. The reason that this only applies to oddani is because they already lie outside regular Slavic society, and because Slavic slavery is outlawed in the kingdom. Even if technically voluntary, once they join, they're stuck for life.
https://i.postimg.cc/QCHxP2yF/20190707151133-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/zDcfWfyK/20190707151414-1.jpg
With his return to Krakow, it’s about time Stanislaw officially chose his favored heir. A grand ceremony known as the cloaking is organized for the first time. Myriad Lechowicz households from Poland and abroad flock to the capital to participate in what resembles a very peculiar beauty pageant, as nobles parade their children in front of the High King’s court and speak proudly of their ability and physique. Of course, such an important decision couldn’t actually be made so lightly (especially as most of the children are only 10 years old or so), and it’s common knowledge that Stanislaw has actually spent a long time considering his choice in advance. He names the young Dytryk as his favored heir and protege to be educated as the next High King, just as Dytryk I educated him. As implied by the name of the ritual, he personally wraps a red ermine cloak around Dytryk's shoulders.
https://i.postimg.cc/XvLjvNMZ/20190707152355-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/JhM7mDFV/20190707152424-1.jpg
For all his talent as a statesman and a host, though, Stanislaw isn’t without vice. In his attempts to centralize power and rein in the nobles, he hasn’t missed the opportunity to line his pockets and allow his friends to do the same. This hasn’t gone unnoticed by those on the losing end.
https://i.postimg.cc/SxWQw7Df/20190707154439-1.jpg
After the Congress of Moscow and the cloaking, there’s an almost unnerving year of “peace” in Europe as east and west alike are still in the process of making new deals and adjusting to the status quo. It must’ve been forever since there were a whole twelve months without some war somewhere, though surely there are some local disputes under the surface. The silence is finally broken in February 1446 when Sweden and Vladimir invade Norway, the lonely pagan nation left outside everyone else’s web of alliances. It likely won’t be much of a fight, but it is a nice display of jolly cooperation between Slavs. Novgorod soon joins the fun, hoping for a share of Norway’s eastern provinces. And finally, Scotland does the same in order to grab some of the Atlantic islands. The days of the former North Sea Empire are numbered.
https://i.postimg.cc/j2wtvzDN/20190707155723-1.jpg
Chernigov is more interested in the south, using its small Black Sea navy to invade the Emirate of Trebizond and secure the eponymous fortress and valuable harbor for itself. It’s going to cause friction with the Rajasthani buffer state of Armenia, but, well – that’s what buffer states are for.
https://i.postimg.cc/QC2szH7z/20190707162708-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/nVgHrwW1/20190707162742-1.jpg
Speaking of Rajasthan, word arrives of another much bigger clash farther east, as the resurgent empire has finally decided to get vengeance on the Mongols. Poland has little knowledge of or interest in the regions involved, only deigning to keep an eye on how this might affect the future safety of the Moscow Pact.
https://i.postimg.cc/3RwK0M7t/20190707161711-1.jpg
As the treasury seems to be filling up nicely, Stanislaw orders the construction of the massive battleship Radogost – because where else would a country with no experience building heavy ships start but with the heaviest thing they can think of? Outfitted with thicker armor, state-of-the-art mortars and luxurious accommodations for the to-be-determined admiral, the Radogost will serve as an excellent if expensive flagship for the new Polish Crown Navy, or Marynarka.
https://i.postimg.cc/NfXQHkqv/20190707163610-1.jpg
(I later fixed the typo in the name)
Chernigov’s conquests continue as it seeks a better connection to Trebizond by attacking the Sultanate of Circassia.
https://i.postimg.cc/8zBDykzy/20190707164232-1.jpg
But apart from this, the rest of Europe remains remarkably peaceful. In fact, it almost seems like they can’t fight because they’re too busy trying to outdo each other as patrons of art instead. Milan, Italy, was already one of the richest cities in Europe, and has now become especially famous as a center of culture and home to many great artists. What many fail to realize is that these pretty pictures and sculptures are actually accompanied by a notable new wave in Christian philosophy, turning back to the (pagan!) examples of ancient Athens and Rome.
https://i.postimg.cc/Z5h4Fv4B/20190707164445-1.jpg
Poland lacks a similar connection to those cultures, though, and the movement has yet to make an impact in the east. Instead, the Poles are busy trying to make sure their new and very different military remains the very best in Europe. As already seen in the Radogost, the far more centralized Poland seems to be putting its similarly greater tax income to use by spending lavishly on markets, churches and summer palaces alike, so it's only fair that the army gets its share.
https://i.postimg.cc/nLFxN8sn/20190707165248-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/HxjgsQ4K/20190707170027-1.jpg
(Also got Diplomatic tech but missed the screenshot)
The great empires of the east make peace in 1451, surprisingly quick given both their sizes, resulting in the thorough humiliation of Mongolia and the loss of some of its most valuable provinces. Or so the Poles are told by news traveling down the Silk Road.
https://i.postimg.cc/R0gmBPfK/20190707165752-1.jpg
The last of the current Norwegian wars also comes to an end that year as Sweden annexes most of the kingdom, leaving only its capital, the very east, and the few islands that Scotland didn’t take. Clearly Norway put up a decent fight to last an entire five years, but in the end it was in vain. Novgorod already signed a white peace earlier as Vladimir’s armies seemed to insist on getting in the way and claiming that they had already occupied the area, but they might give it another try later.
https://i.postimg.cc/4dMTKmW3/20190707170711-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/yxZC0sGy/20190707170804-1.jpg
Elsewhere, the very first war in non-Slavic Europe since the granting of the Privilegia finally begins in 1452 with Italy asserting its claims over the Greek provinces on the peninsula. Italy is aided by the Teutons, who also have interest in the area, while Greece is allied with Romagna for mutual protection against the imperials. Speaking of whom, Carinthia and Bosnia soon join the Italian side, leaving the defenders quite badly outnumbered.
https://i.postimg.cc/LhFKTGKK/20190707171817-1.jpg
Almost immediately after, several wars start between the small states west of Germany, almost as if everyone had been wondering whether they were still allowed to do that. Even Stanislaw had gotten a bit worried about Christendom’s sudden pacifistic streak, so it’s good to see that they’re not exactly about to unite against the pagans.
https://i.postimg.cc/mZzPmMf8/20190707172053-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/1Rkf2tyP/20190707172715-1.jpg
Poland too has its first conflict in a while in the summer of 1454, albeit a small and internal one, as rebels rise up in the Scanian town of Lund and demand independence for Denmark, just as was given to Sweden. Against Krakow’s claims to the contrary, they don’t feel like they belong with the Slavic populace of the Slavic Church, nor are they happy with their prosperous lands and hard work being exploited by the rest of the realm. This is quite surprising, as they seem to have been perfectly happy with Poland for centuries now. However, on a closer look it’s obvious that these hapless locals are actually being funded and incited by the local Polish nobility, upset with Stanislaw’s reforms and perceived corruption. When these rebels try to cross into Copenhagen, they’re met by the Crown Army, trapped by the Marynarka and easily put down. The meczenniks, too, perform admirably in their first actual battle and show no hesitation fighting the Danes despite being recruited from Jylland themselves. The pleased Stanislaw gives orders to conscript more of them.
https://i.postimg.cc/NjYLGzyz/20190707172908-1.jpg
The nobles’ other methods of resistance are far more insidious, such as faking records to cover up their own corruption or incompetence in regions where the crown has less oversight. In some cases there’s reason to suspect that missing funds or even soldiers are being redirected to rebel causes. This is the last thing the developing army needs, but at least it also provides a good opportunity to weed out those responsible and replace them with someone more compliant.
https://i.postimg.cc/xd1CMN3G/20190707174752-1.jpg
There are disappointing news coming from down south as well, as the Pukanec silver mines in Slovakia that have enriched the crown for a few hundred years now seem to be running low on ore. The crown might have to adjust its budget, and maybe rethink its aggressive mining policies. At least the far more important silver mines in the Ore Mountains of Bohemia are still going strong.
https://i.postimg.cc/cLmCvBw4/20190707173728-1.jpg
Still, in spite of these little setbacks, it’s been ten years since the Moscow Pact, and it’s time that the reformed military had its first real test – even if, well, extremely one-sided. In March 1455, Poland becomes the latest of many to invade Norway, namely just to claim the tiny little Hjaltland islands for use as a naval base near Scotland. Norway has recently gone bankrupt, its army entirely demolished, so it's really a matter of going there and taking them. Led by the first official Admiral of the Marynarka, Eufemia Dnistri, the fleet (supplemented by three carracks besides the Radogost) ferries over the same army that defeated the Danish rebels and then bombards the islands a bit just as a show of force.
https://i.postimg.cc/Pr1PjjqD/20190707193832-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/TPNP92tz/20190707194231-1.jpg
Stanislaw would be happy just occupying the islands, but since doing so isn’t enough to convince the already humiliated King Ossor to hand over any of his scarce remaining lands, the army has no choice but to lay siege to Bergen as well. It’s quite lightly defended, but there are just enough fortifications for the mortars to have something to shoot at. With the capture of the royal castle, the Norwegian ships are forced out of the harbor, but they and the crews are in such bad shape that they almost fall over on their own and Dnistri doesn’t really get to prove herself in the battle. One Norwegian carrack is sunk and two smaller ships captured, the rest given free passage once they decide to retreat.
https://i.postimg.cc/1tg3YxTf/20190707195212-1.jpg
Stanislaw himself has no interest in being so merciful, and forces the concession of not only the originally demanded Hjaltland (now Szetland) but also Bergen itself, which has been the Norwegian capital for centuries. Norway is also forced to give up its remaining claims around the Gulf of Bothnia, and the King seems to have “given up” indeed as he departs to build his new capital in Iceland, abandoning the continent entirely. Poland has no actual interest Bergen, though, and just hands it over to Sweden for a nominal payment.
https://i.postimg.cc/3RPJsS59/20190707195723-1.jpg
A decent showing for the Marynarka, of course. The Crown Army got some practice performing a coastal siege with support from a modern navy, and the meczenniks once again proved fearless in their hand-to-hand assault of the castle, never mind that they keep being intentionally given the most dangerous jobs. What few problems with formations and logistics were found are quickly being fixed, all while the merchant guilds try to get their paperwork in shape to make better use of ocean bases like Szetland. Since the warships don’t have much to do in peacetime, Admiral Dnistri is put in charge of the merchant fleet for the time being.
https://i.postimg.cc/7h0Yw3q4/20190707201204-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/1RqzGQwd/20190707201212-1.jpg
Still, tragedy strikes on the home front in June 1457 as the heir Dytryk falls terribly ill on an official trip to Crimea. The now 22-year-old young man had been staying in Krakow to spend his life preparing for his future coronation and proven very talented indeed, earning himself a central job in the administration, but now he is killed by a random act of the gods long before his time. This leaves the question of whether there should be a new cloaking, or…? People wonder if Stanislaw will just go the way of the Hradec and nominate his own infant son Wladyslaw as an “emergency” replacement. He quite markedly doesn’t give a straight answer, and his reputation in the eyes of the nobility suffers further.
https://i.postimg.cc/VLPk4VFk/20190707202136-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/Fsbs6VPg/20190707202144-1.jpg
Apparently the Francian Emperor does have some way to control his subjects after all, as he declares war on the little Duchy of Aachen to force them to give up what lands they just took from their fellow princes.
https://i.postimg.cc/W12bcqCR/20190707203206-1.jpg
The hard-fought Sicilian War with several naval invasions on both sides ends in defeat for Greece. Lucky for them, they get away with handing over Bari to Italy and, oddly enough, Macedonia to Moldavia, which still lays claim to the entire Eastern Balkans but wasn't actually involved in this war. Directly helping the Slavs seems like a strange decision, but presumably it's just to spite Greece. Meanwhile Romagna gets partitioned by all its neighbors and completely annexed, the grandson of the condottiero king forced to return to the family occupation. The Pope still doesn’t get Rome back, though, only “gracious” access to the Vatican while the rest of the rich province remains in Sardinian hands.
https://i.postimg.cc/s2xjvd3w/20190707203701-1.jpg
Come November 1459 and the 15th anniversary of the Moscow Pact, which has held together great so far, the 58-year-old High King Stanislaw calls together a small but important meeting of his personally trusted allies. Even though the state is doing well for the time being, he has good reason not to trust some of the chiefs right now. Which is understandable on their side, seeing as they were traditionally the ones in power and he is deliberately taking a lot of that power for himself to allegedly make the country run better, yet all he technically has to show for it are some frozen rocks in the ocean. The meeting is to discuss how they could ensure that this new beautiful Poland isn’t undermined by some stubborn backwater barons scheming against it. There was already another attempt at an uprising in Frisia, and even if the situation seems calm right now, the nobles are visibly unhappy.
https://i.postimg.cc/nh0VFcfX/20190707204251-1.jpg
As everyone knows, the noble class itself is both small and unwilling to put itself in danger, and the events of Lund showed that they rely on fanning up unhappy parts of the populace to fight their battles for them. While the crown could of course simply crack down on all such rebels, the other option is to address the people's grievances, at least on the surface if nothing else. Poland already feels smugly superior about its union of tribes, syncretic faith and the “rights” afforded to minorities such as the oddani; committing to this already well-established idea of a diverse Poland, even if it means delegating some power to the provinces, would erode the rebels’ support base without directly offending the nobility.
[We will also take the government reform “Curtail Noble Privileges” once available]
https://i.postimg.cc/4ydb03Gp/20190707205359-1.jpg
Now, most of the people at the table are nobility themselves, and can sympathize with the plight of their less privileged brethren who aren’t part of Wavel’s inner circle. The fact that the High King is even confiscating the titles of people who cause him trouble is certainly a bit of an overstep. It's suggested that if His Majesty really finds the traditional nobility such a hurdle for his plans, why not work with them rather than against them? The aristocratic class has gone through major changes since the tribal days, but they are and always have been a vital part of Polish culture and power. And indeed, since Poland doesn’t even have a distinct royal line, Stanislaw himself was just a regular noble before he was taken in by High King Dytryk. It’s a bit shocking how he can act so detached, really. Every future High King will have to be drawn from the same nobility, and shouldn’t all the Lechowicz be in this together? It’s better to integrate the szlachta into the changing government, not try to push them out of it.
[Take “Strengthen Noble Privileges” instead]
https://i.postimg.cc/hjM1MdkS/20190707205359-1-kopio.jpg
Vote on an idea group here (https://linkto.run/p/WYHRPKWM)! Remember to share your view in the comments as well! [CLOSED]
Szetland War (1455-56)
Poland vs. Norway
The first act of Stanislaw’s new Marynarka is to conquer a northern base for itself, which it does with little resistance from the already bankrupt enemy. Bergenshus is also ceded to Sweden, and Norway appears to make full retreat to Iceland, surely to stew in its impotent grudge.
https://i.postimg.cc/2yRrc1hK/20190707214449-1.jpg
Europe has had no wars between major nations besides Italy and Greece. France is currently occupying Aachen and its ally Dauphine due to their squabble regarding Cologne.
Aquitaine diplomatically annexed Poitou.
Chernigov’s war against Circassia has failed to secure the coast but split the country in two, with the Caucasus Mountains in the middle, leaving the eastern part in the hands of Avarian rebels.
Those of you from previous AARs know the drill. The poll is what counts, but the discussion in the thread is the best part. EU4 should provide us with a lot more opportunities for votes like this, with its more diverse politics. I’ve decided not to force myself to have a full three options if I can’t think of relevant and thematically appropriate ones, but you should feel free to suggest them. And finally, in addition to some votes such as this one directly including secondary questions, in lesser matters I’ll still try to RP based on them and all that.
But man, that’s probably the fastest one of my gold mines has ever depleted. Lucky it was the smaller one. Also, fun fact: for a short time in the 1500’s OTL, Sweden technically had the numerically largest navy in Europe, but similar to ours, that too consisted mostly of small Baltic Sea ships. It looks like this Sweden might become a legit naval power, though.
Speaking of navies, due to our outposts it’s very much possible for us to participate in the colonization game if we want to, but the option will probably wait until our 3rd or 4th idea group or so.
Manticoran
2019-07-07, 04:57 PM
Humanist! The Centralization of Government is For The People, after all. Why else would we have broken up the Great Polish Empire(Or somesuch), but to ensure that the people of each region can be more properly cared for?
Actana
2019-07-08, 01:14 AM
Bah to these silly ideas of humanism. A council of local nobles can, and will, make Poland prosper. These ideas of a strong central authority, an absolute monarch are nothing short of ridiculous and have gone on for long enough. Poland is vast, and no one man can rule all of it.
Besides, if we are to integrate other realms we should have trustworthy and loyal people to rule over it. A functional, powerful and loyal noble council is crucial for ruling over the great swathes of land that Poland has and will have in even greater amount in the future.
Plus we really want those cavalry bonuses.
tonberrian
2019-07-08, 01:48 AM
We should EXPLORE the reaches of the western seas! Who knows what treasures lurk therein? The first one to those distant shores will be the greatest nation of them all!
(I vote particularly against first idea group as administrative - we need all the paper mana we can get to get to idea group two asap, and we'll likely get there JUUUUUST as soon as it's available without ahead of time penalties.)
SilverLeaf167
2019-07-08, 04:40 AM
We should EXPLORE the reaches of the western seas! Who knows what treasures lurk therein? The first one to those distant shores will be the greatest nation of them all!
(I vote particularly against first idea group as administrative - we need all the paper mana we can get to get to idea group two asap, and we'll likely get there JUUUUUST as soon as it's available without ahead of time penalties.)
Full mechanical disclosure: from Szetland, it seems we'll be able to reach Greenland with Exploration idea 3 and Diplomatic tech 9 (which will be delayed by taking ideas), Canada if we have a colonial range advisor on top of that. I don't plan on taking Iceland. Thus our second idea group would come before then anyway (Admin tech 7). I will still pick it if it somehow wins the vote here, though.
Valid point about the paper mana, though. If Humanist gets picked, I'll most likely beeline the three first and best ideas and then give the rest a lower priority until we're ahead in tech, but the RP element is also relevant. At least we have a decent 4/3/3 heir, knock on wood.
Actana
2019-07-08, 06:08 AM
What are the Polish national ideas like? Untouched from the base game, or?
SilverLeaf167
2019-07-08, 06:48 AM
Most are same with new text, but a few have been changed, moved around or had their numbers adjusted, mainly a bit downwards. Vanilla Poland has almost Prussia-level military ideas to let it punch above its weight (+25% manpower, +10% infantry strength, +33% cavalry strength, +5% discipline, +15% land morale...), but I figure we don't exactly need the buff, so I've nerfed the more egregious ones to merely "strong" and in line with most countries.
On that note, there should be no countries with generic ideas, but I also haven't made custom ones for anyone else. Everyone is using either group ideas or those of their closest vanilla equivalent. All the English duchies have England's ideas for instance, with the exception of York/Northumberland which already has its own in vanilla.
EDIT: On another note while we're on the subject, every country has generic missions. Vanilla missions don't fit our timeline, while custom ones would basically require me to predetermine what will happen in the game (and be a looot of work), which I'm neither able nor willing to do.
HMS Invincible
2019-07-08, 03:27 PM
I didn't realize converting over from CK was so complex.
SilverLeaf167
2019-07-08, 07:21 PM
The automatic converter can make something "playable", in the literal sense that you can indeed play it and it probably won't crash, but it'll have
a.) the exact situation from the end of CK2, as I guess is the point, but that means horrible bordergore, blobs and like five cultures covering the entire map
b.) except when it gets its wires crossed, like when it arbitrarily makes some but not all of your biggest CK2 vassals into EU4 vassals with all their extra bordergore, or a CK2 province maps to an EU4 one in a weird manner etc.
c.) new national ideas etc. only for a few special countries, while being pretty bad at syncing up any of the others to their direct equivalents
d.) a complete and arbitrary mess of non-owner cores or lack thereof, belonging mostly to vassals on the other side of the map rather than proper releasable countries, and countless similar annoyances.
A friend of mine has had some success using the automatic conversion and editing it just enough to play, as I considered at first, but if you want something that's actually good enough for an AAR, manual it is. For all its workload though, I actually find the conversion process really fun and satisfying once you get the hang of it, and wouldn't mind rambling about it at length at some point...
IthilanorStPete
2019-07-08, 07:23 PM
Hooray, EU4! Looking forward to this. I've gotten EU4 up to date recently and started playing again for the first time in literal years (inspired largely by this megacampaign (https://lparchive.org/Al-Andalus-Paradox-Mega-LP/), so I'll actually be able to follow the modern mechanics. :smalltongue:
Great work on the conversion - that sounds like a massive amount of effort. A few notes:
I dig the Francia as HRE thing, makes a lot of sense.
One thing that jumped out at me was manpower; it looks awfully low for the size of these empires. Does it just start the game at 0?
What's the Conscript Meczenniks mechanic based on? Is that how Janissaries work these days?
As for idea groups, I love Humanism, but I don't think it fits our beloved Polish nobility. Since there's no idea group for boozing, wenching, and fistfighting our way around eastern Europe, I'll vote for Aristocratic.
EDIT: Have you tried the EU4-Vic2 converter at all? I'm thinking of it for my current EU4 game; I'm powerful as the BBB, but not utterly dominant like I tend to get in CK2.
SilverLeaf167
2019-07-08, 07:33 PM
Yeah, manpower starts weirdly low - that there is the situation at game start - but my actual maximum manpower is way higher, it just had to replenish first. I assume that the same goes for those other major powers, since provincial manpower is roughly the same as vanilla. Meczenniks are indeed Janissaries, Voivodes are Pashas (which I didn't really address yet), and the "Heirs of Stanislaw I" event is the Ottoman harem. I think I originally added in just the harem when I realized that it was a good fit for our whole Eldership situation, but then saw the others and figured sure, why not?
I haven't touched the EU4-Vic2 converter since back when I was toying with it for the Hellenic AAR. It seemed really good then already, and IIRC the tweaks I made were mostly related to aesthetic detail, culture mapping etc. Of course I didn't actually get to play a converted game, so I can't say how well it works in practice.
And thanks for the megacampaign link! I should read it myself.
SilverLeaf167
2019-07-09, 07:37 PM
Chapter #24: Reshuffling of Rights (Stanislaw+Elizabeth, 1459-1472)
13 November, 1459
https://i.postimg.cc/MHPp5rnt/nimet-n.png
The discussion actually ends up being more divided than the High King anticipated, and also involves some much more ideological arguments than his own pragmatic, self-interested view on things. Rather than merely talking about the best way to handle the uncooperative nobles, some argue very strongly and personally in favor of either religious tolerance or the traditional rights and attitudes of tribal leadership. The former group ends up gaining more traction, though, despite accusations of them being influenced by the recent wave of “humanist” philosophy in the west.
https://i.postimg.cc/4ydb03Gp/20190707205359-1.jpg
A couple nobles, meanwhile, seem to consider the whole debate a waste of time and get distracted with their own hype about the possibilities of sailing beyond Szetland. As if there even was anything beyond Szetland, other than poor and hostile Iceland of course.
The crown seemingly using the kingdom’s non-Slavs against the Polish nobility, as already exemplified by the meczenniks, will likely continue to cause anger in the long run. Stanislaw is basically banking on it also leaving the rebellious nobles powerless to resist, while still hoping that the loyal portions will be enough to keep the country running. This also includes tapping into the much-neglected resource of “half-Poles” such as Pomeranians, among the oldest members of the kingdom yet still distinct and somewhat ostracized by its most elitist members.
https://i.postimg.cc/BnvxJd5Z/20190709214334-1.jpg
In September 1460, France forces Aachen to relinquish its recent conquests. Who knows if this’ll set a precedent for future Francian policy, or just an attempt at a cautionary example that they can’t actually follow up on.
https://i.postimg.cc/SK2CMCtw/20190709214955-1.jpg
Whatever the case, honor and consistency clearly aren’t the words of the day in Christendom, as Italy invades the Papal State. Apparently the Pope doesn’t have that much legitimacy these days, being a Lechowicz who doesn’t even control Rome and all that. The Pope’s refusal to join Francia also plays a part, as apparently a lot of people truly believe that Christianity and the Empire should be almost synonymous. The war will go rather uneventfully and end with both the Pope and his allies in Pisa handing over a province each.
https://i.postimg.cc/4xFpyBw6/20190709215217-1.jpg
Clearly not looking to meet the same fate, another theocratic state in the form of the Knights of Santiago decides to voluntarily become a vassal of France, awaiting official integration into the Empire.
https://i.postimg.cc/rpBWCsBz/20190709215910-1.jpg
Speaking of vassals, Andalusia has apparently decided that it doesn’t need its autonomous frontier state anymore, preferring to govern North Africa more directly.
https://i.postimg.cc/J4xNV1kd/20190709220317-1.jpg
Stanislaw’s consolidation of his own realm seems to proceed as planned. In April 1461, he passes – or rather declares – a number of new laws to weaken the power of the nobility and make it easier to go over their heads. For instance, while noble property itself is still exempt from taxation as it always has been, he places strict limits on how much the nobles can tax their own vassals, letting the surplus go to the crown instead. Others simply cut down on empty formalities that allowed the nobles to antagonize both the populace and the government. Perhaps most horrifying, however, is the one that allows the crown to purchase for a fair price any land deemed sufficiently important to the realm, whether or not the seller is actually willing. These laws and the way they are immediately put to use will be remembered as the Great Reduction, and not too fondly at that.
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The Mazowiecki of Mazovia, one of the original Four Tribes of Poland, decide to make a stand for their rights when the crown comes for some of their holdings around their home city of Warsaw. The whole affair is only made more scandalous by the fact that Stanislaw has actually predicted this reaction and sent an overwhelmingly large army to force the issue. The whole thing turns messy, even escalating into open battle between knights and conscripts alike. Stanislaw later makes some empty attempts at reconciliation, pardoning the Mazowiecki and even “allowing” them to keep their main estates, but he’s clearly growing increasingly reliant on the loyalty of his personal lackeys and crown army to keep the nobles in check.
https://i.postimg.cc/Hn2yg2V7/20190709221931-1.jpg
The other option is to use people who couldn’t care less about Polish dynasties and tradition, such as the oddani, which of course makes him look even more suspicious.
https://i.postimg.cc/L4BfLHN6/20190709223025-1.jpg
In light of all this, Stanislaw’s dedication to sympathy and tolerance seems rather hollow indeed. Nevertheless, it has always been the single most important teaching of the Slavic Church that all gods are real, or merely interpretations of each other, and this includes not just Thor and Perkunas, but also Jesus and Yahweh and the Holy Spirit or whatever you want to call them. Thus there is no reason that they and their worshipers can’t coexist within the same realm, or even as neighbors, or within the very same temple. And besides, even if someone refuses to realize that their god is only one of many, as long as they’re not trying to convert any Slavs, whose problem is it but their own?
https://i.postimg.cc/rwbtMzFg/20190709223605-1.jpg
The apparent powderkeg that is England finally sees some sparks as Mercia invades Lancaster, drawing in half of the other duchies as well as Ireland. Will Francia intervene in the aftermath?
https://i.postimg.cc/fTzdv6r7/20190709223312-1.jpg
The Emperor clearly shows signs of planning to do so, pushing through some small reforms in the same vein as Stanislaw and rolling back the silliest of the Privilegia that he himself granted 20-something years ago. Most notably, he asserts his right to declare war and reconquer any imperial territory that somehow ends up in foreign hands. Luckily he doesn’t seem foolhardy enough to try and apply this to any of Poland’s old conquests.
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These words will be tested soon enough. Ireland annexes half of Munster, while some of Lancaster goes to Mercia and another part to Scotland, which wasn’t even participating. The princes’ readiness to donate land to the pagans, first just in Greece but now in actual Francian territory, must really be a headache for the Emperor. The war is soon followed by another as Essex, still claiming dominion over all of England, invades Kent and Oxford to make those claims reality. However, the war will actually end in Oxford capturing London, only to return it when France demands.
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Imperial authority proves somewhat shaky but functional for now, as Mercia refuses to hand over all of its conquests but at least complies for the Lancastrian capital. Ireland refuses, as does King Archibald of Scotland, of course. He laughs and actually sends Dietmar II an insulting letter in response, perfectly happy to trust in Polish protection and make use of any Christians foolish enough to give him land for free.
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Looking at the diplomatic chaos in the region, Stanislaw sees it as a perfect opportunity to sponsor some more of it. On his orders, a small ship sailing for Szetland makes a quick nighttime landing in a Yorkish border province, dropping off money, equipment and Scottish officers for the pagan rebels waiting on shore.
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France is indeed unhappy with Mercia’s “compromise”, making this the second time in only a few years that it’s forced to invade one of its own alleged subjects (not that Stanislaw is any better, obviously). The lack of action towards more formidable states outside the Empire is telling, though.
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Poland just keeps moving forward with its own development. The High King is finding it much easier to focus on the coastal towns where other groups like merchants and oddani hold sway than in the interior where the noble class is strong. For the sake of his beloved Marynarka, he’s personally interested in making sure that the kingdom has both facilities and men to maintain a proper navy. International connections and the need to produce cannons for its ships also ensure that Poland is on the forefront of experimenting with smaller, handheld firearms for its armies, though for the time being they are too impractical (and expensive) to even remotely replace traditional weaponry.
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Stanislaw’s preoccupation with military reforms is of course connected to his concerns about the nobility: first, a strong army obviously makes it easier to keep them in check; second, it allows him to further and further detach the military from noble control. However, while there probably are at least a few people plotting his death, at the age of 65 he ends up going into the night in a much less violent manner inside Wavel Castle. Not necessarily pleasant, though, seeing as he’s actually killed by some kind of lung infection. On his death bed, he still has time for one last controversial act: he does indeed name his son Wladyslaw the rightful heir, despite having promised that every family would have a chance, and despite the fact that he’s presently only 8 years old. Although it was never made into law, the House of Elders has never before put a child on the throne, yet they feel themselves bound to the High King’s word (and are of course rewarded for their loyalty). The other side of Stanislaw’s declaration is that until his son comes of age, his wife Elizabeth will serve as Queen Regent in his stead.
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The High King is dead! Long live High King Wladyslaw!
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Elizabeth, sister of the King of Scotland, has been part of Stanislaw’s inner circle since their wedding 20 years ago and has comprehensive knowledge of most of his projects. She’s perhaps most noted for her secretive nature, though, being an influential yet very much unknown figure in Polish politics, and people expect her to stay relatively low-key in the future as well. Being a Scotswoman of Norse blood, she certainly stands out at court, but views the Slavic and Nordic Churches as effectively the same thing and herself as a Pole.
The tensions in Nordic Scania are flaring up again, for one, so she follows her late husband’s rule of making small concessions to the locals to deprive any rebels of cheap manpower. In fact, she does her best to apply these principles on a countrywide level to make sure that people all across the realm are given basic things like the chance to speak their own languages, keep their own traditions and overall live in such a manner that they have no reason to demand independence to begin with – nor autonomy in “actually important” things like economic and foreign policy.
https://i.postimg.cc/YqDvzjgk/20190709234656-1.jpg
In some places, these liberties will have to be carefully adjusted lest they actually enable the rebellion they’re trying to prevent, but she trusts in her judgment that a little leniency will prove better in the long run. Szetland for instance is only valuable for its location and really nothing else, so it actually could be pretty much autonomous as long as Poland had access to its port, but Elizabeth also doesn’t want the locals conspiring with Norway.
https://i.postimg.cc/ydTdgNBM/20190709235129-1.jpg
At the same time, she has no patience for any compromise with the nobility, apparently believing that no matter how harshly they’re treated, simply being harsh enough will keep them from doing anything about it. This goes double when the nobles’ demands actively contradict those of the other estates, whom the crown is doing its best to keep content. At least the drama around Warsaw was great enough that the crown has had to be much more careful in how it wields the Reduction laws. Although any rebellion would be a small and practically suicidal matter of principle, even Elizabeth has some principles of her own about slaughtering her subjects en masse.
https://i.postimg.cc/L8rhG7Nb/20190709235438-1.jpg
In the spring of 1468, Sweden finally declares war on Norway and effortlessly annexes its continental provinces in a manner of months. Now fully banished to Iceland, King Ossor – clearly very much done with his fellow pagans – decides that if he can’t have Norway, he’ll just build his own kingdom, with fermented shark and volcanoes! A number of loyal subjects actually do leave former Norway to join their king in his promised land, but Iceland still remains the epitome of a barren rock in the middle of the ocean with more sheep than people.
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The imperial states also remain strangely insistent on handing out land to their enemies as Carinthia fights a years-long war against the Teutons, only to demand a single province for itself and three others for Greece. Something similar is actually happening in the east, where Greek loyalists seize Adrianopolis and then move on to Macedonia. Moldavia doesn’t have the navy to organize an effective defense there, but even if Bulgaria refuses to budge for its hated enemies the Moldavians, it also has no sympathy for these rebels and agrees to grant Polish soldiers access through its lands in order to deal with them.
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France’s initially successful attempts at policing its subjects take a humiliating turn when it fails to force its demands on Mercia, its woefully inadequate fleet having gotten caught and destroyed when trying to carry an army over the Channel. In retaliation, the Duke of Mercia actually invokes an old and draconic law forbidding holy orders from swearing any vows without Papal approval. This thwarts France’s efforts at integrating the Knights for the time being, effectively beating the Emperor at his own game. With Mercia proving its strength like this and Essex actually losing London for a moment, many think that England has a new de facto leader, but the electorate is unlikely to be shifting any time soon.
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With Poland’s increasing reliance on tolls and exports to fill its coffers, Elizabeth is thinking of ways to increase production in the relatively rural, agrarian country. Poland doesn’t just export grain, though, but also other simple yet valuable goods like textiles, metals and salt. By making special arrangements in regions where these are produced and providing the means to do so, the crown also gets another opportunity to levy taxes on them. The landholding nobility isn’t happy, of course, since this favors the crown and various merchants while their own position has generally been based on ruling over a bunch of farmers, but when are they happy these days?
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On the 1st of June, 1472, Elizabeth can finally abdicate in favor of the 15-year-old Wladyslaw, whom she’s spent this whole time grooming for the task. These first few decades after the signing of the Moscow Pact have been extremely controversial to say the least, having seen the rise of the canny but corrupt Stanislaw who was apparently so insistent on starting another “royal line”, against his explicit promises, that he’d rather put a child on the throne than give it to anyone else. In fact, Stanislaw’s legacy seems to have retroactively poisoned many reforms that were decently popular at the time they were made, possibly even the Moscow Pact itself, and the way that he’s openly conspired with the other estates to work against his noble brethren is obviously seen as high treason against the very essence of Poland. It remains to be seen whether the “child” in question is able, or willing, to keep the nobles in check as both his parents have.
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Warsaw Noble Uprising (1461)
Mazowiecki vs. Lechowicz
Though truly just a hopeless rebellion against crown power, the Warsaw Uprising of April 1461 has grown out of proportion in the minds of the Polish nobility due to its context within the Great Reduction, becoming an unfortunate symbol of royal tyranny. Crown armies and Mazowiecki retinues clashed in multiple places surrounding Warsaw, resulting in several hundred casualties, and several nobles had to be physically dragged out of their forts and mansions (where most of them didn’t actually live and were only present to protest). While in fact smaller than previous rebellions elsewhere, the Warsaw Uprising was special due to actually being fought by Polish nobles, not just their proxies, with worrying implications for both sides.
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Andalusia is attacking not in fact Asturias but Aquitaine (and Lotharingia and Navarra), but while it may have thought that its naval power would keep its own lands safe, Aquitaine getting military access through Asturias seems to have dashed those hopes. Cordoba is actually under siege.
Carinthia is making good use of its central position to pick off provinces here and there, including taking Siena from Tuscany. Despite clashing interests, Italy is actually an ally for now.
Some borders have shifted in Austria and Hungary, resulting in small gains for Styria and Temes respectively.
Chernigov quietly invaded and annexed the other half of Trebizond.
Personally I find it fascinating to take the occasional look at just what is happening behind Noble Revolt #354, as well as build some vague framework of a legal history for both ourselves and Francia. What do you mean our EU4 portion has more court intrigue than CK2? I guess I’m trying pretty hard to sell the idea that these reforms are way more complicated than they look. Old readers can probably see the difference of me having become an actual history major in the last two years, haha…
By the way, alternate universe Swedish influence on our kingdom remains strong, as “reduction (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Reduction_(Sweden))” is actually a term used in Swedish history to describe the crown just straight-up confiscating fiefs it had granted to the nobility. Sweden too was able to play the estates by relying on the clergy, burghers and peasants when it wanted to do something the nobles didn’t like.
SilverLeaf167
2019-07-10, 01:24 PM
Chapter #25: Renaissance, Man (Wladyslaw II, 1472-84)
1 June, 1472
Wladyslaw II was Poland’s youngest High King ever elected, and now he’s the youngest to ever reign. However, while he has grown up in a very different court than any of his predecessors, his youth also means that he’s not quite as attuned to the intrigue of the realm as both his parents were. While he’s already proven himself as an eloquent speaker, a lot of it may be rather superficial, and even supposedly loyal people might have trouble respecting such a green boy with no official experience of any kind.
https://i.postimg.cc/wvY6WHKQ/20190710141537-1.jpg
The army has to march through Bulgaria yet again to deal with a second rebellion in Macedonia. Around the same time, though, the so-called Renaissance seems to have finally made a landing in Slavic territory, namely at the Moldavian court in Belgorod. It’s less than obvious what its whole cultural context actually means for countries that have little in common with Western philosophy, but what the Slavs get from it is foreign connections, some technical developments and a lot of very nice art. The latest generation of Poles might be more open to such ideas. In fact, when Wladyslaw shows interest, King Mszczuj II offers to send him various works and experts on the subject as a starting point.
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Meanwhile, Wladyslaw’s expert advisors on the Crown Council seem to be carrying a lot of the weight for him. Von Neustreliz, one of Stanislaw’s better known appointments as the long-time Chancellor of Poland, has written a very influential treatise about the workings of the Polish government, mostly in defense of the recent reforms – about as well-received as can be in the current atmosphere. While mostly focused on providing a legal backing for royal power, his book Duch Prawa can also be read as a discussion of some ways that it could be restrained, which probably wasn’t the actual intention.
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Without much attention on Poland’s part, the eastern kingdoms have invaded the Mongol Empire as part of its slow and steady collapse. In October 1474, Chernigov is the first to come away with a nice chunk of Khazar land beyond the Ural River, while Chernigov and Yugra’s similar wars later end in white peace. This does pose a potential problem for the future, though: while the Slavs have proven remarkably faithful to the borders defined in the Moscow Pact, it didn’t say anything about the borders outside their original region, and their claims already overlap in many places.
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Wladyslaw, on the other hand, continues the much more peaceful kind of expansion started by his mother by promising great privileges and support for merchants, artisans, artists and others who wish to operate in Polish cities. Just as Krakow is naturally the beating heart of Eastern Europe, his advisors (and the local burghers) recommend that he invest in making Amsterdam the kingdom’s main port to the west.
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Some other economic centers like Copenhagen and Lund remain strongholds of noble power, though, so those plans of pacification are still necessary. Wladyslaw has also been strongly influenced by the Nordic beliefs of Elizabeth and believes that the crown must do everything it can to convince the Danes that they are fully equal and respected subjects of Poland, regardless of what exactly they prefer to call their gods. He even supports the idea of organizing shared ceremonies for the gods of different “pantheons”.
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The whole term “Slavic” is quite misleading, after all, as despite the Poles themselves being Slavs in the traditional sense, both the Kingdom and the Church have always included people that label doesn’t really apply to, from Lithuanians to Danes, and even German and Khazar converts. The reason that “Slavic” is such an iconic term all across Europe is that the Poles were the ones who first reformed their religion, stood up to Christian aggression and enabled their countless pagan brethren to do the same. Poland should be a symbol of solidarity for all of them, as well as a grave reminder of what would’ve happened – or still might – were it not there.
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It’s a shame that Poland's continued support for the pagans in York isn’t bearing much fruit, though. York may be weak, but that also means that it’s dead set on keeping what it has and cracking down on the smallest threat of unrest. If anything, the nobles at home seem much closer to rebellion than the ones over there. Following the reduction of their estates and tax income, many of them have ended up losing some of their luxuries or even becoming legitimately poor. Sensing just how serious they are about this one, the perhaps “softer” Wladyslaw tries to make amends in the form of a modest pension paid to all nobles. The lower classes have no such thing, of course, but they also don’t think to demand it.
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Andalusia’s long war with Aquitaine ends with nothing but massive indemnities paid by the offender. Seeing as Andalusia ended up with all of its European holdings occupied by the end, it’s a real godsend for them that Asturias wasn’t involved in the war, as it would’ve spelled the doom of Cordoba.
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Wladyslaw wonders whether he might’ve even gone too far with his rhetoric, given that a large number of Nordics have been so convinced of pagan unity that rather than simply consider Thor and Perun the same, they’ve started outright calling him Perun and adopting Slavic rites. The crown has no complaints, of course, but it’s actually more than expected.
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In February 1477, Dietmar II de Serra dies at the age of 50, and his son Jacques is chosen as the next Francian Emperor. It’s a 2-2-2-1 split between France, Lotharingia, Sardinia and Italy, with the tie being decided for the heir of the incumbent. It's telling just how close the votes are divided, but for the most part, the princes are happy enough with their autonomy to not rock the boat and contest the vote.
Other than Mercia, anyway, which starts another illegal war of expansion in England. Jacques seems too distracted to care, as one of his first deeds on the throne is to declare war on Aquitaine, which France still considers an illegal pretender state despite having been independent since 1068. Lotharingia remains allied to Aquitaine, though, and will suffer badly from the upcoming French invasion. This is one of the bigger European wars of the 15th century, involving four major Christian kingdoms all right next to each other.
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Meanwhile, the enthusiastic young man in Wavel has gotten utterly absorbed in at least the aesthetics of the Renaissance, even loaning large sums from the guilds to be able to organize a grand art exhibition in the royal castle. While some of the art on display is imported, much of it is from Poland or from Germany where the movement is also strong. His favorite piece, kept in the throne room itself, is a 10-foot tall marble statue of a bearded Polish warrior with lovingly detailed muscles, an actually sharp-looking axe in hand and not a thread of clothing. Under Wladyslaw’s patronage, Krakow truly has potential to become the Milan of the East.
https://i.postimg.cc/rws037gt/20190710154450-1.jpg
This foreign exchange also benefits other areas of development, including military technology, where the cannons already used in ships and sieges have been refined to the point that they can be mounted on horse-drawn carts and pulled directly to the battlefield itself. As similar weapons are not yet widespread in Europe, the first people to wield them should have an immense advantage in shock and awe.
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It’d be a shame not to put such weapons to use. In fact, it’s been far too long since Poland really showed its superiority over the Christians, who have rightly been too afraid to attack it or its allies. As of May 1481, the war in the west has ended with France taking several provinces from both enemies, and Wladyslaw’s advisors of all estates suggest that the Lotharingian holdings south of Frisia would be a valuable addition to Poland, not just for their location but also their production and trade. Lotharingia has also kept claiming rightful ownership of Frisia and rattling its sabers near the border. Despite seeming to be nicer than his predecessors, Wladyslaw has no such mercy for Francians. The original idea was to attack during the war, but the army was a bit too slow to mobilize, so they'll just have to adapt.
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Lotharingia is protected by Italy, its recent enemy France and a number of smaller states, but Poland has German support, and the Marynarka will dominate the Channel. Four armies stationed in Frisia (equipped with meczennik shock troops and brand new cannons) have no trouble entering wartorn Lotharingia, while two will hang back to make sure that the Christians don’t try to invade through Germany. Wladyslaw himself will participate as a backline commander, lacking real combat experience but having read every book there is on the subject of cannons and “applied architecture”.
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The western prong works out perfectly, but the east has some trouble as it turns out that the enemy has concentrated all its forces there rather than even try to defend Lotharingia. At the same time that Poles are knocking on the gates of Charleroi, the opposite is happening in Prague.
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Once Prague falls, so does most of Bohemia with it, and parts of Germany are under siege as well. The enemy armies finally move west, catching some of the main Polish force out of position, but this distraction allows Prague to be retaken again. The west then regroups and drives back the Christians, and so on. The all-too familiar seesaw movement of the holy wars has made a triumphant return. Moldavia joins the Polish side, providing vital backup in the east where some Italians have slipped through the lines to wreak havoc in the countryside.
The decisive clash of the war turns out to be the third Battle of Hainaut in March 1484, involving the High King and his generals on one side and Emperor Jacques himself on the other. It’s decisive not by being the largest or actually the most important, but just the one that convinces the enemy to cut its losses and sue for peace.
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The Poles don’t get nearly all the territory they want, but it’s great that they end up with any at all after the war seemed to get off to a surprisingly bad start. Anvers, a.k.a. Antwerp, is one of the most important economic centers in the Low Countries and a great support for Amsterdam. The casualties of the war lend credence to the idea that modern wars are far shorter but far more intense than those a hundred years ago. The Polish reserves, thought to be so deep, are basically empty after just a couple years of fighting.
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Around the same time, the other Karling state Anatolia seems to be hard at work to become its own regional hegemon, but its conquests in Paphlagonia and Bulgaria once again lead to most of Bulgaria being handed back to Moldavia. Moldavia has nearly recovered its former borders entirely by the charity of Francian princes, baffling everyone on both sides. Is this some sort of “humanist” thing too, or are they perhaps trying to sow disunity in pagan ranks? If so, it really isn't working. Most likely they're just eager to weaken their enemies while not giving a damn if it ends up helping some other heathen.
https://i.postimg.cc/T352rxCQ/20190710165531-1.jpg
The real lesson to be learned from the war, though, is that Francia isn’t quite as meek as it looks, and can indeed bring together a lot of armies against any attacker. Even Poland’s numerical superiority can be countered by simply having more allies, or Poland having to split up its forces along its long border. Some critics insist that the old feudal army would’ve rolled right over the Francians, and who knows, they could be correct – but it’s too late to even consider going back. If the army has indeed grown weaker, then they must make it great again by moving forward, not backward. Or so says Renaissance Prince Wladyslaw, anyway.
https://i.postimg.cc/tCS732yR/20190710163655-1.jpg
He calls together another meeting, much more open than the similar one organized by his father. The purpose is to give representatives of all estates (except the oddani, at the nobles’ insistence) a say in just how they could ensure that the next war against the Christians is a success much more smashing than this one.
As expected, one corner in particular has a lot of people who loudly insist that the core of Polish military power lies with the nobles who have always led it to victory after victory for the past 600 years. They’re the ones who spend all their lives studying the fine art of war and earning the personal loyalty of their troops, so if there was any trouble in the last war, it’s obviously because the crown insisted on recruiting its officers from some pansy merchant families or Christians or something. Applying the same principle to other areas of government and making up for the insults they’ve suffered in the last few decades certainly wouldn’t hurt, either.
https://i.postimg.cc/9fTMj29z/20190710165943-1.jpg
Others stand firm in their belief that if the Polish army is possibly too small or weak on the offense, it should be improved by focusing on the rigorous, innovative training of leaders and soldiers alike. The nobility, which spends most of its time drinking and whoring as they put it, shows absolutely no proof of being inherently better warriors. If anything, they just spread that same attitude to their troops. And certainly, even if most officers continue to be recruited from the ranks of the nobles, surely focusing on their nobility itself is the entirely wrong way to go about it?
https://i.postimg.cc/LXps9WkD/20190710165944-1.jpg
And finally, well, the merchants seem mostly interested in capitalizing (literally) on Poland’s increasing naval presence. Based on some unsubstantiated rumors, they believe that the Andalusians and Asturians have both come across previously unknown islands on their voyages towards the west, possibly even something bigger! Even if those particular islands are out of Poland’s reach, their alleged existence proves that there could be some for the Slavs as well. With completely unclaimed lands would come great expansion and great wealth and great power and… well, a great army, if that’s what you’re looking for.
https://i.postimg.cc/44w3GBYv/20190710165944-2.jpg
Vote on an idea group here (https://linkto.run/p/62J8FMWL)! Remember to share your view in the comments as well! [CLOSED]
Antwerper War (1481-84)
Poland + Germany + Moldavia vs. Lotharingia + France + Italy + Cologne + Normandy + Palatinate + Savoy + Essex + Liege
The Polish army is pitted against Francia for the first time in a hundred years, facing a wide alliance of imperial states. It turns out to be a close victory, as the scope of the hostilities means that both sides are able to attack unprotected targets but then get caught out in return. Having originally claimed much of the coastline, Poland instead comes away with Antwerp and Breda once France decides that it’s not interested in stretching out this war just to defend the unruly Karlings, even if this actually means ceding territory to its sworn enemy.
https://i.postimg.cc/vZZqj8pL/20190710210326-1.jpg
Asturias has taken the opportunity to attack Aquitaine after the tiring war in the south. There are various lesser wars going on around the Empire.
Mercia has expanded into York and Oxford alike, growing its margin as the main power in England.
Tuscany has conquered Pisa, sending the republic into exile on Crete. Sardinia-Bosnia has taken half of Tripoli.
Chernigov is invading Circassia, again. Apart from that, though, the Muslims in the region haven’t had a single war, even down south, where Arabia has made no effort to attack its neighbors and in fact made an alliance with Jordan.
Apparently since Vladimir and Yugra both failed to take any land from the Mongols, they’re fighting each other instead.
The AI really, really likes demanding Return Cores, huh?
Exploration included for popular demand, but remember the points made above. Do note that once we take it, whenever that is, we’re also kinda committed to Expansion, since one of Exploration’s two Colonists has been moved over there and it’s just too slow without it. Should we take Exploration now, Expansion would be our fourth group, to avoid taking too many administrative groups too quickly. This vote will run slightly longer because I’m going out of town for the weekend, but I actually don’t really know if most of them would need more time or not. If you ever narrowly miss your chance to vote, it’s useful if you tell me so I can adjust next time.
As a side note, I kinda like how the Centers of Trade work these days, even if they’re just another “money for money” mechanic whose actual profits are hard to estimate. A bit more flavorful at least. Since the number of level 3 centers you can have is limited by your Merchants, that’s also a nice new reason to pick ideas that grant them.
Manticoran
2019-07-10, 08:36 PM
Offensive ideas!
We Hold These Truths To Be Self Evident, That History is Written By the Victors, and that Big Cannons really help with that.
We already rejected a regression to historical aristocracy, why take a backwards step?
And indeed, what proof of these strange foreign lands is there? We have plenty of enemies at home, even if these places do exist.
England continues to fall to the Christians, and Germany and Moldavia need our help. The Francian Empire has throughout history proved itself again and again the enemy of all pagans, necessitating its destruction if the Slavic people are to breath easy, and it is only by focusing on the force of arms of the Army that this is possible.
InvisibleBison
2019-07-10, 10:32 PM
I'm voting for Offensive Ideas.
The fundamental flaw with the nobility is that they put themselves above the country as a whole. An army drawn from the nobility can't be relied on to act in the best interests of Poland.
And as for expansion - well, that's just way too speculative a venture. Let's focus on something that we know exists.
tonberrian
2019-07-10, 11:54 PM
Have you no sense of adventure? We should explore the unknown and meet new peoples - then kill them all and take their stuff! Sure it's risky, but are we men, or are we mice? Take charge of Poland's destiny and seek out a new Poland!
SilverLeaf167
2019-07-16, 11:04 AM
Chapter #26: With Friends Like These (Wladyslaw II, 1484-1500)
1 April, 1484
https://i.postimg.cc/Y9RBysGs/nimet-n.png
The nobles’ openly self-interested suggestion gets little sympathy from the other estates. Of course, it was hard to imagine that they’d voluntarily give up their new grasp on power. However, the traders’ plans are also dismissed as far-fetched, speculative and unrelated to the matter at hand. The clear consensus is to focus on continued reforms and development of the army, though the exact nature of those reforms will have to be defined as they come. The nobles leave the room fuming, worried about losing their role in the military. Reform this, reform that! Don’t fix what ain’t broke! Under Henryk, Stanislaw and now Wladyslaw, Poland has seemed all too eager to abandon its values in favor of “humanism” and the rule of rabble.
https://i.postimg.cc/LXps9WkD/20190710165944-1.jpg
Of course, it also has to deal with the aftermath of the previous war before even thinking about the next one. The exact fate of the conquered provinces is left in the air as all four estates demand control of them on different grounds, but both will remain under military occupation for the time being to make sure there’s no attempt at rebellion. The population is too large and indoctrinated to try and convert right now. It’ll be hard enough just to convince them that Poland isn’t the literal devil.
https://i.postimg.cc/fyPQjSp2/20190716114644-1.jpg
A great deal of funding is channeled into new forts along the German border. It’d been left lightly defended due to trust in Germany’s ability to act as a buffer, yet the very first war saw the invaders marching straight to Prague and beyond. The Germans are bothered by the implication but shut up when High King Wladyslaw sarcastically offers to build them some forts too, which would basically turn them back into a Polish vassal. That said, it was Poland’s war that they selflessly fought in and suffered quite badly from, especially as the local Christians seemed a little too happy to go along with the Francian occupation. As thanks and apologies, Wladyslaw offers to help with Germany’s debts from the war. And once again, the nobles are offended that their traditional castles apparently aren’t good enough anymore.
https://i.postimg.cc/v82ydCTr/20190716114900-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/VLS8s403/20190716114805-1.jpg
If they really want to stick to tradition, let them lead their armies in person, from the front, like the great warlords they are. The defender tends to have the advantage on both a tactical and a strategic scale, and most armies – Polish included – are thus more focused on pike formations and other defensive maneuvers, but while blind recklessness is obviously not a good idea, a well-placed charge at the right time can really throw a peasant army off balance. Polish soldiers already have a long and glorious history of cavalry charges and zealous close-quarters combat.
https://i.postimg.cc/Gtt1yx7T/20190716121122-1.jpg
However, mere months after the conquest of Antwerp, Moldavia is already rushing into a new war in June 1484 to take what remains of Bulgaria. Poland’s reserves are completely drained and recruitment has been stepped up just to replenish the armies in the field, so it’s really in no position to start a new war against the Empire. However, this is the first test of the “new” Poland’s willingness to aid its allies, and a fellow Lechowicz no less, so Wladyslaw has no choice but to accept. His main hope is that the enemy will have trouble getting permission to move its armies through the various states in between, since they're not on the best of terms with each other either.
https://i.postimg.cc/xCt284RS/20190716121524-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/Ssy4yhcr/20190716122257-1.jpg
No such luck, and Frisia is right in the line of fire. The first battle is quickly broken off as soon as it turns sour for the French, but more troops are already pouring into the region. The army is reinforced with a great deal of mercenaries to fill the worst gaps.
https://i.postimg.cc/6pnxn30c/20190716122500-1.jpg
The good news is that Moldavia meets little resistance on its own front, occupying Tarnovo before marching to the Adriatic. However, that might be of little comfort if Francia simply ignores the east and takes advantage of this chance to punish Poland for its previous aggression.
https://i.postimg.cc/J49WsJbt/20190716122828-1.jpg
The Italian army uses Germany’s membership in the Moscow Pact as a pretext to ignore its neutrality and march through it, and wartorn Germany has little will to start a fight over it. However, when the High King takes personal leadership of two under-strength armies to drive them off, to his great surprise he ends up being handily outflanked and defeated by the Italian general, a man known simply as Battista. Fortification works in the area are still unfinished, and cynics are starting to wonder if Poland would’ve been better off just dishonoring its alliance after all.
https://i.postimg.cc/7L48Vktk/20190716123303-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/pdBNc63n/20190716123332-1.jpg
Luckily, a simultaneous battle in Frisia ends up being a great victory for Poland’s own top general, minor noble Nadbor Jastrzebiec. Due to mistakes on their part and Nadbor’s own experience fighting in the same area just a while ago, a much larger Francian army is driven off with much larger casualties. The news cause enough hesitation on Battista’s part that he fails to press his advantage and capture any land, moving back into Germany and trying to regroup instead.
(missed the screenshot)
Nadbor takes a risk, pursues the French army and successfully pushes them even farther back. As of February 1486, the Moldavians seem to be having the time of their lives invading Italy proper. The Francians seem to be finally moving south to deal with them, though, which of course provides some relief for the exhausted Polish forces but also risks compromising the entire point of this war. Meanwhile the Italian nobility, seemingly uninterested in fighting this war, rises in rebellion but is quickly caught and crushed between the two opposing armies.
https://i.postimg.cc/63HktGWW/20190716124537-1.jpg
On the homefront, a godsend surplus of grain provides simultaneously more food for the army and more idle farmhands to fight in it. This encourages Poland to go on the offensive, invading and brutally sacking the undefended Duchy of Liege, which finally signs a separate peace. While perhaps the least important enemy state, this has the well-timed side effect of forcing Liege to abandon its ongoing recapture of Tarnovo.
https://i.postimg.cc/XNzRPF1x/20190716125059-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/tJw8VQn8/20190716125607-1.jpg
Prague isn’t as lucky, getting overrun by Christians for the second time in just a few years. Its citizens really couldn’t be blamed for having some grievance with the crown after this. Because of the intense fighting and even the destruction of a great gallery in the city, Wladyslaw really isn’t in any position to promote the arts right now, to his great shame.
https://i.postimg.cc/3J0sQRPh/20190716125904-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/DwVtvhTX/20190716130034-1.jpg
In retaliation, and in hopes of diverting some enemy forces, the Polish army marches into France itself and even performs a naval landing in western Normandy. However, as the High King is personally involved in the fighting – which in itself is admirable – many people are a bit concerned about his plans for the inheritance should something happen to him. He’s sired a few children with his two concubines, but the nobility really hopes he doesn’t actually plan to imitate his father and nominate one of them. Not to worry: while stopping in Krakow to recover from yet another skirmish, he summons a close ally and his family for an emergency cloaking (without the full pomp and circumstance). To many people’s surprise, he has chosen to be succeeded by the second High Queen: Wolislawa. As per the Samboja-Grzymislawa Laws, he's well within his rights to do so.
https://i.postimg.cc/JzbStFrd/20190716130634-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/GpdVDj93/20190716131010-1.jpg
An emergency it truly is, as the fall of Prague has opened the way into Poland proper. On December 25, 1487, a large army led by the King of Italy stands at the very gates of Krakow, large cannons bombarding the city and Wavel Castle itself for the first time in history.
https://i.postimg.cc/QMmPJWWQ/20190716131243-1.jpg
As the fighting in the south is going just as badly, Wladyslaw is forced to accept the lesser humiliation and send out an envoy to suggest a white peace, almost arrogant in his clearly inferior position. The Bulgarian representative, however, accepts his offer, immediately ending hostilities between Poland and the Empire. De Serra is quite frustrated to have missed his chance to loot and raze the capital, though, and his army still causes more than a bit of damage on its way out.
https://i.postimg.cc/265tc84P/20190716132213-1.jpg
It causes quite a stir in Polish ranks as well. Three years of fighting and humiliation, for nothing! Wladyslaw tries to look on the bright side and remind the nobles that at least they didn’t lose anything, but it’s unsurprisingly a tough sell. Existing criticism of the reformed military and government is growing even louder in the wake of these hard-fought victories and bitter white peaces. Just from this last war, 70,000 soldiers lie dead in the mud, not to even mention the civilians, all for a course they say was foolish from the start.
One would be forgiven for thinking that the streak of reforms that he embarks on is just meant as a distraction. For one, he increases the amount of self-rule given to local administrations, clearly desperate to stamp out the insurgencies in Denmark and Frisia. The existing office of Voivodes, crown-appointed temporary governors with military powers to keep their provinces in line, shall from now on be accompanied by locals to act as advisors and middle management. At the same time, however, these local administrations are responsible for keeping track of a new conscription system where instead of the army marching in and demanding more soldiers as needed, every X households (number freely adjusted) have to proactively prepare and equip one soldier from their midst.
https://i.postimg.cc/vTgNyq2h/20190716133023-1.jpg
As the bureaucracy grows more intricate and spreads its roots across the country, certain basic problems become obvious. For one, Poland lacks an unified calendar! The Christians have their Julian calendar, starting with the supposed birth of Christ, while Jews and Muslims use their own, and the Slavs are stuck using any of the above or just their local reckoning depending on context. After all, most of the time they need only know when to plant their crops, and maybe whether something happened closer to 10 or 100 years ago. Nonetheless, a functioning government needs to be able to mark dates without any confusion, and so the High King will go down in history as the creator of the Slavic or ”Wladyslawan” calendar. Year 0 is determined as the founding of Poland in 883 AD, making the current year 605 SE (Slavic Era). The months are named after natural phenomena and other more poetic terms, sprinkled with days dedicated to specific rituals, celebrations and Blessed Ancestors.
https://i.postimg.cc/tRsq79LS/20190716133040-1.jpg
(Don’t worry, the AAR will stick with Gregorian…)
To try and fill the ranks before another war inevitably arrives, Wladyslaw also orders the construction of dedicated barracks, guard posts, supply depots and other military infrastructure in population centers around the realm. He even taps into the rich resource of Gdanskian peasants, people who live outside the Free City itself but who are usually considered part of it and allowed to grow complacent in their freedom from military service. The Grand Mayor is none too pleased, but it’s just an emergency measure, and nothing to harm the city itself.
https://i.postimg.cc/sfbVhtzV/20190716135710-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/y8HsfcWt/20190716135805-1.jpg
The only thing keeping the High King from being overwhelmed by his self-imposed workload is the help of his dear mother, the former regent Elizabeth. Despite already being in her 70’s, she has stepped in as one of his son’s most trusted and competent advisors and the de facto caretaker of Krakow. Though she doesn’t neglect her own luxuries, of course, most of the funding given to her is well spent on construction projects around the capital, and Wladyslaw has no qualms adding to it.
https://i.postimg.cc/Hs5T4BWb/20190716140321-1.jpg
So great is Wladyslaw’s trust that he doesn’t even mind prioritizing the Queen Mother over the actual Queen Kinga, who seems to insist on naming one of her own sons as heir despite the obvious political fallout such a betrayal would cause. Elizabeth uses her sway over the Archpriest of Perun to arrange a divorce, and even seems to already have a new wife waiting in the wings.
https://i.postimg.cc/dQZFw4yg/20190716142115-1.jpg
The existence of such competent advisors convinces Wladyslaw to continue building his new bureaucracy based on the right, but also responsibility, of local governments to take care of their own matters.
https://i.postimg.cc/NM5cyxP9/20190716141449-1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/B6kG21dh/20190716141745-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/rpycTT19/20190716141752-1.jpg
In July 1489, the war in the south finally ends with a white peace for Moldavia as well. Moldavia too is badly devastated by the fighting, but equally lucky to get away without any permanent losses.
https://i.postimg.cc/x13YB8zC/20190716140832-1.jpg
In more positive news, the Yorkish rebels that the crown has now spent several decades supporting – after a certain point it just became a regular stop for Polish shipping – have finally felt confident enough to rise up in open revolt, and indeed, it doesn’t seem like the tiny ducal army is in any shape to fight them.
https://i.postimg.cc/hGCnPYMR/20190716141036-1.jpg
Farther south, Aquitaine is having quite a bad time, having lost much of its territory to Asturias, Andalusia and even Navarra, and still having to deal with Dauphine. Its neighbors really seem intent on totally dismantling it in its moment of weakness. Even worse, the lands ceded to Navarra and Andalusia include its most important Pyrenean forts, meaning that future invasions will be even easier and more destructive. Wladyslaw had briefly considered Aquitaine as an ally against Francia, but those plans are now a lost cause if they weren’t already.
https://i.postimg.cc/BbFfpn3J/20190716142444-1.jpg
In 1491, observers from Chernigov report that Rajasthani troops have marched into Iraq and taken direct control of the former vassal state. Whether this means that Rajasthan is planning to take a more active role in the west or is just cleaning up loose ends is hard to tell, but hopefully the latter.
Back home, at least, Wladyslaw has proven successful in averting any immediate rebellion or a new war. Among pretty much everyone but the nobles, but increasingly even them, he is recognized as a fair, levelheaded ruler, far less self-interested than his father and more open than his mother, legitimately devoted to what he sees as the well-being of the state. One could say that the government of post-Pact Poland is starting to look actually “modernized” rather than just “monopolized”.
https://i.postimg.cc/52bW5JRM/20190716143649-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/FH9wdZYr/20190716161905-1.jpg
His reputation as ‘the Lawmaker’ is very concretely seen in the founding of local courthouses with local laws, each with the right to turn to the capital and even the High King if truly necessary. It doesn’t hurt that the most contentious areas are all located along the coast and Wladyslaw is very much interested in expanding the Marynarka’s naval capacity.
https://i.postimg.cc/02pqJjZf/20190716144418-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/gk9WJ8yj/20190716144602-1.jpg
Dauphine’s opportunistic invasion of Aquitaine ends up backfiring, big time, as King Hugo II manages to turn the war around and force the annexation of the entire Noble Republic instead. However, this comes at a steep price, as the Aquitanian crown is declared bankrupt almost the very same day.
https://i.postimg.cc/htsWpYkQ/20190716145029-1.jpg
Bankrupt Aquitaine doesn’t get away so easily with conquering an entire imperial state right next to France…
https://i.postimg.cc/26qsjSVn/20190716151334-1.jpg
The Scottish front has been quiet for decades now, aside from the Yorkish rebellion, with the weak Christians too scared to attack a Polish ally. However, in June 1492, the King of Scotland calls for aid in his invasion of Ireland. Since Ireland isn’t part of the Empire, its allies are rather lacking, so even though the Polish army is still basically running on a skeleton crew, Wladyslaw agrees to dispatch a bit of help.
https://i.postimg.cc/CKKytN0P/20190716145346-1.jpg
The Marynarka carries General Nadbor and his army to Scotland, where they cross the straits and lay siege to the fort in Carrickfergus. The mortars of the flagship Radogost bombard the medieval castle mercilessly while the meager Irish army watches helplessly from around the capital, waiting its turn.
https://i.postimg.cc/q7Zfd3Mk/20190716150045-1.jpg
The fort and the army both buckle without much effort, and soon Dublin receives the same bombardment. Not only is Poland’s newfound use of artillery extremely satisfying, it’s also very effective when you just aim it correctly. The next generation of officers must be trained in the attitudes and techniques necessary to make use of modern cannons and firearms, not least where to shoot and when. Let “Bring Down the Thunder” be the motto of not just the artillery corps, but the entire military!
https://i.postimg.cc/wvSS1YmZ/20190716151022-1.jpg
That still leaves the English duchies, and the Mercian port town of Chester is next in line for a bit of thunder. While they're part of Francia, the actual subject of the war is Ireland, meaning that the Emperor has no grounds to get involved. Using this loophole of sorts to waltz right into imperial territory feels a bit like a picnic for the vengeful Poles. As the march continues towards Coventry, a second army under Elzbieta Kujawski is brought over as backup just to make sure the desperate Christians don’t try anything stupid, but it’s now just a matter of time until they submit to the Scottish demands. These easy victories serve as much-needed encouragement for the beat-up, slowly recovering army.
https://i.postimg.cc/zvK4W2wB/20190716160326-1.jpg
The long but relaxed war (as relaxed as war can be, anyway) ends in January 1497, the so-called High King of Ireland being forced to cede the vast majority of his realm to Scotland. Around the same time, the Yorkish rebels manage to enforce their claims and allow Scotland to annex that border province as well. Though forced on the back foot for the past couple of centuries, pagan Scotland is finally on its way to becoming the dominant force of the Isles once more.
https://i.postimg.cc/gcZCfr9W/20190716160601-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/K8JwnMTn/20190716161826-1.jpg
However, these news are utterly overshadowed by Andalusia’s outrageous claims of having discovered a city, or indeed a whole mountain of silver in the far west! Their stories of new lands and islands have already intrigued the Polish merchant class for years now, but been mostly dismissed by more cautious minds as insignificant wastelands and rocks in the sea if not mere mirages. However, this time they’ve actually brought back great riches as proof, including but not limited to a crown of diamonds and countless jewels with unknown markings that they’re parading around their capital for all foreign visitors to see. If this magical wonderland truly exists, being the first to discover (and ransack) it truly is a great boon to the Sultanate of Cordoba. The Asturians can only curse their luck for letting their rivals take the prize. Allegedly, settlement in this great distant land is already being planned, but any maps of the place are still a closely-guarded secret and the rest of Europe only has rumors to go on.
https://i.postimg.cc/hP8HtwPZ/20190716160721-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/RVxk999n/20190716160738-1.jpg
For all his progressive thinking, Wladyslaw seems to pay little attention to such distant fairytales. He’s more focused on making sure that everyone is committed to his internal reforms and that they don’t end up being forgotten as personal vanity projects after a few years.
https://i.postimg.cc/Ls57v8kG/20190716162304-1.jpg
Of course, it’s not always so easy. The nobility’s resistance to anything that doesn’t involve them is a constant thorn in his side, and many of them can’t seem to comprehend why he’d prefer to have competent “lowborns” in his cabinet over well-bred Polish nobles.
https://i.postimg.cc/1Xhj9cxZ/20190716162634_1.jpg
At the very end of 1499, Queen Mother Elizabeth passes away at the age of 84, generally very healthy but ultimately succumbing to the aftereffects of a seasonal epidemic. Despite being in fact an af Romerike from Scotland, she receives the sort of full royal burial at Bialaskala usually reserved for Lechowicz monarchs. It’s only a fitting farewell to the very first Queen Regent and undeniably the most influential Queen Mother so far, as well as another sign of friendship to the increasingly valuable Scottish allies.
https://i.postimg.cc/CK222pm5/20190716163151_1.jpg]
And thus the 16th century (AD) comes to an end. High King Wladyslaw II is 42 years old. Poland has had a bit of a rough patch following the ambitious changes made to its government and very society, but though things are looking up, it still remains to be seen how they’ll be judged by history. However, the borders and frontlines of Europe are just one thing: it appears that a whole new world of land to fight over and people to convert is opening up overseas…
https://i.postimg.cc/PJWFNphv/20190716164229_1.jpg
The Great Bulgarian Wrap-Up Screw-Up (1484-87)
Moldavia + Poland vs. Bulgaria + France + Italy + Liege + Normandy + Essex
Mere months after backing up Poland in the Antwerper War, Moldavia demands that it return the favor by helping conquer what’s left of Bulgaria. Poland is in no shape to do so, but accepts anyway, and the whole thing turns into a grueling grudge match with only occasional Pyrrhic victories. It ultimately ends in white peace for all sides but effectively humiliation for the Slavs, as even Krakow itself comes under siege.
Scottish-Irish War (1492-97)
Scotland + Poland vs. Ireland + Mercia + Wales
A nice change of pace after the above, this war of Scottish expansion sees Polish soldiers sail over to Britannia and walk from victory to victory against the vastly inferior enemy, conquering most of Ireland in the process.
https://i.postimg.cc/zDKQxMWD/20190716165159_1.jpg
Aquitaine’s position surrounded by enemies was unstable to begin with, and now a snowballing series of defeats has brought it close to total destruction. Poitou and Dauphine have been released, Poitou in Karling hands again (but about to be annexed by France) while Dauphine turned into a plain old duchy with some French nobody on the throne.
The Knights of Santiago were annexed by Savoy, and the Teutons are on their way out too.
Sardinia-Serbia has invaded Italy in hopes of taking the Ligurian coast, but while its home islands and African colonies remain safe for the time being, Italy is giving it quite the beating on the mainland.
The rising star Anatolia’s defeat and loss of a province at the hands of Syria seems to have broken some strange balance in region, sending Anatolia itself spiraling into internal revolt while the Muslims suddenly started fighting amongst themselves.
Chernigov continues to chew its way through Circassia. Vladimir has quite casually annexed the entirety of Yugra.
Have I mentioned that I really love the name of “Offensive Ideas”? And I’ll warn you ahead of time, I have some neat (?) ideas for Exploration after all, so I think I’m probably going to be a tyrant and pick it next, even if I'm the one who was originally a bit reluctant. Although, a disclaimer on that Sierra de la Plata event: Andalusia doesn’t actually have a single colony in the New World yet, they’re just hard at work exploring. It's just a matter of time, though.
But isn’t it nice to see that despite looking like the dominant power in Europe, picking dumb fights with Francia can still make us look like the underdog at times? :smalltongue:
Mod trivia: a lot of names in CK2 use some special letters that EU4 apparently isn’t equipped to handle, and when they get copied over in the conversion, this can lead to either scrambled or simply missing names as seen with “Battista”. They’re not a mechanical problem, but an occasional eyesore, so I try to go and fix them in the files whenever they show up.
SilverLeaf167
2019-07-16, 04:17 PM
Bonus: I used just a semi-important battle that I had all the necessary information on to test out this tool (https://n.bellok.de/wikibox/). Don't expect them to be a regular thing, but who knows, it could be fun if there's something especially major.
https://i.postimg.cc/VLVKD315/Battle-of-Postapin.png
SilverLeaf167
2019-07-17, 11:28 AM
Chapter #27: The Noble Republic (Wladyslaw II + Wolislawa, 1500-1510)
1 January, 1500
Even as tales of western riches set much of the population abuzz, High King Wladyslaw II doesn’t seem too convinced, or at least not interested. He still wants to keep expanding the Marynarka, though, including an ambitious project to make sure that every port has the facilities to dock and repair warships, with actual shipyards being concentrated in the larger towns. This even includes Poland’s much-neglected corner of the Black Sea, with a majority Khazar Jewish population. It's been remarkably safe and quiet for a long time now, but it’s too late to start building ships the moment you already need them. The Black Fleet will remain a secondary, but still ongoing project for some time.
https://i.postimg.cc/bvNmnH1P/20190717133209-1.jpg
Back in the capital, Wladyslaw also has to deal with ongoing resistance to his choice of heir. Though the now 22-year-old Wolislawa has proven to be a very talented, gregarious young woman with friends and contacts throughout the government, growing precedent isn’t quite enough to stop people from grumbling about having a woman as a military leader, a role which the Polish ruler has to fill. Female officers in Poland are in an odd position, as virtually all of them are given an education by their parents and then appointed straight to high-ranking positions without prior field experience because they aren't allowed any. Conscription is male-only, and so are most volunteer groups like the Warriors of Perun, but the idea of female conscription is also dismissed by all sides. Instead, the issue has prompted some officials, chief among them Crown Marshal Zofia Mazowiecki, to lobby mercenaries and others to accept female applicants who pass their muster, and even an all-woman company is said to be in the works. Perhaps they’ll have an effect on enemy morale.
But that aside, in the case of Wolislawa, Wladyslaw responds to the criticism by naming her a general and putting her in charge of the army stationed in Krakow.
https://i.postimg.cc/W179tfFS/20190717131312-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/gk8tb0GC/20190717132619-1.jpg
While the military really isn’t her specialty, she has the honor of overseeing the adoption of new formations and equipment. The crown army is aiming towards its goal to “Bring Down the Thunder” by adding a growing number of gunmen to its ranks.
https://i.postimg.cc/P5H3XkxP/20190717132806-1.jpg
The Kingdom of Aquitaine, once considered a great power, continues its painful decline as France annexes not only Poitou but the capital Bordeaux as well. With Aquitaine, Ireland and the knightly orders all on their way down, it won’t be long before the Francian states are really the only Catholic powers around.
https://i.postimg.cc/44KFw5qN/20190717133346-1.jpg]
Next door, Sardinia-Serbia’s ill-advised war against Italy comes to an end as well, costing all its valuable holdings on the peninsula. The state of Romagna is revived, but now as an imperial duchy… and the Pope still doesn’t get back Rome.
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The King of France passes away and his heir is elected as Emperor once more, this time with a much clearer 4-2-1 margin despite signs of unrest within the Empire.
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As Wladyslaw’s original rhetoric long ago proved so effective in outright converting Nordic worshipers, he's been supporting attempts to see if this could work on the rest of them as well. As this phenomenon spreads, the clergy – technically consisting of organized followers of the Archpriest rather than every priest in the country, and thus often a bit more conservative than average – is worried that while coexistence may be a central tenet of the Slavic Church, such strong and intentional blending of two faiths’ traditions risks diluting them both. Wladyslaw dismisses their concerns with a shrug, believing that it’s the best way to make the Danes stop clamoring for independence. The oddani aren’t happy either, worried that they might be the next in line.
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In a similar vein, in regions where minorities are too small and scattered to give official representation – such as the Germans around Hamburg and Lübeck, two increasingly vital ports – the crown bureaucracy is clumping them together with larger groups, which of course doesn’t immediately erase their culture or anything but can have wide effects on their language and customs over time. Some of them just choose to migrate to nearby Germany, earning some complaints from the German government that now has to deal with settling them.
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This isn’t the only consolidation going on: foreshadowed by his conscription of Gdanskian peasants, as of 1503, Wladyslaw has effectively integrated the Free City of Gdansk with the rest of the realm. It’ll still be led by a Grand Mayor and have great autonomy like it used to, but in his eyes the city’s special position is simply antiquated in light of Poland’s attention moving towards the west and the Baltic fading in importance. The Free City’s 600-year-long history doesn’t end here, but from now on, it’ll be more in line with other port towns, some of them already much larger than it is.
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To the east, Edessa and Jordan neatly partition Syria right down the middle. The Sultan flees west and makes his temporary capital in Alexandria, vowing to see his lands liberated one day, but he seems to be low on allies and high on enemies.
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However, far more importantly, January 1504 brings news from the west that might affect the entire continent: the recently elected Emperor has died before he could sire any children, making his closest heir the 14-year-old King Nino V of Italy who isn’t even out of his own regency yet. Larger-than-ever France is thus placed in a personal union under larger-than-ever Italy, creating the greatest Christian state in centuries (ignoring the Empire itself), all in the hands of a child. Poland has already faced France and Italy’s combined wrath in two wars, and if this union lasts, many others will do the same.
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Ironically, since a child can’t be elected Emperor, Francia itself ends up slipping back into Karling hands, but its history shows that the crown doesn't count for much if the Emperor’s subjects are stronger than him. The Prince-Elector of Essex disputes the whole mess as illegal and declares war on Italy-France out of some self-destructive principle, but it probably won’t amount to much.
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It’d be an exaggeration to say that the very idea of Italy-France gets Wladyslaw sick with worry, but it does seem oddly appropriate that the scarcely 47-year-old High King falls into bed without any visible illness but with very clear symptoms. His health weakens by the day even as he tries to keep up with his duties, and on the 16 April 1504, he finally breathes his last. Wladyslaw II ‘the Lawmaker’, Renaissance Prince, will be remembered as a determined, level-headed patron of arts and reform, but those reforms remain controversial, and the situation he leaves Poland in may be more precarious than it looks.
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The High King is dead! Long live High Queen Wolislawa!
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Proof of the merits of the inheritance system, Wolislawa too has been raised at court, growing into a cunning administrator with faith in her predecessors' policies, well-connected with a dossier on every current and potential advisor. Since her youth, she has also been called the fairest maiden in Krakow, yet she has failed or refused to marry before her coronation, believing that it would weaken her authority. Now that it’s behind her, she accepts an offer of marriage with an af Romerike prince, as long as he accepts his position as a mere consort. This Henry seems much less competent or even pleasant than Elizabeth before him, though, mostly interested in the great riches and opportunities that Krakow provides. There seems to be little love lost between the couple.
Henry isn’t the only one seeing opportunities in Wolislawa’s rise to the throne. Apparently a lot of nobles have been waiting for this day, expecting the young High Queen’s position to be shaky enough that she’d accept their demands. Representatives of Poland’s greatest houses – including of course Mazowiecki, Kujawski, Piast and Lechowicz itself – come to her with a “suggestion” for a system wherein the nobles are organized into local councils, similar to those of the other estates, and these councils are given total control over troops and taxation. However, to her ears this sounds like a blatant return to the most decadent kind of feudalism and the opposite of all that the last few generations have worked for. She proves more willful than expected, barely stopping short of arresting them as she orders the guards to escort them out of the castle.
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The enraged nobles immediately travel west, gathering more and more men along the way, but their intentions are obvious and Wolislawa right on their tail. Her own troops march after them at a steady pace, taking no aggressive action but making sure that the growing rebel army is unable to organize itself. Their long, dramatic march leads them all the way across Germany and over to Frisia, where they’re finally stopped by the ocean and the most fortified part of the entire realm. On the 22 September 1504, they decide to turn around and fight, only for Wolislawa to take charge of the much larger crown army. Almost 30,000 rebels and confused peasants are slaughtered in a one-sided bloodbath that puts the Warsaw Uprising of 1461 to shame. Though the nobles are meant to be captured and put on trial, many of them get killed when they're caught in the middle or just hit by a stray cannonball.
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The months-long “Westward March” has attracted the attention of all of Slavdom and shown the Polish nobility just what happens to those who step out of line. The whole stand-off started as feints and mind-games, and it's not entirely clear who first escalated things. The High Queen may feel content to go back home and focus on reforming agriculture or the navy or whatever, but now that noble blood has been spilled, not everyone is going to take it sitting down…
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Wolislawa paced around the throne room – her throne room – admiring the myriad pieces of history and art decorating it, as she often did. Wladyslaw’s favorite warrior statue was flanked by podiums bearing the Axe of Plusdwa, only raised in times of war, and the Immortal suit of armor, demoted to an ornament as it was custom-made for its original wearer and refitting it for every new ruler became unpractical. The Obsidian Axe and the Amber Crown, of course, were always on her person as the official crown regalia of Poland.
“Your Majesty, the honorable Lord Lyakhovich is at the gates,” came a voice from the front door. It was the grey-haired, sharp-eyed Zofia, her marshal and acting castellan whenever in town. She did a curt bow as the High Queen turned towards her. “He requests an audience with you.”
“Oh, Lord Lyakhovich?” It’d been almost a year since the Polish clans’ rebellion and the now-infamous Westward March, but there were still many nobles who weren’t even allowed inside the castle. The Grand Duke of Galicia-Volhynia wasn’t one of them: even as her own relatives turned against her, Wolislawa knew that she could trust the Volhynians, who had always kept to themselves but been the crown’s most loyal subjects for centuries. “Of course, let him in. I was just on my way to the temple.”
Even with countless temples big and small dotting Krakow and its surroundings, Wavel Temple had been built so that people could take care of their daily worship without ever leaving the safety of the castle. The long stone building's alcoves were filled with altars to various Slavic gods, and at the very back, Wolislawa raised a toast to Perun at the grandest altar of all. As she lifted the silver cup to her lips and swallowed the vodka inside, she felt the burning of the spirit in both senses of the word. Through her, the gods could taste the drink as well. She raised her eyes towards the skylight and prayed, paying no heed to the approaching sound of footsteps and a cane behind her.
“Your Majesty,” a raspy voice finally spoke from a safe distance away. Wolislawa turned around as if she’d only now noticed the Grand Duke. There was no one inside the temple besides them. Ivan Lyakhovich was an old warrior, and as so often happened to old warriors, he hadn’t aged too gracefully. Seeing as he couldn’t even walk unaided, he must’ve had a dire reason indeed to come all the way to the capital, not to mention the castle on the hill. They had only spoken through letters before now. “My congratulations on your coronation. Gods bless your reign.”
“Thank you for your kind words, Revered Elder. May Weles take his sweet time,” the much younger High Queen answered with a polite nod. “What brings you to my court?”
“I’m afraid it concerns the contemptuous events of last summer, Your Majesty.”
“Aah… Yes, indeed. A shameful crime against the crown, but at least those responsible have been punished. Have you information on a new conspiracy?”
“Conspiracy, she calls it…”
Silence. “…Excuse me?”
The old man sighed. “The reason I was sent to bring this message was in hopes that you'd at least listen to the words of a trusted ally, rather than turn things into another tragedy,” he explained in a steady voice, leaning on his iron-decorated cane with both hands. “We, the szlachta, come with a new proposal. Nay, a declaration, I should say.”
Wolislawa looked down and leaned on the altar, rubbing her temples. She was getting a headache already. “You too, Ivan?”
“Do not speak to me like that!” the Grand Duke suddenly raised his voice.
The High Queen turned around and flung her empty cup, striking a pillar and sending a clang echoing across the room. “You come to me with treason and have the nerve to expect etiquette!?”
“Treason? Treason!?” he kept yelling and pointed at her with his cane. “I care not for etiquette, I demand respect! What has our noble kingdom come to, that a loyal vassal cannot even speak and stand up for himself without being dragged to the chopping block!? You seem to have forgotten who you are, who we all are, as did the kings before you! Poland belongs to all the Poles, yet the day you’re elected, you suddenly stop being one of us and become one of… someone else! Someone above us! It goes against all that Poland stands for, and we will not stand for it!”
“So, what now!?” Wolislawa grabbed the handle of the axe on her belt. “Another march, another bloodbath? Or are you here to kill me yourself!?”
“I can see you’re in no mood to talk. Make no mistake, if I were going to slay a tyrant, here in front of the gods would be the place to do it,” the Grand Duke replied without flinching. “But I’m much too old, and I bring no men with me, so you know how much faith I have in our pact. Swing that axe at your own risk, girl. Kill this messenger, and the full weight of the Polish nation will come crashing over you. The High Queen is supposed to be part of the nobility, but because of your actions, we stand united against you. Or, you can stay your axe, and see what is to come.”
The Grand Duke hobbled out of the building, Wolislawa spitting some confused curses at his back but deciding not to chase.
Wolislawa and Henry watched from the best seats in the house as an endless caravan of people flowed into the courtyard. In the middle of the yard, the Magister of Warsaw was performing his fifth animal sacrifice in a row, the Archpriest having opted to stay out of the whole mess. The gathered nobles roared and cheered, and the rest of the crowd went with the flow and joined them, even though most of them didn't really know what was going on. The High Queen was supposed to be a guest of honor. However, she was too busy wondering what exactly was being created here.
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The nobles have bought out the largest, most ostentatious guild hall in the capital and turned it into a palace for their newly founded Sejm. The Sejm goes far beyond the previously demanded privileges, consisting of almost two hundred deputies from all over Poland chosen by the local Slavic nobility (and no one else) to represent them, allegedly styled after the meetings that the tribes used to have long before Lechoslaw first founded the kingdom. The Crown Council remains in the hands of the High Queen, appointed by her to run the royal government, but no laws affecting the nobility can be passed without the approval of both the Sejm and the Council. The thing is, the nobles seem quite happy to never change a thing, meaning that the crown will always be the one negotiating to get anything done. While the self-declared Sejm theoretically has no power beyond the sum of its members, it provides the entire nobility with a unified front that can very simply refuse to comply with anything it doesn't like, or even organize a countrywide rebellion. The nobles aren't completely unanimous in their resistance to reform, of course, and this will also reflect in the deputies; however, the clear majority of them are eager to put the High Queen back in her place, or at least stop the passing of any more destructive laws. Wolislawa has no choice but to accept this arrangement... for now. If anything, she should be glad they didn’t revolt already.
With the founding of this parliament of sorts, consisting of reactionary nobility, the "modernization" of the Polish government has taken one step forward and two steps backward. As it happens, the very first law that the Sejm demands is to ban any similar institutions from being founded. Wolislawa is more than happy to accept this one, seeing what a nightmare it would be if, say, every estate wanted its own. The law is quite vague, though, and similar countrywide networks already exist, just without official power in the government.
The Francian Empire once again develops in close parallel with Poland, the Karlings founding a reformed Imperial Senate mere months later. However, whereas the Sejm’s explicit purpose is to weaken crown authority, the Senate aims to grant it more legitimacy by giving the divided princes a place to represent and debate their views. Perhaps it could serve as an example to tun the Sejm into something positive.
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Ironically enough, the founding of the Sejm may end up working against the nobles, as it just makes them even harder to deal with and motivates the crown to bypass them entirely. Rather than relying on noble officers, Wolislawa is recruiting more and more professional soldiers and meczenniks instead, deciding that even heathens and foreigners seem more trustworthy than her countrymen these days. The non-noble estates are worried about the Sejm as well, giving her plenty of allies to work with.
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Partly to please one of those estates, her heir of choice isn't just the son of one of the few remaining “loyal” nobles, but also the nephew of the current Archpriest. In fact, the young Zygmunt is said to have some spiritual talent of his own. Which is good, because you really will need witchcraft to navigate the quagmire that Polish politics seem to have become…
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Wolislawa, for her part, is so frustrated by the Sejm sitting there all smug and superior that it drives her to drink. How’s that for tradition?
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Despite strong words of representing “all of Poland”, the Sejm’s true nature becomes obvious when they basically demand that every peasant in the country be turned into a serf, forever bound to their feudal masters without even the least bit of control over their lives. Well, they hide it under euphemisms and jargon, but that's basically what it means. Traditionally the peasants of Poland, while not exactly well-off, have at least been free to move elsewhere if they didn’t like their current lord, and usually owned their farms. The idea of serfdom is sacrilege against the very spirit of Polish freedom that they claim to protect, as Wolislawa proclaims loud and clear in front of the Sejm. She might let the nobles keep their current rights if they so terribly insist, but she will not budge an inch beyond. Their move.
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It’s not that bad. Not impressed.
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Even if the Sejm appears unready to follow through on its threats of revolt, it is successful in stopping any legislation on Wolislawa’s part, leading to something of a stalemate. Life goes on, almost normal on the outside, and the constant stream of nobles in and out of Krakow is actually a boon for the local economy. But speaking of stalemates, with the recent change in imperial administration, Moldavia seems interested in giving its last war another try…
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Westward March (1504)
Polish Crown vs. Nobles
After their suggestion of handing power to noble councils (allegedly a thinly veiled attempt at a coup) was refused by High Queen Wolislawa, a number of nobles set off into the countryside to build themselves an army, with the High Queen following close behind just to see what they’d do. When the two sides finally clashed, it was a crushing victory for the crown and utter massacre for the rebels. While that particular rebellion was decidedly over, it convinced the nobles that even more radical, organized resistance was required.
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Mercia’s dominant position in England was crushed when its neighbors allied against it, taking back not just the lands Mercia had previously conquered but its actual capital on top of it. Essex's war against Italy-France indeed ended in nothing but reparations on its own part.
Moldavia was once again granted a bunch of Francian land in someone else’s peace deal…
Edessa and Jordan’s arrangement didn’t last long before Edessa decided to invade Jordan with Arabian help. It's quickly growing into Anatolia's main rival in the region.
As you might imagine, our first choice of idea group has had a lot of influence on the roleplay as of late. With Aristocratic ideas the Sejm would be handled rather differently. Here’s hoping they cause more drama in the future. Also, it feels like the chapters thus far have been very short in terms of years, but I prefer not to cut down on detail when I happen to have it for once, as long as it doesn’t get too dragging. :smallsmile:
SilverLeaf167
2019-07-19, 10:42 AM
Chapter #28: Here’s Waldo (Wolislawa, 1510-1525)
9 October, 1510
The Sejm demands a say in matters of war, but Wolislawa probably wouldn’t bother asking if she didn’t already know they'll agree. The last war, the white peace and especially the two occupations of Prague are something of a national trauma for the Poles, and how else would they deal with trauma if not through revenge? Of course, the whole reason they can be so confident is that the actual perpetrators France and Italy aren’t even part of the war, having lost the imperial throne and thus their protective duty, but it still counts as revenge against Francia as a whole. It’s nice that the High King and the nobility can at least have a common enemy.
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Instead of France, Bulgaria is protected by Anatolia and its allies. However, despite the emperorship coming with the benefit of some taxes and levies gathered from the Empire, Anatolia is still a lot less threatening than France ever was. Not only is its army smaller, it's also worse trained and equipped.
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Controlling the Sea of Marmara is going to be critical. However, the Black Fleet is still a bit too small, so Wolislawa orders the Marynarka to be sailed all the way around Europe instead. It being the largest fleet in Europe, sailing through Francian waters also doubles as a grand parade of sorts. Just to assert dominance, the ships receive orders to sail well within vision of any coastal cities, knowing that they'll be too cautious to do anything about it.
Slavic troops march into Muntenia, Bulgaria and Adrianople with little resistance, but it turns out that this is because the enemy seems to be going for yet another attack on Bohemia. Luckily the Poles have learned from their mistakes almost 30 years ago, meaning that the border is much more strongly fortified and the Christians are crushed long before they can make it to Prague. The Poles are led by August Radziwill, a top student of this new generation of commanders, but while the Serbian general isn’t half bad either, he’s so badly outnumbered that there isn’t much he can do.
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Others move towards Frisia instead, ever farther from their actual homeland and hotly pursued by the Poles. Oddly enough, all these wars actually seem to be making Frisia’s oddani population more loyal to Poland: if they had any illusions of the other Christians being their friends or even saviors, those dreams keep being crushed as Francia indiscriminately bombards their homes and pillages their fields again and again. While it is arguably Poland’s fault that they’re always in the thick of the fighting, it nevertheless seems to make the oddani realize that, when it comes to war, your ruler is more relevant than your god.
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The rump state of Muntenia is the first to go, signing a separate peace for full annexation in November 1511.
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The fighting up north is a bloody game of cat and mouse as the Christians launch weak raids only to then retreat back into "neutral" lands, but in the south, the Slavs are making good progress into both Serbia and Anatolia itself. With Poland dominating the straits, the Anatolians are unable to move their troops in or out of Europe, letting Wolislawa – personally in charge of one of the armies – take her time on her way to the Karling capital Smyrna.
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It falls in April 1513, and the High Queen unleashes her full wrath on the richest city in Anatolia, letting her troops loot and ransack everything down to the royal castle while the Emperor himself is off leading a beat-up army gods know where. A lot of Karling treasures that weren’t evacuated in time (or kept in Charleroi) are shipped off to be displayed in Krakow as well.
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Farther west the Poles are fulfilling their age-old dream of occupying the Papal State, even if it isn’t the actual Vatican.
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Coincidentally but very appropriately, on 12 September 1514 – at the same time that “New Vatican” is besieged by the Slavs – something much more important in the long run is happening on the other side of Europe.
After centuries of dominating Western and Southern Europe and even being the driving force behind the founding of the Slavic Church, Catholicism has fallen into an awkward position. Despite failing to expand into pagan lands or Andalusia, the Catholic Church has managed to reclaim most of Britannia and Anatolia and even made gains in North Africa. However, while the fact that the Francian Empire includes almost every Christian state is obviously a matter of great prestige, the association of Christianity with the imperial government also serves to weaken the faith's moral authority and tie it too closely to secular politics. At the same time, though the Papacy-in-exile still functions in L'Aquila, Pope Leo X has been the fourth in a row to refuse to set foot in the Vatican as long as it remains in imperial hands, refuse imperial membership and feud with imperial princes. In fact, the Popes have been excommunicating people and calling crusades left and right, but none since the one for Frisia in 1347-54 have amounted to much (Slavs like to credit High Queen Grzymislawa with having broken the crusader spirit). Worse, even the Papal State's internal politics seem to remain firmly in the hands of meddling Francian princes, to the Pope's great frustration. The Empire's half-hearted attempts to replace him with the Patriarch of Constantinople have received even less attention and been largely ignored, especially while the rest of the Pentarchy remains firmly in Muslim hands and Constantinople itself has lost much of its appeal after being sacked ten times over.
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Though it may look like Catholicism is expanding, it's really just bulging to the sides as the Slavs apply pressure from the top, and the Muslims can still put up a stiff resistance as well. Christendom is actually much smaller than it was in its heyday before the rise of Islam, and all while the princes have scrambled to expand it, it's actually been crumbling from the middle. With the lack of a strong Papacy, much of its former authority has been left to the local bishops, and where they've failed in their tasks or exploited their position, old grudges have begun to smolder. The heresies that plagued Francia starting in the 9th century and briefly even put an Emperor on the throne have been desperately, violently suppressed, but never truly destroyed, and recently they've had one hell of a power vacuum to fill. As the clergy become foxes guarding the henhouse, yet the Pope is nowhere to be seen, heretical ideas must seem more relevant than ever.
As of today, nowhere is this rebellion more open than in rural England, namely Lancaster, where the supporters of the heretical monk Wolf Raleigh have stormed the streets of the ducal capital and declared it a fortress of Waldensianism.
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Wolf Raleigh denies any kind of leadership, calling himself a simple messenger of God and the truths laid out by Peter Waldo many centuries ago. Waldo himself was originally a wealthy merchant from Lyon who saw the error of his ways, gave his money to the poor and made apostolic poverty a central point of the movement named after him. The Waldensians now demand the redistribution of all church wealth, which they're already “enforcing” in Lancaster, but also disagree with the Catholics on countless theological questions. Not least among their sins are the denial of sainthood, Purgatory and various sacraments, the abandoning of Latin, and outright naming the Papacy the seat of the Antichrist. Even if this is far from the first heretical uprising of this scale, it is the first in almost 200 years, and it doesn't look like Catholic unity is in any shape to contain it. People all across Europe wait to see what happens next - some of them more nervously than others. "Francia is about to fall," the Poles chuckle and carry on with their business, having already seen this same farce countless times.
However, the capture of Lancaster serves as a rallying cry for underground sects elsewhere, and even though the Waldensians start out as a minority in any given area, the disillusioned populace is fertile ground for their anti-clerical message, leading entire provinces to convert en masse.
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Wolislawa’s troops rampage across Anatolia, occupying the whole kingdom and taking a little seaside vacation before peace is finally signed on 8 January 1515. Besides tiny little Bulgaria, the Emperor is forced to accept the annexation of much of his own country and the return of his previous conquests. There’s no doubt that Moldavia has truly reclaimed its status as the dominant Balkan power, even pushing across the straits for the first time. Of course, it’s been largely through happenstance, Francian foolishness and Polish help, but results are what matters.
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Even the Sejm is delighted, and meets with Wolislawa on unusually amicable terms to discuss their next move. The merchant guilds in the west, however, are getting increasingly impatient with their own demands and helpful suggestions being ignored, and have decided to take the exploration of the western ocean into their own hands. They’re the ones handling the shipping anyway, so why on earth did they need the crown’s permission or help to begin with? There’s no law stopping them from sailing past some arbitrary line in the water.
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And even though they haven’t actually found anything yet, they’ve already built up great expectations just based on the stories they’ve heard from other explorers. The details are still hazy, but apparently Andalusia and Asturias have been setting up large outposts and even prosperous towns on some islands off the coast of this new continent they refuse to clarify upon, and the Poles clearly hope to do the same.
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The guilds’ choice to lead the expedition is Janina Oginski, a ship captain who inherited her father's trading company and has spent the past several years drawing up accurate, widely used sea charts of the rocky waters around Scotland. On 14 May 1515, she sets sail from Amsterdam with a small fleet of three ships provided by the guilds: Kupala's Light, Lechoslaw's Legacy and her flagship Czech's Ambition, invoking the founding father of the Czech people who traveled west and found bountiful land for his sons. Each ship is loaded with supplies for a journey of unknown length, coin to trade with the peoples they hope to discover, and like most major vessels, a mage or two to summon good weather, heal sick sailors and divine the best course of travel. Their farewell party on the docks consists mostly of curious townsfolk and nervous investors, rightly wondering whether they'll ever see their money again. There's no way to know before the ships actually float back into port. If they do.
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A few months later, Duke Algernon Grey announces Waldensianism as his and his duchy’s new religion, apparently after Raleigh’s followers threatened to “redistribute” a little more than just church property if he didn’t comply. The movement is also starting to spread into the neighboring princes’ lands, raising the question of what exactly the Empire is going to do about it.
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What indeed. The Emperor is obviously weaker than ever after his recent beating, and the Poles decide to exploit this opportunity to push their own claims in Lotharingia, the other Karling kingdom, before the Christians can elect someone more threatening.
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Northern Lotharingia is nearly undefended, while the detached southern half has been in the hands of rebel nobility for years now. The Slavic attackers might end up “helping” Lotharingia by taking care of them, but oh well. This war is also a good opportunity to break off a chunk of the Palatinate, that insistent claimant to the German throne.
https://i.postimg.cc/m2Lq4Wp8/20190719121415-1.jpg
These recent wars have given the Polish command structure great practical experience in how to coordinate troops between not just multiple fronts, but basically multiple different militaries. The army might be a ragtag bunch of whoever is able and willing to fight, but the crown has been experimenting (so far inconclusively) whether it’s better to give the various groups their own areas of responsibility, or mix them together and make sure they mingle as much as possible. The soldiers themselves favor the former, of course, but the crown might prefer the latter to stop them from splitting into separate factions. Whatever the case, they’ve definitely been successful in building a collective identity, regardless of their origins.
https://i.postimg.cc/zfyYrYB9/20190719111817-1.jpg
Factions are still unavoidable, though, and the Sejm has in fact been demanding the retirement of the 59-year-old marshal Zofia Mazowiecki. They supposedly consider her too old and tired to take care of her duties, but it’s clear that they just hate her favored position close to Wolislawa and consider her one of the orchestrators of the Westward March and the ensuing massacre. Wolislawa, unsurprisingly, dismisses their claims out of hand, and seems to be souring in her attitude towards the Sejm once more.
https://i.postimg.cc/Vk5VSB8t/20190719121827-1.jpg
In retaliation, she cracks down on the nobles’ usual attempts to enlarge their property at the realm's expense. When she casually announces that there will be an “inspection” of noble lands around the border to check whose responsibility it is to defend each area, the nobles there actually rise up in armed (if unenthusiastic) resistance, knowing that she’s just trying to reveal the open secret that they’ve been expanding past their legal estates. Given the ongoing war, of course, those rebels are quickly handled by an army passing by, dispersed back into the countryside with relatively little bloodshed.
https://i.postimg.cc/vZjS5gYN/20190719123210-1.jpg
The Karlings use their sway over the ever-weakening Pope to make him call another Crusade for Frisia in June 1516. While similar announcements have been ignored for a while now, recent Slavic expansion seems to have frightened the Christians badly enough that they’re actually on war footing for once. However, while the Crusade earns Lotharingia a bit more sympathy, that’s about it, with no real help incoming.
https://i.postimg.cc/J4pF4Y9m/20190719122639-1.jpg
Military development continues unabated, firearms having become commonplace enough that the crown is even experimenting with the idea of more lightly armored cavalry using single-shot pistols as a sidearm.
https://i.postimg.cc/rsQfszZg/20190719123705-1.jpg
The war itself is progressing almost as an afterthought, though. As state after state falls under Slavic occupation (again), the Christians are too stubborn to make peace, but also too weak to actually fight back. Wolislawa, back in Krakow, is more than happy to just wait.
On 20 December 1518, Janina Oginski’s three ships suddenly show up in Amsterdam after not being heard of for over three years. Apparently they already made a stop in Szetland, but wanted to deliver the news in person. Some "attrition" has been caused by accidents, a close encounter with a monstrous white bear, and the usual illness that haunts every long voyage… including most tragically the fine captain herself.
https://i.postimg.cc/LXFC0cZk/20190719124720-1.jpg
However, Czech's Ambition has brought back a wealth of knowledge, if not necessarily actual treasure. The captain kept a detailed journal explaining precisely what was found in the west, supported by maps of her usual quality:
First of all, they discovered a mostly frozen landmass that they dubbed Bialyziemia, "white land", because it was very white and Iceland was already taken. It’s relatively close to Iceland, in fact, so they’re probably aware of it as well. While Oginski mentions in her journal that some fishing or whaling outposts would be plausible, the land itself seems completely barren and all materials would have to be brought from elsewhere. The fleet decided to keep heading west in hopes of something more interesting.
https://i.postimg.cc/kGnj7WsB/20190719125326-1.jpg
That's where they found the real highlight of the trip: livable land, with actual trees and animals and slightly less ice, assumed to be an island but actually part of a whole new continent! It was inhabited, too, but the natives of this wild land seemed to live in rather simple tribes not unlike the Poles some 600 years ago. The crew had already surmised their presence from signs of habitation along the coast, but first contact happened when they made landfall and ventured into the woods. Despite obvious nervousness on both sides and the lack of a common language, they managed to establish that they came in peace and were even invited to visit a small village. "Beothuk", the natives seemed to call themselves.
https://i.postimg.cc/KYMpfG4v/20190719125334-1.jpg
The Asturians had been telling tall tales of meeting some biblical hero-kings or lost tribes of Israel, so it was a relief to find that these natives were obviously and undeniably pagan. Oginski and company were happy to join in the Beothuks' rituals and celebrate through the night, even though they had no idea what was going on. They spent almost a month on this island replenishing their stocks and mingling with the natives, who seemed to recognize the basic idea of currency but preferred to barter for practical goods like clothes and especially metalware, which was completely new to them. After that, Oginski wanted to explore a bit more of the coast, which is where the unknown illness seized her. The crew decided to turn back, but they didn’t make it far before she was already gone, buried at sea in a fitting ceremony to her matron goddess Kupala.
With the aid of simple sign language, Oginski managed to glean that the name of the Beothuk homeland was Amatica, and as her journal is posthumously published and spread across Europe to validate Poland's claim to the region, this will become the most widely recognized name for the whole continent. It'll be too late by the time anyone realizes that mamateek is just what the Beothuk call their conical tent-houses. Her crew recommends that Poland establish trading outposts and good relations with its pagan brethren as soon as possible. They were ultimately no different than, say, the tribes of northern Vladimir. What they saw of Amatica was a bit chilly, yes, but teeming with fur animals and fish, and they believe that the mainland may hide far greater riches similar to the Mountains of Silver in the south.
The guilds' new "Chamber of the Colonies", scrambling to organize itself, is all too happy to comply. Ships start heading west along the course plotted by Oginski, and the first cabin on the beach is quickly followed by another. The Beothuk are taken aback by the sudden influx of people, but give them a cautiously warm welcome, and the first mate of Czech’s Ambition is appointed as the Polish ambassador. In honor of the late captain, the first Polish settlement in the new world is given the name Janigród, while the nearby sea gulf is named Gulf of Oginski. Slavic colonialism has taken its first enthusiastic steps.
https://i.postimg.cc/fLsCvY6B/20190719135657-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/CLwyKq5C/20190719111935-1.jpg
Many dismiss the whole idea of “peaceful coexistence” with the natives as simply naïve. This whole idea that Poland is the friend of all pagans is entirely a recent fabrication of the Moscow Pact era, a pact which was created by centuries of warfare, conquest and subjugation against other pagans first and foremost. However, fake or not, the concept of Poland protecting all pagans while also being “tolerant” of other religions has become a central part of its cultural identity, or at least how the government and city dwellers like to see it. It’s also a good way to keep a door open for new information and ideas from abroad.
https://i.postimg.cc/VsRGDHsM/20190719130540-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/tCvrHZx4/20190719130559-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/fL7248xG/20190719130603-1.jpg
Speaking of ideas, though, the Poles seem to have quickly dismissed the idea of lighter armor and guns due to simply lacking the oomph that they expect from a good cavalry charge. Instead, they’ve gone even farther in the other direction, making their weapons (https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1bXV6XjfguuRjSszcq6zb7FXaK/Mount-Blade-With-Fire-and-Sword-Winged-hussar-art-poster-Print-Silk-Fabric-Wall-Decor.jpg_640x640.jpg) and armor (http://www.ancientpages.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/wingedhussarsfeatured.jpg) heavier than ever to the point of being truly bulletproof, and even adding ornamental wings on the back to make them look big and monstrous. Of course, stronger horses will also have to be bred to carry such metal behemoths. While Christian Europe abandons its medieval knights – now, those were at least respectable – in favor of cheap mass-produced cavalry, Poland’s “winged hussars” will grow all the more feared and renowned.
https://i.postimg.cc/xT1s7yqZ/20190719130543-1.jpg
The prolonged state of war is clearly causing paranoia in parts of the country, though, especially in parts where Christianity is more prominent. When people talk about "conversion work", in Poland or anywhere else, they tend to mean a mix of displacement, legal restrictions, surface-level formalities and relatively few actual converts, and not all of them settle in so easily. To the Slavic Church, magic and so-called witchcraft are an important part of everyday proceedings, but the recently or not-at-all converted people of Breda have trouble telling the difference between good and bad magic. Bad or “dark” magic, of course, is magic used to commit criminal acts or gained from forbidden sources, but the Christians are used to thinking of witchcraft as synonymous with bad, and after some suspicious crop failures, they’ve started to hunt down anyone they think looks like a witch, whatever that means. The last thing Poland wants is for the oddani to start persecuting the majority rather than the other way around, so Wolislawa obviously has to put her foot down and stop this nonsense. With a royal decree and threat of torture for anyone found to be lynching any mages, she seems to be successful. They're a valuable resource, damn it!
https://i.postimg.cc/MZd5yMtm/20190719133438-1.jpg
The Karlings finally accept their defeat in March 1520, ceding the entirety of their Atlantic coastline (as well as a piece of the Palatinate to Germany). This includes the port of Calais, right at the spot where the English Channel is at its narrowest, making it a highly strategic location for war and trade alike. Especially with that aforementioned England seeming more unstable than ever, Poland has become the clear master of the Channel, all the better to handle its nascent colonial empire (?).
https://i.postimg.cc/XqHg3mXz/20190719134249-1.jpg
Things are clearly looking up for the Slavs once more. At the same time, since most of Sardinia-Serbia’s army was trapped and wiped out, Andalusia has decided to take this chance to invade its African holdings. The Slavs are generally happy to root for the Muslims before the Christians.
https://i.postimg.cc/mDSwpt4R/20190719134708-1.jpg
Constant tensions between crown and Sejm are still disrupting the government and trying to whip up rebellion, though. Despite resisting the nobles on every major issue, Wolislawa has no choice but to give them many of the lesser government posts that they demand. Of course, she tries her best to do this in a way that’d tie the nobility to their offices and make them easier to control, rather than the opposite, but that may be easier said than done.
https://i.postimg.cc/KvW5H66K/20190719135042-1.jpg
The settlers in Amatica are getting off to a good start, having triumphantly sent back their first ship full of expensive furs and invited a new wave of settlers to join them. Meanwhile, the Sejm with its expanded offices is trying to find backchannels to control the crown army, which includes writing up its own military budget each year. While the High Queen has no real reason to care about the Sejm’s opinion on such matters, the idea of more rigorous bookkeeping isn’t bad at all, and she actually orders her council to start using their own adjusted versions of these same budgets.
https://i.postimg.cc/rFsJgVPX/20190719135755-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/rwt9XhTf/20190719135912-1.jpg
Exploration of the long coastline discovered by Oginski continues, but her successor Sambor Tarnowski seems to be a lot more militarily minded, being a former Marynarka officer after all. When he inevitably gets into a spat with some of the locals farther south, his response isn’t to try and make peace, but return with weapons to burn their down their village and loot what little he can get from their longhouses and tents. It seems likely that even if the Poles try to maintain good relations with the natives, it’ll inevitably involve some degree of hypocrisy and favoritism.
https://i.postimg.cc/tT9d6pxc/20190719141125-1.jpg
Looking at matters closer to home, the Waldensian revival is starting to look like it’s come to stay. In the ten years after Wolf Raleigh took over Lancaster, he himself has developed something of a cult of personality while his movement has been massively successful all over England, which was always a bit separate from the rest of Francia and the Church. Whether due to threat of rebellion or the benefits of a weakened clergy, the majority of dukes there have embraced the Waldensian sect. This includes the Prince-Elector of Essex, causing an even greater stir in Francian politics and heated debates over whether a heretic can even be allowed to hold such a position – and if not, who could replace him? It’s not a purely English phenomenon, either, mass conversions having already occurred in parts of France and Aquitaine as well. The name of the “Heretic Rekindling” has been adopted by both sides… but while the heretics see it as a flame of cleansing and hope, to the Catholics, it looks more like a spreading wildfire.
https://i.postimg.cc/hv5VNm5F/20190719142512-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/ZqtxTrK4/20190719142456-1.jpg
The Poles are more than happy to watch these fires burn as they sail past England in their new and improved cargo ships, designed to carry men and goods to and from their growing colonies beyond the ocean. The zealous Waldensians actually seem even less open to Polish trade and diplomacy than the Catholics were, but luckily the Scots are friendly as ever.
https://i.postimg.cc/prTD0CkY/20190719143634-1.jpg
Speaking of colonies and trade, Captain Tarnowski reports back with a huge collection of sea charts and maps. As he sailed south among the Amatican coast, he found some of those Andalusian and Asturian colonies that everyone's been talking about. They were surprised to say the least when they saw Polish ships in their harbor, but Tarnowski managed to hold his mouth for once and engage in a bit of peaceful trade with them, which is even where he got a lot of these maps. Neither Iberian state has yet to settle the mainland, but their island colonies look prosperous indeed, dotted by vast plantations of sugar, coffee and tobacco, all manned by native and African slaves. Asturias has fallen a bit behind, but Andalusia’s commitment to western expansion is so great that it’s already founded a viceroyal wilayah to govern the island chain it has named the Zanaras (Caribbean). On that note, the southern continent has been named Alcadra and is connected to Amatica by a narrow isthmus, beyond which lies even more ocean. What else, no one knows…
https://i.postimg.cc/B6NTck5n/20190719145620_1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/s2Y91vvS/20190719144259-1.jpg
2nd Moldo-Bulgarian War (1510-15)
Moldavia + Poland vs. Bulgaria + Muntenia + Anatolia + Sardinia + Serbia + Bosnia + Papal State + Pisa
Since the King of Anatolia had taken France's place as the Francian Emperor, Moldavia saw it as a good time to give the conquest of Bulgaria another try. With Polish help, it was a great success, and every enemy country bar overseas Sardinia and Pisa was fully occupied by the end of it. Bulgaria was finished off, but the brunt of the territory taken was actually from Anatolia, which lost its regional dominance in one fell blow.
Conquest of Flanders (1515-20)
Poland + Germany vs. Lotharingia + Palatinate + Anatolia + Sardinia + Serbia + Pisa
Almost immediately after, Poland seized the opportunity to seize the rest of its claims in Lotharingia. The war was fought against mostly the same opponents, all of whom were so exhausted that they put up even less of a fight. However, the enemy leaders were able to hide in other parts of the Empire, only agreeing to Poland's terms after they finally accepted that the Crusade they called was in vain and no aid was on its way.
https://i.postimg.cc/9X8P43Fx/20190719153234_1.jpg
With the rise and fall of Mercia, York and Wessex (both now Waldensian) are competing to take its place. Meanwhile, London has been taken by Kent and Munster has eaten up most of what remains of Ireland. All three Waldensian Centers of Reformation are in England...
Savoy has conquered most of Dauphine. Navarra of all countries is expanding into Aquitaine. Italy-France has almost managed to push Greece off the peninsula.
Sardinia-Serbia and its allies have managed to make a comeback, having already annexed most of Tripoli and now occupying a growing part of Andalusia.
Arabia has finally made its first long-awaited conquests in the past century, taking Jerusalem among other provinces from Jordan and Syria.
Chernigov and Vladimir seem to be taking turns repeatedly invading Mongolia, only to take none of their land, all while Rajasthan keeps pushing up from the south.
A lot of major historical events in one chapter, all of which I wanted to give the attention they deserve. Don’t know what expectations (if any) you had for the Reformation in this game, but was this one of them? :smalltongue:
I also decided to take the leap and go all-in with alternative names for the Americas themselves, which is always a risk given how long and often I’ll have to keep using them. Sure is a lot A’s over there, though. Andalusia, Asturias, Amatica, Alcadra… “Mamateek” I just came across while reading about the Beothuk, while Alcadra is a corruption of “green” in Arabic.
Another slightly longer pause here (by recent standards), since I'm going into the woods for a week.
IthilanorStPete
2019-07-20, 08:00 PM
Time for the Reformation and colonialism...yay? :smalltongue: I'm curious to see what sort of colonial empire you create; seems like it'll be tricky to get American Amatic trade flowing back to Poland.
SilverLeaf167
2019-07-28, 05:16 PM
Chapter #29: Cat's Out of the Bag (Wolislawa + Zygmunt II, 1525-35)
1 January, 1525
Despite the amount of attention and emphasis given to the Polish artillery as of late, it’s actually been surprisingly small and unrefined until now. For instance, through a lot of very tragic trial and error, it’s only now been decided that cannoneers should be trained and hired as a profession of their own rather than conscripted from the peasantry like everyone else. At the same time, the so-called Engineer Corps should also practice other aspects of siege warfare like digging, infiltration, detonation and field defenses. Of course, all these ambitious goals and plans for the military aren’t happening in a vacuum, and every time that Wolislawa announces some new project, somebody has to arrange the infrastructure, the funding and most importantly the people for it. At the moment, there’s a massive recruitment drive going for both these cannoneers and the previously introduced winged hussars. The Crown Army might be the largest in Europe and all that, but it has learned the hard way that it’s often forced to split up across three or more fronts at once, and must be large enough to hold all of them.
https://i.postimg.cc/nr0gKhQT/20190728002344-1.jpg/img] https://i.postimg.cc/MKHF2xB2/20190728002350-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/MKHF2xB2/20190728002350-1.jpg
Speaking of wars, following Anatolia and thus Francia’s two humiliating defeats at the hands of Poland, the Emperor’s noble vassals – many of them sorely disappointed crusader lords who originally came to fight the Muslims – have blamed him for these failures, risen up in rebellion and actually moved to besiege Smyrna themselves. The Emperor hardly has any men left to defend himself, and is quickly overrun and forced to escape to Rhodes to avoid capture.
https://i.postimg.cc/VNQGCCVm/20190728003612-1.jpg
However, as it turns out, the crusaders haven’t been the only people moving to Anatolia. A great number of Cathars forced into hiding have also been migrating to its isolated mountains and islands, only to now finally reveal themselves. On 5 September 1525, Cathar mobs rise up in rebel-controlled Smyrna and Iconion in a clear imitation of what happened in Lancaster. Inspired by the Waldensian revival, they are looking forward to similar success.
https://i.postimg.cc/dVTN3Bn5/20190728003508-1.jpg
They feel a certain kinship with the Waldensians due to their shared struggle against the Papacy, but their doctrines are wildly different. Unlike the Waldoes, whose main complaints are against the institutions of the church but who still hold the same basic beliefs, the Cathars are so radical that many people consider them barely even Christian. Their only distant cousins are the Bogomilists, heavily persecuted over in neighboring Greece. While something like the Holy Trinity is a mainstream Christian idea, Cathars believe that the Gods of the Old and the New Testament are literally two different ones, evil and good respectively. Humans are the spirits of angels created by the good God, trapped in the material realm created by the evil God, destined to keep reincarnating until they can purge themselves of sin and escape their fleshy prisons.
As angels are obviously genderless, the Cathars believe in a degree of gender equality and even allow female priests, unprecedented in Abrahamic faiths. Though Cathars see Jews and other non-Christians as worshipers of the evil Old Testament God, they also condemn the hierarchy within the Catholic church and prefer their own minimalist split into Cathars and everybody else. Seeing as Catharism has survived in isolated communities for centuries now, it can only be assumed that it's loosened its strict ban on procreation for one. Judging from their current and past behavior, they’re not taking their ban on violence very seriously, either.
https://i.postimg.cc/DZ5BHYyw/20190728004154-1.jpg
For such a mob of pseudo-pagans to take control of the imperial capital is of course a massive scandal, and a sign of just how low the Catholic Church has fallen. At the same time, Waldensianism is gaining ground among the oddani of Germany and Poland as well, which is fitting, seeing as they operate without much Papal contact to begin with. Some heretics from across the border might even make the bold leap of seeking asylum in pagan lands. From the Slavic point of view, these sectarian squabbles seem quite irrelevant, and as long as they keep their end of the deal and don’t try to convert any pagans, the crown really couldn’t care less. If anything, cutting the Pope out of the deal is actually pretty convenient.
https://i.postimg.cc/SQDvvjJf/20190728004718-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/TPVkq3zm/20190728005211-1.jpg
As Catharism starts to spread throughout Anatolia, the Emperor reaches a humiliating deal with his vassals so they can focus on the new threat, but the country descends into chaos once more as the Emirate of Edessa finally considers it weak enough to invade in January 1527. In fact, Wolislawa is quite fascinated by the idea of allying with a strong Muslim power like them, as they have far fewer grudges with Poland and more mutual enemies. However, working with Edessa might annoy both Moldavia and Chernigov, so she has to look elsewhere. Only a few weeks later, she hears that Andalusia’s hard-fought war against Sardinia-Serbia has ended in small but significant gains after a naval invasion of the enemy capital. She may have found her ally…
https://i.postimg.cc/gjStXtfT/20190728005529-1-kopio.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/zXy027mq/20190728005529-1.jpg
Looking to push back against Francia, and encouraged by the friendly welcome Cpt. Tarnowski got on his visit to the Zanaras, Wolislawa suggests a military pact between Poland and Andalusia – the only official alliance, perhaps the first ever, between Poland and a non-pagan power. The Sultan is more than happy to put aside any lingering concerns about naval supremacy if he can align himself with the greatest power in Europe. Some in the Sejm are outraged by such unprecedented deals being made without their approval, but Wolislawa is just looking forward to carving up Amatica and Alcadra with the Muslims, which will definitely go down without a hitch in perfect understanding.
https://i.postimg.cc/CKsNn68s/20190728010011-1.jpg
In September 1527, that Cpt. Tarnowski meets a fate not much unlike his predecessor Oginski, dying from an unknown disease that he caught from some hairy natives captured to bring back for display. He is replaced by Gaudenty Gryf, a representative of the Janigród colony looking to expand its influence. Not much later, Zofia Mazowiecki, one of Wolislawa’s closest friends and advisors, finally passes away at an old age, only to be immediately replaced as Marshal by her son Gaudenty Mazowiecki.
And most importantly, on 23 April 1529, the 51-year-old High Queen Wolislawa herself goes to feast with Perun, also succumbing to whatever sickness she caught while last inspecting troops in the field. Throughout her varied reign, which saw the still-infamous Westward March, the founding of the Sejm, the discovery of Amatica and multiple very successful conquests, she took an extremely personal role in war and politics alike and thus remains understandably controversial as well. Her subjects are certainly wondering if her successor will be any more or less willing to work with them.
https://i.postimg.cc/wjh5nbwY/20190728011832-1.jpg
The High Queen is dead! Long live High King Zygmunt II!
https://i.postimg.cc/VLtXbVQ0/20190728012139-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/KYGTwcKt/20190728012143-1.jpg
(I later fixed his regnal number to match)
Once considered a fledgling mage, Zygmunt II’s spiritual talents seem to have faded as his studies shifted more towards governance, but he’s become a very skilled and learned politician instead, especially when it comes to twisting words and thus the minds of others. Indeed, some say that his speech itself is a form of sorcery. However, this very reputation and Wolislawa’s many, many scandals also provide plenty of fodder for others to dispute the legitimacy of his coronation. One such claimant is his cousin Swietoslaw, who raises a mercenary army in Pomerania and proclaims himself High King, claiming that the boy used his magic to manipulate the addle-brained tyrant into selecting him. 1529 is thus the year of the very first “succession war” in Lechowicz history.
https://i.postimg.cc/G3Vkt1N1/20190728013031-1.jpg
It’s not a very large army, though. Zygmunt rides out at the front of his own troops to crush the rebels, legitimize his rule and imprison Swietoslaw deep beneath Wavel Castle. Even if he himself isn’t that popular, no one especially likes Swietoslaw either, so his little uprising was doomed from the start.
https://i.postimg.cc/ZKNMjmyT/20190728013705-1.jpg]
As Zygmunt rides triumphant back into Krakow, he declares that the next cloaking will be kept in just a few months, now with all the pageants and ceremonies of the first one back in 1444. In the end, his heir of choice is Grzymislawa, one day to be Grzymislawa II, and not just on her own merits but also because the competition seems particularly weak this time. Maybe because the nobles didn’t know to prepare?
https://i.postimg.cc/nz5QXv31/20190728013511-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/Xvs5bMFm/20190728013610-1.jpg
(The monarch stats I kept getting from this event were frankly a bit too high, so I slightly lowered their average)
In 1530, Janigród is still just a little village of a few hundred residents, but already prosperous and a suitable outpost for further expansion. The waters around the island have been found to be extremely rich in fish, too. In fact, the number of preserved fish being shipped back home is already so great that it’s having a real effect on prices in Europe, but luckily Poland is also the largest producer of salt, which is now in high demand, so it pretty much evens out.
https://i.postimg.cc/t4HmMchF/20190728121517-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/FKTW1swx/20190728121532-1.jpg
In any case, more settlements are already being founded on the island. It and its surrounding regions have been named Buyania by some more poetically inclined Poles, comparing it to the legendary island of Buyan that appears and disappears with the tides and houses the Northern, Western and Eastern Winds as well as many riches. Basically, it’s a more appealing way to say that it’s cold and windy but better than it looks.
https://i.postimg.cc/6p3GtWLK/20190728132432-1.jpg
In July 1530, Andalusia declares war on Murcia, a small imperial “crusader state” that has been a thorn in its side for over a hundred years now. Anatolia, presently under full Edessan occupation, is too weak to even try and interfere, but Murcia is still under Asturian protection, effectively making them the real enemy in this war. For whatever reason, the Sultan doesn’t deign to ask Poland for backup, apparently assuming that he can handle this on his own.
https://i.postimg.cc/VNZgmZbG/20190728122459-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/XJZ8JKfV/20190728122908-1.jpg
Francia keeps getting more things to worry about, as the Heretic Rekindling branches out yet again 1 February 1531. Out of their heretic brethren, the Lollards are more like the Waldoes than the Cathars. They are rather fundamentalist in a sense, believing that the Bible as written is the only legitimate source of dogma, which means dismissing large swaths of later Catholic canon (from Purgatory to celibacy to even sainthood), but their actual interpretation of the scriptures is open for debate and far from set in stone. They agree with the Waldensians on most theological points and their opposition to the secular power of the clergy, but seem to be put less emphasis on the whole poverty angle and more on the monarch as the highest head of the church. This is probably why King Bertrand III seems so willing to declare Lollardism the official state religion of Carinthia, giving him an excuse to break with the Pope and confiscate much of the church's property for himself.
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With Essex becoming Waldensian, Anatolia teetering on the edge of Catharism and now Carinthia embracing heresy entirely of its own accord, almost half of the seven electors have been compromised with new, aggressively expanding religions establishing themselves not just on the brims but in the very center of the Empire. The reign of Emperor Albino II, an era of external and internal weakness, military and religious humiliation, is already being vilified as a real low-water mark of Francian history, which is saying something. The authority of both the Pope and the Emperor is so weak that apparently even kings don’t think twice about abandoning the Catholic Church for personal gain. Even if Waldensianism just started as a local fad, it certainly seems to have opened a continent-sized can of worms. It’ll only get worse from here, though: despite plenty of fighting on the local level, there has yet to be a single real “religious war” in the aftermath of the Rekindling, but many believe that they’re sure to come.
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Maybe it wouldn’t be such a crisis if they were used to being more multi-religious to begin with. On Poland’s end, its new enthusiasm for shipping and production is paying great dividends for merchants and tax collectors alike, and these divisions in the formerly unified Christian bloc are easy to exploit as imperial trade deals break down and princes are forced to turn to new markets for an edge against their neighbors. The industries reaping the greatest benefit are of course the shippers and shipbuilders themselves, as dock facilities are expanded and large manufactories founded for the production of cloth, rope, timber and other naval supplies, eventually benefiting other parts of the economy as well.
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Of course, like everything in Poland, the military wants its own piece of these new developments. The army is building and commissioning its own manufactories to produce a newly developed type of firearm, more powerful and convenient than the previous arquebus (which is admittedly a pretty low bar). Rather than having to ignite every shot manually, the so-called matchlock mechanism (https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c3/cb/93/c3cb935c918c7b93225ed687333bca12.jpg) has a slow-burning piece of cord that can be reused again and again to fire several shots.
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In April 1532, Germany invites Poland to join its little war against Augsburg and a couple other minor imperial states. Anatolia is still unable to join. It’s already very one-sided, but King Wojciech II explains that he was hoping for Zygmunt to take care of overseas Essex, given Germany’s comparatively small navy.
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Zygmunt is happy to comply. Unfortunately, London isn’t actually controlled by Essex at the moment, so the Poles don’t get a chance to sack the richest city in England. Chelmsford, a major center of Waldensianism, will have to do, as General Dytryk Sanguszko easily crushes the Essexian army and lets his troops loose on the city.
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The war ends in April 1533 with the quick annexation of Augsburg.
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Over in a different war, the Emperor and his army have long since been forced to retreat into Constantinople, but his navy has been strong enough to control the straits and stop the Edessan-Arabian alliance from following. He can only hold out for so long, though, and in July 1533 his evacuated treasury finally runs dry and he defaults on his loans, forcing him to sign a devastating peace. Albino II gives up almost half of all his territory, and the Imperial Senate convenes without him to discuss whether the laws could be amended to allow forced abdication after all.
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Interestingly, the ceded territories also include Iconion, the iconic center of Catharism, putting that particular heresy in peril. Of course, there’s a chance that Edessa will be more like Poland and actually treat the Cathars better than the Catholics did. Not just that, the strange religion has also spread into other parts of Anatolia, and even beyond: the Republic of Pisa (more like Crete) even votes to become the first officially Cathar country, naming itself the new haven of Catharism should Iconion fall.
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Cpt. Gaudenty Gryf dies at sea in April 1534, apparently of yet another disease, but has already brought Poland a great deal of knowledge about the southern Atlantic Ocean. This includes much of the Alcadran coastline, very long but sparsely populated as already reported, but also parts of Africa that Poland was only distantly aware of until now.
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The north is largely Muslim, but the south seems – wouldn’t you know it – pagan. The most notable pagan state so far is certainly Kongo, and since many of the local merchants know Arabic, Gryf was able to communicate with the help of an Andalusian crewman of his own. Kongo considers itself what Europeans would call a republic, but to Gryf the so-called “Lord Protector” looked like nothing short of an absolute monarch. While there’s a lot of interesting resources in the area, not to mention slaves, there are no immediate plans to exploit it due to the great distance, the inhospitable climate and the limits of the colonial budget. Still, it’s good to keep an eye out for any other Europeans trying to do the same.
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In December 1534, Andalusia’s war ends with the full annexation of Murcia, once more part of the Sultanate where it belongs. Of course, most of the locals have been either replaced with or made into Christians, and they’re unlikely to accept this reunion on historical grounds alone.
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And then, after only six years on the throne, High King Zygmunt II too succumbs to disease and dies on 11 July 1535. It’s the tragic truth of the world that the most basic illness can claim the greatest man, even with the healers doing everything they can. Zygmunt’s reign was the shortest in a while, though, and while some people still didn’t quite accept him, he also managed to avoid any major scandals of his own and even repair a lot of the “damage” done by Wolislawa in terms of his stable relationship with the Sejm. His successor is unusually young, potentially promising a long reign but also an inexperienced ruler.
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The High King is dead! Long live High Queen Grzymislawa II!
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Conquest of Augsburg (1532-33)
Germany + Poland vs. Augsburg + Essex + Normandy
A short and unremarkable war while the Emperor was too busy to interfere. Germany invaded the tiny Duchy of Augsburg and crossed France to get into Normandy, whereas Poland shipped an army into Essex, getting an excuse to plunder and test out its newly expanded numbers. The whole war ended in Slavic victory after almost exactly a year with little real resistance from the enemy.
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York is in the grips of civil war, as a small group of nobles forced the Duke to readopt Catholicism (despite Waldensians being in the majority by now) and thus gave a pretender the opening to raise an army to claim the title for himself.
Most of southern Lotharingia has been either conquered by Lorraine or broken off as the Duchy of Bar.
The region around Bavaria and Austria is in constant flux, with the Bishopric of Salzburg currently ruling most of the former but already struggling with separatist rebels. Pannonia, [i]technically a Slavic country if you count long-lost Christian cousins, has mostly entrenched itself as the strongest country of the Carpathian basin, even controlling the rich city of Wien.
After being beaten in Africa, Sardinia-Serbia is steadily losing more and more land to Tripolitanian separatists.
Rajasthan has finally annexed Armenia as well. Despite the lack of wars so far in the region, it’s clearly on hostile terms with Chernigov, Arabia and even Poland, while guaranteeing the independence of Edessa and the last scraps of Circassia.
Almost everything we know about the Cathars is in the context of their persecution and eventual extinction, but what I’ve read about them really is kinda fascinating. And bizarre. For something cooked up in the 12th century, it all sounds really New Age to me, or perhaps Scientology. :smalltongue: Something about them makes it hard to imagine them as the official religion of any major country, but if they’re willing to be less strict about some of their ideas (such as, yes, celibacy for all - apparently to stop more people from being born and allow their souls to go free instead), I guess they’re not inherently weirder than anyone else.
As a random side note: EU4 represents artillery in regiments of 1000 just like infantry and cavalry, but historically speaking even large and advanced armies would count their cannons in the dozens at most, definitely not thousands. Even Napoleon – very late in the era and with massive numbers in general, known for his abnormal focus on artillery – only had about 200 cannons per army IIRC. Besides just being a gameplay abstraction, you can think of it as a representation of all the logistics needed to move and supply them.
Time for the Reformation and colonialism...yay? :smalltongue: I'm curious to see what sort of colonial empire you create; seems like it'll be tricky to get American Amatic trade flowing back to Poland.
Not that tricky, actually, since we dominate both Lübeck (connected to Canada) and the English Channel (end node for pretty much every possible colony), where we barely beat Normandy. It does mean we’ll be highly dependent on the Low Countries for our colonial empire, though, and also competing with whoever might eventually unify England.
SilverLeaf167
2019-07-29, 03:03 PM
Chapter #30: The Alpine War (Grzymislawa II, 1535-50)
11 July, 1535
Grzymislawa II, the third High Queen of Poland, was selected as heir largely for her studious and diligent nature. She seems to idolize her legendary namesake and try to emulate her in her rhetoric and behavior, which of course may sound a bit too similar to the famously acerbic Wolislawa I. However, rather than the two decades that Zygmunt II for instance had, she’s only been heir for six years, and hasn’t had nearly as much time to learn all the intricacies of Polish politics.
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The 1529 rebellion of Swietoslaw (still rotting in jail) seems to have set a worrying precedent, though, as Grzymislawa’s succession is disputed as well. This Skarbimir’s army is a bit larger than last time, but of course, nowhere near large enough. The young High Queen takes her forces into battle, but wisely takes more of an observing role in the back due to her inexperience. Who knows, if this keeps up, crushing a claimant or two in your first week on the job might become a beloved tradition for the Polish monarchy. Skarbimir puts up a good fight, inflicting large casualties and managing to retreat several times before finally being cornered, wiped out and imprisoned.
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The Sultan of Cordoba congratulates Grzymislawa on her coronation, hoping for a continued alliance. She is also informed that the Andalusians have finally waded into Sub-Saharan Africa and struck a deal with one of the Muslim kingdoms there to construct fortified outposts around a major center of trade. In addition to funneling slaves to the Zanaras, this will also serve as a pit stop for further expeditions. Grzymislawa is quite fascinated by the idea of purchasing colonies rather than spending time and manpower building them from the ground up, and orders her officials to try and look for similar opportunities.
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In August 1536, the infamous Emperor Albino finally passes away after spending months holed up in his castle. There are rumors that he may have committed suicide by poison. Of course, it’s quite debatable how many of his failures were actually his own fault, but it is true that his 32-year reign as Emperor of Francia has seen the Heretic Rekindling, multiple military defeats against pagans and Muslims alike and the near-total collapse of Anatolia itself. The Anatolian crown passes to his daughter Adelais I, but not only does imperial law forbid women from being elected, the Karlings aren’t very popular candidates at the moment anyway.
Instead, the quite predictable winner is King Nino V of Italy-France, the only state seen as strong enough to make Francia great again. A lot of people seem to think that they should’ve just stretched the laws to allow his coronation back when he was 14 and thus barely underage, or maybe just delay a few months, rather than suffer through these decades of humiliation.
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Grzymislawa’s negotiators come back with good news: the Muslims of Mali are willing to part with some of their coast in exchange for a hefty sum of gold to fund their wars! However, apparently the Malians neglected to mention that the area they were selling is currently overrun with pagan rebels. Well, no matter – all the better for the Crown Army to have its first experience fighting in Africa. That’s what you get for buying a pig in a poke.
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After the mobs are dispersed and the first Polish outposts built, the Polish West Africa Company is founded to govern them. There won't be that many Polish settlers coming into these hostile lands, just enough to keep the port operational, but with this, Poland’s fledgling colonial empire has taken a huge and sudden jump southward, even if its main efforts are still focused on Buyania. The Buyanian wilderness outposts aren’t as reliant on slave labor as the Zanaran plantations, but the other opportunities provided by an African outpost are still worth the price.
Not about to be outdone in terms of expansion, Andalusia convinces the re-emergent state of Tripoli to willingly become its vassal.
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The purchase of Cayor wasn’t exactly cheap, though, and Grzymislawa decides that the cost should be recouped from those who benefit the most. To sweeten the deal, she offers the rich of the realm the opportunity to purchase some non-landed honorary titles from the crown. Since they still don’t become “nobility” per se, she argues that the Sejm doesn’t even get a say in this, which of course causes a lot of outrage on that end.
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Not as much outrage as the Council of Limoges does in Christendom. In September 1539, the new Emperor decides to finally do something about the Heretic Rekindling and summon the main Catholic powers of the realm to discuss what that should be. The Pope is present too, hoping to finally win back his lost authority. Since the other option would be the total condemnation and expulsion of heretics from the Empire, deemed a little impractical, the Council decides that the Catholic Church should instead try and work its way out of this mess by addressing some of the complaints brought up by the heretics. Internal reformation to counter any further revolution – a Counter-Reformation, so to speak. The lords and clergy can't really agree on just how far they should go, though, and many of them will actually end up becoming even harsher than before. Some sort of inquisition is to be expected.
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Poland’s own reforms are more militarily inclined, as the current series of adjustments to the Crown Army seems to finally be coming to an end. There used to be debate about whether the different parts of the army should be integrated or be allowed to remain separate; however, a functional compromise has been reached. All forces will be mostly standardized on the practical side, while even greater emphasis is put on their unique naming, aesthetics, traditions and other things that create a sense of pride, identity and healthy competition between units. The Crown Army pervades every part of Polish society, so let Polish society pervade it in return.
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Of course, that doesn’t mean that Polish traditions aren’t also in need of some… polishing. For one, it’s quite difficult to maintain a reputation as a “tolerant humanist utopia" when your laws allow or even encourage the enslavement and ritual sacrifice of heathens and prisoners of war. Of course, brutality against occupied regions is the norm wherever you look, and most of these laws haven’t seen much use in a while now – thralls are limited to a few palace servants purchased from the east and sacrifices mostly use animals these days – but their existence is still an embarrassing stain on Poland’s reputation. By trying to negotiate limits on the more egregious cruelty, Grzymislawa obviously risks alienating the more traditionalist parts of the populace (as always) but hopes to gain better foreign relations in return.
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Then again, “good relations” with Christendom might be a vanity project at best as long as the Slavs insist on constantly warring with them. In June 1540, a call to arms arrives from Germany once again, and Poland is basically obliged to accept. The situation has changed quite a bit, though, as Carinthia itself is stronger than the last target Augsburg, and the current Emperor couldn’t be more different from the last one either.
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This little war basically pits against Poland against a good chunk of Europe. A worthy test for the better-than-ever Crown Army… one would hope. Savoy and Bosnia also join the enemy side a few months later, further narrowing the already small difference in strength.
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At least the Marynarka quickly shows that it hasn’t been resting on its laurels. In what could be called its first “real” battle ever, it manages to surprise a numerically superior French fleet and drive it off with the Radogost’s cannons and the newly-promoted Admiral Lyakhovich’s expert maneuvers. The French lose one of their heavy ships, but it’s quite alarming that they have so many to begin with, when they used to have none. The Marynarka clearly needs to expand if it is to keep up with the times.
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With naval support, one half of the army (led by the best generals and the High Queen herself) uses Flanders as a launching board for a cautious invasion of France, making sure to stay close together in case of a counterattack.
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The other half initially makes inroads into Salzburg and Pannonia, but is forced to turn its attention elsewhere when an enemy army threatens Prague yet again. With overwhelming numbers and gracious German support, Carinthia’s main force is caught and utterly slaughtered outside the walls of the city, allowing the Poles to resume what they were doing.
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When the French fort at Picardie falls in early 1541, Grzymislawa quickly makes a break for Paris itself. The French capital, one of the largest cities in Europe, has rarely been threatened by war and its defenses are shamefully antiquated. The enemy army is occupied elsewhere, and apparently forgetting her ideas of reconciliation from just a while back, the High Queen already looks forward to the sack of Paris. That’s exactly what happens on 16 July 1541, as the City of Light falls to foreign invasion for the first time in centuries. It’ll take years to recover – not to mention all the irreplaceable treasures carted off to Krakow. Wien falls only weeks later, receiving much the same treatment.
That being said, it’s only so easy because all the enemy forces are concentrated in southern Germany. The Germans are fighting valiantly to keep them distracted, but their friends in Venice have already been forced to peace out, and there’s only so much they can do against the combined might of Francia.
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When Polish reinforcements finally arrive, a series of massive clashes takes place in the fall and early winter of 1541, collectively known as the Battle of Bavaria. Despite some early setbacks, the Slavs’ expert armies end up pulling through and emerging victorious, inflicting much larger losses against the numerically equal Francian armies and pushing them out of the region.
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The great general Dytryk Sanguszko in particular is forging a reputation as a valiant cavalry leader and inspiring orator. He has a habit of personally leading the charge into some of the worst bloodbaths of the century and miraculously emerging unscathed, convincing his soldiers (perhaps falsely) that they too can do the same.
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Tragically, the same thing can’t be said for King Wojciech II, long-time ruler of Germany and great leader in his own right, who ends up dying from injuries incurred in the Battle of Bavaria. His devotion to the enlargement of Germany won’t be forgotten.
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For the Christians, it now seems to be every man for himself, as all their separate armies retreat deep into their respective homelands and the Slavs are free to advance. Sanguszko himself immediately marches back west to stop the French from reclaiming Paris.
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France’s humiliation doesn’t end there, as its fleet is forced to leave the port where it’s been hiding ever since its defeat in the first days of the war. This time, Lyakhovich doesn’t just “drive them off”: he’s already in position, and the shipyards of Frisia have quickly pumped out more warships for him, allowing him to sink 11 ships and capture 5 with no losses of his own. With France’s naval capacity utterly destroyed, the Marynarka sets sail towards the Mediterranean to terrorize the coasts of Italy instead.
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These early victories don’t spell the end of the war, though – far from it. Francia is vast, and with past defeats burning bright in everyone’s memory, it’ll take a while to capitulate. This war is something of a baptism by fire for Italy-France. June 1543 brings another step towards victory, at least, as the Bishopric of Salzburg is forced to sign a separate peace ceding valuable territory to both Germany and Poland. It’s been centuries since the Bohemian front last saw any expansion on Poland’s part, but it'll be a valuable buffer for Prague.
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At the same time, the Francians have managed to slip across the Carpathians and lay siege to Poland’s Black Sea forts, forcing the badly underpowered Black Fleet out into the arms of the enemy. In a tragic reversal of the last naval battle, the badly prepared fleet loses almost half of its strength before managing to retreat to Crimea.
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Poland’s neglect of its eastern provinces clearly remains a serious problem, but the shining star Sanguszko is sent to take care of it, and it almost feels like an acceptable sacrifice as more and more of France falls under Slavic occupation with little to no opposition.
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Even better, April 1544 brings news that the great Emperor Nino himself has gotten sick and died at camp. Notoriously infertile, he too has only managed to produce a single child: his daughter Erika, who inherits both Italy and France but not the Empire. After just eight years, the de Serra dynasty’s grasp on the throne is once again lost in the exact same way as Anatolia’s, and the electors are forced to turn to Asturias instead. With queens and heretics abound, the shortlist of eligible Emperors seems to be getting short indeed. It remains to be seen whether Emperor Fadl de Baugency will try to interfere in what’s become known as the Alpine War, but at least there’s no immediate response.
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As the bloody conflict stretches on, Poland is once again starting to run low on manpower, but at least it’s getting both opportunities and good motivation to test its military doctrine. The importance of matchlock firearms has grown to the point that rather than them supporting the traditional infantry, it’s the traditional infantry supporting them. They’re also wearing less and less armor, since as seen with the winged hussars, the penetrating power of firearms basically makes it a choice between much heavier protection or none at all, and infantrymen don’t have the luxury of horses to carry them around.
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The likelihood of Asturian intervention seems increasingly thin, as Andalusia finally begins its long-awaited war to settle the Iberian question once and for all.
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In November 1544, the very last bits of southern France fall. The imperial troops are much more fixated on the Alps, where the area around Tirol and Wien is constantly changing hands. Around the same time, however, the frustrations of the utterly abandoned “kingless kingdom” allow not just one but two rebellious nobles to build up considerable armies and declare themselves King of France, trying to wrench free of Italy. Rather than waste men fighting them, though, the Polish generals are surprised by the orders they receive: to eliminate the weaker claimant and let the other have the smoldering ruins of Paris to himself. After all, breaking apart Italy-France is in Poland’s interest as well.
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After that, the Alpine War is finally brought to an end on 30 March 1545, having lasted only the usual 5 years but definitely felt an awful lot longer. Indeed, after over 600,000 casualties in such a short time (not even counting all the civilians, mostly Christians), the peace negotiated by Germany feels underwhelming at best: minor reparations and few more provinces, bringing the total to 2 for Germany, 2 for Venice and 1 for Poland. However, the other effects of the war itself shouldn’t be ignored: namely military development, another humiliation of Francia and the potential break-up of Italy-France, should that claimant over there be successful.
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Unsurprisingly, the Queen of Italy wastes no time in publicly condemning everything that Poland stands for and reasserting her dynasty’s divine destiny to see the barbarians humbled. The High Queen is happy to return the favor.
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Now 26 years old and a veteran of perhaps the most destructive war of the century, even if not quite a military genius, Grzymislawa II returns to Krakow a victor and a proven leader. However, her first actions upon arriving make it even clearer that she isn’t just another warrior queen: she proceeds to go through the crown budget for the past five years, review the weapon manufactories’ production targets and overall prove that in her mind, the economy always comes first.
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Indeed, the crown bureaucracy grows more robust than ever, with Ostmarch quickly brought under full Polish control and local governments strengthened in areas where they’ve proven unable to meet their duties, often due to passive-aggressive locals.
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The navy isn’t ignored either, but actual expansion and replacements of the Black Fleet will have to wait until Poland has paid off its debts from the war.
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Grzymislawa also finally marries, taking a German prince as her husband to celebrate the fire-forged bond between the countries. Not that Yaropolk personally was actually at the front with her.
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Speaking of which, it seems that while all of Europe was focused on the Alps, Italy and Moldavia still found time to quickly partition most of Greece between themselves, leaving it a mere shadow of its former glory with just Athens, Sicily (held by rebels), Rhodes (separated from Anatolia by rebels) and Cyprus to its name. Tiny Morea has also gained independence. It’s only a matter of time before someone claims the rest, but Moldavia and Italy are also likely to start fighting over their mutual border sooner or later.
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Having already taken Ancona from the Pope, Romagna and Tuscany seize the opportunity to invade war-weakened Carinthia and claim its remaining Italian holdings.
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Not long after, early 1547 sees most of Italy’s holdings in the south of the peninsula break off as the independent Duchy of Naples, the army having been too preoccupied to stop them. A rival group of rebels does the same in Greek Malta, ambitiously naming their tiny island the Kingdom of Sicily and vowing to unite all of Southern Italy under one crown. Who knows how they expect to do so.
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Finally, in 1548, Andalusia’s war against Asturias and Navarra ends on a disappointing note: the new Emperor has clearly proven a lot tougher than expected, but at least the Sultan gets off on relatively lenient terms and only has to give up Murcia and his strip of Galicia. Maybe that alliance between Poland and Andalusia would be more useful if they ever actually asked for help?
https://i.postimg.cc/L8LBSx3R/20190729201537-1.jpg
That aside, Poland itself is making a quick recovery from the war, training new men to replace the ones lost and filling up its coffers by putting unneeded parts of the military on standby. However, even though the efforts of Poland’s well-educated rulers have allowed it to stay at the forefront of economic and military development, it seems that there are still areas where it’s falling behind technologically. The newly-Waldensian states of the imperial Rhineland, for instance, are spreading their faith by mass-producing texts with brand new printing machines that the Poles haven’t even seen before. The effects these machines have on literacy and scientific development are already becoming apparent throughout Christendom, all while the Poles still write their papers by hand like some damn cavemen.
https://i.postimg.cc/CK0Cxbc8/20190729202232-1.jpg
If Poland is to maintain its superiority, it can’t get complacent in it.
Alpine War (1540-45)
Germany + Poland + Venice vs. Carinthia + Italy + France + Salzburg + Pannonia + Bosnia + Papal State + Savoy
Extremely bloody for its length, resulting in the full occupation of Salzburg, Pannonia and France but only relatively small border adjustments. Most of the fighting took place in the harsh terrain of the Alps, with the main subject of the war being the Carinthian Tirol region. Paris, Wien and southern Germany were repeatedly looted, and the Francians secured a brief foothold in eastern Poland but were pushed back before they could take any major cities. The war itself was far more devastating than the resulting peace per se, causing great casualties and devastation on the Francian side in particular.
https://i.postimg.cc/W47GFtyH/20190729203223-1.jpg
The Yorkish civil war ended with the claimant Daniel York taking the duchy and promptly converting it back to Waldensianism, as he'd promised.
The first wave of French pretenders was defeated, but new ones have already risen up.
The last bits of Aquitaine have been partitioned once and for all between Navarra, Savoy and Dauphine.
Surprising precisely no one, Italy quickly conquered Morea.
Edessa keeps expanding, annexing both Cilicia and Jordan and finally declaring itself a Sultanate as well.
https://i.postimg.cc/pX5GydcR/nimet-n.png
SilverLeaf167
2019-07-30, 08:23 AM
Special #4: States of the Moscow Pact (1550)
Ever since it was finalized in 1444, the Moscow Pact has received quite little attention in Polish politics precisely because it’s worked so well. Its purpose was to split up the vast realm for better governance, form a lasting defensive pact and maintain peace between the signing parties. All these goals have been met for over a hundred years now. No member has been targeted by wars of aggression, none have been fought between them and each of them is directly allied to at least three others, ensuring that any violation would be punished by their neighbors. Together, the states of the Moscow Pact rival the entirety of the Francian Empire, fielding a total of over 350,000 land troops, and every Polish monarch renews their promise of protecting their fellow Slavs.
https://i.postimg.cc/sMsbqWJW/20190730134325-1.jpg (https://i.postimg.cc/YCWk4fGd/20190730134325-1.jpg) https://i.postimg.cc/5XgDVtPR/20190730134353-1.jpg (https://i.postimg.cc/GpnRv8vd/20190730134353-1.jpg)
(Click for full size)
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Germany is an odd case, its largely still Christian population subjected to a Slavic ruling class that has nonetheless managed to quell any uprisings and work towards a strong government in Braunschweig. Its relative leniency towards the oddani has allowed it to become a breeding ground for Waldensianism and Lollardism alike, though it hasn’t made multiculturalism into a guiding philosophy the way its close ally Poland has.
https://i.postimg.cc/c41r8j0X/20190730131240-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/zvG83sKh/20190730132712-1.jpg
Their government has gone in a rather different direction in general, focusing more on guild-led economic policy, defensive doctrine and openly overbearing foreign relations. Given their very different situation, they’ve been forced to become more central-led and dedicated to suppressing any sign of particularism rather than making concessions. If they want to keep the oddani in check, they don’t have the same kind of leeway as mighty Poland.
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Unlike the Lechowicz of Germany, the Inger dynasty of Sweden started out as local chieftains, rose to Grand Dukes and then finally Kings. The north is also set apart by its own Nordic branch of paganism, and only pays lip service to the Slavic Church, but still maintains warm relations. They don’t appreciate Poland’s alliance with Scotland, their main rival for control of the North Sea, but have kept their mouths shut for the most part. Technically calling themselves Kings of Sweden, Finland and Norway as symbolized by their three-crown flag, the Ingers have given rights and representation to the latter two – their National Diet uniquely even includes peasants – but the reindeer-herding Sami people of the north still remain “inconvenient” for the government in Stockholm.
https://i.postimg.cc/26f5j90d/20190730131247-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/Bb7sFmBV/20190730132716-1.jpg
They’ve developed in surprisingly close parallel with Poland, developing their bureaucracy and strict military training in order to squeeze everything they can out of their cold wilderness nation. To protect their enormously long coastline, they also maintain the third-largest oceangoing navy in Europe (after Poland and Andalusia), having climbed a rank now that the French navy rots at the bottom of the Channel.
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Squeezed between allies on all sides, Novgorod has little chance for expansion but also no real threats. It hasn’t fought a single war since its abortive invasion of Norway back in the 1440’s, allowing it to grow rich on peace and the Moscow Pact’s internal trade routes. The capital right in the middle is one of the richest cities in Slavdom, known as a center of arts, architecture and banking.
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Though mostly focused on its economy, Novgorod also tries to keep a modern army in case anything does happen. Government-wise, they have recently formed the Great Veche, a bicameral parliament not entirely unlike the Sejm, except less dominated by the nobility and more led from the top down. They’re still a long way from becoming any sort of “constitutional monarchy”, though, with the Lechowicz dynasty keeping an autocratic hold on power.
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The semi-native Vasilievich dynasty of Vladimir has expanded greatly towards the Urals and beyond, even if large chunks of the territory are nearly unpopulated. Most recently, they’ve finished up their conquest of the Yugrans and some scraps of the thoroughly dismantled Mongol Empire.
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Similar to Germany, the Vasilievich are actually Russian invaders in Uralic lands. Indeed, they’ve been almost paranoid of their diverse subjects and stronger neighbors, striving to establish strict authoritarian oversight in every part of the country to make sure that no seed of resistance can be planted. At the same time, though, the sheer bulk of the government and size of the country forced it to become quite decentralized and strike deals with the local leaders in hopes that they’ll keep their peasants in check.
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Originally seen as something of a backwater, in just a hundred years the eponymous capital has far surpassed Chernigov, Moscow and even Novgorod, becoming the true center of eastern Slavdom – even if not actually Slavic per se – with a population almost as large as Krakow itself.
https://i.postimg.cc/QCCZjpZk/20190730135540-1.jpg
(Krakow’s development: 33)
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Chernigov used to be one of the strongest vassals of Poland, and today it’s the clear powerhouse of the eastern Moscow Pact. However, its bold conquests have also earned it a border with ever-stronger Edessa and, most worryingly, Rajasthan. Ruling over a wide spectrum of Khazars and Caucasians, Jews and Muslims, the Severians are in the clear minority. Just like in the days of Polish vassalage, the Artamonovich dynasty is highly reliant on the Moscow Pact to shield it from backlash to its aggression.
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The capital houses the Royal Rada, broadly similar in function to the Great Veche. Indeed, Novgorod and Chernigov are particularly close allies, as shown by their near-identical choices in economic and military development. Similar to Vladimir’s frozen wastes, much of Chernigov is untamed steppe, but it also doesn’t have any especially massive cities and its population is much more evenly distributed throughout the countryside.
https://i.postimg.cc/tC1Gft59/20190730140916-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/3JPQH4Sm/20190730140936-1.jpg
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(Religious Unity: 33%)
The Kingdom of Moldavia, once a rump state on the verge of extinction, has suddenly surged to grow larger than ever before. Although, if Germany’s religious situation is difficult, Moldavia’s is even worse, with the Slavic faithful clearly outnumbered by conquered Catholics, Greek Orthodox and a growing number of Cathars. With Polish help, its former neighbors have been quite thoroughly beaten, but now it has to contend with Italy and Edessa instead.
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The Moldavian Lechowicz’ economic and military reforms are quite similar to those of their German cousins. Their close connection with Poland has led them to found a Sejm in Belgorod as well, hoping to extend their strong nobility an olive branch and avoid being distracted by the same internal squabbles.
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https://i.postimg.cc/JzD7NCgc/20190730131632-1.jpg
Scotland was never part of Poland, but instead an… intermittent… recipient of Polish protection against its Christian neighbors. It has not only restored its traditional borders but conquered half of Ireland as well, though its expansion seems to have stalled since then. The af Romerike dynasty of Edinburgh has become quite thoroughly Scoticized by now, but its pagan faith has also come to stay.
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Fascinated by their Polish allies’ tales of the west, the Scots have started planning some colonies of their own. While the Poles welcome this on the surface and even promise them some help, not everyone is too happy about this growing competition that may end up not only disrupting their own efforts but souring relations as well.
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Last and also least, included just for completeness' sake, Iceland isn’t actually an ally of the Moscow Pact, but the last remnant of the black sheep Kingdom of Norway, excluded due to its hostilities with Sweden. Ever since their retreat to the remote island, the Ynglings who used to rule all of the North Sea have pretty much abandoned any hope of reconquest and adopted a sort of indifferent isolationism instead. Indeed, with their lack of resources or population, the only thing protecting them from subjugation is their remoteness and total unimportance.
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Despite their isolation, the Ynglings have worked hard to maintain at least some contact with the continent, but their main priority has been making the best of what they have. The same seafaring traditions that carried them to Iceland have also taken them farther west, but as far as anyone knows, they haven’t really ventured past Bialyziemia and lack the budget to attempt any real colonization.
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Due to Vladimir and Chernigov acting as a buffer, Poland has been able to blissfully ignore anything happening in Asia. However, diplomats from those countries have more recently come to Poland with worrying news – or warnings. A long series of one-sided wars has allowed the Pratihara Empire, or Rajasthan, to annex almost the entirety of the Mongol Empire, combining those massive realms into one truly continent-spanning behemoth. Despite its size, it seems that Rajasthan has maintained a comparatively small army, simply due to not needing a larger one, and indeed, the Moscow Pact put together would be more than a match for this “paper tiger” of Asia. However, with the defeat of Mongolia, it seems to be turning its eyes east towards China, and the Europeans can only watch with nervous curiosity just how powerful this monstrosity will become.
https://i.postimg.cc/HWFTThjr/20190730152819_1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/76QQMdj0/20190730152233-1.jpg
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I realized I hadn’t really talked much about these ex-Polish countries, nor Rajasthan, and figured it was about time I did a little something. Even if a lot of it is just raw stats.
SilverLeaf167
2019-07-31, 02:52 PM
Chapter #31: Heretic-Heathen Unity (Grzymislawa II, 1550-1572)
1 January, 1550
As the 16th century enters its second half, Poland is doing well both militarily and technologically. However, say what you will about Christendom, it can also be a melting pot of innovative thought, and Poland’s hostile relations with Francia stop it from sharing in these developments. The latest generation of printing press has yet to be adjusted for the Cyrillic alphabet used in Poland, for instance.
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January 1550 also brings changes from the Muslim world: having already conquered the majority of Anatolia and looming threateningly over the rest, the originally Syrian Kosseirid dynasty of Edessa have decided to name themselves “Sultans of Rûm”. The legacy of the Roman Empire is respected in the east as well, and where the Latin Empire failed, Rûm promises to take up the mantle of the long-lost great power. Sultan al-Afdal the Conqueror also moves his capital from mountainous Edessa to coastal Adana, which has grown under Cilician rule to become the richest city of the entire Middle East.
https://i.postimg.cc/0jtHcB4p/20190731153459-1.jpg
The Kosseirids run a fanatically Sunni, highly centralized state, but also by necessity tolerant of other faiths and able to take advantage of the rich trade routes running through it. Much like with Poland, though, that bit of tolerance does nothing to quell their foreign ambitions. Now that they’ve openly claimed dominion over all of Anatolia and even Thrace, they’ll inevitably clash with Moldavia and Chernigov – but hopefully the Moscow Pact will stop them from doing anything too reckless.
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Clearly possessing a good do-or-die attitude, the Sultan of Rûm almost immediately invades Anatolia. Asturias and Sardinia-Serbia leap to its defense, but Rûm also has Arabia on its side.
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Speaking of Sardinia-Serbia, the personal union has proven remarkably stable for over a hundred years now, and in order to compensate for his waning power in Africa, the King-Elector has been hard at work to finally integrate the parliaments of his two kingdoms into one powerful state. This process has been long in the works, but the final act is signed into law mere days after the declaration of war, making it a fitting baptism by fire.
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Right next door, Romagna wraps up its war against Carinthia, seizing all of its Italian territories. Carinthia seems to have entered a steep decline in the aftermath of the Alpine War.
https://i.postimg.cc/3NbngDy1/20190731161053-1.jpg
Poland, of course, has no need to worry about any of that. Instead, Grzymislawa II is building herself a reputation as a generous matron of the arts – but not too generous, being keenly aware of the value of money and able to get whatever price she wants. The bulk of her wealth is spread back into the economy in the form of manufactories, roads, canals and other long-term investments, and she always gets back more than she spends.
https://i.postimg.cc/XJL2YP4T/20190731160506-1.jpg
In March 1551, she cloaks her future successor: a charming little man named Kazimierz.
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From a bit farther abroad, news arrive that Andalusia has finally established a foothold on the Alcadran mainland, establishing the viceroyalty of Narafidia near the southern tip of the continent. There are rumors that the famed City of Silver they found decades ago might be somewhere in the region, but its location is the one thing they’ve managed to keep a secret even as they parade their findings around Europe. (We the metagamers know that it’s in Chile.)
https://i.postimg.cc/BZhYWRhF/20190731162146-1.jpg
That’s not all, though: other Europeans have also been hopping on the New World bandwagon, including Kentish and Scottish outposts being founded in the Zanaras, and an Italian colony at the mouth of what they call the Amazon River. Anyone other than Poland has yet to lay claim to Amatica, though.
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In Africa, on the other hand, the Republic of Normandy of all things has managed to follow Poland’s example and purchase a small colony right next to Cayor.
https://i.postimg.cc/k5dwFC50/20190731162849-1.jpg
None of this is of immediate concern, but it is a reminder that Poland will have to double its efforts if it wants to actually claim the lands it has… well, claimed. Inland Amatica has been the subject of much propaganda, but not a lot of actual research, as previous explorers have only sailed along the coast and made a few brief landings. Jan Jablonowski, a recon officer from the Alpine War with a great track record at navigating harsh terrain, volunteers to finally lead a military expedition deeper into the wilds.
Much like with armor, with colonialism it seems to be all or nothing. Many other countries have already realized the true value and urgency of western colonization, but Poland’s eyes seem to be just now opening.
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Not long after, in March 1553, Andalusia begins the first real colonial war against some tribal nation on the Narafidian frontier. Of course, a lot of previous colonies have already involved violence and “enforced negotiations”, but from the sound of it, these so-called Charruans are a bit more numerous and organized. Nevertheless, the war ends quickly enough in a crushing Andalusian victory.
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Jablonowski and his crew, while consisting mostly of soldiers, try to stay on better terms with the natives they encounter on their travels. Poland still has hopes of integrating them peacefully rather than having to slaughter half and drive away the rest, as seems to be the norm, and their aid is invaluable if they are to survive their expedition.
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Even friendliness has its limits, though, and Jablonowski has to resort to harsh measures if he is to keep his men from outright deserting to stay with the natives when he tries to drag them out into the roadless wilderness.
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The brave captain has no time to waste on frivolities, after all: explorers and natives alike have told him tall tales of a lost civilization in the north, perhaps even richer than the City of Silver, and he’s just about made it his life’s quest to find it.
https://i.postimg.cc/X7Rg4W9r/20190731170351-1.jpg
In April 1555, peace is made between Rûm and Anatolia, which is forced to give up nearly all of its territory and only keep a small, nominal enclave on the peninsula. The war also involved Rûman forces flooding over the sea to loot and occupy Serbia, and shortly after the peace, Sardinia is forced to declare itself bankrupt. So much for that baptism by fire.
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Not just that: in yet another flare-up of the Heretic Rekindling, the devastation left by the Rûmans has allowed Serbia to be overrun by Hussite heretics. The religious landscape of Europe is getting quite crowded by now, and they aren’t expected to make a lasting impact beyond maybe some local sects, but they're more than capable of a bit of havoc.
https://i.postimg.cc/yd8mv8Cb/20190731170757-1.jpg
Akin V of Andalusia decides to pounce on this opportunity, declaring war on Sardinia and by extension Asturias… but somehow neglecting to summon Poland yet again.
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In the summer of 1556, Jablonowski dies a tragic death in an unprovoked attack by some warlike natives, not having had time to fulfill his fever dreams of Norumbega – but a member of his crew picks up his mantle, and the expedition is able to continue under the leadership of Skarbimir Posenya.
Of course, due to the lack of communications, the government in Krakow is unaware of any of these events and just has to assume that its subjects are doing their jobs. To make that a bit easier, the precedent of the Polish West Africa Company is being applied to other regions and even non-colonial businesses as well, giving specific guilds and companies royal mandates to take care of crown business in places where it can’t do so directly.
https://i.postimg.cc/K8tDYW5J/20190731172330-1.jpg
Under the guiding hand of these companies, driven by profit and with wide international networks to draw upon, breakthroughs are made in areas as diverse as swamp draining and artillery design.
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A few years go by in Polish peace and prosperity, but on another front, August 1561 brings almost simultaneous news of Andalusia’s white peace and bankruptcy, having clearly underestimated the Francians yet again.
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Grzymislawa II is finally convinced that Akin V is not only suicidally proud but also utterly incompetent, starting ill-considered wars and then refusing to accept any help. She sends back word that they need not bother with a friendly façade any longer.
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Instead, she turns her attention to a very different sort of diplomacy. Colonial officials from Amatica have sent back maps and fascinating reports of the region up the Oginski River, nicknamed “Little Europe” for its large number of native states with a complex web of feuds and alliances. Not just that, it seems like the Poles’ arrival has set off an explosive chain reaction of technological and even social development, with many of these tribal chiefs suddenly calling themselves Princes and Kings in terms adopted from the Polish language. Whether it’s just a superficial imitation, we don’t know – that’ll have to be studied further – but the sheer spread of this trend is staggering.
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All of them are pagan, of course, and many have proven receptive to Polish influence. As an experiment of sorts, Grzymislawa II accepts her officials’ suggestion of signing a formal alliance with Lenape, the nearest of these states. They smoke a peace pipe and even exchange ambassadors, but even if they’re doing it the peaceful way, the Poles obviously have every intention of eventually turning their new friends into a full protectorate.
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Speaking of friends, February 1563 brings a call to arms from Moldavia, which is finally trying to clean up the pesky Oltenian holdout in the middle of its lands. Asturias has declared its intention to protect Christendom, but it's no Italy-France, and this war is expected to be a breeze.
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Oltenia and Temes, sandwiched between the two kingdoms, are the first to go. Oltenia’s meager defenses are swept aside, but the Temesian army is conspicuously absent, soon sighted way in the west fighting alongside its allies.
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An Asturian army crosses through France, only to crash against the Polish armies guarding Frisia. Emperor Josselin is leading his own troops, and is actually known as something of a military genius, but the brothers Nadbor and Niezamysl Ostrogski – students of the recently dead Gen. Sanguszko, may he feast in peace – more than hold their own. Meczennik shock troops fire off two devastating volleys before slinging their guns, drawing their axes and charging right between enemy pikes, pinning down the Asturians long enough for the winged hussars to circle around and slam into their flank.
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The Lightning Brothers march from victory to victory, bravely facing superior numbers to intercept the combined forces of Navarra, Dauphine, Lotharingia and Temes and send them packing within hours. Barely stopping to rest, they then retaliate by laying siege to Charleroi, while another army is ferried over to loot Essex once more.
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The Emperor, clearly expecting the same old tricks to work after all these years, steers his army around and marches for Prague, only to suddenly turn on his heels and retreat once more. The Poles are a bit confused, but soon hear rumors that may or may not be the reason for this sudden change of heart:
Francia is getting split in two. Well, not literally – yet – but the Counter-Reformation’s attempts to stop the Rekindling by banning heretics from most imperial offices have only resulted in them growing ever more radical. Until now, the heretic princes have mostly been able to ignore the Catholics’ complaints and carry on with their business, but if they’re going to be marginalized like this, they’re faced with the choice of leaving the Empire altogether… or forcing their demands from within.
Thus, the Catholic and Heretic Leagues are born. For now, their battles are only being fought with words, but as state after state proclaims its support for either side, it’s only a matter of time before Francia erupts into outright civil war. A real return to tradition, that.
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Poland can’t pay much attention right now, though, as it has a more immediate war to fight. Not content to simply wait it out, Slavic forces march through France and into the mountain kingdom of Navarra.
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The Pyrenees are a sturdy obstacle, but once the fortress in Labourd falls, all of Iberia lies open. The Lightning Brothers arrive at the two enemy capitals of Pamplona and Burgos almost simultaneously, and immediately start bombarding them with everything they have.
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Temes surrenders in 1565, ceding an important fortress to Moldavia and two other provinces to Poland. While unexpected, this acquisition of Transylvanian land isn’t unwelcome, and actually awakens some Poles’ ambitions of expanding even deeper into the Carpathian basin.
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Even as the imperial capital is under siege, the Emperor himself is busy running circles in Central Europe. When he finally spots the much larger army led by the 24-year-old Polish crown prince, he immediately flees with his tail between his legs, leaving one of his generals to lead the Asturians in a hopeless final stand while he smuggles himself back to Iberia.
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Enemy countries drop like flies, signing separate peaces until only Asturias and Murcia remain, still refusing to give up pesky little Oltenia. As Asturias is quite profoundly preoccupied, this is the moment that the heretics choose to strike.
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War is declared on 7 February 1566, less than two years after the Leagues were even formed. What starts as a single act of fanaticism – imperial envoys being thrown off a cliff outside Heidelberg Castle – almost immediately expands into a continent-wide war not just for religious rights, but religious dominance. Being both a major center of Waldensianism and the instigator of this war, the Palatinate is widely seen as the Heretic ringleader. A disproportionate part of the continent is on its side, too: the Catholic side includes mainly Francian states (and strangely Scotland, which wanted an excuse to fight its neighbors) while the Heretics are also supported by such outside behemoths as Germany, Sweden, Vladimir, Chernigov and Rûm. These are some strange bedfellows indeed, but while the Christians are "merely" fighting a civil war, these outsiders are all hoping to “topple the Emperor and shatter Christendom once and for all”.
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Worse, Italy-France had actually joined the Catholic League, but happened to invade Navarra a mere month before this Heretics’ War suddenly began, locking it in a separate war against the Emperor and unable to join. Had she had time to do so, Grzymislawa probably would’ve supported the Heretics too, but the end of this unprecedented war looks like a foregone result anyway.
The already-disgraced Emperor is put into the unenviable position of having to choose between saving his own homeland, or making at least some attempt to protect the Empire he’s been entrusted with. In a moment of almost martyr-like dedication, he chooses the latter, leading his remaining troops north even while barbarians burn his home palace and ravage the countryside. Of course, this also means abandoning his own loyal subjects to the pagans' whims.
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After a bunch more pillaging, the Conquest of Oltenia ends in November 1566, but no one cares about that anymore. Europe has bigger fish to fry.
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Well, at least this lets Poland focus on its other projects while Francia burns. In March 1568, the colonial government of Polish Buyania is officially founded. Its capital is placed in Ledenesz at the mouth of the Oginski River, presently the largest Polish town on the continent. From there, a Voivode appointed for a term of 4 years can manage the colony’s lucrative fur trade and expansion, hopefully spreading all the way across the continent one day.
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At the same time, Prince Neconhecond Monsey Passyuk of Lenape only half-unwittingly agrees to be placed under that same government as an official vassal of the Polish crown. At least these Amatican “nobles” seem a lot easier to handle than European ones. If everything goes as planned, in about 10 years’ time he and his people can be annexed as full citizens of Buyania.
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Much like the other colonies down south, the Voivode is made into a viceroyal leader with almost full sovereignty within his domain. This hasn’t always worked out so well for Poland in the past, but the current government should be strong and the colonies weak enough that it’ll be fine.
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As for the Heretics’ War, it looks one-sided at first with the Heretics gaining a lot of ground, but their armies are restricted by natural obstacles, forced to slowly but surely grind their way through the Balkans and the Alps before they can access the imperial heartland. This gives Asturias a chance to gather its strength, and the balance is shifted somewhat when Italy-France strikes a deal to put aside the invasion of Navarra and join the war on the Catholic side. As of early 1570, a miracle still isn’t out of the question.
Poland’s only involvement is in the form of observers among the pagan armies, where they can take notes on this war of unprecedented scale and send their findings back to Krakow, allowing the Crown Army to build up its forces in peace and wait for a chance to exploit them.
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The detailed reports coming from the colonies and now these military attachés are both a symptom and a cause of a new mindset spreading among the Polish people: one of rational observation, experimentation and progress. As Polish expeditions have shown, the world created by the gods is incredibly vast and diverse, and not just with wonders of nature: more pagan brothers are found wherever you look. What is it if not every Slavs’ divine duty to meet all of them, learn everything about them and maybe, just maybe, unite them all under one red-white flag?
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Well, it’s a good excuse to expand the colonial budget for one.
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Scotland’s foolishness in joining the wrong side becomes apparent as the English lords roll across its territory (with an annoying amount of pagan support, as Germans and Swedes join the assault). In October 1570, they force the return of not only Scotland's previous conquests but actually even more, stretching all the way to the capital Edinburgh. Grzymislawa can only rub her temples and watch as the Scots squander the fruits of years of Polish aid.
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A couple years later in 1572, it’s starting to look like Italy-France entering the war might’ve been a major turning point after all. King Nino VI and the Emperor have pooled their armies together into a great force of over 100,000 that rolls around southern Germany, easily pushing back the Heretics’ disparate armies (many of which have descended into aimless looting), throwing out their garrisons and even occupying the Palatinate itself. Weaker Catholic states getting overrun and signing separate peaces is actually a blessing in disguise, as it stops the Heretics from using them as leverage and allows the major players to focus on the real goal.
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Grzymislawa II, age 53, dies of a sudden (probably unrelated) heart attack on 13 April 1572. Her 37-year-reign has been one of success and prosperity, with all of Poland benefiting from the absolutely massive economic boom brought by her investments and other developments, and she has successfully walked the thin line of favoring the merchant class without angering the others too much. She may not have waded into melee with the Axe of Plusdwa, but she managed to show again and again the other side of Polish might. There are some who criticize her "failure" to join the Heretics' War, not least Poland's own oddani, but then again, many also believe that Poland has no such need to get mixed up in Francian politics.
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The High Queen is dead! Long live High King Kazimierz I!
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In recent years, several of Poland’s allies – Novgorod, Chernigov, Moldavia, to a lesser extent Sweden with its Riksdag – have founded legislative parliaments to support the power of the state, whether inspired or intimidated by the Polish precedent. Similar movements are even visible in the Francian Empire, where Sardinia, Essex, Lorraine and Temes so far have done the same.
The Polish Sejm, on the other hand, was explicitly created to act as a hindrance, and is largely treated as such. Wolislawa I’s relationship with it was the most antagonistic, Zygmunt II took a more diplomatic approach, and Grzymislawa II fell somewhere between the two. However, at the Crown Council’s request, Kazimierz I now calls a secret meeting in Wavel Castle to discuss what the case will be for his own reign. The matter can’t be brought before the Sejm, obviously, as it’s quite clear what the result would be.
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The default assumption would be for the crown to continue its policy of resisting the Sejm when needed, working with it when necessary, and maintaining its own power base of loyalist nobles with direct ties to the Council. The High King would maintain his strong grasp on power and especially the military, at the risk of having to constantly bribe his so-called allies while slowly alienating both the Sejm and the other estates.
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On that note, another option would be to skirt the Sejm’s ban on “parallel parliaments” and form an official meeting ground for the other estates: the clergy, the guilds and the peasantry (with the oddani joining the latter two where applicable). This would anger the Sejm, but hopefully earn the support of, well, the 95% of the populace that currently have no say in the government – at the price of having to pander to those people instead.
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Or, last but not least, the crown could finally try and work with the Sejm, extracting some concessions in return for cooperation, hopefully turning it from an opponent into a useful tool to control the nobility. The Sejm’s one-sided declaration from 1505 could be reworked into a mutual agreement, finally acknowledging its authority and delegating some functions of the state. Then again… that would inevitably mean the crown making compromises as well.
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Vote on a government reform here (https://linkto.run/p/RDDMF3Y6)! Remember to share your view in the comments as well! [CLOSED]
Conquest of Oltenia (1563-66)
Moldavia + Poland vs. Oltenia + Asturias + Navarra + Essex + Anatolia + Temes + Lotharingia + Dauphine
A short and seemingly unimportant conflict that, many would say, provided the opening for the much larger Heretics’ War. The Slavs managed to annex Oltenia, seize some land from Temes and even occupy most of Asturias, but that last part is the important one, as the Emperor’s apparent defeat was what prompted the recently formed Heretic League to seize the day and declare war for control of the entire Francian Empire.
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With Scotland bowing out of the war, the English duchies should be free to focus their forces on the continent next.
Catholic and Heretic forces are clashing around the Palatinate, control of which could be critical for ending the war.
Germany (and Venice in a separate war) have already managed to force some concessions around the Alps, but currently the pagans are on the run and Italians besieging München.
Rûman forces have utterly overrun Italian Greece and Sardinian Serbia (again), but haven’t been so successful farther west.
Unrelated to the Heretics’ War, Akin V Idrisid’s constant bumbling has finally thrown Andalusia into a three-way civil war between unhappy nobles, unhappy peasants and a pretender to the throne, driving it bankrupt yet again and greatly disrupting its colonial projects.
Moldavia and Rûm’s conquests of Athens and Cyprus have reduced the last Orthodox state to Rhodes and nothing else.
Welp. I was hoping for the League War to be a big thing, but happening to overlap with my own war made it start really quickly and stopped me from participating. At least it ended up being less one-sided than a look at the map might imply. We’ll just have to wait and see which way it swings.
As for this vote, again, it can have very far-reaching roleplaying implications beyond just the mechanical ones, perhaps all the way into Vicky 2, so vote with your heart!
Speaking of government reform, the system really is kinda ridiculous when it comes to natives. As soon as I got my first mainland colonies, literally every tribe in the region reformed into a monarchy in a domino effect of sorts. I’m not even sure how to explain that narratively.
SilverLeaf167
2019-08-05, 11:10 AM
Chapter #32: Peace of Champagne & Treaty of Algonquin (Kazimierz, 1572-1589)
3 May, 1572
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The meeting is mostly in agreement that the crown needs some sort of legal institution behind its power – intentional or not, things like the House of Elders and now the Sejm have firmly entrenched the idea of representation as part of Polish politics – but the bigger question is who should be the people forming that institution. If the goal is to keep the Sejm under control, trying to defy their legally accepted ban on parallel parliaments would only anger them, and as Wolislawa herself realized when she passed said ban, adding even more councils to the mix is not the solution.
As such, grudgingly or otherwise, it is decided that High King Kazimierz will approach the Sejm with offers of integration.
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He already has a reputation as a soft-spoken and diplomatic personality, so it isn’t too out of character, but many deputies of the Sejm are understandably a bit suspicious. Nevertheless, a deal is struck, the exact details of which will have to be worked out over time. Hopefully this shift from an angry country club to an actual legislative parliament won’t go to their heads.
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On the “positive” side for the crown, it’s able to trim down some of the nobles’ other avenues of influence with the excuse of moving them under the purview of the Sejm. This also allows the crown to focus more on selection by merit rather than having to give government positions to specific allies just to keep the others in check. Streamlining always has its pros and cons.
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Shortly after, Kazimierz names a certain Sulislaw, the son of a family friend and supposedly something of a child genius, as his heir. This is one area where he will yield no power to the Sejm.
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There’s a lot of speculation over whether he’ll intervene in the Heretics’ War, and debate over whether he should, but it sure doesn’t seem that way. Even though he realizes that he and the Heretic League share a common enemy, he can also see what a quagmire their ragtag alliance has become, and has no interest in jumping into it at this point.
From much farther west, the Voivode of Buyania is happy to report that the Prince of Sioux has accepted a contract similar to the Lenape and become a Polish vassal. In addition, the title of Voivode also grants him military authority, which he has used to organize the first regiments of a colonial garrison to protect Buyania from less friendly natives and colonial rivals alike.
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Speaking of angry natives, the people of Benin weren’t too happy about Andalusia’s purchase of their lands, but it’s also what gave them the opportunity to break free and establish their own independent republic. After throwing out the poor unsuspecting colonialists, they studied and even managed to replicate the technology they stole from them, most importantly including firearms, which Poland also started selling to them. With their new wonder weapons, they’ve spent the last several years conquering other tribes and minor states of the region, starting from just one town but quickly carving up quite a nice corner of Africa. However, they’re still threatened by Kanem Bornu immediately to the north, and what’s worse, their neighbors have been getting the same technology and catching up…
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(Pics taken with Terra Incognita temporarily turned off)
Over the next couple of years, the Heretics’ War continues its downhill slide. Even though the Palatinate still has a lot of powerful allies, they’re either far, far to the east or across the English Channel, while all its neighbors either are hostile or have long since given up. The main battleground moves into Germany, whose southern and central regions are yet again thoroughly looted and occupied by Christian forces. Their allies aren’t much better, to be honest, having to extort the local populace just to support their armies so far from home and their own supply lines. With Kazimierz taking an even firmer stance against intervention, it looks like the Heretics’ fate is sealed.
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A bit south, at least, the Catholics suffer a notable blow as local leaders manage to make use of Sardinian weakness to rally the populace and declare the independence of the Emirate of Algeria. Although, despite enjoying great local support, the Sunni Emir has to deal with a large number of Christian immigrants and converts left behind by a couple centuries of Sardinian rule.
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In October 1574, after eight years of intense fighting, the last of the Heretics finally realize that their battle is lost. Though the Emperor takes credit, it’s no secret who really decided this war, and all parties convene in France to sign the Peace of Champagne. The Catholics are the only ones popping bottles, though: while the territorial changes brought by the war were rather small, and the Heretics actually came out on top in that regard (even with Germany having to give back München), the real meat of the Peace of Champagne is in the parts confirming that the Francian Empire is a Catholic state where only Catholics are given equal rights and all heretics branded as, well, heretics. No heretic can ever be elected Emperor, and the heretic princes of Essex and Carinthia are forced to give up their seats as electors. The Empire still has no chance of actually “banning” such a widespread movement, but it will get as close as it possibly can. With more than a million soldiers dead in the ground, there’s a big price to be paid.
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Unsurprisingly, this doesn’t sit well with the heretics, but tough luck, that’s what happens when you start a war and lose it. Most of them are unable to protest due to being surrounded by larger, more powerful states and reliant on Francian protection, but the British Isles are a whole different question. Every single prince there is Waldensian, as is the vast majority of the population, and the English Channel physically separates them from the rest of the Empire. Now that the English are no longer even represented in the electorate, they feel that they have every right to declare their secession, seemingly shattering any hopes of an united “Empire of Christendom” just when they were about to come true. The Emperor declares this move illegal in every possible way, of course, but if he wants England, he’ll have to come and get it. Meanwhile, the English can get back to their own struggle over who among them will unify the kingdom...
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Despite having “won”, the Empire is suddenly a lot smaller, and also missing two electors. The Emperor tries to put a bandage on a gaping wound by inviting the last scraps of the Teutonic Order into the Empire and making the Grandmaster an elector, a honor which he also extends to the Duke of Romagna. The Pope very loudly protests against the latter, considering Romagna merely the latest unlawful occupier of Rome, but his demands are duly ignored. The symbolism of the city itself seems to be more important than whoever happens to rule it.
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The Imperial Senate might be the least pleasant place in Europe at the moment, but the Sejm isn’t that much better. It’s becoming all too obvious that neither Krakow nor the deputies themselves were prepared for what an official, regularly convening parliament actually entailed, and both of them are struggling to adjust. Nobles are running wild through the capital, both figuratively and literally, threatening to air their complaints in the Sejm if anyone tries to intervene in their general misbehavior. Kazimierz has no choice but to go easy on them, lest he risk compromising the system in its… formative years.
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It’s not all bad, though. In addition to already having some loyalists among the deputies, Kazimierz’ careful treatment of the Sejm has earned him many new ones as well, and these loyalists are able to speak up in favor of the High King when the conversation gets a little too off-track. Some might even say that the Sejm is already starting to split into government and opposition parties, though still rudimentary and unofficial.
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1576 brings more news from Amatica: after losing most of its fleet in the Heretics’ War, Sweden has decided to reaffirm its naval power by joining the race for the New World, getting a head start by buying most of its maps from previous explorers and just picking a nice-looking spot to put a colony. Disappointingly, that spot happens to be right next to Buyania. Poland and Sweden’s relationship is already the most strained of the Moscow Pact, but King Gandalfr assures Kazimierz that he hopes for nothing but peace and support between their respective colonies, and the High King is willing to humor him for now.
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If peaceful trade between colonies is to be possible, they’ll need better connections than just their current infrastructure, which is mostly focused on receiving and sending shipments to the homeland rather than building any kind of local economy. It didn’t seem very relevant back when Amatica was just a frozen wilderness, but with the introduction of Little Europe and other colonies, it’s a much more reasonable proposition.
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And while it is a bit of a tangent, the colonies aren’t the only place where ramshackle wooden construction can be put to good use. Following the large casualties of its previous conquests and especially the slaughter witnessed in the Heretics’ War, the Polish military has been trying to develop some kind of fallback for its aggressive tactics. Most recently, it’s seen great potential in the creative use of sharpened poles, trenches and dirt embankments to protect its troops either between offenses or when those offenses fail. As an extension of the Engineer Corps, every soldier is to be equipped with the tools and training to build such defenses on the go, but also to circumvent them or use the terrain to their advantage when attacking.
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After all, with Poland’s notoriously long border, it’s always defending in one place even when attacking in another. Kazimierz has been hard at work renovating Poland’s fortresses to the latest standards, but it’s also very expensive, and unfortunately the best way to tighten the budget is to cut some corners on the brick-and-mortar construction, or at least supplement it with cheaper options.
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Those expanded forts come with expanded garrisons, but soldiers stationed in or close to cities are infamously hard to keep in check, especially in peacetime when showing up for guard duty on time (or at all) might not seem all that relevant. They’d much rather spend their time either relaxing or earning better money on the side. Still, be it with carrot or stick, they need to be kept in line at any cost.
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That being said, Kazimierz’ reign so far has been one of peace. In the last days of April 1583, there is a declaration that might turn out to be more momentous than it sounds: the Pratihara Empire has declared war on Arabia.
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The sheer size of Rajasthan has always made it a concern, but despite lots of war and conquest in the far, far east, far beyond the realm of Polish interest or attention span, it’s been centuries since the Pratihara showed any aggression in the west. Of course, even now, they aren’t actually attacking Poland or any of its allies, but it may be a worrying precedent for the future, as diplomats from Chernigov and Vladimir make sure to mention in their address to the Sejm. In fact, at their request, the Sejm votes on whether it would favor some sort of intervention or preemptive action; the answer is a resounding 'Nay'. The Moscow Pact will be protected, but Poland will not take responsibility for a blind war against a continent-sized empire it knows nothing about.
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The Sejm does authorize some extra funding for military development in case of such a war, though (as if the military didn’t already eat up over three quarters of the budget). New weapons, formations and ship designs are put to use, but since Poland hasn’t actually been at war for almost twenty years now, they’re mostly theoretical for the time being.
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Again in the opposite direction, on 1 July 1585 – later declared a Buyanian holiday – the Treaty of Algonquin is signed in the Lenape “capital”, formalizing the integration of both Lenape and Sioux as full-fledged members of the Dominion of Buyania, formed on the same day. This includes their various subject tribes like the Ojibwe and Ottawa as well, all of whom are granted minority rights, and Buyania is rapidly becoming a federation of sorts despite still being a mere voivodeship.
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It has set off on a course of peaceful instead of warlike expansion, and the locals have been shockingly accommodating, though problems may arise now that they really have to live together. These grandiose treaties aren’t fully equal, either, with the tribes clearly negotiating from a position of weakness and possibly just wanting to avoid a much worse fate. In any case, these new territories already make Buyania the size of Germany, though obviously with a much, much smaller population. The sheer scale of the New World really can be hard to grasp.
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The capital Ledenesz (Québec City) has been growing massively, too, being the first and thus by default greatest colony on mainland Amatica, and by now a real city in its own right. Settlers have been coming in great numbers, not just from Poland but the entire Moscow Pact and beyond, and “the crown of the north” has become a real melting pot of European and Amatican peoples alike.
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(23 development and quickly climbing…)
Sardinia’s attempts at diplomatic integration on the other hand are a clear example of what not to do, seeing as the Serbians have already gotten tired and decided to be independent again. Sardinia is only left with a few recently conquered Bosnian provinces, and having already lost much of its presence in Africa as well, the once-ascendant kingdom really is looking like a mere shell of its former glory.
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In the same vein, February 1587 brings news of a devastating peace forced upon Andalusia. Though the buffoon Akin V finally passed away, possibly by assassination, and his heir Al-Qasim IV was able to emerge victorious in the civil war ravaging the nation, he seems to have inherited a situation far beyond saving. The recently elected Emperor in Asturias wanted to finally neuter the Andalusian threat while he had the chance, and while Al-Qasim put up a good fight, it wasn’t enough. For the first time in almost two hundred years, the border between the two Iberian nations is being moved – a lot. The Sultan gets to keep his capital, but loses a quarter of his lands in Iberia, as well as all of his Zanaran colonies. A little ray of light for the faltering Christians, it would seem.
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England too has seen a major turnabout after finally shaking off the imperial yoke. The Duchy of Wales, briefly a mere rump state after being mostly annexed by Wessex, has retaliated in force and given Wessex a taste of its own medicine. The struggle for England is increasingly becoming a three-way competition between York, Wales and Kent – representatives of the three very different cultures within the kingdom (though the latter two have French dynasties).
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In fact, Duke Geoffroy II Gellones seems to have been so badly humiliated that he decides to “pull an Iceland” and flee to his new capital of Winchester, New Wessex, a small but supposedly promising colony in northern Alcadra with more slaves than Englishmen. This makes him the first European ruler to personally cross the Atlantic Ocean, even if just a duke, never mind the first to move there. It’s… quite a rash decision to make, and an interesting precedent should it not crash and burn.
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In August of 1587, which is really looking like a year of great military upsets, Rajasthan is forced to make peace with Arabia and Rûm. It technically refuses to admit its defeat despite still ceding three strategic provinces – perhaps irrelevant for an empire of such scale, but a great moral victory for the Muslims. The four years of the war saw them repel initial attacks and push quite a ways into the empire’s territory, having the home field advantage while the Pratihara struggled to actually move in troops from the far ends of their empire. Maybe they’re not such a threat after all.
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The Prince of the Iroquois Confederacy sees the great prosperity (?) that Poland has brought to its neighbors, agreeing to another treaty of vassalization and starting on the path towards full integration.
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On 1 February, tragedy strikes Krakow as the 48-year-old High King stumbles on the stairs while leaving a meeting of the Sejm, cracks his head open and dies a few hours later. An ignoble end for such a noble statesman. Wild accusations of someone having pushed him immediately start flying around, but even though a member of the opposition who happened to be standing nearby is later tried for this crime, he’s declared innocent for the complete lack of evidence. It looks like Kazimierz I’s reign of peace, negotiations and relative isolation may be followed by another similar one… but his successor is still young and highly ambitious, so who knows how he’ll turn out.
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The High King is dead! Long live High King Sulislaw II!
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Italy has secured the peninsula, reduced the Kingdom of Sicily to just Malta and forced it to officially renounce its claims on the mainland.
Sardinia, bankrupt as usual, is struggling with a pretender on its home islands and separatists in Bosnia.
Arabia has finally wrapped up its conquest of Syrian-held Africa.
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The Zanaras have a mix of outposts belonging to Asturias, Kent, Scotland and Wessex, though the Asturian Zanaras multiplied in size after annexing the Andalusian colonies. Andalusian Salsabil (Mexico) has been established in mainland Amatica, and Italy is slowly but surely expanding farther south in Alcadra. With a lot of minorities also moving (or being sent) to the colonies, every European religion can be found somewhere in the new World.
The Mayan kingdom of Can Pech has been expanding a lot lately with no European interference in the region, but may prove unable to hold on to those conquests.
The “Heretic Isles” event is probably the biggest example of me adding something to intentionally alter the course of the game in progress, but I’ll stand by my opinion that it makes a lot more sense than the English staying in the Empire for no reason and makes things more interesting. :smalltongue:
I don’t know if this alternate universe is such an utopia that this is actually true, but I have yet to get a single event about disease among the Amatican natives, so who knows, maybe they do have better resistance to European pathogens in this timeline. If the colonies can resist the temptation to culture-convert them all, it’ll be a pretty interesting mix. Also, I’ll probably try to restrict my Amatican colonization to the north of the continent, and maybe stay out of Alcadra altogether, to leave space for other countries to thrive.
On that note, there are a lot of times in this AAR when I wonder, for instance, if it’s really “realistic” for 16th-century Europe to have so many parliamentary monarchies, but then I remember that there’s nothing inherently “modern” about such a system and social development isn’t in any way linear. Just looking at Europe, even Rome had its senate and was actually a full republic for hundreds of years, and Poland was ruled by the Sejm for a long time, so things like that are far more plausible than, say, the pagan reformation. That being said, from a game design sense, it is kinda weird that the updated government reform system makes them so common even in “normal” games…
IthilanorStPete
2019-08-05, 06:04 PM
Interesting that you're going for the diplo-vassal route in Amatica; it does seem more fitting for Poland than just rolling over the natives.
SilverLeaf167
2019-08-06, 05:03 PM
Chapter #33: Lightning from a Blue Sky (Sulislaw II, 1589-1604)
1 February, 1589
Sulislaw II, a man in his prime, has made himself a reputation as something of a dilettante, hopping between positions and postings throughout his years as heir in order to learn everything there was to know about his future kingdom. Despite this seeming restlessness, though, he also manages to exude an aura of calm confidence, difficult to read and almost off-putting at times. Everyone knows him, yet the laconic young man is still a bit of an enigma.
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Some idiot Prendota Lechowicz decides to stick with tradition and contest his coronation. The whole thing is taken with sighs and eye-rolls, and when Sulislaw rides up with his army and offers a pardon to any soldier or commander who wants to surrender, almost all do. Even Prendota avoids the Wavel dungeon and is merely put under house arrest, under suspicion that he wasn’t in his right mind anyway.
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There’s clearly something about the incident that will be remembered as a great moral victory for the High King, borderline silly as it was.
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His first official address to the Sejm is a similar success, its core points distributed on (printed!) fliers throughout the capital. The Sejm is still in uproar over the death of his predecessor, but also unsure what Sulislaw’s own policies will be. He puts their minds at ease by vowing to maintain Kazimierz’ stance towards the Sejm and consult it in any matters of national importance. Over the next few months he proves that he stands behind his words, and the loyalist faction seems firmly entrenched.
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Notably, he sponsors the founding of the Parliamentary Press to help the government take care of its growing piles of paperwork and disseminate information across the massive country. Printing presses have been present in Poland for a long time now, of course, but usually small, outdated and not used in any official capacity. The Parliamentary Press on the other hand is like a great manufactory in its own right, and also able to provide equipment for anyone else wanting to found a press in Poland. Over time, the effects will be felt far beyond the bureaucracy, as texts of all kinds become more common and affordable.
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This is even reflected in the colonies, the first official press soon opening in Ledenesz as well. Poland’s New World empire isn’t quite the largest in terms of area – that honor goes to Andalusia with its wilayahs of Narafidia and Salsabil – but as far as the pagans are concerned, it is the brightest star of prosperity on the continent. If Buyania was originally seen as something of an experiment, a silly obsession of the guilds who first went out to look for it, by now it has captured the attention of every Pole in and outside the government.
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The peaceful assimilation of Amaticans is also a great example to the rest of the world, even if on the ground the colonials and natives are already starting to argue about just how much autonomy they should be given, not too different from the ageless debates had in Poland.
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With the basic infrastructure in place, more and more Europeans flock to Amatica chasing promises of free land and lack of traditional authorities. While the colonies obviously benefit, and Poland gets a place to offload some of its excess population – the massive economic boom of the 16th century has caused similarly explosive population growth in some areas – the increasingly outnumbered natives might have some reason to feel concerned after all.
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Although, the same factors driving people to the colonies are also a concern for much of the Polish elite. The nobles are worried about the fleeing peasantry and the erosion of their landholding privileges; the clergy about the lack of church administration and conversion work. Sulislaw can make some compromises, such as establishing the Patriarchy of Buyania, but it soon becomes clear that the root issue is impossible to solve without severely undermining Poland’s colonial ventures. In the eyes of many, this first real “failure” goes to show that the calculating High King might not be so infallible after all, and the issue might go on to haunt the rest of his reign.
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The Sejm is rather disillusioned by the perceived gap between Sulislaw’s promises and actions, and by the start of 1591, the Parliamentary Press has already turned against its founder. Soon it seems like everyone in the country has seen one of the Sejm’s manifestos detailing the High King’s failures and the nobles’ demands. Fortunately, most of them can’t actually read, but the people who matter can. While loyalists can also use this as evidence of rebel sentiment and impeach some of the worst offenders, the net effect is still quite worrying for the crown.
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Even the merchants, the one estate quite happy with the situation, have their own problems to worry about. Unglamorous as it sounds, Baltic herring has always been one of Poland’s best known and most lucrative exports, but overfishing caused by economic growth, combined with Buyanian competition, seems to have led to a steep collapse in the region’s once legendary amounts of fish.
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The headaches just keep coming: it’s been almost thirty years since Poland’s last war, much of the military is running on a skeleton crew and several generations of soldiers have never seen battle, but in December 1591, Germany decides to invade the Francian Empire once more. As usual, Poland is only informed afterwards and expected to join anyway, which Sulislaw somewhat grudgingly does. He has no love for the Empire, of course, but also wouldn’t really care to fight it right now. Worse, the Palatinate has maintained its alliance with Rûm after the Heretics’ War, meaning that Poland might have to keep some troops on the eastern front as well. Germany too has managed to find allies in the English duchies, but they might actually become a liability if anything.
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At least Poland’s long period of peace has also allowed it to renew most of its equipment, now going into battle with cutting edge and strictly standardized weaponry and tactics.
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Kent and Lancaster are on the Slavs’ side, while York and East Anglia are with the Palatinate. In a sense, much of this war is just infighting between former Heretic League members. The Marynarka is sent to patrol the English coast and stop any troops from moving to the continent, but other than that, Sulislaw is perfectly happy to let the dukes… well, duke it out amongst themselves.
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He wants to lead one of the armies himself, though, so he makes sure to name a successor before he leaves for the front, just in case.
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The Palatinate and the Teutons soon fall before the Slavic onslaught, and Salzburg won’t last much longer. Out of all the forts in the region, only Heidelberg’s has been fully updated to modern standards, while the others are easy prey for newer guns and engineering. The east seems to be safe for the time being, thanks to the Black Fleet blocking the Sea of Marmara so tightly that not a rowboat can get through.
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The Teutons are driven out of their castles and effectively annexed in December 1592, leaving the Emperor with another elector to replace.
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Salzburg and Dauphine get off easy with monetary reparations, leaving the Slavs free to march into Asturias once more and force the Emperor to admit his defeat. However, the Germans are a little hasty: the King moves his army too far ahead of his Polish allies, thus allowing himself to get caught out of position by the combined Asturian-Palatinate army, which has mostly conserved its strength in wait of such an opportunity. The High King arrives too late to reinforce the Germans, who are forced to retreat, but just in time to descend upon the Christians while they’re still licking their own wounds.
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That being said, he recognizes that he’s now very deep in enemy territory, and waits for his own reinforcements before finally marching on Burgos. Even its defenses have been scarcely upgraded since the last siege decades ago, and while the current Emperor is supposedly another military genius, there’s little he can do against such massive numbers. Instead, he targets a weaker German army in the other direction, successfully forcing the Poles to divert their forces and inflicting decent casualties on them before eventually retreating himself.
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He then leaves that army, quickly rides across the country in a matter of days and takes charge of another force to try and lift the siege on his capital. A clever ploy, and one that comes very close to succeeding. However, Sulislaw has followed Polish doctrine down to the letter and constructed his siege works facing both ways, allowing him to hold off the Emperor long enough that he has no choice but to retreat once again before reinforcements can arrive and pin him between two armies.
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Credit where it’s due: Sulislaw is forced to summon another army from the homeland as backup. The maneuvers performed by both sides in the difficult Asturian terrain will go down as literal textbook examples for future officers to study. The Emperor fights an intricate war of hit-and-run tactics and minimal losses, giving rise to the word “guerrilla” after the Spanish for little war, but it’s a losing battle, and by the time that Burgos falls in the spring of 1594, he’s fully aware that the most he can do is slow the Slavs down.
Back in Krakow, however, that slowdown is becoming a real problem, as the Sejm seems to be stuck in a deadlock without the High King’s firm leadership: between the loyalists, the opposition and those who think they should wait for Sulislaw to get back, no motion is able to pass in his absence.
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(Who you calling a Duchy?)
Even after all of Asturias is occupied, the Emperor continues his stealthy raids and encourages the populace to do the same, straining the country to its limits just to be as annoying as humanly possible – and it seems to pay off. In December 1596, after five years, the whole war comes to a rather unsatisfying ending as the King of Germany – sick and tired and actually literally sick – signs what might as well be a white peace, shuffling some English provinces and war reparations and nothing more. At least it comes away with the Teutonic lands it already took, but still. Is this what the wars of the future will look like?
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With the end of the war, the vacated electorate is granted to the Bishopric of Trier, the last nominally Catholic state in the Rhineland.
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Moldavia seems to have found much more success with its own invasion of Thrace, started while the Emperor was too busy to intervene. Quickly overrun, the Duke has little choice but to accept full annexation in exchange for his own safety. The Empire is all but banished from the east, and the strategic Sea of Marmara finally under full Moldavian control. Constantinople itself is finally in Slavic hands, and though its value is largely symbolic at this point, that side isn’t to be underestimated.
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King Dytryk III Lechowicz, a known zealot and sworn enemy of Christianity, wastes no time in rebranding the city as Lechogród and setting off to convert the Cathar church of Hagia Sophia into the world’s grandest temple to Perun.
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Meanwhile in Poland, even if the High King’s war turned rather unpopular towards the end, his return to the capital means that the Sejm can finally get something done. Apparently the deputies are too incompetent to handle something as simple as routine budgets without someone looking over their shoulder.
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Countless deputies approach Sulislaw with demands and suggestions of all kinds, some of which they’ve been hatching for the past five years, often with additional offers under the table to sweeten the deal. However, despite the temptation to just get the Sejm back on track as quickly as possible, he holds firm and refuses to accept any proposals without due process – even those from his allies. While frustrating to the nobles, it also makes clear that personal cajoling and bribes won’t cut it anymore. Poland will henceforth be ruled by law and reason, as he himself puts it.
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Unfortunately, refusing to give or accept bribes doesn't actually make you very popular.
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Luckily the colonies don’t really need the support of the Sejm, or necessarily even the crown. Merchants from Antwerp have banded together with some persecuted-feeling Waldensians and agreed to help them found a new colony south of Buyania, soon attracting more such refugees from Poland and Francia alike. The town of Nowa Antwerpia sits at the mouth of a large river, and who knows, may even come to rival Ledenesz one day.
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Indeed, the importance of either colonial trade or the Low Countries in all of this is not to be forgotten. Cities like Brugge, Antwerp and Amsterdam are not just Poland’s, but in fact all of Europe’s gateway to the wider world, where exotic goods from west, south and even the far east arrive by the shipload every day. Numerous nations have already realized the value of this trade – now it’s down to who can actually exploit it, and Poland is perfectly positioned to just that.
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The race to Asia is on, and at the same time that throngs of people have been settling in Amatica, smaller but no less important outposts have been founded on the western coast of Africa.
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Asturias, its colonial efforts clearly jump-started by its conquest of Andalusian ports and islands, has become the first to settle the Cape of Good Hope at the very south of the continent, around which Polish explorers haven’t really bothered to venture yet.
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As mentioned, most of these African colonies are inhospitable to mass European settlement, and it’s much easier anyway to build a few well-placed fortresses, extract what resources you want and ship them back home, or in fact your other colonies. Most of them are only manned by a small contingent of soldiers and traders, rather than a large civilian population.
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While constant expansion to such distant lands requires a lot of local autonomy, recent events in the Sejm have made it abundantly clear that it’s not ready to be entrusted with really running the Polish government. As such, all of Poland’s territories and colonies will continue to answer to the High King directly.
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That expansion is somewhat interrupted by the start of yet another Slavic-Imperial war near the end of 1600, but Sulislaw frankly doesn’t expect to put a lot of effort into it.
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He doesn’t have much interest in Temes, preferring to focus on matters far beyond Poland’s direct borders.
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This includes the full integration of the Iroquois, and the founding of another colonial voivodeship to accommodate them without placing too much power in Ledenesz.
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That, of all things, turns out to be the last straw. Despite Sulislaw’s best efforts and a promising start, his relationship with the Sejm has quickly gone downhill, as the two sides just can’t seem to reconcile their views about what powers the Sejm should or is supposed to have. From the High King’s point of view, the Sejm is pushing its luck and trying to ultimately make him a mere figurehead, while the Sejm thinks that he isn’t keeping his promises and that its seeming empowerment was just a ploy after all.
In early September 1601, clinging onto its preexisting concerns about the colonies, fanned by Sulislaw’s more recent attempts at centralization, the Sejm declares that it considers a Voivodeship a noble title of the same level as a Grand Duchy. Such titles are closely protected and, they claim, require the approval of the Sejm to be created or granted. Sulislaw responds that the Voivodes are simply government officials with short terms in non-inheritary positions, and thus don’t even remotely count as high nobility; in addition, since the nobles themselves hold no land in the colonies, except maybe as private investors, they have no say in what is done over there.
While this alone would be a relatively routine spat, quickly dismissed and replaced by some other more interesting outrage, something is different this time. The Sejm refuses to let go of the issue, instead debating it for several weeks, and said debates get increasingly heated and farther off-track, somehow tying every possible issue into one nonsensical mess. The whole matter gets so incredibly twisted that at some point, the loudest of the opposition end up claiming that the High King is trying to transform all noble titles into temporary offices and thus destroy the nobility altogether. While there’s literally no evidence of such plans – though the idea does sound more appealing by the day – unrest finally reaches its zenith on 27 September 1601. Axe meets skull, one deputy kills another in the middle of the chamber, and all hell breaks loose.
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No one expects it. In retrospect, many will say that the signs were there, but no one actually sees it coming. Nobles and their bodyguards alike suddenly descend into a vicious free-for-all, with confused royal soldiers not even knowing how much they’re allowed to interfere, and soon the Sejmic Palace actually goes up in flames. The High King manages to escape, as do most of the deputies on both sides, but that just means that the fighting spills out into the streets of Krakow, reinforced by levies and mercenaries until there are almost 50,000 Polish rebels wreaking havoc in their own capital. It can well be said that the Kingdom of Poland is, for the first time, in a state of civil war. The Warsaw Uprising and the Westward March are little squabbles compared to this. Garrisons in remote parts of the country, usually left with little attention, are immediately put on high alert to stop any other nobles from gaining a foothold there.
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While previous (much smaller) conflicts between crown and nobility have generally involved some element of the other clans rebelling against the Lechowicz, that’s clearly not the case here: it’s very much a struggle between royalist and parliamentarian forces, both of whom consider it a war of survival. To emphasize their devotion to this “higher cause”, the rebels actually choose to rally behind Lechowicz nobles themselves, proving that this time it isn’t personal... except maybe against Sulislaw individually.
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The Crown Army doesn’t have many forces sitting in Krakow due to the war in the south, but while this leaves the Sejmics free to take control of the city and lay siege to Wavel Castle, there’s a silver lining: the Crown Army is able to avoid the initial chaos, and instead review the situation before counterattacking. Needless to say, that other war is put on hold. 19-year-old Crown Prince Lechoslaw is among those to have fled the capital, and a few weeks later he leads his troops to victory in the first field battle of the civil war, albeit against the smallest rebel force available.
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Two thirds of the entire Crown Army take up positions around Krakow, trusting in the city’s internal forts to hold off the rebels until they’re finally ready to attack. Royalists give no quarter in cleansing every quarter of anyone who even looks like a rebel and doesn’t immediately drop their weapon. The survivors of the initial attack quickly disperse into the countryside, with the cavalry in hot pursuit, but it’ll be months before the last suspects are either killed or arrested, and many are never caught at all.
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The High King himself isn’t sitting idle while all this happens, of course, but fighting a third noble uprising in Pomerania. Supported by the Grand Duke himself, these rebels have no trouble throwing out the small crown garrison in Szczecin, but by the time they venture out of the city, they’re quickly chased down and destroyed.
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It looks like the rebellion has been quelled with relatively little trouble – though many of its known or suspected leaders are still unaccounted for – but it’s frankly a bit unclear what it was even about, other than a chaotic situation that got way, way out of hand. For a moment, it seems like the movement might’ve calmed down altogether and the High King might be able to negotiate a peace settlement. In July 1602 the sejmics, now calling themselves “The Confederation”, respond with a long and detailed list of demands that no self-respecting monarch could possibly accept, including Sulislaw himself being put on trial for his “crimes” against the Sejm. If they had their way, the Sejm would get to nominate not only all government officials but even the High King. Looks like the revolution will continue after all.
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The Polish nobles of Frisia stayed out of the conflict at first, but now finally decide to take their chances with the Confederation.
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The Palace Bloodbath really was just the beginning. Almost exactly a year later, the entirety of Poland is aflame with rebels of all colors taking this one-of-a-kind opportunity to resist the unbeatable Crown Army.
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As of September 1602, about 184,000 confederates stand against 144,000 royalists. The royalists, however, are far more mobile, better supplied, better led and able to pick their battles. Although the rest of the Moscow Pact has so far neglected to send any troops, apparently finding it unbelievable that almighty Poland would need such a thing, at least it has diligently stopped the confederates from getting any support through their lands.
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The nobles have managed to gather their forces in some inconvenient areas like central Volhynia and the oddani haven of North Jylland, both of which have seen no real fighting in centuries and are very lightly defended. For the most part, however, they’ve had to make do with what they had, which includes some of the country’s most fortified places, such as the Carpathians. The royalists group up into larger armies and take their sweet time running around the country, and by February 1603, the civil war seems to be almost over, with only a single rebel force of 41,000 still waiting to be destroyed.
And the nobles just can’t have that, can they? On what looks like the verge of defeat, an incredible 331,000 confederates join the fray all at once. The fact that the ragtag nobility has now mobilized more than four times as many troops as the standing Crown Army is clear evidence that they must have been planning something like this for a long, long time, and definitely with foreign support. They’re either feeding the peasants foul lies or just plain forcing them to fight, and looking at how many Lechowicz scions are suddenly crawling out of the woodwork, they might be coming from the same place as all those doomed pretenders so far. Whatever the case, the war is far from over.
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High King Sulislaw, second of his name, stands unwavering as he always does. His armies, garrisons and loyal subjects are fighting back all across Poland, but he has no way to coordinate them all – especially not when he has his own forces to lead. The Lyakhovich clan, despite being some of the original engineers of the Sejm, are now the only Grand Dukes to remain loyal in this time of peril, and thus the High King stops in Halicz to resupply and deliver a momentous speech to an audience of tens of thousands (most of whom can’t actually hear it, but there’ll be a printed transcript later).
20th of March, 1603. Sulislaw II, 40 years old and lean and mean, already shows a bit of gray in his well-groomed beard, but it does nothing to diminish his presence as he ascends the podium, wearing a full suit of richly decorated red-and-white plate and flanked by hulking bodyguards in similar attire. He clears his throat, and when he begins to speak, his imperious voice, uncharacteristically rough and angry, booms across the temple square.
“Brothers! Sisters! Fathers and mothers and children of Poland! We stand today on the precipice of fate: the fate of the kingdom, and all its people. I have heard many of your concerns, and listened closely to all of them, and what I have learned is that many of you aren’t fully aware of the meaning of all this bloodshed between fellow Slavs. That is to be expected! For this much is certain: there is no sense in it, and our enemy is a devious one. One that fights for no god, king or freedom, but only its selfish gain. The nobles of the so-called Confederation are those who would seek to overthrow the everlasting state of Poland altogether and turn it into a conspiracy of chiefs and barons with only one goal: to enslave the Polish freeman, to fill their bellies with your bread, and to carve up the nation amongst themselves.
However! There are still those chiefs who stand with the High King, who respect the Amber Crown and the eagle banner, who realize that this accursed fratricidal struggle isn’t one of crown against noble: we stand against injustice, tyranny, selfishness and oppression! The High Kings have protected Slavdom ever since the days of Blessed Ancestor Lechoslaw over seven hundred years ago, and now this Confederation would have the lawfully elected ruler ousted just so you can be made into serfs to serve them in perpetuity, like the gods they think themselves to be?
All of Europe knows what is at stake should Poland fall, and you can stand assured that the imperials are already circling above us like the scavengers they are, skittering like rats under the floorboards, hoping for Poland to be brought low by this cancer from within so that they might pick apart its corpse. The Confederation gets its money and men from the Franks, and we can only guess how that debt will be repaid should they succeed in their terrible crusade. All of Slavdom stands to suffer, just so a few men and women can benefit.
We will march out tomorrow, and we will be victorious! The pretenders shall be struck down by Perun, and once their miserable souls are ferried off to Wyraj, their ancestors will see what they have done and give them worse hell than we possibly can… because noble or peasant, our bones are all the same, and we are all one in death!”
"ONE IN DEATH! ONE IN DEATH!" The crowd erupts into a wild chant that soon spreads across the entire city like fire through gunpowder. Sulislaw raises the Axe of Plusdwa above his head and drives it deep into the podium, cracking it like a piece of firewood.
Suffice to say that the rhetoric on both sides has kind of escalated.
And of course, High King and Crown Prince fighting side by side emerge victorious in battle after battle.
https://i.postimg.cc/G2jdtNqZ/20190806202051_1.jpg
The royalists no longer have the luxury of biding their time if they want to stop vast tracts of land from falling under confederate control. Even though Poland’s main fortresses are modern and fully manned, able to deny the rebels free movement across the countryside, the ones protecting individual towns are a different story. The brunt of the enemies are focused in the very heart of Poland, seizing control of important cities like Warsaw, Checiny and Nowy Sacz even while Krakow still holds out.
https://i.postimg.cc/FFDhQMfS/20190806202420_1.jpg
The war provides ample opportunities for future folk heroes like Trojden Zaluski, ‘Madman of Mazovia’, to forge their reputation, and the crown is more than happy to spread that reputation for enemies to fear and subjects to adore.
https://i.postimg.cc/KjqbrTXf/20190806202555_1.jpg
In August 1603, Poland finally gets the first bit of material help from its allies when Moldavia – admittedly a bit busy with its own war – finally sends some help to lift the second siege of Krakow.
https://i.postimg.cc/Yq0M2dgs/20190806203315_1.jpg
Speaking of which, the Marynarka has been out on patrol, basically not even remembering that it’s also at war, only to suddenly come across the Asturian Armada. In the ensuing battle, the Radogost and several others manage to corner Asturias’ own flagship Tarragona and, after extended bombardment, send it to the bottom of the North Sea. Although the Marynarka emerges victorious overall, it loses most of its own battleships as well and retreats all the way to the safety of the Baltic.
https://i.postimg.cc/15dP8Dr5/20190806203926_1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/rwtTxzfG/20190806204138_1.jpg
Of course, the crown has little time to spare for such frivolities. Central Poland and Bohemia are liberated with Moldavian aid, and a lot of men: a total of about 150,000 royalist soldiers have been lost, so statistically speaking the entire army has been replaced in just three years, making this Poland’s bloodiest war ever. On top of that, the thing about civil war is that it doesn’t stop on the battlefield, but every single enemy and often their family too must be chased down, lest they rise up again or just stab you at the bar in a few weeks. Many confederate commanders fought in Asturias, and now they can put the Emperor’s notorious guerrilla tactics to good use… not to mention that with so much propaganda being thrown around on both sides, a lot of the fighting actually happens in the total absence of armies, neighbors simply attacking each other on their own initiative.
Eventually Calais, that very western tip of the realm, is left as the last known rebel holdout. The commander, one Nadbor Lechowicz, is in every way insignificant, but he was there in Krakow three years ago, and now he’s effectively the leader of the Confederation just by being the only one left. Stuck between a fortress and the brunt of the Crown Army, he tries to plead for mercy.
https://i.postimg.cc/zfZrj5Qs/20190806204523_1.jpg
Traitors get no such thing. Not at this point. The only “quarter” he gets is to be drawn and quartered in front of his surviving officers, before they too meet the same fate.
And so, on 18 July 1604, the Polish Civil War is over almost as suddenly as it began, but not without leaving a mark.
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The First Guerrilla (1591-96)
Germany + Poland + Kent + Lancaster vs. Palatinate + Asturias + Salzburg + Teutonic Order + Rûm + others
After a short campaign in the south of Germany, the brunt of the fighting happened in Asturias (while the English dukes basically have their own separate fight and Rûm is locked in Asia). The war seemed like a losing battle for the defenders from the get go, but Emperor Baugency II managed to turn the tables with hit-and-run tactics quite uncharacteristic of a man of his stature. Even though the peace deal, only achieved after a long and grueling occupation of Asturias, was technically a win for Germany, it was basically a moral victory for the Emperor: not only did Germany fail to achieve its main demands, he and his subjects proved that they were more devoted to killing as many invaders as they possibly can than to their own safety.
Confederate Civil War (1601-1604)
High King Sulislaw II + Royalists + Moldavia vs. Confederate Sejm
After the reforms of 1572, the long-frustrated Sejm expected a lot more power than it was ultimately given, especially as the very next ruler proved disappointingly attached to his own position. What ultimately broke the camel’s back was a disagreement about the nomination of colonial governors, spiraling out of control until it had little relation to the original argument. The blame for the war could perhaps be laid at the feet of whoever decided to kill another deputy in the middle of the Sejm, but no one can agree on who did what, and it was merely a symptom of a deeper disease in any case.
As fighting erupted across the capital and soon the whole country, both sides presented the civil war – basically fought between two noble factions – as an existential struggle for the fate of all Slavdom. In practice, the central issue being fought over was parliamentary power and the selection of (all) government officials, but the High King also dug up the Sejm’s old demands for serfdom in order to get the populace on his side. At the same time, the Sejm claimed to stand against royal tyranny and for some kind of proto-democracy, even promising voting rights in their desperation. Peasant were already angry about the recent economic downturn after a long period of growth, and in just three years, the war reopened a lot of old wounds they didn’t even know they had, evolving into a grudge match of epic proportions. It wasn’t always clear what anyone was actually fighting for, but fight they did.
Confederate forces numbered as many as 650,000 but rose up in three separate waves and had rather poor coordination, allowing the numerically inferior Crown Army to grind them down piecemeal. However, with a million Slavs dead by each other’s hand, the victorious government is now left with the challenge of trying to solve the seemingly meaningless war’s root causes and mend the divided nation…
https://i.postimg.cc/6QrNbgJy/20190806211544_1.jpg
Over in England, Kent is quite clearly emerging as the main candidate for the throne.
The scraps of Dauphine were conquered by… the scraps of Tuscany.
The Bosnian rebels managed to break off from Sardinia, only for a separate war to then force Serbia to return most of its land to the kingdom. Greece also managed to nab back a few exclaves along the coast.
Rûm somehow still hasn’t finished off Anatolia.
With Poland and Moldavia both distracted, the war against the Empire is clearly going a bit rough.
Well. The 17th century certainly started with a bang. Neat coincidence that the serfdom-advocating rebels called themselves the “Confederation” of all things, huh?
…That actually is a coincidence. I didn’t add it. Oh, by the way, a quote from Wikipedia:
The 1607 Sejm rejected the demands. Meanwhile, the rebel nobles gathered in Guzów. In 1607 the Royal Army, led by Hetman Jan Karol Chodkiewicz was sent to pacify the rebels. A full scale battle ensued on July 5/July 6 (sources vary), with 200 casualties, which resulted in the victory of the Royalist forces.
Kinda different in scale, huh?
Interesting that you're going for the diplo-vassal route in Amatica; it does seem more fitting for Poland than just rolling over the natives.
Oh, yeah. When I realized I could, I figured why not. It’s actually more effort than just conquering them, although at least you don’t need to send over an army or deal with rebellions. :smalltongue: I try to throw in the occasional mention that they’re probably not living in perfect harmony like they seem to be – after all, “treaties” have always been a part of colonialism – but I haven’t yet decided what the end result will look like society-wise. I’d rather not glorify colonialism too much, but in this alt-history, it might be just a smidge less horrible than in ours.
I recently got a lot of the Indian Ocean map revealed to me, but that’ll have to wait until the next chapter.
Oh, and by the way, I finished reading that megacampaign (https://lparchive.org/Al-Andalus-Paradox-Mega-LP/) you linked earlier! Thanks for that, it gave me a lot of ideas, but also thoughts on what I want to do differently or maybe avoid in my own game.
IthilanorStPete
2019-08-06, 05:48 PM
Interesting chapter! Good to see it's not all smooth sailing; the occasional rebellion's good for livening things up. I'm actually surprised at how little trouble this was, though I'm curious what your manpower's at.
Suffice to say that the rhetoric on both sides has kind of escalated.
Just a little bit. :smalltongue:
Oh, and by the way, I finished reading that megacampaign (https://lparchive.org/Al-Andalus-Paradox-Mega-LP/) you linked earlier! Thanks for that, it gave me a lot of ideas, but also thoughts on what I want to do differently or maybe avoid in my own game.
Glad it gave you ideas! The biggest thing that stood out to me was all the negative events that happened; it seemed like the author overcompensated a bit too much for the player's ability to blob.
Speaking of LPs and colonialism, have you read this Vic2 China LP (https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/the-middle-kingdom-a-sinocentric-china-aar.822678/)? It goes a bit hard on the Sinocentrism/Chinese awesomeness, but it's certainly a different take on Victoria's usual Western-centric view.
SilverLeaf167
2019-08-06, 06:08 PM
Interesting chapter! Good to see it's not all smooth sailing; the occasional rebellion's good for livening things up. I'm actually surprised at how little trouble this was, though I'm curious what your manpower's at.
Almost empty, down from 150,000 - and that's including all the manpower regained during three years. The event chain itself is vanilla, though I pumped up the (already scaling) number of rebels a bit. The thing about rebels in EU4 is that even if there are hundreds of thousands of them, they're still split into stacks of about 40,000 at most, letting you pick them off one at a time with overwhelming numbers.
Glad it gave you ideas! The biggest thing that stood out to me was all the negative events that happened; it seemed like the author overcompensated a bit too much for the player's ability to blob.
My thoughts exactly. While nerfing yourself into the ground and especially the near-total collapse at a couple points was interesting, and even influenced my thinking a bit, it may have devolved into a bit too much rebel-stomping at times. Admittedly, actually working your hardest to survive in a position of weakness can be more interesting (*whistle*) but it also got a bit samey. Great overall, though!
Speaking of LPs and colonialism, have you read this Vic2 China LP (https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/the-middle-kingdom-a-sinocentric-china-aar.822678/)? It goes a bit hard on the Sinocentrism/Chinese awesomeness, but it's certainly a different take on Victoria's usual Western-centric view.
I haven't! I'll look at that next, with your disclaimer in mind. :smalltongue:
SilverLeaf167
2019-08-08, 03:55 PM
Chapter #34: Being Repressed (Sulislaw II, 1604-1619)
2 February, 1604
High King Sulislaw II is a great man. He knows it, everyone knows it, the words “Calm” and “Incorruptible” are written on his essence and soul. Yet somehow he has become the first ruler of Poland to finally drive the nobility over the edge into open disloyalty, rebellion, and war of brother against brother. Not even kinslaying Lechoslaw II managed to do that, try as he did and went down in the history books for it. Whatever happened, Sulislaw is quite confident that it wasn’t his fault – but he’s the one who has to deal with the consequences.
Things may have… gotten a bit heated there, but the confederates should be glad that he’s so calm and collected, seeing as he'd be fully within his rights to execute the lot of ‘em. Many already died during the civil war, but now the war is over, and the noble population has been culled more than enough. As much as he hates to forgive those who don’t deserve it, the half of the nobility that stuck with him throughout the war has convinced him to show mercy, lest the country never recover from its wounds. They’re also the ones who convince him not to dismantle the Sejm itself, saying that it’s still needed to take care of the government and address the rebellion’s root causes.
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Those causes are hazy and innumerable, though – Poland’s relative stability and strong government might be exactly the reason that every repressed issue now erupted at once – and fixing them without basically granting the rebels’ demands is easier said than done. Even if the surviving rebels get to keep their lives, the least Sulislaw can do is ban them from the Sejm and all other offices for life. Their crimes should be enough to make their lines into pariahs for generations to come, which may not be the best way to make peace, but not punishing them at all is out of the question.
The real problem might be the general populace. The war was mostly an elite power struggle, but as with any war, the majority of the almost million Polish citizens who died in it were just commoners pressed into service. The royalists could mostly compensate for crop failures by exporting less and importing more food, and the rebels never held the same area for long enough that starvation would become a problem, but the immediate death toll from the fighting was still immense. Worse, after three years of both sides spreading harsh propaganda and turning people against each other along completely arbitrary lines, now the High King suddenly needs to pull a U-turn and pretend it was no big deal.
Of course, the most immediate cause of the war was the founding of the voivodeship of Lukomoria, which currently consists of the capital Bakanów (Boston), Nowa Antwerpia and the integrated Iroquois provinces. The disagreement over the voivode’s nomination was just a spark for something bigger, though. In the meantime, Lukomoria’s expansion continues apace with the peaceful vassalization of the Susquehannock.
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All this time, Poland has also been “fighting” a different war against the Empire. Now that the civil war is over, Sulislaw returns the favor of Moldavian aid by finally sending two badly battered armies to help repel the Francian counterattack that occurred in Poland’s absence, though he himself stays in Krakow and treats this as the afterthought it is.
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At least the badly beaten and neutered Sejm is finally doing what he wants.
https://i.postimg.cc/MKcRtwcD/20190808163117-1.jpg
After the occupying Christians are driven off, both sides agree that the war has gone on for long enough that Moldavia can walk away with some of its demands.
https://i.postimg.cc/qM9K5Fyd/20190808163833-1.jpg
However, with all that out of the way, it seems that Sulislaw’s work is done. After distinguishing himself during the civil war, he’s determined to stay in fighting condition afterwards as well, but in early March 1606, this comes back to bite him when he falls off his horse on a hunting trip and stumbles off a cliff, barely clinging onto life when rescued moments later. He’s quickly carried back to Krakow, where on the 12th, he dies of the complications of his many injuries. There’s really no one to blame, other than maybe whoever picked that route, but this is now the second High King in a row to die of an accidental fall, and a very divisive one to say the least, so accusations of murder run rampant once again – but the Crown Prince harshly silences the Sejm, which is being kept on a very short leash. Due to the fanatical loyalty he inspired in many, Sulislaw’s funeral procession is one of the largest and most spectacular in Polish history, and at the end of the day, his successor has some big shoes to fill.
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Fighting alongside the High King, Crown Prince Lechoslaw III had nothing but respect for him and “earned his wings” commanding the royal hussars, but his highly personal involvement in the civil war may also be a liability. Of course, the government for the time being consists almost entirely of people desperate to prove their loyalty, and the young ruler is willing to listen to good advice – but he’s also known as a decisive and ruthless leader, personally ordering if not quite administering countless executions during the war.
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Speaking of which, the meczenniks – currently forming a good sixth of the Crown Army – proved invaluable due to their fearless loyalty and detachment from noble politics. As such, they’re well within their rights to request some extra rewards for their service, even if the crown treasury is already stretched thin.
https://i.postimg.cc/dQNr8303/20190808165152-1.jpg
Lest he seem too easily convinced, Lechoslaw III almost categorically denies all requests to remove royalist nobles from the posts they were given in the aftermath of the war, despite the opposition’s claims that “things have already calmed down”, “it’s all water under the bridge”, or "they're blatantly abusing the undeserved trust placed in them".
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The meczenniks also start to push their luck after being given a few concessions, and some even worry that they’re “going the way of the Sejm”. Lechoslaw, however, holds his ground and refuses to slacken their duties in any way or allow them to practice other crafts, recognizing that the true core of the meczenniks is in their lifelong devotion to their post. It might be that the organization’s discipline is struggling to keep up with its rapid expansion.
https://i.postimg.cc/QMjFLZMv/20190808172651-1.jpg
Over in the west, Sweden follows the popular approach of forming a colonial government for “Alfmark”. The Buyanians have been quite passive-aggressive in their attempts to deny the Swedes as much land as possible, but their little peninsular colony has still managed to gain a small foothold on the continent. It remains to be seen where they’ll look next, now that they’re already rubbing borders with Buyania.
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Upon hearing of the news, Lechoslaw somewhat dismissively approves the voivodes’ requests for more funding and easier access for prospective non-Slavs willing to join Polish colonies rather than establish their own.
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Indeed, as the economy starts to pick up speed again, people of all kinds start asking for money for this and that. While he’s forced to shoot down most of them so spending doesn’t get out of hand, he does have a soft spot for higher education – for the past couple centuries, the High Kings have generally been some of the best educated men in Poland due to being trained for their role since childhood, and Lechoslaw holds such learning in high regard. With his support, Poland’s most modern university (for now) is founded near Lublin, quickly growing into a town of its own over the next several years.
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This turns into a wider trend of crown investment in printing, education and various schools all over Poland. There have been a few universities and other schools here and there for centuries now, but terribly small or just not that good, including even the Royal University of Krakow, which now gets a thorough reboot. Most of these aren’t strictly state-run, being either independent or affiliated with various other groups – including guilds, clergy and oddani – but in light of recent events, Lechoslaw does demand a certain say in what is taught.
https://i.postimg.cc/W1wMqnqL/20190808190955-1.jpg
Most technological development doesn’t have much to do with schools at this point, though, instead being driven by the guilds and military’s efforts and practical experience. Most notably, the inconvenient matchlock mechanism used by most firearms is being phased out in favor of the flintlock, which can ignite the gunpowder with a quick spark instead of requiring an external flame. It’s still ruined by getting wet, though, which leads to armies on all sides just taking the day off if it happens to be raining.
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With the growing number of skilled artisans and advanced manufactories in Poland – well, parts of it at least – it’s also starting to become known as a source of quality crafts and materials of many kinds, grudgingly so in the Christians’ case, but respected all the same. This is especially noticeable in Bohemia, one of the Kingdom’s more urbanized regions, whose innovations in beautiful glassmaking of all things are being unsuccessfully imitated by the rest of Europe.
https://i.postimg.cc/nzPrQs1t/20190808174200-1.jpg
Still, academics do have their own role in this, as some sciences like engineering and chemistry actually have very direct applications in all kinds of industries. For instance, a Polish alchemist and personal friend of Lechoslaw becomes the first to discover and record the existence of oxygen, an invisible gas that fuels all life (and burning and rusting and who knows what else). The exciting idea of “oxygen bombs” has to be dismissed when it’s understood that all bombs already use oxygen, but his other work is still revolutionary, and the rest of world will have to accept it, whatever their opinion of Poland.
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Even then, the center of gravity of the Polish economy leans quite a bit towards the west, and Frisia is still critical for both its industry and its colonial trade. During the civil war, some Polish nobles rose up in Frisia or were forced to retreat there, but the locals themselves didn’t really get involved. It looks like that just left them rich and ready to revolt later, though, while the Crown Army is still replenishing its reserves. In October 1609, the citizens of Brugge, one of the most important global ports, band together to demand either full autonomy or independence. They’re tired of the fruits of their labor being sent east to support the “lazy and unwashed” populace of rural Poland, and even many of those who have adopted the pagan faith still maintain a strong identity separate from Slavdom, seeing the High King as a long-time occupier rather than rightful ruler. Their loyalty in the civil war is just another reason that they feel entitled to something in return.
Those personal insults don’t exactly turn Lechoslaw over to their side, though, and besides, he needs the income from Frisia in order to support the overstretched crown budget. He sends the Crown Army to disperse the movement, which quickly turns into a city-wide riot instead.
https://i.postimg.cc/V66569nR/20190808174550-1.jpg
Of course, with professional soldiers fighting mere angry townsfolk, the riot becomes a one-sided bloodbath, and the army is acting on orders to use lethal force against anyone who tries to fight back. The Brugge revolt is quickly put down and the rest of the city falls in line, but it’s already clear that it’s unlikely to stop here…
With the nobility weakened, the Sejm shackled to the crown’s will and High King Lechoslaw apparently reneging on Poland’s previous policies of local autonomy, future historians will see the early 17th century as the start of a new age of absolutism and government power. The crown and its army are stronger than ever, with the bureaucracy to use that power and micromanage things on a whole new level, and in the aftermath of Poland’s first and hopefully last real civil war, the High King has every excuse he needs to crack down on any sign of insubordination. The rest of Europe will be viewed through a similar lens, with the Francian Empire desperately combating heresy and all sorts of countries ruthlessly conquering new territory all across the world.
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Wouldn’t you know it, a similar rebellion follows in March 1610 in Ghent, now more organized and determined but easily put down nonetheless. The fact that the task is assigned Trojden Zaluski, ‘Madman of Mazovia’, famous or infamous for his brutality depending on which side you’re on, says a lot about the crown's approach.
https://i.postimg.cc/59XqKLTL/20190808184626-1.jpg
May, revolt in Zeeland – destroyed. July, revolt in Breda – destroyed. These rebels are either very dumb or very determined, but after a few similar attempts, they finally seem to stop or at least lay low for the time being.
Buyania, apparently expecting special treatment, doesn’t ask for permission before founding a sort of miniature Sejm of its own, modest or not. There’s good reason to worry that it’ll be taking more and more of these liberties in the future due to its distance from the motherland.
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Something else unprecedented happens farther south: even if it’s mostly due to the Sultan being busy fighting Asturias again, the Princedom of Mescalero becomes the first Amatican state to win a war against an European invader and actually conquer most of Salsabil. This leads to the bizarre situation of a large number of Muslim settlers now living under a native ruler. Then again, a lot of them simply choose to flee. Salsabil isn’t entirely gone, though – merely relocated a bit.
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With July 1612 comes another German war that Poland is obliged to participate in. It seems to be largely a rehash of the previous one, being fought over the same lands between the same countries, albeit with the less common addition of Chernigov to the fray.
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Lechoslaw repeats the old trick of blocking the Sea of Marmara, a strategy actually being taught in military academies by now, and sends some forces to provide backup for Germany. He insists on leaving at least some men in Frisia, though, sensing that there’s still some bubbling beneath the surface.
He also names his successor before setting out himself. As one might expect, the winner is once again the candidate who just happens to give him the best impression, namely the quick-witted and well-spoken youngster Jan.
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Asturias is more able to focus on this war after forcing a devastating peace deal on Andalusia, possibly the final blow to any hopes of recovery: in addition to most of what remains of Salsabil, the Sultan loses almost all of Iberia. This even includes Cordoba, the great (and massive) city that has been the capital of Muslim Iberia for 900 years now. The Sultan moves to Qadis, refusing to let go of the peninsula, but now that the scales are thoroughly tipped, the next few decades will almost certainly see him losing more and more land to his rivals. The Emperor seems to have started treating this as a grand crusade, a reconquest of some sort. Of course, this all could’ve been avoided had Poland and Andalusia maintained their short-lived alliance, but it’s Andalusia’s fault that it didn’t work out, not the Poles’.
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Just like last time, the Palatinate falls without much resistance, and after the Pyrenean forts finally surrender in the summer of 1614, the stage is set for Round 2 of the invasion of Asturias and the guerrilla. However, Asturias’ present commanders seem much less skilled and the Slavs much better prepared than last time, leading to the horrible and bloody failure of the first few attempts to stop them.
https://i.postimg.cc/tJ66qtGc/20190808194457-1.jpg
But, even if Asturias’ forts also haven’t improved much, there’s still a lot of them, and it takes until June 1616 for the country to be fully occupied. By then, the English dukes have already wrapped up their part of the war and moved south to help their allies. Their relationship with the Poles is still ambivalent at best, but they seem surprisingly committed to Germany, perhaps in hopes of Germany defending them against Francian reconquest. There have been no attempts so far, so it seems to be working.
https://i.postimg.cc/HW8X9H8t/20190808200152-1.jpg
The Marynarka chases the Asturian Armada back and forth along the coast, withering it down little by little. Finally it has no more place to hide and the Marynarka manages to sink the very last of it, including another Asturian flagship, Cuenca, the “new and modern” warship built to replace the previously lost Tarragona.
https://i.postimg.cc/L6zPGTTY/20190808200439-1.jpg
Around the same time, Romagna – which, for the record, recently joined Asturias in this war – fully annexes the long-suffering Papal State. While the Duke of Romagna is still Catholic, Lollardism has long been running wild through his lands, and the Pope is now even more of a hostage in his own palace than he ever was.
https://i.postimg.cc/cC5dbPzy/20190808200020-1.jpg
On that note, Rome is where the Emperor fled after the capture of Burgos, so it’s about time that the High King paid him a visit and personally placed his hand on the paper.
https://i.postimg.cc/zG8hNgtd/20190808201045-1.jpg
Chernigov is trying to do the same thing in the so-called Third Rome, Adana, but the Sultan of Rûm has recalled most of his troops to the region and may end up driving back the Slavs after all.
https://i.postimg.cc/YSSmGwwY/20190808201218-1.jpg
Unfortunately, none of them have time to get what they came for, as the Emperor marches out of Rome with a white flag on New Year’s Day 1618. Germany annexes most but not all of the Palatinate, Chernigov gets a chunk of Black Sea coast, and even Andalusia gets back a bit of land just to rub it in.
https://i.postimg.cc/52gC22Df/20190808201530-1.jpg
In an ironic reversal of what has happened to Andalusia so many times in the past, Asturias is left a bankrupt mess riddled with annoying enclaves, heretics and Muslims separatists.
https://i.postimg.cc/V6xSVr0W/20190808201741-1.jpg
Lechoslaw is in an especially big hurry to return home, as he has received a most concerning letter warning him of a new confederate plot trying to use the Crown Prince of all people as a figurehead to rebel against him. He does not doubt Jan’s own loyalty, as he’s only 15 years old and notoriously kind-hearted and friendly if anything, but that’s exactly why some scheming nobles could try to use him for their own nefarious purposes. The High King doesn’t do anything rash, but he does order a thorough investigation into the matter, including taking Jan himself into “protective custody”. For his own good.
https://i.postimg.cc/XN5By8tH/20190808202824-1.jpg
In the end, it turns out to be just a false alarm, and no such conspiracy is discovered at all. The investigation soon turns towards finding out who tried to frame the young heir, but the whole episode is a good illustration of the paranoia that still steers Polish politics almost 14 years after the end of the civil war.
https://i.postimg.cc/90y45mG5/20190808202833-1.jpg
The High King pulls no punches in telling the Sejm just how “tired he is of their bulls***”, in graphic detail, over a furious rant lasting about two hours. Lechoslaw, a young man when he ascended the throne and now a very tired 36-year-old, might be cracking under the pressure of his position after all.
https://i.postimg.cc/kgJ2zdGz/20190808203606-1.jpg
Unfortunately, the High King is still the High King, and especially now that he’s steadily stripped the Sejm of almost all decision-making power, anything they want to do has to go through him…
https://i.postimg.cc/X7cZsvj9/20190808204027-1.jpg
The Sejm’s first session of 1619 doesn’t actually have anything specific on the agenda; instead, it’s an unusually open stage, with deputies being given an increasingly rare opportunity to suggest anything as vague or specific as they want, at least until they get booed off the podium. The High King is present at his usual seat of honor, but he gives off the impression that he isn’t so much observing as monitoring the meeting. After hours of deliberation, several sufficiently small or meaninglessly broad resolutions have already been passed, while even more have been dismissed, but a few things have fallen somewhere in between: things that might actually warrant a bit more discussion.
Especially after the recent and still unsolved “fake conspiracy”, some of the High King’s closer allies – people who clearly feel quite secure in their own positions – advocate a wide-spanning expansion of the crown’s rights and abilities to supervise those who work for it, perhaps even a separate organ to handle such duties. Poland’s foreign agents and diplomats could make sure that there are no external threats either, perhaps doing some sabotage of their own while they’re at it. While most of the nobles are of course heavily opposed, it’s also awkward to argue against with the High King sitting right there, and should they fail to convince him otherwise, he can easily force this act to pass if he feels like it.
https://i.postimg.cc/tgmnFmXf/20190808204725-2.jpg
Trying to look somewhere more positive… since Poland has such a great and ever-expanding empire with multiple subject states, shouldn’t the crown bureaucracy instead be focused on coordinating the various allies and local governments that it requires in order to maintain its hegemony? The Amatican model of gradual integration has worked quite well, and if refined a bit further, might be usable with other client states as well.
https://i.postimg.cc/ydggjXxN/20190808204726-1.jpg
Vote on an idea group here (https://linkto.run/p/JVWDMSE9)! Remember to share your view in the comments as well! [CLOSED]
2nd Conquest of the Palatinate (1612-18)
Germany + Poland + Chernigov + Kent + Lancaster vs. Palatinate + Asturias + York + Rûm + Romagna + others
A largely one-sided war similar to the last one with the same participants. Asturias’ attempts at repeating its guerrilla tactics were met with resounding failure, and not only did it get occupied again, the Poles also launched a rare invasion of central Italy. In addition to the Slavs getting most of their demands, Asturias ended up going bankrupt, which tends to have far-reaching aftereffects.
https://i.postimg.cc/4xWYTFhd/20190808204816-1.jpg
York loses more and more land to Kent and Lancaster.
Sardinian Serbia ended up being, yes, lost again.
Obviously the game mechanics don’t actually have a lot of non-manpower repercussions for massive casualties incurred in civil or regular war, so like most of the other world-building, it’s left up to me. The peasant side of things is hard to represent, but at least I can milk the elite’s internal conflicts for a good while longer. :smallwink:
Again, sorry for having only two options for the vote, but feel free to suggest your own.
There’s some sort of special coming up on East Asia.
SilverLeaf167
2019-08-09, 08:16 AM
Special #5: Story of Eastern Wonderland (1619)
Explorer Klára Poniatowski has proven more long-lived than most of her predecessors, making several round trips into the great unknown east of Africa and always returning unscathed by either disease or angry natives. Her efforts have expanded Polish and overall European knowledge of the region and allowed the founding of several small outposts, meant to serve as bases for colonization of more lucrative lands. While her findings are mostly restricted to sea charts, coastal maps and an assortment of fanciful tales, not so much cultural research, the lands of Africa and Asia are indeed more diverse than any quick visitor could possibly understand.
The southern tip of Africa has been claimed by Asturias, with Andalusia also launching some expeditions that had to be aborted for lack of funding. As long as the continents don’t magically split, all traffic between Europe and the east has to go around Africa and pass by this Ciudad de Esperanza (Cape Town), but at least Poland has its own ports sufficiently close by that its ships aren’t forced to stop there.
https://i.postimg.cc/fRt2yhyP/20190809141218-1.jpg
Europeans don’t really know the details, but central Africa has a number of large pagan and Muslim states – and, curiously, a major concentration of republics. Kongo’s pseudo-republic has long since lapsed into full monarchy again, but out of the fifteen or so notable states in the region, eight are republics of some sort ruled by either nobles or rich merchants. The eastern coast has attracted some interest from Europeans due to rumors of great mines of gold, silver and gems, but the only real “colony” in the region is the Arabian presence up around Mombasa.
https://i.postimg.cc/Y9kbdGRc/20190809141454-1.jpg
Indeed, the only European bases are three islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Being uninhabited and relatively temperate in climate, they’ve seen a degree of colonial settlement more in the vein of the Zanaras, but still rather small due to being… well, small.
https://i.postimg.cc/FHBMCZdM/20190809141832-1.jpg
Turning north again, the Madjid Caliphate has established itself as the great power of the Middle East, slowly gnawing away at Abyssinia and even managing to humble Rajasthan in their war some years back. A lot of the territory it claims may be just empty wasteland, but the same can be said for most New World colonies, so fair enough. It has shown no real interest in colonization besides the conquest of Mombasa and a web of alliances in Africa, but has in fact established diplomatic relations as far away as China.
https://i.postimg.cc/Jhjp3cbc/20190809142119-1.jpg
The Kingdom of Karnata has been allowed to remain independent and conquer most of southern India due to its long-standing alliance with Rajasthan, but looking at how Bengal was seemingly left alone and then suddenly annexed in a matter of years, there must be a certain tension in the air. Still, despite the obvious difference in size, Karnata’s government is much more effective than Rajasthan’s and its army actually as large or even larger, which explains why the Pratihara wouldn’t want to rock the boat for no reason.
https://i.postimg.cc/W1B9JfJ1/20190809142630-1.jpg
Rajasthan’s current interests lie in the east, in so-called Indochina. Partly due to its rugged terrain, it has traditionally been the realm of diverse religions, cultures and small states mostly undisturbed by outsiders, but more recently it’s come to be ruled by larger kingdoms like Ava and Lan Na, both of them Buddhist in faith. Khmer alone has converted to Hinduism due to Rajasthani influence.
https://i.postimg.cc/jSMxxPWc/20190809143103-1.jpg
The East Indies – islands east of India – are similarly fragmented for geographical reasons, but increasingly dominated by the sultanates of Pasai, Malacca and Brunei. Given that this is the main source of the immensely valuable spice trade, it’s only a matter of time before Europeans start trying to colonize the islands to get not just their slice of the pie, but the whole pie for themselves.
https://i.postimg.cc/rFLFQ8X1/20190809143433-1.jpg
It seems that in the southeast there lies another almost unclaimed continent, though not quite on the scale of Amatica or Alcadra, and mostly covered in useless desert. To the north of the Indies, however, is China: that fallen empire whose fate has even intersected with Poland’s at several points in its long history…
Back in 1224, Temujin Borjigin and his great Mongol hordes invaded the Empire of China. The ruling Bi dynasty was deeply unpopular and there were already large-scale rebellions in the south of the country, leaving the northern border wide open. Though the Mongols were hardly seen as a better option, by the time that the Chinese tried to unify against the external threat, it was already too late. However, rather than be absorbed into the Mongol Empire, China remained more or less intact, only now ruled by the Yuan dynasty headed by Temujin’s son Gaozu. They enacted some radical new policies, but largely adopted the local government and culture, and the Empire of China returned to its strong and splendid self. Under the Yuan, the tributary network and the notorious Western Protectorate were further expanded, invading as far as Poland – twice! – seemingly in hopes of dominating all of Eurasia.
Two centuries of prosperity followed. However, starting in the early 1400's it was wobbled by a series of epidemics, and then by total disaster in 1433 as torrential rain caused the Yellow River to overflow. Tens of thousands died in the flooding itself and countless more in the resulting famine. As if all that wasn't enough, the flooding was then followed by a long drought, ruining much of the surviving harvest as well, and with the ever-expanding crisis came violent unrest as desperate peasants and warlords started raiding each other for food. The military support of the Mongol Empire and tribute paid by China’s neighbors were the only things keeping the Yuan dynasty afloat, even just barely. But both of those were running low as well, and by the time that the empire finally started to recover from the famine itself, its days were already numbered as its subjects decided that they’d had enough. Through this act of the gods, the Yuan had lost the Mandate of Heaven, if they ever had it in the first place.
https://i.postimg.cc/Dw6ZSRNq/20190706015136-1.jpg
The real death blow came in 1445 when the Pratihara Empire declared that it’d never pay tribute to China again. Soon after, the Mongols under their new leaders broke their alliance with China and went back to their old habits of raiding rather than helping. The Pratihara and the Mongols fighting each other may have distracted them a bit, but it didn’t help the now abandoned Yuan. They held together quite well if anything, trying to quell any smoldering unrest, but when the Manchu tribes in the northeast rebelled in August 1453, stormed the local governor’s palace and killed everyone inside, it was like a hole had been blown in the ship of state. Within months, not only the tribes but the governors themselves were almost all in open rebellion, and every rebel victory was accompanied by news of yet another claimant rising up. Neighboring Korea, which too had expanded into Manchu territory, was also faced with a major uprising. By the end of 1459, the Yuan were only holding on to the capital Beijing and a few patchwork provinces farther south, and only by the force of their quickly dwindling military.
https://i.postimg.cc/V6DB475M/20190708182652-1.jpg
After more than two hundred years of aggressive conversion and enforcement, many of these regional rulers had actually adopted the invaders’ Sunni faith, while others held that their neglect of Confucian law and order was exactly what caused the bureaucracy to crumble and lose the favor of Heaven. Some in the rural south even said that Confucianism and Islam had both proven inadequate and advocated for a return to other Chinese traditions, including a mix of Taoism and what Europeans would classify as paganism.
https://i.postimg.cc/zBJFCmD8/20190708182646-1.jpg
One in this third group was the Kingdom of Bo, light-skinned and overall weird looking successors of a whole other invading dynasty that came from the far west in the early 11th century, led by the god-king Nie Za Ming. The dynasty had ruled over the south all the way until its subjugation by the Yuan, mixing its own pagan faith with that of the locals. Unfortunately, Nie Za Ming’s distant descendants failed to reestablish themselves and were defeated by their neighbors once more, conquered but not erased.
https://i.postimg.cc/05KbVW6s/20190708182628-1.jpg
As the years went by, states and claimants rose and fell, but China couldn't break out of its cycle of chaos. Even in the year 1500, the Yuan dynasty retained the nominal if utterly ignored title of Emperor and actually managed to reclaim some ground, but Beijing was lost and they had to retreat to a more modest but better protected countryside estate in Pingliang. Of course, most of the other kings called themselves emperors too, and as it was beset by foes on all sides and within, Yuan’s fall was inevitable. It’s said that Asia is the “Land of a Hundred Emperors”, but if that’s the case, then most of them must've been in China.
https://i.postimg.cc/YCM0qtdr/20190716171802-1.jpg
The exclaves in the Bay of Bengal from the days of the Western Protectorate were long gone, too, reclaimed by the local powers as soon as imperial authority collapsed. The Yuan were far too preoccupied to defend some old trade ports, but now they had also lost the hypothetical option of fleeing there if the worst came to pass.
https://i.postimg.cc/s2227wFb/20190716171808-1.jpg
The situation stabilized somewhat, not by going back to what it was, but by the next generation coming to accept the new status quo of a fragmented China. There were still several states calling themselves “empires”, and several times that the reigning dynasty was forced to officially surrender its title at swordpoint – from Yuan to Chu, then Qi, and most recently Liang – but most were smart enough to recognize it as an exercise in futility, as any kind of imperial structure was already in ruins and they were better off just ruling what they had. The position was more of a liability, since with the Mandate of Heaven came also the responsibility to drive out the barbarians, which all would-be successors of the Yuan inevitably failed to do.
The traditional concept of the Empire of China, the Middle Kingdom, was built on the idea of Chinese supremacy over the entire rest of the world. That illusion became impossible to maintain while the Mongols and the even more dangerous Rajasthani loomed right across the border, launching constant attacks into China and emerging victorious time after time. As the Mongols spiraled into steeper and steeper decline, the Pratihara seemed to harbor ambitions of replacing them as the next pan-Asian state. Their first real invasion of China in 1507 was what fully toppled the Yuan and established a permanent Indian presence in the northwest, but not a new Yuan-style dynasty that would rule all of China. The Yuan had once managed to seat themselves at the top of an existing system, but now that system simply wasn’t there anymore.
By 1550, the number of serious claimants had shrunk considerably, but none of the emerging lords had managed to become truly dominant, and the ruler of all China – if there ever would be one – was yet to be decided.
https://i.postimg.cc/0yRmGgZF/20190809135222-1.jpg
And that brings us to 1619. There’s no doubt that Rajasthan reigns dominant across the continent, and will continue to do so until some other force can bring its downfall. Only five real Chinese successors remain, out of which Qi is a tiny backwater, plus the Tibetan state of Kham. The Liang dynasty is Emperor in name only, a claim which the others don’t formally recognize but actually seem quite content letting them keep. The most militarily powerful is Wu, which rules the richest stretch of territory and has also forged alliances with Liang, Yan and shockingly Rajasthan, leaving its main rival Shu open to invasion.
https://i.postimg.cc/xTHgV3Zr/20190809140151-1.jpg
The parts between China and the Siberian wastes are mostly ruled by two great nations: Japan and Yeren, with Korea and Korchin left as tiny defenseless rump states between them.
https://i.postimg.cc/8kvL7PmM/20190809145542-1.jpg
The Japanese Empire’s history in the past two centuries has been one of relatively straight-forward success. While nominally ruled by a dynasty of divinely descended emperors, it’s no secret that real power lies with the Ashikaga Shogunate, originally the highest military commanders and now all-around dictators of Japan. Government control had been in a long decline since the 12th century, allowing the vassal daimyos to run wild, but the Ashikaga managed to recover and finally turn Japan back into a powerful unified nation without even that much bloodshed. Since then, Japan has claimed several of its outlying islands, conquered southern Korea and the Shandong peninsula, and imitated China by turning Korea and Yeren into tributaries.
Polish visitors in the future will be curious to note that the state-led Shinto religion is actually very similar to their own Slavic Church. The traditionally very patriarchal state is undergoing something else interesting, though: not only is it currently ruled by a female regent, the Ashikaga have apparently been having a lot of dynastic trouble lately, going as far as to nominate the previous Shogun’s daughter as his successor just so they wouldn’t have to cede power to another branch. If all goes well, Toshiko will be the first female Shogun.
https://i.postimg.cc/26pPrSxT/20190809151301-1.jpg
Yeren’s history isn’t nearly so clean-cut and simple. Manchuria has long been hotly contested between the local tribes, Mongols, Chinese, Koreans, Buryats and most recently the Pratihara. For a long time, basically every Manchu lived under some foreign conqueror or other. Only a few decades ago did Yeren finally emerge as something resembling a unified Manchu state, intent on reconquering the rest. Due to Manchuria’s long history of division, Yeren ended up being organized as a republic of regional elites rather than the khanate or monarchy that most of its predecessors were, since no single monarch could hope to keep all of them pleased. The majority of the Manchu still hold on to their Tengri pagan faith.
https://i.postimg.cc/Zqv1Gd6C/20190809151303-1.jpg
I didn’t know there even could be a female Shogun in the game.
This spotlight on China happens to coincide with the AAR linked in the thread a few days ago, but it really is just another coincidence, as I’d actually been writing that part bit by bit after each chapter. :smallbiggrin: Asia hasn’t gotten a lot attention for obvious reasons, but I’m curious to see how it develops, the Far East in particular. Part of the reason that the Empire of China is so hopeless in this game lies in a weird quirk of the Mandate of Heaven mechanics: you lose mandate points for every province owned by a non-tributary neighbor, not just the actually neighboring provinces, which means that any Emperor that happens to border Rajasthan is immediately hit with a continent's worth of penalties and can't possibly keep itself together for long.
The pictures were, again, taken with Terra Incognita turned off. We've explored all the coastlines, but obviously not the interior.
SilverLeaf167
2019-08-15, 08:54 AM
Chapter #35: The Amsterdam Compromise (Lechoslaw III, 1619-1632)
4 February, 1619
https://i.postimg.cc/MpG9F988/Nimetön.png
Even with most of the deputies afraid to openly oppose crown oversight, they succeed in highlighting the benefits of those funds being spent on Poland’s diplomatic corps and colonial bureaucracy instead. It’s a small victory for the Sejm, which can only hope that this will rebuild trust between them and the crown and allow them to finally leave the civil war behind. Of course, others think that the High King losing his hold on the aristocracy is just going to lead to another one.
https://i.postimg.cc/ydggjXxN/20190808204726-1.jpg
If all goes as planned – always a risky statement to make – the imperial system should pay for itself. Thus far the colonies have mostly contributed to the Polish economy in the form of privileges, tariffs and raw materials, while being allowed to gather and spend their own taxes. Since reduced taxes are one of the main selling points used to lure people to the colonies, this last part can’t really be changed directly, but High King Lechoslaw skirts the boundaries by requiring the colonial governments to pay other fees to the crown… which they’ll probably have to fund through taxes.
https://i.postimg.cc/gjf7WRyK/20190814210140-1.jpg
Despite this show of cooperation with the Sejm, though, he will make no compromise on the issue that originally sparked the civil war: the choice of colonial officials. By keeping this right all to himself, he hopes to keep both the domestic and the colonial governments in check. He also orders his agents to keep a closer eye on the colonies so that he can more easily replace anyone who starts causing trouble, and favor those who would favor him.
https://i.postimg.cc/vB2j0Cck/20190814211127-1.jpg
On that note, it’s even better if the exchange goes both ways, with every level of the government being as closely connected as possible.
https://i.postimg.cc/T1ysFQbw/20190814211644-1.jpg
If only the colonies themselves could also get along. The border between Buyania and Lukomoria follows the Oginski River in parts, but is rather arbitrary in others, causing both accidental and intentional conflicts between the two. Most of these have been small and verbal in nature, but in February 1620 a dispute over hunting rights leads to the so-called “Turkey War”, a simple skirmish between armed settlers that nonetheless requires government intervention once even the two Voivodes start trading insults. The whole situation is further complicated by the fact that the border province of Adirondack is protected native territory, and both sides have troops dealing with a tribal uprising in Susquehannock next door. Still, after making such grand promises of controlling the colonies, the crown has no choice but to send in some mediators, never mind how meaningless the whole dispute is.
https://i.postimg.cc/c6GNcPzZ/20190814212310-1.jpg
The locals being unable to handle their own business provides a good pretext to tighten state control over colonial charters and trading companies alike. Crown monopolies have traditionally come with almost no strings attached, with the crown simply wanting to promote development in new areas; however, under these new rules, the crown retains the vague and overarching right to directly intervene in the companies’ business when necessary.
https://i.postimg.cc/25wgZ1mz/20190814213004-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/vHhPhpkz/20190815155542_1.jpg
In November 1620, Moldavia invades Temes once again; however, Poland isn’t even called in this time. The reason soon becomes clear: Asturias isn’t able to join the war either, due to being too busy fighting Italy-France and Savoy at the same time. This intra-imperial conflict was apparently started when Asturias intervened to protect Romagna from Italian invasion, but it’s certainly doing imperial unity no favors.
https://i.postimg.cc/kXbZy19Y/20190814213723-1.jpg
This leaves Poland free to focus elsewhere, such as Africa, where its control of the so-called Gold Coast has progressed to the point of the first real Polish settlement, Sloncowy, being built near the native city of Accra.
https://i.postimg.cc/pV74zbNn/20190814214041-1.jpg
In a very sudden reverse of Sardinia’s decline, 19 years of Algerian independence (which it never officially recognized) are brought to an end by the almost complete reannexation of the break-off emirate.
https://i.postimg.cc/kgNp022x/20190814214624-1.jpg
Speaking of reversals, it seems that Arabia feels so emboldened by the memory of its easy victory over 30 years ago that it’s now ready to take the fight straight to Rajasthan. The Medjid Caliph calls for a great jihad to finally drive the Indians out of traditionally Muslim lands, vowing not to rest before the superiority of God – singular – has been proven once and for all. The Poles might not agree with that, but they can accept the Pratihara being cut down to size.
https://i.postimg.cc/W42HTsZx/20190814215319-1.jpg
Meanwhile, Poland keeps experimenting with new weapon designs, including the so-called “leather cannon”, a type of artillery made with less metal and then wrapped in ropes and leather to save on cost and, most importantly, weight. This innovative invention soon proves fragile and prone to overheating, though, going down in history as a notorious failure soon replaced by improved versions of more orthodox designs.
https://i.postimg.cc/G2tgTzqQ/20190814220007-1.jpg
In 1623, Asturias is able to sign a separate peace to get out of its hopeless war, but not without paying massive reparations and going bankrupt once again. This just further fuels the downward spiral of unrest within the country.
https://i.postimg.cc/B6zYTDzG/20190814221223-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/HLBPLF4n/20190814215943-1.jpg
The elderly Emperor’s death, seemingly natural but probably not helped by the constant stress, couldn’t come with worse timing. As Asturias is bankrupt several times over, rapidly slipping towards civil war and his successor is a woman, the Duke of Navarra of all people is elected as the next Emperor. This is surprising to say the least, but it might be because all the bigger states tend to be more controversial as well. It’s expected to be a rather short reign, though, as Carlos II Palafox is already 61 years old himself.
https://i.postimg.cc/kD3TZC91/20190814222027-1.jpg
Almost on the same day, Moldavia confirms its annexation of most of Temes, leaving only a small rump state in the south.
https://i.postimg.cc/2jbmPxrh/20190814222041-1.jpg
The briefly so promising state of Romagna suffers much the same fate, losing the vast majority of its territory to Italy, including Rome itself.
https://i.postimg.cc/MZCxxjp4/20190814222213-1.jpg
Over in Frisia, there have been several more armed rebellions but most recently a break of several years, leading the most hopeful to believe that the locals might’ve finally accepted the impossibility of their goals. They show no sign of giving up or regard for their lives, though, as the rebellions finally resume in the summer of 1624. Over the past 14 years of repeated uprisings, they’ve proven themselves easy to contain, but much harder to stamp out: they don’t raise armies and then face the Poles in open battle. They just organize city-wide riots, ruin as much Polish property as they can and then scatter when too many soldiers arrive, leaving the crown almost powerless to do much if it doesn’t want to completely paralyze its own economy in the process. Thus, under Poland’s new principle of rule through subject states, the Sejm finally convinces Lechoslaw to try something else.
https://i.postimg.cc/sD5z2DB2/20190814222922-1.jpg
The so-called Amsterdam Compromise is quite a large step forward for such a seemingly reactionary High King, but hopefully worth the risk. The traditional state of Frisia, expanded to also cover most of Flanders, will henceforth be governed as a subject state of Poland, under certain conditions quite similar to those in the colonies.
The Grand Duchy, currently held by the High King, will be granted to a Frisian noble chosen by the locals, whose line will swear to remain loyal to Poland and maintain Polish pagan principles in their lands. As important military bases, Calais and Antwerp will remain under direct crown rule.
Frisia will have internal autonomy. Poland will maintain control of foreign policy, but Frisia can maintain its own military on the condition that it participate in all wars as an integral part of the Kingdom.
Frisia will handle its own taxation, but pay the previously introduced fees to the crown. All foreign and colonial shipping will be controlled and taxed directly by Poland.
That third condition is both Poland's main interest in the area and the locals’ main problem with the Polish occupation, which may make or break the whole arrangement. However, if the Frisians really want their freedom so bad, they’ll have to take it or leave it.
https://i.postimg.cc/jSKbn0N4/20190814223322-1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/nhktvRGb/20190814224211-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/90qxJ03w/20190814224209-1.jpg
The Frisians obviously think of this change as permanent, or perhaps a stepping stone to full independence, but a lot of Poles definitely harbor hopes of rolling back these privileges sometime in the future. After all, while the arrangement theoretically leaves Poland with even stricter control of the goods passing through Frisia than it had before, the local government is almost certain to cause trouble at some point, and the importance of the global trade is unlikely to go anywhere.
https://i.postimg.cc/bvwfLxmG/20190814224648-1.jpg
Poland’s colonial empire expands farther east, having gone around Africa and now arrived in the so-called East Indies. It was long believed that the myriad peppers, cloves and other spices so valued in Europe simply came from India, but it turns out that most of them are actually from the islands a bit beyond. By building their own bases and establishing a naval presence there, European nations hope to bypass the Indians and Muslims entirely and bring these plants, worth their weight in gold, directly to their own ports. While densely populated by powerful states, these islands still hide plenty of unprotected coasts for Europeans to seize and settle.
https://i.postimg.cc/V6SQPYQm/20190814225420-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/YSDKPvPd/20190814225355-1.jpg
One other condition of the Compromise was that Poland stop collecting meczenniks from Frisia, which had the largest Christian population in the country. Some time afterwards, the meczennik leadership humbly suggests to the High King that they be allowed to take in pagan volunteers to make up the difference. Indeed, despite starting out as an extra-harsh form of conscription, the kolekcja has proven to be a reliable enough career path that even plenty of Slavs would be interested if given the chance. However, Lechoslaw can sense that the power-hungry meczenniks are once again seeking to slip from their strict discipline and expand their influence. He tells them to tighten recruitment in Jylland, Bohemia and Crimea if necessary, but absolutely no pagans.
https://i.postimg.cc/pTL4YPXK/20190808195734-1.jpg
The “loss” of Frisia is also compensated by the fact that in April 1626, both Susquehannock and the other vassal tribe Huron sign treaties making them into full members of Lukomoria and Buyania respectively. Polish control of Amatica now straddles across the Great Lakes, in addition to Buyania having claimed the massive if extremely empty Jablonow Peninsula (Quebéc) in the north. However, Sweden has just decided to go around the whole thing and start settling the equally inhospitable coast of Tarnowski Bay (Hudson Bay).
https://i.postimg.cc/1RqhW5rK/20190814231131-1.jpg
The area south of Lukomoria is getting even more contested, with Kent, Scotland and Italy all starting up new colonies on the extremely fertile coast, much better suited for plantations than the cold north.
https://i.postimg.cc/X76MtS26/20190814231844-1.jpg
Even farther south, Andalusia is trying to revive its near-dead colony in Amatica, while the Swedes have been sending insubordinate Norwegians and Sami by the boatful to their tropical provinces in Alcadra. New Wessex’s originally quite ambitious plans of expansion, on the other hand, have been thoroughly thwarted by the lack of money to fund them and difficulties with the hostile terrain.
https://i.postimg.cc/W1sBbmL9/20190814232133-1.jpg
The chain of Italian colonies that controls much of the Alcadran coastline has been organized into the viceroyalty of Terra della Santa Croce, commonly abbreviated to just Santa Croce or Santana.
https://i.postimg.cc/gky9WS5X/20190814232520-1.jpg
As of early 1627, the Arab-Ruman invasion of Rajasthan is going much better than anyone – expect the Caliph, clearly – ever dared expect. The Pratihara army seems to have been busy fighting in China at first, but even after it finally moved to defend the west, the Muslims have succeeded in occupying most of Persia and even bits of India, beating the Hindus in countless battles and forcing Karnata into a separate white peace. Even against superior numbers, the Muslims’ much better equipped, organized and led armies are more than able to bridge the gap in power.
https://i.postimg.cc/7ZXpCCqq/20190814233018-1.jpg
In March, the Pratihara are forced to sign a humiliating peace once more. Not only is the area they give up much larger than last time, even if the first victory could’ve been dismissed as a fluke, a second one is starting to look like a real difference, which will just keep growing over time as the west develops at a much faster pace. The Caliph might well be justified in claiming that Persia will one day be brought back under Muslim rule. Prioritizing Persia over Iraq implies that he’s more interested in driving a wedge into Rajasthan than necessarily cementing his own position.
https://i.postimg.cc/hG56rHJw/20190814233108-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/1tVTYJwz/20190814233126-1.jpg
In May 1628, it’s once again Poland’s turn to go against a different Empire, as Germany wants to invade Savoy next. Navarra is already failing its duties by neglecting to join the war, but Savoy is directly allied to Italy-France, pitting the Slavs against the true superpower of Francia for the first time in a while.
https://i.postimg.cc/j2z1R280/20190815130750-1.jpg
A mere month later, Asturias’ short civil war comes to an end before it could fully even start, but not without a price: the Baugency dynasty, once “Emperors of Francia and Defenders of Christendom”, is forced off the throne and replaced by a claimant from the Amaury family, or “Américo” as they’re called in Spanish.
https://i.postimg.cc/yNd20VNc/20190815131113-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/T18S8gJJ/20190815131142-1.jpg
The Slavs launch their first attacks into France and Bavaria, while Francian defenders mass in the Alps.
https://i.postimg.cc/rFkbQGm8/20190815132156-1.jpg
A small force is raised in Sloncowy to attack and easily occupy the nearby Italian colony.
https://i.postimg.cc/2jvMQ9Cc/20190815132714-1.jpg
In March 1629, at the same time that Paris falls (again), the first major battle of the war is fought near Breisgau, Southern Germany. What starts out as a one-sided struggle between a small German force and almost the entire Francian army soon becomes a massive clash of around 260,000 soldiers when Polish reinforcements finally arrive. The Grand Duke of Frisia seems eager to prove his loyalty as well by pulling no punches in the war. In the end, the Francians are repelled with much larger casualties, but a certain trend in European warfare is making itself clear: despite armies becoming larger and larger, all parties seem to be learning to conserve their manpower and retreat in time, so that their losses tend to be proportionally smaller than just a hundred years ago.
https://i.postimg.cc/GhxfNB8v/20190815133106-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/4x40TJVq/20190815133604-1.jpg
Unfortunately, this doesn’t quite open the path into Savoy, as the Francians have occupied a number of German forts in the mountains, and the Slavs will have to work their way through them first. Italy-France is too distracted to push back there, however, as it instead redirects its attention to retaking Paris. The city’s weak defenses affect everyone equally, unfortunately, and the Polish occupiers probably can’t hold it for very long either, especially with the citizens sabotaging them at every turn.
https://i.postimg.cc/1z276w21/20190815134125-1.jpg
At the same time, Bavaria is forced into a separate peace, giving up its largest city to Germany.
https://i.postimg.cc/wxyy0Jrb/20190815134348-1.jpg
That victory does nothing to explain the German commander Adelgunde Ado’s seemingly suicidal charge to lift the siege of Paris, but apparently he’s already known for his “bold” strategies. Even though his original force is outnumbered almost 2-to-1, worsening to 4-to-1 as Francian reinforcements arrive, the baffled Poles can’t just sit there and let him get his whole army wiped out, so every available force is sent in to bail him out.
https://i.postimg.cc/rm4n9z20/20190815134429-1.jpg
The Poles defending Paris have followed their usual doctrine and reinforced the city defenses with their own improvised fortifications, but the Francian besiegers clearly haven’t done their homework about Burgos 1594, as they’ve failed to cover their own backs. When Slavic armies suddenly assault them from every direction, the city garrison launches harassing strikes of its own to make sure that the Francians can’t properly devote to fighting in either direction and are squeezed between two rings of enemies. To their credit, the Francians manage to inflict slightly more casualties, break out of their encirclement and retreat south, but it’s the total opposite of how this battle should have gone. Ado, already denounced as a bloody fool, is now suddenly being hailed as the hero of Paris, never mind that the Poles and Frisians are the ones who really saved the day.
https://i.postimg.cc/RhzPp9vP/20190815135938-1.jpg
This conveniently overshadows a Polish defeat on the Savoyard front, but that’s just a minor setback and quickly reversed by further reinforcements.
https://i.postimg.cc/zfVPV0dk/20190815140210-1.jpg
The war becomes something of a grueling back-and-forth on multiple fronts. Countless battles big and small are fought in Northern France, Alpine forts are taking their sweet time to fall, and eventually Italy starts launching repeated invasions of Bohemia in hopes of forcing Poland to spread its forces thinner.
https://i.postimg.cc/gjqgf5JG/20190815141523-1.jpg
However, the Italians themselves don’t exactly have soldiers to spare either, and whenever they’re forced to pull back, the Poles charge in to wipe out whoever they left behind.
https://i.postimg.cc/WpMYFD7x/20190815142159-1.jpg
Of course, the High King and the Crown Prince are both on the frontlines throughout the war, though for practical reasons the High King tends to be leading the armies closest to Krakow. While they both distinguish themselves in the fighting, especially with Lechoslaw managing to encircle and annihilate multiple Italian armies in short succession, soldier life isn't and never has been entirely healthy for a man his age. A more cynical person might say that he’s reliving his so-called glory years from the civil war almost 30 years ago, being just as ruthless and probably more daring than ever. However, in the summer of 1632, Poland receives a grim reminder of the realities of a warrior king: like several rulers in the past, the High King takes a seemingly minor wound that later gets infected and leads to his death some weeks later on 31 July.
As the man who kept the Sejm on a short leash after the civil war and, detractors say, tried to run the whole country as his personal demesne – why wouldn’t he, he’s the High King! – Lechoslaw III joins the debated ranks of controversial hero kings. It’s arguable that his strict policies kept picking at the scabs of the civil war that otherwise could’ve been long since forgotten, unless of course his constant vigilance is what kept future rebels at bay. Whatever the case, his heir is actually known for his personality being the polar opposite if anything…
https://i.postimg.cc/28rc4zcy/20190815143847-1.jpg
The High King is dead! Long live High King Jan I!
https://i.postimg.cc/hGkMhgQS/20190815150152_1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/1znJ94tC/20190815150156_1.jpg
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The situation in England has reached a stalemate for the time being, likely due to Kent and Wales allying with Germany and Vladimir respectively and thus being more cautious.
Pannonia has won another decisive victory against Carinthia, both reconquering Wien and clearing a path to the Adriatic Sea. Carinthia, on the other hand, is all but gone.
The dispute over Serbia continues unabated, with Sardinia once again seizing much of the country and even the almost extinct Greek crown managing to finally reclaim its long-lost province of Skopia.
The way the Dutch revolt event works, all Dutch and Flemish provinces would keep getting it over and over for decades to come as long as they’re not ruled by a Dutch country, hence why I decided to solve it this way. Calais is Wallonian and Antwerp was converted to Polish culture when we founded Nowa Antwerpia, which is why I was able to keep them.
Anyway: There’s been a pretty clear drop in the number of votes (and comments), which I can only assume also means a drop in readership. I’m mostly fine just doing this for my own entertainment as long as there’s some minimum amount of readers, but it does obviously make me wonder if there’s something in particular that caused it. I guess that anyone who’s stopped reading isn’t actually here to answer that question, haha.
I’ve been playing around with the Vic2 converter ahead of time to make sure it works. Due to how it handles colonized provinces – the same as cultural conversion, i.e. with a gradual shift, not to mention that a lot of provinces never change culture at all – any New World countries will end up being as much as 50% or even majority native. While I’ll probably end up tweaking the numbers in individual cities, this leads me to conclude a few things about this alternate history:
Native Amaticans had a decent resistance to European diseases, possibly due to greater pre-discovery contact that we don’t know of, meaning that they were able to live closer together while losing fewer people.
Many areas had a higher population density and Cahokia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cahokia)-style cities, also implying that large-scale agriculture was more common.
Related to the above, native societies ended up becoming not necessarily more “advanced” but simply more similar in structure to Old World ones, as shown by the prevalence of monarchies in Little Europe, leading to easier integration between the two.
European contact also boosted Amatican population growth, letting the native population keep pace with European settlement.
InvisibleBison
2019-08-15, 10:19 PM
Anyway: There’s been a pretty clear drop in the number of votes (and comments), which I can only assume also means a drop in readership. I’m mostly fine just doing this for my own entertainment as long as there’s some minimum amount of readers, but it does obviously make me wonder if there’s something in particular that caused it. I guess that anyone who’s stopped reading isn’t actually here to answer that question, haha.
I haven't commented or voted recently, but I thought I should let you know that I'm still reading and very much enjoying this AAR. Keep up the good work!
Manticoran
2019-08-16, 10:21 AM
I likewise have been really enjoying this! I've been super busy at a new job, so I've been catching up every week or two rather than reading in real time, which unfortunately just means I miss all of the votes.
SilverLeaf167
2019-08-17, 05:32 AM
Chapter #36: Bound in Blood (Jan I, 1632-1638)
31 July, 1632
Thus far, Jan I has mostly been notable for the alleged conspiracy in 1618 that turned out to be a false alarm. Even 14 years later, though, he’s still known as an amicable crowd-pleaser, appearing “diplomatic” to some and “soft” to others. Everything is relative, of course: he’s still been raised to rule, and is even presently leading an army in France. He has no qualms about doing his job, though his treatment of captives and non-combatants might be nicer than some. What his subjects hope for is a better attitude towards them as well.
https://i.postimg.cc/hGkMhgQS/20190815150152_1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/1znJ94tC/20190815150156_1.jpg
Unsurprisingly, the meczenniks almost immediately come asking for new privileges that Lechoslaw III allegedly promised them, clearly expecting Jan to be easier to convince than his predecessor. However, while he grants them their usual pay and a small bonus on top, the late Lechoslaw saw something like this coming and always kept him updated on what deals he’d made or not made with the meczenniks. Jan refuses to revisit any of those decisions for the time being.
https://i.postimg.cc/pXhjKp9Q/20190815143900-1.jpg
Mere weeks later, though, he gets a new chance to prove his generous nature when a massive storm hits the Danish and Frisian coast in August 1632. Its grim nickname, “The Great Drowning”, just about says it all, and some of the more low-lying regions actually become large lagoons until the water slowly drains away. This kind of disaster isn’t too unusual in the colonies, but the people of Northern Europe certainly aren’t used to destruction on this scale, which just further adds to the death toll. Luckily, Hamburg, the main city in the area, survives mostly unscathed due to being located a bit farther inland, and is able to serve as a hub for the aid and reconstruction work funded directly from the crown treasury.
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Since the French front is nearby and rather quiet, the High King even visits the area in person, performing multiple rituals to apologize to Perun, Kupala and various other gods and spirits for whatever the Slavs did wrong to deserve this. He also orders the construction of a great temple in Hamburg as a memorial of sorts. The Temple of the Drowned will go on to become quite famous, for both its beautiful architecture and its unusual name.
https://i.postimg.cc/bwR1w4D4/20190816210110-1.jpg
Not all commanders have so much free time. Way on the other side of the country, an army has to march day and night to arrive in time and stop Poland’s main Black Sea fortress from falling to a Savoyard surprise attack.
https://i.postimg.cc/HWP5JQLs/20190816171837-1.jpg
The war was already decided even before that last-ditch effort, though. In the peace of December 1632, Savoy is thoroughly dismantled: Germany demands not just the German-speaking province of Bern, but also some of the most important Alpine passes, while in the south, the Duke of Savoy is forced to surrender Dauphine to a local claimant. As these new borders are drawn along the lines of old feudal titles, the end result is quite a mess.
https://i.postimg.cc/HnjyZL6g/20190816172538-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/j29JGr1J/20190816172725-1.jpg
This seemingly easy war turned out to be quite the bloodbath after all, with almost 300,000 dead on the Slavic side, but a closer look at the events reveals a critical difference: while the Francians suffered much worse casualties in the fighting itself, over a hundred thousand Slavs died of cold, hunger or disease while fighting in the Alps, staging sieges with inadequate supply lines or simply marching across the continent to fend off some new incursion. Indeed, even the previous High King was claimed by sickness. Polish tactical leadership has proven itself time and again, but on a strategic level, there are clearly some changes to be made.
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The military isn’t really Jan’s expertise, so the reform process is left to a special committee of officers and scholars under the jurisdiction of the Sejm. This new approach to decision-making ends up producing unprecedentedly wide and ambitious suggestions that go a fair bit beyond the project’s original goals, but are worth implementing either way, should the budget allow it. They touch on everything from formations to supply trains to fortifications to the chain of command, promising to take Poland’s already top-notch army to a whole new level.
https://i.postimg.cc/sXjSWmS1/20190816174607-1.jpg
(Not shown for some reason: Supply Limit +50%)
Though of far lesser interest, the navy gets some attention from the committee as well, mostly in the sense of adapting its formations to modern weaponry.
https://i.postimg.cc/BvcHtkjd/20190816174641-1.jpg
Not long after, Jan names the very talented if a bit boisterous Kazimierz II as his future successor.
https://i.postimg.cc/mg7F6Jyt/20190816175437-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/hGg7Fs2M/20190816175453-1.jpg
The Polish inheritance system has really proven its worth over the past two centuries that the current one has been in use. While it’s silly to think that one could really make an informed choice between 10-year-olds, it’s obviously still better than not getting a choice at all, and since those children then spend the next couple decades being trained for the role, serving in the government and making connections throughout the country, they tend to turn out quite competent. Most importantly, the knowledge that there’s always a well-informed official ready take the reins should something happen to the previous ruler brings a great sense of continuity to Polish politics. And since the heir is always selected rather than defined by order of birth, there’s no need to worry about any siblings or such trying to stab their way into power.
Most monarchies aren’t so lucky, including the other members of the Moscow Pact, all of which work on a system of strict primogeniture. This is proven once again on 26 March 1634, when Queen Nadzieja I Lechowicz of Moldavia dies chronically childless. Of course, with the Lechowicz clan being so incredibly vast and even practicing polygamy, there’s always someone available to inherit… but as fate would have it, in an incredibly unlikely twist of intermarriage, her closest heir of any gender is none other than her late sister's son: High King Jan I.
https://i.postimg.cc/9fpwc9S2/20190816180137-1.jpg
On her death bed, Queen Nadzieja apparently even specified that she wanted the law followed to the letter, so that is indeed what happens. After being separated by the Conference of Krakow all the way back in 1283, Poland and Moldavia are suddenly together once more. Poland has spent much of that time either defending its southern neighbor or helping it expand, and the effort seems to have finally paid off. Most of the factors that led to Moldavia’s expulsion are no longer relevant, it’s grown larger and richer than ever, Poland is looking for new subject states and most people don’t read that much history anyway, so the news gets a somewhat confused but overjoyed reception in Krakow. This includes the High King himself, who was never especially close with his aunt or anything, but is willing to step up and take her place. Of course, it’s not quite that simple: the Moldavians have diverged quite a bit and grown attached to their independence, even being seen as one of the great powers of Europe, and Moldavia also has its own Sejm, regional councils and firmly entrenched nobility, all of which would rather crown their own king than be absorbed into the Polish bureaucracy.
As a compromise, Jan basically hands all power in Moldavia to the local Sejm, only keeping foreign policy to himself. The Sejm, suddenly more powerful ever, is remarkably quick to change its mind and enthusiastically hail him as the High King of Poland and Moldavia. Move aside, Italy-France: there’s a new dual monarchy in town.
https://i.postimg.cc/d1N7yYwS/20190816190203-1.jpg
Alas, that’s not the end of it. The great success of the Moscow Pact so far has been due to all parties faithfully respecting the borders laid in it and not making any attempts to expand at each other’s expense. Even though Moldavia isn’t technically a member of the Pact and there’s no clause forbidding voluntary reunification anyway, King Sieciech II of Germany – a Lechowicz as well, and known for his thoughtless temper – loudly protests against the whole arrangement, claiming that it violates the spirit of the Pact, which was to stop Poland from dominating all of Slavdom (or so he sees it). Jan I is quite surprised to see his ally and brother in arms react this way, but takes a conciliatory tone, inviting him to Krakow to discuss the matter peacefully and perhaps work out a more thorough division of power.
The German response is a declaration of war. Sieciech clearly expects Jan to be a total pushover who’ll fold at the mere idea of fighting a fellow Slav, but where he really loses any chance of a deal is by declaring himself the rightful King of Moldavia. As of April 1634, the peace of the Moscow Pact is broken and the War of the Moldavian Succession has begun.
https://i.postimg.cc/Y9CG09KW/20190816180147-1.jpg
As if Germany betraying Poland so soon after fighting together on the same side wasn’t bad enough, he’s not alone in his mad endeavor: he manages to convince King Vsevolod IV of Novgorod to join him, making Poland fight on two separate fronts. There are four Lechowicz kingdoms in existence, and now they're all in this war. At least the King of Chernigov, also a German ally, is either smart or loyal enough to stay out of this mess, refusing to pick a side when asked.
https://i.postimg.cc/5yHX5Rt9/20190816191954-1.jpg
Indeed, a quick glance at the situation reveals that Novgorod is by far the real threat here. Germany’s army has taken even more damage in the last war than Poland’s did and was always comparatively small to begin with, meaning that it alone would’ve made for a tragic but probably rather one-sided fight. Meanwhile, Novgorod has never had a real war, yet has recently leveraged its strong economy, quickly growing population and new conscription system to build one of the largest armies in the world. It must’ve been really aching to use it, sitting there squeezed between its allies, and now the King has decided to throw his lot in with Germany to establish a new status quo.
https://i.postimg.cc/Fz27TVfy/20190816191439-1.jpg
(Sneak peek at Italy’s all-infantry all-mercenary army here…)
Ever since the civil war, Poland’s eastern forts have had token garrisons to keep them from falling into total disrepair or being taken over by rebels, but no one ever dreamed of an invasion from the east, and they’re badly, badly outdated by current standards. In addition, Novgorod sends out its war fleet to attack Polish merchant ships, many of which are on their way home after literally just making peaceful trade with their age-old friends. The sheer audacity of this betrayal has Poland reeling, and probably the rest of Europe cheering.
https://i.postimg.cc/T3jpcmTb/20190816193500-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/TPRhNwP4/20190816201235-1.jpg
But its true scope is yet to be revealed. On 16 August, the High King is inspecting his troops near Krakow, ready to make haste for the east, when his sentence to a scribe is suddenly cut short by a bullet in the back of his head. The shot comes from a decent range, fired with one of Poland’s newest and most accurate muskets, but firearms aren’t exactly stealthy, and so many enraged soldiers pile on top of the fleeing assassin that they’ll never stop arguing about who had the honor of making the first blow. From what’s left of his corpse, he was dressed in Polish uniform, but the convenient timing and a thorough investigation make it blatantly clear that it was the Germans who sent him.
The High King, of course, dies instantly, punished for nothing but the audacity of accepting a throne someone offered to him. His two years as High King have been eventful to say the least.
https://i.postimg.cc/MZ4MZqsn/20190816191920-1.jpg
Diplomatically and personally speaking, Poland is in chaos. Over centuries of peace, the states of the Moscow Pact have become tightly intertwined on every level. Even if the crown economy is largely based on colonial trade these days, wares brought into Frisia generally need to pass through Germany, and Germany itself is a close business partner for people all across Poland – not to even mention Novgorod, the trading hub of the east. Until now, the borders between them have been so open as to be almost nonexistent. Even beyond the concrete effects, though, it’s simply unthinkable that Poland’s Slavic allies would break the harmony with such a… bang. One can only wonder if German and Novgorodian people feel the same. Unlucky for them, Poland is still more than able to defend itself.
https://i.postimg.cc/R0XhkB6V/20190816201244-1.jpg
(Didn’t get the same event for Germany because it's triggered by losing a battle)
King Sieciech is quick to declare that with Jan’s death – as if he had nothing to do with it – the crown of Moldavia belongs to him, but the Moldavian Sejm doesn’t even consider it. The question of who would one day succeed Jan hadn’t been discussed yet, but now the Sejm almost unanimously decides that it’ll honor the cloaking and let young Kazimierz, chosen barely two months before Jan’s death, inherit Moldavia once he comes of age. Never mind that this conveniently gives both Sejms absolute power for the next five years, they also have legitimate reasons to treasure their relationship now that the Moscow Pact apparently can’t be relied on, and they especially want nothing to do with the murderous tyrant Sieciech has shown himself to be.
https://i.postimg.cc/wTmt7ZP0/20190816191925-1.jpg
Since no one was fully prepared for this war, it takes a bit to get started, but soon after Jan's death, almost the entire Novgorodian army crosses the border at once. The local Ula Castle (hastily converted back from its peacetime role as a theater) heroically holds out for two whole months but simply stands no chance against modern artillery, almost literally collapsing just a few days before help arrives.
https://i.postimg.cc/9MkMfYY6/20190816202355-1.jpg
However, much like this sleepy Byelorussian backwater, the Novgorodian army has never seen battle, whereas Poland’s army consists of hardened veterans through and through and is on the cutting edge of military development… or so it seems to think, anyway, as it takes a risk by attacking the Novgorodians in a wooded area with inferior numbers.
https://i.postimg.cc/4dyyZSVv/20190816202536-1.jpg
The Poles do win the day, but emotional toll aside, the much-derided peasant army isn’t looking as crushed as they would’ve hoped. While the enemy soldiers are indeed green, poorly trained and probably not too enthusiastic about this whole war, their sheer numbers, especially of cannons, prove quite effective after all. Rather than press their advantage and wade across the border – right before winter, one might add – the Poles hang back and order more cannons of their own to be delivered.
https://i.postimg.cc/4nkx64Mw/20190816202924-1.jpg
Over in the west, though, Germany’s forts are in terrible shape as well, and the combined Polish-Moldavian forces are able to make fast, almost unresisted progress. Occasional acts of vengeance do occur, but for the most part, the soldiers behave themselves around the civilians, still in disbelief that they’re fighting their closest allies. Even if the German and Polish people themselves are obviously distinct and there’s still some bad blood between them, there’s also a large Slavic minority that feels a mutual kinship with the Poles. It’s almost like another civil war in a sense.
Another reason for this lack of resistance is that the German army, apparently realizing how outmatched it is, has decided to try and embargo Poland by invading Frisia. While the Germans might be battle-hardened as well, the fort at Antwerp is one of Poland’s best, even if its latest expansion is still unfinished. This gives the Poles plenty of time to arrive, and this time they’re the ones with the numerical advantage. Good old Adelgunde Ado, so-called Hero of Paris, is sent packing with his tail between his legs. Given his influence at court, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he and his insane overconfidence had actually played a part in starting this whole war.
https://i.postimg.cc/gj60LLMn/20190816204138-1.jpg
It’s not entirely clear what Germany and Novgorod are fighting to achieve at this point; Moldavia, sure, but how? The only way to do that would be to beat Poland so utterly and completely that both Sejms accepted Sieciech’s demands, but they must know that’s not going to happen.
Ado comes back for more, and that's what he gets. Poland’s reserves are running quite dry, having not had time to replenish after the last war, but the same is equally true for Germany, and at this rate, any war of attrition is definitely going in Poland’s favor.
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In the east, the long and open border leaves a lot more space for maneuvers without pitched battles, with the Novgorodians even managing to slip between Polish defenses and raid some towns before quickly retreating back to their own side. Meaningless acts of terror like this make Novgorod, which really has no stake in this war to begin with, look far more reprehensible than Germany. By now, though, the Marynarka has been brought over to keep the Baltic under control.
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Small skirmishes and one-sided bloodbaths aside, the next major clash happens in Latvia in November 1635, where the King of Novgorod himself goes against Poland’s best general and, surprising exactly no one, loses.
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Not content to just sit around anymore, Sambor Lechowicz and his men finally cross the Daugava River and go on the offensive, but quickly run into Novgorod’s own forts and lose their momentum.
Novgorod might be holding for now, but Germany keeps losing more and more land at the same time that its shrinking army has been mostly replaced with mercenaries, meaning that it’s already teetering at the edge of bankruptcy. Many of those unpaid mercenaries are doing more damage to the country than the actual invaders they're supposed to be fighting.
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Perhaps realizing the futility of this war, or perhaps threatened with mutiny, King Sieciech makes some very arrogantly worded overtures for peace in early December 1635. A delegation from the Sejm agrees to meet with him, but only in Braunschweig – which is already long since occupied. Don’t worry about meeting in Polish territory, they say: they’re not the kind to try and assassinate their allies. The occupation of Germany will continue until he agrees to their terms, though.
Those terms, hammered out by the vengeful Sejm, prove quite tough for him to swallow, but after spending another month basically hostage in his own capital, he finally signs the deal handed to him on 19 January 1636.
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In the original Moscow Pact of 1444, Germany’s borders were drawn with the assumption that it would remain a staunch ally and allow people and wares to pass through uninhibited. Since the situation has clearly changed, as shown by a power-hungry monarch attacking Poland and the rest of the nobility letting him, some adjustments are clearly in order. In the Peace of Braunschweig, Germany gives up the short North Sea coastline it was so kindly provided with, leaving Poland with a safe connection to the west and Germany completely landlocked. Now it’s the one reliant on Poland’s good graces for its shipping, graces it really doesn’t have. The Frisian border is moved a bit too, supposedly to secure the coast but really just to rub salt in the wound. Novgorod, despite actually doing more of the attacking, gets away pretty much scot-free due to not having been occupied yet and no one wanting to stretch out this accursed war.
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While diplomatic relations with Germany are mostly restored, this grudge won’t be forgotten or their alliance continued for the foreseeable future. While Poland still maintains its promise to protect fellow Slavs, which has never really been tested, this is sure to curb German expansion. Meanwhile, the rest of Slavdom is worried about what it sees as Poland canceling parts of the Moscow Pact as soon as it feels like it, but there had to be some punishment. Sieciech was right about something: Poland does still think of Slavdom as its own sphere of influence, but back before the Pact, a vassal who not only rebelled in such a way but even assassinated the High King would’ve suffered far, far worse. The Sejm, acting as regent, is accountable to no one but itself, but makes the wise decision that "illegally" executing the King for his sins probably wouldn't look very good diplomatically.
Elsewhere, a mass uprising in the colony of Andalusian Salsabil, previously conquered by the Mescalero, has succeeded in shaking off the technologically undeveloped occupiers and restoring the colony to its former glory – almost. Some of it is held by Asturias, which has named its nearby viceroyalty “America” after the new ruling family.
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Shortly after, Asturias begins an invasion of Can Pech, the Maya city-state turned empire that dominates the region. Despite the technological advantage, though, several European countries have already tried the same and all come back empty-handed, probably due to the logistics involved in trans-Atlantic jungle warfare. That, and the Amaticans aren't to be totally underestimated just because their guns aren't the latest model and their uniforms this year's fashion.
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Back in Europe, the Duke of Navarra’s first term as Emperor ends up being the last for the time being (not least due to having a female heir), with the resurgent King of Sardinia getting the next shot at the throne.
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As July 1638 arrives, and with it the coronation of 15-year-old Kazimierz, Poland’s damaged fleets have been mostly replaced, but its armies have just barely started building up their reserves. Before this whole succession thing happened, the Sejm had already been discussing its own plans for conquest in the colonies, but now it’ll have to wait a while before taking them up with the High King. While Poland arguably came out a kingdom and a few valuable provinces richer, it lost a treasured ally, and most importantly, its trust in the Moscow Pact. Novgorod remains allied to Vladimir and Chernigov, and Germany to Chernigov; while none have shown new signs of aggression, if they somehow managed to unite the entire rest of Slavdom against Poland-Moldavia, it might not end so well.
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Long live Kazimierz II, High King of Poland and Moldavia!
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Conquest of Bern (1628-32)
Germany + Poland + Lancaster + Kent vs. Savoy + Italy + Bavaria + Trier
Another straight-forward invasion of Francia, resulting in the conquest of Bern, Wallis and Regensburg and the separation of Dauphine from Savoy. Notable, however, for the unusually massive number of soldiers lost to attrition, prompting some major changes in Polish military organization.
War of the Moldavian Succession (1634-36)
Germany + Novgorod vs. Poland + Scotland
As Queen Nadzieja I died with High King Jan I as her closest heir, Moldavia entered a personal union under Poland. King Sieciech II of Germany refused to accept this and, as matters escalated, declared war on Poland to demand Moldavia for himself. The counter-attack into Germany was a swift and one-sided humiliation that led to Poland taking Germany’s entire North Sea coast as reparations. An invasion of Novgorod, however, would’ve been a long and grueling affair that the Poles simply couldn’t afford, and Novgorod thus got off with no real punishment (besides casualties). More so than any material damage, the short war’s real and long-lasting impact was on Slavic relations.
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Sardinia’s term isn’t off to the best start, what with Bosnia having occupied all of Serbia. Sardinia’s involvement in the Balkans really has turned the region into a royal mess lately.
That personal union is definitely an unneeded power boost, but at least the drama it caused was pretty good. Unbelievably well-timed death, too. :smalltongue: I didn’t claim Moldavia's throne or anything, by the way, it just happened at random.
As usual, the shift from Castles to Bastions to Star Forts is a really rapid one that can easily leave poorer and less developed countries in the dust. Most people are still using their original Castles, even in Europe (and my eastern border…), and every new level that you unlock gives you an additional bonus against older models, so they’re getting pretty useless by now.
I haven't commented or voted recently, but I thought I should let you know that I'm still reading and very much enjoying this AAR. Keep up the good work!
I likewise have been really enjoying this! I've been super busy at a new job, so I've been catching up every week or two rather than reading in real time, which unfortunately just means I miss all of the votes.
Thanks, that’s very nice to hear! I guess I don’t expect everyone to comment and vote, but the drop in the number of votes compared to before is what stood out to me, since it's the only real indicator I have. Don't worry about it, though, just knowing that you're still here is enough. I considered the possibility that the rate of updates might be one reason (I’m still on summer holiday myself), and it’s reassuring to hear that this is the reason for at least someone. Well, besides the "not being able to vote" part. As usual, it’ll probably slow down a bit when my holiday ends, which is part of why I’ve wanted to keep it up while I can. :smallsmile:
SilverLeaf167
2019-08-20, 02:47 PM
Chapter #37: Rises and Falls (Kazimierz II, 1638-1657)
2 August, 1638
After a five-year regency, young Kazimierz II is finally ready to take the throne. Unlike most High Kings in the current system, he didn’t really have time to get to know his predecessor in the couple months before he was murdered, and also had far less time to get tutored for his role, especially as the Sejm couldn’t exactly provide the sort of personal mentorship a monarch could. They did get him the best possible regular tutors, though, and just as the late Jan I expected when he first saw the boy, he learned quickly and well. He has shown particular interest in all aspects of warfare, both organizational and personal – and also like any proper warrior-king, he radiates a strong presence even despite his age.
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Kazimierz becomes the first Pole in history to receive a dual coronation. Well, High Kings throughout the ages have always had a number of Grand Duchies and such appended to their title, of course, but after receiving the Archpriest of Perun’s blessing in Krakow, he travels down to Belgorod to have an almost identical ceremony with the Matriarch of Moldavia and make a separate set of vows to the local Sejm. Moldavia has made the momentous decision to set aside its own succession laws and honor the Polish system for as long as this union lasts… but what that actually means is an open question, since under that system, it won’t really end unless either side chooses to break it. It seems that the Moldavian government either seeks a permanent union with Poland, likes the idea of a distant king with a hands-off approach, or simply hasn’t really thought things through.
Young rulers have an unfortunate tendency to lay bare the inherent silliness of monarchies (even if the people involved don’t have that perspective), and a Sejm full of greying old men and women is never too eager to kowtow in front of an unproven 15-year-old. However, even if the idea that the Lechowicz clan and the title of High King are somehow protected by the gods isn’t taken very literally these days, Poland sure as Wyraj isn’t some kind of republic (*ptew*) and the presence of a life-long monarch is seen as a must for stability and unifying leadership. Perhaps the nobles secretly realize just how dysfunctional the whole government would be if they had to run it themselves, even if they don’t always get along with the High King.
Though the Crown Army still needs time to recover, the recent loss of Germany as an ally makes Kazimierz seek better relations with Poland’s other, more neglected friends in Scotland. The Scots never really made a comeback after shooting themselves in the foot in the Heretics’ War, but it’s about time that Poland turned its attention to the Isles once more. Since it worked last time, it might as well start by supporting resistance members in Edinburgh, the conquered Scottish capital. If it’s anything like last time, though, it’ll probably take a while.
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Farther west, the Asturian invasion of Can Pech fails to establish a permanent foothold and only extorts a pile of loot as tribute – technically a victory, yes, and a decent sum of money, but de facto a humiliating defeat against “primitives” who have barely learned how to use firearms.
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The frustrated Asturians turn their eyes to the north and send their conquistadors towards the Choctaw, a kingdom that rules much of the Mississippi River and Appalachian Mountains – hopefully weaker than the Maya.
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Aaaand Scotland is next up to bat, but will end up accomplishing nothing either, other than the important discovery that kilts are surprisingly comfortable in the tropical heat if you just make them out of a lighter fabric.
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In Alcadra, Sweden is facing stiff resistance in its efforts to subjugate the seemingly tiny Carib Republic. The local native states, including the Inca Empire, have joined forces to try and stop Europeans from gaining any more of a presence in the region. With so many similar wars going on in the New World, though, it’s obvious that colonialism has entered a new, more directly confrontational phase of sorts.
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These events and the associated reports from Poland’s own colonies have the Sejm divided on whether Poland should be taking a more aggressive stance in its own colonial expansion, or in fact intervening to protect the natives and earn their allegiance that way. Both approaches seem mutually exclusive and impractical at the moment, so Kazimierz will have to get used to his role in reconciling their differences without actually giving either side what they want.
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The East India Company (KWO, Kompania Wschodnio Indyjska) also reports no success in its attempts to purchase outposts and trading privileges from the local sultans. Being much richer, stronger, better organized and anti-pagan Muslims, they’ve proven more resistant to diplomacy than the people of Africa. If Poland wants more bases in the area, it’ll have to either build them the old-fashioned way or take them by force.
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Undaunted by complainers and naysayers, Kazimierz sees the need to continue his education even now that he’s been crowned so that his decisions can be as informed as possible. Krakow is actively reaching out to all kinds of scholars not just in Poland and the rest of Slavdom, but also Christians and Muslims who dare accept such an invitation.
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Indeed, even though the High King’s power has been somewhat relaxed since the near-tyranny of Sulislaw II’s reign, he’s still personally in charge of setting most policy, and at the moment he’s the lynchpin binding Poland and Moldavia together. The general trend in Poland is one of increasing royal control, as it is in the rest of Europe.
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This also includes the rest of the royal family, such as Kazimierz’ newly married wife Katarzyna, a few years older than him. Well-educated, charismatic and determined to earn her keep, she’s been taking more and more responsibility for treating foreign tributaries and otherwise handling diplomacy as her husband’s second-in-command.
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Diplomacy aside, for the first time in a while, the stewards at the usually rather full crown treasury are really ripping their hair out over all the demands made of them. New forts, new ships, new docks, new colonies… the military’s constant drive to expand has a downside when it comes to funding it all. Moldavia’s contribution is pretty much a net zero, seeing as it’s been given the right to collect and spend its own taxes and is even exempt from the fees imposed on most Polish subjects, being a “separate but equal” kingdom that just also happens to be ruled by Kazimierz.
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It’s nice to see, though, that the colonies are both prosperous and loyal enough to actually make voluntary contributions to the state. That being said, on closer inspection, these nearly simultaneous extra shipments of high quality tobacco and furs from Lukomoria and Buyania respectively seem to be more like personal bribes, likely in hopes of winning the High King’s favor against each other for the next time a dispute breaks out.
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Asturias finally gets a decent victory in the colonies, expanding the viceroyalty of America halfway up the Mississippi in one go.
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Sweden, too, manages to annex Carib after a truly disproportionate amount of effort.
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Not to be outdone, Kazimierz grants a royal charter for another voivodeship in Amatica in 1643. Since both Buyania and Lukomoria have been trying to reassure him of their rights to the region, he’s decided to take a third option and found yet another government in the town of Kataraktyn (Grand Rapids). The region dominated by the so-called Great Lakes has been quite creatively called Kraina Jezior (”Land of the Lakes”) for a while now, leading to the official name Jeziora.
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Luckily, this generation of Voivodes seem to be doing their job exceptionally well even when their wishes aren’t all granted.
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The growth of the colonies is further boosted by a recent surge in the number of oddani leaving Poland for greener pastures. This is largely the result of a fanatic religious movement known as the Singers of the Storm that has been spreading across Poland in recent years, ignoring local authorities to take matters into its own hands and forcibly convert or expel previously protected minorities. The movement has its roots in Moldavia, which is far less tolerant of its oddani majority and more active in its attempts to convert them. The Singers preach that Poland must become a purely pagan state, and quickly, or the Great Drowning will have been just a taste of the cataclysm that will soon sweep across Slavdom. They’ve even managed to influence the Polish clergy, and while the Sejm eventually agrees to crack down on this movement, any actual punishments handed out to the perpetrators are quite mild and thus insulting to the suffering oddani.
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In 1647, Italy becomes the latest in a long series of countries to invade Can Pech and only come home with baubles, and word is that Sweden is already working on the same.
https://i.postimg.cc/xdD0NYCt/20190819202824-1.jpg
(At this point I’m quite convinced that this is just the AI being dumb)
That aside, though, 1647 is a momentous year for Italy for a whole different reason: on 11 April, after decades and decades of work, often set back by obstructive locals or Polish occupation, the regency council of Italy – led by the spouse of its late queen – declares the National Assembly of France fully dissolved and absorbed into Italy. Italian laws and bureaucracy are to be fully applied in France at the first opportunity. Thus the dual monarchy of Italy-France is now just Italy… containing France, which has ceased to exist as a distinct state.
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As the book seemingly closes on a major chapter of European history, a short review of France and Francia might be in order. The "Kingdom of the Franks" goes all the way back to the 5th century, but it was Charles I 'the Great' - Charlemagne - who conquered most of Germany and Italy and first created the all too familiar Francian Empire. In 800, the Pope pompously crowned him "Emperor of the Romans", but though this title was later brought back in a ceremonial capacity, it was always far less important than that of Francia itself. After Charles' death in 814, his lands were split among his descendants, the so-called Karlings, but by the end of the century, the King of France had once again united them through inheritance and war. Francia had come to stay.
For the next several centuries, Francia was dominated by the rulers of France and their fellow Karlings. Even as it expanded to cover almost all of Christendom, the Franks remained at the center of it, so the name remained relevant, and they intentionally used it to remind people of their connection to its legendary founder. That didn't stop them from fighting each other every few decades, though, and the empire was also riddled with heresy and other unrest. Eventually enough of their power had slipped away that the so-called Emperor was really just a puppet to a separate King of France, and in 1313 the Karlings lost the imperial throne for the first time. The massive reforms of 1444 turned Francia into something of an elective federal monarchy to stop it from falling apart altogether, but giving more autonomy to its unruly subjects didn't work out so well either.
In 1504, through sheer chance, France fell into a personal union under Italy, which marked a steep drop in its own power and prestige. The so-called heart of Christendom became nothing but a supplier of soldiers and battlefield for Italian wars. No matter how hard Italy-France tried to take its place, the empire had basically lost its leader. This brought in a series of emperors of... varied success, often thanks to the empire's own restrictive laws stopping better candidates from being elected. In addition, the other electors started to complain about one king effectively having two votes, so they eventually boycotted and refused to vote for Italy-France even when it was clearly the strongest candidate. And now, in 1647, when France really only exists as one of the King of Italy's miscellaneous titles, it's even clearer that Italy is the dominant Christian power... but since both the name and the actual state of Francia seem increasingly irrelevant to the Latins, word is that they're starting to entertain hopes of branding themselves after the good old Roman Empire instead, like even Charles I in his time.
Changing the name or anything wouldn't really work at this point, though, not when everyone across the world has called it Francia for almost 900 years and Italy indeed doesn't even lead it at the moment. However, since Italy itself now reaches from Brittany to the Peleponnesos, it's only natural that they'd harken back to the times when Rome was the center of the world.
Even though this new Italy should be no stronger than the sum of its parts – weaker, in fact, until it can get its matters in order – this does dash the hopes of whoever was still hoping for Italy-France to split up and the two to start fighting each other. If anything, the Francians are probably far more worried than the Poles about this birth of an “empire within the empire”, but it remains to be seen what kind of stance Italy will take towards its neighbors – or vice versa.
As part of the unification, though, Italy formally gives up the elector’s seat held by France for all these years. Sardinia grants the vacant spot to the tiny Bishopric of Alsace. Originally all seven were held by the strongest states of Francia (plus Essex), but since the number of states – not to mention Catholic states – keeps shrinking, four of them have ended up being smaller and weaker principalities at constant risk of conquest.
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Indeed, even though the Heretics’ War of 1566-74 seemingly ended in the heretics’ defeat, it still managed to cripple Francia in a number of ways. The most obvious, of course, was the total secession of the British Isles, but the other heretics didn’t just vanish into thin air either. The Counter-Reformation’s attempts to marginalize all heretics only led to the loss of any ability to control them, and though the religious borders have mostly settled by now, the Catholics ended up becoming a minority within their own empire. France is perhaps the most striking example, having been completely overrun by Waldensians even while the dual monarchy staunchly refused all of their demands; the National Assembly made a long and successful ceasefire with the heretics, but now that Italy is in charge, it’s likely to try and impose strict religious unity by force if necessary.
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The French had no absolutely no say in all this, of course, so a bit of resistance is to be expected. Unfortunately, admirable as these local rebellions are, they stand no chance against the Italian army, and the messy split-up of Sardinia-Serbia is unlikely to repeat itself here.
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The centralization of the bureaucracy and royal power continues in Poland as well. There are no plans to start integrating Moldavia any time soon, though.
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Under Kazimierz' enthusiastic guidance, military technology also continues its ceaseless march, but at least these latest innovations are more doctrine-based and don’t require so many country-wide hardware upgrades.
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With this latest wave of reforms, it’s decided that the Crown Army is finally ready to start some new wars of its own. For the last two centuries, almost all wars that Poland has been involved in have actually been started by Moldavia or Germany, but with one in a personal union and the other not on speaking terms, Poland will have to finally take the initiative. A lot of people have been bothered by the Republic of Normandy’s surprisingly large colonies in West Africa: the weak but rich would-be empire makes for a very juicy target.
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Polish commanders correctly estimate that the Emperor, the King of Sardinia, is too heavily in debt to protect the overseas interests of his subjects. Normandy is only joined by two other minor states.
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An army under Sambor Lechowicz, famous from the War of the Moldavian Succession, has already been shipped to Africa ahead of time. It encounters no resistance whatsoever as it fans out across the Norman-controlled area, marching by countless locals apathetic to conflicts between identical-looking Europeans. The Normans have left almost no fortifications of their own, making it a matter of just driving off a few small garrisons.
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Even the capital Rouen isn’t much better defended, clearly not used to being invaded. Due to its location, it actually does a lot of trade with Poland and Frisia, making it even easier for the Marynarka to just sail into port and hand the Chancellor the High King's demands.
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The war is over in a matter of months. Poland, ever merciful, demands all of Normandy’s African colonies and nothing more. Of course, considering how small the Republic itself is, that’s probably at least 95% of its territory.
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Normandy has clearly been trying a different approach in its colonies, much unlike the small isolated outposts established by other Europeans. Encouraged by the relatively temperate climate (and the need to expand however possible), the Normans have penetrated quite far inland, sent missionaries to the local tribes and even funneled a lot of money into the coastal town of Bissau, now a major trade hub and port comparable to the likes of Marseille and Alexandria – except very much pagan, black and African. Apparently this all involved a lot of promises not to sell the locals into slavery if they agreed to live there, an example that the Poles should maybe consider following, as the slave trade hasn’t proven especially profitable for their far northern colonies anyway.
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It’s an easy victory, but by no means an insignificant one for the growing colonial empire.
Not far from Normandy, the wiping out of Francia’s Karling past continues. Almost all of the long-suffering Kingdom of Lotharingia is finally annexed by Lorraine, which ironically (or fittingly) takes its name from the same source, King Lothair II. The King-Elector is left with nothing but his capital Charleroi. The Emperor might want to start thinking about candidates to replace him soon.
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On that note, the one other Karling state – the Kingdom of Anatolia – somehow still hasn’t been conquered yet, similarly stuck as a tiny landlocked rump state squeezed between Moldavia and Rum.
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The steadily expanding Duchy of Lorraine, the largest state in the ever tumultuous Rhineland at the moment, is a good example of a small but highly developed territory putting its dense population to good use. While many countries, certainly including Poland, have long been building advanced manufactories to fill their military needs, the Rhineland – also the birthplace of the modern printing press, among other inventions – is a clear forerunner in this regard. As more and more raw materials flow into Europe from all over the world, it becomes possible, profitable and necessary to develop production methods capable of using them all, and whoever can do that will have a great advantage in the long run.
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The dastardly Lorrainians even use their latest technology to replicate or even surpass Bohemia’s famous glass production methods. It’s not a major revenue source for the crown, but it is a matter of pride for Czech and Polish industry.
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In the face of mass-produced cheap merchandise, Poland can only try and compete by bringing more unique and exotic goods from its colonies. Not all of them are really suitable for industry, but make for impressive collector’s items instead, and while Poland’s colonies might not hold a candle to the Zanaras and Alcadra in terms of biological diversity, they at least cover a wide range from Buyania to Africa to the East Indies.
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In August 1653, as Kazimierz turns 30, it’s time that he choose his successor. This time the ermine cloak is wrapped around Jadwiga, the future High Queen of Poland.
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A few months later, December 1653 hammers another nail into Andalusia's coffin and shows that Asturias has managed to recover from its own difficulties after all. The Sultanate is forced to give up all of Iberia other than Qadis, at the same time that it’s also under invasion by Tripoli, the African empire of Kanem Bornu and yet another pretender to the throne.
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The peace deal also includes most of Andalusia’s Amatican colonies that it’s worked so hard to reconquer, now reorganized into the viceroyalty of Tayshas. With the Zanaras, America and Tayshas, there’s no doubt that Asturias dominates this half of Amatica the same way that Poland does the north.
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Shortly after, the aforementioned pretender Husam I Ptolemee manages to overthrow the Idrisids after all. The Idrisids were a Moroccan dynasty, originally the Sultans of Fes, who pushed into wartorn Andalusia in the 13th century. Ptolemee is Moroccan as well, so this could be seen as a return to their roots in a sense. Soon after his coronation, he negotiates a bitter peace with Kanem Bornu and then finally moves the capital away from Iberia to a safer location south of the straits. He still doesn’t give up on the legacy of Al-Andalus, though, even if reconquest seems rather hopeless right now. His first priority is to maintain it in at least some form, even if it means sacrificing his pride.
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To aid him in this, he has to make a rather peculiar deal – not that the Andalusian crown is really in a position to negotiate at the moment. Despite Asturias having generally tolerant, “humanist” policies similar to Poland, its conquest of Iberia has created a flood of people fleeing to Morocco, many of them desperate to make a living and with vengeance on their minds. Morocco’s largest city Sale has become a particular hotspot of poverty and thus crime, especially piracy, even leading the Sultan to accept the founding of a so-called “pirate republic” on the condition that it provide charity for the poor and only bother the enemies of Andalusia.
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A monumental peace is also made over in England, where the long stalemate is finally broken and Wales partitioned between Kent, Munster and Wessex (which might want to consider moving back from Alcadra).
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With this, Kent can finally declare itself the not necessarily “undisputed” but certainly unrivaled master of England. Queen Mahaut II Shafto is perhaps the first real ruler of England since the days that it was still under Norse rule, and even though her fellow lords were allies in this last war, they’re likely to be given a choice on whether they want to join her voluntarily or by force. The Scottish separatists might have a bit more trouble, too.
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Italy, Asturias, England – just the past few years have seen several Christian kingdoms greatly consolidate their power. At the same time, Poland’s own colonial conquests have ended up being much smaller than Kazimierz would've preferred, but he's already gearing up for new ones in the near future. The next time that a major war breaks out between Slavdom and the Christians, it might be a bit closer than previous ones – assuming that Francia itself doesn’t just end up fading away as new powers overtake it from within.
Conquest of Senegal (1650)
Poland vs. Normandy + Brabant + Munster
Arguably Poland’s first colonial war, having previously only fought minor skirmishes with scattered natives. Polish troops gathered in its preexisting African colonies easily overran Normandy’s defenseless colonies while another army laid siege to the capital. Normandy’s allies didn’t really have time to help before the Chancellor was already forced to give up all Norman colonies, including Bissau, the largest colonial city in all of Africa.
https://i.postimg.cc/rmsY8Rkb/20190820154200_1.jpg
Tuscany has annexed newly independent Dauphine, whose “liberators” apparently didn’t bother protecting it in any way.
Germany has annexed Alsace and is in the process of finishing off Bavaria. Sardinia still hasn’t felt like intervening, and even a replacement elector has yet to be named.
With its push into Morocco, Kanem Bornu is on the verge of becoming the first Sub-Saharan empire with a northern coastline.
Shafto…
The founding of England actually took way longer than I thought. Also, I somehow didn’t even consider that Italy would inevitably either inherit or just annex France. Maybe they can make better use of their resources now, who knows. At least it’ll stop the union from breaking on accident.
Shameless comment prompt: Feel free to point out spots in Europe, or the rest of the world for that matter, that you think I should prioritize conquering or perhaps splitting up. I've really been "slacking off" on that front, even if I've had other things to keep myself busy. I also have space for some puppet states if that's more interesting and less blobby.
SilverLeaf167
2019-08-25, 04:16 PM
Chapter #38: The Kazimierz Gambit (Kazimierz II, 1657-1675)
13 March, 1657
Even though the War of the Moldavian Succession seems to have been just a brief shock after all – Poland’s fellow Slavs have taken no further aggressive action – relations within the Moscow Pact remain chilly. The Kingdom of Poland-Moldavia must focus its efforts on finding new alliances and renewing old ones to make sure that the balance isn’t upset any further.
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To that end, Kazimierz and the Sejm want to highlight Poland’s role as a protector and mediator, rather than an unfair bully like the German and Novgorodian rhetoric claimed during the war. The generation of kings that ruled during the war 20 years ago has already passed in all three countries, and it falls to their successors to build Slavic unity anew.
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After Poland, the second most powerful and best connected Slavic country is Chernigov. Polish diplomats start improving relations and making separate treaties with Chernigov, the implication being that it’ll not only speak to the other Slavs on Poland’s behalf but also stand with it if things go south.
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On the topic of buffer states, though, the Grand Dukes of Frisia have long been suggesting if not quite demanding further economic liberties, as well as assurances that the Amsterdam Compromise remain the new permanent status quo, in exchange for greater military contribution. However, these suggestions are always shot down by Poland, as Frisia’s economy is its most valuable asset, and the Sejm refuses to formally acknowledge the Grand Duchy as a permanent solution anyhow.
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Over in Amatica, Asturias’ rapidly expanding colonies manage to forcefully absorb – that is, conquer – both the Mescalero and what was left of the Choctaw. They’re close to forming a contiguous line from Lukomoria to the Pacific Ocean. At the same time, the Europeans’ countless raids and ravagings of Can Pech have finally led to the utter collapse of its economy, leaving the whole empire in the hands of religious heretics, conquered peoples clamoring for independence and fellow natives invading them.
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In August 1659, it’s finally time for another Polish colonial war. Traders and diplomats have been pulling double duty as spies to identify valuable and vulnerable targets in the East Indies, finally pointing towards the island kingdoms of Makassar and Ternate, which control some of the most important centers of spice production – and are pagan in faith, hopefully making them easier to pacify afterwards.
https://i.postimg.cc/rmHHHHHm/20190823142606-1.jpg
While they put up more of a fight than the Norman colonies did, defending their actual homeland and all, they’re definitely not a match for Poland’s numerical and technological superiority. The same goes for their ships and fortresses, entirely unprepared for heavy artillery fire. The only thing keeping them from being overrun within days is that the Poles need to ferry their armies around and stamp out any holdouts on small outlying islands.
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It’s a good thing that Kazimierz himself stayed in Krakow, though, as the shadow of conspiracy raises its ugly head once again. The 17-year-old Crown Princess Jadwiga has been allowed to join the diplomatic corps as an assisting ambassador to Chernigov, but now there are rumors afoot that she’s using this opportunity to convince both Polish and foreign officials to support her premature rise to the throne, ridiculous as it sounds. Much like was done with the previous High King Jan I in his teen years, Jadwiga is summoned to the capital for the time of the investigation and, if needed, her trial.
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However, despite Kazimierz’ skepticism, the rumors turn out to be true after all. Jadwiga doesn’t answer the summons, and a week later, word arrives in Krakow that she has been sighted leading a rebel army in Lithuania, supported by individual nobles from Chernigov and Novgorod (both of whose governments deny any involvement). Despite his seeming competence as a ruler, Kazimierz’ personality has taken a somewhat harsher turn in recent years, making it easier for Jadwiga to recruit fellow nobles to her side with promises of being rewarded once she sits on the throne. There has to be something more going on with Jadwiga herself, though – why would she try to stage a coup when she’s already the heir? Sheer impatience?
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Almost immediately upon hearing the news, the furious Kazimierz organizes a new cloaking to declare his 15-year-old nephew Nadbor as the new Crown Prince.
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Luckily the eastern front has been fortified since the last dynastic dispute, meaning that Jadwiga’s forces, while surprisingly large, are forced to spend a while consolidating their power in the countryside instead. This allows several Polish armies to take their sweet time moving into position, two of them led by the High King and the new Crown Prince themselves.
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Like any rebellion against Polish authority, it’s a lost cause from the start, and Jadwiga herself isn’t exactly an accomplished commander, despite trying to lead her army from the front as a symbol of her legitimacy.
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Jadwiga and most of her conspirators in the diplomatic corps are taken alive, treated to a quick and one-sided trial and sentenced to either house arrest for life (for the Lechowicz) or execution by the blade (for everyone else). Shocking as this treason was, it seems to have been contained before it could have any wider effects. Nadbor will adjust to his new lot in life, too. Of course, this mass arrest of Polish diplomats is a massive blow to its, well, diplomacy, and it’ll take a while before either the crown or its other contacts can fully trust the rest of them either.
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The warriors in the East Indies, blissfully unaware of all this even going on, wrap up their own adventure with the full annexation of both Makassar and Ternate. Moldavia has also sent an army all on its own initiative, just in time to participate in the victory parade but not much else. The so-called Moluccas are now almost completely under Polish control, if not for a pesky Bruneian outpost that it stubbornly refuses to part with.
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At least the removal of the most uppity officials also makes it easier to pass some new laws. Many of the arrested nobles’ lands are confiscated by the crown and put to use as testing grounds for a new agenda of massive land clearance, hoping to make way for more agriculture in the still relatively sparsely populated Polish countryside.
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The military also puts its latest experience to good use in tweaking its own tactics and equipment.
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Almost as a side thought, Poland finally builds the first real European settlements in Bialyziemia, a massive frozen landmass populated only by small clusters of pagan Inuits. No one knows how far north it may reach, as it’s been impossible to either sail or walk that far. Basically every colonial power in the North Sea has long claimed the island for themselves – Poland, Scotland, Sweden, England, actually even Iceland – but no one has actually bothered doing anything with it. The others raise some disinterested formal protests, but Poland’s own Amatican voivodeships actually enter a bidding contest to “purchase” Bialyziemia from the crown, which is unfortunately not interested.
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In 1662, the latest Emperor (in Navarra once more) finally names Tirol as the seventh elector, but it too is just a tiny duchy perilously squeezed between Italy, Venice and an expanding Germany. It goes to show just how strapped the Empire is for options these days.
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In the wake of Jadwiga’s rebellion, it wouldn’t be surprising for Kazimierz to become increasingly strict and controlling towards his subjects, but when some of those subjects get together to found an explicitly pro-royal newspaper – the first regularly published newspaper in Poland – he’s more than happy to offer it his personal support, making its bias even more obvious. While this particular Gazeta Polski Ordynaryjny doesn’t prove very long-lived, it paves the path for an increasing number of newspapers to follow.
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Complicated Slavic relations are also brought to the forefront once more when Germany invades Pannonia in May 1663. This alone is of absolutely no interest to Poland; however, the problem is that Germany, that traitor, has a long-standing alliance with England and Lancaster, whereas Pannonia has recently made one with Scotland. What this means is that, completely unrelated to the fighting on the continent, English and Lancastrian troops soon pour over the Scottish border, and are sure to have torn off even more pieces of it by the time they’re done.
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Kazimierz sends Braunschweig his demands that Germany make a separate white peace with Scotland, or Poland will be forced to intervene to defend its pagan ally against Christian aggression. However, King Ludwig III firmly refuses, and Novgorod and Chernigov make it clear that were Poland to attempt such an “unprovoked” invasion of Germany, they’d have to intervene as well to protect the integrity of the Moscow Pact. While Kazimierz has no doubt that Poland would come out victorious once again, the military and diplomatic costs of fighting most of its neighbors would be unacceptably large.
For a moment, it seems like Poland is powerless to defend Scotland without losing all its other “allies”. However, Kazimierz soon realizes a loophole: as Scottish Hibernia and the English Federated Lordships, their respective colonies on the Amatican coast, are also involved in the war, the fighting between them has also spilled over the border into Polish Lukomoria. There’s also a wealth of other border clashes and competing claims between Lukomoria and the Lordships to draw upon.
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Thus Kazimierz declares a “completely unrelated” colonial war against England, giving him an excuse to send troops into occupied Scotland. King Ludwig III realizes he’s been outplayed, yet has no choice but to defend his English friends if he wishes to keep their allegiance. Even though Novgorod and Chernigov see what’s happening as well, it’s entirely Germany’s choice and they’re not especially eager to fight Poland either, so they declare that if Germany wishes to defend the English, it will do so alone. Kazimierz’ gambit is successful.
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Scotland is not officially involved in this separate war, but since most of the country is currently occupied by England and Lancaster – now enemies of Poland – the Crown Army is more than justified in “capturing” this territory and then immediately handing it back to the Scots. The idea that these are two separate wars is a total technicality with no basis in reality, of course, but enough to drive home the point that Germany brought this upon itself. King Robert V af Romerike is informed that if he can just bide his time for a moment, the Marynarka will be able to blockade the Irish Sea and leave the English army isolated in Ireland.
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At the same time, as Germany has tragically decided to stick its nose into this unrelated Polish-English squabble, the Poles are left with no choice but to march straight for Braunschweig while the German army is busy fighting elsewhere. Crown Prince Nadbor himself is at the head of the offense, having proven himself quite the wizard at siege warfare.
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Poland’s colonies and native vassals are similarly successful, easily occupying the Lordships and helping Scottish militias liberate Hibernia. Lukomorian troops are later seen sailing as far as the Zanaras to invade the English colonies there.
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The same happens over on the Isles, where the Poles are rapidly pushing southward into England, at the same time that the Scots are able to recover and start their own counter-invasion.
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The English Royal Navy, while not quite large enough to brave the heavy ships of the Marynarka and break the blockade of Ireland, is not to be trifled with either. It’s more than able to wipe out any other shipping that strays into its path.
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However, when the Crown Army finally considers it appropriate to cross into Ireland and “easily sweep aside” the English occupiers stationed there, what it finds is a humiliation unlike anything it has seen in years. The Poles must have gotten complacent in one way or another, because how else would you explain the greatly outnumbered Englishmen being able to inflict three times as many casualties on the Poles and successfully drive them back where they come from? The generals responsible agree to never speak of this again, get back over to England and continue with their own occupation rather than fight them head on.
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Meanwhile, the German army has strictly avoided any pitched battles with the Poles, allowing the country to get almost completely occupied and end up struggling in its war against Pannonia as well. While Ludwig III is soon enough pleading for peace, Kazimierz refuses to grant it before he ends that other war as well, since that would leave Scotland vulnerable to another turnaround.
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The siege of London proves long and grueling, taking over a year of constant skirmishes, bombardment and plain old waiting, and even after the Poles seize most of the city, there are still several fortresses within it for them to take by storm. The Tower of London is finally captured in April 1667, leaving almost the entire island under Polish control, but Queen Mahaut II Shafto has proven unwilling to risk her life and long since evacuated to neutral Normandy.
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The Royal Navy has spent most of the war docked safely near London, but with the city’s capture, Admiral Eardwulf Firth decides to take his final chance to make or break this war. He sails around to attack the Marynarka and try and break the blockade. In the massive battle that ensues, his fearsome flagship HMS Scourge of Malice takes a crippling blow, and as much as he’d like to go down with it, he has a battle to win, so he has no choice but to move onto another ship and watch his beloved sink.
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But win it he does. Despite the Marynarka having more heavy battleships, the English have almost enough light ships to match, and a much better commander. Almost two thirds of the Marynarka are sunk, including almost all of its heavy ships, and the remainder is forced to retreat and finally open up the Irish Sea. At least the Radogost – or rather its re-re-rebuilt modern incarnation, not the original from 1450 – is among the survivors of the marine disaster. Each version has kept the same name partly to emphasize just how many enemy flagships it has now sunk without suffering the same fate.
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For the war as a whole, however, it’s too little too late. Soon after, Kazimierz is delighted to hear that Ludwig has finally bent under pressure and ended his Pannonian war in a humiliating white peace. In response, he negotiates a number of separate treaties with Germany, Lancaster and finally England in August 1667.
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All their alliances are severed, leaving them diplomatically isolated. Germany loses no more land but has to pay massive reparations that take it to the brink of bankruptcy. From the others, Poland demands the small colonial province it used as pretext, but also the return of all of de jure Scotland. Where it seemingly oversteps its boundaries, though, is by also taking the entire Duchy of York, which it then hands over to Scotland as well. From a splintered mess on the verge of annexation, Scotland has suddenly been restored as the great power of the Isles – albeit only with Poland backing it up – and Kazimierz has shown that he or his allies are not to be messed with.
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Eager to somehow make up for her losses, Queen Mahaut II soon invades the independent state of York (which has long since lost control of the original duchy), bringing her against some of her former allies as well. The English army survived almost unscathed, after all. However, more importantly, England’s apparent moment of weakness provides Italy with the opening it needs to start its own colonial war against it.
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In the aftermath of the war, Novgorod also seems to have realized Germany’s foolishness and decided to seek closer relations with Poland instead. While many still remember Novgorod’s past betrayal – directly, or through the nation’s collective memory – Kazimierz is willing to put that old grudge aside and dismiss it as a selfish decision made by the King at the time, if it means fixing up the cracking Moscow Pact.
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In December 1672, Wavel Castle is shaken by the discovery of Crown Prince Nadbor dead in his bed, having apparently suffocated on his own vomit after a hard night out drinking, though foul play is suspected. A full investigation is launched into the matter, but fails to find any proof of wrongdoing, so instead just his attendants are sent to the dungeons for their neglectfulness. While most of the court doesn’t necessarily mourn too much – the young Nadbor having already made himself a rather unpleasant reputation for needless cruelty against his enemies and subordinates alike – this makes Kazimierz the first High King to lose not one but two separate heirs, albeit in very different ways.
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He’s forced to organize another full cloaking ceremony, this time going with the 10-year-old Stanislaw. With Kazimierz himself already 49 years old, every new heir has less and less time to prepare for the succession that hopefully will come one day.
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All that aside, even as many of Europe’s great powers become ever larger and more multicultural – including Poland-Moldavia itself, even if the Moldavian front has been pleasantly quiet – the continent-wide pendulum motion between parliamentarism and absolutism seems to be reversing course once again. Not least as a reaction to the consolidation of power taking place in several countries, there’s a growing movement asking for stricter limits to royal power before it really does end up being absolute. In the Polish Sejm, this movement is rather marginal – and forcefully kept that way – but in Moldavia, such a constitution arguably already exists in the form of the royal vows and great autonomy given to the local Sejm, making the High King a mere figurehead on that side of the border.
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Poland already has the Statement of 1156, the Moscow Pact of 1444 and the New Parliamentary Pact of 1572, not to mention countless other laws, to guide its government, and is unlikely to write up a new constitution just to placate the few complainers. The Sejm does, however, have other matters to discuss.
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Despite the commanding officers’ best efforts to hide it, the Crown Army’s humiliating failure in Ireland has not gone unnoticed – it did cost over 23,000 men, after all – and the Marynarka’s performance against the Royal Navy left much to be desired as well. While the war itself was won, these defeats were a great disgrace for Poland, which wants to present itself as a forerunner in military development. In addition to the people responsible being fired, it’s clear that the military is in need of another big overhaul. Large as Poland may be, it’s neither practical nor very valorous to fight every battle with a 2-to-1 numerical advantage.
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A significant portion of the room sighs deeply at the previous suggestion. The army seems to be all they ever talk about, year after year, while the Marynarka remains an afterthought at best. As Poland’s still-growing colonial empire already stretches across the world, more and more of its future wars are going to be dependent on naval supremacy, and the last war shows that this is the case in Europe as well. Had the Royal Navy come out of hiding and the blockade of Ireland broken a bit earlier, the whole strategy would’ve been ruined. The navy must be not only expanded, but also improved, if it is to remain effective everywhere at once.
https://i.postimg.cc/NMTgpRNW/20190825140501-2.jpg
Vote on an idea group here (https://linkto.run/p/2HHP3K3M)! Remember to share your view in the comments as well! [CLOSED]
Conquest of the Moluccas (1659-61)
Poland vs. Makassar + Ternate
In a short and simple war without much need for oversight, Polish explorer Nadbor Turenin leads an army to subjugate the two pagan kingdoms that control the Moluccas, some of the most important spice-producing islands in the East Indies. The nearby sultanates have their final warning that Poland will use force if they don’t submit to its demands.
Ludwig III’s War (1663-67)
Poland (+ Scotland) vs. England + Germany + Lancaster + Munster
Thus named in Polish and later also other countries’ historiography to make it clear just who was to blame for it. Ludwig III of Germany started a war against Pannonia, which also drew in Scotland and got it almost completely overrun by the English. Poland perceived this as needless aggression against one of its allies and was worried about the peace deal to come, but Slavic politics prevented it from intervening directly. Instead, High King Kazimierz II started a separate war against England, allowing him to save Scotland and sabotage Ludwig III’s other war without violating the Moscow Pact’s demands. Far from a return to status quo, however, the peace forced on the English saw the full restoration and actually notable expansion of Scotland, as well as the dismantling of Germany’s troublesome alliances (for now).
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Immediately after the end of Ludwig III’s war, England ended up annexing York and most of Munster. Wessex was also forced to re-retreat to Alcadra. Italy got off to a bad start in its overseas war against England, but has since regained the upper hand.
Germany is now attacking Tirol and Bavaria, this time without involving anyone important.
The scraps of Greece have been fully annexed by Sardinia. Independent Serbia, however, is going strong.
The Pax Polonica seems to be broken, but at least these messy alliances have still stopped the other Slavs from falling to total infighting yet, and it seems that as long as we're Defender of the Faith, no one’s going to be dumb enough to attack them either.
InvisibleBison
2019-08-25, 05:58 PM
I'm voting for Quality Ideas. While maintaining naval superiority is important for the survival of Poland's colonies, maintaining land superiority is essential for the survival of Poland itself. Poland is not an island, after all - it needs powerful armies to defend its borders.
Manticoran
2019-08-26, 03:56 AM
Maritime! Clearly the Polish army is already without match, and there is little need to further focus on it!
The minor loss in Ireland is of no consequence in the grand scheme of things, and it is becoming more and more clear that pagans not just in Europe, but across the entire globe have need of our aid!
IthilanorStPete
2019-08-29, 06:47 PM
Finally caught up with this! I'm glad you're still continuing, SilverLeaf.
Just as I thought things were getting a little humdrum, the Moldavian succession war happened. I'm almost disappointed that there hasn't been any more intra-Moscow Pact wars since then, it'd liven things up to have some serious opposition close to home.
SilverLeaf167
2019-09-03, 01:04 PM
Chapter #39: Hijacked Ships of State (Kazimierz II, 1675-1685)
1 January, 1675
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While there is some demand for more focus on Poland’s colonial empire and naval dominance, most of the Sejm is firmly set in its ways: the army is more important than the navy, both militarily and image-wise, and will continue to receive the vast majority of funding and attention. Of course, there’s the very rational argument that Poland is a continental power with long land borders, and one that apparently can’t even count on its neighbors anymore. It’s also clear, though, that Poland doesn’t really identify as a naval power despite having quietly built a globe-spanning shipping network and indeed the world’s largest navy. The core of the Polish spirit is still in its axemen, hussars, unstoppable charges and immovable defenses, and any sign of losing dominance there is an affront to the very idea of Slavdom.
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Then again, the reality of land warfare has also changed radically. Every soldier still carries an axe as a symbol, sidearm and convenient tool, but pikes for instance have been almost completely phased out in favor of bayonets and ever more accurate, powerful and rapid-firing firearms – now allowing a stunning several bullets a minute, which enough coordination can turn into nearly ceaseless bombardment. One huge leap has been the combining of bullets and gunpowder into pre-packed little wraps, avoiding the long and dangerous hassle of loading them separately.
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While the Crown Army likes to treat the Marynarka as something of a glorified ferry system – there’d be more of a rivalry between the two were the army not so dominant – it can’t entirely ignore its vital importance to larger operations like those in the last war. The years-long blockade of Ireland also highlighted the need for a more robust supply system to keep the navy stocked when operating in foreign waters for extended periods.
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But as usual, even if the nobility and the army leadership welcome the additional funding, the actual reforms are going to be a lot more controversial. Notably, though the nobles have long since lost their total monopoly on leadership positions, social mobility within the army has still been practically non-existent and most officers merely political appointees, often cited as a cause for their incompetence when accidents happen. While unable to fully abolish this system, the High King and his supporters manage to push through a law making promotions available to (theoretically) all soldiers who prove themselves fit for such a role.
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Days later, the Imperial Senate – infamously paralyzed and useless these days – happens to pass a tangentially similar law that finally allows women to be elected to the Francian throne, with the Senate’s approval at least. This decision isn’t borne out of any egalitarian values, though, but simply the worsening lack of proper candidates and the Duke of Navarra’s will to get his daughter on the throne. One of the aptly named Pragmatic Sanction’s most vocal supporters, however, is Queen Kunigunda I of Italy, who immediately starts promoting herself as Empress.
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In March, some truly disturbing news arrive from an unexpected direction: the Cold Ones, or a group calling themselves that, have risen up in Moldavian-ruled Anatolia of all places. This infamous demonic cult has hardly been heard of since the purges and hunts of the late 14th century, but has lived on in the Slavic consciousness as either literal boogeymen or just all-purpose scapegoats. Whether this new sect is actually connected to the previous one or merely influenced by it is hard to tell, but what’s clear is that in its rush to convert its Christian subjects, Moldavia has allowed its missionary work to be infiltrated and warped by these cultists. Now they have laid their vile roots in the hapless minds of the newly converted, and as this army of the damned starts an uprising on a scale never seen from the Cold Ones, newspapers across Slavdom spread word of the orgy of murder and human sacrifice taking place in the streets of Pegaea. One can only hope that it’s all exaggerated.
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Kazimierz II is about to send the Crown Army down there post-haste, but the Moldavian Sejm – worried that this would weaken its beloved autonomy – insists on handling the crisis on its own. Luckily, the Moldavian army is more than capable of marching in and killing every cultist in sight, but that doesn’t account for the ones that manage to slink away… and like the cockroaches they are, the Cold Ones have proven themselves all too resilient.
The Poles, too, start a preemptive sweep of the entire country in search of cultist cells and corrupted clergy. While none are found in the end, the crown is forced to more explicitly align itself with the parts of the Slavic Church that it does consider legitimate, emboldening many of those priests and their followers to actively harass the oddani in their lands, which breeds a lot of bad blood.
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Meanwhile, off to the west, Italy manages a great if apparently not total victory against England, annexing almost the entirety of the English Lordships, leaving only a couple afterthought provinces in the inland mountains that England now has no real access to. These wealthy, populous and plantation-heavy colonies are added to the viceroyalty of Fiorita, soon renamed Serica to designate the region as a whole.
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This is a major setback for England’s fledgling empire, but rather than give up, it just has to redouble its efforts elsewhere. West Africa in particular has become a real patchwork of colonial outposts with Italy, Poland, Sweden, Tuscany, Arabia, Venice and Asturias all buying or otherwise acquiring land in the region.
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The same can be said of Alcadra, where the traditional powerhouses of Santa Croce and Narafidia now have to deal with Sweden’s quickly expanding empire as well as smaller Asturian, English and Scottish colonies (plus New Wessex). Scotland claims to have rediscovered the so-called City of Silver that the Muslims were so proud of, now thoroughly looted of all valuables but still fertile and densely populated. Sweden’s colonies and conquered Incan provinces, on the other hand, still have gold, silver, gems and other riches in amounts that anyone in the Old World can only dream of.
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Most of these riches are transported north, where they pass through the Zanaras on their way back to Europe. Naturally, this geographical chokepoint full of small islands has become a hotbed of international piracy preying on regular traders and these “treasure fleets” alike. Even Kazimierz II has granted “letters of marque” and thus his personal approval for a number of privateers to operate in the region, not least because Poland has no colonies of its own there. As for the countries that do, they should have their hands full trying to stamp them out.
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It doesn’t take long before tiny “pirate republics” inspired by the example of Sale start popping up, setting up independent pseudo-states of their own on deserted islands where they can conduct their criminal business in peace. The republic of Tortuga consists mostly of Muslim refugees, descendants of the original Andalusian colonies and deserters from the Asturian navy, whereas New Providence is Scottish and pagan in origin, providing a small but diverse melting pot for anyone interested in joining their neo-viking haven. While mostly built on sheer opportunism and probably not very sustainable, this veneer of barbarism seems to hide some actual democratic ideals as well.
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https://i.postimg.cc/2yPPSzLM/20190901215036-1.jpg
As for Poland’s own colonies, they finally start expanding again in early 1678 as the East India Company (in cooperation with the Crown Army garrison) takes the liberty to declare war on Brunei, one of the larger powers in the area but obviously no real match for Poland.
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The people in Krakow probably won’t even hear of that war for months, and it should take care of itself. There’s something much bigger happening in Europe: while the Polish-Moldavian arrangement has proven remarkably stable and mutually beneficial, and the rest of the Moscow Pact has mostly stopped complaining about it too (out loud, at least), another similar union was certainly the last thing on anyone’s mind. That’s exactly what happens, though, when the King of Vladimir dies childless on 13 March 1678… with the notorious King Ludwig III of Germany as his closest heir. And just like last time, this succession does not go uncontested, but this time by Novgorod.
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The irony of the situation is immense, as Germany was the one violently opposed to the Moldavian succession back in 1634, and Novgorod its eager ally. What hasn’t changed from last time is that Novgorod’s situation looks utterly hopeless: it doesn’t face just Germany-Vladimir but also Chernigov, which was forced to pick between two of its closest allies. Due to Novgorod’s foolish decision, it’s left with no friends and at war with most of the Moscow Pact. Poland has yet to make an official statement about its stance in this huge mess.
While Vladimir is still often seen as a sleepy backwater in the coldest corner of Europe, its access to the Siberian wastes has allowed it to expand much farther than any of its fellow Slavic nations. Only Poland is larger in area, and only if you include the colonies. While barren and barely populated, Vladimir holds hopes of reaching all the way to the Pacific Ocean one day… and now all that land is ruled from Braunschweig.
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As one might expect, the war immediately becomes the hottest or even only subject of discussion in the Polish Sejm. On one hand, Germany has repeatedly gone against Poland, and Germany-Vladimir could be a very real threat to Polish security and thus all of Slavdom, or at least worsen the Pact’s division into opposing blocs. On the other hand, despite their recent reconciliation and alliance, Novgorod also stabbed Poland in the back and has yet to rebuild that trust either. Is it really worth fighting Germany, Vladimir and Chernigov over?
Even as the inconclusive debate rages on, Vladimir and Chernigov start their first massed offensive and immediately gain the upper hand.
[Missed a screenshot, apparently]
While they’re busy with that, the war against Brunei meets an unexpected setback: from its last war against the island kingdoms, Poland arrogantly assumes that it’ll have naval superiority, but Brunei turns out to be on a whole different level than them. As it sends out a fleet of heavy warships – outdated, but still – much of the Polish invasion fleet is sunk, and thousands of soldiers with it. The rest are forced to retreat to the Moluccas with their tail between their legs. Reinforcements will have to be shipped from elsewhere, which means that this seemingly meaningless war will take a lot longer than expected.
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It doesn’t sound very good when these are the first news that Krakow receives about said war, but it’s still an afterthought. Meanwhile, the Sejm has mostly agreed, grudgingly or not, to abandon Novgorod to its fate. After all, it is the aggressor in this war and all that, and the defenders at least claim to demand nothing but peace. The birth of Germany-Vladimir may be less than pleasant, but entering the war at this point would be even worse.
Novgorod holds out decently well, having the home advantage and a decently large army of its own, but its defeat is only a matter of time. In August 1680, it decides to cut its losses and sue for peace, but to the King’s great shock, Chernigov does have demands after all, and quite large ones at that. In addition to recognizing Germany-Vladimir, Novgorod is forced to part with most of its Byelorussian territories, seemingly just as punishment for the war (which, to be fair, is almost the same thing that Poland did to Germany). After two and a half years, the War of the Vladimirian Succession is over almost as suddenly as it started, and Novgorod and Poland are both left grinding their teeth in frustration. As Chernigov and Novgorod were also supposedly “timeless allies”, this betrayal must really sting, but at this point, pretty much everyone in the Moscow Pact has already betrayed each other at least once.
https://i.postimg.cc/DfJfn0tC/20190901230155-1.jpg
What this union means is that Germany-Vladimir currently has a combined army of 150,000 soldiers and climbing. It’s certainly not a match for Poland-Moldavia’s total of 320,000, but the rest of the Moscow Pact have shown themselves to be pretty much wildcards, and just geographically speaking, any large-scale war between them would be a massive mess spanning half the continent, not to mention the economic and diplomatic repercussions.
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Worrying as that is, Germany at least doesn’t cause any immediate trouble. A local council is put in charge of Vladimir (it doesn't have a proper parliament) and Poland is free to keep preparing the way that it was already doing: by investing massively in military training – there isn’t much point in offering promotions if the necessary education isn’t available too – and especially its famous cavalry. Poland, with its massive army and shrinking countryside, seems to have exceeded its “natural” supply of good horses and people to ride them, and even though hussars are mostly recruited from the families and households of lower nobility, they’re still in need of rigorous discipline if they’re going to fulfill their purpose as the Crown Army’s solid steel battering ram. More and more horses will, shameful as it is, have to be procured from other countries – the Khazar steppes of Chernigov being one of the most acclaimed sources.
https://i.postimg.cc/8zBP9YqN/20190902180444-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/NG3sMYtQ/20190902180455-1.jpg
(That first one seems to be one of those ideas with antiquated descriptions that no longer match the effect)
Meanwhile, in order to facilitate communication across Poland’s sprawling empire and numerous substates, the haphazard system of outposts, envoys and ambassadors that has developed over the years should be standardized into a clearer and more efficient postal system. One day it might be able to deliver the newspaper as well, but for now, its main purpose is to deliver official messages, and maybe whatever other deliveries manage to hitch a ride.
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On 11 April 1681, the resistance movement that rose up in the English Lordships almost immediately after the Italian annexation is able to force the Fioritan/Serican government into recognizing their right to be ruled by fellow Englishmen and not some Italian viceroy. Since the Fioritan military has been completely driven out, even Italy itself has no choice but to accept this turn of events for now. While the slaves working the plantations probably couldn’t care less who they’re being enslaved by, when it comes to the white settlers, this short stint under foreign occupation seems to have made them all the more aware of their English yet also Amatican identity, and the date of the treaty will go down as a national holiday and display of their tenacity.
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And as for the East Indian crisis, it takes all the way until August 1682 for the Marynarka to get dispatched, complete its trip around Africa and arrive in the East Indies. The mere news of the approaching fleet are enough to drive the Bruneian navy into hiding without a single real battle, allowing the Poles to finally invade Borneo proper after literal years of waiting. Brunei’s actual army is, as expected, a mere speedbump.
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The Bruneian army regroups further north and tries to take defensive positions in the jungle, but while the terrain is indeed quite unfamiliar for most of the Polish soldiers, their superior training and equipment still shine through as they utterly trounce the numerically superior army led by the Sultan himself. It’s quite satisfying payback for being forced to twiddle their thumbs in Makassar all this time (though as a side effect of housing over 32,000 soldiers, said city has grown a fair bit in the past few years).
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The East India Company’s original plans for Brunei were rather modest, but now that they’re finally moving again, they’re going for much larger tracts of land than expected. Meanwhile in Europe, the 60-year-old High King’s long reign is met with yet another heir-related scandal. No, Stanislaw isn’t dead – thank the gods – nor has he decided to rebel against the crown, but one of Kazimierz’ own sons, Sulislaw, has decided to name himself Crown Prince with absolutely no legal basis to do so. Given the location of his army, it’s reasonable to assume that German money and men may be involved. Sulislaw isn’t the eldest son, nor especially popular, or honestly at all competent – but that might be the very reason that whoever orchestrated this farce chose him of all people to sow discord within the royal family once more.
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The disappointed High King and his army are just on their way to deal with him when another of his sons, Wladyslaw, is spotted leading a rebel army, and again right near the German border. While even these two rebellions at the same time are nothing the Crown Army can’t handle, they do raise the disturbing question of just how deep the conspiracy might go. It’s definitely a lot more serious than just the bit of German provocation it was initially diagnosed as.
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Both sons’ armies are engaged at virtually the same time in May 1684, and defeated easily enough that it isn’t very difficult to take them alive. Neither Sulislaw or Wladyslaw have much to say in their defense, only that they’ve grown tired of Kazimierz’ long reign and neglect of his own blood, the way he repeatedly ignored them even when he needed a new heir, all while his other reforms brought in more and more rabble as well. Supposedly their plan was to rebel and rule together, but it seems like both planned to betray the other one later. Much as it pains him, Kazimierz has no choice but to strip them of their titles in the administration and sentence them to the usual house arrest for life – which by the way is definitely a lot nicer than prison or death, but not nearly as cozy as it may sound at first, for it really is almost total, and parole is hard to come by. Not without reason has it been likened to “social execution”.
That aside, in October 1684 the war against Brunei finally ends in the annexation of most of Borneo. As the Poles have already learned, though, this is perhaps the least lucrative part of the entire East Indies, producing few spices or anything else of value for the time being, but at least it looks nice on a map and the territory itself is valuable just geographically speaking.
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And finally, on 9 May 1685, High King Kazimierz II breathes his last. The official cause of death is dysentery caught out in the field, but it’s widely known that his two sons’ rebellion a year back plunged him into something of an identity crisis and even deep depression. Having ruled Poland for 37 long years (not counting 5 years of regency), his whole life has been devoted to the throne, much of it dull albeit important daily drudgery and not nearly as much excitement as he himself originally wished for. Whenever there was action, it was almost always betrayal by someone he trusted, and finally even his own sons, whom he thought he’d loved as best he could, were turned against him. Out of his children, only his daughter Samboja is even allowed to leave her manor long enough to attend his grandiose funeral.
His death really was from physical illness, but his mental health certainly didn’t help things. While a respected and level-headed leader, in retrospect, many tales of his life adopt a tragic theme of the weight of rulership that may not have been nearly so obvious at the time.
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The High King is dead! Long live High King Stanislaw II!
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Conquest of Kalimantan (1678-84)
Poland vs. Brunei + Sulu
Expected to be a one-sided affair in the vein of the previous one against Makassar and Ternate, the East India Company’s little adventure quickly went south as the badly under-defended invasion fleet was caught off guard and over half of it sunk. Only after slow and costly reinforcements, and the help of the European Marynarka, were the Poles finally able to make a landing on Borneo and conquer much of it, leaving Brunei with less than half of the island (as well as its colonies elsewhere).
https://i.postimg.cc/BvmZQKSz/20190902200541-1.jpg
Scotland is at war with and occupying Munster and Normandy. However, they’ve surprisingly enough managed to occupy many of Scotland’s colonies.
Germany-Vladimir’s originally unremarkable invasion of Cologne, barely even acknowledged in Krakow, has turned a bit more serious as Italy, Lorraine and others joined in its defense and Poland has refused to grant Vladimirian troops access through its territory.
While Poland was too busy paying attention to Slavdom to really even notice, Rûm’s young and ambitious Sultan finally conquered the last of Anatolia, as well as Sardinian-held Rhodes. Pisa-Crete is now the only independent Cathar state, though there are still large minorities throughout the Balkans.
Due to game mechanics, we couldn’t have joined the succession war even if we tried, which I actually considered just for the sake of variety. Everything else I said about the Sejm’s reasoning is also true, though, and deciding to join might’ve taken quite a leap of logic if anything.
Sorry for closing the vote so long before releasing the chapter, but it was actually delayed because I had to replay most of it. The first time, something screwed up not the save file itself but the journal, making me go back and replay the game too because I didn’t want to rewrite the whole chapter from memory. While this wasn’t intentional, the original timeline now wiped from history was actually a lot more uneventful: there was no Vladimirian succession, Kazimierz died five years earlier and thus his sons didn’t rebel either, the war with Brunei went off without a hitch etc.
As a side note, we’re about to unlock Advanced Casus Belli, i.e. basically the liberty to attack anyone for no reason and play world conqueror/police in whole new ways if we feel like it. I might actually get some good use of it, even if not for myself per se… but I'm also not sure where the balance lies between letting the world develop organically and making interesting stuff happen by force. Suggestions welcome.
InvisibleBison
2019-09-04, 11:20 AM
As a side note, we’re about to unlock Advanced Casus Belli, i.e. basically the liberty to attack anyone for no reason and play world conqueror/police in whole new ways if we feel like it. I might actually get some good use of it, even if not for myself per se… but I'm also not sure where the balance lies between letting the world develop organically and making interesting stuff happen by force. Suggestions welcome.
Based on recent history, I think it would make the most sense for Poland to concentrate its territorial expansion in the colonies - perhaps try to force out every other colonial power in the regions you've expanded into. Alternatively, you could try to put an end to the rise in conflict between Moscow Pact states, either by siding with the defender in any inter-Pact war or by vassalizing them all. After all, Poland is the defender of Slavdom, and sometimes that means defending Slavs from each other.
Tehnar
2019-09-04, 11:35 AM
There are a group of Slavs not protected by the Moscow pact, the South Slavs. The time has come to free them from their allegiance to the pope and other catholic states (and get good vacation spots on the Adriatic).
IthilanorStPete
2019-09-07, 01:02 PM
I'm inclined to recommend taking over Indonesia, though I don't know how much benefit Poland would gain with the way trade nodes are set up. Maybe go for some unrestrained colonialism glorious imperial conquest in Japan/China later on?
SilverLeaf167
2019-09-23, 02:24 AM
Just popping in to say that I haven't abandoned this: my summer vacation just ended, leaving me with less free time, a lot of which is taken up by other hobbies and obligations. I'm still trying to get updates out every now and then, hopefully sometime this week, but some level of slowdown will definitely persist for the time being.
IthilanorStPete
2019-11-15, 07:03 PM
Any news on this? Curious how our favorite alt-history wacky Poles are doing.
SilverLeaf167
2019-11-22, 06:37 AM
I'm afraid it's definitely slipped into another unplanned hiatus due to me being distracted first by schoolwork and then, full disclosure, stuff such as other games too. I tend to get kinda monomaniacal when I do start updating again, but that just means it's even more time-consuming. I'm not burned out or bored with the game itself, though, so an update will definitely come when I find the time and energy. :smalltongue:
Manticoran
2019-11-22, 11:42 AM
I'm afraid it's definitely slipped into another unplanned hiatus due to me being distracted first by schoolwork and then, full disclosure, stuff such as other games too. I tend to get kinda monomaniacal when I do start updating again, but that just means it's even more time-consuming. I'm not burned out or bored with the game itself, though, so an update will definitely come when I find the time and energy. :smalltongue:
Glad to hear! This has been a really enjoyable journey, thank you for your continued effort.
IthilanorStPete
2019-11-23, 12:39 AM
I'm afraid it's definitely slipped into another unplanned hiatus due to me being distracted first by schoolwork and then, full disclosure, stuff such as other games too. I tend to get kinda monomaniacal when I do start updating again, but that just means it's even more time-consuming. I'm not burned out or bored with the game itself, though, so an update will definitely come when I find the time and energy. :smalltongue:
Glad it's not dead! Take your time; I'm sure when you do get back to it, it'll be as awesome as what you've already done.
SilverLeaf167
2020-01-07, 03:22 PM
Chapter #40: Going South (Stanislaw II, 1685-1695)
9 May, 1685
Despite being something of an emergency replacement after the accidental death of the previous heir, Stanislaw II ended up having a full twelve years to learn the craft and grow up into a fine monarch. Like many Poles these days, he’s quite globally and economically minded, already bursting with ambition to continue Polish expansion in areas where he feels it’s been lagging.
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The heart of Poland’s colonial empire is of course in Amatica, where the three voivodeships of Buyania, Lukomoria and Jeziora combined far overshadow mainland Poland in terms of area, though obviously not population or wealth, and almost resemble nations of their own with unique melting pot cultures. The south of the continent is dominated by the Asturians (and their conquered Andalusians, who have fled to the colonies en masse, but also have their own stronghold in the far west Kalifania), and there are places where the border could bear to be adjusted a bit; however, there’s plenty of “unclaimed”, a.k.a. native land to give both sides plenty of space without having to go to war directly. This region is in fact not Stanislaw II’s top priority.
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His eyes aren’t on Africa either, which the Poles largely treat as an oversized rest stop, but the East Indies. The last farce of a war against the Sultanate of Brunei showed that the local states aren’t to be underestimated, but also their potential value if added to the colonial empire. Poland is by far the dominant European power in the east, but Italy and Asturias have also acquired bothersome, if still small, outposts of their own, and could quickly gobble up Poland’s potential targets if left unchecked.
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The East Indies are also important as the pathway to Stanislaw II’s other passion project: the new continent to the southeast. He’s been following the settlers’ progress intently since they first made landfall a few years ago, and though the coastline has been quite thoroughly mapped, the sheer scale of the inland wilderness boggles the mind. Who knows what sorts of treasures it might hide – the settlers have already found plenty of mineral riches, if not necessarily a literal city of silver like in Alcadra. However, even as the Poles have clearly claimed the continent itself (and tentatively named it Nowa Straya), the Italians have set up a pesky little base here as well.
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As Poland gears up for a new wave of conquests, though, Stanislaw II first focuses on laying the groundwork at home. This massive expansion of Poland’s military manufactories is targeted not just at its European provinces, but the colonies as well, as being able to produce supplies at the front obviously makes logistics a lot easier.
https://i.postimg.cc/T1JdsPXc/20200105222751-1.jpg
And so, as Poland’s understanding of the world, its shape and its political realities grows ever deeper, it becomes easier and easier to – intentionally or not – start thinking of countries and continents, people and nations, simply in terms of precisely calculated numbers and resources to obtain and exploit…
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It would be silly to claim that the ‘justness’ or ‘righteousness’ of their wars has ever been a conqueror’s first priority, but it’s never been mere empty talk either: what is considered a fair reason for war by the people waging it, never mind everyone watching, changes on time and place and always somehow reflects their values, even if in the end it is mere rhetoric. For most of Polish as well as Christian history, religious rhetoric has been the most popular of all, but in the wake of Europe’s increasingly confusing political situation and the writings of certain Renaissance writers, a certain philosophy is putting into words what many people have believed since time immemorial:
Might makes right. Success proves justification. The fact that you’re able to invade and conquer someone shows that you have the right to do so. Not that the people being invaded usually agree.
https://i.postimg.cc/JhSzDgqj/20200105224326-1.jpg
This philosophy certainly appeals to High King Stanislaw II, one of its loudest advocates even above the other Poles. The first such recipient of Polish mercy shall be the Sultanate of Malacca, the other major power in the East Indies besides Brunei. Presently under attack by Ligor and all kinds of rebels, it’s clearly unfit to take care of itself or its citizens.
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That war shouldn't be much trouble, becoming a de facto proving ground for newly developed armaments and tactics as well.
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Since it’s neither necessary nor even possible for Stanislaw II to personally direct that war, though, his attention is pulled elsewhere. Besides the overall burst in imperialist thinking, there’s been a recent uptick in Polish interest in their southern neighbors – the South Slavs, or Carpathians as they’re sometimes called, not deserving of the name Slav. Stuck on the wrong side of said mountains, they were conquered and converted by monotheists long before the Slavic Church could even be founded, thus basically separating them from the wider Slavic community forever. However, while culturally Slavic in some ways and vastly divergent in others, their awkward position has often made them distrusted on both sides of the religious divide and the South Slavic region a strange borderland, seldom as important as either Germany to the west or Moldavia to the east.
The main South Slavic power at the moment is the Princedom of Pannonia, part of the Francian Empire but Lollard in faith, which has recently been on a conquering streak against its weaker neighbors. However, practical and “cultural” interests alike have started to demand that the South Slavs be at long last liberated and reunited with their brethren. It’ll take a lot of adjusting for them, of course, but they’ll see that they’re better off in the long run. Poland, meanwhile, wouldn’t mind having a stronger presence and maybe even some ports in the region, often critical in its wars against the Franks. It could also be seen as a symptom of Poland’s loss of hegemony over its fellow Slavs and former vassals: just go acquire some new ones.
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Polish envoys politely inform their Scottish allies that being too close with the Pannonians might not be a very good idea these days. After all, Poland is the one who came to the Scots’ aid when the German-Pannonian war in 1663-67 threatened to ruin them entirely. They seem to take the hint.
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War is declared in August 1687. First will be the Pannonians. Then the Croats, Bosnians and Serbs.
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The Emperor in Navarra is too weak, too bankrupt and on too bad terms with Pannonia anyway to interfere in the war. It thus looks like another unresisted cakewalk.
However, if the Poles think they’re conquering lots of territory just by rolling down into Pannonia, the Swedes have them beat by far. After a long and painstaking war, made difficult by the sheer amount of far-flung territory being fought over, King Alf II of Sweden forces a momentous peace treaty on the ever-dwindling Andalusians that includes the transfer of nearly all of Andalusia’s Alcadran colonies, including the strategic isthmus in the north and the vast Narafidian provinces in the south. Andalusia was the very first to discover and settle that continent, but now it only holds on to a few scraps, while the vikings of all people control the largest piece of it by far.
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In any case, the Pannonians retreat south and hide for as long as they can, but when it becomes clear that this is achieving nothing, they make a glorious last stand against the Polish troops under Trojden Zaluski (grandson of the Trojden ‘Madman of Mazovia’ Zaluski who got himself famous in the Confederate Civil War). With their backs well and truly broken, they scamper off once more and leave the Poles to their bloody work of ‘liberation’. Although, having clearly already won, the Poles try to be a bit more light-handed from here on.
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Germany seems to be in the mood for some Slavic consolidation as well, seeing as how King Leszek II Lechowicz declares himself the prospective heir of his cousin, King Andrei IV of Novgorod. His claim is indeed legitimate (not counting the terms of Moscow Pact), but Andrei is still young and simply hasn’t had time to have children of his own yet; however, should something happen to him, this could create either a nearly Pan-Slavic union with Germany, Vladimir and Novgorod all under one crown – or start another great Pan-Slavic war.
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The invasion of Malacca is brought to an undignified end in June 1688 as the East India Company annexes most of Java, the southern tip of Malaya and various outlying islands; it’s the most they feel comfortable taking without overextending themselves or clashing with the other local rulers for now, but will serve as a springboard for future conquests. Poland is now the clear master of the lucrative spice trade, and overlord of an increasing number of Muslims and Hindus.
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Some months later in November 1688 comes the far more dramatic Treaty of Kaposvar, which brings the annexation of all of Pannonia’s Slavic-majority provinces, as well as the cities of Laibach and Wien because of their important location (and great value). One Hungarian province is handed over to Moldavia. However, besides Wien which is combined with the previously conquered Ostmarch, Stanislaw II doesn’t consider it either practical or necessary for Poland to govern all the South Slavic lands directly.
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Instead, his plan was always to create another autonomous state that would take care of its own business while securing Poland’s interests in the area. He likes to compare it to Frisia, which has been a relative success story so far, but the ancient (and horribly failed) Congregation of Germany might actually be a better comparison: an artificial pagan state imposed from above on conquered Christians, with only the thinnest veneer of legitimacy. To undermine the local elites, he doesn’t place the court in the Pannonian capital of Pecs, but rather the nearby Kaposvar where the treaty was signed. In hopes of making it a cultural union of all the South Slavs, this state is named the Principality of Yugoslavia... 'Land of Southern Slavs'. Unlike a voivodeship, it'll be a hereditary position held by a Lechowicz line, but not on the level of a Grand Duchy due to the Sejm protesting against it.
Stanislaw II has no illusions about how his Christian cousins are going to receive their new pagan overlords, especially in the short term; however, even if the most ambitious dreams of Slavic unity prove impossible to ever achieve, at least Poland can reap the practical benefits. He plans to continue farther south as soon as the Yugoslavian state has been stabilized.
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There's no immediate reaction of terror or disgust from the rest of Europe, beyond that which they feel towards the Poles to begin with. Soon after, Lorraine finalizes the annexation of the last scraps of Lotharingia, removing the last independent Karling rulers from the map – though obviously some members still remain wealthy and influential within other countries. It's a good reminder of just how cutthroat European politics truly are, with or without some shallow excuse.
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Germany is also perfectly happy to pounce on Pannonia and try to grab what’s left of it. This isn’t really a problem from Poland’s point of view, since the Austrian provinces in question are largely German-speaking anyway and thus don’t really fit into the Yugoslavian dream.
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The conquests of Malacca and Pannonia were both pleasantly easy and low on casualties, too, leaving Poland in what should be great shape for more conflict wherever it can find it. As it turns out, that ‘wherever’ might be a bit away from its own borders again, for in April 1690, its close if somewhat cordial ally the Kingdom of Chernigov requests help in its war against the Muslims down south.
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The Poles still have no special grievance with the Muslims, but have gotten used to fighting them by now due to their proximity to Moldavia and tendency to get tied up in European politics. Naval dominance has made them quite easy to deal with on the defense, but having to take the fight to them – into vast, unknown and infamously difficult territory – might be a different story. Still, with its friends among the Slavs dwindling, Poland can’t afford to lose the allegiance of Chernigov, so war it is.
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The autonomous Moldavian army and Yugoslavia’s hastily cobbled together militia are given orders (or rather permission) to stay back and protect their own territory from enemy raids, letting Poland focus on the offense. The Black Fleet moves to block the Sea of Marmara as usual, while the armies begin their long trek south. At first, the High King is expecting to stay home and take care of politics like he did until now, but there’s actually a surprising amount of grumbling about him starting all these big wars yet not taking responsibility by leading his armies in the field like a true Pole should. Without any further ado, he puts on his armor, straps on the Axe of Plusdwa and joins the convoy. He likes to think he’s not a half bad commander himself.
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One would hope that the Polish bureaucracy could handle routine matters in his absence, but that doesn’t seem to be the case, and it seems like his “reckless” foreign policy has its detractors as well, causing trouble with setting up the Yugoslavian puppet state and getting people to accept or at least acknowledge its existence. There’s also been major uprising in Wien which part of the army must stay back to suppress.
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(What’s with the typos in these specific events?)
The war itself gets off to another good start, with the Poles rolling in past Constantinople Lechogród and into undefended Rûman territory, the enemy army being busy fighting Chernigov farther east. On their way in, though, they get a good look at just how effectively the Rûmans have Arabicized the former Byzantine Empire, using conversion work and resettlement to make their religion dominant throughout Anatolia and changing the place names as well: Smyrna to Samirana, Ancyra to Anqara, Archelais to Aksari and so on. Not that Poles don’t do the same, of course. Greek also remains the majority language of the people for now, though Arabic is used in the administration.
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After a bit of probing and no clear counter-attack, Stanislaw II decides to make use of the opening and drive his army towards Adana, the Third Rome itself. On the way there, though, he in fact manages to find the Rûman army – or vice versa – and ends up caught in a battle that he, for all his supposed tactical acumen, cannot win. He manages to cause some respectable casualties to an army twice his size, but is driven back nonetheless.
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The Chernihiv back-up on its way to bail him out manages to get caught in the exact same trap he did, only to be rescued just in time by another wave of Polish back-up. The Slavs emerge humbled and more cautious, but victorious nonetheless.
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Still, because of this whole mess, the Chernihiv end up beating him to Adana. No matter, as long as someone takes it. When the city is captured and the Rûman navy driven out of port, the Black Fleet gets perhaps its first real chance to shine as the Arabian navy rushes in to help and one of the largest sea battles in Mediterranean history begins in the Gulf of Cyprus, New Year’s Day 1692. The Rûman navy is impressive, but the Black Fleet earns great glory by managing to send its imposing flagship to the bottom of the gulf.
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Frankly, looking at the numbers, it’s nothing short of a miracle that the Poles’ victory is as overwhelming as it is. There will be much feasting and toasts to Kupala tonight. The Black Fleet decides to take a break while it’s ahead, though, and return to Crimea for replacements and repairs. Much of it is barely keeping afloat.
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Through several more battles, the Muslims are forced to retreat south and leave the Slavs to conquer their way across Anatolia, but it’s slow going with the heavy fortifications and mountainous terrain. When their supplies start to run low, or even just because, especially the less disciplined parts of the Slavic armies often take what they want from local towns and villages with or without permission from above. Stanislaw II doesn’t see much point in stopping them, though. Lets him save money on salaries.
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One army, however, wanders off into the Armenian mountains and is never seen again. Rumors spread that they’ve been caught in a massive ambush and wiped out to the last man, even the few survivors chased down and tortured to death by the vengeful enemy. Rûman general Dervis Gümülcineli, effective but obviously highly brutal, is later painted in Polish folklore as a literal mountain demon who supposedly left the whole region littered with mutilated soldiers.
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When the High King hears of what happened, the Poles immediately drop everything else and convene on the area to avenge their 32,000 dead brethren. After the initial victory, what follows is a long series of battles over the spring of 1693, in which the surviving Rûmans keep desperately skirmishing and running around the mountains trying to escape. However, they’re surrounded by occupied territory and it’s only a matter of time until they and their commanders meet the same gruesome fate as the Poles supposedly did. Gümülcineli, demon that he is, still manages to slip away by transforming into smoke.
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Though their honor’s been restored, this war has turned out surprisingly expensive after all and also stoked a whole new kind of anti-Muslim sentiment where they used to be the one neighboring religion the Poles didn’t mind too much. Never mind that the Slavs are actually the attackers in this whole war. Although, despite that righteous fury, this whole incident seems to have sharply reduced their enthusiasm for the war, and they end up taking a much more passive, occupying role while entrusting most offensive operations to Chernigov. Stanislaw II remains at the front, though, to support his troops, setting up camp in Damascus and trying his best to keep track of any news from Krakow, though all seems relatively quiet on the home front.
Even if victory is inevitable, though, this unnecessarily extends the war, so by late 1694 the High King decides to join the King of Chernigov in hastening the occupation of Egypt so the Poles can actually go home sometime.
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In February 1695, the army under Stanislaw II takes Alexandria – basically Arabia’s second capital besides Mecca – and smaller detachments are sent out to establish control of the countryside. They have subzero interest in wandering any deeper into the infamously vast and barren deserts of the vast Arabian Empire, though, so Chernigov basically receives an ultimatum to get the peace deal over with.
That is finally achieved in November 1695, when Chernigov walks away with a lot of Anatolian and Armenian land watered with Polish blood, and Moldavia also receives the once great city of Smyrna/Samirana for its troubles. It doesn’t really feel proportionate to the sheer amount of work it took, though, and Stanislaw II isn’t going to have the warmest welcome waiting for him back in Krakow.
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However, they might be up for a surprise as well, as five years on the unusually brutal front enforcing his unusually cold-hearted approach have brought to the surface a far less pleasant side of the formerly jovial monarch, now 32 years old and still in for a long reign, but scarred in more ways than one. It might be that when he starts streamlining Polish society to his optimized vision, the ‘human’ side of human resources may find itself increasingly backed into a corner…
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(I’ve decided to cut down on war “highlights” about less dramatic wars, since for some reason these are one of the most tiresome parts to write right at the end of an otherwise ready chapter)
Slavic Holy War for Anatolia (1690-1695)
Chernigov + Poland vs. Rûm + Arabia
Chernigov requested Poland’s aid in its invasion of Rûm and Arabia, the two greatest Muslim powers. Despite several tactical mishaps and lost battles, the war itself got off to a winning start with Stanislaw II himself at the head of the troops. However, the clear low point of the war was the mutual Massacres of Mush, where first a Polish army was ambushed and destroyed in the Armenian mountains and then the same was done to the Rûmans in retaliation, involving the killing of tens of thousands of captured or wounded. The following occupation took the Poles and the High King as far south as Egypt. While the treaty failed to secure all of Anatolia, which was a long shot from the start, it did secure the last bits of the Black Sea coast and greatly expand the Slavic buffer in Anatolia and Armenia.
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Germany-Vladimir, which is quickly shaping up to be one of the major powers besides Poland and Italy (and on hostile terms with both), has annexed the rest of Pannonia and recently started an invasion of Lorraine. The King of Novgorod has gotten some children of his own, meaning that another succession war shouldn't be imminent but the tension remains.
Sardinia is as ever in a constant state of flux, gaining land on some fronts while losing it on others (and currently under attack from Serbia).
Between Asturias and Kanem Bornu, Andalusia’s days as a state are well and truly numbered, but there’s a massive number of Andalusian Muslims living across the Atlantic.
The Imperialism casus belli is so weird. I don’t think there’s any historical reason in particular for it to be in there, it’s just to shake things up in the late game. “Nationalism” being unlocked in the late 1600’s is even weirder, but that’s mostly just the name, since all it does is give you a tool to unify your culture group. Which we already have.
Anyhow, back at it again! I once again decided/had to reread the entirety of the AAR just to remember exactly where I was, which took surprisingly long but also helped me get hyped up to continue. In a perfect world I’d be able to update, say, on a regular schedule of every couple weeks, but unfortunately the way time and motivation works seems to be closer to rapid bursts with longer breaks instead. Anyhow, I’m still on the 1.28.3 patch (before the Manchu Update) to avoid compatibility issues, and nothing else should’ve changed either.
I need to get my bearings again, decide where I’m gonna go from here and possibly do some additional modding related to that. I’m still dealing with university, other projects and such, though, so hopefully the schedule from here will be along the lines of “every now and then”.
Some things on the to-do list, besides reacting to the AI:
Expand Yugoslavia down into Kosovo. Macedonia and Albania remain solidly Greek in this timeline, though ignoring that and conquering them anyway would probably be on-brand…
Keep mopping up the East Indies. Possibly drive the other Europeans out, though on a meta level I don't mind their presence.
Decide what we’re doing with Moldavia. The union isn’t going to break on its own, but we could plausibly just roleplay a reason to cut them apart manually (…again). Maybe this time on their own initiative. On the other hand, since we can reduce the balance impact of their military contribution by just telling them to stay on the defensive, it’s not 100% obvious whether we need to. Puppets aren’t terribly gamebreaking in Vic 2, either.
Preferably deal with Rajasthan somehow (I’ve considered simply occupying them and letting separatist rebels do the rest), but even though I’d likely win numerically speaking, a continent-wide invasion front feels both unrealistic and like a nightmare to play. It’s not gonna get any better in Vic 2, though…
Input is appreciated! And as usual, feel free to ask for status updates on any part of the world and all that.
InvisibleBison
2020-01-07, 04:10 PM
I'm glad to see this excellent AAR resume.
Why do you feel a need to do something about Rajasthan? Looking over the past few updates, they don't seem like much of a threat to Poland.
SilverLeaf167
2020-01-07, 04:56 PM
Oh, just on a meta level, really. The continent-sized orange blob annoys me as a matter of principle. :smalltongue: Though partly for that same reason, you're right that it's hard to justify putting the effort into invading them.
Though if anything, it is kinda amazing how irrelevant (and seemingly weak) they manage to be despite their size.
IthilanorStPete
2020-01-08, 10:06 PM
Haven't read the update yet - I'm going to reread a bit to remember what's going on - but it's great to see this come back!
EDIT: Caught up. A few comments:
I didn't realize how far inland the Polish Amatican colonies went; that's impressive.
"Nowa Straya" made me chuckle.
I'm almost sad to see that a succession war over Novgorod isn't a possibility; that would've been fun to see.
Interested to see what becomes of all the Andalusian pops in Vic 2.
Rajasthan feels like it'll have major rebel troubles in Vic 2, though I don't know what its demographics are like. Maybe just let it fall apart then, sort of analogous to the Ottomans in our timeline?
SilverLeaf167
2020-01-17, 09:21 AM
Chapter #41: Age of Empires (Stanislaw II, 1695-1711)
24 November, 1695
Stanislaw II might still have a long reign ahead of him, and not necessarily one his subjects are going to enjoy. At the time he took the throne, his promises of expansion in the East Indies and especially Yugoslavia were met with roaring popularity – and success – but the aftermath of the latter has turned out to be more complex than expected, not to even mention the long, bloody and expensive war against Rûm that may have also been a victory but seemed to bring Poland little direct benefit (Moldavia, which gained Smyrna, is treated as the separate country it practically is. Chernigov, though currently an ally, is seen as a potential enemy at the drop of a hat). Not to even mention that he’s returned from said holy war more than a bit changed himself.
He isn’t a particularly proud man, so he isn’t so much disappointed or angered by the lukewarm reception he gets on his return to Krakow just in time for the winter solstice festivities as he is concerned. If people’s faith in him or his decisions falters at the first hint of gritty reality, well, he has his work cut out for him.
In the far, far east, about as far as you can go before ending up west, a different imperial power stirs: the Japanese Empire, in effect led by a military dictator known as the Shogun, has stayed in relative isolation for the past 160 years after first securing some ports and tributaries on the mainland, only to now finally awaken to the same forces of conquest for its own sake that the likes of Rajasthan and the Europeans have been kindly exporting to the rest of the world. Having rejected most European approaches but allowed a small number of Italians to trade in a few select ports, Japan has cherrypicked the best part of their world-view and decided to strike south to get its own slice of the colonies (albeit on an island where the Sulu themselves are also colonists). Another potential rival in the region?
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Soon after, news arrive that those Italian traders have managed to strongarm one of the perpetually weak Chinese states into providing them with an exclusive treaty port. Seems like European colonialism is reaching all new theaters.
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The Poles themselves are making good progress in Nowa Straya, where the local administration has requested and gained permission to form the first colonial Voivodeship outside Amatica. Based in the main port city of Eoragród (Sydney), the settlers have been happy to find that even if the outback wasteland seems to stretch on forever, the coast is nice, green and fertile and the hills chock full of precious metals. And it does mean some sort of victory over the Italians.
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None of that translates into a real victory for Stanislaw II’s own policies, though, and he’s also not endearing himself to the nobles as he intervenes in matters that most rulers would either accept or at least overlook. Under his reign, all nobles’ foreign contacts will be strictly monitored and must go through official channels, even when they’re with nominally friendly or at least cordial nations. With three attempted coups funded by fellow Slavs against his predecessor Kazimierz II alone, he feels he has every reason to be paranoid of subjects and neighbors alike. He doesn’t hesitate to have them detained and punish them as harshly as he can without inciting a full-blown rebellion of his own.
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Then again, he’s careful to try and maintain what friends he does have, and can’t allow any badmouthing of his wife Malfrida Artamonovich, cousin of the King of Chernigov. Sejmic deputies railing against her and her supposedly oversized role in the administration put not only the High King’s inner circle but also the alliance at risk.
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The issue of Yugoslavia’s ragtag government is one that he believes is best solved by doubling down on it and expanding the client state to its intended borders rather than the husk it presently is. Thus, in February 1697, he decides to give his grumbling subjects something else to think about by invading Bosnia, the small South Slavic state part of the Francian Empire. As such, Navarra and its allies make the vain (and nominal) decision to try and protect it, but it should once again be a matter of just marching in and taking it.
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Of course, he himself still needs to show his best side by leading the attack on the Bosnian capital, the rather humble town of Mostar.
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As some empires expand, others are split apart: in this case the Inca Empire, the largest Native Alcadran state to quite successfully resist more than two centuries of European colonialism. Problem is, they chose to do so by stubbornly resisting anything that even distantly whiffed of European, including firearms and other purely practical inventions, which made them quite easy for Sweden and Asturias to brazenly slice up in the space of just a few years.
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Meanwhile, even though Bosnia itself is quickly occupied, the Francians decide to pull the old stalling trick and refuse to sign an official peace before the High King personally puts a gun against the Emperor’s head (usually but not always figuratively). Though the Poles could just wait it out, Stanislaw II decides to take the bait and remind the enemy of their foolishness by indeed looting and occupying all their lands as well. This takes the Poles into their first direct confrontation with the Italians in a while: even though Italy itself isn’t in the war, it has allowed Navarra to hire one of its armies in true condottiero fashion. While Italian troops are certainly among the best Francia has to offer, the army is too small and tactically disadvantaged to pose a real threat to the Poles.
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In late 1699, after a quick siege of Pamplona – a grand tradition that has frankly gone neglected for too long – it’s finally time to make a real effort towards ending this charade and truly assert long-lasting dominance over Europe. It’s a highly unusual demand, but as the Poles do in fact storm the Emperor’s residence and capture him alive, against all conventions of war and diplomacy the High King declares that he or his lands won’t be released until he makes a binding agreement (enforced by threats of Polish invasion, of course) to roll back several reforms of Francian government, most notably the Imperial Senate, which many would argue was just starting to recover from the chaos of the Heretics’ War over a century ago. Thing is, Poland would much prefer an internally divided, uncommunicative Francia, and now the Christians are indeed forced to return to the days of one-on-one diplomacy and ad hoc meetings. Well, on paper, anyway: in practice, Stanislaw II is certain that the Francians can get around the restrictions if they really want to, but this sort of upheaval is simply another slap in the face to add insult to injury and show how weak their elected leaders truly are. That should make them think twice before meddling in Polish wars again. The old man actually passes away some months later, only for the Electors to select his also elderly daughter as Empress, just as he’d hoped when he got the Senate to accept the possibility of one. Despite it being clear that there’s only one or two rulers possibly capable of handling the imperial appointment, they just keep on picking Navarra.
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But now, Bosnia. It’s quite simply annexed whole and made just another administrative division in the Yugoslavian federation. The generals don’t even need to be told that Serbia is next.
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As the 18th century comes to an end and the next one begins (in the Christian calendar, anyway), it’s becoming clearer and clearer that Stanislaw II’s “analytical” way of thought isn’t just an individual quirk, but part of a worldwide trend towards what could be generously described as “rationalism”. Though not inherently cold and uncaring, this philosophy emphasizes careful thought, observable fact and practical benefit over such matters as tradition, religion and emotion. Building on by now well-established staples such as empiricism (no relation to imperialism), rationalist thinkers encourage rulers to gauge and actually measure the effects of their policies rather than base them on simple belief. The most fervent rationalists exclaim that they are euphoric not because of any god’s blessing, but because they are enlightened by their intelligence. Indeed, “Enlightenment” is becoming one popular name for the phenomenon at large.
One founding center of the Enlightenment is found, surprisingly enough, in Kyoto. The Shogun has been thoroughly enraptured by the concept, or at least convinced of its practical merits, and put a lot of funding into his scholars’ efforts to collect, catalogue and hopefully analyze every bit of knowledge they can get their hands on. This also means sending out envoys to foreign lands, including Polish colonies in the East Indies and Nowa Straya. The Poles there are happy to provide some seemingly harmless scientific and everyday information, making sure to highlight the fact that they’re fellow pagans (the Japanese don’t seem to understand the concept) and thus natural allies against the hostile monotheists. However, Japan itself remains closed to foreign visitors.
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The Shogun’s imperial ambitions are doing less stellar, though, as his war against the Sulu has stirred the Chinese into action and prompted a Yan-Wu combined invasion of Korea and Japan’s mainland holdings. Though the home islands remain untouched for the time being, Wu is in fact a major military power and more than strong enough to hold back the Japanese navy, stopping it from reclaiming the occupied provinces. In about a year’s time, the Japanese will indeed give up most of this territory and only be allowed to maintain a small strip of Korea, a humiliating blow dealt by people they’ve just loudly declared their lesser. The war against Sulu also ends up stalling and failing due to the delay.
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Stanislaw II himself does his best to keep up with these trends. A true Enlightenment state requires not only the will, but also the tools to keep track of the world, and thus the bureaucracy and economic bookkeeping always have to keep improving. Economic planning isn’t good for much if it can’t actually tell when more money is needed and then do something about it.
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New feats of engineering also enable both advanced military designs and the facilities needed to construct them.
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The High King is eager to start another war, but the Yugoslavian vassal government humbly requests – and rationally argues for – more time to integrate Bosnia, leading him to order the continued conquest of the East Indies instead. It seems that Poland’s expansion in the region has encouraged the local powers to seek external protection, though, forming alliances with each other, the Chinese and even faraway European powers. Christian naysayers have never posed an obstacle for Poland, of course, and the East India Company is urged to start an ambitious war that drags in Brunei, Sulu, Ligor and their so-called protector Asturias. The declaration is delivered to Burgos on Christmas Day 1701. Scotland is kind or opportunistic enough to join the Polish side.
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Despite Stanislaw II’s confident demeanor and the seeming hopelessness of Asturias, though, this little colonial kerfuffle is slated to become a truly global conflict. Besides the scattered island outposts here and there, there’s plenty of border to be fought over in Amatica, and individual naval skirmishes and raids are already occurring all over the world along trade routes patrolled by both colonial empires. Whether the winner is inevitable or not, knowing the Francians, it’s going to be a long, painstaking process.
The Poles would rather keep it restricted to the colonies than wade through another guerrilla in Iberia, but that doesn’t mean the war won’t be devastating. All of Amatica does indeed become a massive battlefield as both sides’ colonial armies, eager for glory and conquest yet with little practical experience, go all in on the offensive while neglecting the defense of their own territory. When Stanislaw II hears of this, he has a rare fit of something resembling rage as he (very rationally, he’d like to add) recalls the Lukomorian Voivode, Szczesny Grzymala, to be tried for treason and criminal incompetence, ultimately leading to his beheading and replacement by the High King’s own candidate. Never before has a Voivode been dismissed by royal decree, never mind executed, and this causes a great stir within the (technically unlawful) colonial assemblies, disturbed by the fact that the High King is even able to do such a thing.
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The one other Voivodeship doesn’t get off to a very good start either, as instead of focusing on the defense, Asturias manages to ship an army to Nowa Straya of all places. The small colonial militia wisely retreats into the wilderness, only to strike back after the main force has left the area, but reinforcements will be needed to take care of the threat, and the main force in the Indies already has its hands full.
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As a side note, the seemingly rising star of Lorraine is violently shot down as disastrous wars against Germany and Cologne lead to it being thoroughly dismantled. Of course, its paths for the future were already quite limited, being squeezed in between Germany and Italy.
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Once help finally does arrive, the Asturian army quickly finds itself stuck between an army and the merciless desert and is forced to surrender. In Amatica, on the other hand, even after the new Voivode succeeds in liberating Lukomoria, the fighting moves into the Appalachian Mountains, where the Slavic armies suffer several major defeats. Stanislaw II’s supposedly careful calculations seem to have forgotten about the Viceroyalty of the Zanaras, a deceptively wealthy colony with an army actually about as powerful as Scotland’s – not a problem for Poland itself, but more than enough to tip the scales in Amatica if Europe doesn’t intervene. Again, not once since the founding of the Voivodeships has the Crown Army been forced into action this side of the Atlantic, and the colonies are actually vehemently opposed to the idea, considering their militias a matter of great pride and “independence”. Too bad for them, they’re not in fact independent, and would do well to remember it. Stanislaw II starts preparing an army to take over the defense of Amatica.
At the same time, though, he refuses any and all suggestions that his 20-year-old heir Niezamysl be allowed to lead an army in the field and prove his worth. The last thing he needs right now, as he finds himself surrounded by idiots, is either a dead heir or a rebellious one with an army behind him.
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The first enemy to buckle is Ligor in July 1705, strengthening Poland’s hold on Borneo and leaving it with one less flea in its hair to worry about.
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The army departs for Amatica onboard the Black Fleet, improvised for the purpose due to the most of the navy being busy elsewhere, but is caught out near Gibraltar while passing by Asturian territory. In the end, most of the fighting ships have to sacrifice themselves to allow even half of the transports to escape and continue west. Another great farce, though this one Stanislaw II has trouble blaming others for, as he was the one who ordered the Black Fleet – ill-suited for ocean warfare – to be used to begin with.
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By the time the remaining reinforcements finally dock in Nowa Antwerpia and link up with the colonial armies, they’re only a blip on the map next to the massive but poorly led militia, albeit a blip led by Gen. Agafia Jastrzebiec, a product of Polish officer training. The colonials are less than happy about her being put in charge of the whole operation, but under her lead, they do start slowly but surely turning the situation around.
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The war drags on. In Amatica and Asia alike the terrain is forbidding, distances long and supply lines lacking, making it even slower than it needs to be. At least the European theater remains blissfully quiet, with the Asturians eyeing an invasion of Frisia but wisely deciding against it and retreating. However, in late 1707, when the Frisian army decides to return the favor and scout out the Asturian positions, some malcontents at home take the opportunity to rise up in demand of a new republican government. Grand Duke van Breda is seen as a loyal lackey who either puts Polish interests before the Frisians' or is too busy kowtowing to pay attention, and the republicans believe that a locally elected government is the only thing capable of making Frisia anything but a Polish warhorse. Of course, the Polish troops stationed nearby quickly take care of the rebels, but they might be a worrying hint of things to come.
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Gen. Jastrzebiec dies of a combat wound, leading to her speedy replacement by the even more capable Bozislava Dnistri who only lasts a couple years herself. Meanwhile in the Indies, troops under Gen. Drahoslava Ostrogski continue to trudge their way along the Bruneian-controlled Maharlika islands. (Philippines)
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A timely large-scale rebellion of Andalusian settlers in Appalachia provides some much-appreciated distraction, but they also end up tangling with the Poles and only slowing down both sides for a while.
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Whatever the Poles do, the Asturians are going to end up bleeding them anyway, and Stanislaw II’s efforts to rebuild the mangled navy are actually stopped by the sheer lack of serviceable sailors – and when he tries to enact some harsher conscription laws, they end up getting vetoed by the Sejm. Frustrated by the costly yet fruitless and potentially endless back-and-forth, yet unable to stomach what’d feel like a white peace with the Asturian bastards, in the spring of 1709 – 8 years into the war – he finally gears up for a direct invasion of the Asturian mainland that he wanted so much to avoid.
As Polish troops enter Asturias for yet another slow campaign through the mountains, far more important things might actually be happening right next door. Back in 1647, Italy’s full annexation of France briefly brought up the subject of trying to restore the Roman Empire, and in April 1710, that old speculation is fanned once more as the young and ambitious Queen Gizella I de Serra finally moves her capital from Pavia, where it’s been for over a thousand years, to Rome. She gives a long and dramatic speech about the shameful state that Francia once again finds itself in: falling apart at the seams, repeatedly invaded by Poland and recently even forced to abolish the Senate, the most important part of its government. She stops short of proclaiming any sort of “New Roman Empire”, but makes it clear through her borderline apocalyptic rhetoric just how vital it is that when the dullard in charge of Navarra dies, it is her that should be elected as Empress, and presumably her heirs after her. The elective system was necessary to shake off the Karling yoke for good (and bring on the rise of Italy), but in the centuries since then, it’s become nothing but the instrument of their own destruction.
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And yet, if you ask the Electors, the valiant martyr Asturias is actually their favorite at the moment. And Sardinia is still voting for Navarra. The implications of Italy taking over the entire Empire if elected might not be the best campaign speech after all. Still, with the largest members growing and smaller ones disappearing while the imperial government itself withers on the vine, the Queen might have a point.
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In one major break from Roman tradition, Gizella I takes the opportunity to declare another major reform: the banning of the slave trade within Italy and all its colonies. Santa Croce and Fiorita alike have been highly reliant on native and African slaves to work their plantations, but with slowing expansion and at the same time growing migration, new shipments of slaves have become less necessary, giving the Queen this chance to grandstand as some kind of historic liberator. Right now the ban only concerns the trade itself, but she hints at a gradual abolition of slavery altogether and economic sanctions against other states that refuse to comply.
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Of course, many believe that this is just an underhanded move against Poland. Despite not using many slaves in its own colonies and having long since banned most forms of slavery in its European regions, Poland is in fact the second largest slave trader after Arabia thanks to its control of the West African coast, and abolitionism – should it spread much wider – would be a stinging blow against Slavs and Arabs alike. Stanislaw II, for what it’s worth, is less than interested in either bowing to the Italians or following their example just because.
Back to the war: with the invasion of Asturias, spearheaded by the High King in person, there’s finally some progress being made towards a favorable peace deal (the King would apparently be more than happy to let the fighting in the colonies continue from here to eternity). In the winter months, even Iberia gets its fair share of snow, and general and infantryman alike get to shiver and grumble (though the latter moreso). The actual fighting starts in earnest in December 1710, with nearly 100,000 soldiers on each side clashing in and around Burgos. Not least due to Stanislaw II’s own valor, the result is a series of great if not decisive victories for the Poles.
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What is informally and somewhat derisively known as “Stanislaw II’s War” approaches its tenth anniversary, and just as the High King intuitively foretold, the guerrilla ends up being his personal undoing after all. Though he whips his army from victory to victory across Iberia, on 23 July 1711, a small detachment he is leading ends up getting separated from the main force thanks to a critical message being delivered to the wrong address, and by the time this is realized, they are already surrounded. As Christians crawl out from under every rock and tree stump, his men fight valiantly to the death, but as defeat seems inevitable, he recognizes that he is outmatched and seeks to parley. Accidentally or not – no one will ever be able to tell for sure – a cannonball explodes right next to him. His remains are only handed over to the Poles several months later… and in the meantime, his harsh and warlike legacy is passed on to the much more sheltered Niezamysl II, who still has an unpopular war to win.
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The High King is dead! Long live High King Niezamysl II!
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Germany has conquered not just southern Lorraine, but also most of Provence (previously under Tuscan rule) all the way down to the coast. Several colonial and native powers also took this opportunity to pick off Tuscan outposts around the world.
England has finally managed to push Munster out of Cornwall and thus the island of Great Britain altogether, but Scotland remains a threat and Lancaster somehow still independent.
Serbia won the war against Sardinia, acquiring its Greek-culture provinces.
I’m not screwing up on purpose just to nerf myself, alright? I’m just very bad at worldwide macro. :smalltongue: Nice to see that it’s a sufficient handicap to keep me on my toes even while massively overpowered.
Also: Unlike Vic 2, I’m not aware of EU4 giving Japan any special bonuses to westernization/catching up on tech. They just… did that anyway. Being the founder of any institution as a non-European nation feels like quite the feat, especially for the AI. On some level I’ve felt tired about Japan being the Asian powerhouse in most grand campaigns/alt-universe AARs I read, but I don’t think I mind it when it’s “deserved”. Well, not that they’re doing as well on the military side.
IthilanorStPete
2020-01-17, 07:18 PM
Managing worldwide wars is indeed tough. I quit a France game because it was stressing me out more than I was enjoying it, honestly.
SilverLeaf167
2020-01-19, 09:05 AM
Chapter #42: When in Rome (Niezamysl II, 1711-1718)
23 July, 1711
Niezamysl II, 26 years old, has been relatively sheltered ever since his cloaking, as his predecessor was paranoid of him either dying, rebelling or being used against him should he be allowed to roam free or lead an army. However, if Stanislaw II could be seen as some sort of pseudo-rationalist, then Niezamysl II is a true Enlightenment prince in terms of his devotion to knowledge, science and the promotion thereof. Like any High King, he accepts the cruel realities of war, but doesn’t much appreciate them, and would rather end this struggle that has already claimed one ruler and several generals’ lives.
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The population seems to agree. Even if war has not touched the mainland Polish population directly, they have certainly “noticed” the number of neighbors and siblings being shipped overseas to fight for some distant colonies that, sure, always sound very nice when the newspapers trumpet the Slavs’ latest conquests, but seem a lot less relevant when someone you know is sent off to die over them. There’s always been some fighting in the colonies, of course, but this has been the largest and longest by far.
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The invasion of Iberia, though still promising, suffers some tactical defeats and setbacks which suggest that the war isn’t going to be over anytime soon if the High King doesn’t make it so. And indeed, on 24 December 1711, after precisely 10 years of war, a treaty is finally signed, seemingly bringing only petty border adjustments that leave much of the military unsatisfied but at least finally at peace.
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The conquered areas are actually larger than, say, the two Grand Duchies of Pomerania and Lithuania combined, but the difference is that those are European and thus more important. And, to be fair, a lot more densely populated than Amatica. The East Indies do have a large (Sunni and Hindu) population, but Poland tends to treat the islands as a glorified plantation and trading post.
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Indeed, despite being a victory in the end, the troubling turns of Stanislaw II’s War have brought up all kinds of new discourse in the Polish sphere: the slow response to the invasion of Nowa Straya. The pathetic performance of the Amatican armies. The arrest and execution of the Voivode of Lukomoria. The intervention of the Crown Army in the colonies’ internal matters. The horrible mishandling of the Black Fleet. The abortive republican uprising in Frisia. And last but still notable, the sheer non-involvement of Moldavia, which was ordered by Stanislaw II to stage a naval operation against Asturias but did literally zero fighting throughout the entire war, not even a single skirmish. The Moldavian Sejm brazenly argues that even if the High King is in charge of foreign policy and can declare war, what they actually do in it still up to them, no matter how clearly this flies against the spirit of the agreement. Especially as Moldavia doesn’t even contribute to the crown economy but in fact receives a number of subsidies, the literally centuries old grumbling about Moldavia exploiting Poland’s protection seems to reemerge, hearkening back to the days when it was still just a Grand Duchy.
Though the Polish colonial empire seems to be creaking a bit, its military should still be large enough to stop anyone from getting any funny ideas, though some doubt has been cast over its strategic competence. Military officials and crown liaisons in the colonies are not helping things by enacting extra taxes, tariffs and conscripts to make up for the resources spent defending them. Whatever the case, Niezamysl II is more than happy to let the situation cool down and refrain from any further conquests for the time being. Big wars like that really should be kept as a once-in-a-generation thing.
Some big readjustments are made to the military: a permanent presence will be established in Amatica and the East Indian garrison doubled, unpopular as this is with the locals and soldiers alike. New troops are recruited in Europe to make up the difference, including every available meczennik to ease the burden on the main population. Also, since a lot of the navy is being rebuilt or at least repaired anyway, it’s a good opportunity to update its heavy ship designs (to be even heavier, naturally).
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There’s a whole new wave of less than enthusiastic sailors coming in, too, highlighting the importance of propel naval training and doctrine, both of which have received little attention until now. Seeing how good the navy is at just bumbling into a bad position and getting itself sunk immediately, there’s clearly a lot of work to be done in how they work together, both on a ship and a fleet-wide level.
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The Queen of Italy has no qualms about exploiting this confusion, discreetly sending envoys and aid to malcontents in Poland’s colonial provinces in hopes that they’ll rebel and at least annoy the High King if nothing else. They seem to try a bit of missionary work on the side, too, but it isn’t too successful.
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There should be no risk of Italy taking direct action, though, with the entire Mediterranean having suddenly erupted into a massive war of Rûm and Arabia against Sardinia, Italy and Navarra. Rûm’s main interest lies in Sardinian-controlled Rhodes, but depending on how the war goes, it could potentially lead to a lot bigger conquests in Africa or Greece for instance.
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In Asia, another truly continent-wide war starts with Rajasthan and Karnata’s invasion of Wu and Yan. Rajasthan does have a reputation for punching way under its weight, but the balance still looks rather lopsided, and the Indians might end up finally shaking off their long stagnation.
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Poland, for what it’s worth, remains nominally at peace. Amatica is in turmoil, though: besides having been thoroughly ravaged by the war, including a lot of fighting in the Jezioran countryside but also the densest parts of Lukomoria (even the capital Bakanów was stormed and occupied), you could say they’re less than happy with Krakow’s policies. They’ve proven perfectly capable of peace and coexistence with their Asturian neighbors, and all of a sudden they’re plunged into war for some land full of oddani they themselves don’t even want (or so they claim)? Many of them or their fathers left for the colonies exactly because they thought they’d get to be free of noble politics and needless war. And though their own armies were quite lackluster, what they saw of the Crown Army wasn’t very impressive either, and there’s a worrying idea brewing that with a little more drilling they could even take their independence by force. So they can go back to being peaceful, of course.
Buyania, the largest and most powerful of the three, is at the forefront of this movement despite taking the least damage in the war itself. Perhaps it hopes to dominate the other two after they break free. In 1715, Voivode Nadbor Kozelski – nearing the end of his first term and perhaps hoping to curry favor with his peers – starts getting more and more shameless, refusing to pay almost any tariffs and even openly supporting people actively agitating for independence. He only stops short of writing the declaration himself. Though hardliners in the Sejm demand that he be dismissed and brought to justice, Niezamysl II seems to favor appeasement and waiting the situation out. Others suspect that a delegation sent to arrest Kozelski very well might not return alive. His boldness does end up winning him a second term, allowing him to continue his provocations in hope of a third.
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The High King may be a bit erudite and Bohemian (not literally) in nature, but he’s not a fool, and he can see that the situation is extremely delicate. As such, he decides to invest more time into his study of law and political philosophy, though some would argue that his approach is a bit too theoretical to be of much use.
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As it happens, Niezamysl II isn’t Bohemian but actually half-Scottish. More specifically, his mother Anna was the third child of King Robert VI of Scotland, who bravely participated in Stanislaw II’s war. So when the first child disappeared under mysterious circumstances, the second died after only two years on the throne, and Anna herself is long dead of consumption, on 23 August 1716, Niezamysl II is informed that he may add “King of Scotland” to his impressive list of titles.
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(Help me)
The Scots had first-row seats to witness the chaos of the last war, yet they somehow don’t think to veto this even when Niezamysl II hints that the option is available. They might be thinking that they, much like Moldavia, can simply use Poland as a cover and practically do what they want even while nominally subject to some distant High King. And in that, they’re probably right. Scotland lacks even a parliamentary system, which means that power is now placed in the hands of tiny circle of Edinburgh elites. In trade for their sovereignty, they get greater personal power than ever before, and precisely because the Polish empire has grown so large and complex, Niezamysl II has no choice but to give it to them. It is an interesting contrast with the independence-minded colonies, though.
Well, if they really do handle themselves, that’s fine. Poland is mostly focusing on economic and military reforms anyhow, and unlikely to be especially active in foreign politics for a good while longer.
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After several years of fighting, the Mediterranean war ends in an awfully familiar-looking situation as Sardinia is simultaneously overrun by Rûm and Rûm by Italians, both sides deciding to call it a draw.
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That leaves Italy with its hands free for what comes next. In early 1718, Germany declares war on Sardinia, in which Navarra intervenes but Italy doesn’t. In March, the 70-something Empress Blanca III finally croaks in her castle, but alas, Gizella I’s hopes are dashed as the Electors end up selecting the Navarran heir Jaime I after all, supposedly impressed by the previous Palafox’ devotion and worried by Italy’s open ambitions. This in spite of the fact that Jaime is a 19-year-old idiot wastrel (as described by Gizella) likely to either bring the whole Empire to ruin or, failing that, spend his reign living up in the mountains on imperial money. The Queen doesn’t much appreciate the fact that the title’s been in Navarra for most of the past century, while Italy, the clearly dominant power of the Empire, has barely gotten to taste it in almost three hundred years.
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A few weeks after the Queen storms out of the electorate meeting in Pamplona (having been the only person to vote for herself), she makes a grand announcement: if the other Francians are too foolish to accept her as their ruler, she’ll just make her own Empire! Or more specifically, declare Italy the true and rightful heir of the Roman Empire, much like the Byzantines, Latins and arguably Francians before it. Though she’s reluctant to adopt the name of the Latin Empire, it having been such a total failure, the Italian Empire as she calls it does indeed control most of the ancient Roman heartland, and seems to have interest in the rest as well. As for her own title, it shall be Imperatrix Caesarissa Gissella Augusta – or just Empress or ‘Cesira’ for short. Apparently she was actually flirting with the idea of making Latin the official language, but alas, she doesn’t speak it very well herself.
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And in case you missed it, yes, this means Italy is leaving Francia – entirely. None of its territory shall be considered part of the Empire, it shall not participate in imperial matters or the election, and the remaining Francians can probably look forward to what comes next. If there was ever a death blow dealt to Francia, this might be it, on 31 March 1718. What’s left of the Empire mostly consists of Asturias, Sardinia, and a divided gaggle of tiny principalities in increasingly perilous positions. It remains to be seen if Gizella and her successors can really fulfill her bold promises.
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(Areas with lines over them are claimed by Francia but owned by non-Francians)
The Kingdom and now Empire of Italy is in many ways a very old-timey feudal nation with strong regional nobility stubbornly clinging to their traditional privileges, yet at the same time, it’s held together by a centralized, efficient and absolutist bureaucracy built around the Cesira herself. Its military is tactically, organizationally and technologically advanced – and almost as large as Poland’s – while the country’s central location has ensured that it remains a prosperous hotspot of trade and intellectual exchange. And as much as she uses Catholicism as a bludgeon to beat her rivals with, the charismatic and militarily minded Cesira isn’t so much a religious zealot as a dangerous opportunist.
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Niezamysl II sure is happy to live in such interesting times.
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Stanislaw II’s War (1701-1711)
Poland + Scotland vs. Brunei + Ligor + Sulu + Asturias
As usual, a war being named after the man who started it isn’t so much a mark of honor as shifting blame. What was expected to be a relatively easy tour of the East Indies ended up devolving into extended, bloody fighting in the wilderness of four continents and, while not necessarily the very first global war, certainly the first one the Poles care about. The Amatican, European and Pacific theaters were largely separate and each area’s own history remembers them differently, but after the back-and-forth in Amatica and the island hopping in the Pacific proved insufficient to make Asturias surrender, Stanislaw II was forced to begin the invasion of Iberia which he’d wanted to avoid, fittingly leading to his own death in the field and a swift peace by his successor Niezamysl II. Though the war itself was a victory, greatly expanding Poland’s colonies in both hemispheres, the aftermath and the events during it led to major reshuffling in the Polish military, as well as increased aspirations for independence in Amatica.
https://i.postimg.cc/gJV7fHH9/20200118235554-1.jpg
It seems that after being denied its North Sea coastline, Germany really has been hard at work to strengthen the southern coastline no one knew it had.
Andalusia is under attack by Kanem Bornu and Tripoli yet again.
The notoriously rebellious Greeks have risen up once more, this time in Rûman-occupied Crete, and have had it on pretty strict lockdown for a while now.
The greater Lechowicz sphere in 1718. (Click to enlarge)
https://i.postimg.cc/8CVBqQK5/Lechowicz-Realms-labeled-pv.png (https://i.postimg.cc/sfzq5b33/Lechowicz-Realms-labeled.png)
Do I look like a Habsburg to you!? I’m thinking that rather than force another breakup, if my PUs stay until Vic 2, I’ll just turn them into alliances and sphere of influence, which is basically how they’re acting anyway.
A shorter chapter, but I just felt like cutting it here and there were some overview things I was eager to get to. A bit of a breather before what I hope will be interesting days to come. There’s also another special coming up.
Much like Heretic Brexit, the whole thing with Italy is shamelessly modded on my part, but… well, so is the Francian Empire as a whole, and again I feel like it makes sense at this point from an in-universe perspective. Besides, no one else worries about me meddling with the events as much as I do. It was actually part of the coding that Italy wouldn’t leave if everyone else finally fell in line, elected it and then let it keep the throne, but for whatever reason everyone refuses to ever vote for it.
Voidhawk
2020-01-23, 12:20 PM
Just dropping in to say I've been reading up on this since December, and am very interested to see it continue!
BTW, how far forward do the Paradox games extend? Is there a Cold War setting version? Can Poland into space-race?
SilverLeaf167
2020-01-23, 02:06 PM
Good to have you!
Victoria 2 covers 1836-1936, and then Hearts of Iron 4 covers '36-'50. That's gonna be the end of the direct game-to-game conversion, I'm afraid, but if we ever get there I definitely plan to write an in-depth epilogue.
Poland can into space in the Paradox game Stellaris, but that starts in 2200 and runs on an interstellar scale, so it's more of a spiritual sequel with me having to fill in what happened in those 250 years. But again, should we get that far, I definitely want to at least experiment with it.
Manticoran
2020-01-24, 01:43 AM
Just want to say I'm really happy this is still going!
SilverLeaf167
2020-02-22, 09:50 AM
Special #6: Pagans of the World (1718)
As the true essence of paganism lies not in the temples, festivals and fancy rituals but everyday life, natural locations, hunting and agriculture and so on, it’s to be expected that the increasingly urbanized upper classes would become somewhat detached from it. Still, the vast majority of the population lives much as they did hundreds of years ago, and their faith shows no sign of stagnating or fading. Even the rise of rationalism has done nothing to create any sort of “atheism”; maybe some deism and a few rare cases of misotheism, but even those aren’t widespread, merely philosophical thought experiments. Of course, denying the existence of the gods (or even any particular god) is among the gravest of crimes against Slavic Church dogma, which ties into its origins as a defense against Christian expansion.
https://i.postimg.cc/QdDWd63h/20200131134511-1.jpg
In the general “pan-paganist” worldview, further refined by emerging Enlightenment intelligentsia, there was once some kind of original faith – based somewhere around the Black Sea – that all the present-day religions and their gods then split off from or reinterpreted. In light of this, polytheism reflects the natural state of things, any kind of paganism is more or less close enough, and any two religions can be somehow reconciled. Although, due to their location, the Slavs are obviously closest to the original. This also means that the Abrahamic faiths aren’t merely mistaken: their God (generally identified by Poles as “Jehowa”) is just as real as the others, but in fact a megalomaniac who betrayed every other deity by declaring himself the only one in existence and all the others false.
Thus the struggle between polytheism and monotheism, to those who take it seriously, is a kind of civil war against an evil usurper who would conquer the world and have every other god beheaded if given the chance. Firebrand speakers and even some theologians imagine that every holy war directly reflects the gods’ own battle on some other plane of existence. But, on the flipside, official policy is that since the oddani god is true as well, they can fit into society and even worship Jehowa just fine as long as they don’t cause trouble for the pagans. As if the oddani were ever in the position to oppress them. Besides, the idea that they’re worshipers of a traitor god as opposed to a false one might actually just be worse.
The Poles aren’t terribly interested in “saving” the traitor god’s worshipers, but they do want to protect the pagans of the world from falling under his thrall. Much of this, of course, is simple rhetoric to back up their own colonial ambitions, but most Slavs do believe in at least the basic concept of pan-paganism. On a world-wide scale, it might seem like the religious map is highly fragmented on all sides.
https://i.postimg.cc/bvtXVRZS/eu4-map-POL-1718-03-31-2.png
However, when you fudge the boundaries a bit to split the whole world cleanly into polytheists and monotheists…
https://i.postimg.cc/Bny9CznG/eu4-map-POL-1718-03-31-21.png
(Black = Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Sikhism. White = everybody else.)
It’s only natural that the polytheists are winning, seeing as they obviously have more gods on their side. It’s also quite telling that, some local cults aside, the worshipers of Jehowa are really the only major monotheists around. This just further supports the idea that polytheism is the original faith and they the abomination. Luckily, even if Poland’s ideas of pagan unity are both hypocritical and vastly exaggerated, it’s definitely true that the various Jehowa-worshipers are far more dogmatic, ideologically divided, and prone to fighting over small differences in opinion, making it impossible for them to form a united front. Such is the influence of the traitor god.
The paganism of the Slavs and their neighbors has gotten a lot of attention, though, but the fate of their so-called brethren around the world much less so. As more and more of them fall under the influence of one foreign power or another, it’s worth taking a look at how they’re doing – while you still can.
The greatest success story of pan-paganism would have to be Polish Amatica. It’s pointless to try and describe the locals’ religious beliefs in a brief paragraph, since they’re just as diverse as you might expect from a continent covered in diverse cultures, but what matters to the Poles is that they’re pagans and worship a large number of gods and spirits. Only a few groups had (or at least used) writing before the Cyrillic alphabet was introduced to them, and they still seem to prefer oral tradition where possible, but Slavic scholars have devoted miles of paper to documenting them in their quest to prove how all pagans are actually related. The supposedly highest religious authority in the region is the Matriarch of Buyania, appointed really just to appease the clergy, but much like in Europe, the Slavic Church has made little effort to meddle in the locals’ actual beliefs.
https://i.postimg.cc/65nvKkFM/20200131134837-1.jpg
Ever since harmonious first contact, armed conflict between Poles and Native Amaticans has been minimal, and they have been peacefully integrated instead. Of course, that’s glossing over the fact that the settlers have still barged into their lands, taken control of their resources, made themselves the de facto if not official ruling class, and forced countless tribes to choose between assimilation or relocation (often to the far reaches of the continent). Still, even if most of the treaties have been various levels of unequal and backed up by the looming threat of military force should all else fail, it’s certainly a better option than the even less diplomatic methods employed anywhere else.
https://i.postimg.cc/v8pVpY21/20200131134842-1.jpg
The natives’ integration into Buyania, Lukomoria and Jeziora has been more so political than cultural or religious in nature. All three have effectively become patchwork federations of settler and tribal territories, each of which is represented in the colonial governments. While most tribes were semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers at the time of first contact, and some of them still choose to roam the vast Buyanian wilderness rather than settle down, a number of them already had highly developed farming civilizations. These were, and still are, especially common in the central region around the Great Lakes and the upstream Mississippi River, which the Poles once nicknamed ‘Little Europe’ for this very reason. In fact, some years after their arrival there was the illusion of all these tribes suddenly adopting European forms of government, but what actually happened was that they simply learned Polish and the Poles learned more about them, revealing just how similar they were from the start.
https://i.postimg.cc/d3dLqCNh/Cahokia.jpg
Large native town in the Jeziora riverlands.
Most of the treaties include Europeans not settling in their lands without permission, but “their lands” are rather narrowly defined so that there are large stretches of “unclaimed” territory left in between, including some rather prime real estate for the Poles to exploit. On the flipside, though, the Polish presence in many wilderness regions such as western and northern Buyania is extremely limited, often including just a few tiny outposts along some waterway that they can use as pretext to claim an area the size of Poland itself. Many of the tribes inhabiting these lands aren’t even aware that they supposedly belong to the Poles now, and don’t really need to be.
Swedish Alfmark has mostly made do with the locals, whereas its northern portion was “practically empty” from the start. To the south, Scottish Hibernia theoretically has policies similar to Poland’s, but the lack of avenues for further expansion has driven the closer (and thus harsher) integration of the native population. The English and Italian colonies, meanwhile, show considerable disdain for the pagans, similar to that of Asturias described below.
Central Amatica and the downstream Mississippi region started out rather similar to the north but were badly depopulated due to the Asturians’ much more direct methods of conquest, conversion and forced resettlement. They too seem to have been influenced by pan-paganism to the point of considering all the natives near the border to be potential traitors, loyal to their pagan brethren. This is something of a self-fulfilling prophecy: out of desperation, many of the natives have fled north into the Polish colonies, eventually settling in, but not without a great deal of demographic crisis on both sides. Unlike African blacks, most of whom are either pagans or Muslims, Native Amaticans aren’t enslaved on a race-wide level, but a lot of them certainly are. Italy’s abolitionist movement has yet to really make waves in the rest of the colonies. The Andalusians, be they those left over from the original Muslim colonies or those who were shipped out of Iberia later on, are awkwardly stuck below Christians yet above the natives in the hierarchy.
https://i.postimg.cc/g2KLXvzR/20200131134940-1.jpg
The Asturians have also been exerting ever greater pressure in the south of the continent, where fewer and fewer native states still remain independent, driven by the lust for precious metals and fertile terrain.
https://i.postimg.cc/Y24FnGRK/20200131135005-1.jpg
Unfortunately, the ongoing hostilities with the Asturians have made the South Amaticans rather unreceptive to Polish explorers as well, making them hard to study. Asturians claim that they’re also a little too fond of ritual human sacrifice, but, well, we all have our awkward phases. This narrow part of the continent has a large urban population with a long history, far larger than Little Europe, even rivaling the real Europe in places.
https://i.postimg.cc/hGjvX63W/Tenochtitlan.jpg
Though the Aztec dominion is long past its prime, Tenochtitlan, the Floating Fortress, remains the greatest city in all of Amatica.
And yet, the largest surviving (and still expanding) state is ruled by the Chichimeca, a nomadic people who only recently came from the north and exploited the power vacuum to start conquering the others, not entirely unlike the Mongols in China but on a much smaller scale.
As one travels farther south, the various Nahua and Chichimeca give way to the Maya, Chibchan and other diverse cultures, most of which have been quite thoroughly subjugated. Nowhere is the demographic shift as extreme as in the Zanaras and Ancelles, though, where the Carib people have been almost completely either enslaved, massacred or simply replaced by settlers – and their slaves. The vast majority of the Zanaran population consists of African slaves to work the plantations, kept on a short leash by a tiny white upper class. The sole exception to this rule are the surprisingly still standing “pirate republics” of Tortuga and New Providence, majority Muslim and Nordic respectively, where slavery has been illegal from the start and everyone is equal before the law – or what passes for the law, anyway. Despite their quirks, the pirate republics are certainly not any sort of utopian haven.
https://i.postimg.cc/8sQNwnH5/20200131135057-1.jpg
Finally, far to the west is Khalifania, the last real Andalusian wilayah colony. The capital Ptolemais (San Francisco), named after the Ptolemee ruling family, is still relatively modest but certainly the most important port this side of Amatica. Due to the deserts and vast mountain ranges in between, there’s little contact with the pagans and Christians – which the Khalifanians are probably happy about – but it’s steadily increasing as the other colonial empires such as Scotland spread along the continent. Khalifania still remains loyal to the Andalusian crown, but it’s doubtful how long that’ll last as the few remaining pieces of the sultanate are eaten up by its neighbors. As for their treatment of the natives, it falls somewhere between Asturias and Poland: quite overbearing, but not constantly hostile. Khalifania also lacks a significant slave population, being more of a wilderness region with few major plantations.
https://i.postimg.cc/gJ7YL0L3/20200131135205-1.jpg
(Rotated 90°)
Due to Swedish dominance, paganism is seemingly thriving in Alcadra, but it may be small comfort for the actual natives. If Alfmark was mostly a practice run and quickly became a footnote among the colonies of the world, the Swedish colonies in Alcadra are nothing short of enormous, and enormously valuable. Stretching all the way across the continent from the Panaman isthmus to what used to be Narafidia, the governorates of Ingerland, Paraland, Andeland and Vanaland mostly consist of unexploited or even unexplored jungle, but the coastal parts – especially in the west – also have a large native population and seemingly bottomless supplies of gold, silver and other valuables used to fund great prosperity back in the homeland.
https://i.postimg.cc/fWSL0kY8/20200131135447-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/HsGL0H2d/20200131135431-1.jpg
In their drive to extract every crumb of treasure they can, the Swedes, never that interested in Poland’s tolerant ideas to begin with, have not only conquered most of the formerly prosperous Andean civilization but also adopted a policy of actively terrorizing the natives and driving them deeper into the wilderness. Raiding parties formed for this explicit purpose loot and burn their way through any villages caught in their way, sailing up the continent’s myriad rivers in flat-bottomed barges much like the vikings of old. Unlike the mountain cities, the forest-dwellers don’t have much to loot, but the next wave of ships then brings in settlers to take their place, many of those settlers themselves being Sami people evicted from Northern Scandinavia.
The Inca Empire survived almost untouched for a long time, but its final partition by Sweden and Asturias was a – perhaps long anticipated – symbolic defeat for Amatican and Alcadran natives at large. On the other hand, due to the sheer impassability of the terrain, even while their cities were conquered, the Inca have been able to flee into the mountains and maintain their own way of life, at least for now. The fledgling viceroyalty of Peruvia founded by Asturias is in a rather perilous position as well, and might well lead to war between the two colonial empires in the future.
https://i.postimg.cc/W4H3g8QD/Machu-Picchu.jpg
Ruins of an Inca royal estate high in the mountains near Cusco.
Elsewhere in Alcadra, though no part of the continent was truly “uninhabited”, there wasn’t really any other tribal nation large enough to resist the European invaders. Again, however, the natives live on, either separate or mixed with the colonists, and their mixed-blood descendants actually form much of the population of regions such as Santa Croce.
Speaking of Nordic pagans: despite going through a lot of different religions in the Middle Ages and then being part of Poland for a while, Swedish culture has since been eager to stay true to its roots: for instance, though the various Scandinavian languages have long since diverged, the official language of the government remains “Norse” (which people don’t actually speak in real life) and they’re all written in the old Runic alphabet. The period of Polish domination is also seen as somewhat shameful, leading to a constant low-lying tension even despite centuries of peace between the two and making the Swedes even less interested in, or convinced of, pagan solidarity.
Alcadra also includes Scottish Patagonia, which has admittedly been somewhat embarrassing in terms of resources, but it can’t be worse than Scotland itself, right? Scotland’s religious situation is even more complicated than Sweden’s, obviously having had its own pagan traditions before being Christianized for a while and then getting invaded by Norsemen in turn. The Nordic faith is no less strong in Scotland or its colonies, having been dominant for at least 700 years now, but obviously has some local flavor mixed in; even somewhat artificially, since there was a long gap where Scotland’s native paganism was actively suppressed. The Nordic Church as an institution also has its qualms about giving up any of its influence, even in favor of fellow pagans.
Even though its coast is speckled with increasingly fortified European outposts, Africa remains perhaps the least “conquered” continent. The Muslim faith has been spread by the great Sultanate of Kanem Bornu in the north and Swahili traders in the east, but the vast inland regions remain staunchly pagan – as far as anyone can tell, anyway.
https://i.postimg.cc/GmwspGNP/20200131135606-1.jpg
Africa was long known as a source of gold, salt, ivory and other great riches, and that it still is, but as the Europeans learned to sail around it and established a permanent presence on the coast, they’ve become increasingly interested in the slaves and dismissive of anything else the continent can provide. They are only vaguely aware of the size and population of the continent, and apparently don’t especially care to know, either.
https://i.postimg.cc/50Vr7WcD/Timbuktu.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/FRVBwCNz/Benin.jpg
Cities in Kanem Bornu and Benin.
Due to Europeans avoiding the central jungles of “the dark continent” like the plague, most knowledge about African politics comes from second-hand contact with traders (slavers and otherwise) on the coast. Much like the west, the continent is full of smaller tribes, but of the pagan nations large enough to blip on the Europeans’ proverbial radar, Kongo and recently islamicized Sofala are more traditional monarchies, Kuba and Rwanda resemble Europe’s noble republics, and the republics of Benin and Betsimisaraka are somewhat more open (if still dominated by a rich elite).
https://i.postimg.cc/Sx6YYjFB/20200131135729-1.jpg
Arabia, which also has several small colonies around the continent, wields tremendous economic and political influence in the east. In the west, Sweden has ended up forging surprising alliances with both Songhai and Benin to prop them up against Kanem aggression. This must be an awkward spot for Benin, which for historical reasons is strongly anti-colonialist and anti-slaver but seems to have little choice if it wants to survive at all.
All in all, how the pagans of Africa are doing depends entirely on what map you want to look at. By some meters they’re under assault by Muslims, fellow pagans and even Christians, but on the other hand, those foreign powers have yet to make any inroads into the vast majority of the region.
The classification of Asian “paganism” is in some ways debated, but it’s quite obvious that Hinduism, Buddhism, Shinto, the Tibetan Bön religion and the various traditions surrounding them are polytheist and thus count as pagans by the Poles’ wider definition. The locals themselves don’t really consider the monotheist-polytheist struggle nearly as central, though, and fail to see the meaning of pagan unity in their cultural context.
https://i.postimg.cc/xTvchKb7/20200131143118-1.jpg
Compared to the myriad local beliefs of Amatica, Alcadra and Africa, it’s at least somewhat easier to make generalizations about the religions of Asia due to the presence of certain, uh, rather large empires. Hinduism actually covers a vast number of individual local cults and traditions originally from the Indian region, hence the name, but due to the long domination of Rajasthan and the Pratihara dynasty, a certain state religion has emerged. It is centered primarily on Shiva, one of the most important Hindu gods, while still leaving space for others. This is not entirely unlike the Slavic Church itself, where Perun has long been treated as a sort of “first among equals” and the general “default” god to worship. However, despite the fact that Rajasthan rules most of the continent, Hinduism hasn’t really managed to cross the Himalayas onto the Muslim and pagan steppes of the north. It is one of the major religions in the East Indies, though.
Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and more form a peculiar bunch of belief systems that are clearly polytheist to some extent, but don’t really seem to care that much, being more focused on philosophical ideas of righteousness and self-improvement than on worshiping the gods themselves. Buddhism is going strong in Indochina, while Confucianism and Taoism are part of the strange hodgepodge that is China itself.
Though the Yuan conquerors were never that popular and have been long since overthrown, their Muslim state religion has stuck around in China, including successor states like Wu and Yan. However, while at least strong enough to warm up their relations with Arabia (given their common enemy in Rajasthan), their brand of Islam has been heavily mixed with the local philosophical traditions and even some polytheist concepts, creating a distinct kind of Sino-Islam that might not be compatible with a stricter reading of the text.
https://i.postimg.cc/2ST38rG7/20200131230343-1.jpg
Shinto, meanwhile, resembles Hinduism in that it’s just an umbrella term for myriad Japanese beliefs shaped into a state religion, but the Japanese seem to have even less interest in spreading it abroad. Speaking of which, Japan has been increasingly aligning itself with Rajasthan lately in an attempt to maintain its own sphere of influence in the face of Indian expansion (and their common enemy, the Chinese). Japan has been struggling to balance its opposing goals of scientific progress and cultural isolation, and with a military dictator at the helm, the ruling philosophies and upper classes of Japan are in flux – uncomfortable, awkwardly squirming flux, unable to really change the status quo for the time being.
The Poles too feel kind of awkward about Asia as a whole. Apart from their forceful conquest of the East Indies, their so far rather limited diplomatic, religious and cultural approaches to the continent haven’t borne much fruit. While the prevalence of strong “pagan” states is pleasing to pan-paganist thinkers, the fact that those pagans treat Poland with nothing but disinterest feels almost a bit insulting. If Europeans view their own continent as the center of the world, then so do these Asians, and they seem to have little attention to spare for European visitors when there’s plenty to fight over already.
Last but not least… well, except in terms of population… are Nowa Straya and the many islands east of it. Most of the smaller ones remain only barely explored, but presumably pagan, while the main focus has been on Nowa Straya and Aotearoa (New Zealand). Nowa Straya has been quite convincingly claimed by Poland, leaving only a “small” outpost in the hands of Italy. Squeezed off the mainland, Italy has nabbed a number of islands and directed its attention towards Aotearoa instead.
https://i.postimg.cc/tT8sQkk0/20200131230540-1.jpg
Being deceptively large (comparable to Europe in size) but mostly “empty”, Nowa Straya also hosts a large variety of native peoples, whom the Poles have tried to treat quite similarly to those in Amatica – that is to say, conquered all the same, but more softly so. There’s plenty of outback for those unhappy with the situation to move into, they say, but the outback is the outback because it can’t support a large population. Most people live on the verdant coast instead, the vast inland regions mostly attracting the occasional explorer, prospector – or researcher. Unlike on all the other continents, the Strayans never really established urban centers, but much like in Buyania, a lot of them still live in areas largely untouched or even uncontacted by the colonists who claim them. Partly because the colonization picked up speed during the heavy-handed reign of High King Stanislaw II, Straya also has an unusually large proportion of religious and cultural minorities either encouraged or “encouraged” to move to the other side of the world, making it surprisingly diverse for somewhere so remote.
https://i.postimg.cc/SQzX70Qm/20200131230659-1.jpg
The Viceroyalty of Aotearoa on the other hand is still just a fledgling collection of outposts, and the Poles don’t mind it too much, laughing that the Christians just settled for second when they realized they couldn’t get Straya. The eponymous islands themselves are much smaller than Straya (only about the size of Britannia) but rather densely populated by the native Maori, and the landscape more hospitable. The Italians will in all likelihood get to finish colonizing it in peace and earn themselves a nice little outpost in the far, far southeast of the world.
As you presumably noticed, the Playground servers were down for a few weeks, but I couldn’t keep myself from playing so I have a few chapters ready and will be posting them ASAP.
I’ve been neglecting the usual colonial tour, so I figured I’d do something of the sort. But then I can’t help but feel like it turned out kinda long, winding and unfocused, and I wasn’t actually going to start talking that much about the contents of the religions themselves, so the theme is kinda unclear. Besides what I said about them being incredibly diverse, in the end, that’s what Google is for. :smalltongue: I also feel like I’ve been talking a lot about how massive some areas are. It’s just something I’ve been thinking about lately, since a lot of people tend to underestimate the size of Australia and New Zealand for instance, never mind the other colonies and so on.
In an alternate universe where we went for a more zealous route instead of the Humanist one, we’d probably still have pan-paganism but the conclusion drawn from it would be vastly different. Not so much this “all gods are the same so they’re all cool” but instead “all gods are the same so let’s go teach people how to worship them properly”. I think pan-paganism is a strictly fictional concept made up by myself. But I do know it is nonsense, both in the game and in real life. In case that wasn’t clear. :smallwink: Very historical nonsense, though, if you look at the sorts of theories proto-anthropologists, linguists and theologians liked to throw around in the 17th-18th centuries.
Sidenote: If you look closely, you can see that the Pacific islands are already almost done getting colonized too. I’m gonna wipe most of them clean in the Vic 2 conversion, because otherwise there’s just gonna be barely anything left to colonize, especially since I plan on keeping the native countries in Africa. The islands aren’t “supposed to” be colonized until the late 1800’s, anyway.
SilverLeaf167
2020-02-22, 01:30 PM
Chapter #43: So Many Emperors, Only One Europe (Niezamysl II, 1718-1734)
1 April, 1718
With Cesira Gizella I’s announcement of the Italian Empire, everyone’s waiting to see what happens next – or if this ends up being yet another bit of empty bluster that anyone dealing with the Christians has long since gotten used to. “Francia is about to fall” has never left the Polish popular lexicon, and for good reason, but every subsequent upheaval in the last few centuries has in fact seemed bigger and more permanent than the last. Francia never quite recovered from the Heretics’ War and the secession of Britannia, for one.
Right next door, Germany-Vladimir’s invasion of Sardinia is just getting started and about to pit them against most of what remains of the Francian Empire now that Italy has left.
https://i.postimg.cc/vT5gMK0R/20200207203738-1.jpg
As the Cesira starts demanding that the Francian powers withdraw their diplomats from Romagna even though it’s still a member state and even involved in the war against Germany, it’s not difficult to guess what’s coming.
https://i.postimg.cc/HLLy5Bk5/20200207204133-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/3JC4cPym/20200207204141-1.jpg
Italy has long tolerated the presence of smaller states such as Romagna, Tuscany and Venice on its turf, but having officially separated from Francia and vowed to become the new, much stronger heir to the Roman Empire, that tolerance seems to have run out. Navarra’s policy of half-hearted appeasement fails to stop Italy from starting its first (and probably very short) war against Francia. Well, more specifically Navarra and Asturias. Most other member states have either already made alliances with Italy or decided to just stay out of what would surely be a suicidal effort.
https://i.postimg.cc/vHdxXQmG/20200207204333-1.jpg
Meanwhile, having occupied the island for a good while now, the separatists in Crete declare themselves an independent Greek state (and the only officially Cathar state in the world). There’s been a lot of supposed successors of Greece over the years, though, and few have lasted very long.
https://i.postimg.cc/ZYNyr94f/20200207205004-1.jpg
Indeed, some years later the nascent Greek state will be once again annexed by Rûm. A new one’s already brewing on Sardinian Rhodes, though, and the cycle continues.
https://i.postimg.cc/PqLqTcq6/20200207232351-1.jpg
But back to today: Most of Andalusia (if you want to call it that) is annexed by Kanem Bornu, the country goes bankrupt again, and so on. As far as anyone is concerned, the various territories (mostly outlying islands) that Andalusia still lays claim to are either practically independent or under the rule of rebellious warlords.
https://i.postimg.cc/26bL9yvS/20200207210632-1.jpg
Poland doesn’t have much to laugh about in that regard, though. It turns out that the Scottish port in Jamaica has become overrun by pirates, the colonial administration having originally sheltered them on purpose but eventually gotten kicked off their own island, which has now declared itself yet another “pirate republic”. It’s Scotland’s fault for neglecting it, really. High King Niezamysl II doesn’t have much interest in starting a naval war with the pirates just to deal with it, especially when a lot of the pirates operating in the Zanaras are actually on Poland’s payroll.
https://i.postimg.cc/3wbDZmkq/20200207211242-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/W3BFBV66/20200207211256-1.jpg
(I later edited the culture and religion to match Scotland’s and not mine)
A couple years go by. Under the combined onslaught of Germany, Itally and their allies, Navarra and Asturias are quickly overrun and Iberia thoroughly occupied once again. At the same time, rather than waste time and money on warfare, Niezamysl II focuses on the funding of Poland’s education and government institutions, accompanied by relatively piddling legal reforms.
https://i.postimg.cc/fRztnBXF/20200207215901-1.jpg
His bored and frustrated generals try a new approach to get more funding of their own, pitching a project for a life-sized recreation of the Battle of Reinholdsburg of 1297. Fought between High King Trojden I and the Teutonic Order on the fields of Jylland, it was the largest battle in Polish history up to that point, a total of 120,000 soldiers facing each other in a single pitched battle to the death. The battle was a crushing victory for the Poles and led to a swift end for the war, but what matters now is that the generals want to put that same amount of men in old armor and do it again for the benefit of military theory and history alike. A scientist as well as a friend of the performing arts at heart, Niezamysl II accepts their suggestion, gives them all the funding they need for their massive undertaking, and obviously attends the event himself, accompanied by dignitaries from every European country that’d accept his invitation.
https://i.postimg.cc/kGPGjcqT/20200207220235-1.jpg
It takes until 1722 for the (real) Mediterranean wars to be well and truly over, with Romagna being fully annexed as expected, both invaders taking pieces of Navarra, and Germany strengthening its presence in the western part of the sea. Germany’s decision to drive such a disruptive wedge into the middle of Italy’s would-be dominion is sure to further escalate their already hostile relationship, though.
https://i.postimg.cc/KYVRTbVS/20200207221905-1.jpg
Niezamysl II’s advisors use this new wave of expansion as proof of the urgency of their long-awaited invasion of Serbia. He still has little interest in such things, but Yugoslavia has indeed proven surprisingly stable for now and it seems unlikely that anyone will come to Serbia’s aid, so he finally agrees that it really would be better to grab it before somebody else does. Troops, already in place, cross the border in April 1722 with barely a declaration of war.
https://i.postimg.cc/Df18StPH/20200207222219-1.jpg
Italy, as expected, directs its imperialistic tendencies elsewhere.
https://i.postimg.cc/fTZkmBHL/20200207222628-1.jpg
The invasion of Serbia is a routine affair, over by the end of the year. It’d be easy to just annex the entire country into Yugoslavia, but the High King thinks otherwise. As a result of its centuries-long back-and-forth of conquests and rebellions, the region is a jumbled mess of Serbians, Bosnians, Greeks, Italian settlers and more – not to mention their equally diverse religions – but partly to maintain Yugoslavia’s vanishingly thin veneer of legitimacy, partly to try and keep it stable, Niezamysl II decides to leave out the Greek-majority region in the south that would’ve blatantly gone against those principles. Yugoslavia’s mandate has thus been quite thoroughly fulfilled and the Southern Slavs “united” under Polish leadership… with the exception of Italian Dalmatia.
https://i.postimg.cc/XqKJtCv4/20200207223056-1.jpg
(Maximum warscore didn’t let me take both of those remaining provinces, so I opted for neither)
Yugoslavian officials soon come asking for privileges quite similar to those that Frisia keeps whining about, namely assurances of their permanent “independence” and lower taxation in return for greater military contribution. Niezamysl II is happy to grant this, as is the Sejm, still somewhat split on whether Yugoslavia was such a good idea to begin with and having little interest in annexing it. The unspoken implication is that they’re not wanted as a part of the nation, just as a buffer state and blatant power play. Frisian demands for the same are once again rebuked, though.
https://i.postimg.cc/Y9WjfVK4/20200207224300-1.jpg
In 1724, Asturias seizes most of Andalusia’s remaining claims but perhaps most dramatically the colony of Khalifania, which had remained almost miraculously loyal all the way until now. It’s a whole lot of wilderness, supposedly hiding glorious gold deposits that just have yet to show themselves (never heard that one before), but is also Muslim through and through. It remains to be seen how Asturias decides to handle its administration in the end.
https://i.postimg.cc/0NrzrjV0/20200207231006-1.jpg
In fact, a lot of its colonies in other parts of Amatica aren’t doing so well, having to deal with long-running unrest among Muslims and natives alike, from north to south.
https://i.postimg.cc/J4q0qZgQ/20200207232027-1.jpg
Poland’s own bellicose parliament has a whole new problem on its hands, though, when in January 1725, diplomats from Chernigov come requesting (mostly assuming) Polish aid in a renewed invasion of Rûm to continue where they left off. However, even though it’s been 28 years since the end of that last bloody, bloody war and the legend of Dervis Gümülcineli the Impaler, it remains a truly sore subject even with those too young to actually remember it, not to mention those who do. Perhaps even more importantly, the Poles feel that they have nothing to gain from this war, never mind that the Moldavians (who arguably do) seem reluctant to do any fighting either.
As a result, the Sejm protests to the High King, who is content even if a bit embarrassed to refuse Chernigov’s invitation. This costs him the alliance with Chernigov, but it’s been a long time since there was any real fighting between the Slavs themselves, and people have either forgotten the threat or simply consider it a thing of the past. Besides, Poland still has an alliance with Novgorod, not to mention its own subject states and overall overwhelming military might.
https://i.postimg.cc/zf9GBjbq/20200207232225-1.jpg
Not entering this massive war lets the Polish military keep focusing on internal reforms instead. The Marynarka has been figuratively and literally rebuilt after taking a severe beating in Stanislaw II’s War, and now consists of four main battle fleets (the Black, Atlantic and Indian Fleets and the Grand Marynarka) as well as over a hundred light ships on trade patrol duty. Making this happen has required not just a massive expansion of Poland’s shipbuilding facilities, but also new investments in ship design to hopefully keep these ones afloat for a while longer.
https://i.postimg.cc/qvDRf0ph/20200208114516-1.jpg
Other manufactories have also needed to adjust to the massive demand for cannons to put on the new ships, the military making both technical and tactical breakthroughs in their use along the way. Although still expensive and often inconvenient to move, massed artillery has proven its worth over the years in saving Polish lives and making the enemy die faster from farther away.
https://i.postimg.cc/6pp31Txx/20200208114701-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/fyvz8QHb/20200208114721-1.jpg
In 1727, word arrives that the Zanaras are getting a little cramped and that the Republic of Tortuga – fuzzy as these states are to begin with – has landed in and conquered Port Royal. A lot of people all around Europe are debating whether they really should just sail in and restore order to these tiny provinces, but so far everyone seems to have calculated that the pirates are hurting their enemies more than them.
https://i.postimg.cc/3NhrjxF6/20200208120355-1.jpg
The Cesira, citing her secondary title as Queen of France, marches into the rich and storied Republic of Normandy and forces it to bend the knee in return for keeping its autonomy. Small states continue to disappear off the map all around the world.
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In 1729, Chernigov’s borders move southwards once again after four bloody years of war that Poland is glad to have avoided, though the Sejm is starting to have second thoughts about having refused so rudely and cost themselves an ally.
https://i.postimg.cc/1R03mD9Z/20200208121816-1.jpg
But though militarists may grumble, Niezamysl II understands that the same laws of rationalism that some use to advocate for war actually provide far more arguments for peace, saving money and building up mutually beneficial trade relations. Separatist voices calling for independence have become the norm in Amatica and Frisia alike, but they’ve sort of lost their sense of urgency after talking about it for twenty years now (though obviously someone else might say that the persistence of this issue actually makes it far more worrying). The regent governments in Moldavia and Scotland, on the other hand, continue to happily breeze along under Polish protection. The Sejm too has little to complain about as the High King gives them more and more say in daily matters and policy, trusting in their loyalty and competence that he doesn’t need to hoard all power for himself.
https://i.postimg.cc/Yqpqhj9L/20200208122509-1.jpg
Of course, the military continues to swallow up most of the crown budget, not least because so much of Poland’s economy, or even society, is focused around it. It’s impossible to even consider the side-effects of trying to reduce it. In peacetime like this, the Crown Army is out either drilling, parading, maintaining public order or just providing muscle for various construction projects, including large fortresses and protected harbors in the colonies where about a third of it is garrisoned. This serves as an assurance to the Voivodeships that they won’t be neglected again, but also as a way to strengthen the motherland’s grip on them and ensure that any local troublemakers will be swiftly put down.
https://i.postimg.cc/XvynTC2m/20200208133202-1.jpg
Military development, not just quantity but also quality-wise, continues its endless march.
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Even Chernigov seems to forgive Poland for breaking their alliance – they did win the war, after all – extending an offer to renew it in 1733. The Sejm accepts, though obviously this just teaches them that they have the option of breaking it again with no real consequences.
https://i.postimg.cc/52rx73m8/20200208140022-1.jpg
It also opens their eyes to certain new possibilities. Without the High King actually being informed, something almost resembling a conspiracy (perish the thought!) forms inside the Sejm, coordinating their efforts to use entirely legal means to channel military funds into a carefully selected set of projects.
They see their chance in March 1734: the Cesira, seemingly invincible and increasingly bold, declares war on Asturias, hoping to seize not only several colonies but also some more of the Mediterranean to cement her claim to Christendom.
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The way the Sejm would put it, this is the perfect time to take Italy down a notch before it really becomes a threat to Poland. Though it’s been a surprisingly long time since Poland and Italy were at war, and the Christians have been far busier fighting each other, a clear hostility persists in both sides’ rhetoric and the three main power blocs of Poland, Germany and Italy can find no common ground. 49-year-old Niezamysl II still remains unsure, seemingly happy to stay at peace for the rest of his life if possible, but the trust and power he has given to the Sejm leaves him with little choice but to bow to their judgment when the nobility votes overwhelmingly in favor.
As of April 1734, Poland and Italy are in a state of war. Besides their respective subjects, Poland is joined by Chernigov and Italy by a couple minor republics of no importance.
https://i.postimg.cc/90cVRNWH/20200208142118-1.jpg
At the High King’s insistence, the generals and the Sejm have put together a clear and enumerated list of what Poland actually hopes to achieve in the eventual peace deal, in order of priority:
Italian Dalmatia to Yugoslavia
Italian Terregina (Queensland) to Nowa Straya
Italian Greece to Moldavia
Italian Fiorita to Hibernia
Various island outposts and other targets of opportunity
It’s a lot of things, and who knows if they actually think they can achieve all of them. While the Crown Army and Marynarka are both larger and stronger than ever, Stanislaw II’s War against Asturias taught them a serious lesson that worldwide colonial warfare is no walk in the park, not to mention that Poland’s subject states aren’t too happy about being dragged into it, even if many of them stand to gain. Thus begins another global war, this time between two of the true superpowers of Europe. One can only hope that historians will give it a flattering name.
https://i.postimg.cc/Yjc6zgs7/eu4-map-POL-1734-04-01-1.png
I didn’t put the idea group to a vote because of the server outage, but there aren’t that many “good” groups left to choose from anyway. On that note: I’m really bad at thinking about/realizing when to give you guys a vote on something, so if you have any broad suggestions on that topic (now that the boards are back up), I’d appreciate it. So far we’ve really only had the idea groups and the Germany vote way back in CK2, and obviously we’re not even gonna have those going forward.
I notice the years fly by and kinda have to acknowledge that I may have prematurely entered the “endgame” mindset, especially since I’ve been working on the Vic 2 conversion on the side (there’s a looot of tweaking to do even before the final map layout is known, and the more you do the more you find). But there’s still around a century to go and all, so rather than just hope that some other country does something interesting, I decided I had to be active myself. By the way, normally EU4 ends in 1821 and Vic 2 starts in 1836, but it’s far easier mechanically to keep playing EU4 past the time limit than edit Vic 2 to start earlier. So we’ll be here until 1836.
I realized somewhere partway through the game that I might have wanted to turn up the difficulty at the start to make the AI a bit more proactive, but unfortunately it’s far too late for that. :smalltongue: I’ll just have to remember in Vic 2.
IthilanorStPete
2020-02-22, 03:43 PM
Paganism overview: very interesting historical nonsense! It also makes me happy that in this alternate universe, there's been a ton of efforts to document Native American Amatican traditions rather than just wiping them out.
Regular update: I'm...kind of excited for this war? :smalleek: Whatever way it goes, there should be major changes in-universe, and I anticipate the Poland-Italy conflict driving the endgame dynamics.
SilverLeaf167
2020-02-26, 10:28 AM
Chapter #44: The Dalmatian War (Niezamysl II, 1734-1738)
1 April, 1734
Poland and the Italian Empire are at war, and people can’t seem to agree on whether they’d prefer to paint it as a routine affair or an epic struggle for dominance. Its start definitely was a matter of pure pragmatism, but also a long time coming. What matters to them is that just looking at the numbers, Poland’s side is estimated to have at least twice as many troops; alas, it’s not necessarily that straight-forward. Many of Poland’s myriad subject states are either insubordinate or inconveniently located, and looking at just Poland vs. Italy for instance shrinks the difference to a much more swingy 328,000 against 250,000. Then consider that about a third of Poland’s military is positioned in the colonies, and that the distribution of Italy’s own troops isn’t known, and it really could go either way – though the Poles are obviously confident that they can win without much issue.
https://i.postimg.cc/90cVRNWH/20200208142118-1.jpg
Italy having just declared war on Asturias should also help split its attention, even if Asturias alone would be barely a speedbump, and Germany right in the middle should be unwilling to grant passage to any of the belligerents, disrupting Italian troop movements while securing much of Poland’s long border. That still leaves Frisia and the Balkans as likely battlefields, though, and Italy’s Mediterranean navy is nothing to sneeze at either.
https://i.postimg.cc/MGsTr1t1/20200210212326-1.jpg
The first real battle (and crushing victory) of the war is actually against one of the “lesser” enemies, namely the Republic of Cologne that Poland wants to swiftly occupy and either knock out of the war or basically take hostage for the coming negotiations. With a third of the Colognian army getting wiped out on its foolish foray into Frisia, that goal is certainly off to a good start.
https://i.postimg.cc/jSbLWxLn/20200210213238-1.jpg
Italy gets swift retribution by sinking much of Moldavia’s navy in the middle of the Aegean Sea. Luckily this massive armada doesn’t seem to include any troop transports, so a naval invasion shouldn’t be imminent, but the High King is forced to keep some troops in reserve nonetheless. The Black Fleet is hiding safe and sound in port, basically yielding naval dominance to the Italians.
https://i.postimg.cc/63gQBwk3/20200210213904-1.jpg
Of course, if the attack isn’t coming from the south, that bodes badly for the north. Much like Poland’s previous Balkan wars, the advance into Greece and Dalmatia is nigh unresisted, with Crown Prince Aleksander leading the almost ceremonial march inside, but the fighting really starts in earnest in July 1734. What must be most of the enemy military rolls into Frisia and Cologne, and as has happened before, Poland proves a little unprepared due to having split up its forces across the front. Poland’s first setback in this war isn’t a crushing one, but it still stings, and forces Gen. Zelibrat Lechowicz to abandon his siege of Köln.
https://i.postimg.cc/hPxXPzPq/20200210215458-1.jpg
Far worse disasters follow as his colleague Prendota Lechowicz seeks a rematch, only for the enemy side to get timely reinforcements while his own get ambushed and caught up by another force making use of its home field advantage. At least the Poles are also able to retreat into home territory, but Frisia is left to suffer the worst of the Italian offense yet again, as is the usual fate of a buffer state.
https://i.postimg.cc/SxfjCBMT/20200210220137-1.jpg
With almost 200,000 Christian soldiers roaming the region by the start of 1735, it seems that Italy has indeed decided to mostly ignore Asturias until this threat has been dealt with, which is probably a wise decision. Luckily the massive fortifications in Calais and Antwerp are perhaps the best in the world and unlikely to fall anytime soon.
https://i.postimg.cc/cHrHq652/20200210220649-1.jpg
At least Hibernia and the Amatican garrison don’t have much trouble occupying Fiorita. Asturian envoys soon arrive to kindly request that the occupation be handed over to them, but are unsurprisingly laughed at until they leave. On the other side of the world, Terregina falls with similar ease.
https://i.postimg.cc/rpysJfG8/20200210220849-1.jpg
Speaking of the colonies, there’s (perhaps surprisingly) some fighting as far south as Patagonia as well, with a small detachment from Santa Croce making a landing near the capital. It will go on to occupy the entire colony, the other fronts being too busy to send any reinforcements.
https://i.postimg.cc/Vvtk6pwF/20200210222156-1.jpg
Almost a year after their original defeats, in June 1735, the recovered Poles return to find a small Venetian force seemingly abandoned by its allies and quickly wiped out. It appears that the command structure of the Italian army, rapidly expanded in the past decades, has trouble dealing with a large two-front war and can't seem to either properly commit to one front or split its forces between the two, leading to a lot of decision paralysis, conflicting orders and ultimately the worst of both worlds.
https://i.postimg.cc/ry7dkCTJ/20200210221645-1.jpg
Also, even though Poland is on rather bad terms with the Germans, Chernigov actually remains their somewhat tenuous ally. The general arrangement is that Chernigov maintains alliances with Poland, Germany and Sweden and vows to defend whichever of them is attacked by one of the others. Leaning on this, and with more than a bit of pressure – threatening to stop securing Germany against Polish aggression – King Gleb II Artamonovich succeeds in securing passage not just for his own forces but the Poles and their subjects as well, allowing them to start invading in force.
https://i.postimg.cc/Bn4nSmVx/20200210222623-1.jpg
The first cracks in the Italian alliance appear near the end of the year as the Venetians, their armies annihilated and their serene cities besieged, try to strike a separate peace. Niezamysl II, actively trying to dodge responsibility for this war (perhaps not the most king-like thing to do), puts the offer to the Sejm. The Sejm, having apparently embraced the “hostage” strategy and wanting to loot the various republics for all they’re worth, declines.
The notorious Cesira Gizella on the other hand would very much like to be leading her armies in person, but the antiquated customs of Christendom won’t let her, even if they’ll suffer her to rule. She’s probably happy to have moved her capital to Rome, at least, when Slavic armies finally start pouring into northern Italy. However, soon they are driven back by the arrival of the seemingly larger-than-ever Italian armies. Later analysis will show that both sides’ armies actually grew over the course of this war, having never needed to utilize their full military capacity before but now rushing to outgun each other by scrounging up every man they’ve got.
https://i.postimg.cc/QxLMP8gY/20200210224538-1.jpg
After their initial failures, the Poles’ own strategy is now more cautious, making sure to secure Cologne before venturing any further into enemy territory, which they achieve by July 1736. Unlike with Venice, however, they’ve started to reconsider their hostage policy: Cologne still has around 60,000 soldiers roaming around helping Italy, so taking them out of the war would in fact be very much worthwhile. And that’s what they do, forcing upon them a separate peace that includes the secession of two Flemish-majority provinces to Frisia, as well as various other ordinances to make sure the war against Italy can continue unhindered.
https://i.postimg.cc/Pfvx2pD8/20200210225244-1.jpg
Now the Poles debate whether to focus on France in an attempt to cause some devastation and perhaps whip up separatist sentiment once again, or to forget about tricks they’ve already tried and just strike for Italy proper. As that wording might imply, they choose the latter. Making use of an Alpine pass previously secured by the Moldavians, they roll into the Po River valley, and the former capital Pavia falls in about a month. The defenders are running around somewhere, and to an optimist, it seems like the way to Rome might lie open.
https://i.postimg.cc/QdmxHc2v/20200210230033-1.jpg
Even Scotland finally deigns to do something, launching an easy invasion of Brittany.
https://i.postimg.cc/9FGfH6Jm/20200210230358-1.jpg
The High King also seems to be trying to return to daily routine, approving a splendid initiative from the clergy to start investing more in local, lower-class education in addition to the distinctly upper-class universities. He would much rather go down in history for things like this.
https://i.postimg.cc/3wb8ZYJB/20200210230650-1.jpg
The East Indies garrison, apparently bored after uneventfully occupying the colonies in the region, ends up sailing as far as the Italian outpost in northern China. Not that it requires much more than just barging in and declaring it theirs, being defended only by a token peacekeeping force. The Chinese locals groan at the prospect of having to learn another European language.
https://i.postimg.cc/XvvNFp3q/20200210231534-1.jpg
By the summer of 1737, Poles are knocking on the gates of Rome, but they knock a little too hard and the gates fall down.
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Crown Prince Aleksander Lechowicz was clad in traditional red-and-white plate armor polished to a mirror finish, something that Christian commanders had eschewed in favor of lighter (though honestly no more practical) fabric dress. It was largely a ceremonial garb for him as well – quite tellingly, only his personal retinue was armored while all the other soldiers were in more regular uniform – but the Poles were of the opinion that a warrior, even a backline commander of hundreds of thousands, should present themselves accordingly on such an occasion. Some of his fellow generals, not least Zelibrat and Prendota Lechowicz, couldn’t help but feel like he’d just come waltzing in after the real fighting was already done and stolen their thunder, but that wasn’t entirely true: after leading the attack into Dalmatia, he had immediately marched his troops up north to, as he would put it, bail them out of the mess they’d made, and participated in several battles throughout the war. A well-educated, strong and handsome man in his prime, he cut a striking figure as the hooves of his Khazarian destrier clopped against the shining marble of the recently restored Piazza del Quirinale, followed by a column of red-coated soldiers marching in tight lockstep.
At his insistence, this event was being held not out in some field, not hidden in some conference chambers, but right here in front of the imperial palace where all the gawking citizens could see it with their own eyes, lining the streets and filling every window. It was always a big event, usually not pleasant, when an invading force marched into town, but some invasions had more symbolical value than others. The reception didn’t keep him waiting: at the same moment that he and his convoy stopped in the middle of the piazza, the doors of the Quirinal Palace flew open and Aleksander became the first Polish royal to lie eyes on the fabled Cesira in person. Christian and Slavic propaganda alike tended to paint her as something of a stubborn, megalomaniac shrew of a woman who quit Francia and went on a conquering spree out of sheer spite for not getting what she wanted, but her success was undeniable, and so was the aura of a real leader around her. Aleksander thought to himself that in a different age, she could well have been the Christian Grzymislawa, but fate had thought different. And yet, her robes of imperial purple were decorated with plates of steel to give them the appearance of armor as well. As she and her retinue approached and stopped in front of Aleksander, the 50-something Cesira took a long, hateful look at him astride his horse.
“Your king won’t give me the pleasure of spitting in his face?” she spat out in Latin.
“The High King has more important matters to attend to,” Aleksander answered, also in Latin.
Gizella scoffed. “Your tongue disgraces the language of God, savage.”
“As you wish. Mam więcej bogów niż ty, cesarzowa, i wiem w jakim języku mówią.”
She gave him a puzzled look, but raised her hand to interrupt when one of her attendants tried to chime in and translate, having apparently decided to ignore whatever the hell he just said. “Get down here so I can look you in the eye while I’m talking to you.”
The ever gracious Aleksander did as asked, feeling no need to act brutish when he’d already won and she was merely venting. His armor clinking lightly, he dismounted his horse, and what’s more, took his sword off his belt and handed it to a soldier behind him. He was a bit surprised to see Gizella also do the same with a sword that he hadn’t even noticed under all her regalia – a jewel-encrusted blade with a gilded hilt. The retinues behind each of them took a step back to give them some space, though their conversation was still by no means ‘private’.
“The one thing I looked forward to was witnessing the High King’s famous axe. I am a great friend of famous weaponry, you may have heard.”
“Come to Kraków on a better day, and the High King may let you see one or both,” Aleksander said, “but as the High Marshal of the Homeland Armies and Cloaked Heir to the Amber Crown, my presence is enough to accept your surrender. You have it ready?”
She grit her teeth, and took a scroll handed to her without breaking eye contact with Aleksander. The details of the treaty had already been hammered out in advance, or rather, the Poles had presented their vastly exaggerated one-sided demands and then smoothed off the corners when the Italians predictably protested. Some of the Cesira’s men had wanted to escape from Rome and keep fighting, and she could definitely sympathize, but she had a choice to make. To ‘keep fighting’ would’ve meant to flee with her tail between her legs and leave her capital, the Eternal City built anew so that it may stand forever, to be razed by barbarians. Signing this surrender here in front of her subjects was a great disgrace, yet not nearly as great as the alternative. To some onlookers, this actually proved that she had some good sense and care for her subjects after all. It also left her soldiers alive to fight another day.
As she stood there silently with scroll in hand, someone realized they’d forgotten something and a small table was hastily carried out into the piazza. She rolled open the treaty and, knowing all too well what was written on it, just quickly signed and pressed her eagle seal on it. She stepped back, and Aleksander deliberately took his sweet time going over the paper word by word before doing the same with his own eagle seal. Then, after a long silence, he finally addressed both the Cesira, the audience, and even his own followers in a way that none had expected, turning around to face all of them in turn:
“This is a surrender – you should not forget – but a wise surrender for the sake of lasting peace. The east for the Slavs, the north for the Nords, and Christendom for the Christians. If none violate these just and lasting borders drawn here on this day, none need to retaliate. My gods are different than yours, and you think me a savage; but they are all one and the same, and if history has taught us we cannot be friends, then gods damn it, let us be enemies – but enemies in the spirit of civility.”
Whatever the objective importance of this war and its conclusion would prove to be, Aleksander and Gizella I facing each other in the shadow of the Piazza del Quirinale fountain would go on to become an iconic scene of the 18th century.
Of course, Aleksander’s surprise remark about equitably divided spheres of influence rings rather hollow for a ton of reasons, not least the fact that millions of Oddani still live under Slavic rule – most flagrantly in Frisia, Yugoslavia and Greece, and as the result of this treaty – and several colonies entirely outside Europe were seized as well. However, if it wasn’t in fact just a winner’s empty gloating, but an actual hint of Polish policy (polishy?) to come, it might actually mean something, especially coming from the man slated to be the next High King.
Just as planned, Dalmatia, Greece, Terregina and Fiorita are all secured, in addition to some small islands in the Indies, the Chinese outpost, and the previous border adjustment in Frisia. The Poles can proudly check off every item on the list they made at the start of the war.
https://i.postimg.cc/Bb2JsF5Y/20200210232923-1.jpg
It didn’t come without a cost, though. Poland and its allies have lost nearly as many men as in the three times longer Stanislaw II’s War, and if it weren’t for what seems to have been a catastrophic collapse of the Italian leadership, they would’ve lost far more breaking into the heartland. The fact that the defenders actually lost fewer men, a quite rare honor for those invaded by Poland, is just testament to that. So although remarkably swift for its scale, this 3-year war certainly could’ve gone a lot better – or a lot worse. But at least the Treaty of Rome bore fruit.
https://i.postimg.cc/hjkKHsmQ/20200210232634-1.jpg
And it also didn’t see much fighting within Polish territory, colonial or otherwise, so the Voivodeships shouldn’t have much to complain about. In fact, almost all the gains from the war went to either Polish subjects or subjects’ subjects.
In the aftermath of the ultimately rather neutral-named Dalmatian War comes the unusually advertised appointment of peasant-born veteran Katarzyna Nozdrevaty as Quartermaster General. Her task is to both refill the army’s reserves as quickly as possible and lead the charge in making the next generation of soldiers even better than the last.
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She gets to work with glee, looking forward to all the people she’ll get to yell at.
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As probably should’ve been predicted, Cologne having its alliance with Italy severed makes it free game for Germany.
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All in all, life in Poland and the rest of Europe quickly returns to its usual tracks, not that those tracks are always pleasant for everyone involved. High King Niezamysl II, though, doesn’t really make a return to public life. Letters exchanged within his inner circle will show historians that he isn’t really crushed or even disillusioned by the war or anything, but simply doesn’t see much purpose in addressing the Sejm when they can apparently handle their own business while he handles his.
Another potential reason for his inactivity reveals itself a year later on July 15, 1738, when the 53-year-old ruler has a sudden heart attack in his study. Servants immediately rush to his aid, but can only lay him down on the floor, and by the time the court healer arrives minutes later, he can only bark out a few sentences before passing out for the last time. After nearly thirty years on the throne, he will go down as another great and thoughtful peacetime leader, beloved by most of the populace for his devotion to their livelihoods and disinterest in sending them off to war (no matter the casus belli, any real enthusiasm for warfare is extremely marginal outside the noble elite, as most people are only trying to make ends meet and even joining the army only for the pay and free upkeep). Some historians will skim past his reign, others appreciate the sheer volume of sources he directly and indirectly left behind. Even the more discontent nobles certainly considered him better than his predecessor Stanislaw II, and in a sense it’s actually quite convenient that in his last couple years he was largely replaced in the public eye by his gregarious heir Aleksander. Now people wait to see what the war-making, treaty-signing prince will actually be like on the throne.
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The High King is dead! Long live High King Aleksander I!
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The Dalmatian War (1734-1737)
Poland + Chernigov vs. Italy + Venice + Cologne
There had been long-simmering tensions around the Polish and Italian blocs all over the world, and the only reason they hadn’t erupted into war in a long time was because both sides saw the prohibitive costs of such a global conflict as not worth it. What finally started it was the combination of a long peace, an ever-expanding military budget and opportunism on the Polish side, allowing them to quickly seize Dalmatia, Greece and various colonies. The fighting was tougher in Frisia and Cologne, where the Poles actually suffered several early defeats before breaking through due to confusion in the enemy strategy. In the end, the war was brought to a relatively swift end by the Slavs’ beeline rush for Rome, forcing Cesira Gizella I to choose between a peace and the looting of her treasured, rebuilt capital. High King Niezamysl II stayed out of the war from beginning to end, seeing it as both distasteful and unnecessary.
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The humiliating peace treaty of the Dalmatian War allowed the Italian army to survive largely intact, ensuring that at least it’ll still win its war against Asturias. There’s also some colonial skirmishing between the two, mainly around Aotearoa where Asturias has some island bases.
Hopefully not too disappointing. I mean, obviously I started this war now because they were going to be distracted, but it still would’ve been a lot harder if the AI wasn’t (ironically) so bad at multitasking. I struggled whenever the Italian murderstack was sent against me, but then it spent the latter half of the war walking aimlessly back and forth between France and Iberia and barely even trying to fight. That’s why I need to balance “doing something” with not just steamrolling everyone, yadda yadda, how often I end up talking about this goes to show how preoccupied I’m thinking about it. But Aleksander is right that I really don’t have much interest, in or out of game, in any more of Italy’s land, so who knows if this unofficial agreement actually holds.
This is the last chapter written during the outage, so we’re back to releasing as they’re finished.
InvisibleBison
2020-02-26, 12:31 PM
Interesting interesting. I wonder, given that Italy's army is largely intact, if they'll try to take back what they just lost once the truce is up. That seems like it would be a much more difficult conflict.
IthilanorStPete
2020-02-26, 05:49 PM
Hmm. Yeah, a bit of an anticlimax...would've been interesting to see the French strategy, raising the Italian WE with occupation. Maybe that'd end up with the revolution triggering and getting some momentum, which would shake things up.
SilverLeaf167
2020-04-04, 09:51 AM
Chapter #45: Enemies in the Spirit of Civility (Aleksander I, 1738-1745)
July 15, 1738
Aleksander I is already a distinguished figure upon his rise to the throne, having forged himself a reputation as Poland’s military and foreign policy leader and basically serving as Niezamysl II’s public representative ever since the war. Already as High Marshal he was crafting and signing treaties under his own authority, and seems to be quite legal-minded in general, seeing laws and agreements both as something to be honored and as a useful tool to use for his own ends. Of course, this end is almost always to increase the power of the Polish crown. His most famous achievement is the Treaty of Rome of 1737, supposedly dividing Europe into Slavic, Nordic and Christian spheres of power. Now it’s up to the different parties to honor it.
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He for one intends to do so, considering European wars too expensive, high-mortality and dangerous to the Polish homeland in comparison to the advantages of peaceful (if sometimes grudging) trade. However, even if it’s true that the power struggle with Italy isn’t the apocalyptic holy war some present it as, the explicit acknowledgement of this fact – not to mention tying down the country with any actual treaties – proves more than a bit controversial in the Sejm. Now that he’s actually in charge rather than just making speeches, Aleksander I is off to a rough start, having to make tough choices between his personal image and national unity.
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Of course, the High King is certainly no pacifist or kind soul. In fact, he’s gotten quite used to getting all the success, power and money he wants, which also leads to most of his promises having the feeling of condescending handouts from someone in a position of power rather than bilateral, equal treaties. In private, he’s leveraging that ever-increasing money and power for his own luxury.
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For a long time, including under his predecessor, Poland’s economic policies have involved keeping relatively little money stockpiled and investing as much of it as possible back into the country, which most would argue has fueled massive economic growth and development everywhere from infrastructure to education. However, the attitude Aleksander I has picked up from a few select advisors is that this generous spending has made its recipients careless, the crown hasn’t demanded proportionate control over how the money is used, and combined with the growing gold and silver shipments from Nowa Straya, the amount of money in circulation has kept inflation on the rise. The lack of a stockpile has also forced the crown to actually take loans from its own subjects when struck with a sudden need for cash, not that it’s had any trouble paying them back. With all this in mind, the High King starts implementing what historians might call austerity policies, greatly reducing government investment – though some would claim that he’s just redirecting it to himself and his cronies instead. Of course, neither Poland nor really any other country has anything approaching a social security system anyway, so the direct effects of this austerity are restricted to the upper and middle classes who usually benefit from these investments.
Partly to save on expenses, partly because he’s looking to wind down hostilities anyway, and partly because they hold a lot of positions he’d rather give to other people, Aleksander I also adops a strict stance towards the meczenniks from the get-go. They are denied their customary bonuses, no members or associates are picked for his Crown Council, and he also begins unspoken but rather obvious efforts to move them to more out-of-the-way positions. Though they provide valuable and (usually) well-trained manpower for the army, he seems to be weighing his options to get rid of them or at least eliminate them as a political player.
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In any case, the High King’s treaties say nothing about the world outside Europe, which he’s eyeing with increased interest to sate both his unruly nobles and himself. The bloated Sultanate of Pasai is the last major native power in the East Indies not to fall under Polish influence yet, and Aleksander I is happy to change that, especially as it only really means sending orders to the troops already in the region.
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The war starts in April 1739. Pasai is actually decently large, but in quite a sorry state, having gotten itself involved with Chinese politics only to now be abandoned by Wu in its time of need.
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As Polish troops march into barely defended Pasai, elsewhere, the Italian-Asturian war comes to an ignoble end. The Balearic Islands and a number of colonies change hands, but while it’s clear that Italy won a crushing victory, it probably would’ve been far more crushing without Poland’s interference. Most notably, Italy carves out a chunk of southern Amatica to try and replace its loss of Fiorita, but while the lands it takes are quite valuable, they also have a sizable Andalusian population and sit right next to some of the most rebel-torn parts of Tayshas.
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Germany also wraps up its war against the republics of Cologne and Bar, strengthening its hold over the Rhineland region.
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Pasai’s ally Ligor gives up within months, and the Poles settle for heavy monetary and diplomatic penalties in order to free up more troops for the occupation of Pasai proper. Elsewhere, the same Chinese that refused to help them win their first real victory against Rajasthan, squeezing out a favorable peace deal. While some might consider the amount of land won inconsequential compared to the parts of China still under foreign occupation, it may mark an important turning of the tide.
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Back on the homefront, Aleksander I has to personally address another political controversy, directly related to the scientific and “rationalist” policies of his predecessor. The Khazar cities around the Black Sea have, pleasantly enough, become a minor hub of medical research, but this has also given rise to a black market for all kinds of unsavory materials, not least human corpses. Though it is in fact impoverished Jews digging up the bodies of Jews, and the local Jews themselves are obviously the ones most outraged, to the pagans (who mostly associate graverobbing with black magic even if not sacrilege in itself) this threatens to become a more widespread stereotype of the oddani. In any case, the High King decides to put an end to the whole practice, declaring harsh punishments for graverobbing or “body snatching” throughout the country and leaving the doctors to obtain their test subjects elsewhere. His relationship with the so-called scientific community and its associates starts to worsen in general.
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His penchant for deal-making seems to prove more successful in Frisia, where he manages to soothe both longstanding grudges and more recent grievances (mostly over preferential treatment for Yugoslavia) with a series of new agreements regarding its political and economic autonomy, or lack thereof. Practical measures can only go so far in the face of ever-growing cultural identity, though, and the general tension remains.
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His generals strike an even more one-sided deal with Pasai in July 1740, annexing the vast majority of the country into the East India Company without really having fought a single major battle. It’s a lot of land, and a lot of people, for comparatively cheap. Profit!
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Not much later in November, Chernigov (sigh) requests Polish help in a colonial war it’s starting in southeast Africa. It’s not an entirely African affair, though, since Arabia is closely involved in the region and has already vowed to defend the republic of Betsimisaraka. Still, since Rûm isn’t participating, Poland and Moldavia seem sufficiently safe from any repercussions, and Chernigov is leveraging both its previous help in the Dalmatian War and Aleksander I’s diplomatic tendencies to make him promise his aid.
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Poland doesn’t really have any troops in the neighborhood, though, and the East Indian garrisons are still needed to secure the recently annexed provinces, so it’s going to be a while before any real fighting can happen.
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It’s surely not unrelated that Italy almost immediately sends an embassy to Sofala, forging a closer alliance against any (other) European incursion. Luckily, the Cesira stops short of joining this current war, but this reminds the High King that he still needs to keep most of his army in Europe and stay careful in case she does use it as a pretext for invasion.
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Arabia seems to opt for what could be called annoyance tactics, sending a large fleet and nearly 40,000 soldiers to harass the Polish colonies in West Africa. At least the Scottish army in the region is eager to run interference. The Grand Marynarka and Atlantic Fleet are rallied to get the coast under control, but they’ll take a long time to get there.
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As the High King starts organizing this large-scale response, some gaping holes where meczennik officers used to be quickly make themselves more and more apparent…
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Still, ferried over by the Black Fleet and marching through the Levant, the Slavs strike straight for Arabia. Aleksander I himself isn’t present on the field, but Arabia’s most important harbor Alexandria is seized by May 1741 after a naval skirmish and amphibious landings around the city. Cairo, Arabia’s “second capital”, follows a couple months later.
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After these initial moves, the whole war seems to become a continent-sized game of cat and mouse for several years, with forces big and small chasing each other across the Egyptian desert, the Senegali savannah and even the Chernihiv steppe. It’s another war of maneuver and logistics, though, with little to no pitched battles for the Poles. At least the army is getting a lot of “valuable experience” in managing troop movements and sprawling supply trains in less hospitable environments.
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As it happens, the East Indies garrisons do end up having to deal with an armed uprising of over 100,000 people in the urban centers around the Straits of Malacca in March 1742. The rebels don’t really stand a chance against the Poles on the battlefield, but due to the size of the uprising, it still takes until autumn to properly suppress. After then, the garrisons are finally able to send some troops to support the war effort.
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Rebel sentiment seems to be high all over the place, with another (much smaller and little-remembered) uprising occurring in Polish Hungary, and yet another among the German minorities of Frisia. The latter in particular are actually notable as a rare breed of young, well-educated idealists who dream of escaping Polish, Frisian and monarchist oppression all at once and establishing a free republic of their own. Unfortunately, their education must be of the human sciences kind, as they apparently cannot count, happily splitting up and charging the Frisian military only to get themselves slaughtered. Anti-Polish sentiment is often accepted, or even quietly encouraged, but apparently the vassal government will tolerate no protest against its own regime.
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Asturian Tayshas remains an anarchic mess of political, religious and native rebels of all kinds, bankrupt several times over and with little help forthcoming from the motherland. Tayshas' attempts to use its large stores of precious metals to mint more and more money have failed to fix its economic woes and only made them worse, and now most of those mines have been seized by the rebels anyway.
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In a rare reversal of fate, Tripolitania (having unified most of the former Sardinian colonies) and Kanem Bornu unify their forces to invade the scraps of Francia and, if successful, conquer a piece of Europe proper for the first time since the Andalusian invasion of Iberia over a thousand years ago.
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As for the Chernihiv-Arabian war, well, it turns out to be about as grueling as one might expect from one covering such a large area. The High King saves Polish lives, but certainly doesn’t make the war go any faster, by declaring that the armies will park themselves in the nicest part of Egypt to secure it rather than wade much deeper south, in particular the mountains of Abyssinia. Still, on another front, it is in fact the Poles who launch the first invasion of the Betsimisarakan heartland in Madagascar – nearly all the fighting has been against Arabia – in hopes of the war actually ending sometime soon.
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That it does, in August 1744, but not in the manner expected: after the King of Chernigov dies of the health problems brought by old age, his young and “soft-hearted” heir apparently takes a second look at this war and decides that it’s not worth the trouble, coming to the same conclusion as his Polish counterpart that a full occupation of Arabia would be too costly. After already sinking tons of money and lives into it, he offers (the already pretty much beaten) Betsimisaraka a full withdrawal in exchange for some indemnities and admission of defeat, effectively a white peace for no good reason. When the Polish general in charge of the occupation of Madagascar is told of this, he actually arrests the messenger as an enemy infiltrator bringing false information to deceive him, but eventually learns the truth and has no choice but to leave the island.
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There is outrage in Krakow as well: against Chernigov, but also against Aleksander I for wasting time with this war to begin with when history has already made it clear that nothing good comes out of Chernigov’s southern wars. It’s something a more popular ruler might be able to get away with, but the goodwill he had with the nobles has been quickly depleted by his unfortunate mix of “bullheaded legalism except when it comes to himself”. Opponents say that he treats foreign rulers better than his own subjects, and their narrative goes that while his foolishness dragged them into the war, it was his indecisiveness that led to it all being in vain. Now he has his hands full trying to appease them with whatever promises he can bring himself to make (and push through the strict procedures he himself put in place).
Of course, it’s not the first time that things get heated in Krakow, but it’s also a part of the local political culture and usually doesn’t lead to anything too serious, with the destructive Confederate Civil War of 1601-1604 as a rare exception. However, that’s partly because most of the time it’s just the Sejm and not the actual military joining the debate. That may be different this time around, as the meczenniks are among the people with the most grudges against Aleksander I. Having been sidelined in the conduct of the war, its outcome, and now even the appeasements that follow, they’re on the verge of taking action.
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While originally just a way to extract some extra manpower from the oddani population, in the 300 years since, the meczenniks have grown into an understated but highly important presence in the military and civilian administration alike. Several rulers have turned to them when their control over the nobility seemed shaky. They’re scattered in low-to-medium ranking positions throughout the country, connected by an official network, oddani religion and their own distinct culture, all of which would be a big problem if they weren’t fanatically loyal to the crown. Usually.
Reforms to military recruitment, innocent in any other context, continue to put them on edge. At the same time that high command is further centralized, local organization is tied more closely to province lines and city registers. Notably, any mention of special forces such as the meczenniks is conspicuously absent in this new chain of command.
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It all comes to a head with the so-called Černá Affair in the summer of 1745. The female (and thus volunteer) meczennik officer Maria Černá is arrested in Prague, in a largely routine manner, on charges of redirecting laborers' wages to pay her fellow soldiers instead. Such cases usually end on relatively mild fines and little more, but the High King has recently introduced harsher punishments for any kind of sedition within the military – and whether the crown knows it or not, Černá is in fact closely involved in a fledgling anti-Aleksander conspiracy that threatens to be revealed if the trial goes through. Before it even starts properly, her allies have already decided not to give the process the benefit of the doubt.
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On the night of the Kupala feast on the summer solstice, when great festivals are held in every little hamlet and officials and soldiers alike are mostly away on leave, the meczenniks fill their usual roles in securing the Krakow feast where the High King is also present. He’s had enough foresight to stop using them as his bodyguards and place them under non-meczennik officers, but replacing the entire city guard is easier said than done, and they still far outnumber the loyalists on site.
As the citizens gather to watch the unsuspecting Aleksander I light a ceremonial bonfire, the meczenniks suddenly open fire on his retinue. They’re not aiming for the High King, but he also gets wounded in the side. All hell breaks loose as the rebels knock over fires and stands, overpower the shellshocked soldiers in their way and whisk the High King away into the night. Thus begins the Kupala Coup.
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I’ve been a bit busy (as well as “busy” i.e. distracted), but with You Know What going on, I should start having a lot more time for this again now that I’ve gotten my other things in order. We for the record are in non-binding isolation mode, with almost all public facilities and businesses closed and gatherings banned, but no strict curfew against just going out for a walk or groceries, so really it just means having all my commitments canceled for a lot more free time to spend as unproductively as possible. Interesting times.
I found a modifier in the save file that should control the difficulty level. I moved it up one notch at first, just to make it a bit more gradual, and will switch to Very Hard from the next chapter forward for a bit more late-game challenge. The modifiers (https://eu4.paradoxwikis.com/Options) for max difficulty are actually pretty big. Combined with this coup, and me intending to “roleplay” some stuff over the course of it, I actually don’t know what the balance of power will be like. Of course, it's not the first time I've said that.
IthilanorStPete
2020-04-04, 01:14 PM
Well this should certainly shake things up! Were you deliberately provoking the Meczenniks to try and set this off?
SilverLeaf167
2020-04-04, 02:47 PM
Basically, we had fulfilled the requirements since forever, but like a couple other historical events, it never fired even when it should've due to a coding hangup. (It's a reskin of the Ottomans' janissary coup, like the meczenniks as a whole are of the janissaries.) Figuring we could use the variety anyway, I kinda forced the disaster to start ticking, and then roleplayed accordingly in the lead-up to it.
IthilanorStPete
2020-04-04, 04:41 PM
Gotcha. The RPing worked well as a setup, it felt like the kind of thing a historical ruler might've done. (If not the usual EU4 player :smalltongue:)
SilverLeaf167
2020-04-11, 08:47 AM
Chapter #46: The Meczennik Menace (Aleksander II, 1745-1746)
25th of June, 1745
The Kupala Coup can be seen as the sum of all kinds of factors – personal unpopularity, economic policy, diplomatic failures, the replacement of external enemies with internal ones, long-term loss of faith in traditional institutions, emerging new philosophies, knowing mistreatment of the meczenniks, simply too many changes too fast – but it certainly is quick and brutally effective. People deemed too loyal to the High King are removed or worse, including his economic advisors and the Quartermaster General Katarzyna Nozdrevaty. High King Aleksander I himself becomes the world’s most valuable hostage in Pieskowa Skala castle, a cliffside fortress some ten miles from the capital, at the same time that all kinds of government offices in Krakow are basically looted or even destroyed. His 16-year-old cloaked heir, Aleksander II, is imprisoned in his quarters in Wavel Castle.
Their conspiracy itself is far from country-spanning, not even including all the meczenniks, but when they do act, many others are quick to join. Other meczenniks declare their support en masse and a disturbing number of people around Poland, some of them out of their own will and others under pressure, fail to leap to the High King’s defense. In light of this, many will see the whole coup as a mere symptom of deeper discontent. Of course, seeing as the High King is a hostage, many legitimately fear for his life as well. Slavic religious groups are obviously among the most outraged, but hold little direct power of their own. Originally just one conspirator among many, Maria Černá is freed from prison and made into a symbol of the coup, brought to Krakow to represent the “meczennik government” in front of the nobles. They don’t officially call themselves that, claiming to simply represent “the crown” as an abstract, but there’s no hiding the fact of the matter. Their actual ultimate goals are unclear, but the least they’ll try and achieve is to force through big changes to the Polish government, both for themselves and for other groups whose favor they wish to buy.
Faced with the shocking disloyalty of their peers, those still willing to fight for the High King are left marginalized and without a proper leader. They must look abroad. Alas, while Chernigov is probably sympathetic, it’s also unpopular in Poland and its young king reluctant to get involved anyway. Novgorod has a similarly new king dealing with a (much lesser) political crisis of his own. And besides, both of them are too weak and far from Krakow to take direct action if they tried. Same goes for Sweden.
In fact, the loyalists have no choice but the unthinkable: they turn to Germany, the second-greatest pagan power. Polish-German relations have been chilly for a century now, but they seem to imagine that Germany is also tired of the situation and can be charmed simply by promising a new alliance after this coup is dealt with. In a stunt that could and will be considered treasonous by others, they ask the 22-year-old King Dalimir I to provide them with men and money for a counter-coup. However, the family drama of 1634-1636 that started this whole feud threatens to repeat itself almost to the letter: the smug young monarch promises his aid, but only on the condition that he himself is named High King of Poland (and of course Moldavia, Scotland and the rest of its subject states). In one fell swoop, he would go from King of Germany and Vladimir to uncontested sovereign of the pagan world.
He can’t truly expect this offer to be accepted, and it isn’t: the negotiators walk out in disgust. But soon after, he uses this clear lapse in Polish influence as an opportunity to declare himself “Kaiser of the Germans and Slavs” in a clear imitation of the Cesira. This in itself is just a title, of course, with no practical effect – but in the worst-case scenario, it may come to signal another whole new shift in European politics.
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(Obviously they must’ve actually done this some time recently, but I didn’t notice until now.)
The one time that the High King, or maybe even the entire Lechowicz clan’s rule over Poland is at risk, no relative at home or abroad seems to be available to take the reins. In fact, many of them have joined the “collaborationist” nobles the same as anyone else. For the first several weeks after the coup, the prevailing mood among the majority who aren’t too enthusiastic about the situation is one of anxious confusion over how to act. Even the faint temptation of trying to claim the throne for themselves doesn't get any Lechowicz to step up.
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While the meczenniks throw around promises and crown money to get people on their side, the 40-year-old Aleksander I, his gallant figure gone in an instant, paces around his comfortable but very tightly guarded quarters in Pieskowa Skala. Even his jailors seem to have mixed feelings, trying to pay him some token respect but unable to sweep under the rug the fact that they just shot him and took him prisoner. His moods change by the day, flipping from furious to depressed to almost but not quite bargaining, and he writes dozens of letters that he orders to be sent to Krakow. Only the most presentable one is actually delivered, one with a cryptic assurance to the Sejm that this will all be over soon, while the rest are hidden in the castle and only rediscovered many years later. Other than that, the High King of Poland has no contact with the outside world, and being the most powerful man in the world seems to do him no good in his gilded cage.
After a couple of weeks, things take a sudden turn for the worse as the bullet hole in his side, which already seemed to be healing just fine, shows signs of infection. While he gets some care from the best meczennik doctors they can smuggle to the castle without attracting attention, they are unable to help and his condition rapidly deteriorates. He writes many more increasingly delirious letters, none of which are sent. On 20 July, a little under a month after the coup and despite the meczenniks’ best attempts, the High King dies in isolation. To what extent he was a victim of circumstance and how much he contributed to those circumstances will be discussed for ages to come, but the fact is that the current situation was already out of his hands.
(Killed by the 33% chance in that previous event.)
The meczenniks at Pieskowa have no idea what to do. Whatever their plan really was, it definitely wasn’t to kill the High King, more to start using him as a figurehead as things stabilize. Even the rest of the conspiracy aren’t told until a week or so after the incident, when they decide that they obviously can’t just keep hiding it. They’re all in this together. There’s no turning back now.
As their spokeswoman, Maria Černá makes an announcement to the Sejm that to her immense sorrow, the High King has died of a sudden illness at his undisclosed location where he was taken good care of. Of course, the timing is far too convenient for anyone to buy, but what’s more, they have lost their royal hostage – except that Černá goes on to say that “the crown” will obviously honor the legitimate order of succession and Crown Prince Aleksander II will inherit post-haste. The meczenniks are clearly scrambling to maintain control, and the 16-year-old boy, just barely old enough to take the throne, is allowed to appear for his coronation as if nothing was wrong at all. However, there’s no doubt that he too has a dagger pressed against his back. After that, he is hardly allowed to show his face, only to press his seal upon whatever papers are handed to him.
https://i.postimg.cc/65MsqpRD/20200411135031-1.jpg
Tellingly, the governments of Moldavia and Scotland – which have been hotly debating this matter ever since the coup – both make the independent decision to not accept this meczennik puppet as their ruler. In their wording, this is just a temporary state of things, implying that they have no issue with Aleksander II per se and will talk again once proper order has been restored in Krakow. Until then, they will rule themselves (much as they have until now). While Poland’s control over them was loose to begin with, for the time being, it is officially on break. There’s concern that the more directly ruled subject states (Frisia, Yugoslavia and the voivodeships) will try to pull something similar, but for now, they remain mostly quiet on the matter if anything.
https://i.postimg.cc/3xqPjft1/20200411135057-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/s2ZbTP8r/20200411135105-1.jpg
Other pagan rulers make only token approaches to the new High King and keep eyeing the situation from the sidelines, be it with caution or with hunger. Within Poland, local governments are developed and autonomous enough not to fall into total anarchy even with the political chaos in Krakow, but though the coup government’s hold over them is rather tenuous, neither side really wants to rock the boat either.
Travel times mean that it takes a while for the troops stationed in the colonies to even get a full picture of what’s happening back home, but once they do, they finally start organizing a response – not least out of concern about what will happen to the colonies if the homeland can’t protect them. The same lack of communication means that the meczennik government can’t tell what’s happening over there, either. The commanders of the Amatican and East Indies garrisons start immediately arresting all meczennik soldiers, officials and other suspected traitors (probably including some personal enemies) in their respective regions, hurrying to fill the resulting gaps in their ranks with local recruits or conscription. The meczennik presence is relatively small compared to the homeland, so they succeed without much trouble, but the latter part causes tension with local authorities.
Once they have done that, word arrives in Frisia that the colonies have been secured and that they should do the same. Finally feeling free to act, the commander of the Frisian garrison, old man Prendota Lechowicz, starts to take more of a role as the leader of the loyalist resistance. There was little love lost between him and the late Aleksander I, starting with some lingering grudges from the Dalmatian War almost twenty years ago, which is probably why he has escaped suspicion since the coup; but he remains loyal to the crown and likes the meczennik government even less. He has a lot of contacts and personal respect within the military, though now he must wield them carefully lest the plot be revealed too quickly.
https://i.postimg.cc/qRVSShVC/20200411140152-1.jpg
Of course, there’s only so long that the resistance movement can remain hidden once it starts purging meczenniks and recruiting new troops in mainland Europe. Luckily there’s also only so much the meczenniks can do about it. Once it becomes clear that someone is able and willing to act against them, at the same time that all but the most shallow of their promises fail to manifest in practice, what little support they had vanishes almost as quickly as it came. Some of the meczennik leaders flail desperately, while others almost seem to accept their fate. It all went wrong the moment that stray bullet hit the High King, if it was ever going to work at all. Tensions run high on all levels of society and a lot of fights, riots and even small military skirmishes start popping up around the country.
In late November, after almost half a year of national paralysis, the situation is finally ripe for an army – led by Prendota’s colleague Zelibrat Lechowicz – to march through Krakow, the meczennik guards standing aside in their way, and right up to the gates of Wavel Castle. They demand the release of the young High King and the immediate surrender of the meczennik leadership. These demands are met. Some try to flee, but most are quickly caught. Aleksander II seems practically clueless to all that’s going on, but under the generals’ guidance, he makes a public appearance mere hours later to announce an urgent “inspection” of all meczennik forces, their role in this high treason and what he calls the murder of the previous High King. Those who had nothing to do with the coup have nothing to fear, he says. But as he continues talking, he clearly starts shaking off the dust of his five months of imprisonment and speaking with increased fervor – not that of the generals, but of his own – about those injustices and the retribution to come.
https://i.postimg.cc/d12pYswN/20200411150523-1.jpg
Only a few days into the inspection, it becomes clear that regardless of what the High King said, mere membership of the meczenniks is in fact pretty much enough to be deemed guilty of colluding against the crown and the Polish nation. There are many instances of them being chased down in the street and humiliated, beaten or killed. More royal decrees all but declare the Kolekcja system defunct, continue the dissolvement of the meczennik organization that was already begun before the coup, and soon also expand to target nobles who seemed a little too happy to collaborate. The remaining meczenniks and the nobles now in the same boat put together one last hurrah, staging a large uprising in Prague, a city with a large meczennik presence and where this whole mess originally began. They rally behind one Stanislaw Lechowicz, hoping to play on the Sejm’s fears of Aleksander II’s widespread retribution and use him as a figurehead for yet another… counter-counter-coup.
https://i.postimg.cc/pXWbPF9f/20200411150558-1.jpg
Still, at this point it’s all in vain. The rebels have little real support left, and this only provides the loyalists with the last justification they need to dismantle the meczenniks altogether (and kill a good portion of them in the fighting itself). By the start of February 1746, the meczennik rebellion seems to finally be over at last. Poland can finally begin its return to normalcy.
https://i.postimg.cc/zDSYmjfD/20200411151531-1.jpg
Easier said than done. The generals are in agreement that they can’t let it look like they’re just grabbing power for themselves, so Aleksander II must assume his full duties at the first opportunity. Besides all the work to be done internally, this also includes reestablishing control over Poland’s subject states. Alas: in the meantime, Moldavia’s regent government has begun an invasion of the Serbian rump state, implicitly taking back the reins of its own foreign policy. This otherwise minor war is a direct violation of the agreement between Poland and Moldavia, and the Poles tell them as much, demanding that they cease hostilities immediately out of principle if nothing else. The argument escalates, culminating in the Moldavian declaration that they retain the right to crown whoever they want and will not be accepting Aleksander II after all. Instead, they near-unanimously elect the Speaker of the Sejm, Nadbor Movilesti, as the new King of a fully independent Moldavia. Their whole acceptance of the situation hinged on a certain respect towards Poland, which has crumbled rather badly as they observed recent events. Polish power and diplomatic relations in the south seem to collapse all at once.
https://i.postimg.cc/CM4Xrxvz/20200411152228-1.jpg
The Poles have higher hopes for Scotland, and negotiations do get off to a promising start, but in the end, the small regency council apparently decides that it prefers to keep its power after all. The nobles rally around a popular young man named James Abernethy, naming him King of Scotland and all its colonies. The Polish-Scottish personal union is only 30 years old and their cultural ties a lot more distant, so this process is also a lot less dramatic on both sides. However, it comes at a time when the government in Krakow is truly anxious to strengthen itself wherever it possibly can.
https://i.postimg.cc/x897jwdf/20200411152232-1.jpg
Seeing the mess that his diplomats have made, Aleksander II immediately begins efforts to mend broken relations and win back Moldavia and Scotland as allies even if not subjects. At the same time, the military must work double-time to make up for the loss of the meczenniks and vassal armies alike. But even as the crown government starts to regain its grip on power, the sheer amount of shocks in the last year or so has shaken many people’s worldview to its foundations. Immediately after reaching its territorial peak, the worst doomsayers proclaim that the Polish great power has come crashing down and reached the end of its golden age, paving the way for even greater upheaval to come. It is left to the people in charge to prove them wrong.
https://i.postimg.cc/rsgHDfdS/20200411154312-1.jpg
The coup disaster already has a good chance of killing your monarch… and then he gets killed by a generic event that fires at times of low stability instead. At least Aleksander II didn’t then get killed by the “proper” event that usually fires… :smallbiggrin:
More of a narrative chapter, but I figured that what might turn out to be some of the most important months of European history were best not skimmed over. When I do get the inspiration for one, I generally try to roll with it. Breaking the personal unions was obviously a manual self-nerf on my part, but appropriate both in-universe and on a meta level, I believe. And as for that thing at the end: we’re at -4 prestige and likely to recover it pretty quickly, so the revolution is unlikely to come to pass – unlike the meczennik coup, I’m not going to force it – but it is hopefully a thematic setup for global events to come, elsewhere if not necessarily in Poland.
InvisibleBison
2020-04-11, 11:11 AM
That was both shorter and less disastrous than I was expecting, which is a good thing, I suppose. And it will be interesting to see how things go moving forward. Will these disruptions weaken Poland enough for a foreign enemy to actually get the better of them for once?
SilverLeaf167
2020-04-11, 01:32 PM
The coup disaster is honestly kind of silly, because as a player all you actually need to do is delete janissary/meczennik units until they form less than 5% of your army and then press a decision. And that's not even an exploit, it's all you can do. I actually restrained myself a bit by (half-accidentally) waiting as far as November.
SilverLeaf167
2020-04-16, 07:23 AM
Chapter #47: Altered Allegiances (Aleksander II, 1746-1758)
18th of March, 1746
If the Kupala Coup was the sum of many factors, its aftereffects are wide-spanning as well. In less than a year, the very ideals and foundations of noble power and Crown-Sejm relations have been thoroughly shaken up. Polish external power has been reduced by the sudden loss of Moldavia and Scotland, as well as the seemingly growing ambitions of Germany. And while it was somewhat sidelined during the events, the fact that the meczenniks consisted mostly of oddani is not forgotten in the aftermath, fueling increased distrust of non-pagans as a whole, among myriad other social and political divisions brought to the surface. High King Aleksander II (now 17!) certainly has a lot on his plate.
https://i.postimg.cc/SKHHnZxz/20200415143022-1.jpg
And though keeping in line with the legal line of succession, the circumstances of his coronation were otherwise some of the most fraught in Polish history, not to mention that, having only been rescued by the military, he may seem indebted to his generals. Some consider it telling that one of his first targets of spending in the spring of 1746 is the renovation of defenses and other military infrastructure in some vulnerable regions such as Pomerania and Yugoslavia. This and similar massively expensive projects, such as expanding the navy, continue to dominate for years to come.
While any changes the meczenniks did make are legally declared moot, it’ll take a while for the crown administration to sort itself out. At the same time, while most local governments are pleased that order has returned to Krakow, many of them were also happy with their ability to handle themselves during the crisis and wouldn’t have minded keeping their wider responsibilities. This goes double for places such as Calais, which is basically a Polish military outpost sandwiched between Frisia, Italy and England, and torn between opposite impulses to accept or shut out those foreign influences. In the current situation, the crown government strongly urges them towards the latter. However, some worry that entrenched ideas of Polish superiority might turn out to be its downfall in these rapidly changing times.
https://i.postimg.cc/cHY2wQvk/20200415143609-1.jpg
The elderly Prendota Lechowicz, hero of the counter-coup, passes away in June. However, his influence in the government is largely inherited by proteges of his such as one Lechoslaw Potocki, the new Quartermaster General appointed by Aleksander II.
https://i.postimg.cc/Y0HV3hgr/20200415143958-1.jpg
Even as Poland has been rather focused on internal matters for a while, things have been happening elsewhere. Tripoli and Kanem Bornu were unsurprisingly successful in their invasion of Murcia, annexing what was originally a rather artificial albeit long-lasting crusader state (but whose population was by this point quite thoroughly Christian).
https://i.postimg.cc/nck83Y06/20200415144926-1.jpg
Tayshas remains a broken state, allowing several native movements to declare independence, even if unrecognized by most states other than the Polish colonies (which, for the record, don’t have the legal right to do that). The opportunistic Swedes have tried to invade these breakoff states in the south, only to be temporarily taken aback by what a coalition of natives with modern technology can do. Tayshas’ trials are far from over, too, with several more nations still looking to break free.
https://i.postimg.cc/pLXw4hSy/20200415145107-1.jpg
As the newly enthroned Nadbor IV Movilesti of Moldavia asserts his independence from Poland, his domination of the Balkans and the Black Sea basically forces most nations to acknowledge Moldavia as the third-greatest pagan power after Poland and Germany (fifth if you include Rajasthan and Wu). He is rapidly enacting new conscription laws to build up a larger army than they ever had under Polish rule, and other European nations seem to be following suit – other than Poland, which has plenty of trouble just keeping its current one functional.
https://i.postimg.cc/yNDwYqsH/20200415145757-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/pLGwHVNC/20200415145754-1.jpg
Japan’s back-and-forth warring in China resumes with an invasion of Yan. The offense is also joined by Rajasthan and, curiously enough, England, presumably looking for more ports in the region. However, Yan is protected by Arabia, pulling Rajasthan into an unfortunate two-front war. It’s also a good reminder that Poland needs to invest more in its port that it conquered from Italy as almost an afterthought…
https://i.postimg.cc/fTZn7gjc/20200415150511-1.jpg
Of course, such projects have to take a backseat to getting Poland’s economy back on track without angering the populace too much. The meczenniks really did a number on the treasury, basically throwing out the stockpile built up by Aleksander I and causing lasting damage to the rest of the crown finances as well.
https://i.postimg.cc/C1jrzS2W/20200415150727-1.jpg
At least the alliance with James III Abernethy of Scotland is remade easily enough. Moldavia seems to be a tougher to bring to the negotiating table, not overtly hostile towards Poland but apparently quite determined to take some distance and not be seen as its subordinate again. Since the Poles are also unhappy with Chernigov and uncertain to continue their alliance if push comes to shove, Aleksander II’s government starts making overtures to long-neglected Sweden in the north, hoping to maintain some guise of a pagan power bloc – especially given Sweden’s massive colonies in Alcadra. The Inger dynasty in Stockholm is quite amused by this turn of events… but intrigued by the offer.
https://i.postimg.cc/jjnFYz4q/20200415150944-1.jpg
Meanwhile, in response to increasing discrimination against the oddani, be they actually associated with the meczenniks or not, the young and perhaps naive Aleksander II figures that he, a personal victim of theirs, might be able to relax tensions by making a public statement supported by the rest of the government. He could never have expected the amount of yelling this causes in the Sejm. In the end, even a lot of people loyal to the High King aren’t actually on board with his foolish plan to grant the oddani special protections as a “reward” (as they put it) for what they did with the Kupala Coup only a couple years back. The heated debate only ends up serving as a stark reminder of the state of Polish politics.
https://i.postimg.cc/Y2zy72YF/20200415151548-1.jpg
To the crown’s rescue comes Harald Brockenhuus, a respected Danish philosopher. While most of his theories deal with rationalism, the nature of reality and things like that, and have been neither embraced nor rejected by the state, his outspoken support for the government (mixed with some constructive criticism) proves invaluable in this trying time. In place of destructive religious strife, he urges rational agnosticism on both sides, and his students and contacts in academic circles throughout the country start to do the same. Their message reaches even the vast majority who wouldn’t be reading his works per se, and the situation seems to calm down for the time being. Brockenhuus receives a massive state stipend.
https://i.postimg.cc/KjxqTCS4/20200415152225-1.jpg
As of 1749, Amatica remains in flux, with some native states being successfully reconquered by the colonizers just as others declare independence right next door.
https://i.postimg.cc/2yGH7TrG/20200415153531-1.jpg
And on 14 September 1749, Cesira Gizella I, the Empress of Italy, finally passes away in Rome. Her 46 years on the throne saw Italy declare itself an empire, consolidate its territory and truly take its place as one of the great powers of the world, even if undermined by its loss to Poland in the Dalmatian War. The throne passes to her 19-year-old nephew, Caesar Nino VII, said to be another young genius trained from birth to be a ruler one day. It can safely be said that a new generation has stepped in to take over the fight for Europe, with Sweden’s 33-year-old Dyre II being on the older end. It can only be assumed that a change of guard will also bring a change of attitude.
https://i.postimg.cc/PrfV5GQR/20200415153757-1.jpg
That it does. Kaiser Dalimir I has long been of the mind that while Vladimir’s local government has served quite well, it’s been in a stable union under Germany for a while now and it’s about time that they just dropped the pretense of a separate Vladimirian state altogether. The long process comes to an end in March 1751 as he officially dissolves the Vladimirian regent government and announces that all his dominions shall be ruled directly from Brunswick. Much like when he declared himself Kaiser, the effect on everyday life might start out rather small, but the mostly Russian nobility and Ugrian peasantry of Vladimir definitely have their own identity and don’t feel very German, not to mention the… geographical problems.
https://i.postimg.cc/BQhY8hhQ/20200415155620-1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/htfCV9w8/20200415155631-1.jpg
This also causes concern in the rest of Slavdom. For the first time, everyone can agree that it's Germany and not Poland shaking up what remains of the Moscow Pact, which aids Aleksander II in striking those alliances he’s been looking for. Sweden and Moldavia both make pacts of mutual defense with Poland, forming what should be a rather solid center against German pressure – but while Scotland, Novgorod and Moldavia all seem reliable enough, Sweden and Chernigov have split loyalties with Germany and insist on only maintaining the status quo, threatening to join forces with whomever they see as the defending party. While frustrating to the people in Krakow, they might really be doing everyone a favor by keeping this particular war cold. History will be their judge.
https://i.postimg.cc/d0Wr6XyL/eu4-map-POL-1752-01-12-1.png
Perhaps not unrelated, Dalimir I dies under unclear circumstances in September 1752 and is immediately succeeded by his slightly younger brother Witosz IV. He, however, declares that the internal and foreign policies adopted by his beloved late brother will continue as planned.
https://i.postimg.cc/JzvpxsVf/20200415163810-1.jpg
The new reality of a continent-spanning German Empire puts some new speed into the Polish government as well. The worst-case possibility of Chernigov and Sweden turning against it forces the construction of yet more fortifications on the eastern and northern fronts, which on the other hand is seen as a sign of distrust that strains their relations somewhat. Infantry technology and thus doctrine march on as well, including the readoption of old hand-to-hand tactics in the form of rifle-mounted bayonets instead.
(Forgot to take the screenshot, but it's just military tech)
In 1753, the Asian war ends in a resounding victory for the attacking side, letting Japan reclaim most of Korea, England expand its foothold in China and Rajasthan actually reclaim some regions previously taken by Arabia.
https://i.postimg.cc/QM70yjjH/20200415164716-1.jpg
There are also many factions within Poland who want it to engage in some colonialism of its own now that it’s had plenty of time to recover from its troubles, but the unfortunate reality of globalized power politics is that almost any target “worth conquering” would also drag the nation into a war with one or more large countries on other continents. Some argue that in its glory days, Poland would’ve simply taken that as a challenge. But right now, Aleksander II’s more cautious government – advised by military leaders who seem perfectly happy to get a lot of investment without ever actually going to war – simply don’t concider it worth it.
Of course, plenty of people say that the High King simply hates the idea of war, perhaps traumatized by his teenage experiences or perhaps just a man of common sense.
https://i.postimg.cc/tJqkJPWx/20200415165843-1.jpg
Speaking of, Japan’s warring on the continent seems to have been just a distraction from troubles of its own. It has long been stuck in a web of ideological contradictions: lauding the Emperor’s divine authority while actually ruled by the Shogun, proudly calling itself the home of the Enlightenment while trying to guard itself from foreign influence, embracing Japanese superiority while actually allying and even intermarrying with Rajasthan. Pushed to the brink by otherwise temporary political crises within the country, this national doublethink came toppling down. Having finally risen up in rebellion, in May 1756, the Daimyos and other nobles of Japan succeed in overthrowing the Shogun altogether. However, while they have no interest in elevating a new dictator, they also don’t seem to feel like becoming an absolute monarchy again. Instead, they organize themselves into a noble republic of sorts, with the Emperor having his position solidified as ceremonial head of state while most power rests with the Imperial Diet consisting of the nobility and upper classes.
https://i.postimg.cc/qRXQpQhr/20200415170053-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/kGTcb4vh/20200415170750-1.jpg
(Not the actual Revolution disaster, confusingly enough – just a “normal” republican revolution.)
The whole so-called Japanese Revolution has some key similarities to the Kupala Coup, but also couldn’t be more different, having occurred in very different circumstances and with the broad support of both the nobles and the populace. However, as the news spreads across the world, it inspires worry in some and courage in others: while only a secondary power in military terms, Japan is one of the most scientifically, economically and some would say societally prosperous countries in the world, which even the Europeans have gradually been coming to accept. If its stable autocratic government can be toppled and replaced with a republic with the rest of the world none the wiser that it’s even happening, what does that say of their own?
Mere months later, something very similar happens in neighboring Yan, though it wasn’t really the exemplar of stability to begin with. The middle classes of the wartorn rump state rise up, forcing the King of Yan to abdicate and founding a provisional republic in the place of the royal government. Here the changes are actually far deeper than in Japan, as the people seem to be tired of the aristocracy as a whole, aiming to throw out any possible notion of inherited power – though at least the royal family still get to leave with their lives, over to Wu, where they will live in exile. Voting rights seem to end up being defined by wealth, too.
https://i.postimg.cc/QNmSP4Zk/20200415175354-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/FsKGQy9t/20200415175417-1.jpg
Much like Japan, the Poles have been quite convinced of their own noncommittal ideology and seemingly had little interest in foreign Enlightenment thought. That certainly doesn’t get any better now that many people are starting to associate it with anti-monarchist revolution. Aleksander II shares these concerns, sympathetic to many Enlightenment ideas but no more eager to give up his own position than any other ruler would be, but for now, his cautious policies – including both appeasing the populace and keeping the military on high alert – have kept the situation stable, and the Kupala Coup is already starting to fade into memory (at least for the optimists).
In early 1758, his foreign policy is finally put to the test. Karnata and Rajasthan declare war on England, aiming for its various Asian colonies, which also draws newly-republican Japan to England’s defense, breaking its long-standing alliance with Rajasthan. At the same time, a very brief regency ends in Chernigov and the 15-year-old Queen Feodosia I is allowed to take the throne. She immediately uses this power to declare war on Rajasthan, trusting it to be distracted on other fronts and aiming to claim some of those territories that Chernigov has been eyeing for centuries. She is joined in this effort by Germany (which, remember, now reaches deep into Siberia and has plenty of claims of its own).
More importantly, she also asks Aleksander II to join the cause, saying that Poland might have some colonies of its own to gain. Of course, refusing would break Poland’s alliance with Chernigov (again) and leave it solidly in Germany’s camp, threatening the fragile balance of power. But joining would put Poland at war with most of Asia which, while obviously weaker than it looks, is a logistical nightmare, and just the kind of massive slaughter that he personally would like to avoid.
https://i.postimg.cc/x1JRX9Jt/20200415180501-1.jpg
He has a difficult diplomatic decision to make, and a choice between certain war now and possible, much worse war in the future.
https://i.postimg.cc/htk0xNVg/20200415182755-1.jpg
Borders haven’t been changing that much in Europe. Moldavia annexed Serbia, obviously. Murcia quickly rebelled and threw off the Tunisian yoke, only to be invaded again by Kanem Bornu… which only took its capital for some reason.
Over in Tayshas, Swedish and Asturian intervention has since cleared out the breakoff states, but tensions obviously remain and Tayshas is very much bankrupt.
https://i.postimg.cc/sXy9HSnN/20200415183542-1.jpg
Rajasthan is massive but also massively backwards, actually one of the least advanced countries in the world by some metrics. Meanwhile, the much smaller Karnata has a larger army that is just as advanced as the European great powers’, and its strange relationship with Rajasthan is generally seen as one of the tail wagging the dog.
I’m not organizing an official vote, but I am taking thoughts on the war against Rajasthan.
Other suggestions too, though I’m personally pretty happy following world events as long as I have something to write about. War statistics if joined. (https://i.postimg.cc/bv19RLRn/20200415183854-1.jpg)
I… don’t know what to think about that German Eastern Europe. Not to mention how it’ll work in Vic 2. It sure is something.
A lot of the narrative about the military buildup, rapid changes and Poland’s inability to participate is basically an explanation for why all the AI nations are getting a +50% bonus to their army size due to Very Hard difficulty while we don’t. I’ve confirmed that it’s working, but since it’s only a bonus to manpower, force limit etc. and not instantly spawning those troops, the effects on world balance will also come in more gradually.
With that failed debate tanking my prestige at the start, the Harald Brockenhuus event immediately after quite literally gave me the choice of whether I wanted to have the Revolution disaster or not – but since I just got out of another self-imposed coup, and probably would just end up crushing the rebels if I didn’t intentionally let them win, I went with what made sense in-character. I’m thinking of buffing the Revolution to match the AI’s buffs so it doesn’t just fizzle, though. Speaking of, even Japan probably would’ve brought out the guillotine if it were the proper revolution, but since they just became a Noble Republic, I figured that they’d still keep their divine emperor as a ceremonial figure the way they have in our timeline.
InvisibleBison
2020-04-16, 08:49 AM
How feasible would it be for Poland to join the war but not participate? It doesn't look like there's any real danger of Poland proper being invaded, though the Polish East Indies do seem vulnerable, given their proximity to Karnata. How strong are the military forces, especially the navy, in that colony? And does Poland stand to gain anything should they join and the war prove successful?
SilverLeaf167
2020-04-16, 09:29 AM
Almost the entirety of that enemy navy (preview (https://i.postimg.cc/bv19RLRn/20200415183854-1.jpg)) is Karnata's relatively modern ships, so we'll need to bring together a few of our (recently expanded) fleets to be roughly equal, but our side is clearly bigger as a whole. The Indian Fleet and some trade fleets are already there, but the Grand Marynarka and Atlantic Fleet will take a moment to sail around. The East Indian garrisons number 84,000, and any others will have to either march through Chernigov or hitch a ride on the fleets. Karnata might try to sneak a force into the East Indies before the armada can gather, but we'd probably be able to stand our ground, so Poland just joining and securing the seas without actually staging a land invasion is a viable option - as far as we can tell.
As for gaining anything, there are a bunch of valuable ports to be had, but that'll require us to make a landing, occupy a bunch of territory and possibly make a separate peace to be sure. So the two options are mutually exclusive. Then again, helping Chernigov and especially Germany too much might actually be seen as a minus.
SilverLeaf167
2020-04-25, 02:54 PM
Chapter #48: Front Row Seats (Aleksander II, 1758-1770)
18th of February, 1758
After much deliberation, Aleksander II and the Sejm seem to be in agreement. He informs the Queen of Chernigov that Poland will be joining the war effort and leveraging its superior navy to secure the Indian Ocean. The unspoken side, of course, is that he has no interest in sending his men to die in a land war in… well, land war against Asia. But it is true that Poland’s oceangoing navy is the strongest by far, and that blockading the enemy will be of vital importance in a war of this scale. Poland has thus honored its alliance for the time being. Intelligence suggests that Germany was actually hoping for the Poles to refuse, sabotage their relationship with Chernigov and tip the balance in Europe. This just confirms that joining was probably the right choice. A naval operation, albeit a massive one, is also easier to sell to the populace than sending hundreds of thousands to march across mountain, steppe and desert.
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The fact that Rajasthan, the mighty Pratihara Empire, can only field a relatively small army despite ostensibly ruling most of Asia and half a billion people is testament to just how shallow its power actually is. On a closer look, most of its vast territory is controlled by local vassals, warlords and tributaries and defended by militias that barely have any guns and would be worse than useless against a proper army. It’s the natural result of trying to rule such a large and diverse land empire with poor communications, of course, but the overly conservative rulers and government in Kanpur have certainly done their part in messing it up further. Meanwhile, the imperial army can only field some 250,000 men, comparable to that of Germany – but far inferior in quality and equipment. The current Emperor is also underage, leaving his mother to reign in his stead, which complicates matters further.
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Meanwhile, the Karnata Kingdom to its south is much smaller in both area and population, but very wealthy, modern and efficient. Despite having married into the Pratihara dynasty centuries ago, it has managed to keep its real and cultural independence. Sitting at a real crossroads of trade and very hospitable towards foreigners, it’s been able to absorb European and Japanese influences alike and keep up with the rest of the world while Rajasthan provides all the raw materials it needs. Cartoonists like to depict Karnata and Rajasthan as a dwarf leading an elephant on a leash, which people also expect to be the case for this war. That goes double for Poland, seeing as the Karnata navy is going to be its main enemy on the high seas.
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Of course, Poland isn’t alone in this, since Karnata has already been fighting the formidable fleets of England and Japan in their separate war, but Poland can’t assume them to be where they’re needed, so it’ll have to muster enough of its own navy in one place. The Indian Fleet and a few trade fleets are already in the area, but the Grand Marynarka, Atlantic Fleet and others also receive orders to sail there and group up. Even by the most generous estimates, they won’t all be there until early next year, meaning that the local forces must stay on high alert. An extra army will also be sent over from Europe to reinforce the East Indian garrisons.
On land, while most of the armies are still mustering, the war gets off to a bad start in Ceylon. Chernigov has long been allowed to maintain an outpost and garrison there, but with the declaration of war, Karnata forces soon march in to… evict them. Chernigov sharply criticizes Poland’s neglect in blockading the island.
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Yet another war begins on the Europe-Asia frontier as Moldavia invades Rûm and Arabia, luckily not trying to drag Poland into it. It does mean, however, that the Slavs being at war with the entirety of Asia becomes more and more literal.
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One thing the East Indian garrison does dare pull off, far from Karnata’s reach, is a naval landing in the lesser-noticed enemy nation: the Khmer Empire of Cambodia. After most of the enemy fleet is caught and sunk out at sea, it goes through without too much resistance. Some might already be eyeing Cambodia as a potential colony, but it quickly drops out of the war, leaving Poland with one less front to worry about.
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About a year into the war, invasions have gotten moving on the continental front as well, though progress is slow due to the sheer distances involved. On that note, the unlucky armies marching across the punishing terrain of Central Asia are perishing by the tens of thousands or deserting in the desert, even as the first couple battles have been victorious for the Slavs. There might be a good reason that this long frontier has gone largely uncontested for centuries now, the mountains and wastelands serving as a natural buffer.
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As for the largest naval operation in Polish history, almost three hundred warships are placed under the command of two admirals, Shestov and Mikula. They immediately set out to look for a decisive battle to seize the advantage. After some smaller skirmishes, in July 1759 they seem to find it out in the middle of the sea: about half of Karnata’s navy gathered in one place, apparently headed towards the East Indies. However, the enemy admiral only puts up a fighting retreat to escape with minor losses.
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More fighting follows off the coast of Ceylon and the tip of India, but forcing the enemy to fight to the death proves easier said than done. In the end, the Polish forces settle on blockading Ceylon to trap most of the enemy navy there, but unfortunately this means not being able to patrol the rest of the ocean.
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Meanwhile at home, life goes on much as usual. Since there’s need for conscription drives or the sort, to those not directly involved with this distant war, it isn’t of much concern. The only 30-year-old High King, however, is showing strange signs of deteriorating health despite his age. Healers are split on what exactly it is that ails him, but as he needs to take frequent breaks – some of them several days long – he must delegate more and more of his daily duties to others, mainly the provincial and colonial governments that already proved their worth during the Kupala Coup. The conduct of the war, for that matter, is almost entirely in the admirals’ hands.
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In Central Asia, all parties having to split their attention across a large area means that the Indians also have some opportunities to wreak havoc in Siberia, but most of them are repelled soon afterwards. Farther south, the Slavs are making good headway into Iraq and Persia.
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After that initial shuffling, Poland’s part in the war has proven… uneventful, which of course is exactly what it wanted. As the enemy seems content to sit in Ceylon, Shestov and Mikula also feel comfortable splitting off some of their forces to blockade more of India. Still, their contribution is significant for having locked down the enemy navy and also tied down a good chunk of Karnata’s best soldiers in defending against a Polish invasion that never comes. Even the parts of the military that feel a bit frustrated, disappointed or even “bored” by this lack of action can probably be glad they’re not dying up on the continent. By the end of 1761, almost half a million Slavs already have. For Poland, that number is a few thousand back in Cambodia, which is peanuts on the scale of any “real” war.
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It bears repeating that all this time, the Indians also have the Chinese front to worry about, still being at war with the English and Japanese.
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(Fog of War turned off)
As for Poland, even with the lack of action, the logistics involved in maintaining the navy are nothing to scoff at. The sheer amount of shipments, soldiers and merchants sailing back and forth draws a lot more attention and Polish settlers to the East Indies.
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In June 1762, Karnata agrees on what is basically a white peace with England and Japan, admitting defeat and paying some piddling reparations for its aggression. The original declaration of war was only meant to seize some small colonies but ended up dragging Karnata and Rajasthan into much bigger trouble when Chernigov seized the opportunity to attack.
But at the same time, Germany and Chernigov are trying to not only replace their losses but actually grow their armies in order to cover the massive front. A constant stream of reinforcements – bottom-of-the-barrel conscripts, hastily hired mercenaries, much needed reserves – makes its way across Europe in a baggage train of epic proportions, large and consistent enough for entire businesses to pop up and new roads be built along its path for the sole purpose of catering to its needs. It’s not a beautiful sight, nor a beautiful sentiment, but some Polish politicians undoubtedly get some comfort out of the knowledge that Germany in particular is pouring its manpower into Asia instead of its neighbors.
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(That really is a rare sight in EU4…)
October 1763. After devoting over 70,000 men and over a year to the cause – as if they had nothing better to do – Karnata finally takes the heavily fortified Polish stronghold of Lushun (Port Arthur). All Europeans have been long since evacuated.
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January 1764. After failing to get past Adana for several years and finally having the tables turned on them, the Moldavians make an embarrassing white peace with the Muslims.
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April 1764. Rumor is that an increasing number of Poles are making trade with the Indians even through the blockade, at hugely jacked up prices, and the navy is letting them. The navy doesn’t react to these accusations, and Krakow doesn’t press them.
September 1764. The first German troops finally cross into India proper. The enemy starts pulling back more of its troops to defend the homeland.
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And that they do. After engaging the Germans with the overwhelming force of multiple armies, the Indians succeed in driving them back. It appears that this was a desperate last-ditch attempt by the Germans. The war has been going for almost seven years now, each of them making it more and more obvious what a gross miscalculation it was, while also bringing the Slavs such seemingly massive gains that they had no choice but to keep going and justify all those deaths. However, with this beeline for the enemy capital being thwarted, Germany has simply run out of manpower, money and simply morale to keep up the fight. Kaiser Witosz IV has also died in the field some months ago, leaving the throne to his 15-year-old sister Agafya I, not much of a warmonger. In January 1765, Germany makes a separate peace. All German forces start their equally long trek back home, leaving Chernigov to hold the occupied territory. Poland watches from the sidelines, honestly feeling a bit awkward at this point.
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Chernigov knows perfectly well that it should just quit while it’s ahead. Months later, before the Indians can mount another counteroffensive, Chernigov strikes a peace deal with them – very good by any metric, winning them vast amounts of land, but at a vast cost. Poor supply, exhaustion and disease have claimed far more men than the actual fighting, exacerbated by constant guerrilla warfare by the Rajasthani militias, who didn’t prove so useless after all. While unable to match an army in the field, with the collaboration of the local populace, they were more than capable of sabotaging and attacking the already very long supply lines at every turn and then picking off entire regiments who strayed from the army in search of supplies.
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Most of the land annexed comes from the Central Asian steppe, the part they fought, bled and starved the most over. While not “worthless”, most of it is rather arid and sparsely populated, and many feel justified in asking whether it was worth the trouble. The Poles certainly do, but they also know well enough to hold their tongues in this case. After all, Poland is widely blamed for slacking off and letting the war become such a meatgrinder in the first place instead of ending it quickly. But Chernigov and especially Germany can’t pretend that they were unaware of the chilly diplomatic situation between them, and if these losses really came as such a shock, maybe they should’ve looked at a map first.
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Poland’s various fleets return to their usual postings, and the extra army that spent all these years sitting in the East Indies is ferried back to Europe. No sooner have they arrived there than Asturias starts sailing in the other direction, declaring its own war against Karnata. The Asturians presumably plan to exploit Karnata’s current exhaustion from the war to expand from their existing base at the tip of the peninsula.
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As for Poland, openly exploitative as it may seem, the damage taken by Germany and Chernigov seems to have strengthened it in turn. Having saved its money and soldiers during the war, it is now in the perfect position to offer its neighbors deals for protection and resources that they can’t refuse, undoing years of German efforts to do the same. This boost to the economy and newfound feeling of security also leave Poland, or more specifically the governors making the decisions for the sickly High King, somewhat more open to foreign trade, ideas and imported knowledge. Though no one in Poland recognizes it at the time, historians in the future will say that it was actually showing signs of falling behind the other great powers in terms of development. These subtle, ground-level reforms are credited with having bucked the trend.
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One of the most important technological advancements in this latter half of the 18th century is the widespread adoption of coal as a fuel source, as well as the machinery to use it with. This machinery is naturally still very primitive and mostly useful in mines, which makes the explosive growth of coal-mining a self-reinforcing cycle. Poland is actually quite late to this trend, coming behind the likes of Japan, Italy, Germany and England, but currently possesses the largest coal reserves out of any of them. No one is actually approaching “industrialization” as a conscious goal, nor do they even realize such a thing might be possible, but as it creeps its way into other… well, industries, other countries will become increasingly dependent on those producing the fuel to run them.
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Meanwhile, as the Asturian navy is presumably busy in India, Sweden declares war on Asturias in turn, citing… well, pretty much any of their messy, disputed borders in Amatica and Alcadra as the casus belli. The two colonial empires really have pretty much half the New World to fight over. Despite the scale of the war, though, Sweden doesn’t even ask Poland to join. They must’ve learned from what happened in Asia, albeit not well enough to not start a continent-wide war themselves. Germany on the other hand is called in again and forced to accept, desperate not to lose any of its allies.
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That war gets off to a good start in Alcadra, where Sweden dominates, but not so much in Amatica where its presence is much weaker, nor in Europe where Germany is still badly weakened by the previous war and unable to defend itself. The war begins in late 1766, and by early 1768, Asturias has penetrated deep into Germany and forced Sweden to divert much of its army to fight in Germany’s stead. They eventually succeed in turning the tide, but the fighting will continue for years.
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In this situation, the Poles are even willing to start selling military equipment to Germany – at a high mark-up and the added cost of humiliation, of course. Whatever headstart Germany had in its industrialization is rapidly being undone as Poland makes the leap into other areas such as textiles, and not just lifting large weights or pumping water like down in the mines, but some rather precise work as well. This is actually a growing cause of concern for many laborers and craftsmen who feel that their livelihoods might be at risk, but for the small selection of merchants and government contractors who own the machines and facilities, it's an opportunity for more and more money and influence. Lucky for the common folk, perhaps, these operations are still rather small-scale and centered in the major cities.
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Nadbor IV, having earned himself a reputation as a bit of a babbling buffoon frantically trying to prove his worth to hold the throne, gives the failed invasion of Rûm another shot.
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Well, a few months later he dies doing what he loved, from a stray cannonball after getting much closer to the front than he really should’ve. As his son and heir Zbigniew is only 5 years old, the country is left in the hands of a regent government, and unlike their late monarch, they aren’t too proud to ask Poland to join the war. While Aleksander II still isn’t the most warlike sort, the Poles at least recognize the worth of helping Moldavia not pound its head against the same wall over and over.
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In July 1770, Poland begins its first “real” land war in a long time – hopefully not a very dramatic one.
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The Eurasian War (1758-65)
Chernigov + Germany + Poland vs. Rajasthan + Karnata + Khmer
Immediately after her coronation, the teenage Queen Feodosia I of Chernigov declared war on the continent-spanning Pratihara Empire (Rajasthan), expected to be a paper tiger that would crumble at the first touch. Enthusiastic as she was, it can only be assumed that the idea was put in her head by someone else. She managed to enlist Germany’s aid on land and Poland’s more grudging participation at sea, but while the sea war was quite uneventful throughout, the land war became bogged down in the various mountains and arid steppe that formed the entire frontier. Despite the Slavs’ technical and (strangely enough) numerical advantage, the Indians had the home turf and the ability to make them bleed for every mile of land they took. After a desperate final push for India, the Slavs ended up simply going home with what they could, namely a great chunk of territory for Chernigov but none whatsoever for Germany, even though their money and manpower had been drained by the war.
Due to having included large-scale fighting all throughout Central Asia and Siberia, in parts of India, and even in China, the war has been given an appropriately grandiose name. It seems likely to receive a numeral somewhere down the road.
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From what I can find, the adjective form of Karnata seems to be Karnata, and not Karnatan for instance. Nitpicky as that may seem, now that I know it I’m legally required to use it.
It looks like even after getting the +50% bonus from the difficulty level, most AI countries didn't really start building those additional armies before they actually got into a big enough war. This creates the interesting effect of individual regiments being recruited at home and marching to the front in a large stream, looking more like something you'd see in... any of the other games in this megacampaign, but not EU4.
InvisibleBison
2020-04-25, 09:42 PM
Wow. Not getting involved in the land war was definitely the right call. I do wonder, though, if Chernigov is going to take another swing at Rajasthan when the truce is up. Do you know what portion of the losses were theirs?
As I recall, the last time Poland got dragged into a war against Rum and Arabia it was a surprisingly bloody affair for relatively little gain. Have things changed, or do you expect a repeat of the last conflict?
SilverLeaf167
2020-04-26, 05:12 AM
Hmm. I don't think I have any way to go back and check the exact numbers anymore, but in terms of their respective manpower, Germany went down to 0 (or actually ran a deficit) while Chernigov still had some left as I recall, which means that Germany bore the worst of the casualties both in absolute numbers and relative to size. Sign of an absolute failure on all levels of leadership, I'm sure.
The war in 1739-1744 was in fact a bit of a mess, but while it ended up being a silly white peace, the Poles didn't take that much damage per se and it mostly boiled over because of the already tense political situation. That being said, people should still remember it relatively well. Thanks for reminding me to address that a bit more in the next chapter.
The one in 1690-1695 is mostly infamous for the Massacre of Mush (I love that province name), where a whole army was caught out of position and wiped out, but it's rather distant memory at this point and the ones who do remember it probably think that a similar outcome can be avoided by better strategy and all the advancements that have been made since then.
SilverLeaf167
2020-05-07, 12:14 PM
Chapter #49: High King on Vacation (Aleksander II, 1770-1776)
21st of July, 1770
Germany is recovering and quickly pushing the Asturians out of its territory, ready to take its turn on the offensive. Similarly in Amatica, the Asturians seized Sweden’s colonies around Tayshas early in the war, but after securing the Alcadran front, the Swedes are rapidly making their way up the narrow continent.
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Poland, meanwhile, is entering a war of its own, helping the Moldavian invasion of Rûm. Historically speaking, the Poles have plenty of bad memories from similar southern wars, and the diplomatic mistakes associated with the last one were actually a major catalyst for the Kupala Coup of 1745. However, this particular war has already been going on since last year, and the Moldavians seem to be making good progress on their own, mostly calling in Poland to make sure the shock of their king’s sudden death on the battlefield doesn’t turn the tide. But whether the war were important or dangerous or not, Poland would still need to safeguard its alliance with Moldavia in any case.
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Admiral Shestov, who previously served in the Eurasian War, is put in charge of the Black Fleet and sent south to join with the Moldavian navy and help it assault the Rûman capital Adana. It’s the lynchpin of the Sultanate and the same city Moldavia failed to take in its last attempt, leading to a frustrating white peace. Two armies also start marching south.
The Muslim fleets are nothing to scoff at either, but the Slavs working together are able to lock down the Eastern Mediterranean, blockading and bombarding Adana to finally take it by December 1770. Thus the invasion moves past the geographical chokepoint and into the Levant.
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Around the same time, much farther to the east, yet another Asian empire is forced to surrender to its own populace. The Khmer Empire had already been on the decline, having been pushed towards the coast by the Siamese state of Lan Na, been forced to open a treaty port to Italy, and even occupied by Poland. The spark in the powderkeg turned out to be an invasion by England, looking to turn the whole country into a colony. Not eager to switch an incompetent ruler for another, much harsher and more distant one, the Khmer people have risen up en masse, driven out the occupiers and imperial officials alike and proclaimed the Khmer Republic as of July 1771. The nascent republic is still at war with England, though, which still occupies part of its territory.
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Indeed, as the republic struggles to get itself in order, the English make a new landing and end up seizing most of its territory. The republic remains, but greatly reduced.
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In 1772, the other European imperialist wars also start wrapping up. Asturias is forced to bail out of its war with Karnata, giving up its naval base in India. Germany, having clearly made another miscalculation by joining the war against Asturias, also makes a white peace in that war as soon as possible. Sweden and Asturias still keep up the fight, though, and large parts of Asturian Amatica are overrun all the way up to the Polish border. It’s already clear who has won; only the exact division of millions of square miles of land remains to be determined.
It is finally set in stone in the groundbreaking Treaty of Tenochtitlan, 14 December 1772. The majority of Asturias’ Alcadran provinces, as well as some of the most valuable – albeit native-dominated – parts of Tayshas change hands. Sweden’s title as the unparalleled master of the continent and its surrounding regions is further cemented, yet on the other hand, this expansion for expansion’s sake makes it increasingly clear just how fragile that position might be: a small population of a few million in Europe is ruling over a great number of colonial citizens, unhappy natives and conquered other Europeans as well, and though the Swedish government may be efficient and its military mighty, it is clear that this empire can only stand as long as the colonial elites play along for their own benefit.
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As the year turns into 1773, the invasion of Rûm slogs on, having moved on to the usual phase of convincing Arabia to give up the fight. The Caliphate’s manpower isn’t to be underestimated, though: it can very well bring together an army strong enough to send any misplaced Slavic forces reeling back. The sheer amount of soldiers that other countries are able to mobilize lately has come as something of a surprise.
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Poland for its part doesn’t really go out of its way to pick fights with the enemy, but occasionally has no choice if it is to hold onto its occupations and force a pleasant peace treaty sooner rather than later. Still, the overall outstanding General Strigin proves prudent enough to pull back when needed and regroup rather than end up losing the whole region by trying too stubbornly to defend it. Another army is ferried over from the homeland, though, and overall another generation of Poles get their chance to fight and die in a land war. They do well, mind you, but obviously still incur losses with each battle.
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On the home front, on the other hand, technological progress – truly technological in a way people aren't really used to – continues unabated. The steam engines mostly used for mining so far are showing promise in more and more areas, including transportation, and though these ideas are almost all still theoretical and the machinery too finicky for anything more complicated than turning some gears in place, a growing class of investors are seizing on anything that could make them some money. The crown has been rather hands-off, either not really paying attention or just assuming the private sector (itself a rather new concept) to take care of it, but this development isn’t limited to just Poland, either: it’s happening everywhere with the supply and demand for it, be it in Europe, the colonies or even Japan.
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One place where the private sector, Enlightenment philosophy, industrialization and increased education all meet is in the independent press. Competing political presses have had a role in Poland as far back as the Confederate Civil War, where they were instrumental in the race for popular support, and remained a constant presence ever since then, but their effect has been rather more limited (not least thanks to some governments trying and managing to crack down on them). As the number of writers and readers alike is once again on the rise, though, Aleksander II has to choose his own policy towards them. Soft and rather passive as he is, he doesn’t see much need to ban or try to control any but the worst excesses. Poland’s internal situation is rather stable, too, and should be able to handle or even benefit from a little public discourse; including some criticism of the current war effort, be it on practical, isolationist or even anti-imperialist grounds.
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As for that war, well, in 1774 it finally culminates with Strigin’s invasion of Cyprus, where the Sultan and most of the Rûman navy are holding out.
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The fortress is blown to pieces, and the Sultan is faced with the choice to either accept his long since obvious defeat or attempt a desperate escape with the fleet, likely ending up at the bottom of the gulf. He opts for the former. Poland ends up gaining a notable if not really spectacular base on the West African coast, while Moldavia’s gains are rather more impressive: basically everything west of Adana, bringing basically the rest of Anatolia under Slavic control. Of course, while a significant victory for Slavdom viewed as a whole, and the Polish command made no major mistakes in its conduct of the war, those who were critical of the war from the start aren’t necessarily convinced it was worth it.
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The High King doesn’t particularly seem to care either way. In fact, Aleksander II has now spent the last 15 years of his reign notably distant and aloof from politics, seemingly even more so than his chronic illness would require, and doesn’t like commenting on things even when asked. He rarely leaves his comfortable estate near Odessa on the Black Sea, and people rightfully wonder whether he's even paying attention. Instead, the pendulum of centralization has once again swung the other way, as he has left almost the entirety of his work to advisors, local governors and the Sejm. His poor wife Anna, forced to act as an unofficial go-between, has tried and generally failed to make her voice heard in the absence of his own. In late 1774, though, at the same time that the armies start returning from their victorious war, the exasperated Anna starts claiming that the High King’s 25-year-old designated successor Skarbimir could be plotting to fill this power vacuum and force Aleksander II off the throne. She urges the High King or anyone else to take action, but what happens instead is that she gets even more thoroughly sidelined and eventually even replaced as Queen by one of the concubines.
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It seems that either Anna was lying, Skarbimir abandoned his plot, or Anna basically did his job for him, as no coup of any kind ever comes and he instead ends up taking her position as the High King’s main deputy.
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He takes to his increased duties with glee, authorizing and pushing through several projects suggested by the Crown Council that have long languished in bureaucratic limbo.
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That includes the grandest “project” of all: maintaining Poland’s position at the top of Slavdom, making sure it can never be shaken again (as Germany seemed to be doing for a moment) and never again taking it for granted. At times, Poland’s relationship with its allies and subjects has even resembled the Chinese tributaries of old, treating them with diplomatic but clearly condescending grace, often as de facto vassals. However, the opposite – doing whatever those allies ask in a desperate attempt to keep their favor – is also not a good look for a great power. The balancing act is a difficult one, and one that’ll require constant dialogue and presence. Is what the government’s well-spoken advisors say, anyway.
https://i.postimg.cc/fWCQLBqW/20200507143736-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/NGHrv2dx/20200507143906-1.jpg
The power balance within Slavdom really seems to have become the top issue in Polish foreign policy once more, shoving aside things like Pagan-Christian rivalry and colonial questions. At the same time that Krakow launches these high-profile initiatives to court its allies, it almost off-handedly passes a law to crew Poland’s greatly expanded navy with increased, even forced recruitment in its actual vassals: Frisia, Yugoslavia and the colonial voivodeships. The main thing keeping the vassals grumbling but “content” through various diplomatic crises has been the mostly hands-off treatment they received as long as they paid their (heavy) tariffs and taxes, but this “active campaign of royal persecution to pay for European wars” is making tensions flare up again. The upper classes are a mixed bag, but much of the general population has moved to the colonies specifically to escape what they see as royal tyranny and the ever-looming risk of being conscripted to die in a nameless jungle or desert somewhere, like in this most recent war. New outrage mixes with old frustration, fanned by revolutionary winds blowing from Asia across the Pacific. Things that weren't a central issue in the past, such as the lack of colonial representation in Polish politics, suddenly become breaking points. Throughout 1775, firebrand speakers are touring the towns and villages of Polish Amatica, with local officials ignoring or even encouraging their clearly illegal rabble-rousing. Be shipped off to fight for the oppression of others, or stand up and fight for your own rights, they say. The current government's failure to crack down on rebellious newspapers just lets this message grow more and more shameless.
Words escalate into acts, mostly in the form of protests and passive resistance at first. From the reports reaching Krakow, it doesn’t seem it’ll require much more than a regular restoration of discipline. In between all its other priorities, the Sejm puts together a special committee and sends it to Ledenesz, the capital of Buyania and effectively Polish Amatica, to consult with Voivode Bozydar Radziwill and demand that he keep his subordinates in line. When they arrive in February 1776, he seems initially receptive, apologetic if clearly tense. In private meetings, reports of which only reach the public much later, Radziwill promises to take action and pacify the provinces by force if necessary. Thinking its duty done, on the 27th of February the committee boards its ship, the Mlody Orzel, to return home.
Unbeknownst to them, the cargo loaded onto the ship – an extra shipment of furs and other goods to “pay for” the colonies’ insubordination – is in fact nothing but gunpowder. As soon as the ship is outside the harbor, a willing martyr left onboard ignites the payload. She, the ship and all members of the committee go up in a massive fireball. This explosion's physical shockwave is already great, rattling windows in the city, but far outdone by its political one.
The Mlody Orzel is still burning in the background when Radziwill delivers his historic speech, soon to be printed and distributed throughout the colonies. Historians in Europe and Amatica alike will differ on his motivations, his concern for the populace, his commitment to the cause, whether he was involved from the start or only picked it up to keep and gain greater power. But the “Eagle’s Claw Speech” of 27 February 1776 is a passionate cry against tyranny, imperialism, gouging taxation and the ruthless indifference of distant monarchs that will inspire and be imitated by countless revolutionaries to come. The Amatican Revolutionary War has begun.
https://i.postimg.cc/C5kZG9R2/20200507151906-1.jpg
As Buyania figuratively and later literally declares war on Poland, Lukomoria and Jeziora enthusiastically follow suit. Somewhat suicidally, so does Frisia. And, making it increasingly unlikely that this was all unplanned and spontaneous, even the Queen of Asturias (or Francian Empress as she calls herself) declares her quite hypocritical support for this revolution in order to weaken Poland. Poland’s faithful allies will stand on its side, of course, but the full scale of the situation will only become clear over the next several weeks and months. But whether the Poles realize it or not, they’ve been thrust into another continent-sized war, one they can’t just sit out this time. And as far as they’re concerned, it’s come entirely out of nowhere, by the hand of traitors of the worst kind.
https://i.postimg.cc/L6W7Y7tS/eu4-map-POL-1776-02-27-1.png (https://i.postimg.cc/SsXYsnkk/eu4-map-POL-1776-02-27-1.png)
Looks like southern wars really are cursed somehow! Not that there's an actual mechanical connection there, just funny timing.
The Far East of all places having a series of (successful) republican uprisings in a short period of time – Japan, Yan and now Khmer – sure is an interesting trend, and I'm more than happy to highlight them as this timeline's "home of the revolution". For that matter, one thing conspicuously absent from this game has been colonies breaking free, compared to our last game several years back for instance. It might be a difference in coding that has emerged since then, or it might be a more subtle side-effect of the power balance in Europe, like the religious divide making the great powers too reluctant to Support Independence in each other’s colonies or something. I’ve been passively encouraging it through things like raising tariffs and pressing sailors throughout the game, but even as multiple vassals have had very high liberty desire for almost a century now, they’ve never actually done anything about it. Until now for some reason. Presumably the difficulty level. The year is a little too perfect, though…
The numbers aren’t exactly in the colonies’ favor, but most of our allies aren’t exactly known for their naval power. Nor can we exactly move our entire army to Amatica…
InvisibleBison
2020-05-07, 05:50 PM
The more I look at this situation, the less in Poland's favor it seems. Yeah, they have a 3-1 numerical advantage, but there's a huge amount of rebel territory to contend with. I suppose it'll come down to how smart the AI is about keeping its armies intact and how willing the Poles are to wage a protracted war - much like the real life American Revolution.
I also wonder how the people running Poland are going to react to this. It all seems a little out-of-nowhere, and though I'm sure future historians will find plenty of warning signs its possible the people in the moment haven't seen any of them.
Also, given Aleksander's hands-off approach to government, I wonder if this rebellion is even necessary. How would the High King have reacted if the Voivode had simply asked for increased automony? Is that even possible in the game mechanics?
SilverLeaf167
2020-05-12, 08:41 AM
Chapter #50: The Amatican Revolution (Aleksander II, 1776-1779)
1st of March, 1776
The idea of “democracy”, in the sense of rule by negotiation and consensus, isn’t in itself foreign to European or even Slavic philosophy. Small-scale city-states run on such principles have existed since antiquity, and still do, and the pagan regions in particular have a long history of tribal councils of which the various parliaments of Slavdom – including the Polish Sejm – are but the latest incarnation. However, there’s one thing all the parliaments with any real power have in common: they consist of only the nobility and whoever else might qualify as the ruling classes. Even where the ideals of rule by consensus are respected, the concept of rule “by” or “for” the general populace goes against traditional and the currently popular rationalist philosophies alike. The driving principles of government anywhere in Europe are deeply paternalistic, with the people’s role being to do whatever the wise and powerful say, to the point of often making those rulers blind to any other option. Even when the people might take up arms and rebel, the government assumes that either the poor peasants don’t know what’s best for them or there’s some power-hungry noble stirring them up, and often there is. But it barely even occurs to them that there could exist a large-scale movement among the disenfranchised masses.
The advanced, respected and powerful Japanese Empire becoming the world’s first major “constitutional monarchy” with gradually expanding voting rights has set off a paradigm shift that’s reaching some faster than others, and Krakow for one is being rather slow on the uptake. When Buyania, Lukomoria and Jeziora “suddenly” rise up in rebellion in early 1776 – the signs having been there for months, years or in fact decades – Voivode Bozydar Radziwill is initially assumed to be the ringleader behind the whole thing, missing the fact that he’s only been Voivode for a couple years and the overwhelming frustration with Polish rule goes far deeper. In contrast to the Polish Sejm, the colonial administrations under it have traditionally given voting rights to most landowners, which in the colonies is a good chunk of the population, and thus the people have gained more and more influence over who rules them – except over the crown government at the very top, which seems to have no interest in them other than milking them for money and manpower. The voivodes get to tell them that as much as they’d want to make their lives better, the crown won’t let them. The fact that the current High King is especially aloof just makes him more hated in their eyes, not less, and any petitions they’ve made have been quickly dismissed before ever reaching him. Physically distant, exploited and unrepresented, even those originally from Poland have little reason to feel like Polish “citizens”, only “subjects” – and unlike in Europe, where such ideas have been quickly and fiercely put down wherever they surface, in the colonies they’ve been able to fester. This also applies to the relatively well-integrated Native Nations, forming around half of the colonies’ population, which broadly support independence from Poland and have been promised total, not merely relative, equality once the “imperialist” overlords have been defeated.
No doubt they feel like they’ve made a deal with Czarnobog by allying with Queen Ghada I of Asturias, Francian Empress, who seems blissfully blind to the impact this movement might have – or is already having – in her own colonies, not to mention the inevitable invasion of the Asturian homeland (again). Still, doing so has secured basically all of inland Amatica, with Poland and its allies only having several perilously scattered footholds across the coast. Those can also be a vital asset, of course, but only if they can be defended and used as launching boards to push into rebel territory. The war between the Colonial and Royal coalitions, as they will come to be called, will be fought across huge tracts of farmland and wilderness and over a few critical ports. At least the fourth voivodeship, Nowa Straya, is rather isolated from the others and has had the good sense to not get involved.
https://i.postimg.cc/fTkHF8fJ/eu4-map-POL-1776-02-27-1-2-small.png (https://i.postimg.cc/wgWZVmQ1/eu4-map-POL-1776-02-27-1-2.png)
(Colonial capitals in 1776, real-life names in brackets. Click for larger version.)
The slowness of cross-Atlantic communications adds to the confusion at the start of the Amatican Revolutionary War. Of course, the commander of the crown forces in Amatica, General Agnes Obolenski, learns of the events of 27 February and the unofficial declaration of war long before anyone in Europe, but by that point, the Colonial forces have already had ample time to capture all the important infrastructure and kill or arrest – mostly arrest – any officials deemed too loyal to the crown. The colonies being allowed (or made) to maintain their own militias seems less wise in retrospect. Meanwhile, the Royal garrison’s main base has always been in Nowa Antwerpia (New York), Lukomoria, where the Atlantic Fleet is also stationed, and in the absence of orders from the homeland, Obolenski deems it her duty to ensure that it stays that way. While the rest of Poland gets its bearings and tries to grasp the scale of the situation, she moves to seize the city and its surroundings, declaring herself their military governor for the time being. While she will be reprimanded for this technically illegal action, the government will unanimously brush it under the carpet and praise her decisiveness instead.
https://i.postimg.cc/c4DptKX8/20200510134652-1.jpg
Agnes Obolenski is a young talent from an old military family who earned her position in the aftermath of the latest Rûman war, where she commanded troops in the hills and deserts of Syria and Jordania. Poland’s greatest all-star General Henryk Strigin seems to have some long-running mutual feud with her, which neither of them will elaborate on, but it meant that when she was promoted, Strigin pulled some strings to have her put in charge of the Army of Amatica, far away from Krakow, the action – and himself. He never could’ve imagined that those would be the frontlines of the most important war in a while. While younger than Strigin, she’s at least as good at her job (some claim Strigin was simply scared to be dethroned) and commands great respect in her subordinates – most of whom are in fact from the colonies – making doubly sure that they will remain loyal even as most of the populace turns traitor. They’re far from the only loyalists, of course, but those currently stuck in Colonial-controlled territory have little room to show it.
https://i.postimg.cc/BvFkzmsx/20200510134124-1.jpg
Although, Strigin does assert his authority on a less-remembered front of the conflict: when news of the rebellion arrive in Europe, Grand Duke Hendrik van Renesse of Frisia – grumbling but not generally rebellious until now – is a little too vocal in his support for the Colonial demands, wanting the same for Frisia as well. Already skeptical of the Frisians’ loyalty, and allegedly at Strigin’s urging, the nobles of Aleksander II’s deputy government order the crown army to move into Frisia and occupy it just to be sure. The exact truth of how “rebellious” Frisia actually was will remain debated for years to come, but with Poland going on the offensive, the Frisians are quick to take up arms in defense of their autonomy and the Grand Duke they see as standing up for their rights. Frisia is, in effect, treated as part of the Colonial rebels, and Strigin engages its army like he would any other enemy. The very first battle is already a decisive victory for Poland, from which the Frisian rebels won’t recover, but the fact that it even happened leaves a scar in the national memory that also won’t heal for a while.
https://i.postimg.cc/VsFQ1Ztg/20200510134502-1.jpg
The attack slows down when it hits staunch resistance and some of Europe’s best fortifications outside Amsterdam, the Frisian capital, and Strigin has no interest in sitting around to besiege it. He leaves that to others, taking one army and embarking onboard the Grand Marynarka to earn his share of the glory in Amatica.
Over there, Obolenski receives her first real orders from Krakow, but they basically say to do whatever necessary to squash the rebellion and seize its leadership. To that end, she marches for Bakanów, not too far from Nowa Antwerpia. In stark contrast to Frisia, the colonies are sparsely populated and even more sparsely fortified, making it more a war of logistics and maneuver in difficult terrain. The Colonials know that terrain much better than the Royals do, not to mention the risk of the civilian population joining in as guerrillas. Obolenski’s survey of the situation is apt and her answer to Krakow laconic: she needs more troops.
https://i.postimg.cc/vTbJffJ5/20200510140147-1.jpg
A bit to the south and far to the west, Scottish colonial troops are quick to enter Asturian territory. On the other hand, while Sweden’s colonies are mighty indeed, they’re a lot less ready to contribute: the ragtag colony of New Svea is riddled with the same native rebels that have plagued Tayshas for ages, and that Tayshas is also taking the opportunity to march back in and try to reclaim some of the land it lost in the Treaty of Tenochtitlan just a few years ago.
https://i.postimg.cc/wM2SV3zZ/20200510141331-1.jpg
Swedish Alfmark is also in dire straits, having to deal with a sizeable civilian uprising (possibly inspired by the Revolution) at the same time that Buyanian forces are attacking its western territories that they’ve honestly always wanted for themselves. Indeed, the war’s first real fighting by any Buyanian troops occurs in the vast inland forests, between grizzled rangers on both sides, and the Buyanians are clearly coming out on top. Western Alfmark is a lost cause, but at least reinforcements from Alcadra succeed in rescuing Alfsvik and putting down the rebellion.
https://i.postimg.cc/fTT4b7jN/20200510141719-1.jpg
Wasting no time as she goes, Obolenski succeeds in capturing Bakanów by the end of May. She meets little resistance, the Lukomorian army having decided to pull back and fight another day. Only now do they finally show up to try and contest the territory she’s captured, which they will come to regret: with advance intel from her scouts, Obolenski is able to catch them in a trap and kill or capture an entire army in one fell swoop. Voivode Kurnatowski of Lukomoria, clearly overestimating his ability as a military leader, is among those captured; but to their credit, his subordinates succeed in a daring plan to rescue him and let him return to the fray. There is also fighting at sea, but there the balance is much more one-sided and the Colonials spend most of their time either running or sinking.
https://i.postimg.cc/XYmtxRMj/20200510142850-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/mgt0Yb5p/20200510143218-1.jpg
Constant raids and skirmishes follow throughout the war, wherever the Royals go. Obolenski seems to show particular talent in avoiding protracted battles and minimizing her own losses, making the best of what she has available here far from the homeland. On the “downside”, this arguably slows down her occupation of Lukomoria, as she aims to keep her troops in one place as much as possible to reduce the risks of them being picked out piecemeal.
https://i.postimg.cc/xCShVLTB/20200510143607-1.jpg
In August, the Grand Marynarka and Strigin finally arrive on Beothuk Island (Newfoundland), making their first landing at Janigród (St. John’s), the symbolically important oldest Polish settlement in Amatica. Strigin plans to use it as his forward base to launch his daring attack on Ledenesz itself.
https://i.postimg.cc/qq15KYXd/20200510145733-1.jpg
Meanwhile, though, the political framing of the conflict has solidified: the Colonials won’t settle for any empty promises and demand nothing short of full independence, with all Royal troops removed from Amatica, while the government in Krakow is outraged and determined not to give in to traitors and rebels. Whatever other divisions might exist between them, almost everyone in continental Poland can agree on the need to maintain a strong grip on the colonies, lest it start a snowball effect and spiraling decline elsewhere. Their allies in Sweden and Scotland agree, fearing the effect that a colony successfully breaking free could have on their own empires. For once, everyone can join together in firm agreement: the Colonials must be defeated.
https://i.postimg.cc/QC8zHs7b/20200510144449-1.jpg
(Very ironic event given the situation…)
That attitude is also seen in the troops on the ground. Especially European-born soldiers seem to have little sympathy for their Colonial countrymen, either seeing them as traitors undeserving of sympathy or just taking the opportunity to follow their baser instincts. Their occupation often involves looting and other cruelty far beyond the necessary, which the population won’t soon forget.
https://i.postimg.cc/cHMjx6vC/20200510150841-1.jpg
Towards the end of the year, as the snows start falling and army movements slowing, the war enters a whole new, much different phase. When the Colonials wrap up their occupation of western Alfmark and start congregating around Lukomoria, Obolenski finds herself facing almost 2:1 odds, growing worse by the month as the largely untouched Buyanian and Jezioran populations are mobilized for war. Strigin, preparing for his master plan and not interested in working with Obolenski, is no immediate help. And worse, Krakow is hesitant to ship any more armies far across the sea… but given the situation, it just might have to.
https://i.postimg.cc/NGDVZ9hP/20200510151452-1.jpg
Problem is, the Asturian army may also have been dismissed as a threat a little too soon. In early January 1777, upwards of 160,000 Asturian troops suddenly flood over the Frisian border, having acquired passage through Italy for this purpose. They should also take their sweet time breaking through the fortifications, but that’s a lot of latinos to fight at a time when the Poles are already hurting for reinforcements elsewhere.
https://i.postimg.cc/6p2m7M8D/20200510152639-1.jpg
At least Obolenski’s skill and the enemy’s lack thereof can compensate for the difference in numbers. She catches the same old Voivode Kurnatowski out of position and wipes out his entire army once again, and the fact that he himself manages to evade capture this time does nothing to make him look better. Whatever the outcome of this war, he won’t exactly go down in history as its greatest hero.
https://i.postimg.cc/VLNTwfms/20200510153050-1.jpg
Despite the fact that much of the sea around Ledenesz is frozen, Strigin executes his invasion plan, marching his troops over the ice where needed and taking up positions (on land) around the city. However, Ledenesz, the Throne of the North, isn’t the sort of lumber hillfort he and Obolenski have encountered so far: as the “Capital of Polish Amatica”, is protected by fortifications no less formidable than those in Frisia. Strigin is a brave man, and a skilled commander, but he’s taking a great risk by placing himself between the city and all the enemy forces around.
https://i.postimg.cc/RVbYVkZ7/20200510153708-1.jpg
At least the Poles manage to close one chapter of the war in May 1777 by finally reaching Amsterdam, arresting the Grand Duke and forcing all rebels to stand down. Whether this is wise or not, they then impose yet more demands and penalties on Frisia and replace the Grand Duke with a Lechowicz, actually leaving the territory with less autonomy than it used to have. The Asturians retreat, and Poland has at least some more men to spare.
https://i.postimg.cc/tJ4r9k0v/20200510155258-1.jpg
During the summer, a third army finally arrives in Lukomoria, under General Pelka Dabrowa. He goes on the move to try and reinforce Obolenski’s flanks as she makes a push deeper inland.
Other fronts aren’t doing as well. The initially promising campaign in Scottish Cascadia turned out to be an utter loss as more Asturians came in through Caliphania and occupied the whole region. Similarly, the attack from Hibernia succeeded in capturing much of Appalachia, but has since been driven back by Asturian and Jezioran reinforcements.
https://i.postimg.cc/R0wpdqQd/20200510161205-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/sxHTxWsj/20200510161335-1.jpg
At least the siege of Ledenesz turns out to be much less grueling than expected. Strigin shows no mercy in bombing its walls (and much of the city) to pieces, capturing it by late October. Of course, surprising exactly no one, the Colonial leadership and Radziwill are long gone by now. The capture of the enemy capital is a major blow, but not the end of the war. They have plenty of continent to hide out on, after all.
https://i.postimg.cc/SxBtcc8j/20200510163132-1.jpg
(Situation at the start of 1778.)
In late February 1778, almost exactly two years into the war, Obolenski faces the first real defeat of her career. Having decided to force the Colonials to relent no matter what, and perhaps gotten a little cocky after all, she finds herself and her army climbing up and down the Appalachian Mountains in search of a reported enemy force. That force turns out to be a lot larger than expected, and the Royals get bogged down in the difficult terrain, allowing more and more Colonial reinforcements to arrive. In the end, Obolenski only succeeds in making a narrow retreat with only around a third of her original forces, most of whom had served under her since the start of the war. She’s forced to make a running retreat to the coast, ceding much of her captured territory in the process.
https://i.postimg.cc/W3nWRKyJ/20200510163453-1.jpg
Meanwhile, even though the Frisian rebellion was defeated, the European forces still need to stay on high alert for sporadic Asturian attacks. At least those Polish allies unable to contribute to the fighting in Amatica are sending some forces to support this front instead.
https://i.postimg.cc/J4gTWjpK/20200510165043-1.jpg
April 1778. Elections in the Buyanian “Commonwealth” should be held right around now, but Bozydar Radziwill’s government has implemented emergency measures to delay them for another four years.
As it becomes clear that just trying to capture key points and forge forward won’t work here, the three unruly generals – Dabrowa often having to mediate between the squabbling other two – are forced to focus on thoroughly securing the eastern seaboard before making any more bold pushes. If they don’t, Colonial forces will just pop out of the bushes and take it right back, making them turn around and waste time. Krakow’s hands are also tied: there are currently 3 armies in Amatica, 6 in Europe and 2 in the East Indies, and they can’t detach any more for fear of a new Asturian offensive or even a new war breaking out that would threaten the homeland.
In December 1778, Strigin succeeds in cementing his seat in the halls of champions, as he takes his 42,000 men and strikes towards the 77,000 who have sprung up to try and recapture Ledenesz. The Royals’ superior troops, equipment, leadership, and what many call the favor of Radogost are enough to drive off the large but cobbled-together Buyanian army. Unfortunately, his daring comes with a price: he himself dies in the assault, struck by a sharpshooter after taking the lead in the final assault that seemed to have stalled until he showed up. Having first captured the enemy capital, gone out to defend it, died in such a way, and actually won against those skewed odds, even Obolenski has no choice but to begrudgingly salute her late rival. Strigin’s right-hand-woman Vojslawa Wend will have to take over for him.
https://i.postimg.cc/DfxjB9s9/20200510171558-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/tT25v613/20200510174523-1.jpg
Luckily, she seems to have little more work to do. Dabrowa succeeds in capturing Kataraktyn, the Jezioran capital, and the Colonials keep taking more and more losses with almost every battle they try and fight. They made a strategic decision to rely on their vast territory to bleed out the Royals and get them to the negotiating table if nothing else. However, their Asturian allies have failed to put enough pressure on the Poles in Europe, allowing them to send more troops to Amatica, and now the Jezioran breadbasket is at risk as well.
Until now, the Colonials have also been able to rely on material aid from Asturian Amatica. But though it took a while, the last Swedish-Asturian war seems to have repeated itself after all, with the Swedes securing Alcadra first and then marching up the continent in force. After initial gains, Asturias is rapidly losing ground in New Svea, the Swedes being about to push into Tayshas and raising the specter of another full occupation. At the same time, the Asturians are pounding their heads against the wall in Frisia while their own territory is plagued by devastating raids from Polish allies. Not to mention that the Queen has died, and her replacement is much less invested in continuing this doomed war. He threatens to make a separate peace and leave the Colonials facing total crop failure, starvation and inevitable defeat. More of the fighting moving into the Native Nations’ territory also risks losing their tenuous support for the federal government.
https://i.postimg.cc/gJYsKs0c/20200512154517-1.jpg
(Spring 1779)
Radziwill, who has in fact become the figurehead of the revolution despite being a rank-and-file member at the start, launches more desperate attacks and attempts to get at least some sort of compromise, but the Royals are relentless and demand nothing short of unconditional surrender. Finally, in March 1779, that’s effectively what they get. Pushed by their own governments, or thrown under the wagon depending on how you look at it, the three voivodes emerge out of hiding to present an armistice to Dabrowa (Obolenski being much too hated). Thus the fighting ceases, but neither the Royals nor what remains of the Colonials move from their positions. Instead, they dig in and prepare to resume fighting at any time. Barring a miracle, the war is lost, but should Krakow not show mercy, they might well end up fighting to the last man.
https://i.postimg.cc/VN94MpmH/20200512154248-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/BvfMj49K/20200512154305-1.jpg
The generals present their best reports of the events of the war and current situation to the Sejm, which gathers to debate the immediate and long-reaching fate of millions. For once, even Aleksander II has been dragged along to participate, or at least listen…
Vote whatever you want, whether or not that’s the most “realistic” option, and I’ll make it work. (In my opinion they’re all plausible with the right narrative spin.)
“We do not negotiate with rebels! All who lash out against the divine and legitimate law laid down by His Highness and the Sejm, murdering messengers of the Crown and taking up arms against their rightful government, deserve punishment of the highest degree. To compromise would be to reward insubordination, and call others to try the same! We will hunt them down, put them all to trial and show the world that there is no fighting the Polish Eagle.”
Full return to status quo, including the same or even harsher treatment of the colonies and execution of the rebel leaders.
“I can see that most of you in this room treat this as either a local rebellion, a foreign war or some confusing chimera of the two, when it is in fact the greatest and bloodiest civil war our nation has faced since the days of the Confederation many generations past! Do you not know how that conflagration, sparked by meaningless squabbling in this same Sejm, put a thousand thousand children of Poland in the ground and threatened to tear our noble nation apart? Do some of you not come from venerable families who paid dearly for taking the wrong side, and were locked out of these halls for decades after the fact? While this rebellion must be punished, we must also see where we are fallible and seek compromise, lest it repeat itself time after time. The citizens of the colonies are citizens of Poland, and must be treated as such. Treason must not be tolerated, but a free man in Ledenesz deserves the same rights as a free man in Krakow.”
Keep the colonies as vassals but try to reconcile, treat them better in the future, remove but don’t execute leaders, and try to keep Liberty Desire low.
“Has it not been known for centuries untold that Slavs are slaves to none? And yet, the moment a free Pole crosses the ocean to seek a better life and selflessly expand his nation while he does so, we forget he was ever a Pole and start treating him like a conquered subject or a foolish child! Their pleads for fair treatment have fallen to deaf ears, and they only took up arms when we pushed them over the brink! They must have the freedom they ask for, so that they can work with us as equals, or we’re going to spend the next century bleeding ourselves dry, fighting brother against sister while the world laughs around us! It’s not rewarding rebellion, it’s righting what is wrong! It's... Wait, what are you… Get your hands off me! Hey! He’s got a weapon! H—”
Grant independence to Buyania, Lukomoria and Jeziora, try to maintain better relations and Polish privileges, and keep Nowa Antwerpia and Beothuk Island as military bases.
Vote here! (http://www.quiz-maker.com/Q1X81V9) Remember to share your view in the comments as well! [CLOSED]
They agreed on that peace actually a lot earlier than I expected, at only 29% war score. Full disclosure: mechanically speaking, the war is over and they’re unlikely to start a second rebellion before the end of EU4 even if we do keep mistreating them. But the decision is still impactful, especially roleplay-wise and going into Vic 2.
I feel like I’m doing a lot of pretty text-heavy chapters lately. These are definitely the most detailed couple years of this AAR so far. But that’s partly because a lot of game mechanics are in fact pretty arbitrary or out of nowhere, not to mention not very interesting to just describe beat-by-beat, so especially when it comes to historical events whose in-universe effects should far outweigh their mechanical ones, some more narrative is needed to keep up a consistent setting. Grand strategy games are perhaps a bit notorious for their abstraction of things happening “on the ground”, understandable as it is. Besides, I generally think that even in real-life history, warfare itself isn’t nearly as interesting as everything going on around it, and the relatively simple warfare mechanics definitely contribute to that feeling. To some extent this writing style has replaced the more narrative special chapters that I always had trouble deciding when to sprinkle in, too.
Also, given Aleksander's hands-off approach to government, I wonder if this rebellion is even necessary. How would the High King have reacted if the Voivode had simply asked for increased automony? Is that even possible in the game mechanics?
I suppose that’s what high Liberty Desire is about, affected both by the colony’s power relative to yours and by your positive or negative actions towards them. The game effectively tells you that a colony is at risk of rebelling if you don’t lower their LD, though in this case they’d stayed in that rebellion zone for so long it became the norm.
InvisibleBison
2020-05-12, 09:04 AM
I'm voting for reconciliation. A return to the status quo is simply laying the groundwork for another war. Granting the colonies independence is a terrible idea for a lot of reasons: It encourages other colonies to rebel, it's an insult to the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who died in the war, and perhaps most critically it doesn't give the colonies any reason to be friendly with Poland.
IthilanorStPete
2020-05-13, 08:16 AM
Crush them! Grind their hopes of liberty beneath our boots, and never let up!
This is totally an optimal strategy, not just a way of making Victoria II more interesting.
SilverLeaf167
2020-05-18, 12:41 PM
Chapter #51: Closer to Home (Aleksander II, 1779-1788)
7th of March, 1779
After both sides of the brawl are escorted out with minor injuries, there’s no one left in the Sejm foolish enough to imagine giving the Colonials exactly what they want after three years of fighting and so close to totally crushing them. There are some more moderate voices calling for some sort of settlement rather than a brutal one-sided subjugation that would only push the problem into the future and make it worse, but in the end, they too are sidelined. Some demands for a killing blow and elimination of all rebel elements really do come from a place of zealotry, but for others, it’s just an unfortunate fact that suddenly adopting a reconciliatory tone after taking such a hardline stance until now is a political impossibility. For whatever it’s worth, Aleksander II himself is (moderately) in the moderate camp, but never asserts himself too strongly, and after hours of listening to the heated debate, agrees that the entire government must present a united front in its demands for unconditional surrender.
https://i.postimg.cc/nr2k7X13/Nimet-n.png
The fighting in Amatica resumes, but there’s no longer any real contest. The ceasefire has given the Royals ample time to shore up their supply lines and put down resistance, while driving the already ailing Colonials ever closer to total collapse. After the heartlands of all three voivodeships are captured, the generals are already preparing to continue their push into the countryside for as long as it takes to find the rebel leaders and wring a surrender out of them, but those leaders finally decide that resistance will only cost more lives for no real purpose, and – after leaving behind a heartfelt last message and manifesto that will be unsuccessfully censored and continue to circulate in the colonies for decades to come – turn themselves in voluntarily on the 8th of June, 1779. There is no official peace treaty, for even that would mean legitimizing the rebels, and sporadic fighting and violent incidents will continue for a long time, but the Amatican Revolutionary War is over – or at least on break. Rather than even slap a bandage on the wound, people will rightfully say that Poland is twisting the knife in it.
Much as they expected, the three voivodes – Bozydar Radziwill, Lechoslaw Kurnatowski and Prendota Belevski – are brought to Nowa Antwerpia, given a swift and one-sided trial and executed in the fortress courtyard with no audience; beheading by axe, as is the traditional fate of rebels. At the same time, a revolutionary hymn echoes throughout the town, citizens in their homes and on the streets joining in the choir.
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Countless other rebels who made it through the war itself are jailed and often executed as well, and not even regular soldiers and collaborators are necessarily spared. The majority of the colonial administration is replaced either with those who stayed loyal or entirely new arrivals from across the ocean. Two armies under General Obolenski will remain in Amatica, based in Nowa Antwerpia and Ledenesz, but the crown army will also monitor the rest of the territory. While minor concessions are made to the taxes and manpower requirements to account for the reality that there is little left to give, overall, Poland’s treatment of the voivodeships becomes even worse in several ways and better in pretty much none. Only Nowa Straya avoids the same fate, due to not joining in the rebellion and being rather separate from the others in general. The fact that people they’re used to thinking of as fellow Poles, including relatives and other close contacts, are being treated like conquered enemies causes quite a stir even in the homeland population – the integrity of the colonial empire isn’t such a critical issue for most of them – and while the shift in mood will be widespread, Poland really was caught in a lose-lose situation in some sense. Imperialism is an inherently brutal and self-destructive mentality, people will say in the distant future – but it’s not likely to pass its peak for over another hundred years.
The unrest in Frisia isn’t totally over, either. The installment of a Lechowicz prince and tighter-than-ever Polish control has renewed their demands for an independent, liberal, republican government. While support for this movement is widespread, Frisia is already being closely monitored, and even the armed rebellion is quickly suppressed before it can really get going.
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One thing weakening Frisia’s attempts at independence is its lack of internal unity: at the same time that some clamor for Frisian independence for Poland, there are people in its southern parts who want independence from Frisia. Of course, the crown army puts them down all the same.
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Over in Nowa Antwerpia, “Slaughtermaster General” Agnes Obolenski – never too passionate in her persecution of the locals, biographers will argue, but a little too willing to let it happen – is assassinated in the street in July 1780. She is shot at close range by two gunmen who leap out of a window, having clearly waited there to ambush her. Hated by the Colonials and beloved by the Royals, this will only stoke tensions further. By now it should be perfectly clear to everyone that the fighting in Amatica is far from over, and the armies will have to remain there for the foreseeable future.
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At the same time that it tries to split itself across three main theaters (Europe, Amatica and the East Indies), keep unrest down in each, and “replenish” its manpower, the army continues to improve its logistics and bureaucracy while also drawing up, mostly theoretical, plans for how Colonial-style tactics could perhaps be applied in the case of large-scale fighting in Polish territory.
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Several more uprisings occur in Frisia, and while Poland itself has been untouched so far, the unease in the air is palpable. The Poles try to expand their web of alliances and mutual assurances, whether against these threats from below or in order to gain an upper hand in this world increasingly dominated by great powers, but their findings are concerning: Europe is quite sharply split into Slavic and Christian blocs, which are further divided into Poland, Germany, Italy and Asturias. These despise each other and are just looking for any sign of weakness while trying to shore up favor with the secondary powers. Beyond Europe, the Indians aren’t much use and Japan is playing Italy and Germany simultaneously. Poland has few real allies to gain outside those it already has.
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However, as it turns out, the great power playing field is about to see some major changes. Over the last several decades, ironically ever since Dalimir I named himself Kaiser in 1745, Germany has seen a very Romanesque rapid rotation of rulers, regency councils and internal power plays, the difficult integration of Vladimir, as well as massive and mishandled foreign wars for no benefit to the country and much suffering to the populace. The treasury has tried to fill its leaking coffers by raising taxes, taking and then defaulting on loans from German merchants, or simply confiscating private property. In early 1781, the latest to take the throne after a few years of regency is Sedzimir III Lechowicz, a 15 years old but already thoroughly unpleasant young man who seems to have no interest in even trying to rule wisely and would much rather spend his beat-up country’s money on a lifestyle that’s pampered and ostentatious even by imperial standards.
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Sitting right next to both the old city-states of the Rhineland and the revolutionary hotbed of Frisia, there's no way that Germany could've been totally isolated from the same ideas. Indeed, there is more and more similar stirring in Germany as well, which the government tries to keep under wraps but which Poland’s contacts have kept a close eye on. Whether uncaring or in fact trying to distract from the issue, only a few months after his coronation, Sedzimir III declares war on the rump state of the Kingdom of Sardinia that was previously left half-conquered. While a pushover in itself, this also puts Germany at war with Asturias – again. The German people remember perfectly well how that went last time. This is both the last straw, and the perfect opportunity.
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It happens on the 1st of September, 1781. In Salzburg, Austria, one of the major cities of the empire and a center of anti-imperial sentiment, at the end of another of his plays full of revolutionary rhetoric, natural and regular philosopher-slash-playwright Eustachy Strasz von Calw takes the stage like he always does and starts talking. Over time, general hatred of the detached and corrupt imperial government has developed a tinge of anti-Slavism as well, as even though Slavic culture and religion have quite thoroughly permeated German society, the fact remains that the ruling monarchy originated as a Polish puppet state, Slavs are still seen as disproportionately rich and powerful, and many Germans feel persecuted within their own country – a feeling which people like von Calw are happy to play on. The Polish annexations of the North Sea coast still stings, and especially the southerners really want Wien back too. The hopes of the German people are many and ambitious, but they all must start somewhere.
His routine diatribe is even more fervent and graphic than usual, and the reason soon becomes clear: by the end, the audience is rushing out of the theater like a human wave, sweeping up more and more chanting revolutionaries as it goes, armed mostly with whatever torches, pitchforks and improvised clubs they can find. By the time they reach the local duke’s residence, the confused and utterly surprised guards open fire on the crowd, but are quickly overrun, and soon so is the rest of the house, the duke himself being clubbed to death. With the local garrison greatly reduced by the mobilization for war and the flames of revolution flaring ever higher, Salzburg falls under rebel control within the night. Word travels fast, and within days, several uprisings start occurring across the country. The Amatican Revolution was a “failure”, but it set the example for others to come; and now the Germans will do what they failed to do, or die trying.
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Most of the German military has moved out of the country or even across the sea, and as such, its initial response is rather slow. Much as it hurts to even consider “helping” one of Poland’s main enemies, the Sejm actually debates intervening to stop this seemingly even worse ideological threat, but it soon becomes clear that the Germans predictably won’t allow Polish forces to enter the country. Doing so would require a full-blown invasion, turning most of Slavdom against Poland, which puts that option firmly off the table. Poland can only watch the situation unfolding across the border, try to balance the situation within its own borders, and get its own people to safety before they too can be lynched.
The Revolution, with the amazing orator von Calw as its apparent leader, quickly organizes itself and lays its roots both in the central cities and in the impenetrable Alps. Trying to simultaneously hold off the revolutionaries and continue the war, Germany achieves neither, instead allowing the Asturians to make a breakthrough in the south and once again push deep into its territory, which is now a three-way battlefield. Indeed, the foreign invaders are probably the bigger threat to the revolution here, but they also don’t go out of their way to pick fights with the rebel forces, having little interest in anything besides reconquering their own claims. Roughly a year into the Revolution, the capital Braunschweig is under siege, while elsewhere, radical declarations and drafts for a constitution are already being written.
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Though the Europeans pay it little mind, on the other side of the world, an ominous precedent is set: only a few years after its founding, the once-idealistic republic of Yan already lapsed into a life-long dictatorship under its first elected leader, and now, following his death, his son has inherited the position almost as if the coup never even happened. The revolutionaries of the world would do well to heed this warning of how things might go wrong, but they’re a little too busy with battles of their own.
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In early 1783, the German government – without the Kaiser, since he’s stuck in Braunschweig – makes a desperate peace, handing back all territory previously part of Asturias and Sardinia in order to finally bring its armies home and make a last-ditch attempt to rescue the monarchy.
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However, it is too late. In August, the revolutionaries finally storm the final bastion and take the imperial palace. The teenage Kaiser, supposedly either defiant to the last or sniveling for mercy depending on who you want to believe, is soon relieved of his head, while what's left of the imperial family flees to various allied countries. Even the military seems rather halfhearted in its attempts to stop this, since even if the noble leadership is loyal to the government (or at least attached to its power), much of the actual army isn’t. At the same time that countless remaining nobles and noble-sympathizers who haven’t yet left the country are put to trial for their crimes against the “German people”, work begins in the capital for a new, truly democratic Bundesrepublik. For starters, the traditional estate-based Reichstag is replaced with a bicameral parliament including a fully elected Bundestag and a separate Bundesrat where the states of the federal republic, granted considerable autonomy, can represent themselves. The legislative, executive and judicial branches of government are, at least on paper, separated in a way seen nowhere else in the world. It’s worth making the distinction that this republic is still dominated by the wealthy middle class and burghers, refusing to grant the vote to the lowest classes that it says would be too easily swayed by vain tradition or demagoguery – but even with that caveat, it really is remarkably progressive.
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And Eustachy Strasz von Calw, to his credit, surprises the world by actually staying true to his supposed ideals and not even running for the presidency, though in the end, he doesn’t actually retire and simply becomes the ideological force working behind the government. Indeed, many of the revolutionary government’s most unusual traits can be traced to von Calw. He and his closest followers appear dedicated to radicalism and reform for its own sake, wanting to weed out anything and everything they think might symbolize the old regime. Besides changes to the government itself, this includes goals like ditching the old calendar, changing the number of days in the week, total atheism – quite unheard of – and even reforming the language to remove certain terms with archaic implications.
Most of the populace has yet to get behind these more radical ideas, being more focused on more immediately relevant matters, but the Calwists are sure to keep pushing them behind the scenes.
The Polish crown army, for the record, has been keeping a close eye on the border to stop revolutionaries from crossing over, seemingly with success. As the sheer radicalism of the Bundesrepublik becomes clear, together with open (political and cultural) anti-Slavism, the will to invade and dismantle the republic by force is greater than ever, but unbelievably, Sweden and Chernigov still object to the idea and threaten to attack Poland if such an attempt were made. Of course, they’re not completely blind to what’s happening in Braunschweig; rather, it’s quickly becoming clear that what they're really loyal to is the balance of power within the pagan world. While they are happy to maintain alliances with both sides, allowing Poland to install a friendly (or even puppet) regime in Germany would only make themselves more vulnerable to total domination by Poland in the future. To them, the existence of a strong Germany means leverage over Poland, even if that Germany is also something of a question mark at the moment. And war on all fronts, including the colonies, is simply not something Poland can risk.
But even if it can prevent people and arms from crossing over, there’s no stopping ideas that already have a foothold within the country. That same “strong Germany” seems to be an inspiration to all sorts of people. The Polish crown must also start pumping as much money and manpower as possible into expanding its military, but it really is pushing its limits in that regard. All distribution of subversive ideology is banned, but that kind of censorship, especially on such a vaguely defined scale and when Poland has generally been rather lax in the past, has a bad habit of only making it more appealing. Poland proper doesn't seem to be at any immediate risk, but should it let its guard down, there are sure to be plenty of people willing to create some.
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Sweden seems to be home to some really stupid ideas of its own. It chooses this of all times to begin a colonial war against Munster (effectively a satellite), Italy and Japan at the same time, hoping to seize a whole slew of outposts all over the world. Of course, that also means fighting all over the world, and the Swedes seem to live under the illusion that Poland is going to help them with that. Too bad for them, Poland calls their bluff. Even if it means breaking the alliance with them and destabilizing the situation even further, Poland will not start a global sea war against two colonial powers with the Bundesrepublik merrily beheading aristocrats right under its nose. The sheer absurdity of the situation becomes clearer day by day, but the Poles can only bite their nails. With all the great powers that could intervene in Germany either fighting each other or held back by the short-sighted politics of their “allies”, the revolution will have ample time to establish itself.
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Elsewhere, another republican government collapses under its own weight. Perhaps this gives some hope that Germany will simply do the same.
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And in the Madjid Caliphate of Arabia, a place Poland usually doesn’t pay much attention to, an ideology known as Wahhabism has taken hold in recent years: an especially fundamentalist form of Sunni Islam that, for all intents and purposes, makes even fellow Sunni into insufficiently pious heretics that it must wage holy war against. The gradually shrinking Sultanate of Rûm has clearly outlived its usefulness as a long-term ally, for in the summer of 1786, Arabia and Yan declare another Asia-spanning war against Rûm and its newfound ally Rajasthan. The Caliphate’s ultimate goal seems to be the creation of a true pan-Islamic state stretching across the world. With Asturias also waging a pointless colonial war against Japan, it seems like Poland is one of the only places in the world not at war.
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Germany, for that matter, shows no immediate signs of succumbing to the same sort of regression as those other republics, deciding to allow the President only 3-year terms and successfully electing a new one. The republican system has proven disturbingly functional – for now – but even then, under the surface there’s plenty of debate and maneuvering between factions with different internal and foreign policy goals. Ironically enough, the revolutionary zeal, national spirit and so far empty threat of monarchist invasion whipped up by the government have allowed it to start recruiting more soldiers than the conscription drives of the hated Kaisers ever did, and the more time passes, the more difficult that perhaps inevitable war becomes.
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And in June 1788, the inevitable happens. With Imram Silvester’s rise to the presidency comes an even more militant shift in the currently 5-year-old republic’s philosophy, saying that not only must the Bundesrepublik prepare for an existential battle that might come at any moment, it must take the initiative: not just for the sake of the German people, but the many oppressed nations still living under foreign imperial rule. Only by striking when the chains of oppression are stretched to their limit can the Revolution break them altogether, establish a safe haven of like-minded republics in Europe and spread ever further. And right now, the obvious target right next door is Italy, distracted by a colonial war and with much of its army deployed outside Europe. The German Revolution was only the beginning – now the Revolutionary Wars begin.
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There isn’t much fighting going on in Europe itself, but there’s about to be. Germany is at war with Italy, Japan and some very minor countries; Italy is at war with Germany, Sweden, Chernigov and England. Asturias has recently finished its colonial war and is now at peace.
To the east, the Arabian-Rûman war is off to a decent if slow start. Yan made a quick separate peace, but Arabia is making progress on its own.
In a typical “civilized” war of the late 1700’s and 1800’s, both sides mostly consider it a matter of two sovereign rulers fighting over territory that simply happens to come with a population living on it, and as the role of looting and pillaging is actually on its way down and armies are more streamlined and organized, only a tiny part of the population is directly involved in the fighting and no widespread terror campaign is usually necessary (though that still doesn’t mean occupations are nice and cozy or anything). Even nationalism and the idea of having to belong to your own “nation” are only now really starting to emerge, though the AAR writer’s modern perspective seeping into the text tends to obscure that. :smallwink: However, when it comes to rebellion, or even worse, revolution, suddenly the very population is your enemy, and one that you must keep down no matter what if you don’t want your own power structure toppled altogether. Hence why I made such a big deal of our first civil war that wasn’t actually an intra-nobility squabble, and how it was also unusual to the people in-universe.
Anyhow. Now would obviously be a good time to attack Germany, but I can confirm that it will put us at war with Sweden, Chernigov and England (it’s honestly a bit funny that the revolution doesn’t break your alliances with monarchies). Scotland and Novgorod would join us, but Moldavia, the strongest of our allies, doesn’t feel like it. I still feel like the Poles would be uncomfortable starting an all-fronts war against those countries, and meta-wise I also wouldn’t mind letting the revolution go on a bit longer, though I don’t want it to feel too much like I’m just sitting here twiddling my thumbs and letting them get stronger on purpose. Even if we don’t attack now, it'll definitely come within the next couple decades. Thoughts?
…Of course, that’s assuming we’d win. Though Germany is distracted with Italy, its army is the same size as ours, concentrated in Europe and growing, whereas a third of ours is in the colonies (which would also become a battlefront thanks to Sweden). Once you count in both sides' allies, they’d actually have the bigger numbers, though it wouldn't be the first time that the AI messes up despite that.
InvisibleBison
2020-05-18, 03:18 PM
I don't think attacking Germany is a good idea as long as it has so many allies. Can you guarantee someone the Germans are likely to attack?
SilverLeaf167
2020-05-19, 10:11 AM
We could possibly guarantee one or two of the tiny states around them; I think the AI includes guarantees in its math when considering whether to attack or not, but in that case, either they don't attack at all, or they do and Moldavia+Chernigov should hopefully join our side. Sweden is currently allied to them but not us, so it could well join in the attack, but we should be able to remake the alliance with Sweden once the penalty from breaking it last time wears out. Guaranteeing a larger country like Asturias or England would be both risky, since they could get mixed up in all sorts of colonial wars, and possibly kind of out-of-character since we all hate each other's guts.
I also checked whether we can convince any of their friends to break their alliance, since I often forget that's an option, but nah. We can't.
SilverLeaf167
2020-05-20, 01:47 PM
Chapter #52: The New Normal? (Aleksander II, 1788-1805)
9th of June, 1788
The 59-year-old High King Aleksander II no longer spends much time at his various estates, having finally settled down in damp and drafty Wavel Castle where he should’ve been all along – first and foremost for his own security, but also to remind the Polish people that there is still a High King, and that he’s not just a ceremonial figurehead who lives on the nation’s money and leaves the actual work to others. Well. For a couple decades now, that’s mostly what he was, but if Poland is going to emerge from the current crisis victorious, he’ll need to take a more active role.
The republican uprising in Germany was far from the first in the world, and in fact directly inspired by successful attempts in East Asia and the failed one in Amatica, but it has been unique in the sheer radicalism of its ideology and for turning one of the top great powers upside-down. In the so-called Bundesrepublik, the capital-R Revolution has gone through several overlapping phases, from killing the old leadership, to the new leadership scheming against each other, to trying to export the movement to other “reactionary” monarchies. Poland and its blatantly artificial puppet state Yugoslavia have been spared any open uprisings thus far, but already restless Amatica and Frisia are a different story, with the crown army basically having to maintain a hostile occupation of each. At least Nowa Straya and the East Indies have been blissfully quiet, saving some resources, not that the natives there are happy about their colonization either.
Worst of all, having had five years to consolidate, radicalize and raise the largest citizen army in the world – making up in enthusiasm and innovation what it might lack in traditional training – the Bundesrepublik has finally decided to take direct action by invading the Italian Empire. Its sworn enemy and ultimate target might be Poland, but Italy with its absolute monarchy, devout Catholicism and plenty of oppressed people to liberate presents a tempting first victim for Germany to fatten itself up for the final battle. How genuine they might be is up for debate, but the supposed ideals of Freiheit, Gleichheit, Solidarität – and death by guillotine – really pose an existential threat to the undeniably rather oppressive great powers of Europe. And yet those great powers are too busy fighting each other or even supporting Germany, either because they’re somehow blind to the problem… or because they wouldn’t mind seeing Italy and Poland brought down a notch.
https://i.postimg.cc/59Gzjq16/20200518162540-1.jpg
The anti-Slavic message might be one reason the Revolution hasn’t been as popular within Poland or Yugoslavia, even among those who can get behind the rest of its goals. In Vladimir, on the other hand, much like in Germany, the demagogues have been successful in fanning up resentment against the Slavic upper class among the largely Ugrian population. There was already an attempted coup in the capital region to overthrow the “Uralic Republic”, a special member of the Bundesrepublik, and restore the Kingdom of Vladimir, but despite Polish sponsorship, it was eventually put down by the Revolutionary Guard and only prompted more purges of the former aristocracy. In any case, the existence of these eastern provinces only makes the prospect of war even more intimidating – especially for Novgorod, which stands to be overrun from all directions.
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The already ongoing war, though, gets off to a rather choppy start, as the German and Italian territories are so closely and messily intertwined that neither can avoid some attacks slipping through. As some small mercy, Sweden makes a white peace in its own ill-advised war with Italy (and Japan), allowing them to focus entirely on the Revolutionary threat, but those troops are going to take a while to get there. After roughly a year of fighting, the momentum clearly seems to be on the Germans’ side as they win several battles and roll into France, declaring new glorious republics in just about every province or even individual town they pass through. Sometimes the locals actually support this, but the vast majority of the time, it’s only a small group of collaborators helping the Germans set up a transparent client state (or “sister republic”).
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In September 1789, yet another Polish ally starts an utterly unnecessary secondary war, namely Moldavia trying to take advantage of the Arabian-Rûman war to continue its own conquest. Infuriating as it is, Aleksander II – actually making some decisions for the first time in a while – has no choice but to accept the call to arms, but he has absolutely no intention to help any more than is necessary. At least Karnata doesn’t get involved in this one, meaning that Moldavia might actually be able to handle it on its own.
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(Whyyyy)
The High King also manages to renew the relationship with Sweden, making a fresh start with the newly crowned King Dan I (through a considerable amount of bribes and trade concessions). Sweden still refuses to accept an invasion of Germany – ironically enough, it has members of the imperial family lobbying it not to allow a single Pole set foot in Braunschweig – but at least promises to come to Poland’s aid should Germany become the aggressor.
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That is indeed the top concern on Poland’s mind. It does its best to adopt any useful bits from the Bundesrepublik’s tactics and organizational reforms, in addition to finally weeding out any leftover mercenary companies and other irregulars that have been grandfathered in through countless reforms in the past and replacing them too with career soldiers and trained recruits.
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In the summer of 1790, the Bundesrepublik achieves a breakthrough in Lombardy, securing several Alpine passes and finally marching into Italy proper. Italy has been more successful in Africa, where it has seized most German and English outposts, but that is very little comfort should the homeland fall. The German forces based in China have also occupied Japanese Korea, inspiring the proclamation of the Republic of Korea in the independent state next door, though in this case Japan has already crushed the small German force and started reclaiming its territory.
https://i.postimg.cc/T1n7WWv5/20200520170434-1.jpg
The Bundesrepublik’s less than streamlined army is hampered by squabbling and indecision, shuffling troops from front to front and chasing after stragglers, but still manages to maintain a slow but steady two-headed offense into France and Italy. Paris falls in early 1791, and though the Italian peninsula is rather heavily fortified, there seems to be no force available to stop Rome from meeting the same fate sooner or later.
In Frisia, the same old uprisings continue.
https://i.postimg.cc/3x8SdRSW/20200520171259-1.jpg
Within Germany, it must be said that even the state of war hasn’t made the Revolution give up on its principles, as it dutifully continues to elect a wholly new President every three years. Of course, once that’s happened four times in a row with not a single reelection, it’s probably a sign of intense ideological discourse and not in fact happy consensus. But even though old personal and regional interests are starting to raise their head in the government, for now, it remains rather devoted to the common struggle.
Still, despite continued success in the field, the war is taking a great toll on the ramshackle Bundesrepublik, and pragmatism wins the day: in January 1793, having stalled north of Rome, the Germans decide that now is a good time to make an armistice – neither side considers it a permanent arrangement. The treaty forces Italy to recognize the independence of a number of republics in Lombardy and southeastern France, which then immediately “join” the federation and are thus annexed by Germany. Toppling an empire in one war is a lot to ask, they’ve decided, so they’ll just patch up, regroup and come finish the job later. These new territories will only make an even better launching board.
https://i.postimg.cc/tTxDLVTv/20200520172951-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/R0qgLYzB/20200520173015-1.jpg
Poland couldn’t care less about Italy, and on any other day it could be cheering, but both Germany’s success in the war and the lukewarm international reaction just make Krakow more and more fidgety. The Swedes seem to have decided that while the Revolution must be stopped from landing in their own country, other countries fighting each other does them no harm, and the Germans actually feel some sort of pan-Germanic kinship with them that leads to much less hostile rhetoric. With Chernigov, meanwhile, they seem to have made some sort of pragmatic exception in their anti-Slavism, toning it down in order to maintain this invaluable check against Poland.
However, unbelievable as this crisis may be, perhaps it’s not all horrible. While it has done little to reverse Poland’s authoritarian streak, this and the Amatican war seem to have shaken off a certain sort of complacency after all. Pushed to extract every coin, resource and peasant from the land and make as good use of what it has as humanly possible, Poland can only do its best to stay on the cutting edge of… well, anything and everything.
https://i.postimg.cc/ZKZjMnhj/20200520184741-1.jpg
The field of culture and science is never quiet either, and even when those great works or discoveries have no direct practical application, Krakow is eager to embrace and tout them as proof that monarchy is nowhere near synonymous with stagnation. Indeed, for all intents and purposes, the “second reign” of Aleksander II wouldn’t be a bad time at all, were it not for the looming reason behind the whole thing.
https://i.postimg.cc/fy7CbnYx/20200520184532-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/Pf12yZ0P/20200520192012-1.jpg
Poland does its best to simultaneously support any counter-revolutionaries and lobby other countries to see just how anathema the Revolution is to everything they represent, but it seems to be a lost cause, as their alliances with Germany are already built on sheer cynical Realpolitik – a German term that seems more relevant than ever.
https://i.postimg.cc/sxCKyDGj/20200520190152-1.jpg
Arabia makes a favorable peace, annexing roughly the southern half of Rûm and the entire Persian Gulf coastline. In January 1795, Moldavia finally does the same, annexing the north. The Sultanate of Rûm, built on great ambitions but gradually chipped down by the Slavs and finally betrayed by its ally, is no more. This probably won’t be the end of Moldavian-Arabian conflict, though.
https://i.postimg.cc/8PHwQGpG/20200520190621-1.jpg
The relative lull within Poland is broken in early 1798, as Crown Prince Skarbimir dies while on a hunting trip – something the cautious royals haven’t had a lot of recently. While seemingly accidental, having fallen off and stumbled down a cliff, his body is badly mangled and the whole thing a little too sudden, too convenient. The heir presumptive goes out without a bodyguard for once, and is immediately violently killed? Aleksander II, for one, thinks it was no coincidence.
https://i.postimg.cc/XYYLnPqC/20200520192255-1.jpg
The High King is 68 years old. Even the Crown Prince was in his forties. He’d always had a major role in running the country, even basically acting as its regent for a while, and his loss is both an immediate blow to the administration and a looming one in the probably near future. The High King can’t be expected to live much longer at the best of times, and even though he should obviously cloak a new heir, the next leader of Poland will inevitably be a young and inexperienced one.
And in July 1798, barely a few months after the partition of Rûm, Moldavia and Arabia have already started fighting over where exactly the demarcation line should go – apparently Moldavia adjusted its initial offer to “somewhere around Cairo” – and another war is at hand. Aleksander II offers a nominal promise of aid, with roughly the same amount of enthusiasm as last time.
https://i.postimg.cc/FHCZzxkn/20200520194501-1.jpg
More surprisingly, around the same time, the Bundesrepublik begins a blatantly colonial war of conquest against Betsimisaraka and its protector Japan. After Germany got off to such a good start in terms of “democracy” and refused to even reelect its leaders, President Jacek Bogumil is currently serving his third consecutive term and seems to be doing his best to build a cult of personality of sorts. His open militarism now seems to be taking forms reminiscent of the oppressive colonial regimes of old, perish the thought – although, true, Betsimisaraka is a monarchy, so he can at least “plausibly” use the same justification of spreading the revolution.
https://i.postimg.cc/GpBjysk3/20200520195215-1.jpg
As a minor footnote in the annals of history, England finally invades the tiny Duchy of Lancaster squeezed between it and Scotland, which it has somehow allowed to exist all the way until now. While inconsequential in itself, the rhetoric around the invasion is notable for including the idea that “all English-speakers”, apparently including very divergent dialects like Yorkish, should be part of “the English nation”. Although, in the end, England ends up buckling to internal and external pressure and promising Lancaster a more gradual path to integration as a vassal at first.
https://i.postimg.cc/qqrcSbWg/20200520201726-1.jpg
Seemingly turning away from the precipice where so many other republics didn't, in 1801 the Bundesrepublik decides to put an end to Bogumil’s little empire-building exercise and finally oust him from the presidency, replacing him with the more moderate Konrad Ausala. They then seem to resume their original tradition of always electing someone new.
…They’ll still finish the war he started, though. That part’s apparently fine.
On that note: in 1804, Moldavia finishes its war with Arabia, with perhaps rather modest results.
https://i.postimg.cc/vmptLHzr/20200520204117-1.jpg
And as the year changes into 1805, High King Aleksander II is still kicking. His emergency heir Nadbor has learned the ropes decently enough, Germany’s threats of Europe-wide upheaval have been put on break as it busies itself in Madagascar and Korea of all places, and while it would still be a grand struggle if it were to attack, year after year it becomes less obvious that such an attack is actually forthcoming. After all, much as the revolutionaries might hate to admit it, they’re bound by Sweden and Chernigov’s threats in just the same way as Poland is. While it definitely seems untenable in the long term, and the Christians probably have another invasion to fear sooner or later, Poland might well have to settle in for a very stressful, very long 19th century.
https://i.postimg.cc/NMm7NqJW/20200520204952-1.jpg
Really getting tired of people’s dumb wars, but oh well.
I am quite honestly stumped on what to do about Germany, as long as Sweden and Chernigov are there and no one else seems to care. Of course, that’s just how the Poles feel in-universe as well, and while deeply disturbed by the situation, they’re also not suicidal enough to start a huge war without a truly immediate threat. If the Germans don’t attack us, then that just means a very different Europe going into Vic 2, I guess. And I could ostensibly guarantee Italy or something, but that would probably just mean no wars at all, which is the most boring option of all. There’s a number of things about the diplomatic situation that feel difficult to explain in a way that makes sense in-universe, but I try.
If nothing does happen, I can’t deny that I’ve kinda shifted into Vic 2 transition mode, and in a sense, the world being dominated by great powers and their pacts of mutually assured destruction is a very natural lead-in to that. There’s little aggressive action we can take that makes sense either mechanically or in-universe, though arguments to the contrary are welcomed. But if that turns out to be the case, we might have only one or two chapters of EU4 left. That should be a little energy boost for me, assuming it doesn’t crash and burn, anyway. :smallwink:
SilverLeaf167
2020-05-31, 06:41 AM
Chapter #53: The World of Realpolitik (Nadbor III, 1805-1821)
7th of January, 1805
The Christian world has entered the 19th century, though in the Slavic Calendar (which starts in 883 A.D.) it’s only the year 922. At the same time that the entire world grows increasingly centralized under a small number of global empires and industrialization picks up speed, making the great even greater, the political landscape seems to have come to a critical junction with the German Revolution of 1781-1783 and the rise of the ideologically radical Bundesrepublik. The very idea of a traditional monarchy has really come under fire for what feels like the first time, and the aristocrats in charge don’t know how to react. Perhaps even more problematic than the Bundesrepublik itself is this inability of the other powers to agree on a course of action: some like Poland and Italy see it as an enemy to be destroyed, while others – even though uneasy about its goals – are willing to compromise with the Bundesrepublik as long as it suits their own interests.
Not just that: following the First Revolutionary War and the addition of several new “states” to the Bundesrepublik, many of the illegal republics declared in the Italian Empire have refused to submit to the crown even after the Germans withdrew, and are now fighting a war of their own to do what the Germans couldn’t and topple the government in Rome altogether. The fact that the Bundesrepublik can plant such seeds of unrest makes it look even more infectious. One can only speculate whether the revolution succeeding in Italy as well would just lead to infighting between it and Germany anyway, or – the nightmare option – them actually joining forces against the surrounding monarchies.
https://i.postimg.cc/ZnGsmX7h/20200527154822-1.jpg
In the end, the revolutionary armies are routed in early 1806, but not before occupying several major cities and considerably shaking up the imperial establishment. Italy enters an almost Amatica-esque period of uneasy friction with its own, still rebellious populace, and just like across the Atlantic, the situation doesn’t seem truly over.
There is shaking in Poland as well, for in February 1806, High King Aleksander II finally breathes his last. With some 60 years on the throne, he’s one of the longest-reigning rulers in Polish history – and though his passiveness during that time could maybe be blamed for some of Poland’s problems, he at least stepped back into the limelight for the last decade or so, paving the way for his (second) heir to inherit an actually rather stable country, even if that stability was in many places achieved by force. With the pressing need to educate him into a decent ruler as quickly as possible, Nadbor III has turned out rather… decent, indeed. Much like Aleksander II back in the day, he hasn’t had the time to hone his skills and contacts in a lesser post, but the nobility in particular has high hopes that he will inspire the nation to stand against the Bundesrepublik and Revolutionary lies, at least in defense if not offense.
https://i.postimg.cc/7hGtpqNV/20200527155607-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/kgm9FHnZ/20200527155654-1.jpg
The Bundesrepublik, for that matter, ends up making a white peace in its strange colonial war against Betsimisaraka and Japan. However large its citizen army, Germany was never really a major naval power and can’t compete with Japan on the waves. Of course, that’s still a lot of time and resources down the drain.
https://i.postimg.cc/gkRmhpP8/20200527183224-1.jpg
Perhaps to distract from that failure, only a few months later, President Krzeslaw Adalbert and the parliament begin their second invasion of Italy. Even if Germany took some damage from its colonial adventure, Italy is faring much worse after both the previous war and the rebellions in between, and its allies don’t seem to be interested in sacrificing themselves either.
Though the Germans should have a large numerical advantage, organizational issues and inconvenient geography once again give the war a sputtering start. The most fought over area seems to be the Occitan coast, which is a natural consequence of the German corridor to the Mediterranean being of vital importance for both sides.
https://i.postimg.cc/FKF4wJkV/20200527185521-1.jpg
As usual, every German setback big or small makes Poland feel tempted to just rush into Braunschweig, which it surely could achieve, as the capital of the Bundesrepublik is only some 60 miles from the closest point of the Polish border. But foreign relations continue to make that either impossible, or certainly not worth it even if achieved.
The young Nadbor III decides to focus on that diplomatic front instead. By maintaining constant, always positive relations with the other pagan nations, and more softly and gradually convincing them of the monarchies’ need to stand together against the Revolutionary menace, he hopes to eventually swing the balance in Poland’s favor and acquire an opening to invade.
https://i.postimg.cc/kM2nn81j/20200528201343-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/66FBT3FB/20200528201354-1.jpg
It doesn’t hurt that these wars between Germany and Italy, two of the most industrialized powers in the world, are persuading (or forcing) other countries to rely more and more on Poland for goods and investment.
https://i.postimg.cc/rphkTFSX/20200528201641-1.jpg
And so it happens that, apparently having been much better prepared this time around, after almost six years of grueling back-and-forth fighting concentrated in the Alps, Occitania and France – often resembling civil war, as local partisans fought against either or even both sides – Italy actually wins what could well be considered a defensive victory. The territories it reclaims from Germany in the peace treaty of April 1812 are comparatively minor, but just having stopped the great Revolutionary machine (its now second humiliation in a row) is a great triumph in itself, immediately turning the public perception of the Bundesrepublik from a “rolling onslaught” to a “mess of mob rule tripping over its own feet”.
https://i.postimg.cc/zvhZTC48/20200528203427-1.jpg
Both countries have been economically and physically bled dry. Nadbor III chooses this moment for another diplomatic offensive, aimed at Chernigov in particular, but as persistent and persuasive as his arguments of Polish superiority against German “decadence” might be, in retrospect they were bound to fail: the idea of the Bundesrepublik being unable to protect itself only makes it more, not less, important for others to maintain the balance of power. Truly, it is hard to see what sort of argument, short of Germany posing a direct threat to Chernigov, could change that – and with Poland located in between them, that seems rather unlikely.
https://i.postimg.cc/76fyZ8VC/20200528203524-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/FR8XfWWT/20200528203548-1.jpg
(Even that effective +5 shift in diplomatic reputation didn't do the trick...)
Alas, mere months later, Chernigov fires the first shots of the Second Eurasian War: another continental invasion of Rajasthan and Karnata, in which it requests Polish aid. The same cold logic that led to that previous exchange takes this one in an unexpected direction: the Bundesrepublik turning out weaker than expected (?) and the threat of an invasion of Poland seeming remote at best means that Chernigov also isn’t such a critical ally after all, so Nadbor III “politely” refuses the call to arms. At this point, it’s no secret that he might actually be hoping for Chernigov to shoot itself in the foot, get bogged up in a bloody war and leave Germany defenseless.
https://i.postimg.cc/QNK3LDCw/20200528204247-1.jpg
A while later, Germany actually joins that war, apparently not remembering how it went last time. Other great powers also start piling on Rajasthan, as Asturias – which has conquered itself a nice foothold in Indochina in the confusion of the last couple decades – joins the attack from the opposite direction.
https://i.postimg.cc/15xZsdNt/20200528210108-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/BQxf6CxC/20200528210018-1.jpg
(Also pictured: the rising star of the Shan Empire, formerly Hsipaw, which hasn’t gotten a lot of attention)
Even Scotland, which doesn’t actually have colonies east of Guinea, joins the dogpile. Nadbor III stands firm in his decision not to get involved in this whole mess. If Scotland wants to be safeguarded against England (which is also participating in the invasion, for the record), it’ll probably remake that alliance as soon as possible anyway.
https://i.postimg.cc/W18RmbYF/20200528210913-1.jpg
Poland gets to keep itself busy in Frisia, where yet another faction has arisen in the struggle for power: one wanting to maintain the monarchy, but get it back into local hands. Of course, the armed rebellion is once again crushed with relative ease, but the royalist faction is added to the fractious ranks of Frisian underground politics. It would probably go a lot better if they struggled together.
https://i.postimg.cc/sgsdZZmC/20200528210422-1.jpg
Among the great powers not invading Rajasthan is Moldavia, which has been distracted growing its Mediterranean dominion. It succeeds in its war against Tripolitania and Kanem Bornu, annexing most of the former’s heartland and thus gaining a stronger and stronger grip on the strategically vital sea.
https://i.postimg.cc/g02CgF1M/20200528211807-1.jpg
And so, though they are not in fact working together, most of Europe seems to have put aside its differences in favor of working on every great power’s common hobby: imperialism. As the years tick by, more and more of Rajasthan comes under (tenuous) occupation from one direction or another, while Poland and Nadbor III in particular mostly sit by, shake their heads and continue selling them the wares to do so.
https://i.postimg.cc/SswHQXR5/20200528212903-1.jpg
In August 1818, Moldavia starts another land-grab of is own, once again against Arabia (and its Chinese allies). As little interest as Poland frankly has in this, Nadbor III can’t risk his frustration turning into total isolationism, having already lost Chernigov and Scotland as allies. Moldavia is Poland’s most powerful ally to begin with, so somewhat reluctantly, he promises his support for this one.
https://i.postimg.cc/90ZKDWqf/20200528213507-1.jpg
In the end, after so much effort (more from some than others), the Second Eurasian War comes to something of a whimpering end in 1819, as first Chernigov and Germany make a successful peace treaty – mostly taking some land in Central Asia and the Caucasus – and then the others, suddenly finding themselves under a lot more pressure, have to settle for white peaces, time wasted and nothing gained. Poland’s decision to stay out proves quite prudent once more.
https://i.postimg.cc/WpkQW7fP/20200528214033-1.jpg
Europe seems to be falling into something of an awkward but surely temporary lull, in a world full of ambiguous in-betweens. Amatica is in check but far from stable, the Bundesrepublik has proven strong but not undefeatable, Italy has stumbled but not fallen, Slavic cooperation is tenuous but holding, and the Polish population is quiet if not quite happy. Emerging technologies, still a strange concept to be quite honest, are starting to shake up both the military balance of power and people’s very way of life. While Poland might be the strongest great power, the others have caught up and found ways to restrict it nonetheless, a fact which the Poles are acutely aware of and highly uncomfortable with. Long gone are the days that simply being stronger than your worst enemy and able to beat them in the field of battle seemed to be enough: now it appears that you have to be stronger than your so-called friends as well. And while it might be that the sun never sets on the Kingdom of Poland, visions of a Pan-Paganist Polska Uniwersalna look more and more like delusions, and the world might be entering a whole new, very different era of… brr... alternatives.
https://i.postimg.cc/bJGKj0yk/20200528215645-1.jpg
I… actually forgot for a moment that I was going to play this until 1836. Looking at it now, I realize doing that actually causes certain technical problems in the conversion, but I can work around those by making this 1821 save the one I actually convert, making any major changes that happen over the next 15 years manually (which I already have to do for a looot of things anyway). However, with that in mind, the structure of the next chapter isn’t set in stone quite yet. Depending on what (if anything) happens in those 15 years, it might well be just a quick, more narrative intermission and not this kind of step-by-step chapter.
IthilanorStPete
2020-05-31, 11:02 AM
Hsipaw? Hsipaw turning into an empire? That's surprising, they've only ever been a very minor power in the games I've played. Hope the conversion to Vic2 works out well, looking forward to it!
Keraunograf
2020-06-01, 07:28 PM
Haven't really posted, but just wanted to say I've been enjoying these and thank you.
SilverLeaf167
2020-06-02, 03:55 PM
Interlude #3: Between Wars (Nadbor III, 1821-1836)
1st of January, 1821
In the future, it would become a commonly cited cliché that the 1820s and early 30s were a rare period of “peace in Europe”. However, that was only a very shallow view, plus as the situation around the Bundesrepublik stabilized somewhat and became the new status quo, the European powers accelerated their efforts in African and Asia instead. Moldavia wrapped up its invasion of Arabia in record time, taking a geographically modest if extremely valuable chunk of Egypt, which is both the Caliphate’s economic core and the Madjid dynasty’s homeland. The Movilesti rulers of Moldavia thus managed to push the Arabs off the Mediterranean coast altogether.
https://i.postimg.cc/sxhDbg4V/20200602145946-1.jpg
Of course, the new status quo was no less hostile than the old one. Even if neither side anticipated a war in the near future, Poland and Germany engaged in constant diplomatic spats and even the occasional border incident with a lot of saber-rattling and apocalyptic rhetoric. The boogeyman of an ideological enemy right next door continued to be a great boon for both sides’ internal politics, even if the unifying effect began to wear off over time.
https://i.postimg.cc/VNfv51mR/20200602150829-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/PNnrHnS1/20200602145116-1.jpg
Also with record speed, Chernigov started the Third Eurasian War. High King Nadbor III once again decided not to join, and the Poles started to doubt the value of maintaining an alliance with Chernigov at all.
https://i.postimg.cc/2jVG9bg4/20200602152133-1.jpg
As for Indochina, Asturian disruption in the region was part of what originally allowed the overgrown city-state of Hsipaw to carve out its very own Shan Empire. When Asturias tried to invade the Shan in turn and assert dominance, it backfired in spectacular fashion as the Empire – armed with modern tactics and almost-modern weaponry – ended up overrunning the Asturian colonies and acquiring its first bit of coastline in the ensuing peace treaty.
https://i.postimg.cc/C1txvqDP/20200602152532-1.jpg
The humiliation provided an opening for armed revolutionaries to also rise up in Asturias, which had appeared mostly insulated from the movement until now. While they ended up being forcefully put down, it served to establish that the situation was still fragile. The Emperors and Empresses of “Francia” clung onto their (long-since meaningless) moniker harder than ever. Similar uprisings also continued to occur in Italy, where various separatist movements – especially on the French side – picked up speed as well.
https://i.postimg.cc/C1dKHNZn/20200602153721-1.jpg
Karnata, which had long tried and even managed to stand equal with the other “civilized” powers, was finally subjected to large-scale colonization as Chernihiv and Germany carved it apart almost as collateral damage during their wars with Rajasthan.
https://i.postimg.cc/bvmJtMvj/20200602160300-1.jpg
Poland, to its credit (?), remained at both external and internal peace throughout this period. Even still, it saw great demographic and economic upheaval: as industrialization progressed in leaps and bounds, more and more newly jobless peasants started moving to the cities, which necessitated their massive expansion and, in the worst cases, the birth of shoddily constructed and very dense slums where a new and different “working class” was forced to dwell. The same applied to other such “advanced” countries, but in few places was the shift as large and radical as in rural Poland. Meanwhile, as those other countries recovered from their wars, acquired new colonies and joined the industrial arms race, Poland’s economic dominance actually fell from its Revolution-era peak, and its stretched-to-the-limits military – once again the largest in Europe, as Germany and Italy both started to downsize – was becoming a real problem for the budget. And internationally, as Poland was repeatedly forced to renege on and then remake its treaties, desperately trying to balance the loyalties of allies it used to take for granted, its position as the unquestioned #1 power seemed like a nostalgic memory.
Technological, economic, military, diplomatic… Yet out of all these winds of change, none would prove nearly as instrumental to world history as the awakening of “the people” as a political force. The German Revolution was only the beginning.
Map GIF and Comparison (https://imgur.com/a/XyTmqsN)
1444: The highest nobles of Poland meet at the Congress of Moscow to tie the Moscow Pact, agreeing to split the overgrown empire peacefully before they have to do it violently. Though Poland hopes to maintain hegemony over its former provinces, that will only last for so long before they start acting practically independent. Similarly in Francia, the internal situation has grown untenable to the point that the Emperor would rather grant the member states greater autonomy and make the Empire an elective monarchy in hopes of ending the endless cycle of civil war.
1459: Stanislaw I, the great but controversial reformer who pushed through the Moscow Pact, sets an immensely influential precedent for Polish politics by delegating significant power to the regional, cultural and religious minorities in an attempt to stabilize the country and, most importantly, counterbalance the nobility in Krakow. Many governments and High Kings over the coming centuries will spend their time trying to roll back some of these reforms, but never all of them.
1461: Stanislaw I’s attempts to confiscate his noble vassals’ lands meet violent resistance, especially by the Mazowiecki clan in Warsaw, which is defeated but still manages to force the High King to tone down his “tyrannical” ambitions.
1488: Wladyslaw II finally codifies the Slavic Calendar, basing it on the founding of Poland in 883 AD.
1497: Andalusian explorers bring back the first reports of mountains of silver and a vast continent to the west. However, it’ll take several decades before the Poles commit to any colonial projects of their own.
1504: France falls into a personal union under Italy, where it remains to this day, creating a new Christian great power and further destabilizing the Francian Empire from within as the other electors desperately try not to give Italy-France too much power – even if it means shooting themselves in the foot.
Meanwhile in Poland, the disgruntled nobles try to reclaim their old rights, only to be denied by Wolislawa I and have their uprising put down after the infamous Westward March. They ultimately join forces to form the Polish Sejm, a parliamentary organ to force her and future rulers to listen to their demands or be met with country-wide resistance.
1510: The Sejm tries to enforce serfdom in Poland for the first time, only to be denied by Wolislawa I once more. Its bark seems to be worse than its bite.
1514: Political and sectarian strife within Francia leads the violently suppressed Waldensian heresy to resurface in Lancaster, preached by one Wolf Raleigh. It spreads like wildfire across the north, both as an appealing philosophy and as a way to resist the unpopular Pope and his allies in the Mediterranean. Thus begins what is known as the Heretic Rekindling.
1518: Janina Oginski, captain of the Czech’s Ambition, becomes the first Pole to visit the unknown continent of Amatica and the first person ever to send back detailed information that leads to permanent colonies in what is to be Buyania. Though it won’t always be so rosy in practice, Poland still distinguishes itself as the only colonial power to adopt a relatively “peaceful, diplomatic and tolerant” approach to taking the natives’ lands from them.
1525: The Cathar heresy resurfaces and gains great popularity in wartorn Anatolia, though the results of those same wars end up making it the least successful of the three main heresies in the long run.
1531: The Lollard heresy is brought back in Carinthia, spreading through political patronage first and mass movement as a distant second.
1564: The Heretic Rekindling has disrupted Francia’s already fragile balance to the point that the Emperor and his allies take a more heavy-handed approach to weeding it out, which leads to the heretics founding the Evangelical Union to protect their rights and interests as members of the Empire. The Catholic Union is formed in response, splitting the entire Empire into two camps.
1566-74: The two Unions struggle for superiority, starting the so-called Heretics’ War. Despite several non-Christian powers supporting the rebels, the Catholics finally manage to knock out the Heretic ringleaders and lay down the law in the Peace of Champagne, leading to even stricter penalties and an ultimately ineffective ban on all heresy. The Waldensian-dominated British princedoms leave the Empire altogether. As Italy-France grows ever stronger, the Empire shrinks, and a good portion of its own members are made into political pariahs, Francia enters a decline from which it will never recover.
1572: Kazimierz I pens the Pact of Convention, finally legitimizing the Sejm in an attempt to make peace with the nobles and wield its power for the benefit of the Crown. Though very limited in both power and voter base, Poland technically becomes the second parliamentary monarchy in Europe (if one counts the Francian Senate), setting an example that Novgorod, Chernigov and Moldavia will all follow.
1601-04: Sulislaw II’s perceived violation of the promises made to the Sejm, which is trying to assert its newfound power, mixes with a number of other disputes to finally erupt in the Confederate Civil War, the most significant internal conflict in Polish history. After three years of fighting between the Crown Army and the rebellious Confederate nobles, nearly a million people lie dead and the upper classes are split in half worse than ever before. Sulislaw II emerges victorious but is forced to deal with the consequences for the rest of his reign. Poland only narrowly dodges a slip into ever greater autocracy and governmental paranoia.
1624: After 14 years of persistent, popular uprisings in Frisia, Lechoslaw III accepts the Amsterdam Compromise, making the Grand Duchy of Frisia into an autonomous vassal state of Poland. Both sides see this as only a temporary step towards their respective goals, but it ends up staying that way for at least the next couple centuries to come.
1634: The heirless Queen of Moldavia ends up passing the throne to Jan I, bringing Moldavia into a personal union under Poland. Germany and Novgorod dispute this succession, calling it a violation of the Moscow Pact and worried by the prospect of Poland coming to dominate Slavdom once again. Ironically, their declaration of war is what really breaks the Moscow Pact, or at least changes it from an actually very stable alliance into a dead-letter pipe dream. Germany loses the war and has some of its territory seized by Poland, leading to a long and bitter rivalry between the two.
1678: Similar to the above, Vladimir falls into a personal union under Germany and Chernigov annexes parts of Novgorod, burying any hopes of pagan harmony for good.
1688: Seeking a way to expand and strengthen Poland against its former friends turned enemies, Stanislaw II invades Pannonia so that he might shape the Principality of Yugoslavia out of its charred remains. As a Polish vassal state, Yugoslavia is later expanded to cover the entirety of the Western Balkans, kept together mostly by Polish military force.
1710-18: In a series of reforms and dramatic events, Gizella I, more popularly known as “Cesira”, finalizes the departure of Italy from the Francian Empire. This puts the final nail in the latter’s coffin when she moves her capital from Pavia to Rome, declares Italy an empire of its own and starts annexing the minor states around. As one of the more positive changes, Italy becomes the first (and so far only) colonial power to legally abolish slavery.
1716: Niezamysl II inherits the throne of Scotland, placing another kingdom into a personal union under Poland.
1734-38: Despite Niezamysl II’s disinterest, Polish nobles push to begin the so-called Dalmatian War. At the end of four years of fighting, Frisia, Yugoslavia and Moldavia all make gains, Italy is humiliated, and Crown Prince Aleksander signs the Treaty of Rome to ostensibly split Europe into clear spheres of interest. Though the treaty is otherwise rather dubious, this does mark the last direct war between Poland and a Christian power for at least the next century.
1745: Constant provocations by Aleksander I (above) lead the elite meczennik forces to stage a coup on the night of the Kupala Feast, taking the High King into captivity where he is accidentally killed. They crown Aleksander II as a puppet ruler, but a counter-coup by the military manages to first purge the meczenniks out of their ranks and then march for Krakow to restore law and order. In the aftermath, the meczenniks are abolished, the High King’s dignity takes a blow, Moldavia and Scotland slip from wide autonomy into full independence, and the entire state machinery looks rather different after fixing the damage it took in a few short months.
Dalimir I declares Germany an "empire" as well, which it won’t remain for all that long.
1776-79: A toxic blend of neglect, exploitation and revolutionary ideals from abroad leads the three Voivodeships of Buyania, Lukomoria and Jeziora to declare independence from Poland, beginning the Amatican Revolutionary War. The Royals are ultimately victorious, showing unusual brutality in their subjugation of the Colonials both during and after the war. After this very haunting precedent, no other colonies (of any country) try to declare independence for the next half century, so Poland could well consider it a great success.
1781-83: As a result of all the above plus particularly great incompetence, decadence and needless wars on the Kaiser's part, the Germans do what the Amaticans couldn’t. They topple the German Reich altogether, execute any Lechowicz they can get their hands on and lay the foundation of an unprecedentedly radical Bundesrepublik. It soon starts to expand its borders by force in a great crusade to end tyranny (a.k.a. monarchy) all across Europe and the world.
1812: After an intense cold war with Poland and a couple hot ones with Italy, the Bundesrepublik finally suffers its first notable defeats, seemingly bringing an end to the immediate risk of world conquest that some Poles saw in the Revolution – but not the underlying friction of people against crown, far from it.
As you can see from the map (in case you missed it (https://imgur.com/a/XyTmqsN)), there’s a lot of bordergore to be fixed with great prejudice. :smalltongue:
Anyhow: CK2 took effectively 24 chapters for 577 years, for an average of 24 years per chapter. EU4 took 31 chapters for 392 years, or 12 years per chapter. Victoria 2 is only a 100 years long, and… hmm. Come to think of it, it could actually take roughly 16 chapters for an average of 6 years per chapter, but I’ve never written a Victoria 2 AAR before and really can’t estimate how long it will be in my style. Could be more, could be less. I’m not going to aim for any particular number ahead of time.
For that matter, it’s been interesting (to me) to note how different factors conspire to make every conversion more laborious than the last. CK2 was basically vanilla, obviously, with only some cosmetic tweaks made along the way. The EU4 conversion was a lot of work, but at least I only needed to do part of the world, and EU4’s structure is a lot more “modular” in ways that made it easier to just “plug in” a custom start and still have it work reasonably well – after all, the game already has custom and even random starts as a built-in option.
In Vic 2, I not only needed to do the entire world – great respect to Idhrendur for the fanmade converter, but I still felt obligated to tweak all the details, including even stupid things like province names and populations in the New World. On top of that, Vic 2 in itself is more “pre-scripted” than EU4, with a lot more specific events to start specific wars between specific countries and whatnot. Many of those I scrapped, some I modified, and I can only imagine that Vic 2’s overall more fiddly mechanics will make it even more unbalanced than EU4. And HoI4 will be worse yet. On the other hand, at least the last two are designed to have the world dominated by great powers from the start. But more on all that in the next post.
Thanks for reading this far, whether you’ve been sticking around for a year and a half or hopped on somewhere along the way!
IthilanorStPete
2020-06-02, 04:06 PM
*applause* Two games down, two to go. That's a lot farther than most megacampaigns get; congratulations! Looking forward to Vic2.
SilverLeaf167
2020-06-09, 08:38 AM
Interlude #4: Towards Victory (1836)
https://i.postimg.cc/B618r1gm/20200609141938-1-kopio.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/dV4TrF3j/world-map-1836-kopio.png (https://i.postimg.cc/8T8F9JNg/world-map-1836.png)
(Click for full size)
https://i.postimg.cc/VkccgPx2/20200609141857-1.jpg
(Note: Most in-game population numbers, like this one here, only show 1/4 of the total population, leaving out children, the elderly and other non-workers.)
The Kingdom of Poland has a mixed record on “liberalism”, be it social, political or economic. While it has long held onto certain principles of cultural, religious and linguistic pluralism, relative gender equality, and local autonomy, its real commitment to political rights in particular has followed a pendulum pattern depending on the current monarch, government and crisis. The German Revolution of 1791-93 and the threat of the same in Poland have kept it on high alert for decades now, but as the danger seems less immediate, policy may or may not begin to loosen up again. No single actor can be given credit for Poland’s freedoms or lack thereof, as the crown has shot down the Sejm’s demands of serfdom on some occasions, the Sejm stood against increased crown power on others, and the clergy flip-flopped between reining in and embracing its more fundamentalist elements. Yet there is one division to which they’ve all seemed willfully blind – in fact the greatest of all, as it shuts out the vast majority and makes politics the world of the marginal few: class.
https://i.postimg.cc/52wfW25x/20200609141809-1.jpg
Unlike the absolute monarchies of Italy, Asturias and Sweden for instance, Poland’s is “semi-parliamentary”, but though the Sejm’s voter base has technically been expanded by the inclusion of not just the nobility but also other wealthy landowners, this expansion remains extremely marginal. There are various local, regional and occupational councils with their own rules, but only some 2% of the adult population is able to vote for the Polish Sejm, and only in the European provinces – though for whatever it’s worth, unlike the vast majority of countries, around a third of these voters and a fourth of the elected deputies are women. The Sejm’s stated purpose is to balance the nobility against the High King and the provinces against Krakow, not so much to represent different ideologies or class interests, and so there are also no formal parties, only temporary ad-hoc groups banding together for a few votes at a time. The several hundred voting districts in the country only select one deputy each, so the winner takes the seat and the runner-up gets nothing – even if it was a 51-49 split – heavily favoring the unambitious middle-of-the-road candidates.
https://i.postimg.cc/GpXwb841/20200609141814-1.jpg
Due to all this and the tightly-knit voter base, the choice of deputies is largely based on personal connections, backroom deals and individual issues rather than any ideological affiliation. The Sejm then utilizes these same methods in forming a sub-government of its own (Ruling Party), usually with a rather broad conservative consensus. The Premier – the leader of this government and by extension the Sejm – is officially the second-most powerful person in the country, as long as the monarch allows. The Premier can be dismissed, a new election held and even the whole government reorganized by direct order of the High King, but this right is very rarely used due to the outrage it would cause.
https://i.postimg.cc/Y9jc0rFL/20200609150715-1.jpg
If the Sejm represents the upper classes, then the High King is represented by the Crown Council (Upper House). While the Sejm has control over many routine matters and can make a real impact even on its own (if not dismissed), little major legislation can be passed without Council support. The Council is an unelected institution consisting of political allies, officials, priests, experts and “experts” from around the country, and as such, there are many ways to become a member. They actually end up being a lot more diverse than the Sejm, including even some who think their home region shouldn’t be part of Poland to begin with but who can still do some job or other. Though its size and purpose have changed a lot over its long history, the Crown Council is rather archaic compared to the upper houses of “real” bicameral parliaments, such as the Bundesrat of Germany.
https://i.postimg.cc/3NsQzsd4/20200609141814-1-kopio.jpg
Though there are again no official parties, three main types of deputy can be identified. The Conservatives are the mainstream majority, mostly going along with official policy and honoring certain political norms with little taste for reform, focused on small matters of the day and content with the status quo. The royalist Reactionaries resent this same complacency and demand a return to (real or imagined) traditional values, military intervention and increased government power, even though they often end up annoying even the High King himself with their outbursts. And finally, the Liberals are mostly businessmen or business-oriented nobles willing to use modern values, parliamentary reform and other crowd-pleasers as a vehicle for their main goal: hands-off economic policy. Of course, this “populism” would probably work a lot better if the “populace” it targets were allowed to vote in the first place, and they also have to toe the line of not getting labeled as revolutionaries.
https://i.postimg.cc/8zBgnnDc/20200609141823-1.jpg
While many would gladly view Poland’s global empire as a united whole, there is in fact a clear difference between “the homeland”, the two vassal monarchies, the four voivodeships, trade company lands, military outposts and more. Due to the fastest communication still being at the speed of a ship, no matter how strict Krakow wants to be, it still has to give the local leaders a great deal of autonomy. And as for the purposes of these far-flung, expensive-to-maintain colonies, they include force projection, control of shipping lanes, taxation, manpower, exotic wares, sheer imperialistic pride… and ever increasingly, natural resources. Counting all the various subject states, Poland is the third-most populous country in the world after the all-but-defunct Pratihara Empire and the Kingdom of Wu.
https://i.postimg.cc/q7vBcdn4/poland-map-1836.png (https://i.postimg.cc/6Bd7XWp2/poland-map-1836.png)
Internally, while the revolutionary movement has been kept in check for now, other countries have shown that it can still flare up at a moment’s notice, especially as the peasantry continues its transformation into a city-dwelling working class. The “cultural nationalism” espoused by some like Germany and England, though, is another future threat: Poland has dealt with its massively diverse population through means of autonomy and coexistence, extending both Pole and Slav to describe all members of the nation without actually attempting to “Polonize” them. However, this new ideology classifies nations more strictly by language, religion and other cultural heritage, real or imagined, and the Germans have actively tried to provoke separatist movements in regions like Pomerania and Bohemia that have been happy subjects of Poland for almost a thousand years. Should the idea of “self-determination” actually take root in such central regions, who’s to say what might happen in the periphery that was never quite so content with Polish rule to begin with?
https://i.postimg.cc/W1RsykkW/20200608160654-1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/44YdFtdt/poland-cultures.png
(Italics and parentheses = not present within Poland or subject states)
In any case. Thanks to early investment and large natural deposits, Poland is one of the world’s top producers of coal, steel, and other industry essentials as well as a huge exporter of food. However, many of the other great powers and even some smaller ones like Lotharingia are rapidly catching up or already past in terms of manufacturing, especially after accounting for size. As for imports, the Poles are… big on drinks, apparently? (Maybe 90% of the world’s tea is grown in China and bought by the colonial powers at less than fair prices.) Poland’s economic development has been closely tied to the military and its needs, and will likely stay that way for the foreseeable future, even as the civilian industry takes on a life of its own and starts to diversify.
https://i.postimg.cc/15FQD3jp/20200609141844-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/J7v8ykPr/20200609145627-1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/TP15csWM/20200609152619-1.jpg
(The nation scores and rankings are going to start shifting quickly, so don’t put too much faith in them.)
The Italian Empire remains unbowed, but has taken a beating at the hands of revolutionaries foreign and domestic alike. The country has been ruled by a regency council for almost a decade and Emperor Araslan I Alfieri is still only 13 years old, making the political situation doubly unstable. The last war against Germany, while lauded as an Italian victory, was basically a stalemate, and the threat of internal rebellion only makes it more paranoid about passing any much-needed reforms that could undermine the nostalgic foundations of the “New Roman Empire”.
https://i.postimg.cc/wxGqhPTd/20200608204016-1.jpg
Having had its Greek and Croatian provinces conquered by Poland, and a wedge driven through it by Germany, the Empire’s European parts can be neatly divided into Italy and France – though its rulers would have you believe they’re all one Latin nation. The Empire has also had some misfortune in its colonial endeavors, losing its foothold in Amatica, but Santa Croce in Alcadra is one of the oldest and richest colonial nations. Honduras (originally Asturian) and Aotearoa are decidedly second-class, but at least the Empire also includes a respectable array of bases in Africa and Asia.
https://i.postimg.cc/ThMBtn4n/italy-population.png
Besides keeping itself together, Italy’s top priority is to reabsorb the lands conquered by Germany. But a lot of those lands might be less than interested in coming back.
The Federal Republic of Germany, or the Bundesrepublik, remains the awkward centerpiece of Europe, politically as well as geographically. After weathering some close calls – internal factions trying to seize power, or the public threatening to retract its support – the government has managed to push out the more radical Calwists and other fringe groups to become a stable democracy, but even as it continues to hold free elections and expand personal liberties, its anti-monarchical and somewhat anti-Slavic raison d’etre hasn’t gone anywhere. In fact, the Bundesrepublik seems to consider itself the only true republic in the world, dismissing constitutional monarchies like Japan, merchant republics like Venice, and “noble republics” like Lotharingia and the Rhineland. While it has proven willing to make cynical alliances with the enemy of its enemy, there’s a certain exceptionalism underpinning the Post-Revolutionary ideology.
https://i.postimg.cc/d3LJbR6X/20200608141508-1.jpg
Germany is the shining beacon of the new brand of nationalism, and rather than incorporate most of its non-German regions – some French borderlands notwithstanding – it has formed them into seven main sister republics, some of them with silly new names to erase their “monarchical history”. Especially notable is that Bolgharia was separated from Uralia to give the northern Khazars their own state for the first time in forever, which was (and is) rather controversial with both Uralia and Chernigov. The sister republics are all autonomous regions of the Bundesrepublik, but with their own government comes the lack of seats in the Bundestag or Bundesrat. This is actually a cynical move on Germany’s part, since if the whole federation had equal representation, actual “Germans” would find themselves in the minority. But in any case, with these sister republics included, the Bundesrepublik is a massive Eurasian power stretching across the continent, and a strategic nightmare just for its sheer size and ability to attack Poland from both sides.
https://i.postimg.cc/44D3DqCQ/federal-states.png
The federal capital has been moved from Braunschweig to Frankfurt, a more central location farther from the Polish border and with less historical baggage. It doesn’t hurt that it’s also in the Rhine region, Germany’s up-and-coming industrial heartland.
The Kingdoms of Moldavia and Chernigov are in many ways similar, and easily described together. Both are former regions of Poland that still keep their capitals and heartlands close to the Polish border despite having expanded far, far to the south and west at other ailing empires’ expense. Moldavia rules half of the Mediterranean, but while Chernigov is more of a land power, they’ve both started toying with a late entry into the colonial race. And as could be expected, they’re both massively “multicultural” as conquering empires tend to be, except lacking even a token commitment to local freedoms like what Poland has. Slavs form around 51% of the population in mainland Poland, 36% in Chernigov – and only 15% in Moldavia, making it a clear case of minority rule.
https://i.postimg.cc/3J0K9Bd0/20200608204254-1.jpghttps://i.postimg.cc/hG14TthC/20200608204256-1.jpg
In the rest of their politics, both countries are rather similar to Poland, having similar semi-parliaments, relatively centrist attitudes and no major revolutionary movements (yet), having been somewhat insulated from what’s happening in the west.
The Kingdom of Asturias, which still sometimes calls itself the Francian Empire, has a long history of being invaded by every other great power in turn. This has greatly weakened it, put a toll on its populace and even driven it to bankruptcy a couple times, but also galvanized it as a “bastion of decency” that has only itself, its colonies, and a smattering of smaller states – desperate for protection – to depend on.
https://i.postimg.cc/yd61PCZ7/20200608205713-1.jpg
The Asturian colonies are nothing to scoff at, though somewhat sparsely populated. After Peruvia was taken by Sweden, Asturias' only Alcadran foothold is tiny Juliana, but it continues to dominate southern Amatica, the Zanaras, southern Africa (Esperanza) and Indochina. Caliphania is quite peculiar due to the fact that it was acquired from Andalusia at a time when the other Amatican colonies were in complete turmoil, and as a result, was basically allowed to continue business as usual so it wouldn’t become yet another hive of unrest to deal with. It retained Arabic as an official language, and more liberal religious policies than the rest of the empire. More recently, the small colony of Appalachia was merged with neighboring America to form the Union of South Amatica, a somewhat larger state hopefully better able to fend for itself.
https://i.postimg.cc/NFrW8dpg/asturias-population.png
It’s been a while since the last time Asturias was occupied, and they’d surely prefer to keep it that way, while also trying to fend off unrest anti-monarchical, cultural and religious alike.
The Kingdom of Sweden is another former Polish subject, and the Inger dynasty that has ruled it all this time was elevated and put there by the Lechowicz, a favor which they’ve seemed all too happy to forget. Sweden has been admired for its military, minerals and colonies on one hand, but on the other, it’s become somewhat notorious as the most brutal colonizer, generally backwards, isolated, conservative, and rather chilly in terms of diplomacy. Lately this has been most apparent in its deal with the devil, co-signed by Chernigov, to protect revolutionary Germany against Polish aggression.
https://i.postimg.cc/Xqmn4ZDv/20200608214051-1.jpg
It might seem that according to all known laws of imperialism, there is no way Sweden should be able to have a colonial empire. Its population and resource base are too small to keep in check such massive overseas dominions. Sweden, of course, manages this anyway because, unlike Poland, it has somehow stayed behind in the good old days of colonialism when the governors were working with, not against, the homeland to better exploit the natives in jolly cooperation. This and the military’s focus on quality over quantity have allowed it to become the only colonial power where the colonial population outnumbers the homeland – 3-to-1, in fact.
https://i.postimg.cc/sfQX0yL2/sweden-population.png
Still, that arrangement is inherently fragile, leaving Sweden’s empire and very status as a great power hanging on a few governors’ loyalty. Whether it can maintain them is dependent first and foremost on how it manages to keep up with the rapid changes occurring in Europe.
Last and in fact least, since that’s how great powers are ranked, we have the Madjid Caliphate, commonly known as Arabia. For centuries it has been the greatest Muslim power, Custodian of the Two Holy Cities, lock against Pratihara expansion, contender in European politics and even a naval power with some outposts around Africa, but now a series of trouncings by Moldavia has blocked it out of the Mediterranean and apparently reduced it to the rank of a primitive power to be colonized. It may be an absolute monarchy ruled by the Caliph, but in truth the government is basically run by the hyper-zealous Wahhabists. They want to “reclaim” not only the lands taken by Moldavia but the entire territory once ruled by the Umayyads at the peak of their power, stretching from Persia to Andalusia.
https://i.postimg.cc/j58s33HP/20200608224551-1.jpg
Unfortunately, their harsh religious policies haven’t been received so well in the (largely Hindu) Persian provinces taken from the Pratihara, and thus the region that could be the Madjids’ backup against European aggression is the same one closest to open rebellion.
The Japanese Empire is a constitutional monarchy whose divinely descended Emperor is basically a symbol and little else. It might seem like this is actually not that different from the days of the Shogunate… except that the military dictator was replaced with a popular parliament and voting rights eventually expanded to be almost as wide as Germany’s, albeit restricted to ethnic Japanese. Home to many scientific and technological innovations – it’s currently experimenting both with railroads and with the first steam-powered warships – even the Europeans, usually dismissive of other continents, have had to acknowledge Japan's merits. With considerable naval power and bases in Korea, China, the Siberian coast and Africa, it’s basically a great power in all but name, often forgotten due to its noninvolvement in European matters. But that’s likely about to change as industrialization not only raises its standing even further, but also makes it strike out in search of resources to fuel it.
https://i.postimg.cc/MGqq6Jt1/20200608231140-1.jpg
Trying to become “the Japan of Europe”, the Kingdom of England – an absolute monarchy with not much in the way of representation – has invested heavily in industry and naval development to compete with the great powers, capitalize on its quite decent colonies and, most importantly, choke out Scotland. The two are sworn enemies out to conquer the other and dominate the isles, but England is allied with Germany and Scotland with Poland, and neither side has felt like trying out whether those alliances would hold if they came to blows. Even their respective colonies in Amatica are locked in a stranglehold. England has far more important colonies, though, in the Zanaras, Alcadra, Africa, the East Indies and even China (which accounts for a third of England's supposed population). It too would likely be a great power already, were it not for outside intervention.
https://i.postimg.cc/ydGMSMhQ/england-population.png
Indeed, the Kingdom of Scotland unarguably owes its existence to that Polish protection, having even spent a couple decades in a personal union. It mirrors England in many ways – politically, economically and militarily – but out of its western colonies, Patagonia and Cascadia mostly consist of second-rate land no one else prioritized grabbing, and in the eastern hemisphere, Scotland has no colonies at all (its foolhardy invasion of the Pratihara ended uneventfully). As nationalist expansionism rears its head in England, the Scots are rightfully worried that it might get a little too bold and take that risk they’ve both been putting off. On a side note, the Polish naval base in Szetland has been leased to Scotland for the foreseeable future due to its reduced importance for the colonial empire. (It's part of the Inverness province in this game, so it was either that or annex a chunk of the Highlands into Poland.)
https://i.postimg.cc/nLWjS1vs/scotland-population.png
The Karnata Kingdom, on a promising track similar to Japan, ended up suffering for its insistence on protecting the Pratihara. Large parts of it have been carved up by Germany, Chernigov, Italy and England like it were any other “tribal backwater”, and its great navy has been decimated. But all its development and even fledgling industry haven’t gone anywhere, not to mention considerable resistance movements in those lost territories. It’s determined to make sure that this humiliation is only temporary, and India will soon rise stronger than ever to join the ranks of the great powers.
https://i.postimg.cc/1zBP47Y2/20200608231200-1.jpg
The Sultanate of Kanem-Bornu is another strange case, having conquered much of inland Africa before the Europeans could get involved, but then also managed to modernize once they did arrive. Unsurprisingly, it too has a hugely diverse population of conquered peoples, but the ideologies wreaking havoc across Europe haven’t really gotten a foothold, and military might or the perhaps even greater threat of European expansion have kept any rebel sentiment in check. When the Sultanate has been faced with aggression, it has usually come out on top, though in the end, the colonizers also haven’t been terribly interested in the vast inland “wastes”. Most recently, the Sultanate has even hopped on the industrial bandwagon and started independently building factories in its more urbanized regions.
https://i.postimg.cc/KzYbT76z/20200608231202-1.jpg
The Shan Empire is a very young state, founded only a couple decades ago, though in the making for a long time. It managed to repeat the tried-and-true strategy of letting your neighbors get conquered, taking the conquerors’ weapons and knowledge, and then grabbing that same territory for yourself after it has already been devastated. Historically, though, that trick has only served as a stopgap measure before you get conquered in the end, and whether it’s the Asturians or the Chinese, the Shan have plenty of enemies to choose from (besides being a minority in their own empire). They also have little to no naval or diplomatic reach, making them relatively irrelevant on the world stage.
https://i.postimg.cc/j2wrgxdY/20200608231208-1.jpg
The Kingdom of Novgorod goes on with its life, almost unchanged from 400 years ago, awkwardly squeezed between great powers on every front, but at least making the best of it by acting as a go-between for their trade and trying to play them diplomatically. Novgorod should be more invested in pagan harmony than anyone: whenever a war does break out in the region, it tends to get overrun. It still lays claim to the provinces Chernigov took from it, though. Confined to the Baltic and lacking much of an oceangoing navy, what influence Novgorod will have is likely to come from its mining and forest industry.
https://i.postimg.cc/qRZTxhrG/20200608231213-1.jpg
And finally, the Principality of Lotharingia deserves a honorary mention. Small in size and precariously perched between Poland, Italy and Germany, its power is of the purely economic sort, being definitely the most industrialized country per capita – which still isn’t much, though, given the lack of capita. Poland has “allowed” it to exist as something of a neutral buffer state, convenient for Pagan-Christian trade. The Karlings eke out a humbled existence: the state originally named after Lothair Karling may have gone through a lot of convulsions and finally become another noble republic, but the last remnants of the once mighty dynasty are still influential within it. It doesn’t have many avenues to expand, and a few too many ways to get conquered, but at least it's going to be an important battleground for whoever sets their eyes on it.
https://i.postimg.cc/N0svh7f4/20200609150237-1.jpg
Whew. Never mind the conversion that took forever, there was so much that I wanted to at least briefly show off that this post felt like quite the whopper to write too. But hey, nothing wrong with wordy as long as you have something to say… right…? I just like numbers and statistics, and I hope that things like the economic and political systems will cause some interesting moments in the future.
One complication of this game is going to be who to roleplay. The ruler is a nonentity with no stats or function outside a few events, the Premier is just a single changing modifier, and basically the only people with a name are military commanders. I'll do my best to remember that those all still exist, but for the most part, I'm going to prioritize roleplaying the ruling party, whatever it may be at the moment, and protecting its interests. A typical Vic 2 game constantly has the player do meta things like maneuver a fringe party into power, push through every reform possible and even cause intentional revolutions in their own country, but partly as a challenge (since most of those things are beneficial), I'm going to try and avoid that. Until an appropriate party does come into power, at which point I'll go ham.
Credit to Idhrendur for the converter which did a lot of the groundwork and heavy lifting (I can’t imagine creating everything from scratch), even if I tweaked basically everything from there. I couldn't use the latest version of the converter since I started so much ahead of time. I also managed to incorporate most of the mechanics of the Pop Demand Mod (https://popdemandmod.fandom.com/wiki/Pop_Demand_Mod_Wiki), though obviously not all the historical events.
I did a looot of searching for alternate flags, place names etc. and still had to make some up out of whole cloth. Every country in Vic 2 actually needs four flags, for different government forms, though sometimes I just reused them and luckily most of the default ones were pretty serviceable. PDM also helped here.
Government name changes from vanilla: Prussian Constitutionalism → Semi-Parliamentarism. HM’s Government → Constitutional Monarchy. Presidential Dictatorship → Military Dictatorship. Bourgeois Dictatorship → Radical Pseudo-State. (We don’t have any of the latter two at the moment.)
Monarchies with parliaments became Semi-Parliamentarist. Noble Republics (which we had a lot of) became Constitutional Monarchies with Only Landed voting, with the exception of Japan, where they’re broader due to their choice of reforms in EU4. Colonial governments also became ConMons, the monarch being the one in Europe. The actual Democracies include Benin, Rwanda, Assam, Bar, Manchuria and the countries of the Bundesrepublik.
I spent an unreasonable amount of time tweaking the migration numbers of all things. In vanilla it’s taken for granted that the USA should get almost all the immigrants, but obviously that doesn’t apply here, and I wanted a more even split anyway. Migration starts out slower, but gradually ticks up to full speed by 1870. Due to the added diversity in colonies, I somewhat increased things like people’s preference for countries of their own culture group and religion when available.
I actually split Germany into satellites not so much as a nerf but to liven up the map, add more options for regional politics, probably actually buff the federation (since accepted cultures make for better troops and more stable politics) aaaand because Germany probably couldn’t handle the lack of a land connection anyway. As satellites, they can break off either by declaring war, through some events, or if either side falls to rebels for any reason. Some of their names are inspired by the weird client states founded in the actual French Revolutionary Wars.
Speaking of, we have a lot of satellites compared to a regular Vic 2 game because not a single colony became independent. The Polish ones were the only ones that even tried. That will likely change over the course of the game, but it’s certainly different than vanilla. Maybe it’ll make up for more of Africa being already taken at the start. I made a couple manual mergers, namely the Union of South Amatica, and the English Ancelles being controlled directly by England – plus obviously a lot of bordergore-fixing. I also didn’t leave any uncolonized provinces in Amatica or Alcadra, because they’re just a bit of a headache with this setup (they’d have to be colonized by the mother country and then transferred to the vassal by event).
The transition always messes with AI behavior, since besides the AI itself being different in each game, “power” is determined in different ways. While technology, industry etc. still serve as force multipliers, sheer population serves the same role that Development did in EU4 (making me a bit worried about India and China), and since I didn’t go out of my way to adjust every single province, plenty of countries ended up either stronger or much weaker than they might have been before the switch. Core provinces also represent different things, as EU4 makes a distinction between cores, claims and permanent claims but in Vic 2 it’s cores or nothing (and they’re much slower to create but also have less relevance outside warfare).
IthilanorStPete
2020-06-09, 05:13 PM
*standing ovation*
Wow. I can't imagine how much effort this must have taken. Really, really looking forward to the game.
Side question: how does Poland have such a big Hindu minority? Did Java end up Hindu at some point?
SilverLeaf167
2020-06-09, 06:08 PM
Yeah. In this game, Malaya and Sumatra are Sunni, Java is Hindu, Borneo is about 50/50 and the Moluccas (as well as various other islands) are Animist. The Philippines (or Maniolas, as I called them) are a weird three-way religious split, in addition to the political split between Italy and Germany. Well, they were a way bigger mess of colonies in EU4, but I toned it down to two. Tragic that religion isn't as relevant as culture in this game, but should at least make for story fodder sometimes.
Java is such a damn populous state (about equal to all of Czechoslovakia!) that it alone is enough to make Javanese Hindus the second-largest demographic in the empire. :smalltongue:
And thank you!
InvisibleBison
2020-06-09, 09:08 PM
I decided to reread the AAR before it got into the next game, a task at which I almost succeeded, and there were several moments where significant events could have gone quite differently. I've put some thought into alternate history scenarios:
- What if Poland lost the Great Oriental War or the War on the Don and was forced to become a Chinese tributary state? This would have significantly weakened Poland, and depending on how long it took to break free the Poles might not have been able to conquer Germany, which would have had very significant consequences down the line. I suspect that after breaking free, the Poles would be more aggressive in an attempt to repair their national pride, especially if they'd suffered any significant defeats while a tributary.
- What if the Moscow Pact wasn't established, and Poland stayed a single, massive country? On the one hand, the High King would have had a lot more wealth and troops at his direct disposal; on the other hand, maintaining the unity of such a vast realm would have been much harder. Additionally, the never-ending Slavic urge to expand eastward could very well have diverted the crown's attention away from the New World, resulting in a smaller Polish presence in Amatica.
- What if the Sejmic faction had won the Confederation Civil War? I suspect that this would have resulted in Poland becoming, de facto if not de jure, a noble republic of some sort. It's possible that the weakening of the central government would have made Poland vulnerable to hostile powers; it's certainly the case that there would have been a lot of unrest among the peasants, as the royalist faction had put a great deal of effort into convincing them that the Sejmics were trying to basically enslave them.
Thoughts, anyone?
SilverLeaf167
2020-06-10, 04:32 AM
I decided to reread the AAR before it got into the next game, a task at which I almost succeeded, and there were several moments where significant events could have gone quite differently. I've put some thought into alternate history scenarios:
- What if Poland lost the Great Oriental War or the War on the Don and was forced to become a Chinese tributary state? This would have significantly weakened Poland, and depending on how long it took to break free the Poles might not have been able to conquer Germany, which would have had very significant consequences down the line. I suspect that after breaking free, the Poles would be more aggressive in an attempt to repair their national pride, especially if they'd suffered any significant defeats while a tributary.
- What if the Moscow Pact wasn't established, and Poland stayed a single, massive country? On the one hand, the High King would have had a lot more wealth and troops at his direct disposal; on the other hand, maintaining the unity of such a vast realm would have been much harder. Additionally, the never-ending Slavic urge to expand eastward could very well have diverted the crown's attention away from the New World, resulting in a smaller Polish presence in Amatica.
- What if the Sejmic faction had won the Confederation Civil War? I suspect that this would have resulted in Poland becoming, de facto if not de jure, a noble republic of some sort. It's possible that the weakening of the central government would have made Poland vulnerable to hostile powers; it's certainly the case that there would have been a lot of unrest among the peasants, as the royalist faction had put a great deal of effort into convincing them that the Sejmics were trying to basically enslave them.
Thoughts, anyone?
I'm not sure how to word this, but I'm very impressed – flattered, touched? – by you putting so much thought into it. It's always great to see other people be invested in this too.
The Great Oriental War is probably the closest this game has come to a sudden derailment, and I was (somewhat disappointingly, perhaps) only saved from imminent defeat by the AI being stupid. But all these make great sense narratively, and I especially like the last one. That's partly what happened to the IRL Polish Commonwealth, after all – not losing the civil war, but power slipping into the hands of an ineffective noble Sejm, anyway.
Another point of divergence that comes to mind is that had the family trees and deaths lined up just a little differently, the mid-1600's could just as well have seen Moldavia, Novgorod and Vladimir fall into personal unions under Germany. And while in "canon" the Moldavian Succession was what really soured relations between Germany and Poland, even if we assume that they stayed on better terms in this timeline (which isn't so certain), Poland without Moldavia would've been a lot less secure in that period, while Germany would've had the power of half the pagan world backing it up against Italy and the Francian states around. If it went on a conquering spree, it could well have become a true continental superpower even if the personal unions eventually broke (or gods forbid, didn't).
Farther back, what if the 14 Years' War (1056-1070) between Poland and Francia went bad, as it almost did, and the Crusade for Pomerania was a success? Poland's probably second-most valuable region would've become a crusader state, or worse yet, part of Francia, either taking a long time to recover or even causing a destructive snowball effect.
---
Unrelated: Actually starting the Vic 2 game for real is scary, since at that point I can no longer directly edit the history files. Well. I guess "history files" is kinda jargon, but they're what determines the starting statistics of provinces, countries etc. and are only loaded up when a run first starts, in contrast to all the other files like text, graphics, events etc. that are loaded every time and thus can be edited freely (though it is possible to use events to edit things as a workaround). That's why I'm paranoid to double check I have everything right on that front, but that's easier said than done. But I'll probably get into the next chapter within a few days!
This all also reminded me of the matter of difficulty. Hard difficulty in Vic 2 is definitely warranted, but it's honestly a little over the top in some of its modifiers and just boring in others, like less risk of rebellion for the AI (revolutions being one of the things I most look forward to Vic 2). So I've edited it a bit to make it less annoying but still significant. Call it "Hardish". Vic 2 is also more suited, in both its AI behavior and various mechanics, for "stumbling" into major wars that neither side necessarily wanted.
SilverLeaf167
2020-06-13, 07:46 AM
Chapter #54: Revolutionary (1836-1840)
1st of January, 1836
As the Midwinter bonfires die down and the year 1836 begins, there’s nothing to indicate that it’s going to be any different from the relatively peaceful past two decades. Sure, the Pratihara Empire is being whittled down, invaded from all sides, but there’s nothing too unusual about that. It is finally starting to fall apart from within, though, its various subject peoples wondering if it would be better to strike out on their own before their useless overlords let them get conquered by some foreign power anyway. Karnata too has abandoned the caricaturish image of a man leading an arthritic elephant, deciding to prioritize its own survival rather than go down together. Meanwhile, Asturias has finally decided to do something about that Bornuan thorn in its side, which it will achieve without much trouble.
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High King Nadbor III, not so much a great reformer as a great “preserver”, is pleased to hear that he nonetheless presides over a growing economy: though the latest trend of industrialization in Poland has been mostly privately driven, the crown has taken an active role in buying parts of and subsidizing important sectors, and even successful noninvolvement deserves a pat on the back. Some of the financial centers of the world with modern banks and stock exchanges include London, Frankfurt, Kyoto and Krakow, and they’re all looking to hold on to those positions.
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That illusion of calm is broken only a few weeks into the new year. England, continuing its streak of aggressive nationalism that previously led to the annexation of Lancaster, maintains that all Yorkish people – in truth a whole Norse-influenced culture of their own with a thousand-year history – belong under the English crown. Of course, it’s just another reason to claim the region that Scotland conquered with Polish help in 1667. Due to Poland and Germany throwing their support behind each of the two kingdoms, that was in fact the last notable war between the two – until now. England, having apparently redone the math, has reached the conclusion that in the world of the new century, it’s either grown so much stronger or the continental powers so complacent that Scotland should be defenseless. Scotland, unsurprisingly, defies the ultimatum to just hand over the whole region, and as of January 19th, the two are at war.
So are a lot of other countries, for that matter: both the Bundesrepublik and Poland stand behind their respective allies, since only one or the other doing so would likely spell the doom of either England or Scotland. This then brings all their subject states and other friends into the mix. All of a sudden, half of Europe and Amatica is at war.
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In the past few decades of peace in Europe, all participant countries have been downsizing their standing armies and moving to more of a hybrid system. The standing army consists of a smaller professional core, while the rest of the population goes through mandatory military training to be conscripted if absolutely necessary. This system is largely untried, especially in Poland, and so is the restructured economy, built in peacetime for peacetime. Yet by mid-February, the first major offensives are already underway: thanks to the Frisians’ “brave sacrifice”, the Grand Marynarka manages to deliver an army into Scotland while the Royal Navy is distracted. Meanwhile, Frisia and Yugoslavia provide convenient paths for a two-front invasion of Germany.
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No one’s position is as bad as the United Lordships’, though, quick to get overrun from all directions.
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The sudden declaration of war caught probably everyone other than the English off guard, including the Bundesrepublik, but even if both sides are simply honoring their alliances to join what would otherwise be a regional dispute, they’re more than happy to turn it into the long-awaited Third Revolutionary War between Poland and Germany. Of course, neither side seems entirely sure what that means, and they ought to have learned from their past mistakes: calling everything an existential battle means unnecessarily raising the stakes and disappointing some people when you deliver anything less than the enemy’s utter annihilation. But it still makes for a good rallying cry.
Besides some smaller skirmishes on the Yorkish moors, the Poles fight their first major battle of the war as they enter Bavaria in force and meet the German defenders. It comes with comparatively small losses despite the almost 2-to-1 advantage on the Polish side, but every push counts. As a little more time passes, similar battles become the norm, occurring every few weeks.
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Unfortunately, it looks like when you push the Bundesrepublik on one end, it bulges out on the other. The situation on the northern front is quite the opposite of the south, with the Germans and their sister republics rolling into Frisia in large numbers.
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Also unfortunate is that while the enemy is mobilizing its well-known citizen armies, Poland and its allies are actually not that eager to do so except as a last resort, since arming the populace may well backfire in more ways than one. Even for a country that doesn’t fear its own citizens, though, sending the working class off to war is a risky decision in terms of the economy if nothing else.
For Poland, that economic side could be better, could be worse. While taxes and tariffs are heavily raised, government investment in “less vital” areas like education and civilian industry cut, and large loans taken from (mostly domestic) private banks, the crown focuses on subsidizing strategic industries that are quite literally putting guns in soldiers’ hands and food in their mouths. The wartime economy shrinks the regular workers’ daily bread more than anyone else’s, a fact which they’re sure to take note of.
After about half a year, as the war enters the fall of 1836, the fight is far from decided in either England or Frisia, but the Lordships are under full occupation, red-and-white flags fly over southeast Germany, and the East Indies garrison has also landed in the German Maniolas (Philippines). Even if individual battles are anyone’s game, both sides entered this war woefully unprepared, and if neither can make a major breakthrough, economic attrition favors the side that has managed to maintain the most normalcy – i.e. the Poles. Having a colonial empire to draw on surely doesn’t hurt either.
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The real game-changer comes in October when the Italian Empire, eager to restore its lost provinces and more broadly its honor, smells blood in the water and declares war on Germany, effectively joining the Third Revolutionary War as a co-belligerent. The most immediate goal is to reclaim Franche-Comté (Freigrafschaft in German), a French region annexed directly into Germany for its strategic location, but given this opportunity, the Italians will likely take anything not nailed down.
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This act of jolly cooperation between the great powers also fuels some new enthusiasm in the Poles, who were just about ready for a white peace if things dragged on much longer. The crown assures them that with just a little push, the federal house of cards will come down and Poland can take its pick of the spoils.
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With Amatica under control, the Yorkish grinder actually receives a much-needed delivery of fresh meat from Buyania, an independent decision for which the voivodeship deserves plenty of praise.
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To the English, the idea of more reinforcements streaming across the Atlantic seems worrying to say the least, and a Moldavian invasion fleet being sighted in the Channel is the last straw. The Poles' actual demands turn out to be rather modest if anything, especially for England, as besides some routine economic, diplomatic and PR concessions, the only part of real importance is the conquest of the German Maniolas. The Poles don’t do much to hide the fact that they also want to get this over with. In January 1837, about a year into the war, the Polish part of the 3RW is over, and at least the East Indies have one less competitor. Germany has little room to grumble about its lost colony, given the larger and more immediate problem looming to its south and west.
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This was England’s big chance to cement its position as a great power, but for the time being, it ended in failure. Instead, as the European colonizers are busy with each other for a change, Japan – bolstered by a growing and modernizing navy – is raising its head as the world power it always was, and conducting itself as such internationally.
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Speaking of Asia, though, Moldavia openly offers its support to a separatist movement in the northern Pratihara Empire, threatening both a West-sponsored rebellion and a direct invasion if independence isn’t given voluntarily. Forced to buckle against a “smaller” nation once more, the Pratihara comply, carving a huge hole in their already fraying dominion as the opportunistic Uyghur Khanate claims even more land than expected. Though sparsely populated, it is geographically huge and still houses some 20 million people.
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(Fun fact: seems that if they have a core on any province of a state, they get the whole state regardless, which is what happened with both Mongolia, Tajikistan and Gansu here.)
Apparently inspired by this, a popular noble in the English colony on Sri Lanka declares it an independent kingdom, though rather nominal for the time being, seeing as the vast majority of the island is actually under Chernihiv rule.
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As for Poland, it's happy to start transitioning back to a peacetime economy, though if anything, the jumpstart of the last war was a good reminder that the best way to avoid the economic shocks is to keep up some sort of readiness at all times. Much of Europe has no such luck, as the Bundesrepublik and England, after getting a few enemies off their backs, still have Italy to deal with. Just to add to the chaos a bit, Lotharingia (successfully) invades the Republic of the Rhineland over their disputed province of Luxembourg.
https://i.postimg.cc/Hs8yZ418/20200612232205-1.jpg
Of course, Poland can’t get entirely complacent either: Moldavia played a major role in both southern Germany and finally even England, but obviously received little reward for its troubles – which is normal enough when it comes to helping your allies, but still enough to make one consider whether they’re worth keeping. With internal and international trade more finicky than ever, no power can afford to join the wars of others just because. But when the King of Moldavia rather politely brings this up, Nadbor III reacts with disdain at the idea that Poland and Moldavia's close relationship isn't its own reward and mutually beneficial. Who was it that helped (a little lazily, maybe) with all those wars against Arabia? The conversation turns into a personal spat between the two monarchs, with the King of Moldavia finally storming out and Poland being informed shortly after that it can consider the alliance broken.
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This, together with the ongoing effects of the 3RW, inevitably brings the economy down a bit after all, even though it seemed to be rebounding better than expected. Even if not pessimistic, investors and regular citizens alike are now only cautiously optimistic at best, no longer assured that growth will continue unabated. Still, at least they can rest assured they’re not being shipped off to war.
https://i.postimg.cc/RF03cwTF/20200612234522-1.jpg
While the 3RW drags on, the Republic of Venice can’t resist the temptation to try and grab Germany’s Adriatic bases, though ultimately unsuccessful.
https://i.postimg.cc/3Rbk9WLZ/20200613002120-1.jpg
Just to mix things up, Nadbor III has controversially given Chernigov and Sweden – German allies in this war – permission to move troops through Poland. This is a very conscious ploy to turn what could’ve been Italy's quick and clean stab in the back into a prolonged struggle that, by early 1839, is seeing simultaneous fighting around both the German and Italian capitals. Of course, Germany's own economy is in the drain as well, its forces dwindling and its international clout disappearing by the day. Following Japan's example, the void in European influence allows a resurgent Karnata to start seeking foreign contacts, trying to reclaim its seat among the great powers.
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As it seems increasingly likely that Italy might lose this one after all, even Lotharingia joins in, claiming the Walloon provinces across the border.
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One of the deepest structural problems of the Polish economy seems to be that even as the agricultural revolution accompanying the industrial one has multiplied productivity in some areas and largely left traditional farming in the dust, not all of those now struggling farmers are able or willing to move to the industrial centers, and the industrial centers have little interest in coming to them. This problem is most notable all across Poland’s remote and rural eastern border, where the Byelorussian, Ruthenian and Khazarian regions are all basically devoid of investment, and even amidst an unprecedented flood of food, almost paradoxically getting poorer as their own farms are no longer profitable.
To move away from farming and support its industry, the Polish state invests heavily into the development of more efficient methods for mining and refining coal, iron and more. Especially as other countries with similar products like England and Germany are reeling, boosting this one sector can have a massive impact on the economy. Of course, if farming is known to be backbreaking work, then working in a mine is definitely even worse.
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As the Third Revolutionary War enters its fifth year, February 1840 sees the first revolution of many in that year, a sign of what is to come. The so-called Leonic Republic has been occupied by Italy pretty much since the start of the war, only to recently erupt into a three-way civil war between one autocratic and two different republican parties (one French and one Occitan). The first of these to successfully claim the capital Toulouse is the Occitan party, which promptly declares the “sister state” government illegitimate and Occitania an independent republic. While the democratic movement brought by the Germans always had real popularity, the false name and foreign hegemony thrust upon them were blatantly artificial and unwelcome. The Bundesrepublik is obviously in no position to contest this, and Italy too quickly makes peace with the new government, leaving only the other rebel factions to deal with.
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Around the same time, Germany itself is struck even worse: as the state of war proves utterly untenable, yet the Italians refuse to accept the white peace they really should and Germany refuses to give up the “Freigrafschaft”, separatist movements of all colors start popping up throughout southern Germany. The region has always had its own identity distinct from the predominantly northern (and pagan) government. Be it frustration with the democratic experiment, Frankfurt in particular, or just life in general, Central Europe is aflame with regular people convinced that their best option is to take up arms, even if that means dismantling the Bundesrepublik.
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A revolution similar to the Leonic one occurs in the Saonic Republic, giving rise to the free state of Burgundy. The Rhodanic one is rather different, making the independent state of Provence into a one-state military dictatorship beneath the officers who performed the coup in the name of “national security”.
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German colonies in East Africa and India are the next to go…
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Unlike Provence, the breakoff state of Bavaria starts out governed by a fair republican government – but apparently not a very committed one, since it too is quick to decide that in order to protect the young state in these trying times, it has no choice but to pass “temporary” emergency measures for the sake of a stable government.
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And as the countryside is aflush with French and other nationalists trying to join one state or the other or form their own, the German government – with more than a little pressure from the military leadership – reaches much the same conclusion. The Bundesrepublik isn’t abolished, since that would pretty much mean giving up claims to all those rebel territories; rather, the Bundestag and Bundesrat formally remain in place, but under the surveillance and largely unrestrained power of the self-declared General-Director. But of course, the rest of the Bundesrepublik has little interest in dealing with this. Whether actively joining the rebellion against Germany or just no longer “returning its calls” so to speak, Lombardia, Uralia, Bolgharia and Siberia all emerge as independent republics, trying to find their footing in a massively changed world.
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Sweden and Chernigov, quite alarmed by all this and eager to pull their troops back home as soon as possible, manage to secure a rushed peace treaty with Italy, condemning it to reduce the size of its army (done) and pay large reparations. But of course, that “peace” is basically nominal at this point: rebel ideas don’t care about borders, and at this point neither do the rebels themselves. While various nationalists (and still the Lotharingian army) are fighting for control of France, in September, a massive crowd of thousands, maybe tens of thousands finally storms the Quirinal Palace in Rome and drags out Emperor Araslan I, only recently old enough to finally take the throne. It’s not their first time attempting this, but this time they succeed. And though it comes as a surprise to all concerned, and takes some serious explaining, the leaders of the Italian Revolution decide not to behead him like their (less than exemplary in light of recent events) German forerunners did. He is more useful alive, to put it bluntly: they can still form whatever (hopefully better thought-out) democratic government they want, and just keep the imperial family – especially the 17-year-old boy – as strictly controlled figureheads to legitimize it in the eyes of those who might otherwise complain.
Thus the Latin Federation is born. Even the three viceroyalties of Santa Croce, Honduras and Aotearoa receive this news with cautious optimism, at least wanting to stick around to see what comes of it. After all, they’ve been pushing for liberal reforms for quite a while now… even if these methods were a bit more forceful than theirs.
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The reign of the General-Director proves rather short, too, as already in December, a new popular rebellion manages to topple his government, imprison him and restore the freedom of the government. He may have controlled the military, but there wasn’t much left of it to control. At this point, though, there’s no undoing the destruction of the Bundesrepublik: none of the former sister republics, especially the ones no longer really republics, have any interest in returning under German rule now that they’ve broken free from it. The only option left is for Germany, still a decently large and developed nation, to slowly rebuild and rise from this unprecedented crisis stronger than ever.
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And as the utterly chaotic Mad Year of 1840 approaches its end, most but not all of the insurrections start winding down as well. The ones that weren’t already put down have mostly achieved their goals: Lotharingia actually managed to strike a deal with the rebels to have them join the Principality, now more than twice as large and populous. And so, as a direct result of the unsuspecting English lusting after York, this one year ended up seeing: the independence of the seven sister republics and three other nations on three continents, the fall and reestablishment of German democracy, the huge expansion of Lotharingia, Bar, Burgundy and Occitania as the result of allying with rebel movements, and with the death of the Bundesrepublik, the birth of the Latin Federation. Few individual years in history will be the subject of quite as much study and debate as 1840.
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But although, largely due to dropping out of the war well ahead of time, Poland has been able to watch from the sidelines and reap the benefits, not for a moment in 1840 was anyone in Krakow able to “relax”. Besides the diplomatic corps obviously working overtime just to keep track of who rules what, Nadbor III and the Sejm have never stopped eyeing their own subjects with suspicion. While successful on a national level, the changes happening in Poland haven’t been quite so popular with many of the actual citizens, and though it was undeniably cathartic to watch the Bundesrepublik collapse under its own weight, the underlying message was rather terrifying: two great powers reduced to total anarchy by a single war gone wrong, roving bands of citizenry toppling and founding governments at will with no regard for any legal or military authority. The supposed appeal of monarchy is that of consistency, tradition and an enlightened noble leader, but having gotten rid of theirs, the people of the Bundesrepublik for one seem to have realized that a state doesn’t have to be permanent after all, as long as the “nation” survives. Could the same happen in Poland? And if yes, could it be stopped, and at what cost?
https://i.postimg.cc/V6TNnp6G/20200613011541-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/t7GCm6FF/20200613011544-1.jpg
Hopefully they’re not about to find out…
https://i.postimg.cc/bYDHG2Ng/20200613015347-1.jpg
Newspaper Gallery (https://imgur.com/a/95ZbzWw)
(Most of the newspapers aren’t that informative, and often glitchy or just silly, but I figured I’d throw them here because why not. I still recommend leafing through them.)
(Shoving everything, even if interesting, into the main chapter tends to kinda muddy the narrative, so this is going to replace the already irregular “Map Highlights” section.)
The plucky little Republic of Benin somehow managed to claim a chunk of Kanem-Bornu, small but significant as it includes the Sultanate’s only southern port.
https://i.postimg.cc/d1DRjhRq/20200613125430-1.jpg
After also slipping into autocracy, as a lot of these improvised republics seem wont to do, the Maratha Confederacy (blue country on the left) has confidently started a war with the Pratihara and seems to be doing fine for now.
https://i.postimg.cc/vTVWCCSk/20200613125434-1.jpg
Great power Japan is invading both Yan and Wu, expanding its de facto colonies on the Chinese mainland. Despite their populations being about 10 times larger, Japan’s standing army is actually bigger than theirs combined, as their weak central governments simply don’t have the resources to support a military proportionate to their size.
https://i.postimg.cc/jqp6ydDb/20200613125918_1.jpg
Wew. Extremely stressful to write. See what I meant by the AI being unpredictable? A major war starting within the literal first days of the game means that neither armies nor economies have any time to self-adjust from their rather awkward starting positions, inevitably making everything a huge mess. From what I can tell, once Italy and Germany’s economies collapsed, they actually deleted most of their armies, thus making the war pretty much impossible to finish and sending them into a death spiral of unrest. War exhaustion drives up militancy really quickly. This level of chaos is honestly more than I expected, and some of it is definitely due to imbalances in the mod. Although, normally a Vic 2 game is supposed to start shortly after a huge upheaval in Europe. It seems that in our case, we started right in the middle of one. Which works for me! Assuming the AI doesn’t spend the entire rest of the game stumbling over itself, anyway. I might give them some of that unrest reduction after all…
By the way, I was mistaken earlier: in vanilla, seems like only a successful revolution in the vassal, not the mother country, releases the vassal. But I wanted it to go both ways, so I made it so. However, if the mother country has a revolution, the vassal will only leave if they don’t share the new ideology/government form (i.e. democratic vassals like Italy’s colonies don’t necessarily leave if you have a republican revolution) or if their opinion is simply low enough that they’ll take the excuse to slip away regardless.
I’ve mentioned before that I’m a history major, but my minor is actually in social sciences (political science, sociology and economics). Which might explain my fascination with a lot of the themes in Vic 2, if I can just get it across. Well, whenever I bring that up I feel like I’m just further embarrassing myself with all the ahistorical nonsense in these AARs, but hey, artistic license. :smallwink:
Victoria 2 is a weird game. Under the usual map-painting and diplomacy it’s got three really detailed, closely interlocking systems – population, politics and economy – with every demographic group being simulated down to the individual person (as a number if nothing else), but perhaps as a result, they all end up being kinda opaque with a lot of weird terms and lack of clarity about what affects what. Most players tend to either brute force or simply ignore them to focus on the usual empire building, and possibly quit in frustration when nothing works. Me included. But no longer! Knock on wood. A non-exhaustive rundown of some of the stats for any population group (POP), since I feel like they’re a lot less self-explanatory than in either CK2 or EU4:
A POP consists of every person of the same culture, religion and profession living in one given province, and every province has a mix of different pops grouped into three social strata (labourers/farmers/craftsmen/soldiers, artisans/clerks/bureaucrats/clergymen/officers, aristocrats/capitalists). An event might affect, say, the Consciousness of every Pomeranian, every farmer, or every lower-class POP in a region, and that group of Pomeranian Slavic Farmers in Berlin might be 70% Conservative, 13% Liberal, 10% Reactionary and 7% Socialist. POPs can also do things like migrate or emigrate in search of jobs, life quality and political rights.
Consciousness makes a POP more likely to adopt ideologies rather than vote based on single issues or public pressure, demand reforms and higher life quality (needs), promote to a higher stratum when possible, and failing all those, emigrate to a colony. Since high Consciousness also leads to higher needs which lead to more Consciousness, as do a lot of the reforms they demand, it can be something of a self-reinforcing cycle. Basically as the name implies, it makes people think about things.
Needs are something every POP has, with the higher classes demanding more goods to be happy but obviously also having more money to buy them (yes, individual POPs’ money is tracked under the hood). Every POP has Life, Everyday and Luxury needs of specific goods (like food, coal and coffee) and becomes increasingly happy or unhappy as they are or aren’t filled. Things like unemployment, social security, taxation, economic events and the supply and demand of any given good affect how well POPs can fill their needs.
Plurality is a country-wide stat, not POP-specific, that raises overall Consciousness, needs, and demand for democratic reform, but also improves research. It represents the variety, and acceptance, of different ideas in society.
Militancy makes a POP more likely to join protest movements pushing for reforms, which can turn into armed rebellions if ignored or provoked. Unfilled needs, demands for reform, unwanted reforms, forceful suppression of movements, premature elections and so on are all major sources, so Consciousness can directly lead to Militancy if the government doesn’t take the hint.
Literacy is critical for research and POP promotion to higher classes such as clerks (which is a good thing), but also raises Consciousness.
That’s not by any means all that’s complicated about the game, but a good start on some things that I myself only sorted out recently. As usual, you don’t need to understand them exactly and I’ll try to work them into the narrative, but having some idea probably helps. I didn’t even get into the economy for instance, which I might or might not do later. I’m always available for an explanation/ramble, but I won’t turn this into an impromptu tutorial unless asked. I love paying way more attention to some of the statistics like culture and migration than might be actually “necessary”, and I hope they’ll make for good world-building fodder as we get a bit further (and, perhaps, into less chaotic times).
Vic 2’s file structure is very similar to EU4 and just as moddable, but it too can be weird, being the oldest in the current line-up (from the ancient era of 2010). It actually needs weird workarounds for a simple “if” function! Fingers crossed for a Vic 3.
IthilanorStPete
2020-06-13, 02:53 PM
...wow. As you said, that's way more upheaval than the usual Vic 2 start...or the whole first half of Vic 2, for that matter. Glued to my seat for more!
SilverLeaf167
2020-06-15, 05:20 PM
Chapter #55: Must Be Something in the Water (1841-1847)
1st of January, 1841
Anger against the Kingdom of Poland springs deep, and from a number of sources. Its much-touted liberties, while undeniably better than those of other non-constitutional monarchies, haven’t really been expanded in centuries, and seem like a very low standard to be proud of when much better examples are popping up all around the world.
Aristocratic rule and the lack of democracy. The state treating its citizens less equally than it claims to. Ageless class differences being highlighted as people’s old way of life is disrupted and industry brings great wealth to some while driving others into poverty. And of course the violent suppression of anyone who dares to speak up. It makes sense that tensions would first flare up somewhere all these factors overlap. And as the High King so insists on presenting himself as the head and symbol of Poland, the people’s collected frustration is aimed at him as well.
The Byelorussians are a conglomeration of Slavic tribes squeezed between the Russians, Ruthenians and Poles, almost able to pass as any of them but never really viewed as their own people or given an area recognized as “theirs”. The borders of the Moscow Pact running right through their lands and splitting them between three different countries didn’t help, but the Pan-Slavic worldview was still the dominant one, so this didn't seem like such an issue. Even the Byelorussians didn’t necessarily recognize that or any other name for themselves, only identifying with their hometown or village and maybe, maybe, whichever kingdom they were part of.
https://i.postimg.cc/44YdFtdt/poland-cultures.png
(Reused image)
Only recently has that really started to change, with concepts like nationalism, self-determination and cultural unity seeping their way into the countryside, at the same time that the borders dividing them are more relevant and strictly imposed than ever. Perhaps those ideas wouldn’t have taken root so strongly if life under the Polish crown was otherwise impeccable. But as matters of identity mix with everyday woes, never fully separable, they end up provoking one of Poland’s first openly anti-monarchical movements in Brest-Litovsk, a mid-sized city at the western end of what could be called the Byelorussian region. The movement is leaderless and nameless, its membership small and its goals unclear, but they do include liberal, independent and revolutionary elements. Besides Byelorussians, the city is actually about 22% Polish (and 12% Jewish), adding fuel to the fire as those Polish-speakers are on average more defensive of the monarchy and not huge fans of any separatist movement in their hometown. A sudden clash between the revolutionaries and angered royalists, largely just an unarmed street brawl, is broken up by force with several revolutionaries killed, more injured, and even more arrested before the rest run away.
https://i.postimg.cc/bYDHG2Ng/20200613015347-1.jpg
Poland has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to public provocation against the crown, the High King or the undivided Kingdom of Poland. The big question, of course, is how the intimidation value stacks up against the outrage. The story of what happened in Brest-Litovsk and the favoritism shown to the Polish counter-protesters is picked up and spread by local presses. Trying to cover their own tracks, the local authorities crack down on these newspapers, setting almost word for word the precedent that just reporting the facts may be punishable. In an ill-advised (and ineffective) attempt to contain the growing mess by also targeting banks, businesses and public figures suspected of dealings with liberal groups, they only dig themselves deeper, and the stage is set for a region-wide rebellion.
When the situation dawns on Krakow, the government is rightfully worried that it’s witnessing first-hand how the German and Latin revolutions might have begun. That may be an overreaction, of course: it’s not Poland’s first time dealing with some local unrest. But with Europe west of the border still in flames, smoke is in the air and no one knows where the sparks might fall. By being so harsh and absolute for so long, the crown and the Sejm have both painted themselves into a corner on this matter, feeling unable to compromise with the liberal movement if they wanted to (which they don’t). And if they can’t either accept the demands or let the protests continue, that seems to leave suppression as the only option, no matter how counterproductive.
Although, between the crown and the Sejm, the latter actually feels far more strongly about the matter. Since its formation as a response to royal abuse 337 years ago, the Sejm has always been an exclusive nobles’ club, not even meant as a house of “representation”, but its growing role as a government organ and the birth of popular parliaments in other countries have amplified demands for expanded voting rights. The ability of the nouveau riche to “buy their way into the Sejm” has been hard enough for the nobles to swallow, but at least they’re still few and far between and their interests mostly align. In comparison, the idea of the voter base being expanded even slightly from its current 2% and bringing in the unwashed masses – or just lesser burghers – is quite unthinkable, and would utterly transform the nature of the institution. Even worse, that change being imposed from either below or above goes against the basic tenet of the nobles being their own masters and the crown listening to them.
Of course, whatever his personal thoughts on voter reform – publicly he moves in lockstep with the Sejm – “Death to the King” is hardly pleasant to Nadbor III’s ears either.
Worse, 1841 is an election year for the Sejm: normally not a very dramatic occasion, but while the nobles gather in their shadowy chambers to elect their favorite or just most generous colleagues, it’s the perfect timing for rabble-rousers in the street to rant and rave to the populace about the fact that they’re not allowed to participate. Clearly the knock-on effects of the Brest-Litovsk farce aren’t limited to Byelorussia.
https://i.postimg.cc/25P47Bvd/20200614231408-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/JzY3tFz2/20200614231410-1.jpg
The election itself coincides with the Kupala Festival in late June, but the speeches, “debates” and other rituals start already at Midwinter. On March 10, at the same time that the New Sejmic Palace in downtown Krakow is packed full of nobles (the first Sejmic Palace burned down in 1601 at the start of the civil war), a sudden riot springs up in the streets outside. The unruly mob takes even the increased guards… off guard… and attempts to enter the Palace. Especially with all those nobles present, this cannot be allowed to pass. Given that this is Krakow, the military is readily available, and the riots are put down with great prejudice – and no lack of damage to both property and human life.
https://i.postimg.cc/DzWrGcWy/20200614232628-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/8cGMqQZj/20200614232629-1.jpg
A mastermind behind the well-organized riot is soon found: the Red Eagle Army, a group flying the Polish flag with the colors switched, that threatens to turn Poland upside down in the name of mob rule. Historians will later decide that the Red Eagle did indeed exist, but at this point was only a small group turned into a boogeyman and easy target for the crown, ultimately feeding into its popularity in something of a self-fulfilling prophecy.
This paranoia also contributes to unnecessary violence against groups demanding voter reform in a more peaceful manner.
https://i.postimg.cc/zXjFYvZ5/20200614234050-1.jpg
The election itself is rather boring in comparison, the nobles (now with extra security) almost making a point of acting like nothing’s wrong and voting the exact same way they always do. Liberal candidates actually earn a rather even 15% of the vote across the country, more with the capitalists than the aristocrats, trying to advocate for some kind of compromise to appease the people before things truly get out of hand. But alas, in the Polish system, a strong minority across the board means absolutely zero seats, and the composition of the Sejm in no way reflects the current social reality. The only sign that they’re even aware of it is the speech made by the new Premier, Wladislaw Sarna, where he vows to preserve the sanctity of the Sejm and make sure that no lowborn peasant enters these hallowed halls, at least not without a tray of tea.
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As 1841 turns into autumn, then winter, the open riots seem to have died down well enough, but the government is worried by reports that the groups themselves have just gone underground and become more determined than ever. Meanwhile, the liberal movement seems to be digging its roots into the Sejm after all: though the economic-liberal politicians’ relationship with the rest of the liberal movement is pragmatic at best, and they in fact try to distance themselves from it, there’s a certain temptation for them to throw their lot in with the reformers after all. The Sejm’s current laws are stopping them from getting elected or working towards their own agendas either.
https://i.postimg.cc/HxDyy1DB/20200615001630-1.jpg
Consciously or not, cultural minorities are considered especially suspect, turning the government’s watchful gaze to places like the German North Sea coast. Smaller strips of non-Slavic land like here, Calais, Austria and Hungary sometimes get treated less as fully-fledged provinces and more like occupied zones, even if they've been that way for centuries. As all non-government mandated political groups and meetings are illegal anyway, that just gives people good reason to be more discreet about their opinions, which is then a good reason for the government to label any and all of them as “underground seditious movements”.
https://i.postimg.cc/vH3fSKfZ/20200615003454-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/bw5bq26X/20200615003455-1.jpg
At least people’s lives are getting slightly better in other ways, no thanks to the government, with advancements in medicine extending the lives of wounded soldiers and regular citizens alike.
https://i.postimg.cc/B6H2YQcr/20200615001053-1.jpg
(Most of the game’s increases in population growth come from reduced mortality rather than increased fertility, which is of course historical. Meanwhile, Military Hospitals adds to the number of soldiers who return to the population when "killed" instead of actually dying.)
In fact, in February 1842 the nation acquires a new distraction: having lost its alliance with Germany, Chernigov has nothing to protect it from neighbors wanting to settle some old debts, and Novgorod for one has never given up on reclaiming the lands taken from it back in 1680 (coincidentally Byelorussian for the most part). Now it’s making its first real attempt at a comeback, and Moldavia has already pledged its support – so Nadbor III decides to do the same, thinking that allowing any conflict in the region to drag on too long would only add to the unrest. The Polish-Chernihiv relationship has been on-and-off at best, and Chernigov's willingness to coldly support the Bundesrepublik was always rather unnerving, even if it never came to anything, so the High King’s decision has plenty of support from Sarna’s Sejm.
https://i.postimg.cc/Vs9jXvNM/20200615004629-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/SNycd4XP/20200615005256-1.jpg
As Polish armies march straight into the Dniepr swamplands, those new field treatments couldn’t have come at a better time.
https://i.postimg.cc/nr1BxRWT/20200615005309-1.jpg
Even beyond the difference in numbers, Chernigov is rather poorly placed for this war. Its eponymous capital is right on the Polish border, as are its most valuable regions in general, and the three Slavic powers invading it are able to do so on an extremely wide open front.
https://i.postimg.cc/xdbm8T7X/20200615010509-1.jpg
(I don’t play around with the battle plan editor that much since it has no real gameplay use, but sure, why not?)
In Germany, the turmoil that people thought had ended already is apparently still going, with the Nationale Partei seizing power once more. The ringleader of the last coup, General-Director Ulrich Cranz, has been busted out of prison and is at it again, riding a wave of discontent caused by the Second Republic’s inability to put together a working government or make any progress in fixing the country over the past year and a half.
https://i.postimg.cc/2Syhpx7F/20200615010904-1.jpg
The eastern war doesn’t magically erase all of Poland's western problems either. The Danes, perhaps one of the most distinct minorities in Poland but usually rather well-behaved, are making noise and starting to talk about either independence or, perhaps, union with Sweden. No such ideas will be tolerated, of course, in Denmark or anywhere else.
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That war, though, does go very smoothly, with the enemy apparently realizing they’re badly outmatched and letting the invaders pass almost freely with minimal fighting. Alas, Novgorod’s demands are rather significant, and it takes a while for Chernigov to stop haggling. The newly independent republic of Bolgharia – trying to reclaim its traditional lands from Chernigov – getting involved is certainly a good motivator to reach an agreement.
https://i.postimg.cc/tRV9cn6Z/20200615012556-1.jpg
In August 1842 the peace is signed, returning the border to its Moscow Pact position of 1444. Novgorod actually gets a little excited and has demands for more, but Poland is the moderating presence in this case, refusing to continue the war just so Novgorod could take an eye for an eye. With Chernigov no longer distracted, the Bolghars also end up making a white peace before their opportunism can backfire.
https://i.postimg.cc/mkVzJcc5/20200615013241-1.jpg
For all its apparent ease, the war wasn’t actually a very good showing for the Polish military, with a perceptive observer being able to notice a lot of deep structural flaws in how the army is organized and the officers trained. One such person actually writes a rather scathing report back to Krakow. It could well have been quite the disaster against a more equally-matched enemy.
https://i.postimg.cc/Ss6zL1mq/20200615013529-1.jpg
But as the military sets out to reluctantly work on these problems, the unrest at home continues. It’s clearly no longer a local problem in any sense, with occasional protests, street fights, secret societies and whatnot popping up at every end of the country in turn… though notably, mostly near the borders, making the problem less urgent for Krakow on one hand but raising the specter of some independence movements getting mixed in.
https://i.postimg.cc/CLLfD4XT/20200615014059-1.jpg
Meanwhile, paying little mind to internal problems, the Polish foreign service has been working with the treasury and a chamber of investors to perform a – surprisingly skillful – hostile takeover of the growing Lotharingian economy. As the Principality’s most valuable exports include largely the same resources such as coal and steel, the Poles have successfully bought up large portions of the local industry, become its largest buyer and seller and entangled its supply lines with Poland’s, making Lotharingia almost entirely dependent on it (and especially its ports, lacking any of its own). The ruling Parti Nationaliste, having reacted too late to do anything about it, deeply resents this state of things. The next step in the Polish playbook is to exploit it for diplomatic pressure.
https://i.postimg.cc/h40dfYC1/20200615014951-1.jpg
Annoyingly enough, even if the noble parliament can’t do anything, Lotharingia is also struggling with a liberal movement not unlike Poland’s, and what seems like a Polish takeover of the country is the last straw that pushes them into open rebellion. Polish influence isn’t quite at the point where it can just march into the capital without permission, leaving the troops to watch from across the border.
https://i.postimg.cc/MpgcCJTq/20200615021026-1.jpg
On the other hand, Poland’s own industry keeps chugging on as railroads, tested mostly on very short distances until now, start being adapted to actual practical use. The most ambitious project so far is the so-called Miedzymorze (“Intersea”) Line, providing a direct connection from Gdansk to Odessa and passing through several major cities on the way. At last, one will be able to pass from the Baltic to the Black Sea in just a couple days. It’s planned for industrial use at first, but growing to include passenger lines as soon as possible, revolutionizing travel forever as the web of steel spreads across Europe. Though the terrain is perfect for it, laying the groundwork and working out the kinks in the machinery is still expected to take several years. They were hoping to build a rail network connecting Lotharingia and Frisia, too…
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In November 1843, the new Lotharingian constitution is signed into law, making it into a true republic on par with the others in Europe – but more problematically, the new government is determined to weed out all undue foreign influence, going so far as to confiscate Polish property, deport Polish citizens, and declare all trades or contracts with them annulled. Bold words for someone 40 miles from the border.
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Citing this direct attack and insult as a casus belli, Polish troops already on the border quickly start their march towards Charleroi to protect their citizens and their rights. The war isn’t entirely effortless, as even though it was unable to stop the revolution, the Lotharingian army isn’t a total pushover. Several bloody battles follow in the countryside as the Polish commanders try to stop the newly-founded republic from regrouping and mounting a more effective defense.
https://i.postimg.cc/8cycwq98/20200615024627-1.jpg
It’s still wrapped up in early 1844, but Poland doesn’t actually have interest in anything as radical as a restoration of the old Principality or any kind of continued occupation, only some assurances that its assets will not be threatened again. It does take the opportunity to deepen its influence further, of course, and by the end of it, Lotharingia is tighter in the eagle’s grasp (and more spiteful about it) than ever. The Polish Crown Railways get to dig in their grubby fingers too, gaining a near-monopoly over the fledgling Lotharingian network and the ability to integrate it into Poland's.
https://i.postimg.cc/gkJnr2LG/20200615134352-1.jpg
Germany just can’t catch a break: in November 1844, after tolerating the repressive Cranz regime for another two years, the people decide that this isn’t working out either and overthrow him – again. This should at least be a humbling example for any future would-be dictators in Germany, but the country isn’t exactly in good shape as a result of the constant back-and-forth. Many historians will consider the whole period from 1840 forward part of one long civil war.
https://i.postimg.cc/hv4hLSCb/20200615140216-1.jpg
Poland, on the other hand, seems to be doing just fine: liberals have been a constant nuisance but not a real threat for some years now, business is booming in west and east alike, the Miedzymorze and other rail projects are making steady progress. To some, of course, the subjugation of Lotharingia is just another example of royal ruthlessness, the railways just another symbol of progress (literally) passing them by: even though much of the eastern region is in any case unsuited for railways due to its forests or swamps, it is true that railways by their nature link together the major cities while running through forests and fields and disturbing the countryside. Anti-railway protesters clash with those wanting to fix these same problems by adding more railways, but eventually they decide to just join forces against the current policy-makers and figure it out from there. They then end up getting recruited by the wider liberal movement, willing to pick up whatever subject it can bash the government for; in this case, demanding representation in the Sejm so that the people can decide where the railways are or aren’t built.
The largest such protest at the construction site of the Krakow Central Station, December 1844, turns into another riot. As first the railway security and then the military answer with violence, word spreads quickly and similar groups in other cities spring to action. Somewhere these are just overgrown protests, not a threat even to the local troops, but in some places – especially along the Miedzymorze – there’s a real insurgent uprising, surely orchestrated by the Red Eagle.
https://i.postimg.cc/YqsjFBQY/20200615140631-1.jpg
Likely due to having started so suddenly, the haphazard revolution is nowhere as large as it could’ve been, but putting it down still takes several months of heavy-handed military action and one-sided trials, and even then, most of the rebels just flee into the countryside or take off their armbands and pretend they had nothing to do with it. Actual fighting having started over such a seemingly minor issue, and the military responding so harshly, sends people a message – and not necessarily the one the crown would like.
Not just that: with the great powers too busy tripping over their own feet for a while now, life across the Atlantic has been rather peaceful, but the sheer mix of incompetence and tyranny in Europe in contrast to the relative prosperity of Amatica is just adding fuel to old ideas of colonial independence. The failed Amatican Revolution of 1776 already had a distinctly liberal flavor, even before the same ideas really hit it big in Europe, and this is clearly feeding back into “liberty” becoming synonymous with Amatican identity.
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And while similar movements pick up speed elsewhere, the situation is exacerbated by a particularly bad harvest in some of the already poorest and most restless regions, which the government for once does its best to alleviate. Still, the economy in general has definitely taken a turn for the worse, with workers out on the barricades and investors unwilling to invest in something that could be torn down by an angry mob the next day.
https://i.postimg.cc/43Cd8vL3/20200615144032-1.jpg
It’s hard to see what the government’s endgame is here, though. After the crackdown on the Railway Rebellion only caused sympathetic liberals to start arming themselves with renewed fervor in preparation for Round 2, the hardline stance doesn’t seem very sustainable. Besides, not even the Sejm – or most of it, at least – is actually enthusiastic about the idea of shooting and beating Polish citizens en masse from here to eternity, yet the increasingly ingrained attitude of “Liberty or Death” might force them to do just that. Premier Wladislaw Sarna, however, is both tied to his word and still a firm believer in it, and under his leadership, the Sejm isn’t going to budge. He seems to have Nadbor III's tacit support.
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And indeed, on that front, some people cling onto hope that even if unlikely to propel the liberals into power, the upcoming election of 1846 might at least make the conservatives see reason and put someone more moderate in the Premier’s seat. They don’t get a chance to test that theory, for on 18 March 1846, a new country-wide uprising finally occurs: this time without a particular provocation, clearly planned and organized by someone. The army is once again put on full war footing, and Yugoslavia also dutifully sends in troops to help. At least it seems like the liberals haven’t managed to infiltrate the military itself, as was the downfall of Italy.
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The uprising is accompanied by separatists in Hungary, Slovakia and Ruthenia as well. But as tempting as it is to paint the Red Eagle Army as the enemy and this as a civil war, calling upon memories of the Confederates, it is clearly an attempted revolution, with the state going to war against a disparate mass of its own citizens. And though they are mostly disorganized, scattered and no match for trained soldiers, on the few occasions that they manage to group up into a larger army under a competent commander, they actually manage some real victories – sure to go down as heroic struggles for liberty. But all in all, there are always more soldiers to come, and pluck and panache can only carry the rebels so far. Their defeat (for now) is only a matter of time.
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At this point, no amount of self-deception can claim that the situation could be solved just by waiting or beating at it until it goes away. As the delayed election proceeds in war-like conditions, Premier Sarna’s handling of the liberal movement comes increasingly under fire, mostly ignoring the fact that most of the Sejm supported it and him until just a while ago. Over the summer and early autumn, the uprisings are once again “put down”, but everyone knows that only means waiting for the next ones, and candidates on both extremes realize they might actually have a chance of taking some usually moderate seats this year. The Crown Council, too, has been swinging more towards the liberals lately, and there’s a chance it might be willing to pass some reforms with or without the Sejm’s support.
https://i.postimg.cc/Wp94RcWC/20200615181556-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/YSwrNr0G/20200615181600-1.jpg
Indeed! For the first time since anyone started counting this kind of thing, the “conservative” deputies don’t even break 50%, with the liberals coming in as a close second. It’s hard to draw any geographic trends, the results clearly coming down to each individual district, but that just means the shift is countrywide and even more significant. With these two factions competing for the top, the reactionaries get to play kingmaker in a sense, but there’s no question that they support the conservatives over their sworn opponents the liberals. This still changes everything, though: the middle-of-the-road moderates, who had arguably been swinging rather authoritarian during Sarna’s term, are going to have no choice but to work with either extreme if they want to get things done – but making concessions to both seems like a lost cause, and sticking too close to the reactionaries would just mean continuing the clearly ineffective policies used so far. A moderate-liberal alliance seems like the only option.
https://i.postimg.cc/SNJxk1Hs/20200615183312-1.jpg
As “party” politics become more relevant, despite parties not technically existing in a legal sense, their respective names also start getting thrown around a lot more, and the limits of that law are going to be tried quite a bit. And unsurprisingly, due to liberal demands, the Sejm submits a request for Nadbor III to declare a loss of confidence in Sarna, who is replaced by the far calmer, more “reasonable” Mariusz Nowak.
https://i.postimg.cc/qMSMRXdG/20200615185032-1.jpg
The effects of both the new Premier and the changes in the Sejm are immediate. The tone of discussion in the chamber changes radically – for one, the Coalition and Populists really are discussing things, even if there’s also the Royalist contingent shouting from the rafters. New orders are given to the military and local authorities not to crack down on protests and liberal groups quite so quickly, but to either let them march in peace or point them in the right direction to complain. Of course, that still falls short of actually enacting those changes they demand… but it’s still a first step.
Alas, fate is a cruel mistress, and just as this all-new government is starting to think that everything’s going to be alright, it is immediately put to its greatest test.
https://i.postimg.cc/CKHFm3nv/20200615190349-1.jpg
Newspaper Gallery (https://imgur.com/a/e0uv010)
The Latin Federation has taken two steps forward and one backwards in terms of restoring its former territory, having annexed rebel-riddled Occitania only to almost immediately lose the Grand Duchy of Brittany. The Swiss Confederation, a ragtag alliance of cantons in the Alpine region that has seen so much war and civil war lately, also broke off from Germany.
https://i.postimg.cc/MpBZjM6J/20200615190710-1.jpg
In southern Africa, settlers from the Asturian colony of Esperanza had long been clashing with English ones in the mountainous Transvalo (Transvaal) region between them. Due to a string of gold discoveries, Transvalo too was very high priority for both sides, and neither wanted to let the other claim uncontested control over it. The two had already been on the verge of war over the matter, but with international pressure, finally reached an agreement giving it to England… only for Asturias to immediately double-cross it and seize the ports leading to Transvalo, leaving the English colony awkwardly landlocked.
https://i.postimg.cc/FzhkTbKS/20200615014631-1.jpg
A major wave of unrest struck the Middle East, but though the Madjids managed to handle it on their side of the border, the Pratihara didn’t, giving rise to the Kingdom of Armenia, tiny rump Sultanate of Iraq and the Shahdom of Persia. They're still dealing with rebels in Kurdistan and Afghanistan, too.
https://i.postimg.cc/JnrRgpbR/20200615190800-1.jpg
The Marathi have continued their conquests against the Pratihara, only for Karnata to finally get worried about another rapidly expanding state on its turf and decide to do something about it.
https://i.postimg.cc/63MBNC0n/20200615190825-1.jpg
If Germany’s collapse has seemed dramatic, then East Asia is an utter mess as well. Following in the Uyghurs’ footsteps, Kyrgyzstan is working on also breaking free from the Pratihara, while Tibet, Xi and Shu have already succeeded. Tibet and Shu teamed up to conquer parts of the Uyghur Khanate, while Shu also annexed a short-lived Mongolian state to its northeast. Meanwhile, Manchuria made use of all this confusion to finally “retake” the northern portion of Yan. As all these states sort themselves out (or don’t), the region is sure to see no end of fighting over who gets to reform the unified Chinese state after some 600 years of first Yuan, then Pratihara domination.
https://i.postimg.cc/Y0jM2jnV/20200615190901-1.jpg
I love the wording in that one pop-up. “Scientists in our country have discovered The Spirit of Freedom.” (https://i.imgflip.com/457oe1.jpg)
The event pop-ups coming with timestamps certainly helps keep up with the timeline, but also makes it more obvious when I have to rearrange things to make more sense. Not that I expect anyone to object, it just makes me feel silly. And for the record, there are a million liberal events for instance, many of them repeating at least once a month, that I don’t bother showing at all. I’m almost disappointed, though, if this is the worst I can do even by picking the more provocative option on every single one of them.
Going to pause on this cliffhanger for a bit, since I’m going to be away from my gaming computer for 2-3 weeks for Midsummer. Definitely going to continue as soon as I can, though!
In the meantime, a good time to ask assorted questions about either the world or the game mechanics, I guess. If I don't have an answer, I'll make it up on the spot and declare it canon from now on. :smalltongue:
Keraunograf
2020-06-16, 01:44 AM
Well, I know this isn't a call for a vote, but I think they should actually try to reason with them in Amatica. We just had a ton of evidence that sending in the army over and over doesn't work in the long run, and with a newly fashioned Sejm, they'll be itching to prove to the local populace that they mean what they say, please don't rebel any more...
SilverLeaf167
2020-06-16, 09:28 AM
Well, I know this isn't a call for a vote, but I think they should actually try to reason with them in Amatica. We just had a ton of evidence that sending in the army over and over doesn't work in the long run, and with a newly fashioned Sejm, they'll be itching to prove to the local populace that they mean what they say, please don't rebel any more...
Even when there's no official vote, opinions are always welcome!
InvisibleBison
2020-06-16, 08:14 PM
Even when there's no official vote, opinions are always welcome!
I also think that negotiating with the Amaticans is the best course. Moral and political issues aside, if Poland has to repeatedly suppress rebellions in its subject states it will soon reach a point where they're just not worth keeping around. It's better to give them some liberty and maintain economic ties than to either pour a never-ending flood of blood and treasure int suppressing revolts or losing and having them sever all ties with Poland.
SilverLeaf167
2020-07-08, 04:55 PM
Chapter #56: The Free Nations (1847-1848)
22nd of March, 1847
Only a few months into its term, the more moderate Sejm led by Mariusz Nowak is put to the test. The grueling oppression and occasionally flaring up brutality of Polish rule before, during and after the previous Amatican Revolution hasn’t been forgotten, and recently, the martyr Bozydar Radziwill’s famous Eagle’s Claw Speech has been more popular than ever. The blight of the Colonials has been likened to that of Poland’s various minorities and “Amatican” turned into a nationality of its own (muddling the fact that they’re actually European settlers in Native lands). But now, with the entire colonial empire being swept by waves of liberalism and nationalism, the three voivodes – actually installed in a series of coups to replace their Krakow-assigned predecessors – have once again come together to declare their independence with overwhelming popular support. The grandchildren of the revolutionaries from 71 years ago have risen up to take their revenge.
The news is received in the Sejm with a cacophony of shock, anger and resigned “told you so”. Though the Royalists, true to their name, seem to be aching for a repeat of the Royal-Colonial war, the other deputies are more clear-sighted. Another conflict against the voivodeships, even if they could morally stomach it, is a daunting prospect. Slowly ferrying armies back and forth across the Atlantic would be inconvenient at the best of times, and simply unimaginable when they’re urgently needed to maintain peace in Europe. The logistical issues would only be exacerbated by the fact that, in this age of citizen armies, the Colonials would have the home field advantage and plenty of patriots to draw from – plus their population has grown and they’ve learned from last time’s mistakes. For a number of reasons, the time when the Crown Army could simply land anywhere in the world and sweep through all resistance is long gone, even if not everyone realizes it. And so the Sejm tries to negotiate.
https://i.postimg.cc/prCSNpjT/20200708161852-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/8cNYnhj9/20200708161853-1.jpg
(This option leaves our influence at Cordial rather than outright Hostile)
Turns out that the Colonials realize all this too, and when they said “declaration”, they meant it. After the past century or so, they would put little faith in any Polish promises anyway. As far as Buyania, Lukomoria and Jeziora are concerned, they’re already independent, and it’s only out of common courtesy that they’re giving Poland the opportunity to pull out its armies before they’re thrown out or worse. The only “negotiation” to be had is for Poland to decide whether it wants to do this the easy way – or the hard way.
But even if a number of small colonies in Africa and Asia have declared independence just recently, those are different. The idea of a New World colony, settled and built from the ground up over several centuries, breaking free is unprecedented. How will the three voivodeships, each with fewer people and less industry than, say, Bohemia, protect their precious independence against foreign powers like Asturias? How do they expect their (intentionally) lopsided economies to function without the colonial network? And do they really expect their own alliance to last once they no longer have a common enemy, seeing how often they used to squabble even with Poland keeping them in line?
Their answer to all of these questions is the Free Nations of Amatica.
https://i.postimg.cc/L6yWNgRQ/20200708165752-1.jpg
The three-person Trojka, representing the former voivodeships, serves as co-equal heads of state. The Congress is a bicameral legislature, one house having proportionate representation and the other two senators from each state to protect the more rural regions. Together with an independent judiciary, they form a loose federal system where every settler and native state is on near-equal terms with the central government. All in all, it seems almost a little too intricate to last, clearly just cobbled together in such a way that no one would have anything to complain about. Over in Europe, the Bundesrepublik’s federal experiment has proven less than stable, but the Amatican view seems to be that it only failed due to reactionary elements and foreign invasion, both of which the Free Nations are sure they can avoid.
https://i.postimg.cc/vHXJkS7z/20200708161915-1.jpg
To that end, they immediately commit to the most liberal programme they can think of: political, religious and economic freedoms, universal suffrage, easy paths to citizenship for any past and future immigrants – for they see immigration as the secret to their growth, and want to make this refuge from tyranny open to all comers. Buyania and Jeziora had already all but abolished slavery, despite not having had the legal authority to do so, and now that ban is extended to Lukomoria; the number of slaves in the Free Nations is negligible compared to most non-Polish colonies anyway, but the specific areas they (or rather their owners) are concentrated in won’t necessarily take this so well. The government must be aware that all of this will provoke the aforementioned “elements”, but they’re counting on their plans to create a land of true freedom and equality where those movements are choked out simply by leaving the people no reason to turn to such extreme methods.
And last but not least, the Free Nations select a new federal capital: Radawiec (Kingston), about as close to equal distance as you’re going to get from the regional capitals without trampling on Native territory, is rebranded as Radziwill to honor the posthumous prophet of the revolutionary cult. Ambitious renovations are planned to turn the small town into a booming hub, accommodate the new government, and celebrate the colonies’ history and independence.
https://i.postimg.cc/2S6sDF2f/20200616153023-1.jpg
Much of this already transpires while the first messages are still being passed between Europe and Amatica, but for lack of a better option, eventually the Sejm orders the troops to ship out, at least for the time being. Many have lived all or most of their lives in Amatica, and some of them choose to desert rather than move to Europe, but Poland has little ability to prosecute them. In return, the Free Nations allow Poland to maintain a diplomatic presence in Radziwill, but this is almost a trap of sorts, as the locals start calling it an “embassy” and thus an open recognition of independence. Were all this not happening across the ocean, a full month’s travel away, Poland certainly would’ve responded much more harshly, but geography has left it little choice.
The Royalists call for an immediate change of course or otherwise a new election, while the Populists are actually mostly alright with this. From their perspective, it’s been a long time since Amatica was a net positive for the country, an equal partner is better than a rebellious colony, and the Trojka has actually achieved much of what they themselves couldn’t. Stuck in between the two, the Coalition can only accept the situation; and since there’s little fear of the Royalists actually withdrawing their support for them and thus ceding even more power to the Populists, they feel relatively safe doing so. Of course, the Populists aren’t charity workers either: they believe that the Free Nations are packed with natural resources that colonial status has held them back from fully exploiting, and if their economy really does start to grow, Poland’s industrial magnates are looking forward to giving them the Lotharingian treatment.
Desperate, the Royalists turn to the High King for support, urging him to override or dismiss the Sejm, but he also has little will to go against the nobles or the cold, hard facts. The 57-year-old Nadbor III began his reign a long time ago vowing to defend Poland against the revolution, but after it actually became relevant, he hasn’t taken a very active role in the matter – and now he’s forced to try and defend this humiliating compromise with Amatican revolutionaries as better for Poland in the long run. The African and especially East Indian colonies are more important anyway, providing perhaps less manpower but far more wealth, exotic goods and vital naval bases. Besides, out of the “settler” colonies, the Voivodeship of Nowa Straya is still there – and has also seen a steady flow of migrants from Europe and Asia lately, drawn in by free land, liberty and mineral discoveries in the desert.
https://i.postimg.cc/vBWjzPH5/20200708162019-1.jpg
(Population grown by roughly 25% since 1836)
Of course, by focusing on the numbers, he’s dancing around the real issue: that the Free Nations’ fait accompli independence is a humiliation, a matter of principle, and the symbolism alone could in the worst case have a destructive ripple effect across the world.
To distract from this and bring his own message to the people, as well as symbolize Poland’s entry into a new era of prosperity, he announces a daring and innovative plan: since the controversial Miedzymorze railway is all but finished (despite the disruptions), he will ride a train from Lvov up to Gdansk (thus avoiding some of the more restless areas) and give a public speech at every stop along the way. On a greater scale than ever before, commoners across the country will have a chance to see and hear their beloved sovereign speak in person. He has good reason to believe that the monarchs have languished in their courts and palaces for too long, become too abstract, letting the people forget who they are and what they represent. Of course, he is aware of the risks on paper – but seemingly doesn’t think anything will really happen on this little adventure.
https://i.postimg.cc/KzXwtXFZ/20200708162326-1.jpg
And indeed, it goes off without a hitch, though not without a bit of effort. The High King (with an unsubtle number of guards) boards a glistening black train that slowly, though still faster than any horse cart, huffs and puffs its way northward. Whenever it rolls into town, a spectacle of its own, he can always expect an enthusiastic reception from the crowd waiting for him to step out to the platform, dressed in somewhat less ostentatious regalia reminiscent of a fancy military uniform, and start talking. Of course, security is working overtime to keep any dangerous or just unseemly groups from approaching the site, but if there is any threat then they do a good job containing it, since it never makes itself known. The speeches are rather unoriginal in content, and blessedly short, but it seems he still holds onto some of the inspiring charisma of his younger days. To a critical listener, though, they seem to meander a bit as he emphasizes all the glory of Poland and its historical monarchy rather than actually address any of the things going on, apart from a few short and spiteful references to “anti-Polish” groups. In the end, the campaign can be considered a success in that no one died and the train didn’t break down, but an inconclusive one at best, as the High King returns to a Krakow and a political situation not much changed from when he left.
There isn’t much time to ponder the practical or philosophical implications of losing Amatica, though: while the revolutionary government over there tries to get itself sorted out, Poland is already distracted with something else. The King of Novgorod, elated with his recent victory over Chernigov, seems to be riding that high to assert dominance over his other traditional rival as well: Uralia. Besides its much-publicized (even if occasionally exaggerated) mistreatment of the Russian minority, the republic is obviously a large and noisy nuisance in Novgorod’s backyard. “Backyard” is a good description of Uralia in general, being so vast but mostly empty, and thus Novgorod is mostly interested in harnessing its natural resources for its own industry. Much like happened between Poland and Lotharingia, attempts to do this more peacefully have been met with resistance and government interference, so the King has decided to turn to force of arms. Nadbor III sees little reason not to continue to humor him, showing that he is either confident in Poland’s stability or again trying to draw attention away from it. Possibly both.
https://i.postimg.cc/5tzk4PzD/20200708170336-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/Z5CMgY5b/20200708170346-1.jpg
Uralia may not be a very appealing place to invade, but as it happens, it has – after first cutting ties with the Bundesrepublik – decided to make a defensive alliance with the new Germany just in case something like this happened. Of course, looking over from Poland, it would seem like they’re both overestimating Germany’s military readiness, but the Poles don’t mind getting an excuse to invade again. If anything, some think they might be doing the Germans a favor by stomping any potential rebels deeper into the ground while they’re there.
https://i.postimg.cc/XYmz0Mrw/20200708172917-1.jpg
For Scotland, which doesn’t even have anything to do with the war, the timing couldn’t be worse. Some years ago, around the same time that Poland was struggling with a particularly bad case of potato blight, the same disease happened to strike Scottish-ruled Ireland infinitely worse. The adoption of the potato as a staple crop has fueled massive population growth, but at the cost of supplanting other crops and making Ireland entirely dependent on it. Thus, the explosive outbreak of 1845 threatened the whole island with starvation. Scotland, despite being highly reliant on its Irish provinces, still had a budget to balance in the wake of the war with England, and thus failed to commit as much aid there as it rightly should’ve. Hundreds of thousands have already died while others have fled to the colonies, but in between, the people who couldn’t or wouldn’t leave have grown enraged with Scottish rule. As this mixes with the general trend of liberal nationalism that Poland is all too familiar with, in the summer of 1847, Scotland suddenly finds itself facing an island-wide rebellion with seemingly half the populace marching out waving something, be it banners, guns, or pitchforks and clubs. And due to the war with Germany, Poland doesn’t really have any forces to divert there - if they could put down such a large uprising to begin with. The Irish Revolution of 1847 is truly the wrath of a nation scorned.
https://i.postimg.cc/wvd47hcM/20200708172930-1.jpg
Poland certainly doesn’t want Scotland to shrink or the Isles to destabilize again, but there’s little it can do. In October, that’s exactly what happens, with the Irish Republic killing or pushing out the last of the Scottish troops, declaring its independence, and taking with it more than half the population of the entire kingdom. After centuries of relatively peaceful life as second-class citizens, the Irish seem eager to emphasize their own identity in any way possible, including a return to their Waldensian state religion and formalizing Irish Gaelic as its own language. England is happy to furnish them with money and grain shipments to deal with the ongoing famine, to be paid back at a later date of course. But, eventually the Irish will have to address the elephant in the room, the natural result of years of cohabitation: the considerable pagan, Yorkish, and pagan Yorkish minorities still in the country.
https://i.postimg.cc/Z5GVMrQH/20200708210450-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/cHZTsd08/20200708210947-1.jpg
That being said, flashing back a bit: the Slavic alliance doesn’t have too much difficulty in its own war, with Germany getting invaded from several directions just like it was back in the Third Revolutionary War. Since there are so many troops moving through the area anyway, Poland also puts the finishing touches on its “soft takeover” of Bavaria, basically turning it into a stronghold against German reunification and an extension of Bohemian industry. Any resentment in the autocratic Bavarian government is balanced out by the fact that they share both of those priorities.
https://i.postimg.cc/cHM9YrXm/20200708203210-1.jpg
Aaaand as it happens, the Polish invasion is all it takes for the military to seize power in Frankfurt again. This time Ulrich Crantz has actually been sent away on an “extended vacation”, being deemed a clear liability based on his track record, and the government is formed by a junta of his former supporters in the Nationale Partei. The score sits at Nationals, 3 – Liberal Democrats, 2. The view of the ‘40s as one extended civil war for Germany gets even more evidence to back it up, not that it needed any.
https://i.postimg.cc/SRggTH0Y/20200708203523-1.jpg
Much to the High King’s consternation, Poland’s own unrest shows no signs of dying down, no matter how much he tries to will it out of existence. The fact that it’s still spreading in regions as different and distant as Bohemia and Crimea, or Denmark and Hungary, shows how pervasive the issues truly are. Mariusz Nowak’s Sejm does its best to stick to its more tolerant streak, but Nadbor III often seems to undermine them with his own words and deeds, intentionally or not. He certainly doesn't have as good personal rapport with Nowak as he did with Wladislaw Sarna.
https://i.postimg.cc/vHmqg89r/20200708204239-1.jpg
All in all, it just isn’t enough. If Germany is caught in an extended civil war, then arguably so is Poland at this point, even if the leadership for whatever reason refuses to acknowledge it. The third major uprising within four years occurs in September 1847, inspired by the victories of Amatica and Ireland, government inaction on the promised reforms, and a healthy dose of opportunism given the ongoing war. It is now even more imperative that the war be finished and the troops brought home as soon as possible.
https://i.postimg.cc/BnLmphmt/20200708204852-1.jpg
If the Poles had any deeper plans for Germany, they are quickly scrapped, and within a week the junta approaches them with an offer to hand over Germany’s remaining West African outposts (which it has no ability to govern anyway) in exchange for a separate peace. They're all too happy to accept, and turn their guns towards their own countrymen instead. Uralia too decides to fold once Germany is out of the game, accepting Novgorodian dominance over its economy and foreign policy, similar to the Lotharingian model.
https://i.postimg.cc/wTbWhKcS/20200708205430-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/Zq6VtWtS/20200708210320-1.jpg
With the war hastily wrapped up in only 4 months and troops on both fronts marching back towards Poland, the defeat of the insurrection is only a matter of time – though time it takes, continuing well into 1848 as the Crown Army clears out the major cities but then spends what feels like an eternity chasing down bands of stragglers in the countryside, where the rest of the inhabitants are a little too happy to give them shelter. But for all that military success, politically Poland’s crisis is deeper than ever. After the previous Sejm’s hardline policies provoked the revolutionaries, the Populists got a windfall of votes and Mariusz Nowak was propelled to power under the assumption and hope that they could find a compromise with the bloodthirsty peasants. A year after their election, that clearly hasn’t happened, and they’re being bombarded from both sides: the traditionalist side believes that their “weak” rhetoric and failure to crack down on the rebels have only made things even worse, while the liberals point out that no amount of empty words and shallow gestures will satisfy the crowds as long as their actual demands – namely the right to vote, right to organize and end to state censorship – are blocked by the majority in the Sejm and Crown Council alike.
In 1848, the split between the upper and lower classes, the government and the people, seems to only be getting wider and less bridgeable. The government, simply unwilling to commit to the changes demanded, flips the other way and the seemingly suicidal hardline stance starts gaining more support once more. It's pushed along by some all too well written arguments from respected Polish thinkers.
https://i.postimg.cc/MTD5Hgp3/20200708212537-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/3NxBv9y8/20200708212538-1.jpg
(I forgot to remove the French Revolution references in these couple events, but oh well)
The revolutionaries, of course, can't help but notice this happening, and they too are faced with the same arbitrary choice: as the government has made it clear that it has no intent to act, they have exactly two options. Either they give up entirely, or accept that they’ll have to tear their rights out of the aristocrats’ cold dead hands or die trying. Liberty or Death. The stage is set for what might well become the worst period of the Polish Revolution, and the time that even the last doubters truly recognize it as one.
https://i.postimg.cc/Y2d8HcVh/20200708212643-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/8z6bM7C6/20200708212646-1.jpg
High King Nadbor III does not, in fact, have the legal right to force the Sejm to change its own rules, not that he'd necessarily do so even if he could. Though he too dreads the idea of a continuing, escalating revolution – even besides the part where he gets beheaded – in the end, as an elderly nobleman himself, it should come as no surprise that his sympathies lie with the nobility. He seems to have taken the people’s unwillingness to heed his magnificent speeches as a personal insult, and frankly can’t really see why these stupid changes are so important to them. Of course, he also has a rather reactionary Crown Council feeding those same talking points into his ear. As for Mariusz Nowak, his progressive programme has been totally discredited in record time, and thus the High King has him replaced with his personal favorite. However, while indeed a respected figure in most non-liberal circles, his pick Dariusz Zajkowski is an old aristocrat leaning heavily towards the reactionary end of the spectrum. Not only that, the fact that he’s gone out of his way to appoint a former general such as him seems like an ill omen of what is to come…
https://i.postimg.cc/3wjCfzmr/20200708220930-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/3wQFB3yb/20200708220931-1.jpg
[No new newspapers, actually. Hope that’s not a bug.]
Having stabilized itself and pushed aside the counter-revolutionaries, the Latin Federation is showing the world what an Italy not turned against itself is truly capable of. Shaping up to be a new Bundesrepublik indeed, it has rebuilt its army into one of the largest in the world, easily annexed Provence and then turned its eyes on Burgundy, eager to reclaim all the territory it considers a rightful part of Italy or France. Lotharingia, perhaps a little too cocky after its last victory against the far weaker Italian Empire, has come to Burgundy’s defense, which it might well come to regret. Poland is obviously too busy to intervene.
https://i.postimg.cc/KzZ76QDP/20200708222228-1.jpg
Barely one year, huh. But I figured that this was a good place to put a break, especially after such a text-heavy chapter.
The parliamentary mechanics, even when actually rather barebones, give me a lot more inspiration and tools for roleplaying internal politics than EU4 ever did. Of course, the world coming closer to the “current” day and “modernizing” in general also makes it easier to write walls of exposition about the political system, to me anyway. Does that make any sense?
InvisibleBison
2020-07-08, 08:13 PM
Things aren't looking too good for Poland. At least they don't have to deal with this revolt with half their armies in Amatica, though.
Also, it makes perfect sense to me that you'd be more familiar writing about governments that more closely resemble the one you live under.
SilverLeaf167
2020-07-09, 02:22 PM
Chapter #57: The Long Revolution (1848-1850)
1st of June, 1848
Anyone struggling to understand the exact nature of the liberal revolution, either in retrospect or even at the time, is not alone. For all the slogans of “Freedom, Equality, Solidarity”, the unhelpful truth is that the liberal movement means something different for everyone. Some will go on to argue that the movement stems from “disgust at the ageless injustices present in a hierarchical society”, but few people really have the vision, ambition or energy to try and rip out the entire system with its roots, and certainly not a real alternative to take its place – yet – so instead they take it on piece by piece. While the movement is indeed popular with the lower classes as well, its leaders are mostly burghers, intellectuals or even minor gentry, and the closest thing it has to allies in the Sejm are rich people interested in freedom from regulations more than anything else. The only thing they all have in common is that they’re fighting for some particular sort of freedom they care about, be it concrete or abstract, big or small, positive or negative, and that even if they’d collapse into infighting immediately afterwards, they all believe their immediate goals would be met by replacing the government with a more democratic one. They’ll cross that bridge when they get there, but for now they must fight together.
Of course, no one turns to revolution as their first choice: it only reached this point after all levels of the Polish government, from local authorities up to the High King, staunchly refused any real attempts at reform and seemingly left violent upheaval as the only option. While the people don’t necessarily realize how divided the Sejm actually is on the matter, the results (or lack thereof) speak for themselves. Every act of reprisal by the Crown Army just further convinces the rebels that the system is rotten to the core. And while it is obvious that with sufficient violence, one side must break eventually, it’s less obvious who it will be – and how long this cycle of revenge would have to continue until then, if truly no compromise can be reached.
As for the groups most opposed to the liberal movement – for obviously the nobles would be powerless without at least some sort of support – one can name the clergy and professional soldiers, both of them rather useful in maintaining control of the country. While the movement can count some folk preachers among its ranks, the organized priesthood (pagan and oddani alike) finds the more religiously and socially liberal wing quite distasteful, and the Archpriest of Perun is an avowed pacifist urging an end to violence on both sides – which as we have seen only favors the status quo. The rebels and the military, meanwhile, share a mutual cultural, political and personal hatred of each other, only fanned the longer the conflict goes on and maintained by the soldiers living in a violent echo chamber where their entire career choice entails swearing obedience to the Crown.
And what of the nobles, the defendants in this trial? They have few arguments to present that would convince a modern audience, but while it’s hard to deny that they’re mostly driven by self-interest (as individuals or as a ruling class), they do have the power of tradition on their side: the monarchy, the church, the military, and all the good that Poland has done for its people, even bringing up its status as the “Savior of the Slavs”. Words like “mob rule” and “anarchy” also get thrown around a lot, Germany being the prime example. The constant fighting, whoever is really to blame, allows them to paint liberalism itself as a threat to Poland and any compromise as a moral defeat. And tradition shouldn’t be underestimated: for most people, the world isn’t really a changing place, nor do they want it to be, their lives defined by following in their parents’ footsteps and just doing as they did. Thus it would be misleading to claim that the lower classes are all united against their oppressors – many of them, the majority in fact, only want the chaos to end so they can go back to how things were. And of course, not nearly every liberal is a rebel either.
https://i.postimg.cc/nhfDjs4W/ideology-1848.png
As of June 1848, the Crown Army has been fighting for almost a year straight, with a short lull in the spring soon interrupted by the latest uprising. The most stubborn pocket at the moment is concentrated in Bohemia (and neighboring Silesia), which despite being one of the oldest parts of Poland has always been a cultural crossroads of Slavic, German and Christian influence. Given its urban and cosmopolitan nature, it makes sense that it would remain a stronghold of liberalism. It deserves to be noted, though, that Czech nationalism has yet to become a major problem – they still identify as Polish citizens trying to transform their home country from within.
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After appointing the former general Dariusz Zajkowski as Premier, High King Nadbor III has largely withdrawn from public matters and scurried off to a more secure location. Leadership, and responsibility for whatever happens, is thus left to the Sejm. Of course, the immediate policy wasn’t in doubt anyway: marching in and defeating the rebels by force, as many times as it takes. Them being a lot more concentrated and organized than ever before makes that harder, though, turning the whole summer into a bloody game of cat and mouse as Crown and rebel forces both try to avoid battles they can’t win and instead make one tactical retreat after another in search of better positions. As the rebels abandon their plans of capturing Prague itself, they consolidate to the south and east, moving worryingly close to Krakow.
https://i.postimg.cc/W42q8Qf6/20200709174037-1.jpg
Indeed, as the Crown forces close in on them, in September the rebels make a desperate push for the capital, left woefully under-defended in a critical oversight on Zajkowski’s part as he focused on offense above all else. Only by the rapid action of General Boleslaw Lechowicz is a defensive line put together, able to hold long enough for reinforcements to arrive, some of them actually taking advantage of the railway system for the first time to arrive inside the city and flank the rebels from there.
https://i.postimg.cc/gkZh2yZR/20200709174836-1.jpg
And so yet another “wave” of the rebellion is seemingly put down, but once again a large portion of the revolutionaries manages to evade capture, while more are already crawling out of the woodwork. Much as Zajkowski tries to sell it as a final, decisive victory – for the umpteenth time – people around him are aware that this battle still isn’t over, and the next one is probably only going to be bigger. Thus the military is kept on high alert, taking up positions around the country and patrolling the streets almost as if all of Poland were occupied enemy territory. In many places this police action and the response to it are harsh enough that not everyone believes the fighting has paused at all.
https://i.postimg.cc/D0WXsLp9/20200709181552-1.jpg
(That’s 242 regiments waiting to rise up – twice as large as our European army)
Meanwhile, as England is struggling with a general rebellion in its Welsh provinces in an ironic echo of its support for the Irish, Scotland decides to try and reclaim some prestige by starting a colonial war in West Africa. Poland is, of course, less than interested in helping at the moment. Angered by their ally’s inaction both now and during the Irish Rebellion, the Scots break off their old alliance with Poland – but just like happened the last time they threw a similar tantrum, they come crawling back only a few months later.
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In Poland, the first months of 1849 are spent repeating an all too familiar pattern, with both sides clearly gearing up for another go, certainly not helping deescalate matters by publicly harassing and beating citizens accused of backing the enemy. In addition, until now, the war has been between the ragtag rebels and the Crown Army (with occasional Frisian or Yugoslavian support), but now there are signs of a real counter-revolution starting to form. Those not flocking to join the army are forming militias of their own, unofficial but enjoying Zajkowski’s vocal support and even access to stockpiles of old weaponry. Soon, violent clashes between "red" and "white" patrols become common sights in every major city across the country. Of course, ideological enemies are easily dismissed as just another reason to continue the fight, but eventually it dawns on the revolutionaries that many of these militias consist not of sworn reactionaries and monarchists but scared, angry and tired peasants grouping up to protect their community.
Indeed, there is the more important change: some 8 years after the very first clashes in Brest-Litovsk, it seems like popular opinion is finally turning against the revolutionaries. Growing opposition may mean little to true idealists, but waning support certainly does. Most of their goals haven’t lost any of their appeal, but the revolution as a method has. Even people sympathetic to them fear for their health and property – which are anyway synonymous for those dependent on their fields, animals and tools in order to live – and whether they blame the rebels or the Crown, the end result is that they want the fighting to stop. To the average person, life in Poland doesn’t seem actively terrible, while the previous years' fighting has lasted longer and been more intense than ever before. In regions that the rebels managed to “occupy” for a month or more, there was already enough time for infighting and chaotic incompetence to raise their heads and disillusion many of the inhabitants. Most of the revolutionaries are just regular people joining a cause they believe in, but now they’re being met with increasing peer pressure to give it up, not to mention pleas from their families not to get themselves killed.
Of course, that alone wouldn’t stop all of them, and the liberal ranks are too divided for any one leader to “decide to stop” either. Despite that, if a specific date had to be chosen for the end of the revolution, it would be 30 March 1849, when a young man, looking to be in his late 20’s, takes the stage in front of the thoroughly ransacked Cloth Hall in central Krakow. He introduces himself as Lech Lisowski, the leader of the Red Eagle Army. The nebulous group has always been a Crown obsession more than a liberal one, but even as it was conspicuously absent from the battlefield, the Crown’s dramatic rhetoric made it an enigmatic icon of the revolution for the general population as well, inspiring several copycat or “branch” groups to pop up. As word of Lisowski's public appearance spreads, a crowd quickly gathers around him. It is only by the guard captain’s better judgment that it doesn’t get violently dispersed, and he is allowed to speak.
Lech Lisowski explains how he and a group of fellow students at the University of Krakow first started the group in 1844 (when the liberal movement was already underway) with the best of intentions, out of anger at the Crown and the genuine need to do something. After their flags were discovered at the site of the Railway Rebellion, people on both sides latched onto them as a symbol. He cannot take credit for the revolution, but he feels all too much responsibility for his small part in what it has become. All those other friends have since died in the fighting, he explains, making their own choice to rush to the front lines while he stayed back and watched in terror. Echoing the feelings of the nation, with tears in his eyes, he says he never stopped believing in the revolution, yet it must end, and as he has been made into a symbol against his will, he can only try and act like one. Otherwise he fears that when the dust settles, years or decades in the future, there won’t be a Poland or a Polish people left.
He turns himself in, and by the High King’s unexpectedly wise intervention, his execution is commuted indefinitely, letting him be seen as a hero rather than a martyr. The same treatment is offered to any other rebel “leaders” who choose to give up now. That’s pushing it a little, of course: while a lot of prominent revolutionaries do fall off the map in the days and weeks that follow, most of them simply take their movements underground, pop up fighting in some other rebellion elsewhere or even just go back to their lives. But while it would be naïve to say that everyone simply sees the error in their ways and goes home, it is clear that the Long Revolution of 1841-1849 has reached an armistice if nothing else. That name is doubly appropriate, since it seems that if the revolutionaries are to achieve any of their goals, they will have to play the long game from here. But for now, Poland has stepped away from the brink of destruction – depending on who you believe – and it is time, to borrow an old cliché, to rebuild.
https://i.postimg.cc/L47fSQn2/20200709181600-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/tJLVzJLY/20200709181601-1.jpg
At first glance, it seems unlikely that the Sejm really learned its lesson in any way, having faced mounting resistance with more foolhardiness than courage and come out the other side without passing a single meaningful reform. If anything, at least right now, they feel more justified and vindicated than ever, and eager to return to business as usual.
Before this little distraction, they'd been dealing with the fallout of the loss of Amatica, and what they can do to stop that from happening elsewhere (or prepare for a future reconquest). Poland is only now looking into the “steamer” ships that are becoming more commonplace on the oceans of the world. Though largely untried in military use, being less dependent on the weather – even if it means burning coal instead – and more than twice as fast on long distances makes them a huge leap forward from traditional sailing ships, which haven’t really gotten much faster even as global empires continue to grow. Besides the peacetime benefits to trade and communication, they’d also let Poland respond to trouble in the colonies much more quickly. Private shipping companies have already been buying a few from abroad, but it’s about time that Poland jumpstarted its own production and began modernizing its merchant and military fleets. England and Scotland’s shipbuilding industries have gone all but bankrupt within the last few years, leaving Japan with a near-monopoly in a market that Poland is now looking to dip its toes into.
https://i.postimg.cc/xCpmct5G/20200709180139-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/BvPR8SrY/20200708162357-1.jpg
Poland also has a renewed interest in Africa, where it has generally kept only a minimum garrison. Out of the two armies that used to be stationed in Amatica, one will stay in Europe, but the other – together with the Atlantic Fleet – is rebased to Bissau, Senegal. Originally settled by Normandy in the 1600s, Senegal is one of the oldest and largest colonies in Africa, yet Poland has basically treated it as a glorified naval base and slave market (though due to a treaty signed with the locals, the slaves don’t come from the colony itself). With Asturias and England competing for the south, Sweden showing new interest in the Congo, and the Asian route around the continent becoming ever more important, Poland is not the only one starting to wonder how it could best exploit Africa. This also sparks new migration and investment in Senegal, including both military installations and the first (albeit modest) railway network south of the Sahara.
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Meanwhile up north, the King of Sweden is forced to make a humiliating compromise with his rebellious subjects, turning Sweden into a constitutional monarchy where the once notoriously autocratic ruler struggles to hold onto what little influence he can. Much as happened with Italy, though, all his colonial subjects recognize the new government – but not without exploiting the power vacuum to grab a bit more autonomy for themselves. Yet at the same time, the liberal party, propelled to the top of the expanded Riksdag, starts preparing an array of reforms to alleviate the mistreatment of natives in the colonies. This is sure to cause no small amount of friction with the governors.
https://i.postimg.cc/NMF9qRtK/20200709204535-1.jpg
And at long last, after feelings have had some time to cool down and Zajkowski been mostly set aside by the Coalition once he'd served his purpose, the Sejm and Crown Council finally pass one of the Long Revolution’s three main demands; never mind that it’s arguably the least important one that least affects their own power. In January 1850, the Crown Censorship Bureau is officially shut down, abolishing systematic censorship of printing presses in Poland. Of course, it was never all that successful to begin with, but damn if it didn’t try, and harass or shut down a lot of publishers in the process. The bumbling bureau even played a key role in escalating the original Brest-Litovsk scandal, making it a symbolical target and convenient scapegoat for the government. Of course, the freedom of speech is still restricted by many laws, such as the bans on blasphemy, incitement to treason and lèse-majestè – as well as any kind of political organization – but assuming that the state doesn’t go entirely wild with its application of those, no longer is simply publishing something it doesn’t like considered a crime. Of course, it’ll take a while before the government gets over its old instincts, the situation will vary from time to time, and countless cases will be contested in court from here to eternity… but it’s still something.
https://i.postimg.cc/KzWKZ4cJ/20200709205503-1.jpg
The 1840s started off with the so-called Mad Year, but then more and more of those just kept coming, and in retrospect, the whole decade will be remembered as the Hungry ‘40s: hungry for change, hungry for liberty, in many places hungry for food. One can only pray that the ‘50s will be more pleasant.
[Still no newspapers. Pretty sure it’s a bug, no idea what’s causing it, and no idea where to even look to solve it.]
The Latin invasion of Burgundy was aborted for reasons unknown, but to make up for it, the Federation annexed Lombardy instead and is currently marching into defenseless Brittany. Meanwhile, Germany is sneakily gobbling up what’s left of the Rhineland. Poland’s rivals have taken advantage of its awkward situation, and the Latins in particular enter the new decade perhaps more powerful than they’ve ever been. Scotland and England's jockeying for power, on the other hand, seems to have ended up with both of them weakened and humiliated by their own populace.
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Half this chapter is basically an attempt to try and explain both the massive escalation and the sudden end of the revolution. I was actually wondering if that last rebellion would pop and probably steamroll me, but RNG spared me on this day. Of course, I as the narrator would have the power to simply smooth over things in retrospect and act like it never got that bad to begin with, but that feels both boring and somehow… disingenuous? Not to mention writing myself into a corner every now and then between chapters.
I think I’ve mentioned before that rebellions in Paradox games are one of those things that both the game and the players tend to treat as much less impactful than they “should” be, if you consider how IRL uprisings and civil wars often become cultural touchstones for centuries to come. Worth noting, though, that out of the actual 1848 revolutions (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolutions_of_1848) only a few actually had any lasting effect, even if they still went down in history.
Anyhow. The way that Vic 2 stops you from passing reforms until enough of the finicky upper house agrees to them can be a pain in a regular game, but for an AAR it seems to be an excellent way to get some tension without going out of your way to shoot yourself in the foot and delay the reform just because. But it also gets a little silly when they’re just too damn obstinate to pass a single tiny law even when faced with impending doom. :smalltongue:
SilverLeaf167
2020-07-13, 05:00 AM
Chapter #58: World’s Unfair (1850-1852)
15th of January, 1850
A little less than a year after the unofficial end of the so-called Long Revolution, relations between the opposing factions have sufficiently thawed for the Sejm to pass its first major liberal reform and abolish the Crown Censorship Bureau, even over the protests of Premier Zajkowski. As previously shuttered printing presses reopen and new ones spring up like mushrooms, public discourse in Poland will soon become more vivid, diverse and colorful than ever, fighting a proxy war on the pages of newspapers even as political organizations remain outlawed. Of course, the liberal newspapers are balanced by a growing number of conservative, reactionary, loyalist, royalist, urban, rural, local, religious, and all kinds of other publications. That discourse will no doubt lead to continued demands for political action – but the people in power hope that opening this more peaceful outlet will at least placate them for the immediate future.
One long-standing international snarl is also resolved peacefully, when Sweden’s newly liberal government and the Alfmark governorship confirm the sale of the entire Tarnowski Bay (Hudson Bay) region to the Free Nations. Though land trades between nations are far from unprecedented, rather routine in fact, they usually concern much smaller border adjustments, not entire regions the size of Poland. Indeed, the only reason that this largest land trade in history is possible at all is because despite its size, the frozen wilderness has an absolutely negligible population. The Tarnowski Bay colony has been an unprofitable prestige project and source of needless tension since its inception, most obviously during the Amatican Revolutionary War when it was immediately occupied and a bunch of blood spilled for nothing (which, by the way, might well have happened again had the deal been refused). Sweden is all too happy to part with it in exchange for a hefty sum of money, free passage and fishing rights, and overall warmer relations with the Free Nations. Alfmark is freed from the burden of maintaining it, finally able to focus on its capital region. And while the inhabitants – coastal villagers, scattered woodsmen, and roving native bands – did not in fact receive a say in the matter, they’re mostly content with the Radziwill government’s promises of full civil rights and representation (and too few in number to cause much trouble if they tried). For their money, the Free Nations are left with uncontested control of the sea and basically all of northeast Amatica – a good trade for all.
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From Poland’s point of view, this marks a serious recognition of the Free Nations as an independent country, and a major player at that. While few in the government maintain any real hopes of invading and restoring order to the Amatican provinces, the fact that it should be Sweden doing this seems to strike a nerve. While Poland narrowly averted a republican revolution, Sweden fell victim to the same, and the presence of a pagan constitutional monarchy just across the Baltic – or the land border from Scania – doesn’t sit well with a lot of people, digging up old grudges (such as Sweden’s support for the Bundesrepublik) and demand for some assertion of authority.
However, enthusiasm for needless military action – especially when Sweden remains allied to Chernigov, making any such war a two-front one – is quite low in the wake of Poland’s internal conflicts. Instead, a rather novel idea is suggested: as a demonstration of Polish prestige for domestic and international audiences alike, the country could host the very first World’s Fair, inviting all the great powers – and a slew of lesser ones, because why not – to put their artistic and technological splendor up for display. If successful, it could be a potent symbol of Polish influence and global goodwill, as well as a place to tie new treaties and trade deals.
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Many dismiss the whole project as a frivolous pipe dream and a waste of time and money, especially when it comes to convincing rival and enemy nations to attend such a thing. However, it garners enough interest for a World’s Fair Committee to be tasked with seeing whether it could be done. Much to their surprise, the international reception is actually quite enthusiastic: even traditionally hostile countries like Germany and the Latin Federation, busy warring with their smaller neighbors no less, relish the opportunity for much the same reasons that the Poles do. After the upheaval of the Hungry ‘40s, the global hierarchy is in flux, and participation in such an event is seen as a mark of recognition (and a distraction) for relatively little investment. Once it is agreed that Poland will host the event, lesser nations actually start jockeying for the chance to send delegations as well. Construction of the appropriate venue, an international event in itself as every nation wants to build its own pavilion, begins immediately. The choice of location causes some debate in the Sejm, though, and in the end, Warsaw is chosen over Krakow in the name of national security and preserving the architectural sanctity of the ancient capital. Warsaw’s main competitors for the honor, Prague and Wroclaw, are both ultimately dismissed due to Bohemia and Silesia’s role in the Long Revolution and lingering concerns about any rebel presence there (though this aspect of the debate is kept under wraps).
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Polish ships are heavily involved in moving all those participants and wares, providing a welcome boost for the related industries. Many of the enterprises formed in this period will go on to become mainstays in the field, not least HAPAG (Hamburg-Amatican Package Transport Inc.), founded by a Polish-German merchant family as one of the first devoted shipping lines to the independent Free Nations, thus a truly international company in many ways. Operating out of Hamburg at first but soon expanding to a number of Atlantic ports, it moves not just cargo and mail but also an unprecedented number of people as new steamer ships make the trip across the Atlantic a lot more palatable for emigrants, businessmen and diplomats alike. It is, of course, only a prime example of a wider trend: in the coming decades, similar companies will contribute to an exponential rise in emigration.
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The Marynarka experiments with putting guns and thicker armor on commercial steamers. While it’ll take much more time for metal ships to outshine wooden ones in the Polish consciousness, the more forward-thinking parts of the navy are already proclaiming that frigates and galleons are a thing of the past and that while demolishing all of them is obviously unwise, no more should be built from now on, focusing entirely on steamers.
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Meanwhile, having inadvertently put itself under a lot of pressure to appeal to the international audience, the Polish government finally passes a law with great symbolical but little practical effect (except for the people involved, anyway) that has been languishing at the bottom of the pile for a long time: the abolition of slavery. Most of Poland’s slaves and slave owners were in Amatica anyway, and as Sweden and England recently passed similar laws, leaving Asturias and Scotland as the only major slavers, what little demand there still was for them has also collapsed. Of course, enslavement through war has been illegal since the 1500s, but that just meant using African slave traders as intermediaries and not caring where they got their merchandise. This new legislation also leaves some major loopholes – not saying much about the other forms of forced labor used in the colonies – but still lets Poland boast of its credentials as a “civilized” nation.
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Speaking of which, while Sweden managed to placate its colonies by leaving in even bigger loopholes and thus not actually changing much at all, in the case of England – already weakened by rebellion and war – demands for abolition have led to a major rift with the United Lordships, where as much as 38% of the population consists of Afro-Amatican slaves. Playing on both political and purely racist concerns, abolition was seen as not only an economic disaster but a threat to the very social fabric of the nation (which it certainly is, given that the nation is built on slavery) and a slippery slope towards the subjugation of the whites by a growing black population. As such, the colonial assembly (even the “liberal” majority) near-unanimously declared independence from England rather than give up their slaves, making the United Lordships the second former colony to accomplish such a feat.
What started out as a bureaucratic grouping of smaller colonies has thus become another federal nation, albeit with only 3 ½ states in contrast to the Free Nations’ 23 states and 7 territories. The eponymous Lordships – Elysia, Arcadia and Sudenia – form a confusing, staggeringly anachronistic, almost neo-feudal system with each of them ruled by a hereditary Lord, but also a National Diet elected by everyone above a certain wealth level and a House of Peers consisting of the country’s richest and most powerful. Fiorita, far to the south, is a federal demesne, as is the newly established Camelot City (Washington D.C.), which serves as the capital and neutral meeting ground. All in all, this bizarre political experiment and positively Arthurian aesthetic seem designed to preserve a supremacy of traditional values and, chief among them, the continuation of slavery. Their stated ideals are in many ways the polar opposite of the much, much larger Free Nations looming ominously over them.
https://i.postimg.cc/c1vsrQsx/United-Lordships.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/2yyNvfp9/20200711171114-1.jpg
Some months pass. England, with no hope of reclaiming the Lordships, invades Wales instead, anxious to reannex the country before it can build a proper army or secure too much international recognition (preferably before the World's Fair). Scotland, apparently inspired by this, wants to do the same with Ireland, not least because it actually has the capacity to become a real rival in the future if not taken out in its infancy.
https://i.postimg.cc/MKc8pxmv/20200711180032-1.jpg
Problem is, Ireland has already secured a powerful sponsor: the Latin Federation, whose conservative government is running on a platform of Christian unity. As they’re wont do, the Scots only inform the Poles of the declaration of war after it’s already been sent, putting them in quite a bind. On one hand, Poland obviously supports Scotland’s claim to the island, and wouldn’t mind seeing it reclaimed. On the other hand, over time it has become less and less useful as an ally and more of a liability, and there’s serious talk of simply abandoning the on-and-off alliance for good. On the other other hand, Scottish defeat in this war could well lead to a total collapse of pagan power in the British Isles, which have once again become a highly symbolical battleground for bitter religious warfare. But most importantly, Poland joining in the fight would mean pitting the two most powerful great powers against each other for the first time since the Treaty of Rome in 1738. History has deemed that originally controversial peace treaty vastly beneficial for both sides – are they really going to abandon it over something like this?
In July 1850, as has been done with similar decisions in the past, Nadbor III brings the question to the Sejm, where opinions over the complex matter are split even within factions. The Populists are almost uniformly opposed, being relatively uninterested in military adventures, afraid of the damage to diplomacy and trade all across Europe, quietly sympathetic to the Irish, and perhaps just a little bit spiteful. The Coalition, in true moderate tradition, is split almost perfectly in half. And even the Royalists, surprisingly enough, can’t entirely decide between aggressive jingoism and isolationist “slavocentrism”.
Premier Zajkowski, relegated to the back bench as the Sejm focused on more civil and peaceful matters for a while, sees his moment to shine. Besides being famously zealous, merciless and undiplomatic, he has a personal fondness for the Scots, having fought there alongside them during the Third Revolutionary War. He angrily admonishes those nitpicking the difference between Slavic and Nordic pagans, reminding them that the Scots are brave, loyal (?) friends of Poland who he knows from experience would surely come to their aid if the roles were reversed (thankfully he doesn’t launch into another of his rambling war stories). What message would it send to the world if Poland were to sit on its hands and abandon its allies in the face of the Christian menace? Clichés and platitudes aside, his passionate appeal helps shift the discussion from the practical details to matters of principle, making him feel like a true Premier and not just an old warhorse for perhaps the first time.
Rounded out by a few promises and political appointments behind the scenes, Zajkowski manages to secure a narrow majority in favor of war. Much like England’s invasion of Scotland brought about a historic clash between the great powers, Scotland’s invasion of Ireland is about to cause a possibly even bigger one. And as this one also involves Poland facing against a revolutionary republic, people can only wonder if it’ll end up earning the title of Fourth Revolutionary War.
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As is often the case, on paper the Polish alliance seems to have an advantage in numbers, but in reality the location of those troops is equally important. Poland and the Latin Federation are both global empires, and while the Latins’ situation is unclear, what is known is that a fifth of Poland’s land forces are stationed overseas, and even the ones in Europe are scattered across the country, many of them slated to take as long as five months just to reach the front (and leave the rest of the country undefended). The growing railway network makes this somewhat more bearable than it used to be, but technical problems and limited capacity mean that the issue remains. However, the good news (for defense) is that Germany is unlikely to allow passage for either side, as is Lotharingia, reducing the land border between the two to just Calais and nothing else. That leaves a naval invasion, most likely into Yugoslavia, as the other thing to worry about. Of course, on the offense, these difficulties apply for Poland in equal measure.
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In terms of realistic options, the most preferable would be a rapid occupation of Ireland (which doesn’t have much of an army of its own) and something of a fait accompli victory, and to that end, a fleet of steamer transports sets off from Denmark while the Grand Marynarka takes control of the English Channel. However, the Latins seem unlikely to accept defeat that easily, so some invasion of their homeland might still turn out to be necessary.
At least the Italian colonies in West Africa and the Maniolas prove very lightly defended, making it easy for the Polish garrisons there to occupy them in just a few months, but this raises the concern that all those missing troops might be in Europe instead.
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As maneuvering ramps up, both the Crown Army and the Marynarka give off the impression of being in very good shape after years of high recruitment, funding and overall attention.
https://i.postimg.cc/W1gL0nKV/20200711200029-1.jpg
But speaking of attention, in all this blustering for war, something else is quite totally forgotten: the World’s Fair. No one in the government has any time, effort or funding to spare for that parade of idealistic posturing, and those who even remember it exists mostly seem to laugh at it. The sudden outbreak of war actually causes a bit of a scuffle in Warsaw, as Polish forces try to arrest the Latin delegation and confiscate their goods; after a few days of tense negotiations, they’re allowed to leave with most of their things intact, but the incident causes many neutral parties to pull out of the event as well, be it due to outrage or just seeing the writing on the wall. Due to the sudden disappearance of both domestic and international support, the whole thing is doomed, much to the chagrin of its prime architects who’d gotten quite emotionally invested in it. In the end, the only countries that don’t pull out are Poland, Scotland and a somewhat confused Karnata. Needless to say, the so-called World’s Fair ends up being a farcical showcase of Polish-Scottish propaganda and not much else, which no one involved will soon forget – no matter how they wish they could. Some of the displays already built are left behind as an embarrassing reminder, to be later repurposed as galleries, gazebos or even just storage.
https://i.postimg.cc/7hfjhM7p/20200711202509-1.jpg
Internationally, the World’s Fair is even overshadowed by the German military junta’s declaration of war upon the “rebel province” of Switzerland. This also pulls in Lotharingia to Switzerland’s defense, meaning that there’s now a separate smaller war going on in Central Europe, surrounded on all sides by the Polish-Latin one.
https://i.postimg.cc/gJMfGBwV/20200711202002-1.jpg
Well, not that there’s much fighting going on. Polish and Scottish forces are marching across Ireland, but in Calais and the Adriatic the first seven months of the war are mostly a tense standoff (and a few naval skirmishes with minor losses), both sides waiting for the other to abandon their fortified positions and make the first move. At least this gives the troops ample time to move to the front. However, if no one does anything, the war might drag on for gods know who long, terrifying the more economically-minded parts of the government.
That breakthrough is finally made in February 1851 when amassed artillery blows a hole in the Latin defensive line, allowing Polish and Frisian forces to flood into northern France. However, that’s when the Latin army springs into action as well, starting to bring in its reserves – including tens of thousands of citizen soldiers – in an attempt to overwhelm the Polish forces and cut off their supply lines. Apparently threatened with invasion (and not a friend of Poland anyway), Lotharingia also chooses this time to break its neutral policy, allowing Latin troops military access and thus widening the front dozenfold. Poland angrily demands and receives the same, but this is by no means a welcome development right now.
https://i.postimg.cc/dV8ph0kt/20200711204257-1.jpg
At first, the situation remains broadly under control: Latin leadership on both the tactical and strategic levels leaves a lot to be desired, leading Polish analysts to suggest that the post-revolution purge in the Federation also ended up targeting a lot of the officer corps. Paris falls in May – a traditional milestone in any western war, if rarely a decisive one – and as usual, the new focus is on keeping it. However, it seems that even if the Poles can reliably win any battle they get to pick, there’s just so many Latin conscripts running around that whenever they're winning in one place, they’re almost inevitably getting caught out in another.
https://i.postimg.cc/76QQFGcX/20200712235902-1.jpg
On another front, as the same old King of Novgorod has gotten even more full of himself and ended up breaking his alliance with Poland, he is left open to Chernihiv payback as the other kingdom declares its intent to reclaim the territory it lost only nine years ago. Moldavia stands by Novgorod, as per usual, but Chernigov has both Sweden and the similarly revanchist Madjid Caliphate on its side (as well as the Shan Empire, because why not), making this a gigantic land war stretching from the Arctic Sea to the Indian Ocean. Whatever happens, it seems that Novgorod’s brief time in the spotlight, achieved by ruthless aggression against its neighbors, is about to come to a brutal end. So much for the peaceful ‘50s indeed.
https://i.postimg.cc/wTRSd29N/20200713000338-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/3rcP6VQ7/20200713000345-1.jpg
Ultimately, the Latin counteroffensive is sufficiently strong and constant that by August, the Crown Army decides it has no choice but to retreat back to its now much longer defensive line, i.e. square one. By October, basically all the progress in France has been undone. While a sound strategic decision, at home, this is seen a great humiliation for both the Crown Army and the armchair generals in the Sejm, not least Premier Zajkowski himself.
Out of sheer frustration, and as they actually have an election awaiting them in just a few months, the Poles (and their puppets alongside them) have no choice but to launch a fierce counterattack, no matter the cost in lives. The good news is, whatever the situation on the continent, they have Ireland sufficiently locked down that it has no choice but to accept reintegration at gunpoint (several of its defiant leaders already executed for their crimes in the revolution). Few really believe that the matter has been settled with this, obviously, but it has been pushed back underground by force of arms.
(No screenshot, apparently, but Ireland was fully annexed.)
The problem then remains whether the Latins will simply accept this, or keep fighting to liberate their Irish brothers in the faith. As it turns out, they and their voters have made a quick turnabout and decided that Irish independence (they’re not even Catholic!) isn’t worth making France into a battlefield for another several years, especially as there’s little hope of getting an army past the Marynarka and Poland’s failed offensives give a taste of what any attack into Frisia would probably look like as well. That leaves the ball in Poland’s court: peace out, or push for some of the Latin colonies it has occupied?
The goal of the war has already been accomplished, and the Coalition is anxious to get it over with. Their massive trouncing in the last election has led them to assume that stretched out hostilities aren’t necessarily good for them when it comes to getting votes. And so, on 20 November 1851, Poland and the Latin Federation agree to cease hostilities and recognize Scottish de facto rule in Ireland. Outcome: a return to the status quo of 1847. Casualties: a lot of good men and women, and the stillborn World’s Fair.
https://i.postimg.cc/QdLvN7My/20200713003907-1.jpg
In the end, to everyone’s great relief, the 17-month war didn’t really deserve the Fourth Revolutionary title, being remembered as the (end of the) Irish Revolutionary War instead. What it did was highlight some new military realities that the Poles will have to digest: that geography, tactical developments and the strength of the Latin army make land wars an increasingly imprudent way to conduct diplomacy, even before getting into the economic and highly contentious political side of it. On the other hand, the end of the war is seen by some as a sign that the great powers, even across the religious and ideological divide, can come to the negotiating table and coldly decide the fates of lesser nations when they decide that is more convenient for them.
There is considerable anxiety over what the first election since the end of the Long Revolution will look like. But as the debates and campaigns start picking up speed in early 1852, preparing for the late June election day, they seem to go rather smoothly, with only a few hiccups such as the Populists having to be given a firm reminder that any campaigning aimed at people not actually allowed to vote will be seen as rabble-rousing if not treason.
https://i.postimg.cc/B6vV7chX/20200713005051-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/d3kSwQcF/20200713005052-1.jpg
However, even if not violent, it’s clear from the start that the election will be an extremely close one, and in stark contrast to 1845 (when sheer complacency played a major role in the Coalition losing its dominance for the first time) every party acts like the election is theirs to win or lose. But precisely because the election only involves the upper classes, they’re able to avoid the most sensitive subjects of the last decade and focus on more topical ones instead, such as foreign and military policy. These questions also have a clear split among factional lines, but are not quite so obviously liberal vs. reactionary as to be directly associated with Poland’s internal conflicts. On matters that are, such as civil rights and religion, almost all debaters are careful not to rock the boat. The general public and the uncensored press are watching more closely than ever, reporting and commenting on their every move.
As the results start coming in, both the Coalition and the Populists soon start to claim victory by their own definitions. The Royalists are indisputably the losers here, having won only a few individual districts and given many vindicated conservatives a chance to snark that they can only get votes by appealing to people’s base instincts in a time of crisis. However, the popular vote (of the 2% allowed to participate) is where it gets dicey: it shows that the Popular Party "should" have won by a large margin were the Sejm based on proportional representation like any modern parliament, yet thanks to the way the voting districts happen to be laid out, the Coalition instead regains a full (if narrow) majority in the Sejm. In particular, the Populists note, they won a blow-out victory in almost all the largest cities and only lost by the narrowest of margins in others. It’s the first time that the electoral system has produced such a blatantly unfair outcome – warping not just the number of seats but even the overall winner – which brings it under fire from the Populists but also the Royalists, who feel they should've had ten times as many seats as they actually got. The fact that these things are being discussed in such stark terms is the final proof that party organization and identity have found their home in Polish politics, too – how else would all three parties be pulling up exact percentages of how much “their candidates” won?
https://i.postimg.cc/HLWmHMZC/20200713011105-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/Cxs0W74N/20200713012512-1.jpg
The Coalition can hardly deny that its victory looks undeserved if that’s the way you choose to look at it, but counters that the system is only doing what it's meant to do and ensuring fair representation for all parts of the kingdom, rather than letting the disproportionately liberal cities dominate over the countryside. Of course, this just confirms to all in and outside the party that the system is in the Coalition’s favor and they have absolutely no motivation to change it.
But with a majority comes great responsibility: since 1846, the Coalition has been forced to work with either the Populists or the Royalists to get anything done, thus also allowing it deflect blame onto them for any missteps or compromises (such as Amatica or the suspiciously liberal-tainted reforms passed in the last couple years). For this upcoming term, as long as it can keep its own members together, the Coalition can do or not do anything entirely at its own leisure, but that also means answering for it – both to the voters and the increasingly critical rest of the population. It’s already been shown that unwillingness to pass any liberal reforms whatsoever can lead to disaster – but can the Coalition compromise with itself?
https://i.postimg.cc/8kxTWj5h/election-1852.png
Newspaper Gallery (https://imgur.com/a/MKOTzzw)
[Only one, but at least it turns out they are working!]
Unsurprisingly, England succeeded in reconquering Wales. Germany’s war was quite a bit longer and harder-fought, but successful nonetheless. As the unrest in Germany seems to be over at last, with the aggressively nationalist military government consolidating its power, Lotharingia has made a rather desperate alliance with both Burgundy and Bavaria and might also have to be more receptive to Polish diplomacy in the future.
https://i.postimg.cc/TwFvr4RR/20200713021305-1.jpg
Novgorod seems to have made some admirable progress into both Sweden and Chernigov at first, only to lose the initiative and be put firmly on the defensive (and not a very good one) since then. It’s hard to imagine the war here lasting very long.
https://i.postimg.cc/FR7Qk4XW/20200713021903-1.jpg
Moldavia, on the other hand, is showing once more that it deserves its seat among the great powers, turning around Chernihiv-Arabian hopes of flanking it by successfully invading both of them at the same time. It has few options when it comes to directly saving Novgorod, though.
https://i.postimg.cc/5tPVttTQ/20200713022443-1.jpg
Unsurprisingly, China has fallen into an extremely messy struggle for dominance, with especially the Pratihara breakaway kingdoms invading and being invaded by each other in turn. Although, some observers say that it might end up being the stable and modern-ish Republic of Manchuria that reaps the greatest rewards from this chaos.
https://i.postimg.cc/fydn5fLY/20200713022646-1.jpg
I only now realized that I accidentally changed the name of the Royal Faction to Royalist Party at some point. It wasn’t intentional, but pretty appropriate, I suppose.
I expected this to be a bit of a breather chapter, shedding some interesting light on the world of international politics. Which I guess it did, just not the way I thought. :smalltongue:
The 1800s were in many ways an era of great power conferences and treaties, which Vic 2 also plays with, but in this timeline they’ve obviously been a lot more violent and tumultuous so far, so I felt the need to lay some narrative groundwork for more amicable diplomacy in the future. But that doesn’t preclude the option of that diplomacy failing horribly, of course.
I keep bringing up the concept of “citizen soldiers” a lot, not really an established or mainstream term IRL but I think convenient in the context of this AAR. Any country can mobilize its population, and democracies aren’t even better at it or anything, but besides me finding it a hassle gameplay-wise, it is also true that it comes with notable downsides, downsides which combined with the unrest caused by a long and severe war can be a lot more significant for a more autocratic country with an unhappy population. Besides, drafting your citizens in a hurry and sending them off to the front wasn’t really the norm in this period like it became in the World Wars, so it makes sense to me to dress it as a republican peculiarity, especially as it was notably pioneered during the French Revolution – and to make them a bit more threatening in-universe.
Side note: In the preparation for this game, I added an event where the overlord country banning slavery triggers a choice in all of their colonial puppets, letting them either follow suit, or keep their slaves and declare independence (giving the overlord a casus belli). The event is coded so that if the country doesn’t have any slaves, like the Swedish colonies due to a technicality, they’ll always accept; meanwhile, the higher the support for slavery, the larger the chance of rebellion, as happened in the United Lordships. Whether a breakaway colony becomes a democracy or a constitutional monarchy is also random, heavily weighed towards democracy but also affected by reactionary ideology in the government and population.
The phrase of the week is fait accompli.
InvisibleBison
2020-07-13, 04:53 PM
A reasonable showing by the Polish army, though they're unlikely to be dictating peace at the gates of Rome again any time soon.
And based on those election results, it looks like there's a good amount of gerrymandering going on as well.
SilverLeaf167
2020-07-13, 05:13 PM
I don't really picture it as a matter of gerrymandering (yet, anyway), as the electoral districts are for now based on traditional town and county limits and whatnot (though those can obviously be pretty funky in their own unintentional ways). It's just that in a first-past-the-post system, a blowout victory in any given district brings you no benefit over a narrow one while a narrow defeat is as good as nothing, disadvantaging the liberals whose voters tend to be more concentrated than the conservatives'.
IthilanorStPete
2020-07-13, 05:34 PM
InvisibleBison: As SilverLeaf said, it's more likely to be things like rotten boroughs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotten_and_pocket_boroughs), though gerrymandering's definitely possible.
This is definitely a bit more violent than either the historical period or your average Vic2 game (at least in my experience). I think I remember you mentioning that cores are a bit more widespread than they are in vanilla Vic2, which would account for the increased wars; the lack of good CBs is the main thing keeping intra-European wars in vanilla under control.
SilverLeaf167
2020-07-14, 05:43 AM
This is definitely a bit more violent than either the historical period or your average Vic2 game (at least in my experience). I think I remember you mentioning that cores are a bit more widespread than they are in vanilla Vic2, which would account for the increased wars; the lack of good CBs is the main thing keeping intra-European wars in vanilla under control.
Yeah, that's true. Come to think of it, I think almost every major war in Europe so far has been over cores, be it longstanding border conflicts (York, Franche-Comté, Smolensk) or reclaiming rebel provinces (most of the German and Latin wars, Ireland). The wars in China, meanwhile, are both pretty appropriate (good old Chinese civil wars) and based on either the Reunify China CB or Japan just nabbing some colonies. I wonder if China's actually going to be reunified at any point. While that would be cool, having it become two or three "big but not ridiculous" countries would be nice too.
SilverLeaf167
2020-07-16, 11:00 AM
Chapter #59: The Right to Party (1852-1856)
1st of July, 1852
The Noble Coalition is learning that though being a protector of the status quo can be rather easy, in that it mostly requires you to just not do anything, it places you in an awkward situation when some reforms might be necessary after all. Furthermore, as the name might imply, the Noble Coalition is barely a party of its own so much as a middle road for everyone who isn’t a Royalist or a Populist. While many of its members proudly and hilariously label themselves “unideological”, claiming to just do their duty rather than push any agenda whatsoever, on the edges there is always the risk of some of them jumping ship to the other parties should the leadership somehow offend either end of the spectrum. Inaction is arguably the only thing most of them have in common, making the party’s 51% majority in the Sejm extremely perilous.
Indeed, some politicians (a term many of them still aren’t even used to) have adapted to the greatly altered political culture much better than others. Some harken back to the days when the Sejm was just a (highly influential, but still) nobles’ club mostly left to its own devices, back before the general population decided to equate it with the more inclusive parliaments abroad or demand that it become one. At this point, some in the Sejm could even be willing to accept less power in exchange for less undue meddling, but unfortunately that’s not on the table. Public attention, party squabbling, serious election campaigns and all the other headaches of modern politics have come to stay.
https://i.postimg.cc/3x2BhtNk/20200715212455-1.jpg
Of course, despite having several old documents sometimes referred to as a constitution, it has to be noted that Poland still isn’t any kind of “constitutional monarchy”. Far from it: while a certain preference for “rule of law” over arbitrary abuse has been firmly entrenched for centuries now, the Sejm, Crown Council and the High King himself all have the right to pass legislation or veto anything coming from the lower levels. In practice, the monarch delegates much if not most of his power, but in theory everyone else only serves at his mercy. Anyone wanting to make big changes in the country should really be looking to the Crown Council, but its bureaucratic nature makes it a lot more nebulous and difficult to either read or influence, leaving the Sejm as the more popular battleground.
https://i.postimg.cc/hvhsqgQn/20200715211131-1.jpg
The end of press censorship was a significant change, but the newly freed papers aren’t going to waste a lot of ink praising the government for something they feel is their natural right; meanwhile, the abolition of slavery, ironically despite being perhaps the ultimate “liberal” issue, had never been very high on the average Pole’s priority list and only really mattered to a small, mostly academic core. Thus the previous government showed its willingness to pass some reforms in the wake of the Long Revolution, enough to keep people from taking up arms again, but there is growing pressure to do much, much more. The most central issue, in fact, isn’t even voting rights, but the right to gather and organize, seen as the key to any political movement’s success and an indispensable step towards more meaningful change in the future.
https://i.postimg.cc/ZRwHg0Rj/20200715211146-1.jpg
For better or worse, Premier Zajkowski gets to stay. Having been personally appointed by the High King makes him both something of an unwanted imposition from above and more awkward to remove, but despite still being profiled as a “one issue leader”, and an issue most of the Sejm doesn’t want to deal with at that (war), he did help Poland survive the Long Revolution, and also won some new respect with his handling of the Irish war. Being happy to sit out the topics he’s not personally interested in makes him a somewhat strange character to serve as Premier, but a relatively safe choice to keep around for a party looking to avoid internal division at any cost.
In September 1852, less than a year after the war between Poland and the Latin Federation was wrapped up, the Latins seem determined to fix one of the problems unveiled in that war: Gorizia (Ger. Görz), Germany’s one and only port and a thin strip of land separating the Federation and Yugoslavia. Of course, the main (and true enough) argument for the war is that Gorizia is mostly Italian-speaking and traditionally seen as part of the Venetian region, but the geopolitical reasons – and the Latins’ will to flex their muscles against the country that’s caused them so much trouble in the last century – are surely not insignificant either. Unable to defeat the Marynarka (for now), the Latins seem to believe that a second land border besides Calais is a necessity in any future war with the Slavs. Obviously the border will allow troop movement both ways, but given that Poland can already utilize naval invasions while they can not, they probably think the pros outweigh the cons. The war is over in just a few months, the German junta unwilling to wager its hard-fought position in an extended war it’s likely to lose. The loss of its only port is a major problem, though, as none of its neighbors are very forthcoming in letting it use theirs even for civilian matters – at least not without a high price.
https://i.postimg.cc/zXb7tz1S/20200715221229-1.jpg
Speaking of the great powers, while all sides still like to bring up religion in matters of war, peace and alliance, its importance has obviously faded greatly from its heyday in the medieval holy wars and crusades. A cynic might say that it’s only really brought up to justify decisions that have already been made for other reasons. In domestic politics, though, it genuinely is of great importance, as the average person regardless of class is still very religious, and thus likely to consider things in a religious light and associate with people who share not just their faith but also their level of devotion.
In Poland’s case, religious policies have been admirably “pluralist” arguably ever since the 1400s, the Slavic Church keeping its special status as the official religion but the minorities – oddani – getting comparatively good protection as well. As such, religious rights haven’t been as central to the liberal movement as they have been elsewhere. However, they haven’t been entirely absent either, and on the revolutionary fringe (in action or just in thought), actual atheism – not just the abolition of state religion, but religion altogether – has had a growing role since the German Revolution. This predictably causes great moral outrage and concern in other groups.
https://i.postimg.cc/2yJwkJnZ/20200715212629-1.jpg
Polish politics remain relatively uneventful, though – which may or may not be a good thing. The economy has been in a bit of a slump ever since the Irish war interrupted it in the middle of a big boom, and the whole matter of political reforms or lack thereof aside, the most exciting thing happening in the country seems to be bureaucratic intrigue. With the Sejm’s political options heavily restricted for fear of losing its fragile majority, that leaves more shadowy, less eye-catching decisions and appointments as the only place to maneuver for influence. Despite Poland, again, having put an admirable amount of work into a more meritocratic system in its military and bureaucracy – mostly because it’s simply more effective – once in power, people still have a lot of space to appoint their friends, allies and relatives to all kinds of posts big and small in a manner often reminiscent of bald-faced corruption.
https://i.postimg.cc/7PQXnCjZ/20200715221950-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/25mxSnL2/20200715222055-1.jpg
Still, even Poland’s nobility includes a considerable number of people (or descendants of people) who worked their way up in one way or another and then managed to stay there; and obviously the capitalists as a class only really emerged after the industrial revolution. But even if there’s more social mobility than there could be, that still leaves wealth and power as the realm of the tiny minority – a tiny minority which, through an ever-expanding web of bureaucracy and government institutions, exerts an ever-increasing amount of influence on people’s daily lives that even the most autocratic rulers of the past could only dream of. This, together with the growing popularity of newspapers, obviously makes people more and more invested in what the government is doing to or about them.
https://i.postimg.cc/3JsBzs8M/20200715222325-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/wvjchHVN/20200715225335-1.jpg
Some believe the government should do nothing at all: the already fractious liberal movement starts to more explicitly branch out, a small fringe of extremists openly embracing what they call “anarcho-liberalism”. In Poland they call themselves the Devolutionists, believing that all power should be passed down to the lowest possible local authority – such as city and village councils – while the country basically only exists as a voluntary association for military defense, and other overarching institutions like the Slavic Church are also stripped of influence. No one expects the Devolutionists to gather much mainstream support, but just as a matter of principle, they and anyone else calling for the abolition of the monarchy or the state itself are explicitly banned from the Sejm, or in fact any kind of public office.
https://i.postimg.cc/mkcY5wK2/20200715225500-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/tJL3Q6Hd/20200715225642-1.jpg
At least the economy starts to show signs of growth again, thanks in no small part to trade with Amatica. Despite the obviously less than amicable circumstances of their departure, thanks to historical connections, shared language and Poland’s concentrated efforts, it has managed to remain the Free Nations’ largest trading partner by far. It’s certainly a case of both sides thinking they’re fooling the other: the Poles are pouring a lot of money into the burgeoning mining industry in particular, even buying some less interesting products like timber at a loss just to grow their monopoly, while the Radziwill government is confident that it knows exactly what Krakow is trying and can just take the free investment without giving up anything in return. Whether that is true remains to be seen, but Poland sure thinks that the reintegration of the Free Nations into its sphere of influence is proceeding as planned.
https://i.postimg.cc/xdR3JqKY/20200715224220-1.jpg
Europe remains rather busy. In the east, the great pagan war that Poland managed to stay out of still continues. The Madjids have been forced out in a separate peace deal, but Sweden and Chernigov are actually doing better than ever, having even turned the tide in the south and pushed back into Moldavia. As the attackers expand their demands, Novgorod stands to be chopped apart quite badly at the end of this, but for that same reason will keep resisting to the very end.
https://i.postimg.cc/Ss1Ld5Tv/20200715231450-1.jpg
The Latin Federation gives the invasion of Burgundy another go, and as Lotharingia springs to the defense, decides to add some of their disputed border provinces to the pot as well. The full extent of Polish interest in Lotharingia gets some discussion in the Sejm, but it’s a moot point, since even if they wanted to intervene, they have a truce in force until ‘56 that they’d rather respect. Unsurprisingly, the war is another quick one, the Federation adding another couple million to its population with alarming ease. It has now reclaimed all the lands it can easily take: anything will more inevitably pit it against either Poland or Asturias. There is understandable concern over whether the Latins will do just that, or finally settle down and consolidate their gains.
https://i.postimg.cc/qM3cc181/20200715233923-1.jpg
And if the German leaders believed that handing over Gorizia without a fight would help them stay in power, it actually ended up being their undoing, as even the people who used to see military power and “efficiency” as the regime’s only saving graces finally turn against them and the army that has shown itself to be a paper tiger. Some riots and coups later, by April 1854, Germany is at least nominally a republic yet again – but people both in and outside the country have developed a healthy sense of skepticism towards how long that will last. For their part, the Poles had actually been getting used to the Nationale Partei; at least they were predictable.
https://i.postimg.cc/J7gcBfBy/20200715233401-1.jpg
The Coalition is all too happy to stay out of foreign matters, and relieved that no one’s trying to pull it into them. Internal affairs, again, are a bit different. With its evasive, indecisive attitude towards either reforming unpopular laws or strictly enforcing them, those laws inevitably begin to slip. The establishment of de facto parties in the Sejm, eventually formalized in law even while keeping parties outside the Sejm illegal, has created a gaping loophole that lets people organize as long as they claim association with one of them. Once again the Populists are accused of encouraging this behavior, especially as most of these satellite groups are working in their name. Local authorities are powerless to act against them without facing popular outrage and political trouble with the parties themselves.
In July 1855, things come to a head with the so-called Kukulka Incident. First-term Populist deputy Alfons Kukulka is caught red-handed attending an underground theater that was performing the plays of Eustachy Strasz von Calw, one of the ideological architects of the German Revolution. Though officially an artistic group and thus not affected by the law to begin with (even if because of its political nature it should’ve been), the scandal quickly becomes associated with the wider problem. After Kukulka is expelled from the party and the Sejm, the law itself is finally put up for proper debate. None of the parties are entirely innocent of exploiting the situation, but now they’re forced to make a public stand for their supposed principles.
Unsurprisingly, the Populists demand that either the current “loophole” be formalized into law, or the whole mess be solved by finally removing the damn ban. The Royalists (all seven of them) demand stricter enforcement, and even penalties for the Populists. And true to its instincts, the Coalition rules in favor of the status quo. But its solution for how to apply the law just might be the worst of both worlds: party-associated organizations are allowed, but only for people allowed to vote and their families, as obviously no one else has any good reason to be a member.
https://i.postimg.cc/T3vVtn0f/20200715235541-1.jpg
Very literally saying that only the rich and powerful have the right to express themselves or even be involved in politics, everyone else being threatened with police action if they try to do so, it’s a spectacular display of an inability to read the room, blindly clinging onto party unity even at the expense of national stability. Protests and riots once again start popping up everywhere from the major cities to tiny village meeting halls, including groups that are in fact led by nobles or capitalists but suddenly stand to lose all of their non-voter members. The most enthusiastic on both sides are already proclaiming that the Long Revolution is back on. And indeed, for the first time since then, illegal political groups seem to be considering military means.
In practical terms, any such uprising would likely be a pale imitation at best, but that’s still not something to look forward to. As the Sejm is, or at least thinks itself to be, backed into a corner by party politics, the strangest thing occurs: something stirs in the upper echelons of the Crown Council. Usually content to keep things running behind the scenes and leave the bumbling Sejm to distract the public, that starts to change when there’s about to be actual country-wide repercussions. This whole mess over political organizations dates back to the ancient ban on “parallel parliaments”, the very first law passed by the Sejm back in 1504 and then expanded along the way. To the Crown, the law in question has never been too precious to begin with, as it has sometimes even seen such groups as a potential way to rein in the Sejm. Though that has somewhat changed with the Sejm becoming such a vital instrument of state, the fact remains that it’s not something they’re willing to risk more fighting over. And with such a crisis at hand, the Crown Council finally has to stop twiddling its thumbs and act.
Unlike the Coalition, even the more conservative members of the Crown Council don't answer to any voters or party leadership and are thus free to compromise with their liberal colleagues. Within weeks of the Kukulka Incident, they’ve taken their finished legislation to a mostly understanding Nadbor III, who gives it his blessing. Much as was done with the censorship laws, the overarching ban is removed but a wide array of restrictions left in place, such as the right to ban individual groups and movements at the Crown’s – not the Sejm’s – discretion. Fomenting rebellion, taking money from a foreign government and so on are still illegal, but for most intents and purposes, the evil has been defeated.
https://i.postimg.cc/ht896hZx/20200716002215-1.jpg
By so openly going over the Sejm’s heads, the Crown Council has reminded both them and the populace of the pecking order in place – and, as the law was presented by the High King, made it look like the Crown is once again standing up for the people against the oppressive nobility. That message wasn't fully intentional, but the blow to the Sejm’s prestige is the same. Even more so when the High King, for the first time this century, uses his power to dissolve the current Sejm and begin a new election a year and a half ahead of schedule.
After a lackluster term and its actually disastrous end, the Coalition has its work cut out. As the popular vote was already on the Populists’ side in the last election, it’ll only take a small shift in a few swing districts to land them the majority, and the Coalition is right to worry that this badly handled scandal might cause exactly what they feared and incite more liberally inclined voters to turn their coats. Thus they can’t hope to compete with the Populists on things like economic questions, but focus (ironically enough) on ideological ones instead, believing those to be the reason these swing voters had stuck with the Coalition until now.
Indeed, despite the Populists arguably causing the Kukulka Incident that was at the root of this near-rebellion, the scandal itself has taken a backseat to the Coalition’s bungled handling of it. Many loyal nobles also choose to interpret the Crown’s intervention as a motion of no confidence for the Coalition, but as voting for the Royalists is seen as throwing your vote away, most of these protest votes go to the Populists instead. After the customary six months of campaigning, on 24 February 1856, the results are finally in.
This time the district mathematics have swung in the Populists’ favor, netting them 60% of the seats with 46% of the vote; but in contrast to the Coalition, they do win the popular vote rather handily, giving them a much stronger mandate to go with their majority. To its credit, the Coalition actually reclaims a few big cities like Krakow, Bratislava and Berlin, but it’s nowhere near enough to make up for its other losses across the board. As a curiosity, the single most liberal city in the country seems to be Gdansk, where 66.5% of the votes went to the Populists, earning some callbacks to the city’s days as a merchant republic. The final analysis shows that the Populists did get a number of strategic votes from people who wouldn’t really identify as liberals; the Royalists, meanwhile, only have their hard ideological core to rely on, enough to win precisely zero districts as their counter-revolutionary appeal continues to fade.
https://i.postimg.cc/W42Mvjxy/20200716123022-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/26tvhW3p/20200716123046-1.jpg
For the first time, the Sejm has a true two-party system in place, with the Populists able to run the show entirely on their own terms while the Coalition sits in the opposition at last. And as divided as the liberal movement as a whole may be, the party has a much stronger consensus on exactly what it wants to do next.
https://i.postimg.cc/dQzNKk6S/20200716131605-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/xqDzFSKt/sejm-1856.png
[No newspapers]
While the Poles were busy with their election, the war in the east finally came to an anticlimactic end: thanks to a financial crisis in Sweden and a colonial conflict in Chernihiv India, the attackers decided to settle for just the restored border rather than keep going and push for their full ambitions. Still, Novgorod’s days as a great or even secondary power are over for the time being, even being overshadowed by Uralia in that department.
https://i.postimg.cc/85cM74pB/20200716125244-1.jpg
After the Moldavian offensive greatly weakened both the Arabian army and its government, a rebellion that had long been restricted to the Abyssinian mountains in the south was able to sweep across Sudan and even cross into Arabia proper. Eager to both oust the ruling Wahhabists and save the holy city of Mecca from falling into rebel hands, a palace coup managed to kill two birds with one stone. While the official story is that the Caliph was being held hostage by the fanatics – not completely untrue, if a little simplified – and the new government has made no open attempts to undermine him personally, in effect the Arabian Empire has turned into another constitutional monarchy, with the Caliph’s role as a spiritual leader emphasized over any political one.
https://i.postimg.cc/5yFz3tFX/20200716125637-1.jpg
Over in India, the Maratha Confederacy has gained some land from the Pratihara and lost some to Karnata. Karnata on the other hand is involved in two separate wars: having first annexed the Kingdom of Sri Lanka, it has set its sights on the rest of the island still held by Chernigov, while the Latin Federation declared its own war of subjugation against Karnata in return. Transporting and landing a large enough army is going to be easier said than done, though, and for now, Karnata is handily in control of the situation.
https://i.postimg.cc/9fJyXKhQ/20200716125741-1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/qBtDYXs3/20200716130509-1.jpg
In much the same way that the Cesira tried to borrow the legacy of the Roman Empire, the Latin Federation hasn’t entirely given up on reclaiming the Roman Republic. It elects two consuls every four years (one for Rome and one for Paris), calls its parliament the Senatus Populi, and has in general attempted to cut the Gordian knot of official language by simply using Latin. However, this is only one of many places where the Federation’s stated goals contradict each other, the use of Latin making politics substantially less approachable for the common citizen while still favoring Italian-speakers in the end. Needless to say, in practice this has created an explosion of demand for interpreters between Latin and the Federation’s numerous languages, including but not limited to French, Breton, Occitan and a dozen variations of Italian, and bogged down official business far more than necessary (in similarly multilingual Poland this problem has been avoided by Krakowian politics being conducted in Polish).
How much this has contributed to any kind of pan-Latin identity, an existential necessity for a federal state, is hard to measure, but another way they’ve gone against the archetypical revolutionary formula is by complementing it with a powerful state religion, seeing Catholicism as something the vast majority of the population does have in common. The blame for Italy’s past problems with the Pope (like shutting him out of the Vatican) is put squarely on the monarchy, with the Federation making a big show of embracing him with open arms. Yet at the same time, it can’t lean too hard on the Catholic angle either, as Waldensians and Lollards are both significant minorities (in northern France and the Alps respectively) and as much as the Latins might value cultural unity, political unity must surely come first.
That’s the thing: especially as many of the Federation’s member states were “forcefully integrated” only very recently, the most important argument for its existence is to protect them from being conquered literally or in spirit by someone worse, be it Germany or Poland. Whatever the downsides of membership in the Federation, seen by many as a foreign power, it’s hard to deny that the relative security and economic stability sure beat the constant threat of invasion by a more foreign power (not that secession is allowed even if they wanted it). But that means that, ironically much like the feudal kingdoms of old, the Federation might only maintain its shred of legitimacy as long as it proves able to provide both of those things. Such a strongly imperialist democracy seems in many ways contradictory in nature.
Another peculiar trait of Latin politics is naked disdain for the still existing monarchy, which one wouldn't be blamed for forgetting is even there. The federal constitution of 1840 ensured the continuation of the imperial family as an institution, yet provided no actual role for them and a whole slew of things that they can not do. In practice, Emperor Araslan I and his close relatives have spent most of their time in comfortable de facto exile on the island of Mallorca, as far away from politics as possible without literally sending them to the colonies. But in their time there, they’ve proven themselves rather harmless, and the dominant conservatives just haven’t “felt like” taking on the hassle of abolishing the monarchy altogether, seeing some political value in keeping it there even if the diehard monarchists are but a tiny fringe group in the Senatus Populi.
I realized that I can just use Meanwhile, Elsewhere as a dump for world-building rambles that neither fit into the main chapter nor really work as a special of their own. And apparently I really like writing about fictional parliamentary politics. Blame my choice of academic subjects, and reading too much of the news… or Hearts of Iron AARs.
I get that the number of wars can be blamed on the cores, but I’m not entirely sure what’s causing the number of (successful) revolutions, especially as I quickly gave back the AI's militancy reduction. Might be just a side-effect of the same, with the constant large-scale wars driving up militancy as I’ve brought up a few times.
SilverLeaf167
2020-07-19, 09:08 AM
Chapter #60: Smacked by the Invisible Hand (1856-1861)
25th of February, 1856
The Popular Party winning in both the popular vote and the final results is an unwelcome wake-up call for many that liberalism isn’t just a revolutionary movement threatening them from below, but something even the upper classes have actually started to embrace. The fact that the liberals won even while openly advocating for wider voting rights and so on seems to imply that those reforms, at least to some extent, have the support of the nobility itself (be it out of actual altruism, worry about continued instability or simply the assumption that those votes would go to them). Of course, more conservative nobles continue to blame the “merchants” for “infiltrating” the Sejm and twisting it to their will, but while the burgher-background members of the Sejm are indeed significantly more liberal than average, they form only a tiny portion of it and could never swing an election on their own. Not to mention that the division between noble and capitalist is a rather arbitrary one, many nobles also owning capital while capitalists by definition need a noble title (old or newly purchased) to be in the Sejm to begin with.
With their strong majority, the Populists immediately get to work, passing a radically different state budget and a laundry list of resolutions within the first few weeks. In their philosophy, based on a growing library of economic thinkers, state intervention in the economy not only distorts the market and tramples on individual rights but is in fact detrimental for the state itself, seeing as it’s wasting money to mess with a market that could achieve much greater efficiency and wealth for all if only left to its own devices. The Sejm lacks the ability to privatize any actual Crown property, such as the Crown Railway Company, but barring a Crown decision to show its disapproval by calling another election – legal but unlikely – what it can do is pare down if not completely eliminate state subsidies to unprofitable factories, restrictions on economic activity, and forced state involvement in private companies. If the Crown Treasury and National Bank want to participate in finance, they should do so through the same channels as any regular buyer, and preferably not with tax money.
https://i.postimg.cc/sXn84TJb/20200716131605-1.jpg
Of course, all that money saved leaves room for a considerable reduction in taxes and tariffs – especially for industry and owners, but also the common people in order to buy their favor. In contrast to Poland’s traditionally protectionist attitude, using high tariffs and other restrictions to protect not just the country but also individual regions from undue competition, the Populists push a highly idealistic view of free trade, with tariffs set to the absolute minimum and trade agreements made for the purpose of drawing in foreign investment, not keeping it out. The idea is rather concerning for people familiar with Poland’s own strategy to effectively hijack smaller economies, but obviously there should be no country powerful enough to do the same to Poland, and it’s hard to dismiss foreign capital as an entirely bad thing either.
https://i.postimg.cc/WbqK06qf/20200718000049-1.jpg
Meanwhile, the Crown Council stands as an arbiter against any too radical changes, just as it’s meant to do, but has only recently shown surprising willingness to take action when necessary. It has a decent mix of members who actively support liberal reforms, those willing to compromise, and those opposed to them no matter what, setting the bar for any such legislation relatively high but not insurmountable. Many otherwise conservative voters have purposefully supported the Populists with the assumption that they’ll pursue certain economic policies in the Sejm while their less desirable, more radical reforms will be shot down by the Crown. Only time will show whether they come to regret that.
https://i.postimg.cc/HnVNZbZn/20200716131605-2.jpg
Ironically enough for a liberal party, the Popular Party’s de facto leader and Premier of choice is one Agata Krysiak, known for her unusually strict party discipline and micromanagement. She is also a very passionate and arguably gifted ideologue, great at speaking in a way that enthralls her supporters, sways the undecided and strikes either fear or hatred into her opponents. Some of the credit for the party’s explosive growth can surely be attributed to her, but who knows how well she’s suited to actual government work. In addition to pursuing her party programme with no mercy, she certainly doesn’t mind acting smug about her victory and antagonizing the Coalition just because.
https://i.postimg.cc/MHNFhXND/20200718000018-1.jpg
To maintain its lead in the industrial arms race (including literal weapon production), Poland has so far used extremely generous and indiscriminate subsidies to support business for business' sake, accepting some budget deficit in order to increase development, jobs and simply the amount of goods produced. However, these subsidies have always come with strings attached, giving the state a say in how the company is run, and despite the capitalist class being their main beneficiary, now the Populists want to get rid of both – throwing out the baby with the bathwater, some might argue, but be it out of honest faith in their theories or just the assumption that they personally would benefit, that’s exactly the course they take.
The tax reductions and such get a warm welcome from everyone but the Treasury, and the Populists are cheered in the streets at first. But half a year into the liberals’ new policies, at a glance the effects seem flat out disastrous, enough to raise renewed calls for Crown intervention. Just as expected, a growing number of factories are downsizing, shutting or threatening to shut down, their business models built on the assumption of continued subsidies and unable to function without them. A necessary purge, say the more hardcore liberals, while the more soft-spoken promise that those businesses will bounce back better than ever after some renovations, and offer them all kinds of help (except financial) in making those.
Self-employed artisans are quite alright, having never received subsidies in the first place and actually benefiting as their industrial competitors stumble. Despite protectionist fears, farmers also aren’t terribly bothered, as Poland is already one of the world’s main exporters of food and thus not really threatened by the competition from cheaper imports (apart from some edge cases like Crimea, where it’s now more efficient to bring certain goods from Chernigov or Moldavia). But Wallachian wine to drown their sorrows is little comfort for the thousands of factory employees who suddenly find themselves without a job, fired with no protection and often losing their homes in the process, nor the miners and other raw resource workers worried about the ability of heavy industry to keep their workplace in business.
The factories that already made a profit on their own, of course, are making even more now. Indeed, if there’s one thing to learn from this, it’ll be which industries are self-sufficient and which are not. After that massive slump, to nearly everyone’s great surprise, the Populists’ promised rebound does arrive, with most of the factories in the country either staying afloat, starting to expand as their owners take advantage of the Populists’ laxer policies, or otherwise merging with (i.e. being purchased for pocket change by) more successful ones. The influx of new investment both domestic and foreign is a big boost for Krakow’s financial and banking sector, expanding its tendrils across Europe and encouraging foreign partners to also place their holdings there. However, the worst hit sector is one both traditional and vital to national security: arms and ammunition, and their associated metalworks such as steel and bronze. In particular, the massive privately-owned weaponworks around Krakow basically collapse in on themselves, leaving more than a fourth of Upper Poland’s industrial workforce stranded. The same trend on a smaller scale repeats elsewhere, but not quite everywhere: Bohemia’s heavy industries get to enjoy some unholy boom, further widening the distance between them and the rest of the country while also providing the Populists with some rhetorical proof that it all comes down to the companies’ own competence. Or “the company’s”, rather: much of Bohemia’s seeming success can be attributed to the rise of a single conglomerate, Škoda Works, to dominate the metalworks in the region.
https://i.postimg.cc/zGmQ7bnD/20200718003143-1.jpg
(Note: That “Craftsmen” column there is the number of unemployed factory workers in each region.)
Some might suspect that the Populists aren’t all that displeased about the arms industry taking a hit: another divisive aspect of their agenda is their attitude towards the military. While open anti-militarism would be political suicide in most circles in Poland, the military being both culturally significant and very influential, they are notably lukewarm towards both wars themselves (unnecessary, unprofitable and overall unpleasant) and the massive chunk of the state budget the military eats up, duly reduced in the very first round of cuts. The Crown Army in particular should be happy that the last government quietly invested in expanding both it and its infrastructure, as the current one definitely wouldn’t do the same. In fact, the immediate cuts to those Army projects and the associated drop in demand probably haven’t done wonders for the industry either. The Marynarka and its naval bases are viewed much more favorably, though, given their economic significance even in peacetime.
But if the jury is still out on the Populists’ economic performance – much hinges on whether the growing industries can absorb the workers left behind by the failed ones – then their other policy goals are just getting started. There’s really no good time in a term to start pushing voter reform: too early and people will complain that you’re rushing huge decisions right out the gate, too late and they’ll say you’re just maneuvering for the upcoming election. Of course, that isn’t entirely false, as the Populists do expect it to work to their benefit. They decide to just ignore the inevitable haters and start to hammer out a compromise almost as soon as they’re in office; not with the other parties, whose support they don’t need, but with the Crown. As previously mentioned, the Crown and especially the Council aren’t nearly as attached to the noble-only nature of the Sejm as the nobles themselves may be, and so it largely comes down to figuring out a solution that’d cause only a manageable amount of conservative outrage.
The result is the Commissions Act of 1856, passed in late December. Rather than technically allow any more people to "vote", it creates a rather peculiar system where certain state-designated groups – officer corps, the clergy, the otherwise nearly defunct artisan and merchant guilds – form “commissions” to basically hold shadow elections of their own and then report their results, which are then factored into the increasingly messy district mathematics. While certainly not what anyone expected, it basically gives members of those groups the vote in all but name, a victory they’re happy to take and the Coalition powerless to resist. The church and army are included to legitimize the system and make it seem a little less one-sided, but in the end, the influence allocated to the more liberally inclined guilds is shaping up to be quite a bit larger. Similarly, though the voting power of an individual noble will still be roughly double that of a non-noble, that still leaves them outnumbered with roughly 12% of the population now allowed to participate in one way or another.
https://i.postimg.cc/rpMP6Bnv/20200718004706-1.jpg
Some almost believe that the Populists created this mess of a system only so the others would get tired of it and accept more extensive reforms in the future just to get rid of it, and they themselves certainly think of it as a stepping stone. In any case, being introduced less than a year into the term means that all parties hopefully have plenty of time to figure out how it works and whether they can turn it to their advantage in any way.
As mentioned, guilds in the traditional sense have long been on the decline, fading from regulatory organs and powerful interest groups into pretty much archaic social clubs increasingly ignored by the government. Industrialization was seen as the final nail in the coffin. The Act, very much intentionally, gives them a new lease on life, making membership necessary in order to vote and granting them considerable lobbying power in the process. However, even while employers and the self-employed enjoy their new representation, employees are notably absent from the whole set-up. Not only are they not in the Populists’ core demographic, richer voters are vehemently opposed to their workers being able to organize against them. If anything, they demand new limitations on organized labor over and above the ones the party has so far been working to remove, especially now when there are so many old factories being shut down, new ones being built, and people on the street. So-called labor unions were previously banned as political organizations, and even now they remain banned by the decision of the Crown Council. This may yet become a weak point for the Populists’ “popular” image.
https://i.postimg.cc/T3r44d9V/20200718163152-1.jpg
For now, though, they seem to be marching from victory to victory. Even if on the ground the situation depends entirely on who and where you happen to be, just looking at the numbers, after a couple years the economy has clearly recovered from its shaky start and turned into an outright boom for everyone who matters. For every businessman to lose their fortune there seem to be three who strike it rich (or richer), and whatever the general populace thinks or doesn’t think about the intricacies of The Economy, it’s hard to complain about the historically low taxes, especially after the job situation gets better and most people are, if not happily, then at least grudgingly employed.
https://i.postimg.cc/C5BvHS5f/20200718163531-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/fyG88pSq/20200718163532-1.jpg
The Populists’ intransigence does still cause the occasional problem, ideology getting in front of economic logic and even general sense of justice. One prime example of many is the government’s handling of an epidemic of bovine fever sweeping across the country and devastating one of the country’s main industries (Poland being the #1 producer of beef in the world, bigger than the next two combined). The Populists’ refusal to provide any concrete aid for the ranchers and their associated farmers, effectively telling them to pull themselves up by the bootstraps while their cows are dying around them, manages to offend just about the entire rural population – certainly not helping their image as out of touch city-slickers – and gives the Coalition a chance to refer back to their more compassionate response to similar crises in the past.
https://i.postimg.cc/6pXX31bh/20200718164801-1.jpg
On the other hand, though it isn’t really thanks to the government in any way, agriculture gets to enjoy the fruits of some new inventions such as vaccination, improved machinery and artificial fertilizers.
https://i.postimg.cc/bJvVrQjg/20200719122415-1.jpg
But in spite of everything, Poland’s growth is, to everyone’s great concern, unable to match the even more explosive growth of the Latin Federation. Having finally stopped spreading out and started to build up, its natural resources, large population and relatively high urbanization seemingly make it grow as quickly as people are physically able to work. It also faces little competition within the Christian sphere: England is constrained by its size, and Asturias perhaps stable but isolationist and economically backwards. For the first time since industrialization really took off in the late 1700s, Poland is actually being surpassed as the industrial superpower of Europe and the world, with Japan as a close third.
https://i.postimg.cc/L4bwq051/20200715234742-1.jpg
Optimistic fervor combined with the urge to compete pushes Polish financiers to make ever blinder investments in riskier endeavors. Out of these, the Berlin Stock Exchange will go down as an especially infamous and far-reaching failure. Founded with the stated purpose of pulling in foreign investors who might have an aversion towards Krakow, it does find an enthusiastic audience – in Poland. Believing that this will give them a chance to expand abroad, many Krakow-listed companies transfer to and others dual-list in Berlin before the project even gets off the ground, and it also gets the government’s tacit support, eager to strengthen Poland and weaken the Latins at the same time. This also causes a brief, but all the sharper, spike in speculation and property prices in the city of Berlin itself.
However, within months of the BSE actually opening for business, it becomes clear that it can’t compete with London in the west, Stockholm in the north or even quickly growing München in the south. Having attracted a mainly Polish investor base, it is rightly seen as a strictly worse Krakow and duly ignored, especially as the first signs of corruption and mismanagement start to emerge. Finally, on 8 June 1859, rumors start to spread that the owners of the failing BSE have just taken the money and run for it. Thanks to the also recent adoption of the telegraph, that rumor reaches every part of the country within hours, and the orders to “Sell, sell, sell!” come back just as fast. Meanwhile, it’s only days later that the rumor is proven a pure fabrication, but by then it’s too late. The BSE has completely collapsed, taking many companies down with it and causing widespread panic and shockwaves even in Krakow.
Poland has suffered its first modern stock exchange crash, caused by human hubris but also the very nature of the market economy.
https://i.postimg.cc/MTrPQv6S/20200719124508-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/7P5DQzTS/20200719124510-1.jpg
This doesn’t cause an immediate crash of the entire economy, but it does dampen the positive trend and cause some serious debates about the true merits of the Populists’ inherently unstable policies that the upper classes have quite uncritically adopted in just a couple short years. Industries and individuals alike become more cautious with their money, preferring to save up and invest in what they have rather than embark on any new adventures.
That is still the dominant mood as Poland enters a new election season, the first one with the Commissions Act in place. This ought to be a good opportunity to undermine the liberals, but the other parties feel the system is stacked against them. Of course, the Populist counterargument is that if someone sees wider voting rights as a personal attack, maybe they should reconsider if they really have the best interests of the Polish people at heart.
Indeed, the Noble Coalition has had a few years to contemplate its strategy. In all honesty, at one point almost everyone believed that the party would (or maybe even should) accept its internal divisions and split in two to be able to form a more coherent programme, but in Poland’s electoral system that would just ensure that neither of the resulting parties gets a seat in the Sejm ever again. The other option being to once again change nothing and also accept a fate of irrelevance, the party finally decided to grit its teeth and reshape itself to suit its new reality. For a start, it renamed itself the National Coalition, a shallow but nonetheless humiliating change to try and court the middle-class vote. Furthermore, making an educated guess of how to appeal to the voters while also sharpening its own identity, it decided to approach the Populists on some issues and the Royalists on others, hoping to leech voters from both of them: moving slightly to the left in terms of free trade and low tariffs (while still advocating for government intervention and subsidies) and to the right in terms of strong religious values (without quite the same level of alienating slavocentrism). The Coalition remains a “big tent” party, but at least has a central platform its members can all agree to promote. And though it doesn’t know it quite yet, Poland is seeing the first signs of a future where such socially conservative yet economically liberal parties become increasingly common worldwide for many of the same reasons.
https://i.postimg.cc/VLMwzcg6/20200719134510-1.jpg
But the final results in the spring of 1861 are a surprise to all sides in how they are skewed. The entire political scene seems to have veered a bit to the left: Royalists moving to the Coalition, Coalitionists moving to the Populists, and some Populists unironically starting to like the Devolutionists – but continuing to vote for the Populists, as they aren’t on the ballot. Furthermore, the Commissions Act hasn’t actually affected the Populists’ total vote so much as equalized it: their support has fallen in many regions where it used to be especially strong, but risen across the board just enough to give them a narrow victory in nearly every district. The others are left banging their heads against the wall as the Popular Party, far from losing, wins a staggering 94% of the Sejm – a total reversal of the conservative status quo that used to dominate only a few decades ago.
https://i.postimg.cc/c1PZqJQ2/20200719135411-1.jpghttps://i.postimg.cc/qRzfSfgp/20200719135430-1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/9QYjqtvH/sejm-1861.png
[No newspapers]
Overshadowed by Europe’s economic navel-gazing, an ancient empire continues its sharp decline. Mere months after the liberal coup in the Arabian Empire and the formation of a parliamentary monarchy, the last Madjid Caliph was assassinated by a Wahhabist, plunging the country into a succession crisis at a very vulnerable time. All of the Caliph’s potential heirs were considered politically inept, compromised or otherwise unacceptable to some faction or other, and after half a year of regency, the Majlis (the Arabian parliament) accepted a provisional constitution, following the example of other former empires and forming the federal United Arab States. This confused and improvised decision wasn't quite unanimous, the finer details of how the UAS would function even less so. An opportunistic invasion by the Shahdom of Persia basically plunged the country into civil war with several independence movements in the south and one in Iraq. To their credit, the Arabs managed to repel the invasion and defeat some of the rebels, but still lost a lot of ground to both the Christian state of Ethiopia and the Sultanate of Abyssinia. They continue to struggle with new uprisings, and recently defaulted on their loans.
https://i.postimg.cc/5t9W5QVY/20200719141514-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/vmPF08YP/20200719141450-1.jpg
Actual weighted voting is highly unusual, historically speaking, and the Commissions Act here is similarly pretty ridiculous in its own way. But at least that’s intentional. It has some traits of corporatism ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporatism), I suppose. But man, first-past-the-post is the real nonsense here, huh? :smalltongue: Though at least part of it is because Vic 2 isn’t always so great at creating the regional differences that usually end up driving an FPTP system. Instead, parties tend to rise and fall all across the board in roughly equal measure, especially as the voter base grows to smooth out any statistical outliers. On the other hand, POPs don’t actually practice strategic voting like real life people do, so smaller parties still have some chance to shake up the status quo (by stealing someone else’s votes if nothing else). If it gets too stagnant for too long, I may in fact opt for some reforms there too, but it isn’t actually too unrealistic or disastrous for the same party to be in power for several decades if it comes to that (and the lack or presence of minority parties doesn’t actually have gameplay effects either, only narrative).
Full disclaimer: Economics is actually one of my least favorite things to study (and do take my understanding with an appropriate level of salt), but its principles are weirdly fun to apply to fictional scenarios. Which of course is basically what economists are also doing. :smallwink:
Tariffs are a bit funny in Vic 2. In real life (in modern times), leaving aside how well they work, their main purpose is to protect domestic industries from foreign competition by putting an extra tax on imports and making them more expensive. But in Vic 2, prices are universal and everyone automatically buys domestic (or sphere of influence) whenever available anyway, so tariffs don’t actually affect consumption preferences. Instead, high tariffs are a source of money for the country at the cost of making it harder for import-dependent citizens and factories to fulfill their needs, while low (or even “negative”) tariffs make imports cheaper at the cost of less money for the country. As a player, you just want to keep them as low as you can afford. But for roleplay’s sake, I’ll keep adjusting them back and forth depending on the ruling party.
Factories are rather intricate, in that they really do need to run a profit after considering things like availability and cost of inputs, production efficiency, sales price, maintenance, and minimum wages, with the profits then distributed among the owners and employees in a less than balanced fashion. If unprofitable, they need state subsidies or they will first downsize and then shut down. However, for the player, the cost of the subsidies is always far smaller than the benefits of having more factories, and Laissez-Faire – which makes factories slightly more efficient and cheaper to build, in exchange for completely disabling subsidies and player control and lowering maximum taxes by half – is universally hated (as far as I know). I think I actually got off with very little damage because I’d been on Interventionism all this time, which meant the AI had been in charge from the start and so there wasn’t as large of a difference.
IthilanorStPete
2020-07-19, 08:41 PM
* Yeah, tariffs certainly are odd. I don't usually use them; I find it's usually better to grow the economy and have more revenue to tax.
* Last time I checked the Paradox forums, Laissez-Faire wasn't universally hated, but you definitely wanted to guide factory setup yourself. The AI has a tendency to go for arms industries when they spike in price, not knowing that they're not dependable over the long run. Once you get set up with solid basic industries and a decent number of capitalists, though, the LF bonuses are nice.
SilverLeaf167
2020-07-21, 11:03 AM
Chapter #61: High Queen Wieslawa (1861-1864)
25th of March, 1861
There’s a widespread if hazy feeling that Poland is on the brink of a new era, with a liberal regime cementing its power in the Sejm, society continuing its rapid transformation, and rival powers starting to catch up once more. What that era might be, no one can really tell, but as always, the sense of change creates both hope and anxiety. It is only strengthened by the passing of High King Nadbor III shortly after the election.
His death from an aneurysm is sudden, but at 71 years old, not entirely unexpected. As an avowed opponent of “the revolution”, he found himself with little to say when the nobility started to cautiously reform from within instead, and remained a relatively complacent “rubber stamp” ruler for much of his reign, following the advice of his Crown Council. But he also managed not to personally bloody his hands in the Long Revolution, enjoyed a boost in image during his final years, and was a decent public speaker and popular figurehead if nothing else. As usual, whatever his personal accomplishments, having inherited the throne in 1805 means that he’s the only national leader most Poles can remember – his death a national tragedy, and his funeral a spectacle. But it doesn’t take long for eyes to turn to his successor: the 26-year-old Wieslawa.
Around a century ago, High King Aleksander II became notorious for spending nearly all of his time at various luxury estates far from Krakow, poor health feeding into political passiveness and fueling no shortage of personal conflict, intrigue, and political crises big and small (not to mention material for historical dramas). But his successors haven’t spent much more time at Wawel Castle, either: the 1000-year-old fort holds a great deal of symbolical value and history in its hallowed halls, of course, but for that same reason it is just too dark, drafty, cramped, and as the various riots in Krakow demonstrate, unsafe for the most powerful person in the world to voluntarily live in. No amount of renovations can change that, and though the move basically already occurred in Nadbor III’s time, High Queen Wieslawa is the one to formalize it and abandon Wawel for good. Part of the castle is made into a military garrison, while the rest (including the medieval temple) is opened to the curious public for the first time.
https://i.postimg.cc/VNtxzYgk/wawel.png
The High Queen and her court, meanwhile, move to the luxurious Grazyna Palace a short distance from the capital: dazzling new, built in a Neo-Renaissance style for luxury rather than war, and surrounded by a sprawling estate – a worthy symbol of Polish prestige for a new age, not to mention quite a bit harder for undesirables to reach.
https://i.postimg.cc/V6c363ZB/schwerin.png
Moving outside the capital doesn’t mean that Wieslawa is going to pull an Aleksander and be any less active, though – far from it. She spends remarkably little time at her royal retreat. Instead, she focuses on mapping out the political field, meeting with councilors and ambassadors, and making a highly unusual state visit to the Prince of Yugoslavia, by which the ruler and populace alike are extremely flattered. It’s telling that such a seemingly simple gesture is given such great importance: Yugoslavia has long languished in diplomatic limbo, being neither an official part of Poland nor an independent nation, that ambiguity knowingly maintained by Krakow. During the High Queen’s visit, Prince Lucjan Lechowicz is treated almost like a foreign ruler, and even though they then sign a pact reaffirming all the ways that Yugoslavia is very much a Polish vassal, the meeting manages to raise popular support for both governments. Shortly after, she pays a similar visit to the Grand Duke of Frisia (to much less excitement, given the state’s longer and rockier history with Poland).
Before her succession, Wieslawa completed a rotation of diplomatic postings across pagan nations: touring Scotland, paying special attention to Sweden’s constitutional reforms, even going on a little adventure in Moldavian Egypt. There she clearly built a list of things to do the instant she inherited. However, though she may be a cunning and skillful diplomat (and full of youthful enthusiasm), she is still a sworn imperialist dedicated to maintaining Polish power beyond her borders and across the world. Other than that, she doesn’t consider herself bound by any lesser ideology, claiming to consider every question on its own merits rather than label herself as pro- or anti-reform. She’s happy to undermine the aristocracy if she believes it will protect Polish interests and the monarchy itself. In her view, upheavals like the Long Revolution or the Amatican Crisis weren’t caused by faulty principles per se but the way that they were or weren’t applied, and the High King leaving all the work to either self-interested nobles or uninterested bureaucrats. That is the gist of her agenda: to clarify and strengthen Polish positions where they may be ambiguous or failing, and to make concessions on matters of little importance in order to “nail down” the larger system and stop it from slipping.
This all means that she and Premier Agata Krysiak, a proud ideologue, certainly don’t get along as people, but can very well work together as long as the Populists keep the economy running despite the occasional shock. However, this is accompanied by thinly veiled threats to replace Krysiak or even the Populists if they ever go against her, as well as forcing them to keep the military properly funded for Wieslawa’s own “projects”.
As a leftover from ages past, or a check against aristocratic tyranny if you want to see it that way, the High Queen still has nearly absolute authority in Poland, with the legal ability to override almost any decision or make someone else do it for her. Of course, doing so can be impractical and unpopular, and Nadbor III for one certainly preferred a more hands-off (or just plain passive) approach. In particular, however, the Crown has maintained close control of Poland’s foreign relations and questions of war and peace; whenever such things are discussed in the Sejm, it is only because the monarch makes an exception to consult them before making the final decision. Well aware of the Populists’ anti-military sentiment – undisturbed trade over messy conquest and a balanced budget over “power projection” – Wieslawa knows what their response to any such question will be, knows that it’s unlikely to be one she likes, and so will not bother asking.
The military situation in Europe is a shifting mess of alliances, the same old religious and cultural spheres still dominating people’s minds but realpolitik reigning supreme when it comes to actual diplomacy. Small nations cling to their masters for dear life, but for those great powers, conflicting priorities make it difficult for more than two or so to remain formal allies at any given time. Poland and Moldavia for instance have long had something of a “tacit alliance”, enjoying warm relations and fighting on the same side in many a war, but a proper pact just hasn't worked out. After Moldavia’s bloc with Novgorod proved lacking due to the latter’s weakness, it has decided to secure its Mediterranean situation… by allying with its main rival, the Latin Federation, and agreeing to split the sea in two rather than argue over it. While it must be a great relief for them, for Poland the Latin-Moldavian alliance is disturbing to say the least. Poland is assured, of course, that the alliance is only a defensive one and Moldavia would never join in any invasion of its “brother nation”. High Queen Wieslawa can only grind her teeth, understanding the logic even if she doesn’t appreciate it. The Latin Federation isn’t her target of choice anyway: too big, too powerful to be worth the trouble.
https://i.postimg.cc/3J9gL6sS/20200721171329-1.jpg
She looks further abroad: to the East Indies. While almost completely under Polish control, there are still a couple native sultanates; the Italian Maniolas; the Venetian republic-in-exile on Bangka Island; outlying Swedish and Asturian bases; and a smattering of English territories. England is actually the most troublesome out of these, fussing over the details as second-rate powers often do, constantly clashing with the East India Company (KWO, Kompania Wschodnio Indyjska) over monopolies, shipping lanes and particularly the Malacca Strait. But as much as Wieslawa would like to make an example out of England to “reactivate” Poland’s colonial policy, it is allied with Japan, one of the foremost naval powers in the world, which would be fighting on its home turf no less. The same goes for the other colonial powers: much as she hates to hand it to the Populists, the sad reality of the diplomatic scene is that a couple small islands aren’t necessarily worth the effort of a large war. Not at the moment, anyway. She is determined, however, to make at least some show of force in the region.
https://i.postimg.cc/5982sJM1/20200720203023-1.jpg
Thus, while still keeping the other options in mind for the future, she turns to a weaker first target as something of a wake-up call for the nation, to draw more attention to the east. The Sultanate of Ligor, or rather what’s left of a once sprawling state, has remained independent for this long only due to its low priority while the lands all around it were gobbled up. As more and more of the world has already been colonized, the great powers – Poland included – are effectively fighting for scraps. When the garrisons are ordered to gear up and move towards the border, newspapers back in the homeland are quick to pick up the story and start speculating on it. They’re not particularly critical of the idea or anything, but while the attention is welcome, their gossipy tone (surely for lack of anything better to talk about) isn’t exactly what Wieslawa would’ve preferred. Well, it is Poland’s first offensive war in a while. By the time the troops are in position, what was meant to be a quick and clean invasion is already an open secret, but she still expects it to be a mostly local affair.
https://i.postimg.cc/X737hPV5/20200720213700-1.jpg
Poland doesn’t present much of a casus belli for the war, colonial conquest being an activity that all the great powers engage in on a regular basis (even at the moment, in both India and China), but at least has the decency to present an ultimatum and declaration of war first. The two East Indian armies – composed of natives and relatively naturalized Polish colonists, with a few unlucky officers on duty from Europe – march across the border, one going slower to secure the region while the other makes a headline for the Ligori capital Nakhon Si Thammarat for a knockout blow. It should be noted at this junction that while considered backwards compared to Europe, Ligor is in fact decently advanced, with a "modern" military and even a few experimental factories thanks to Japanese investment.
https://i.postimg.cc/zvwDvCk3/20200720214656-1.jpg
The Japanese ambassador in Krakow protests against the invasion, as does the Japanese consul in Singapura from the day he hears about it, Japan having recently launched an initiative to become the defender (i.e. master) of the independent states of Asia. However, Japan doesn’t seem willing to go to war over it either, and so can do little more than urge restraint in the treatment of the Ligori people and their Sultan.
The High Queen was already planning on it, actually. General Chodkiewicz in charge of the offensive has a prewritten peace treaty to hand to them: some border adjustments in the south, but beyond that, just the Sultan swearing allegiance to the High Queen as a Polish vassal and protectorate. He’s not the first: the East Indies already include a number of local emirs, sultans, kings and so on allowed to keep their titles with little to no real authority. Given the mentioned unimportance of the land itself, this lets Wieslawa appear both assertive and (supposedly) reasonable at the same time without having to worry about what to do with the people living on it.
https://i.postimg.cc/Nf4fwxMz/20200720220228-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/R03MK5Tk/20200720231834-1.jpg
The Populists in the Sejm are actually rather ambivalent or even contradictory when it comes to colonialism itself: colonies don't really fit into their free trade and industry-based image of the world, but they also would rather not linger on where the raw materials for it come from. Now that the East Indies are in the spotlight, though, the newly relevant question of the KWO is right up their alley. The KWO is best described as a Crown-chartered trading company, private military, feudal domain and the world’s most powerful cartel all in one. Starting as a stopgap measure that ended up becoming permanent, it has largely filled the role of a voivodeship to govern a large and complex region too distant to be run from Krakow, and from the Crown’s point of view has fulfilled that duty loyally enough, probably because it was best for the company’s own bottom line. To that end, its treatment of the natives has actually been a fair bit more brutal than any other Polish colony, but the government also hasn’t exactly intervened despite being well aware of the situation.
To the Populists, the KWO’s whole existence is somewhat heretical, and as its role in terms of Ligor comes under discussion, they actually start pushing for either the company’s detachment from the Crown or otherwise its full dismantlement, making the East Indies into a normal colony while letting other companies rush in and take its place in the market. Almost to her own surprise, Wieslawa actually agrees with the latter idea, with something of a twist: citing both its past misdemeanors and its overall outdatedness, she orders all KWO property nationalized “for a fair price” over a 5-year grace period rather than literally auctioned off as the Populists wanted. After that, of course, they are free to invest in the East Indies like they would any other plot of land. The exact government arrangements of the colony will be determined at a later date, but the KWO’s relatively quiet rule has come to a similarly quiet end, and Wieslawa’s plans of nailing down the empire have taken a step forward.
At the same time as the uneventful war in the east, Poland has a different news story to focus on in the west: following the pathetic, best forgotten failure of the Warsaw World’s Fair in 1850, the Free Nations have decided to organize one of their own. While the event could be seen as an attempt at one-upmanship, due to their cordial relationship and economic ties it is obvious that Poland will attend. The Fair is held in Radziwill, which has indeed received quite the makeover and grown considerably in only 14 years. The trip there is part of the experience, with overseas visitors being instructed to dock in Ledenesz and take a decorated train (built with Polish money) along the Oginski River up to the capital. To some confusion on the Polish delegation’s part, it turns out to be more of an Amatican Fair, with Asturias, Scotland and Sweden telling their nearby colonies to handle it for them, the most distant other delegation being from Santa Croce, and no other countries actually bothering to show up (the United Lordships also boycott the event). With Poland the only non-colony in attendance, the implications there of the Free Nations still being a Polish colony are actually rather humiliating for the hosts as well.
The event itself isn’t horrible for what it is, with a wide array of interesting scientific, cultural and culinary displays from across the continent. But while the Poles feel like they do decently well for themselves, their latest steam engine design attracting a good deal of attention and even some interested buyers, they later get to read from the papers that Europeans mostly see the whole event as living proof of why the Free Nations are far from becoming a serious contender on the world stage.
https://i.postimg.cc/4xx44hHN/20200720213528-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/cJVdc99r/20200720215339-1-kopio.jpg
A different event that gathers perhaps less press but far more government attention is the one convened in the snowy Alps in the early months of 1863. Colonies aside, Europe itself has seen a great deal of turmoil, war and general brutality between nations and fellow citizens in the all too recent past, and will surely see more in the future. No one’s pointing fingers here. But Jean Colladon, a Swiss businessman, was personally shocked by the neglect and active abuse perpetrated by both sides in the war where Switzerland was reintegrated into Germany. Worse, it was in no way exceptional, but simply the way wars in general are fought. He sat on his thoughts for a while, but after Germany became a relatively liberal republic again (knock on wood), he approached the government with his concept. And after the brief was sent to the other great powers, they too have decided to at least send their delegations to Geneva, whether to accept what was being proposed or to try and influence it.
Unlike the World’s Fair, the Geneva Convention isn’t really a prestige event, but the guest list (or rather exclusion from it) is still seen as a matter of honor: besides the great powers, Bavaria, Lotharingia and Scotland are all invited to attend, while the Free Nations for instance are notably absent. Premier Krysiak is sufficiently excited about the whole thing to try and attend personally, but Wieslawa (who gets to decide about international treaties) vetoes this and sends some lesser diplomats instead. She's worried not so much about any deals Krysiak could make, but what else stupid she might say while she was there.
https://i.postimg.cc/vZ2Y4H57/20200720233339-1.jpg
The main goals of the convention are twofold: protections for prisoners of war, the wounded, and medical personnel – and the founding of the International Red Shield, a neutral organization allowed to provide medical and humanitarian aid in warzones in addition to the countries’ own efforts. The reaction is somewhat divided at first: while no country can too openly defend its right to wanton brutality, and they all know this would protect their own people as well, there’s little precedent nor appetite for willingly tying your country to such a treaty with others you might consider your enemies. The terms are relayed back home for consideration. For the High Queen, the decision is relatively easy: Poland has for centuries liked to depict itself as an exemplar of “civilized warfare”, however true that might be, and she feels that the upsides of the treaty vastly outweigh any theoretical downsides, not to mention what it would look like not to sign. Getting to engage in some high-profile humanitarianism in between colonial conquests suits her perfectly. Once it comes out that Poland intends to sign, allies and enemies alike largely follow suit, and the Geneva Convention can – at least at this stage – be considered a great success. Most countries that weren’t able to attend get around to joining in the near future too, including of course the Free Nations, which try and fail to make a big publicity stunt out of it.
https://i.postimg.cc/zvN5sL1N/20200720235349-1.jpg
And indeed, while the convention was never meant to end wars but only make them more humane, there is still a certain irony in the fact that merely a few months later, a new war breaks out only some 200 miles from Geneva. The Latin Federation has come back for a likely very one-sided rematch with Lotharingia to retake the rest of the territory illegally joined to it by the rebels back during the Third Revolutionary War. The “merits” of the Federation’s claims, to the extent that such a thing even matters, are hard to deny, but more importantly, the Latins have brought friends, far more than they actually need… including Moldavia.
https://i.postimg.cc/G2GdgFVz/20200721134229-1.jpg
Much like the Scottish invasion of Ireland, this once again puts Poland in a diplomatic dilemma. First things first: in practical terms, the land being fought over isn’t worth it. However, Lotharingia isn’t merely in the Polish sphere of influence: after the last Latin war, an official and public alliance was signed between them, meaning that the Latins can not feign ignorance. This is a knowing act of aggression that might as well be directed at Poland itself. They must either expect Poland to back down or imagine that they can win if it doesn’t. Similarly, the Moldavians’ participation could mean either that they don’t expect Poland to intervene, that they’re pressuring it not to, or that they’re openly stabbing it in the back. The Poles were under the impression that their friendship was real, and the High Queen had a good relationship with the King, so the feeling of betrayal is indeed palpable.
Facing the Latins and Moldavia in a serious war is going to be tough no matter what; and without the official alliance, Wieslawa could at least consider bowing to reality and letting this slide. But as it stands, the Latins are openly questioning Poland’s willingness to back its words with action, and this naked provocation cannot be allowed to pass. And so, on 4 May 1863, Poland goes to war with two other great powers (and a slew of lesser ones).
https://i.postimg.cc/SRGqkyyM/20200721134245-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/Dw0F3kRS/20200721134523-1.jpg
Wieslawa does her best to sell this as the defensive war it in fact is. Thus even the Populists have trouble protesting too much, and due to their continued unwillingness to raise taxes, have no choice but to reduce other spending and fiddle with the tariffs wherever they can to make space for the military budget.
At least some of the armies were already on war footing, Wieslawa having unsubtly kept them ready to start a colonial war on short notice. Furthermore, however, she finally gives the order to put in arms every available conscript. It’s only a matter of time before the Latins mobilize their citizen army, so Poland should preempt them and get its own peasants to the front as soon as possible.
https://i.postimg.cc/MKWqtjDb/20200721134703-1.jpg
It takes less than a week for the English to leap on the opportunity to have another go at York while the Poles are distracted. Poland has little choice but to come to Scotland’s defense, because alliances are what this war is already about, and what’s even the difference at this point? At least Japan doesn’t get involved, still not really caring about European disputes.
https://i.postimg.cc/gkNd7kt9/20200721135408-1.jpg
Some will say that the Geneva Convention couldn’t have come at a better time. Others will grumble that it’s exactly what gave the Latins a carte blanche to wage war at less perceived risk to themselves. Whatever the case, out of nowhere, Europe has been plunged into another massive war.
https://i.postimg.cc/DfQ7qcqw/20200721135641-1.jpg
Willing to take whatever help they can get, the Poles expand it further: the Free Nations have actually been angling for an alliance for a while now, seeing it as a recognition of their independence and military value. While the Atlantic is a little inconvenient to say the least, Buyania’s contribution to the Third Revolutionary War has not been forgotten, and at least the Free Nations' mere presence in the conflict makes the Latins’ life that much harder. If they want recognition, as they clearly desperately do, this is their chance to earn it on the field of battle.
https://i.postimg.cc/SxP4y1pD/20200721135929-1.jpg
While always up for a well-placed war, Wieslawa can’t claim to be an expert in how they’re actually fought, nor could she hope to micromanage everything in real time, so she must rely on her generals to make the right choices. The first priority is to stop Lotharingia from being defeated in a fait accompli the way Ireland was, which will take some doing as the Latins unsurprisingly flood across the border. The second is to knock Moldavia out of the war, preferably without too much fighting and bloodshed, and handle the diplomatic ramifications of this whole mess later. And only then comes defeating the Latin Federation itself. Some kind of lasting punishment is in order.
The Moldavian capital Belgorod, located only some 20 miles from where the Army of Odessa is stationed, is taken out in less than a month. The first battles in the colonies, England and Lotharingia also show promise, but both sides are only getting mobilized. And down south, the Latins are making good use of their Gorizian corridor, sending a huge army into Yugoslavia to strike Poland right in its soft underbelly. Squeezed between the Federation and Moldavia, Yugoslavia is in a rather awkward position.
https://i.postimg.cc/nV1tshJs/20200721141613-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/ZK7tcs04/20200721141616-1.jpg
Good news is, Poland’s own shock offensives are highly successful. After resistance proves to be stiffer than expected (i.e. Polish and Scottish troops marching into the Midlands), the Queen of England decides to cut her losses rather than risk all of England’s treasury and built-up industry being thrown to waste in a full occupation. Poland even gets a colony out of it, solidifying its hold on the region around Ligor. Meanwhile in the east, the near-total lack of troops on the Moldavian border also adds support to either the “bluff” or the “honest mistake” theory, though in public the royal government can obviously admit neither, and despite being presented with the chance to make a white peace with relatively little loss of face, some stubborn urge forces them to keep fighting now that they’ve started it.
https://i.postimg.cc/VNb859f1/20200721142936-1.jpg
More 3RW parallels continue to emerge in August, as Germany declares war on the Latins, trying to reclaim the same old Franche-Comté no less. However, the Germans' understanding of history might be a little lacking, given that the last time that Italy did the same to them, the distracting parties made peace shortly after and left Germany and Italy locked in a mutually destructive stalemate.
https://i.postimg.cc/SsFp9XR9/20200721144144-1.jpg
The most important battle of the whole war in both location and sheer size, effectively lasting through the whole summer and only ending in early September, is the Battle of Charleroi. It starts out between Lotharingian and Latin forces, only to see several waves of retreats and reinforcements and end up with mostly Poles and Frisians on the defending side. It is only when another army is shipped over from across the Channel (the whole English war having started and ended during this one long battle, effectively more of a siege) that the Poles finally get a decisive advantage and the Latins are pushed back with grievous losses, having lost three fifths of their participating soldiers in repeated assaults against the fortified city.
https://i.postimg.cc/3N35LPgJ/20200721144938-1.jpg
(This doesn't actually cover "the whole battle", only the last phase of it.)
Credit where credit is due: Santa Croce’s navy contests the Marynarka more than Latins’ own Classis Militum ever does. Unfortunately, they do so after having sailed their transport ships waaay across the Atlantic and then tried to land too close to the front rather than pick a safer spot in western France. Good news is, after sinking some of the warship escorts, the Marynarka offers the now defenseless and surrounded convoy an opportunity to surrender in the spirit of the Geneva Convention. The prisoners are unloaded on the Frisian coast and, mostly to inflate the Marynarka’s track record, the ships then scuttled, leaving someone else to deal with the logistics of getting all those men back to Alcadra once the war is over.
https://i.postimg.cc/fLcQfwSr/20200721150448-1.jpg
In the north, the front never manages to move to either side of Lotharingia, but in the south, the Latins make gross miscalculations of their own, some 90,000 troops rushing deep into the Yugoslavian countryside only to see Polish reinforcements cut off their supplies and Moldavian support fail to manifest. Indeed, it’s fair to say that enthusiasm is all the Latins have going for them: even over the long term, the previously discussed purges to their officer corps and even official doctrine seem to have cut off their “military tradition” and left their new commanders to pretty much learn on the fly. Furthermore, much like the 3RW, the involvement of a third party – even a somewhat weaker one – forces them to spread out their troops and starts swinging the balance further in Poland’s favor. Beyond the current situation on the ground, though, the real deciding factor is the constant humiliation after humiliation of the glorious Legions at the hands of the more organized and established Crown Army. The Alcadran prisoners being paraded across Poland in an ongoing propaganda campaign are only the worst of the bunch.
https://i.postimg.cc/mkVxK8w3/20200721151940-1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/7YYrSrHK/20200721151942-1.jpg
Thus, after roughly half a year, peace is made on Poland’s relatively lenient terms, restoring Lotharingia to its rightful borders while also taking one of the Latins’ West African colonies just so this isn’t a total return to status quo. The war is over quickly enough that only about half of Poland’s own citizen army has managed to mobilize, and out of that, only less than half has actually seen battle. Wieslawa ended up getting her colonial war, though in a rather unexpected manner, and now she tries to balance the depiction of this victory as a show of Polish dominance and mercy at the same time. But the details aside, it is true that within three years of her succession, she can boast of victory in three separate wars and three new colonies in Ligor, English Malaya and Latin Gambia.
https://i.postimg.cc/DwRVVWqN/20200721152055-1.jpg
After those three busy years, though, it’s hard to deny that Poland could probably use a break, if nothing else then to avoid looking like such a constant warmonger that the others start forming coalitions against her. Wieslawa is fine with that, believing that superiority has been sufficiently asserted. And while Germany predictably finds itself facing the wrath of the Latins all alone, Wieslawa adjusts course towards hopefully “softer” foreign policy projects.
Newspaper Gallery (https://imgur.com/a/iMSrZ4J)
The wars in India have ended for the time being, but most of the issues not really resolved: the Federation lost its colony, but Chernigov kept its own, and the same tiny Sri Lanka became independent again.
https://i.postimg.cc/YCvcyNmg/20200721161159-1.jpg
I always seem to forget how unlike EU4, most wars in Vic 2 really are pretty quick and done affairs once the war goal has been secured (until great wars are enabled and they become fights to the death, anyway). I was originally worried about the difficulty buffs being unfun or misleading by just straight-up making AI troops stronger, but clearly they need the help after all, so I’ve ramped all the AI buffs up to standard Hard levels (or actually beyond, since I previously added a reduction to material usage so they can afford a decent army).
We have the option of turning Malaysia, Indonesia and/or the Maniolas once we conquer them into voivodeships (i.e. released puppets) about ten years from now if we feel like it. To me that seems like a purely roleplay decision, though, since even if it enabled them to keep armies and build factories of their own (and released a bit of colonial power that we already have plenty of), we’d lose the ability to upgrade their forts and naval bases or build ships there (though I’d probably keep at least Singapore for myself if we decided to go down that route). Roleplaying is a valid reason, of course, and it could be an interesting replacement goldfish for the Amatican colonies. Opinions?
Oh, and if anyone's wondering, the reason I was able to use a colonial CB against a civilized nation is because due to the high number of them in Africa and Asia (there's like a single-digit number that weren't civilized), in the prep work for the game I modded the CB so the colonial scene wouldn't be too stagnant for the entire game.
Grazyna Palace is fictional. The place in the photo is actually Schwerin Castle, Germany, built around roughly the same time.
* Last time I checked the Paradox forums, Laissez-Faire wasn't universally hated, but you definitely wanted to guide factory setup yourself. The AI has a tendency to go for arms industries when they spike in price, not knowing that they're not dependable over the long run. Once you get set up with solid basic industries and a decent number of capitalists, though, the LF bonuses are nice.
Well, makes sense. I'm probably projecting a bit since I like, or at least used to like, micromanaging what factories to build with State Capitalism. :smalltongue: On which note, the capitalists haven't actually felt like building steamer shipyards and they've become a bit of a bottleneck at times, and I'm trying to see if national focuses could push them in that direction. I don't really have an impression of how effective that actually is. Although, I guess if they aren't building them, there's a good chance it's because they wouldn't be profitable.
InvisibleBison
2020-07-21, 05:58 PM
The Sejm's been more or less running Poland for the past half century. I imagine there's a good amount of uncertainty about this assertive new High Queen. It will be interesting to see what comes of that.
All things considered, that war could have gone a lot worse. It wasn't a particularly decisive conflict, though, so I fully expect the Latins to try again a few years down the road.
Keraunograf
2020-07-22, 12:46 PM
Personal thought that it depends on the political state in ten years. This new queen seems very aggressive, but in a very realpolitik way. I think if she thinks the colonies would stick with the nation longer given more independence, she'd do it.
It's also a great way to show humanitarianism, which seems to be the political posturing of "we have enough power to do this" of the day.
SilverLeaf167
2020-07-25, 03:25 PM
Chapter #62: Red Flags (1864-1870)
4th of April, 1864
The mood in Stadnicki Palace, the Popular Party headquarters – located on prime real estate between Wawel Castle, the Temple of Blessed Lechoslaw and Krakow University – has been sour for almost a few years now. The party’s economic policies seem to have been vindicated, yes, even weathering the slowdown caused by the Berlin disaster and muffling their critics with continued growth and low taxes. However, those were mostly introduced in their first term, whereas after achieving their historic 94% victory they feel like they have little new to show for it. They’re all too aware that this majority was nowhere near as overwhelming on the ground, and that the smallest push could swing the next election against them. Even in many of the largest cities, the Populists’ current “lead” is within the margin of error and doesn’t even need any particular reason to go wrong.
https://i.postimg.cc/8cPbt52y/20200722135252-1.jpg
Besides the usual low-level grumbling over this and that (often in contradiction with each other), there’s been no pressing demand (i.e. riots) for any major reforms, and thus the Crown Council has been rather complacent about pushing or accepting any either. Meanwhile, even though the Populists certainly could dictate some large changes to the Sejm itself, the last election has left them wondering whether doing so would be straight-forwardly in their favor after all. They have strong support from the professional middle class, but certainly not a monopoly, and they’ve quietly agreed that they do not want the lower classes to have the vote: the manual workers of Poland have been labeled variously as short-sighted fools, anti-progress luddites and/or conservative hicks, and this disdain seems to be mutual. The Commissions Act voting system, clunky as it is, is actually rather suited for the Populists and their business contacts as it makes it easier to negotiate and deal with specific interest groups directly.
As for internal problems, it is an open secret that some deputies have been actively courting the Devolutionist vote and could even be “crypto-Devolutionists” themselves, working within the Populists due to their own group being banned, while the party is reluctant to lose their support either. Meanwhile, the small but noisy pacifist and anti-colonialist wing of the party has been dismayed by the others’ failure to speak up against this new High Queen’s bellicose rhetoric and lackadaisical attitude towards use of force. During the latest war, conveniently started by the Latins, she got to castigate the Populists for supposedly weakening the people’s will to fight and also forced them to bend the budget to her liking.
Ah, yes. High Queen Wieslawa. In the Noble Coalition governments of the past, the Premier hasn’t really been the “leader” of their party, but Agata Krysiak certainly is, and her problems with Her High Majesty are well known. Wieslawa basically treats her as a bureaucrat, or a sheepdog as some have put it, left to tend to her flock while the High Queen makes the real decisions and quickly shoots her down whenever she tries to get involved in even the most benign fashion, such as with the Geneva Convention. She doesn’t openly insult or denigrate the Sejm, but does so more subtly by only seeing its leader as a useful servant to be kept in line. The Populists have never been anti-monarchist per se, but at this point, Krysiak herself very well could be. After a long career in politics, having joined the party back when it didn’t have a single seat in the Sejm and then worked her way up, she can’t see why some younger woman not even past 30 should have absolute power just because the previous High King selected her back as a preteen.
The worst part is that Wieslawa does hold all the cards in this game, and Krysiak absolutely hates it. At any point, she could dismiss Krysiak and force the party to pick a more pliable Premier – or, more likely, call an election and throw her weight behind the Coalition, likely swaying the majority of the population that still has great respect for their ruler. Krysiak has no choice but to grit her teeth and do as much as she can…
High Queen Wieslawa was suitably pleased with the swift and victorious end of the latest war, but it left some lingering questions. In her days as a diplomat (a.k.a. “royal tourist”), she spent some time as a guest in the court of King Nadbor VI of Moldavia, making the recent stab in the back doubly painful and personal. After sending out some discreet feelers to the King to let him explain the situation privately, she can certainly sympathize with the urge of a great power to stand up and not back down from a fight (and though she doesn’t say it, Moldavia’s track record in the war shows that it really does need to stay in the Latins’ good graces, especially as the Latins have also taken the Arabs under their wing). For that same reason, the King still needs to keep up the alliance, or it would be obvious that he bowed to Polish pressure – not unlike the Free Nations, Moldavia has a bit of an inferiority complex towards Poland thanks to their common history. This means that a similar situation might well emerge a second time. But it really says something about both of them as people, as well as the general aloofness of the ruling classes, that they can discuss a recent war and even likely future ones on such amicable terms. Despite the Latin question pitting them against each other, Wieslawa would rather keep relations with Moldavia as warm as politics will allow.
While she can’t complain about Krysiak and the Populists’ economic performance, especially after they loosened some of their free trade principles to prioritize shipments for Poland’s own damn army, their attitude is definitely holding the country back and undermining Wieslawa both internationally and among her own subjects. Krysiak has the good sense not to put her name on it, but Wieslawa knows who and what party are to blame for the significant increase in “colony-critical” press lately, be it about the Ligori war or the nationalization of the KWO. It will blow over, and the High Queen has plenty of more sympathetic papers on her side as well, so all it really does is further infect the relationship of the two most powerful people in the realm.
https://i.postimg.cc/mDVYz4P7/20200724171137-1.jpg
(People start randomly declaring war on you at 25…)
The alliance with the Free Nations, formalized during the war that ended up being too short for it to make a difference, remains somewhat controversial as well. While the idea of reclaiming Amatica has been quite thoroughly buried, entertained only in the fringest of circles, any sign of official recognition and endorsement still grinds some people’s gears, as does the idea of allying with a highly liberal democracy in general. To some, this runs the risk of legitimizing such dangerous ideology in people’s eyes, while others believe in “de-ideologizing” the debate and convincing people that liberalism and the Polish system are not in fact enemies or opposites. Once again, Wieslawa and the Populists both find themselves in the latter camp for different reasons. On a side note, the alliance with the Free Nations has spurred a rather ambitious project to lay more than 2,500 miles of telegraph cable across the seabed from Calais to Beothuk Island, shortening the weeks-long communication delay down to mere minutes. Wild concerns about sharks gnawing on the cables are given little notice.
Politically, the year 1864 is an uneventful one for Poland. To the west, the German-Latin war continues its grueling grind, much as expected. To the east, however, something much more impactful occurs in the very final days of the year. The mutual enmity between Novgorod and Chernigov is known to all, having barely gotten along even in the days when the Moscow Pact still held some sway, and obviously descended into intermittent fighting during the last couple decades. Thanks to Chernigov’s resources and manpower, it emerged superior in that rivalry as soon as Novgorod foolishly broke its alliance with Poland, and in the years since those wars, has come to dominate both Novgorod and Uralia politically and economically.
A year ago, the autocratic misrule of the King of Novgorod led the country to go fully bankrupt, the King having died of cancer just in time to avoid seeing the fruits of his incompetence. At the same time, though, Chernigov’s colonial adventures have been proving increasingly untenable, lacking a single real base between the Black Sea and India yet still trying to expand its territory in China. As that latest war proved a massive drain on both money and prestige, only to end with Wu taking back Chernigov’s treaty port in Macau, Chernigov too found itself at the brink of economic disaster.
Now that the King of Chernigov has also died with what can only be considered good timing, passing the throne to his daughter, both kingdoms are left with a new generation of rulers faced with internal crises and relatively indifferent to past conflicts. They can either keep fighting each other forever, or join forces and actually get something done. So it happens that in December 1864, out of desperation and ambition alike, the King of Novgorod and Queen of Chernigov enter a diplomatic marriage and their respective parliaments both sign the Acts of Union. Mutual debts are forgiven, foreign ones shared, and the United Kingdom of Russia created. They remain the rulers of their respective countries, but their eventual heir will inherit both. Suppose that’s one way to solve a border dispute.
https://i.postimg.cc/wTMVN1cM/20200724160543-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/59ngjBzD/20200724165205-1.jpg
Uralia, a primarily Ugrian republic, is unsurprisingly not interested in this arrangement. However, it also signs a treaty with the new government, giving up the disputed territories around Moscow and Borodino in exchange for the Russians relinquishing their claim on Vladimir. In the interest of compromise between Novgorod and Chernigov, the Russian capital is placed in Moscow, with the added benefit of fostering closer relations with the Uralian capital only 100 miles away (basically next door by Russian standards).
The result is an even larger land empire than before - combining Chernigov’s sprawling steppes with Novgorod’s more industrialized Baltic provinces - and a much greater military power with fewer regional rivals. The move to Moscow carries an undertone of putting some distance between themselves and the Polish border, and while the Russians have never had any particular need to feud with Poland, their relationship has been fraying recently and may well continue to get worse if they feel too confident in their new power. At 48 million, Russia is the third-most populous country (partially) in Europe, and sure to become a major player one way or another.
https://i.postimg.cc/y6knGfWn/20200725225356-1.jpg
Concerning changes in the Slavic sphere do not end there. The school of thought known as “socialism” has been stewing since at least the start of the century, covering a variety of very different ideologies with economic equality and some form of shared (“social”) ownership of property as the main common thread between them. Politically speaking, however, the movement has been very niche, generally lingering at the edges of the wider liberal movement and never attracting much attention. Until now.
Reuben Stern, a Bohemian Jew, originally chose to leave Poland for fear of retribution after his, albeit relatively minor, involvement in the Long Revolution. In Bavaria, the Latin Federation, and through some twists and turns Moldavia, he has made contacts with the local socialists, observed the local politics and gathered what could be called a cult following with his somewhat eclectic but compelling ideological writings. He and his small group of friends have both made sharp observations about economics and social structures, in particular the blight of the working class or “proletariat” (borrowing an old Roman term), and offered radical solutions for them. His contribution to socialist thought, together with spreading disillusionment towards mainstream liberalism – finding that its dismissive treatment of the lower classes isn’t necessarily much better than the conservatives’ – has inspired a group in Belgorod to form the world’s first real Socialist Party, hoping to get elected to the Moldavian Sejm.
https://i.postimg.cc/RVYTLvXR/20200724210725-1.jpg
Krakow follows soon after: there are still several branches of socialism, various levels of radical, but the Social Democratic Party gearing up to participate in the next election advocates for peaceful change within the rules of the system. While they and the Populists share many goals in terms of social and political freedom, in economic questions they're unlike any other. Believing (correctly) that all the current parties, including or especially the liberals, favor the owner at the worker's expense and the rich above the poor, they demand wide-spanning state intervention such as workplace regulations, minimum wages, social security, progressive taxation, universal education and more. In their view, a capitalist society left unchecked will simply revert to the tyranny of the privileged, making a powerful and vigilant but righteous state a necessity if you are to have liberty for all. They also dream of a state not merely tolerant but officially detached from religious matters, which appeals to some oddani and less zealous pagans but infuriates the Slavic Church, pushing even the Archpriest of Perun to make a rare public denouncement of the whole movement.
https://i.postimg.cc/MpjmsgL8/20200724213430-1.jpg
Most Populists, Krysiak included, respond to the news of the SDP’s founding with laughter and a scoff, if they react at all. While plenty of self-declared parties have been popping up in Poland since they became legal in 1855, the reason there are only two or three that people take seriously is that none of the others have stood the specter of a chance of winning a single district (a category the Royalists are also rapidly slipping into). As the SDP so openly contradicts the tried and true economic lessons of the past decade and mostly appeals to a demographic that the Populists are now doubly determined to keep unable to vote, it is justifiably expected not to be a real contender, comparable to the Devolutionists at best.
The socialists sure are good at making noise, though, and take their notes from Stern when it comes to writing speeches. They do have plenty to complain about, considering that the Populists have done their best to gut what few industrial regulations Poland had in the first place, and the very concept of a welfare state is just as alien as it is in most of the world. But if anything, thanks to the voting issue, even if the SDP itself claims to be peaceful, some people are more worried about the socialist movement as a potential insurrection than as electoral competition.
https://i.postimg.cc/MG2bgdkf/20200724214703-1.jpg
Indeed, there are also more nefarious forces afoot, taking a more literal reading of Stern’s works and setting their aims on a total, violent revolution of the proletariat, redistribution of property, and installment of a communist regime from the top down. Some of them even take the SDP’s secularism a few steps further to demand enforced atheism and the abolishment of organized religion. Unsurprisingly, they’re banned both from the Sejm and from organizing in general. All they would do if they somehow won a seat or two is sabotage and soapbox the best they could.
https://i.postimg.cc/257vMYFg/20200724215710-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/Bb6x2zFk/20200724220413-1.jpg
As the 1866 elections approach and the rallies pick up speed, the Populists don’t necessarily have much to campaign on besides promising to maintain their heretofore successful economic policies. Perhaps luckily for them, the Coalition also doesn’t have a very convincing platform beyond “what they said except better”, including promises for a huge (artificial) expansion of industry to catch up with the Latins and a rather weak attempt to paint the Populists as godless heathens similar to the socialists.
The Populists’ fears fail to come to pass: thanks in large part to the increasingly divided opposition, their majority actually grows and even gets more comfortable in many important districts. There are signs of internal division too, though: the voters, whether intentionally or not, end up electing a total of four Populist deputies that the party leadership has secretly labeled as Devolutionist moles. How much Krysiak and the party establishment really are opposed to their ideas may be unclear, but also irrelevant: though increasingly confident that their majority would be secure even if they purged the Devolutionists and their sympathizers, doing so at this junction risks drawing attention to the fact that the party has been knowingly harboring them until now and even allowed them to run. The topic will have to be revisited if they do something dumb enough to out themselves, at which point the party can act surprised and then boot them; and if they don’t, good.
https://i.postimg.cc/WbdG3QTJ/20200724223355-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/8zWLdMFp/20200724223609-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/3wTmtNpg/sejm-1866.png
High Queen Wieslawa has been keeping busy, making as many public appearances as humanly possible to both feel and look like she’s doing something, as well as coordinating constant but rather low-profile efforts in the Crown Council to reword and amend archaic legislation (with relatively few real changes to the content). She has also been active diplomatically, even personally attending the Russian royal wedding. Not having to worry too much about its eastern border has always been a big relief for Poland, and even if a full alliance is out of the cards, she’d much prefer to at least maintain peace with the United Kingdom. With the Dvina-Dniepr line clearly marking the vast majority of their border, there should be little basis for either side to dispute it.
After the election, she’s actually very surprised to see Krysiak seemingly following her lead a lot more, yet at the same time, making many more foreign connections for herself. Obviously this is rather concerning, but the Populists have a lot of business contacts to draw on and Krysiak, in her usual brainwashing fashion, proves stunningly effective at improving Poland’s international image, so Wieslawa once again sees enough reason to keep her around.
https://i.postimg.cc/G37PbcwC/20200725124044-1.jpg
In April 1866, the German-Latin war finally ends in a white peace, a massive waste of money and lives for both sides, all because Germany thought it saw a good opportunity. It is doubly humiliating for Germany that this war was started and led by the supposedly moderate Zentrum party, originally trying to exploit the growing gap between the Liberals and the Nationals but now probably in for a very tough next election.
https://i.postimg.cc/j2FychQ5/20200724225204-1.jpg
In the absence of more direct action, Wieslawa aims to flex her power projection in other ways, such as negotiating a permanent military presence in Yorkshire, an extra degree of protection warmly welcomed by the Scottish crown. The same is discussed with the Free Nations, but they unsurprisingly prove less enthusiastic: Polish armies marching through the streets seems liable to dredge up some unpleasant memories, so the matter is shelved for now.
Furthermore, the Marynarka finally approaches her with tested and combat-ready plans for revolutionary new ship designs (that is to say, adapted from Japan’s already world-famous Kurofune, “Black Ships”). After experimenting with armor-plated wooden ships, they’ve finally settled on full-metal vessels, being both more durable and ultimately simpler to build and maintain. They’re also better suited for their new-fangled weapons, namely gun turrets and perhaps even torpedoes, currently in the testing phase. Fascinated with the smoke-belching beasts, and certain that others will be as well, the High Queen immediately orders a massive expansion campaign to add these “ironclads” to every Polish fleet (and, critically, eventually start phasing out the old sailships).
https://i.postimg.cc/nzV7tW3r/20200725133912-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/wTnhs0j4/20200724221623-1.jpg
As Poland at last fully enters the age of the metal ship, the Marynarka must discuss the fate of OKP Radogost (Okręt Korona Polskiej, "Vessel of the Crown of Poland"). Since the legendary Polish flagship was first put to sea in 1447, it has been refitted and fully rebuilt many times over, but never actually sunk, its name carried on as something of a ritual to let the ship’s “soul” and power move into its new vessel. Presently the largest warship in the world with four gundecks, 150 cannons and three massive mortars, it is a terrifying but, alas, ponderous leviathan, and it might be for the best that it hasn’t seen much serious action this century. However, given the question of whether to repeat the ritual once more, its elite crew – the only people with the right to make such a choice – decides that whatever their military merits, no ship of iron and fire can replace the wood and wind of the Radogost. Instead, it will dock near the Szczecin shipyards where it was first built and become a floating monument to the Marynarka, much of its crew choosing to stay and maintain it.
In its place, a successor shall be built: OKP Swarog, named for the god of blacksmithing and flame. Gods be willing, it too can avoid being sunk and pass its name forward far into the future.
Once that first wave of new ships is finished, which might well take a couple years, Wieslawa is sure to be looking for a place to use them. Perhaps the time will be ripe for another colonial adventure…
[No newspapers, for some reason]
Asturias finally broke its long silence by marching into its de facto protectorate Murcia and annexing it with little resistance, and even some degree of popular enthusiasm. The Basque nation of Navarra, feeling much less kinship with the Asturians, fears for its own fate.
https://i.postimg.cc/ZRfNYLQc/20200725140709-1.jpg
As the Chinese Chaos seems to be reaching its climax, the winner appears increasingly clear: the foreigners. At the same time that the Manchurians cement their dominance, their allies in Japan have been proactively splitting apart the Kingdom of Wu just to make it easier for them. Once considered the prime candidate to unify China, Wu has now all but collapsed. England, once more allied to Japan, has begun outright colonizing the south of the region, apparently to take direct control of the lucrative tea trade.
https://i.postimg.cc/zvVgygZ1/20200725142126-1.jpg
Okay, so apparently a party “not being allowed” in a form of government just means you can’t manually appoint them, but they can still win seats in the election. I was not sure how they affected the vote. In the narrative I’ll just depict those exceptions as moles in other parties, like I did here. If they somehow won, then that’d mean an internal takeover of said party.
The Russian marriage is one of those things that may seem abrupt given their usual hostilities, but rather closely mirrors the real-life formation of countries like Spain or the United Kingdom in my opinion. More importantly though, I’m just trying to make up explanations for the (not added by me) decision that Chernigov took. It works the same way as the German or Italian decisions in vanilla, only requiring them to have the other Russian cores, i.e. Novgorod, in their sphere of influence. Speaking of Russia: I can't decide if those borders look weirdly nice or terrible.
Agata Krysiak’s name was originally given by a random generator, by the way. Any similarity to Agatha Christie is coincidental (and certainly only name deep), but also part of the reason I picked it. :smalltongue: I'm pretty lucky that her Prince of Terror trait got balanced out by the Expert Diplomat one right afterwards. I forgot how damn slowly infamy can tick down in this game.
One subtle world-building fact that hasn’t really come up (and still didn’t) is the Moldavian language. The actual real-life Moldovan language is the same thing as Romanian, but in this timeline, Moldavia was thoroughly settled by Poles and thus should probably speak a Slavic language (Romanians as we know them are represented by the Wallachian culture). So in the same vein, I suppose Moldavian should just be Polish, with some fine differences too small for us to be concerned with. But I didn’t really consider this until recently, so they’ve been using Romanian names throughout EU4 and Vic 2. I’ll just keep it in mind when we reach HoI4 and I need to make up names for a bunch of people…
IthilanorStPete
2020-07-25, 03:56 PM
Oof, 24 infamy. Yeah, that's going to put the roadblocks on further expansion for a while.
I'm curious what the colonization of Africa's going to look like in this game; it'd start happening in the next update, with Machine Guns unlocking. Not sure what's going to happen here.
SilverLeaf167
2020-07-25, 04:04 PM
Oof, 24 infamy. Yeah, that's going to put the roadblocks on further expansion for a while.
I'm curious what the colonization of Africa's going to look like in this game; it'd start happening in the next update, with Machine Guns unlocking. Not sure what's going to happen here.
Well, thanks to Expert Diplomat, we're actually down to something like 6 by now (1870). :smalltongue:
I also wonder how Africa's going to look, or more specifically, how judiciously the AI will use its casus bellis. With so much more of the continent covered by native countries, even though I adjusted the CBs to work on them, who knows if the AI knows how to use them.
EDIT: Should clarify: PDM adds special events and CBs to make the Scramble for Africa more efficient/intense/whatever, and they're also included in my game. They won't come online before 1880 though.
SilverLeaf167
2020-07-30, 04:41 PM
Chapter #63: Power Projects (1870-1874)
23rd of April, 1870
Recently, the age-old question of “why we should conquer them” has been rearing its head with a new, novel answer. Ideas of racial or cultural superiority, religious conversion, far-fetched claims of belonging and all the other classics still play a role depending on the country, but with the twist of “bringing progress and civilization” to the lesser peoples of the world. This progress can be more abstract, or very concrete in the form of material welfare, modern technology and new infrastructure; but most importantly, the people on the receiving end may not always realize what's best for them and might even resist by force of arms. At the very least, any given conqueror can claim to be protecting them from less pleasant alternatives, real or imagined, who would inevitably do the same.
https://i.postimg.cc/5y7SGJ1f/20200724144300-1.jpg
Poland has already experimented with similar ideas in the context of pan-paganism, but only now are they really getting revitalized as a political tool. This way of thinking isn’t necessarily restricted to the colonies, either, with the Latin Federation arguably wielding similar rhetoric all within Europe. It also appeals, whether sincerely or merely as a convenient excuse, to the ruling groups in basically any expansionist country, including High Queen Wieslawa and the Populists, who are both pleased to have a more palatable way to present their colonial exploitation. Really the only consistently anti-colonial groups are the Devolutionists, Socialists and Communists, and they too obviously vary in their reasons and proposed alternatives. As this school of thought is refined, even academics and some actual humanitarians taking to it with surprising enthusiasm, it may well end up driving a whole new era of even more intense colonialism.
Whether or not it has anything to do with the above, Wieslawa’s first real power move in Africa is a rather benign one: a military alliance with the Sultanate of Abyssinia, largely a check against the United Arab States (and by extension their Latin allies). The UAS has already reannexed the breakaway state of Ethiopia (which had quickly fallen under the dictatorship of a local warlord) and made aggressive moves against Iraq, Persia and the Pratihara, so Abyssinia is right to be worried. From Poland’s point of view this serves as a snap at the Latins, an East African presence that it otherwise lacks, and also an alternate route into the inland wilderness.
https://i.postimg.cc/Vk5XdzZj/20200728153959-1.jpg
The Latins are busy elsewhere, though – namely fighting other “Latins”. Asturias has long been an edge case in whether it should be considered a great power at all, but tradition and its global empire have mostly kept it there. Unfortunately, the under-industrialized homeland has been overly dependent on not just resources but also precious metals from the colonies, using them to prop up its failing economy in a way that inevitably led to massive inflation. In that mess, the crown has become increasingly indebted to just about every other great power, the Populists encouraging Poland's own banks to give generous loans in hopes of future influence. It shouldn’t come as a surprise when in July 1870 the crown declares bankruptcy, defaulting on its loans, and mere weeks later the Latins declare war on Asturias ostensibly to reclaim their possessions by force. In truth, of course, it’s obvious that they’re just savoring the opportunity to decisively humiliate the other Catholic great power once and for all. The English soon join in the fun, for largely the same reasons and to cement their shaky position as a rising star.
https://i.postimg.cc/26NWchkw/20200728160017-1.jpg
Speaking of the Populists, though, that relatively unimportant but widely reported miscalculation becomes one weapon of many wielded against them in the run-up to the 1871 election. There’s been other problems too, such as their unrestricted agricultural policies draining the land in many places at the same time that upriver factories dump their waste straight into the water, but especially for the voting classes, ideological questions actually seem to be the more relevant ones. While the liberals and socialists have actually become each other’s worst enemies, the more conservative parties still associate them with each other, and they certainly serve to highlight each other’s worst failures. Furthermore, the Populists’ failure to actually do anything about the SDP firebrands, whom many are starting to see as a real threat or at least a nuisance, seems to drive many swing voters back towards the Coalition.
More pressing matters appear on the agenda in November 1870, as the Free Nations decides its opportunity has come and jumps on the Asturian dogpile. They have long been eyeing Asturian Alaska, another large chunk of frozen wilderness in northern Amatica, referring back to some old papers where the entire region down to the Pacific Ocean (unexplored at the time) was indeed a Buyanian claim. As attempts to negotiate for or even purchase Alaska have fallen through, that leaves invasion as the “only” option, and now the enemy is thought to be sufficiently distracted.
https://i.postimg.cc/9QSZ9sss/20200728161515-1.jpg
The Populists urge her not to, but Wieslawa accepts the Free Nations’ call to arms. However, while not expected to be a meatgrinder the likes of Lotharingia, it is undeniably large in scale, involving both the vast colonies south of the Free Nations – Caliphania, the Union of South Amatica, Tayshas and the Zanaras – and Asturias’ other outposts around the world. Luckily the Amatican colonies have neither had nor expected to have a war for many decades, and the Free Nations are rather confident that they can handle them.
https://i.postimg.cc/DZQXt0mK/20200728162254-1.jpg
An invasion of Esperanza is deemed a little too big for now, but the Army of Bissau is nonetheless shipped into position to prepare for the possibility. The East Indian armies do go on the offensive, though, preparing to invade both on foot through Ligor and with a naval landing in Cambodia. One army is also sent to the Free Nations as a precaution, but the Crown Army isn’t really prepared to commit more troops to a continent-wide war just for Alaska.
The attempted landing near Qui Nhon, the main Asturian port in Cambodia, meets unexpectedly stiff resistance and initially even finds itself outnumbered. However, while led by a competent commander, the local garrison has been cobbled together from conscripted natives and also lacks proper artillery support, something the Poles always have in droves. As the cannons manage to set up on a nearby cape with a clear shot at the Asturian positions, the infantry need only bide its time until the defenders are sufficiently pulverized and then push off the beach. Jan Chodkiewicz, promoted to Marshal of the Indies after his tidy handling of the Ligori war, gets the glory for skillful use of the limited forces assigned to him.
https://i.postimg.cc/gjYZdp6L/20200728163547-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/c1m3hvVR/20200728165218-1.jpg
As much as the Populists would like to distract from them, the maneuvers of war capture the minds of the Polish populace. Glorious victories like Qui Nhon make for excellent press, and for once the people seem both attentive and broadly-speaking positive towards the war. Wieslawa capitalizes on this, organizing a military parade in Krakow and making sure the Crown Army’s famous motto “Bring Down the Thunder” is drilled into everybody’s skulls. Krysiak makes some uncharacteristically feeble protests against committing too deeply to what isn’t really a Polish war, but Wieslawa just turns that into an anti-Populist tract of her own.
https://i.postimg.cc/rsQtwHSn/20200728164418-1.jpg
That final push proves enough to decide the election: the National Coalition ekes out the narrowest possible majority. With metropolitan areas actually swinging for the Coalition much harder than rural ones, the reverse of what people generally expect, one suggested explanation is that after 15 years as the ruling party, the Populists eventually took the Coalition’s place as the “default” that less politically aware people vote for without thinking about it too hard, whereas the well-connected voter base in the cities is the fastest to adapt to new trends and circumstances. And to some extent, the Poles might be starting to understand that it’s a natural part of politics for the pendulum of popularity to swing back and forth. While they obviously grieve their loss, the Populists still have a very strong power base in the Sejm, and also look forward to their eventual return to power after spending a while resting in the opposition.
https://i.postimg.cc/QMT5J03C/20200728165829-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/vZ16G3Dh/20200728165833-1.jpghttps://i.postimg.cc/0yg9Jfcc/sejm-1871.png
The reimagined National Coalition has seemingly learned from its mistakes, choosing to criticize the Populists for their neglect of the people without touching the parts of their programme that have proven popular. They’ve made a public alliance with the Slavic Church and organized large charity drives to undermine both the Populists and the various socialists. But perhaps most importantly, they’ve sworn to maintain taxes and tariffs at the level set by the Populists while bringing back subsidies and other support without most of the associated restrictions. Promising the best of both worlds doesn’t always work out as planned, but it is a good way to get votes.
https://i.postimg.cc/zG9HvKgr/20200728173520-1.jpg
And High Queen Wieslawa now has a much more amicable Premier to work with: Jadwiga Pruska, a former admiral, long-time loyalist and outspoken supporter of the Marynarka’s modernization program (plus one of the only 10 Coalition members in the Sejm during the last term). With her in charge, the military and the Crown can rest assured that they'll have all the money they need regardless of taxes, taken from cuts to other programs if need be. From Wieslawa’s point of view, her plan has worked: she’s managed to outlast Krysiak without getting into too many open spats with her, and now she has exactly the Sejm she needs. Well, as long as Pruska can keep her 151-149 majority in line.
https://i.postimg.cc/XvdGCqfy/20200728174012-1.jpg
With the positive coverage and a more supportive Sejm, Wieslawa decides to order an invasion of Esperanza after all. Ciudad de Esperanza (Cape Town) occupies a supremely strategic spot at the southern tip of Africa, but despite sailing right past it all the time, the Poles have never really contested it due to having decent enough bases on both sides of it. This also isn’t an attempt to take whole colony, mind you – just a bargaining chip for the peace treaty. But the invasion proves pleasantly easy, as the few Asturian forces in the region are busy occupying English Transvalo.
https://i.postimg.cc/MKpQFWSh/20200728174626-1.jpg
Rather than sit around in port, the army in Amatica under Zofia Brochwicz also participates in the wide-fronted invasion of the USA. All the viceroyalties combined have fewer troops than the Free Nations, and apparently more trouble getting them to the front.
https://i.postimg.cc/KzbKrbfp/20200728175810-1.jpg
It can’t be nice being the world’s punching bag: at the same time that the Free Nations invade Alaska over land, Japan (helping England in its war against Asturias) actually lands an army in Ptolemais (San Francisco) and starts fanning out across Caliphania. Asturias itself is under full Italian occupation, the royal family having long since fled from Burgos. Under normal circumstances they might have hidden in the colonies, but right now, the best they can do is the Azores.
https://i.postimg.cc/RVpHrjCq/20200728180513-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/63h8MP1W/20200728180922-1.jpg
Once the Esperanzan forces do arrive, the Army of Bissau gives them a thorough trouncing. As of late 1871, the war is proceeding swimmingly in all theaters and being fought mostly by the colonial garrisons, so life in Europe is hardly even disturbed.
https://i.postimg.cc/mZ8cM0HV/20200728181605-1.jpg
At the same time, another very different kind of African adventure unfolds: after two failed attempts, the first party having returned empty-handed and the second just never heard from again, an expedition setting off from Abyssinia has discovered the source of the Nile, the longest river in the Old World. Going up the Nile would probably have been easier, but the UAS was less than cooperative; but regardless, no European has ever reached the great lake from which the river flows, “the Eye of Africa”. The Poles don’t let the fact that the lake is actually controlled by native states such as the Kingdom of Rwanda tarnish the glory of their “discovery”. The natives may have their own names for the lake – 'Nnalubaale, Nyanza, Nam Lolwe, and more – but on international maps, it will always be marked as Lake Wieslawa. Perhaps the locals should be happy that the discovery is all they’re claiming.
https://i.postimg.cc/TY1KcCjx/20200728182016-1.jpg
By April 1872, what will be remembered as the Anti-Asturian War – half the great powers having decided to invade it for little real reason but to chop it apart – is over on Poland’s part. The Slavs’ terms might be harsh, but on the other hand, they might just be putting on paper what is already inevitable. In addition to Alaska being made one of the Free Nations, the Asturian crown will make obligations to pay back Polish loans (unlikely to actually happen) and immediately accept the USA and Tayshas’ demands for independence. The colonies themselves have already been wanting it for a long time, but however low the motherland might’ve fallen, they never had the muscle to take it by force. What better timing than now, when the oppressor's armies have already been driven off by invaders (Asturias' other viceroyalties not getting the same treatment is partly because they’re under occupation by someone else). Of course, they might have good reason to fear how long their independence will last, but the treaty offers at least some vague promises of Slavic protection for their new buffer states.
https://i.postimg.cc/FHJ1Mznn/20200728184413-1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/vHKc2fXV/20200728185154-1.jpg
Obviously, both nations have been brought quite low both by their long subjugation and by this latest invasion. However, having been freed of the Asturian yoke – and probably with a lot of “investment” to look forward to – these two newborn republics might yet go on to become productive members of world society. So say the Poles, anyway.
https://i.postimg.cc/k474RcMk/20200728194326-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/mrYkrq4Y/20200728194323-1.jpg
Within the next two months, the other aggressors make similar peaces demanding the repayment of their loans, a number of colonies, and perhaps most humiliatingly, temporary but heavy restrictions on the size of the Asturian army. The once mighty Asturian – or Francian, if you prefer – empire has been well and truly decimated. At least Caliphania, the Zanaras and Juliana remain part of it for now.
https://i.postimg.cc/25R3rYsj/20200728193809-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/5y76VCVD/20200728194249-1.jpg
The sight of Poles and Amaticans fighting side by side in the field makes for great propaganda, and they even get to ship home afterwards. Poland enters, for the time being, another period of peace. The same can’t be said for newly independent Tayshas: while the USA is relatively stable, partly due to having a larger percentage of actual Asturians in its population, Tayshas consists of a large Andalusian and Native Amatican majority ruled by a small, also slave-owning minority. The colony already has a long history of religious and ethnic violence and rebellion, and now with pretensions of democracy falling short and no colonial power to provide backup, this situation proves quite untenable. In January 1874, a revolution orchestrated by the allied minority groups takes place in Matamurus and announces the immediate secession of the central provinces under the old Andalusian name, Salsabil. The Hernandez (Houston) government, still in control of most of the military, declares this illegal and effectively begins the Tayshan Civil War. Poland hardly even needs to renege on its promises of protection, hazy as they were to begin with, and decides to consider this an internal matter.
https://i.postimg.cc/LsDSwMRb/20200730230205-1.jpg
The Tayshan army quickly defeats the mutinying units within its own ranks, but to the south, the provisional republic is hard at work putting new men to arms. And even farther south, the overwhelmingly (94%) Mayan and hardly really integrated provinces of Yucatan also decide to break off. They form a constitutional monarchy under a man they consider the direct heir of their last independent king, and the civil war grows a second front, with the loyalist (or perhaps just “not yet rebelled”) regions separated by both the rebels and New Svea between them.
https://i.postimg.cc/5yRNGW5V/20200728202432-1.jpg
No rest for the wicked, though – which apparently includes Poland. Seemingly still riding the high of how effortlessly they swept over Asturias, in June 1874, the Latins seem to want (another) rematch over Lotharingia. They seem to be confident that the curse is finally lifted and the new generation of officers far more competent than they were 11 years ago. It really doesn’t feel like 11 years, though – the notion makes Wieslawa herself feel almost nostalgic somehow. She doesn’t really think Poland needs another war in Europe, but as usual, she believes it’s prepared for one. It’s a good time for her and Premier Pruska to start brainstorming ways to stop this from being a regular occurrence, though.
https://i.postimg.cc/QtSMQTHV/20200730184457-1.jpg
Perhaps it only makes sense that intermittent Polish-Latin wars would become a fixture of European life as the Latins grew in power and the Germans fell by the wayside. Some recall the constant state of pseudo-war that used to reign between Poland and the Francian Empire so many years ago, although today the peacetime really is peaceful while the fighting periods are more intense. The Latins having a clear aggressive streak earns Poland some sympathy even from countries it’s not otherwise on the best terms with. However, the fact that it’s always aggression towards (or by, in the case of Scotland) some Polish ally, not Poland itself, makes many people wonder whether this would be avoidable after all, were Poland not so dead set on maintaining its hegemony. At least fellow pagans are one thing, but what does the common Pole have to do with Lotharingia, other than the Crown wanting to use it as a buffer state and economic puppet? Why fight, why die for that and maybe some new colonies to add to the pile? The socialists in particular are able to draw on this sentiment, inciting the lower classes who are generally the ones made to fight for “the lords” or “the bourgeoisie”. Luckily, wars aren’t exactly started – or won – by referendum.
Then again, the fact that the Polish-Latin wars so far have been very short and restricted to the frontier region might be one reason that leaders on both sides seem to treat them so lightly. Furthermore, the Latin-Moldavian alliance proved unable to glaze over their disagreements regarding Poland, Arabia and the Mediterranean and ended up being broken after all, leaving Poland with one less thing to worry around in this war. Meanwhile, Sweden has slipped out of the Russian sphere and into Poland’s. With Sweden, Scotland and the Free Nations (plus Abyssinia), Poland’s circle of friends is leaning towards the North Atlantic… perhaps the mix-and-match alliances should all be combined into a treaty organization of some sort.
https://i.postimg.cc/G2Mc8n5y/alliances-1874.png
Similar to Poland’s, the Latin Federation’s economy, industry and culture are highly militarized, though in a somewhat different manner, perhaps due to the unique difficulties of selling the idea to a divided and ostensibly democratic nation. Where the Crown Army builds on sheer tradition and prides itself on its (official) separation from politics and even most of society, the Latin Legions have a strong regional identity and work closely with the Catholic Church, even including community events and youth programs to maintain a popular image and raise ready soldiers for the future. The professional army is “voluntary”, but all males must go through military training and be ready to take up arms in the Auxilia when duty calls. On paper, the equipment and doctrine of the Latin army have progressed in leaps and bounds and just about caught up with Poland’s, but only trial by fire will show whether that is true on the ground.
https://i.postimg.cc/Hx5wTHsT/polish-latin-tech-1874.png
(Polish vs. Latin military research)
Mere days after word gets out, the neighboring countries seem eager to recreate the last war with alarming alacrity: England declares war on Scotland and Germany on the Latins, over the same old Yorkshire and Franche-Comté respectively. It’s starting to look like the peace in between was just an extended armistice.
https://i.postimg.cc/x8C1t1z5/20200730190406-1.jpg
Well, the first months of the war are also rather similar to the last one, with Poland clearly dominant in England and the colonial theaters while the actual brunt of the fighting takes place in continental Europe. The papers follow the adventures of folk heroes such as Zofia Brochwicz and Jan Chodkiewicz, whose veteran troops are also fresh from the Anti-Asturian War. Due to the Yugoslavians too having learned from the last war and not having Moldavia to worry about, the Latin force trying to invade through the narrow corridor is met by just about the entire Yugoslavian army.
https://i.postimg.cc/SxvC8jny/20200730191849-1.jpg
A good chunk of the English Royal Navy’s fighting force is caught and sunk in the Channel, still stuck using old wooden ships of the line against ironclads whose armor they can hardly penetrate.
https://i.postimg.cc/xTXdmqYT/20200730191504-1.jpg
The first major land battle with Polish involvement, which takes place in Cambrai over late July and August, starts with a fearsome Latin offensive against Lotharingian lines but turns into a total rout when Polish reinforcements start arriving en masse. Post-battle analysis of the equipment scattered across the battlefield shows that the Latins have arguably surpassed the Poles in both rifle and artillery design, but that wasn’t enough to make the difference against sheer numbers in this particular battle. All salvageable specimens are sent back to Poland for study.
https://i.postimg.cc/hPNt1gP8/20200730193207-1.jpg
However, the real spearhead of the Latin invasion is a bit to the east in Charleville. A massive force equal to almost four of Poland’s standardized “armies” has seized the city and immediately gotten to work securing it, filling the flat and open countryside with a vast semicircle of trenches – a technique developed and mastered largely on these same Lotharingian battlefields. The Polish generals make sure to take their sweet time amassing the forces needed to dislodge this makeshift fortress – it’s not going anywhere.
https://i.postimg.cc/52wb5Cr1/20200730193857-1.jpg
The Battle of Charleville, another good contender for the largest land battle in European history, is finally launched in September. The attack is preceded by days of artillery bombardment, which the Latins answer in kind to their best ability; they’ve placed their artillery within the city itself, making the Poles both unable and unwilling to bombard them but sacrificing much of their own accuracy in turn. At night, both sides send out raiding parties to probe and harass the other. When the time finally comes for the mass charge, it becomes clear that despite having had weeks to prepare, the trenches are poorly designed and poorly protected in such a way that they don’t really cover each other and capturing just one part leaves the rest highly vulnerable. Furthermore, even the Latins' advanced rifles are still single-shot and can only manage a few volleys before the enemy is already upon them. Trench doctrine is still undeveloped on both sides, and the technology doesn't quite support it. However, while the massive Polish-Lotharingian force’s casualties are proportionally smaller than the Latins’, they’re still grievous, and neither side is looking forward to this kind of fighting becoming a staple of warfare.
https://i.postimg.cc/fLWzRRBs/20200730195448-1.jpg
As the Latins are so focused on the north, the combined forces of Poland, Yugoslavia, Bavaria and Germany get increasingly aggressive in the south, putting the Latins in a devilish dilemma of which front to reinforce. The idea of Poles knocking on the gates of Rome once more is both frightening and infuriating.
https://i.postimg.cc/3J0KR6Ck/20200730200347-1.jpg
Much like last time, England is quick to drop out once the war turns against it (not that it looked good to begin with). However, unlike last time, Wieslawa doesn’t just pick off some random colonies but makes a more strategic decision: the treaty stipulates the removal of military installments in Lancashire and on the Isle of Man (a job largely done for them by Polish artillery) and forbids the construction of any new ones. This basically turns the provinces, already vulnerably positioned, into a Scottish hostage in the case of war, which should hopefully be a good deterrent.
https://i.postimg.cc/9fYX27P1/20200730200910-1.jpg
And as the bloody, bloody offenses push deeper into Latin territory, they too make peace in record time in November 1874. From them, Poland demands their half of the Maniolas: not only is the current division of the islands notoriously messy, Polish and Latin claims being separated by less than a mile of water in some places, the Poles are getting tired of invading the exact same places for the umpteenth time in a row.
https://i.postimg.cc/prpPKcw1/20200730201927-1.jpg
Another swift victory for the Crown Army, but not a cheap one; and while it is reassuring to see that the Federation is still something of a paper tiger, they’re certainly getting better every time, and it’s clear even to jingoists like Wieslawa and Pruska that this cycle of revanchism – the Latins invade, the Latins lose, they get increasingly determined to try again – is utterly pointless for both sides. In the aftermath of the war, and as the German-Latin one still rages on, they decide to be the bigger man women and put into action their plans for what should hopefully be a long-term solution…
Newspaper Gallery (https://imgur.com/a/R8nytwm)
The UAS is consolidating its position, annexing the rump state of Iraq, the entire Shahdom of Persia and parts of Pratihara Afghanistan. Like many other parts of the UAS, the latter two are neither Arabian nor in fact even Muslim.
https://i.postimg.cc/RCsFqKkD/20200728203156-1.jpg
Much to the Karnata Kingdom’s frustration, the Maratha Confederacy – still effectively a military dictatorship – has continued to expand and even catch up in terms of industry and population, though it’s not quite yet equal. As Japan has made promises to protect the Confederacy from any undue aggression, the competition between the two has turned into a race to see who can eat into the Pratihara Empire the fastest.
https://i.postimg.cc/5yTbgq19/20200730204502-1.jpg
A new challenger has also appeared in China: under pressure from all directions, the Kingdom of Yan – already dismissed as a lost cause by many – has managed to not only expand once more but actually start a program of rapid modernization in its government, military and economy. Both the would-be Emperor and his otherwise highly reactionary advisors have seen this as the only way to compete or even survive against the foreign barbarians invading what should be the Chinese Empire. Given the somewhat ridiculous population density of the region, Yan is actually the most populous country in the world at 135 million people, and continues to grow as it invades its neighbors. Currently it’s still rather backwards by great power standards, but the speed of its reforms has been remarkable, and should it survive all threats both internal and external, it might well become a world player one day.
https://i.postimg.cc/dQxsJvdM/20200730204839-1.jpg
The Kingdom of Sweden, Finland and Norway, usually just known as Sweden, is despite its name a unitary state ruled directly from Stockholm (as much as distance allows). However, following the revolution in 1849, it has been a constitutional monarchy, King Johan III Inger being mostly a figurehead for the Riksdag. The Riksdag has actually existed since the 1400s and even been unusually inclusive, counting peasants as the fourth estate alongside nobles, priests and burghers, but since all estates had equal representation despite peasants making up 95% of the population, it still wasn’t exactly balanced. The Riksdag faded in influence over the years as power was centralized under the King, only reemerging after the revolution and now with elected, proportional representation. However, whereas the Latins' revolution has led to their mighty resurgence as a great power, in Sweden’s case it was largely seen as another nail in the coffin, the materially weakened country no longer even having the same tradition and prestige to draw on.
https://i.postimg.cc/QMhsfML7/20200730222401-1.jpg
The colonial governorates are still nominally subjects of Sweden, but increasingly referred to as the Nordiska förening, a hazy term variously translated as “alliance”, “league”, “federation”, “union” or “society” but the official English term being “Nordic Union”. As Sweden couldn’t stop them from seceding if they felt like it, the Union is largely treated as a voluntary alliance for mutual economic benefit. Sweden also has a respectable number of smaller colonies around the world, but has acquired no new ones since the revolution – other great powers feel that these outposts have been “left to fallow”, Sweden being too weak to really do anything with them, but they’ve been left alone so far due to some other great power always offering Sweden its protection.
https://i.postimg.cc/7YcZnznQ/swedish-colonies-1874.png
In a starker variant of the same kind of thinking displayed by all the colonial powers to some extent, even Poland, Swedish colonial rule has been based on hierarchical ranking of “races” with Nords (not including Sami) at the top and Africans, Amaticans and Alcadrans at the bottom. This has been used to justify their conquest, exploitation and overall needless cruelty towards them. And though the post-revolution governments have been softening this attitude somewhat, enough to draw protests from the colonies, even they haven’t truly abandoned it, merely adapted it to the new “White Man’s Burden” philosophy. Emerging research in genetics, evolution and anthropology is readily adapted into eugenics, providing what looks like scientific backing and applications for this kind of thought.
The Polish-Swedish alliance can be credited largely to the new government, which doesn't really care about old grudges, and the fact that the United Kingdom of Russia cut its alliance with Sweden the moment it no longer needed a check against Novgorod. Of course, the most important factor is probably just the sad truth that Swedish military power isn't what it used to be, and it needs someone to protect what's left of it.
Obviously the Tayshan Civil War was coded by me, more specifically to happen if Tayshas became independent at any point (unless it was late enough that they’d managed to take a decision to make Andalusian an accepted culture). It’s the kind of thing that I honestly wish I had the patience and/or creativity to script all over the place, but eh. Inspired by the fact that Tayshas is indeed a large country with a tiny ruling minority and a history of rebellion. And yes, it did feel kind of cheaty to be the one who released them, but the chance was right there… :smalltongue:
Meanwhile, the core issues in Europe are becoming a real nuisance. This war being such a carbon copy of the last one is kinda what sealed the deal. I’m going to code a continent-wide conference to deal with some of them, maybe make a few land trades, since it feels reasonable enough to me that countries on both sides would eventually get tired of fruitlessly fighting over them too. Certainly better (and probably more “realistic”) than this endless stream of half-year wars over the exact same provinces. However, spoiler alert, I’m also going to add the possibility of restoring those cores once we get into the great war era.
I think one big problem with the military AI might be that it doesn’t use enough gun... uh, artillery. Because of that, despite the Latins having similar or superior tech and the difficulty buffs on top of that, I seem to have the advantage even in battles with equally large armies. The optimal build is, broadly speaking, 50/50 frontline and backline units, with maybe a few extra frontliners to provide a buffer in case of large casualties.
And, one bizarre bug I’ve had for a long time but forgot to mention: for some reason, every country has every political party unlocked at once, including several parties of the same ideology that are normally supposed to replace each other at given points in time (i.e. four different Conservative parties or something). On Poland's part, I muddle through by manually tweaking the party list whenever a new one should be unlocked; for other countries, I just set up an automatic event to fix things if a party of an ideology that hasn’t been unlocked yet (currently only fascism) somehow gets in power. Oh yeah, and every now and then a few countries' ruling parties will get shuffled, even countries' that aren’t supposed to be able to appoint them. Good times.
IthilanorStPete
2020-07-30, 05:44 PM
Interesting update! Seems like military thinking is advancing a bit faster in this game than in OTL, with early trench warfare starting and generals not senselessly ordering their armies into the meat-grinder...makes sense with the increased frequency of wars, though.
With Sweden, Scotland and the Free Nations (plus Abyssinia), Poland’s circle of friends is leaning towards the North Atlantic… perhaps the mix-and-match alliances should all be combined into a treaty organization of some sort.
I see what you did there. :smallcool:
The UAS is consolidating its position,annexing the rump state of Iraq, the entire Shahdom of Persia and parts of Pratihara Afghanistan. Like many other parts of the UAS, the latter two are neither Arabian or in fact even Muslim.
What religion are they, Zoroastrian? I've forgotten how religion evolved in that corner of the world in this game.
...Yan is actually the most populous country in the world at 135 million people...
How's it compare to Wu? I thought most of the population in China was closer to the coast.
Meanwhile, the core issues in Europe are becoming a real nuisance. This war being such a carbon copy of the last one is kinda what sealed the deal. I’m going to code a continent-wide conference to deal with some of them, maybe make a few land trades, since it feels reasonable enough to me that countries on both sides would eventually get tired of fruitlessly fighting over them too. Certainly better (and probably more “realistic”) than this endless stream of half-year wars over the exact same provinces. However, spoiler alert, I’m also going to add the possibility of restoring those cores once we get into the great war era.
Not quite sure how I feel about this; it makes some sense, but the Latins and Poles don't really seem on speaking terms these days. Maybe add some possibility of internal tension due to revanchists on both sides?
The optimal build is, broadly speaking, 50/50 frontline and backline units, with maybe a few extra frontliners to provide a buffer in case of large casualties.
Yep, that's about how I usually build armies; my standard early/mid-game army is 30k, 4 inf/1 hussar/4 art/1 eng.
SilverLeaf167
2020-07-30, 06:53 PM
Interesting update! Seems like military thinking is advancing a bit faster in this game than in OTL, with early trench warfare starting and generals not senselessly ordering their armies into the meat-grinder...makes sense with the increased frequency of wars, though.
To some level that's definitely just me describing what I see happening in game, but you're right, I also feel that even if machine guns, improved artillery and whatnot are what made trench warfare as infamous as it is, once guns get decent enough to cover a bit of distance, there's nothing inherently advanced or technological about grabbing a shovel and digging a hole in the ground to stand in. Doctrine too is just a matter of seeing what works or doesn't and taking notes. Especially as the bloodiest battlefields by far have had hundreds of thousands of soldiers fighting in the wide open flatlands of the Low Countries and Northern France, the exact same place where trench warfare got its reputation in real life and there's no other cover available.
The entrenchment bonuses themselves are at roughly half of what they're likely to reach by the time of the great wars.
What religion are they, Zoroastrian? I've forgotten how religion evolved in that corner of the world in this game.
Hindu, due to being conquered and converted by the Pratihara pretty early in CK2.
How's it compare to Wu? I thought most of the population in China was closer to the coast.
It is, but most of that coast is under Manchurian, Japanese, Ning or English rule these days. Still, despite how broken up it is, Wu manages to clock in at a respectable 101 million. We're hitting the halfway point of Vic 2 soonish (1886), and population numbers will probably be one of the things discussed in the world overview then.
...When I started Vic 2, I definitely didn't expect such chronologically short chapters to become the norm for me, but on some level I'm glad they did, since I was worried we'd whisk past the whole game way too quickly.
Not quite sure how I feel about this; it makes some sense, but the Latins and Poles don't really seem on speaking terms these days. Maybe add some possibility of internal tension due to revanchists on both sides?
Fair. Though I'm mostly fixing the mess I made myself with too liberal core placement, I do feel a tinge of possibly misplaced guilt whenever I script any favorable events into the game, but the plausibility is perhaps the bigger thing I worry about. As you probably know, the gameplay stat of "revanchism" will actually go down due to having fewer cores in other people's territory (and there's no way to raise it manually), but I'll try to brainstorm some way to represent that. Some balance of jingoism and straight-up militancy boost is a likely solution.
SilverLeaf167
2020-08-03, 10:30 AM
Chapter #64: Art of the Deal (1875-1880)
13 November, 1875
As has happened several times before, the Germans get off to a good start in their war against the Latin Federation, only to soon come to a halt once the Latins are no longer distracted with Poland. The war threatens to turn into another gruesome meat-grinder, probably lasting for several years before both sides ultimately leave empty-handed. High Queen Wieslawa and Premier Pruska have taken the liberty of organizing a diplomatic solution to end these constant border conflicts in Western Europe, but it’s up to the participants to actually make it happen.
To that end, the Congress of Charleroi is called in January 1875, while corpses still litter the battlefields of Lotharingia and the war rages only some 60 miles to the south. Despite that, Germany agrees to send its foreign minister, while the Latins are represented by the Paris Consul himself – it costs nothing to come and listen. Pruska and the foreign minister will stand for Poland. England, Scotland, Yugoslavia (in some pretension of independence) and obviously Lotharingia are also accounted for, but outside observers have been kept out to leave all parties free to negotiate with less need for useless posturing. None of the participants besides Poland are entirely sure what even to expect, and the terms will indeed go through many mutations before they're acceptable to all sides.
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The Latins and the English are initially outraged by the deal suggested, seeing it as blatantly unfair and stacked against them; however, they’re forced to face the facts that not only have they lost every war so far, they’ve usually been the aggressors, and are actually losing one as they speak. This is a better deal than they can ever expect should they continue to fight the same fight over and over. Germany is also somewhat reluctant at first, but ultimately decides that it’s worth it to gain something material today in exchange for giving up some future plans. The final, agreed terms of the Congress of Charleroi are as follows:
Germany and the Latin Federation will immediately cease fighting, make peace and retreat from the other’s territory not included in this treaty. This mostly applies to Germany, as the Latins occupy no German land at the moment, but do have troops moving there.
The provinces of Udine and Gorizia (Weiden and Görz) conquered in 1854 will be returned to Germany, and the Federation will renounce its claims to them. This also takes care of the mutually dangerous border between the Latins and Yugoslavia.
Germany will renounce its claims to the Franche-Comté region (Federation) and county of Luxembourg (Lotharingia). In return, it will be granted the presently occupied border province of Metz, which will be acknowledged as an integral part of Elsass-Lothringen.
The Federation will renounce any and all claims to Polish, Lotharingian and Yugoslavian territory. They will do the same in return, not that they really have any. Also, the Poles will not keep a permanent garrison in Lotharingia or a war fleet in Yugoslavia. Despite Latin demands, Calais remains a military base due to its vital and vulnerable location.
England and Scotland will renounce any and all claims to each other’s territory. The Lancashire disarmament clause of the previous peace will be withdrawn. Poland will no longer keep a permanent garrison in Scotland.
As long as the terms of this treaty remain unbroken, Poland will refrain from any offensive wars against the other signatories or their immediate allies. (As it already did…)
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The last one-sided condition, restricting Poland and no one else, is necessary to sweeten the deal, but the Polish leadership actually sees it as a masterstroke. Whether the others see it that way or not, it effectively places Poland a notch above the other great powers as overseer and enforcer of the treaty, and makes it look like the others are desperately trying to appease it. But even with that added, it’s striking that Poland’s only real concessions in this treaty involve promises not to do this or that “unless the others force it to”. However, this is a result of the simple fact that there are few things the Latins could, justifiably or given their current standing, demand from them – the one such option, the return of colonies like Gambia or the Maniolas, isn’t really even discussed, as the treaty is restricted to Europe to keep it from bloating out of control. More importantly, in the end, the closed-door nature of the negotiations means that everyone gets to go home and give the treaty their own positive spin, hopefully allowing them to end this particular cycle of conflict without anyone losing too much face. If someone was worried about Polish aggression, they can sell this as a victory, while the Poles have a good excuse not to be aggressive. Perhaps projecting a little bit, Wieslawa is under the impression that the other great powers also keep invading each other at least partly because they need to do so in order to be considered great powers. No side can deny that these wars have been a fruitless drain on everyone’s resources; any chance of ending them, even if it means gritting your teeth and making some compromises, is mutually beneficial.
But then again, one reason that the treaty seemed to be accepted with relative ease might be that since much of it consists of promises and little else, anyone can very well break it once they feel like it…
And despite the seemingly favorable terms, the treaty doesn’t actually pass without controversy in Poland either. To people who don’t quite understand Wieslawa’s theatrical logic, it can easily seem like she’s just eaten her word and not only negotiated a shady backroom deal with the Christians, but actually tied down Poland’s foreign policy and military movements within its own sphere of influence in return for promises that those devils will never keep. It is in many ways reminiscent of the controversial Treaty of Rome. While not exactly on the verge of rebellion, there’s a sizable amount of people both in the streets and in the government either demanding or pleading her to tear up the treaty and… well, they’re actually rather hazy on what to do after that. Though it seems like such protests should be restricted to a few hardcore reactionaries, the overall debate regarding foreign policy and even Poland’s place in the world ends up escalating and infecting a lot of people who regularly wouldn’t give a damn about the subject. Intelligence from abroad suggests that similar things are happening in most of the other signatory countries.
Wieslawa can only sigh and rub her temples. So do they want to die for Lotharingia or not?
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In the aftermath of the Anti-Asturian War, Asturias has rapidly gone down the path of many other failed empires and succumbed to a popular revolution. Much like Italy, it already saw a few attempts at the start of the century, but back then the imperial military was still strong enough to put them down. Not so much anymore. In the spring of 1875, after already taking over most of the country, the revolution finally reaches Burgos. However, partly because they have little interest in imitating the Federation, the resulting system is a more conventional kind of constitutional monarchy in the vein of Sweden, with the King still present in politics but just greatly weakened. Most of the power lies with the parliament, the Cortes Generales.
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The Cortes sets out to discuss greater political and religious rights for the Andalusian Muslim minority, but in a country as staunchly Catholic as Asturias, even the liberals are far from unanimous on this. More immediately, though, the national capital is moved down to Toledo, a more central, accessible, and perhaps even somewhat defensible location. It has stayed in Burgos all the way until now largely for traditional reasons that the new government doesn’t put too much weight on.
Speaking of Andalusians, though, in all this mess, Caliphania decides to abandon the sinking ship and unilaterally declare independence. With Tayshas and the USA leaving the empire and the nearest Asturian territory thus an ocean’s worth of sailing away, it sees little reason to stay either. The Asturians who have settled in the territory since its conquest fear for their rights, but partly in order not to provoke its neighbors, the government in Ptolemais promises them equal treatment. The Zanaras and Juliana still choose to stay, though, weak and with plantation economies highly dependent on their European connections.
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More shockingly, a similar revolution takes place in Yan. As its war with the rival state of Ning has proven to be less one-sided than expected, the populace has taken the opportunity to force its terms on the government. The Chinese Chaos, if you consider it to have started with the Pratihara collapse, has lasted for almost forty years now, basically one long and gigantic civil war between claimants to the Chinese Empire that has already claimed millions upon millions of lives – all at the hands of warlords, oligarchs, old nobility and foreign conquerors. The people themselves finally want a say in it. They don’t want to have to choose between despots at home and republicans from abroad: they want a real democratic China. Much like Japan, China needs an emperor, but not a tyrant. The real question will be whether Yan turns out to be just another of those “failed empires”, or if it will in fact become stronger from this like the Latins did.
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All this only seems to reinforce the Polish doctrine that even a short lapse in monarchical power can and will lead to a rapid snowball effect. Combined with the disgruntlement over the Congress, there’s actually an idea brewing in some royalist circles that the Crown might not know what’s best for itself. As Poland is, despite its minor liberal reforms, still staunchly monarchist, it’s hard to see these ultra-monarchist circles gaining much traction with their demands of even greater government power, at least in any way that would threaten the state – but it must be a sign of the times that they even exist.
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Still, the National Coalition is able to enter the 1876 election with an easy mind. While the Royalist resurgence obviously eats into the conservative vote a little bit, making the Populists more competitive that way, it certainly doesn’t help their vote either. The general (perhaps hopeful) impression among conservatives is that the liberal swing of the Hungry ‘40s was just an ideological craze that is now starting to fade, and indeed, the Coalition ultimately expands its majority from 151 to 240. Its middle-of-the-line compromise between conservative ethics and liberal economics seems to be doing rather well, having even managed to surpass the Latins in terms of industry again; though many are quick to note that this was achieved by propping up otherwise unprofitable enterprises for the sake of numbers.
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It sure would be nice if nostalgic old men and armchair generals grumbling in their smoky chambers were the country’s biggest problem, though. If the liberal boogeyman has started to fade, then it’s been replaced by a new one. Most of the strange radicalization happening on both ends of the political spectrum can be traced back to the communist agenda and everyone else’s reactions to it. Though still very marginal in terms of actual membership, the communists are disproportionately noisy and their ideas frightening to the rest of society, many popular newspapers also liking to use them as a source of cheap outrage. Should the communists get a real foothold with the working class, whether those people can vote or not, they could potentially vote with their feet and paralyze all of society simply by refusing to work.
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In fear of this, some groups of both conservatives and especially reactionaries are starting to organize into specifically anti-communist movements. The aforementioned nationalists demand state crackdowns and protection of traditional values, and if the state can't or won't put down the red menace then they'll do it instead. Two distinct Guards are forming: Red and White, very small for the time being but, some believe, with potential to grow into an actual civil war if they get out of hand. They both hate each other, and the Crown doesn’t like either of them either.
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Policing has a long and storied history in Poland – indeed, the more common term is still “city guard” – but to the people being policed, that mixed bag of practices is hardly a good thing. While the Crown Army has been the only “army” allowed in the country for a long time now, most other security arrangements have been left to the local authorities to figure out. In many places they work with or are even part of the military, yet also cooperate with state-sanctioned but independent militias, while large businesses the likes of the Crown Railway Company, Škoda Works, Gdansk Arsenal and HAPAG have been allowed to keep lightly armed (but still armed) security forces of their own. Especially as investment into “security” has been on the rise ever since the German Revolution - obviously spikes during any period of unrest - law, order and property have usually been better protected than the citizens themselves. And when push has come to shove, the government has seen nothing strange about deploying even the Crown Army against its own citizens.
The predecessors of both of the current Guards played a prominent role on either side of the Long Revolution, and indeed, the Whites were among those militias approved by the government, but for fear of things escalating out of control, Wieslawa and Pruska – the Coalition proving its worth as the Crown’s chief ally against extremists of all kinds – work together on a long-awaited and wide-reaching set of police reforms. For one, the entire country’s law enforcement is standardized and split into a “police” and a “gendarmerie”, only the latter of which carries firearms. The police is still organized locally, but led centrally from Krakow, while the gendarmerie is a branch of the Crown Army. This is accompanied by a number of ground-level changes to how they operate, mostly to what could be called the citizens’ benefit, compared to the previous system that is.
More vitally, independent militias – including the Guards – are all outlawed, though the full impact of this is hobbled somewhat as much of the White Guard is quietly absorbed into official law enforcement while both continue to operate in secrecy or under other names. After some debate and much lobbying, exceptions are also made to allow corporations to keep their security forces. Furthermore, while openly carrying or “stockpiling” (an ambiguous term) firearms is outlawed, they can’t be fully banned in the countryside, nor can the Crown touch the knives, axes and other potential weapons that many if not most citizens still carry for work, dress or tradition.
But the most controversial reform, which few people notice at the time, is hidden in the margins: the nondescriptly named Second Department of Crown Army General Staff or “Dwójka”, formerly dealing only with foreign military intelligence, is given the new task to “cooperate with law enforcement on request or command of the Crown”. This will eventually lead the Dwójka to take an ever greater and more proactive role in tracking and capturing potential rebels, conflating domestic dissidents with foreign agents, and overall becoming Poland’s very own secret police.
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With Latin help – or, in fact, leaving almost the entire job to the Latins – the United Arab States keep striving to live up to their name, annexing the Barbary States based in Tunis. Thanks to Moldavia, there’s no land or even sea connection between Tunis and Mecca without going around all of Africa, and so it stands that despite Arab administrators eventually arriving to take over the region, this is in many ways a Latin proxy war to strengthen its allies’ and its own control of the Mediterranean. That goes double, as the Barbary States had long been in the Moldavian sphere of influence, and Belgorod’s failure to intervene is a show of weakness. In addition, the UAS is going to be more motivated than ever to reclaim Egypt and Tripolitania.
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In August 1877, the Tayshan Civil War is finally over after three years of guerrilla warfare in the mountains, deserts and jungles of the vast country. With outgunned Native Pagans and Andalusian Muslims fighting an asymmetric war against the Asturian Catholic military, it had all the look of a colonial conquest, but with economic support from the USA, finally ended in government victory. Many of those guerrillas weren’t caught, though, but simply vanished – many of them into Caliphania or New Svea – and the government lacks both the ability and the will to continue hunting down its own citizenry. Time will show whether it ends up pursuing reconciliation or indeed retribution, but despite some level of sympathy for the rebels, geopolitically a united Tayshas is in Poland’s best interest. With the war over, Poland can resume its influence over the Hernandez government with supposedly clean hands.
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Only two months later, though, another potential civil war is already about to boil over – in the UAS. Following its failure to break free during the revolution that brought the Majlis to power, a provisional government (i.e. rebel group) in Darfur, Sudan, has been undertaking an active campaign to win international support against its longtime Arab oppressors. While the issue is in many ways unremarkable from Poland’s point of view, this campaign has succeeded in gaining some visibility in the Polish media, mostly due to the rebels' proximity to Abyssinia and shared opposition to the Arab regime and its Latin patrons. The moment of truth arrives in October 1877, when a Latin “peacekeeping” force sails past Abyssinia and lands in the UAS, officially pledging its support to the Arab government but also seeming to foreshadow a greater military presence in the region.
At Abyssinia’s urging, Poland (quite hypocritically) puts out an official protest against military intervention in the region and effectively throws its weight behind the Darfuri rebels. In one fell swoop, the matter has been taken out of the hands of the locals themselves, and will be decided by tense negotiations between Poland and the Latins directly.
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Two years after the Congress of Charleroi and the backlash to it, neither side is terribly eager to stand down in what has half-accidentally become a matter of national pride, but neither do they really want to break the peace over what they both view as a bunch of insignificant desert. Wieslawa gets to play her favorite game, that of military maneuvers and public posturing. Anticipating, though not hoping for, a potential war over the matter, one African and one East Indian army set off towards Abyssinia, while in Europe, troops reenter Lotharingia and start digging in along the Latin border. The High Queen believes that displaying Poland’s readiness for war will make the Latins less eager to play brave and actually start one.
It turns out that with the Congress, she might have created her own worst enemy: never did she expect that settling the border dispute between the Latins and Germany would lead the two archenemies to gang up on Poland. Yet in November, Germany announces that it would consider Poland’s intervention in the Latin sphere of influence a violation of Clause 6 of the Congress and join the Latin side should it come to war. German involvement would indeed lock down much of the Polish army, leave the Lotharingian front horribly flanked and threaten the Polish mainland directly. Things only get worse when Russia, not even a signatory of the treaty, seconds this statement. Poland is supposed to have good relations with the Russians; yet they make clear that this in effect a heavy-handed reminder for Wieslawa to simply back down and not do anything she might regret.
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Pruska also cautiously recommends letting the matter slide, but whether Wieslawa intends on listening to the voices of reason around her, forces beyond her control seem to insist on making the decision for her. The Polish ambassador to the January meeting of the great powers, held in Moldavian Alexandria and hoping to replicate the miracle of Charleroi, is both a staunch Wieslawa loyalist and a heavy drinker who doesn’t hesitate to tell the other participants just what his High Queen will do to them if they don’t back down while they still can. If neither side backs down, the Darfuri Crisis of all things seems to be veering straight towards the most severe war in modern Polish history.
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Considering those facts, even Wieslawa is ultimately forced to concede. As much as it hurts, she believes in maintaining prestige and power projection to protect the country, not blindly sacrificing the country to protect her own pride. The Latin-German cooperation was unexpected but not entirely out of character, but the Russian betrayal – not unlike the Moldavian one in the past – feels very personal to her, and becomes a grudge she will carry to her grave. In any case, by approaching the Latins directly she is able to reach a status quo agreement: Poland will drop the matter, quietly withdraw from the border, and try to sell this whole thing as proof that the treaty works, not a minor dispute that nearly came to a war between four great powers. If anything, it’s rather magnanimous of the Latins not to demand any further concessions at this point. The Darfuri people themselves have been largely forgotten and left to whatever the Latins and Arabs will do to them.
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While a wise decision, it is indeed a major blow to Polish prestige, angering many of the same people as the Congress did. If only she hadn’t insisted on making it such a public matter to begin with, and just let the UAS handle its internal matters like any other country. The very idea of such a war also floated the terrifying possibility of Poland’s otherwise mutually hostile neighbors managing to join forces, a possibility that once demonstrated like this might well shadow every similar crisis in the future.
The Darfuri Crisis and its political fallout tragically overshadow a grand feat of engineering taking place in Poland itself. As the Jutland peninsula so frustratingly juts out of the continent, acquiring a faster path from Polish ports in the Baltic to ones in the North Sea has been a prime interest since time immemorial, and indeed, a canal connecting the two seas along the Eider River has already existed for almost a hundred years now. However, the Eider Canal is narrow and very shallow, basically only navigable for small sailboats or flat-bottomed barges and totally useless to most ships even at the time it was built, even more so today. As engineering skill, tools and materials have improved, so has the ambition for a larger canal able to accommodate shipping and military traffic between the major ports of Kiel and Hamburg – the Kiel Canal. Time is money, and though expensive in itself, the canal could save hundreds of miles in travel for countless ships far into the future.
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The project is met with some skepticism, but even more so enthusiastic funding from the Crown and private sources alike. In the spring of 1878, briefly delayed by the threat of war, construction is finally able to begin. The 60-mile-long canal is excavated by a mixture of modern Polish machinery and the manual labor of over 9,000 workers, and the earth is moved out by a series of purpose-built train tracks. The sheer novelty and scale of the construction site make it a tourist attraction for both gawking locals and wealthy visitors with too much time on their hands.
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The second-greatest canal in the world, after the fully hand-dug Grand Canal in China which has fallen into disrepair during the Chaos, quickly starts to take shape. Once it is finally completed sometime in the next decade, the company formed to maintain it will be able to collect a toll from shipping companies wishing to use it, which they can easily calculate is still much cheaper than going around. Any profits are then distributed among investors, including the Crown. Marynarka vessels are exempt from the toll, though.
Poland manages to stay at peace for at least another few years. However, given the lessons of the Darfuri Crisis, Wieslawa has no choice but to keep expanding the Crown Army. Being able to defend Poland and its allies’ 1500-mile land border in the west has always been its main baseline, which it has generally met, but adding the 1000-mile eastern border to the equation makes it a real headache. Russia can’t exactly be handled by the token garrisons usually stationed in the region for the past several centuries, and Poland finds itself going right back to the crises of the post-German Revolution era, when the fear of a multi-front war in Europe completely paralyzed its foreign policy. With the High Queen's deepening distrust of the Russians, the border becomes increasingly militarized, which history shows can just as well cause wars as prevent them.
Premier Jadwiga Pruska, well-acquainted with the military, has an active role in this process, willingly playing right-hand woman to Wieslawa. However, in March 1880, a year before the next election, Pruska is found dead in her office one morning. She had been working through the night, as she often did, and the guards at the door had been told not to disturb her – not that they heard anything strange. The old admiral is deemed to have gone to her armchair to rest and then died of some sort of seizure in her sleep.
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The 46-year-old High Queen Wieslawa is struck with grief both personal… and political. As Premier and leader of her party, Pruska heroically committed herself and the entire Coalition to the Crown’s decisions, even when questionable, and unlike perhaps with Krysiak, Wieslawa is neither able nor willing to blame any of her so-called failures on her late friend. Furthermore, Pruska was really the first proper leader the modern Coalition has ever had, and her line of succession is less than clear-cut. Certainly not the best time to be dealing with any intra-party squabbling.
If Pruska was a tireless old warhorse, then her eventual successor Cyryl Zaworski is a diligent diplomat and advocate of proactive foreign policy, but seen by many detractors as a member of the “appeasement club” who puts great faith in the power of congresses like Charleroi and Alexandria to replace huge wars as a way of solving small squabbles. Were it not for his economic and social policies, he would probably be labeled a yellow-bellied Populist. As it is, his selection as a Premier has to be settled by a vote among the Coalition deputies, and the competition between him and a more hardline opponent is extremely close, putting the cobbled-together nature of the Coalition on full display.
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As the Populists smell blood in the water, they approach the coming election with renewed enthusiasm. However, they’re also under attack from their left, the communists having done such a shockingly good job consolidating their support that the SDP is rumored to be secretly turning to them for help. And in the midst of all this, the Scots seem insistent on dragging Poland into a whole new diplomatic snarl…
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Newspaper Gallery (https://imgur.com/a/KmZvVFY)
Even after the nominal end of the civil war, Tayshas has had to combat repeated insurrections by Salsabili rebels, and to the south of Yucatan, the Guatemalan natives actually managed to push out the government and declare their own independence. Tayshas almost immediately declared war on them too, seeing this as an extension of the civil war.
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If anyone had high hopes for constitutional Yan, they seem to have been dashed by the parliament’s early stumbles and much of its territory deciding it was tired of these insane reforms for reforms’ sake and would rather be part of Wu, even if it meant less “advancement”. However, right next door in what is now the Zhenhua People’s Republic (the little gray rectangle), a perhaps even more remarkable revolution has taken place: a communist party (or People's Liberation Army, rather) has managed to rally the tired population to overthrow the local warlord, promising rapid liberalization, industrialization and the spread of the revolution to all of China by what is supposedly the world’s first socialist state. Given the poor communications, overall confusion, audience fatigue and quick turnover rate of any given regime in the region, this isn’t given much if any attention in Europe, but whatever happens there might serve as a lab experiment for what to expect when communists seize power. And Yan isn’t entirely out of the game, either.
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Lech Lisowski, 59, lives a quiet life at his brother’s farm out near Poznan, mostly writing poetry and introspective philosophical works that he is too afraid to share. He hides them in his study, actually half-expecting, half-hoping that someone will dig them out far in the future and publish them posthumously. The delay of his execution went from “indefinite” to “permanent” and he was released from prison once the Long Revolution had well and truly calmed down, both as a nod towards reconciliation and because his jailors realized just how little he truly mattered. However, he has remained paranoid ever since: about the Crown changing its mind and coming after him, yes, but somewhat delusionally also the dangerous impact his words could have on others.
With that in mind, he has stopped reading the papers and reacts to any news about the Social Democratic Party with extremely mixed feelings. They and other socialists the world over wave red flags and have made “red” itself into their symbol, which of course fits quite well into the Polish national aesthetic. But he is in fact not delusional to think that this is all thanks to his accursed Red Eagle Army: indeed, the half-fictional group’s most lasting impact by far has been the permanent association of red and white with revolution and monarchy respectively, originally referencing the Polish flag but smoothly adopted in other countries and given new meaning regardless of its origin. The blood of the workers; the flames of revolution; the red clay that they plow. And of course, it is delightfully eye-catching and simple.
The color is where Lisowski’s contribution to the socialist ideology begins and ends, but sometimes he can’t help but wonder what could’ve been. He’s pretty sure he met Reuben Stern a few times when they were both studying in Krakow in the ‘40s, maybe even exchanged a few words with him, who knows. Had he done what Stern did, or perhaps traveled with him, maybe he could now be the prophet of the masses, the harbinger of change read and quoted on all continents… as well as the People’s House just down the road, which was built by volunteer work and hosts red-tinted events every week.
But then he remembers – or tells himself, rather – that that’s exactly what he didn’t want to happen, sips his tea and goes back to writing.
Finally, the first diplomatic crisis that actually came to anything worth mentioning (even if it was a white peace), not counting the liberation of the Uyghur Khanate that ended so quickly I hardly noticed it.
I actually forgot about the Social Liberals (visible in one of the election screenshots). They’re a PDM addition, basically just people who support both social and political reforms to compensate for the greater number of them added in the mod. They don’t have any parties associated with them, so they only show up in the Upper House and don’t really do anything else.
It’s somewhat funny to me that republican rebels in a monarchy only ever turn it into a constitutional monarchy. It makes it feel like there’s a few too many of those floating around, but I guess that’s just how this world works then. However, if they then get another republican revolution, they finally become a proper democracy.
For some mysterious reason, sources on the internet can’t agree on something as simple as the distance saved by the Kiel Canal. Of course there’s gonna be some variance, but the numbers I could find range between 250 and 500 nautical miles, and a very rough estimate on Google Maps is much closer to the latter. Just a weird tidbit.
IthilanorStPete
2020-08-03, 01:35 PM
Germany and the Latins teaming up, even for a temporary crisis? Politics makes strange bedfellows indeed.
The Congress of Charleroi seems interesting, though given that Scotland and England are going right back to war, we'll see whether it has much of any lasting effect...
SilverLeaf167
2020-08-10, 02:07 PM
Chapter #65: Break Some Eggs (1880-1886)
24th of September, 1880
Since the Congress of Charleroi in 1875, England and Scotland have done a diligent if somewhat grudging job following the text of the treaty. With Polish observation (i.e. supervision), after a great deal of verbal and bureaucratic squabbling, they managed to agree on a border that both sides would accept “in perpetuity”, a phrase that diplomats like to throw around with great optimism. The process saw a few empty moors change hands, but little more, and everybody went home.
However, whatever piece of paper the two kingdoms signed or even sincerely accepted, it could never erase the literal millennium of conflict, enmity and rivalry on the British Isles. Colonies aside, within the context of Europe the Scots are conquerors (Celts, Nords or both) and the English one of their would-be victims, with the tacit understanding that the nation of England only still exists because the Scots’ Polish patrons didn’t care enough to wipe it off the map. Though the English have since started to get the upper hand in terms of colonies, trade and industry, they still view themselves as the righteous underdog desperately trying to beat back the Scots to a point where they won’t pose a threat anymore. Although, from England’s point of view, the true military threat doesn’t come from Scotland itself, but the Scottish-Polish alliance.
As such, the border may be clearer now, but remains very tense and militarized. From Scotland’s perspective, their recent wars have been a series of crushing victories for them and the Poles, and the English have to be either maniacs or fools to keep trying again and again. This… subsidized sense of superiority fuels a certain jingoism in the Scottish mentality, proving the English right on at least one point: if they won’t start wars all the time, the Scots will.
The so-called Shepherd’s War begins with the pettiest possible of border conflicts. In August 1880, after the countries make a tentative treaty regarding the free movement of civilians, a major step forward in itself, a shepherd near Carlisle, Scotland, gets the impression that it won’t be a problem if he and his flock wander across the border just a little bit. Around a quarter mile into English territory he is stopped by a passing cavalry patrol that treats him with perhaps exaggerated suspicion but soon just escorts him back across the border, as he didn’t cross at an official checkpoint or have any papers on him. Altogether routine and unremarkable – handled pretty well, even – if not for an overeager military captain in Carlisle hearing about the incident and deciding to escalate it out of all proportion and push it up the chain of command.
Within a couple weeks, the original “incident” has been forgotten and overshadowed by the Scots taking this opportunity to bring up every similar dispute they can think of and the English, a little confused, answering in kind. By September 24, the matter has escalated to war, the Scots claiming that the English are harassing their citizens while not obeying the various treaties any better themselves. They demand indemnities, apologies and reparations – a rather poor excuse for the coming death of thousands – and who knows, maybe some adjustments to those other deals. It is, by all means, an act of naked aggression for its own sake that has nothing to do with its stated reasons.
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The Poles don’t have all the information – at this point, no one does – but it is blatantly obvious that whether the Scots are “in the wrong” or not, they’re the aggressors here. High Queen Wieslawa has little interest in sending her troops to fight such a war or enabling the Scots’ dysfunctional behavior, even before considering the fact that it would definitely be seen as a violation of Clause 6 of the Congress. She cites this treaty as the reason for her refusal, but also makes it known that she doesn’t approve of the war either. She isn’t too worried about dishonoring, if you can call it that, her alliance with the Scots; they always come crawling back pretty quickly. Better let this farce stay as local as possible.
This turns out to be a doubly wise decision, as the war ends relatively quickly after the Scots occupy Lancashire and the English decide, as they so often do, to cut their losses and accept the Scots’ demands before they get any more outrageous. That must get old after a while. Some credit must be given to Scotland for “defeating” England on its own; most of the English military must have been stationed overseas. Peace is made already in January 1881 and no territory changes hands, but many feel that the Congress of Charleroi has already been violated, in spirit if not in text, or at least proven to be meaningless. Still, as expected, Poland’s good relations with Scotland are quickly restored and everything is seemingly back to normal.
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Poland has bigger things to worry about within its own borders. The Crown and the mainstream parties alike seem to have badly underestimated the socialists’ persuasive (or manipulative) powers by assuming that they would only ever appeal to the lower classes. While the nobles, capitalists and priests are still quite unconvinced or even disgusted, the white-collar workers, artisans and even some officers often come from lower-class backgrounds or are at least more sympathetic towards them. This makes them more receptive to carefully crafted and moderated socialist arguments – sweetened by promises that would apply to them as well, such as state pensions and education reform (one of the biggest hot-button issues at the moment). There’s also a generalized backlash and will to “protest” against both the Coalition and the Populists, and to explore new options.
At the same time, the state is increasingly convinced that the Social Democratic Party is just a front organization for hardcore communists: the line is hard to draw, as they obviously can’t present themselves as revolutionaries in public, but the Dwójka says it has good reason to believe that despite tensions between the communists and socialists themselves, communist agitators are encouraging people to vote for the SDP in order to gain visibility, destabilize politics and perhaps control the party from behind the scenes. Worse, the SDP is aware of and compliant in this, seeing it as the only way they’ll ever get seats.
And so, the results of the 1881 election take most people completely off-guard and greatly alarm even those in the know. For decades now, the Sejm has been basically a two-party system between the Populists and the Coalition. Only the occasional Royalist has poked their head in, and most people assumed that any possible changes to the Sejm would come from that direction. Instead, while the Coalition still maintains a firm majority (though smaller than before), the Social Democrats rush past the Populists to become the second-largest party. In a twist that must have surprised even the SDP itself, however, most if not all of their deputies now in the Sejm are classified by the Dwójka as "communist infiltrators”. Their whole voter base is a flock of sheep being led by wolves.
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Opinions are split on how to respond to this. Wieslawa personally doesn’t pay that much attention to the intricacies of the Sejm, as long as the ruling party does what she wants, but is certainly worried if the Dwójka’s reports are really accurate. The Coalition would like nothing more than to see socialists of all kinds barred from the Sejm, something they and the Populists can agree on, but to their frustration they realize it’s not so straightforward. A ban of specific parties would be possible, but easily circumvented by simply founding a new one; a ban on new parties in general is legally possible but inadvisable, and would require a retraction of reforms made after the Long Revolution; and a ban on an entire ideology, as long as the particular group can’t be proven to cross certain lines, is deemed practically impossible. There’s also debate on whether direct action against the socialists, who clearly have at least some real support with the voters, would only radicalize them further, or if the threat they pose within the Sejm is in fact greater than without.
As soon as the Sejm gets to work, the so-called SDP deputies almost immediately start questioning, debating, soapboxing and disrupting it to the best of their ability, but at least their impact is limited by being in the minority. For lack of a better option, the Dwójka starts trying to connect as many deputies as possible to illegal communist groups so that they can be removed from the Sejm, perhaps justifying action against the SDP as a whole if enough evidence can be gathered. In the meantime, Premier Cyryl Zaworski’s Coalition will do all it can to stand up to the communists and warn everyone of the danger they pose.
Wieslawa leaves them to it. She has, in her mind, more important things to take care of. Within a mere couple weeks of the first openly anti-colonial party being admitted into the Sejm, Poland is to once again organize an international conference, this time in Krakow itself. The Darfuri Crisis and almost disastrous Congress of Alexandria a few years back demonstrated that Africa, the “dark continent” seen first and foremost as a roadblock on the way to Asia, is ripe with great power flashpoints of its own, which have continued to surface ever since – and at the same time, expeditions such as the one to Lake Wieslawa have ignited a growing interest in the potential prestige and scientific, economic and military benefits of further colonization.
With the exception of Esperanza, European colonies in Africa have been relatively small and restricted to the coast and extracted most of their value from trading with the inland nations, or “tribes” as many choose to call them. While there are some large, relatively modern and recognized countries like Kanem-Bornu, Benin, Abyssinia, Sofala and Betsimisaraka, others like Kongo and Rwanda are both blurry in their borders and seen as societally backwards, and most of the continent is teeming with smaller traditional tribes just minding their own business. The philosophy of the White Man’s Burden provides justification, nay, a responsibility to conquer these people for their own good – and as the great powers start to drool over the real or imagined treasures of the continent, even the more “advanced” countries in Africa quickly start getting painted with the same broad brush.
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The Krakow Conference of 1881, in the vein of the somewhat shaky but still holding Congress of Charleroi, is intended to resolve a number of smaller disputes, delineate territories belonging to each great power, and most importantly, create a precedent and framework for handling similar matters in the future. Countries have been claiming territory in Africa for centuries now, but due to low reward and high risk, from both natives and tropical diseases, haven’t actually waded too far inland. Now that huge leaps forward have been made in terms of things like vaccination, treatment and logistics (as well as weaponry), the topic is relevant again.
The immediate success of the Krakow Conference is middling at best, but its cultural significance will be remembered centuries into the future: the powers already present on the continent feel encouraged to go ahead with their claims, and even those that previously weren’t interested have had their curiosity piqued. The Scramble for Africa has, by hand of the High Queen, officially begun.
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As a general rule, the great powers will start expanding inland from their preexisting coastal bases. Poland itself has, south to north, three main regions of interest: the Namib and Angolan shrublands, the Cameroon region south of Kanem-Bornu, and Guinea. The last one is the most troublesome: the Latins and Scotland also have plausible claims to it, but Poland would very much enjoy a land connection between Senegambia (the combined Senegal-Gambia-Bissau colony) and the Gold Coast. Scotland’s relationship with Poland makes it both harder and easier for them to argue, and as each starts encroaching from different directions, a final agreement has yet to be reached.
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Progress in Central Africa is faster than anyone dared expect, though. Due to colonies on both sides of it, the Kingdom of Kongo has long had a presence of Polish merchants and even a Polish embassy in the capital Mbanza-Kongo, a rare “honor” for a country of its status. After the Krakow Conference, other foreigners quickly start pulling out of the region, while more and more Poles arrive. Already in July the King is informed in the softest of terms, with seeming politeness made possible only by Kongo’s inferiority, that Poland considers everything south of the Congo River to be in its “protection”. The Poles wish for closer and warmer relations with the Kingdom as well, including military bases, ports, and a say in its foreign relations. The King is no fool: he knows what conquest looks like. But he also realizes that he’s being offered a choice between the easy way and the hard way. The process is in many ways reminiscent of Poland’s expansion in Amatica, though even less equal. With great reluctance, he chooses the easy way. For his compliance, he will keep his status and Kongo remain nominally autonomous, present on maps if nothing else, but in every way that matters, it is now a Polish colony – home to several million people, and what the Poles hope are massive quantities of various metals.
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Poland and the other great powers also start expanding in another region given less attention: the Pacific. As steamer ships have made transpacific traffic more viable, the small and far-flung islands generally only remembered as a graveyard of explorers have also gained new relevance. Partly to avoid the hassle of fighting wars over such a remote region, Polish colonists setting off from the East Indies agree to focus on the so-called Micronesian islands between the Maniolas and Hawaii (the oldest Pacific colony, presently a part of Caliphania).
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None of this comes for free, of course. Up and above the relatively small material costs of building a colony, there’s the personnel: every little outpost will need constant supply runs and some kind of garrison to keep in check natives and rival colonists alike. No matter the treaty, an unenforced colony isn’t a colony at all. Besides those smaller detachments, it is estimated that at least one full army will need to be stationed in Kongo, bringing the number of armies permanently stationed in Africa up to three – at the same time that the Crown was already considering one in Abyssinia. Poland’s European manpower is starting to get stretched a little thin, possibly forcing it to start using more of those colonial conscripts it considers both risky and ineffective.
Furthermore, some would argue that this isn’t the best time to be sending loyal troops overseas: much as happened during the Long Revolution, sharpened left-right divides and general agitation are also causing an increase in separatist activity. The starkest example would be on 1 December 1881 in the Bremen Voivodeship, a.k.a. the North Sea corridor, when a railway bridge over the Weser River suddenly explodes. A major tragedy is only averted because the explosion was apparently a few critical moments late (if the purpose was indeed to kill), occurring seconds after a passenger train has crossed safely. As the middle of the bridge goes crumbling into the river, in the initial panic it’s assumed to be a German attack, which is only half-wrong: it's soon tracked down to one of several small groups that have adopted a more aggressive approach to German reunification. Foreign support is suspected, but not yet proven. As the corridor’s most important role is as a military and economic thoroughfare between Poland and Frisia, disrupting the single railway running through it is the most obvious way to fight Polish occupation.
Over the coming years, several more terrorist cells there and in other disputed regions will adopt similar tactics, making sudden attacks against military or civilian targets, though few on such a large scale as the bridge explosion. How they expect the Crown to buckle under random violence is as enigmatic as with any other rebels. If their goal is to provoke a reaction out of the police, gendarmerie and even the Dwójka, that they certainly achieve, inviting increased surveillance, harsh crackdowns, curfews and armed raids in problem areas.
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The investigations end up implicating communist involvement as well: while they shouldn’t have any reason to care about German nationalism, they’re believed to be whipping up chaos and any rebel cause they can find in an effort to weaken the state. However, this line of questioning quickly dries up and proves inconclusive at best, and even the Crown is starting to suspect that the Dwójka might be exaggerating a bit when it comes to the red menace. That feeling is also becoming more widespread among the populace, who if anything are starting to feel like a lot of the official press about socialism is just fearmongering and should be duly ignored. This witch-hunt mentality might even end up helping the communists in the end – whatever they are or aren’t planning.
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(Only the latter part actually affected anything, because despite the votes given to communist deputies, the ideology itself has like 5% support...)
As for Guinea, eventually the Scots and Poles reach a compromise: Scotland (which has no other colonies in Africa) takes the south while Poland reserves the rights to a narrower strip in the north. However, another similar dispute has emerged near the Latin colony of Serra Leoa (Sierra Leone), and this one has the potential to go wrong in a lot of ways: the Latins’ claim to it is fair enough, but it’s not like Poland wants to admit that. This relatively tiny area happens to have outsized importance because of its awkward location.
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Wieslawa actually considers circumventing the problem by just conquering a chunk of Kanem-Bornu. It was easy enough with Kongo, right? However, even before getting bogged down in any debate on how “civilized” the Sultanate might be, it certainly has a respectable amount of machine industry and, more importantly, a standing army of 210,000, making any war a large investment if nothing else – probably larger than the issue deserves. Instead, the colonial authorities manage to negotiate military passage on Kanem-Bornu’s own, somewhat lacking but at least functional, railway through the region, as has been done with Benin next door. The conservative government refuses any foreign help to improve the railway or any other part of its industry, taking great pride in its self-made modernization and feeling justifiably wary of European “investment”.
Speaking of passage, as work on the Kiel Canal makes steady progress (despite the occasional terror scare), in late 1883 the English announce a similar project in Panama, except even more ambitious: whereas Jutland is blissfully flat and almost at sea level, the planned Panama Canal (on the narrow but uneven isthmus between Amatica and Alcadra) requires a ship to pass through a total of six locks to go up and down over a distance of just some 30 miles. However, if successful, it will save not just hundreds but thousands of nautical miles that it presently takes to sail all the way around Alcadra. The English themselves don’t even have any particular need for it: they just want to show off their engineering (and get rich off the tolls). However, even beyond the technical side, there’s a certain hiccup with the plan: the isthmus belongs to Ingerland.
Ingerland, a Swedish colony and part of the Nordic Union but also a major beneficiary of the promised canal, doesn’t see any reason to make that a problem. It signs a deal with England, leasing it the land and local support needed for the construction in return for an advance payment and a cut of the profits. After Poland protests to its ally Sweden, telling it to keep its colonies in check and give the project to the Poles if it has to, the response from Stockholm is a rather embarrassed note that Sweden doesn’t really have that sort of power over its dominions – the full reason being that the colonies don’t hesitate to use the threat of secession as a bartering chip in any and all of their negotiations with the motherland.
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While the Sejm is busy dealing with communists, the military with colonies, law enforcement with terrorists, and Wieslawa with all of the above, the Crown Council once again takes the initiative to at least alleviate some of the problems Poland is facing. Though officially unpolitical, many members of the Council have sympathetic or at least pragmatic attitudes towards social issues and more leeway to act accordingly. While giving away any territory is out of the question, the goal of maintaining Poland’s image as a tolerant multicultural state is rather uncontroversial. Hoping to undermine rebel grievances without directly giving in to their demands, the Nationality Act hammered out in ‘83-’84 makes it easier to immigrate and gain full Polish citizenship (not a large-scale issue, as most of the world’s migration is directed at the colonies) while also addressing some, but not all, issues with cultural and religious inequality that have been brought up in recent decades. Like any other large state, Poland has to strike a precarious balance between tolerance, nationalism, and keeping down separatist movements, and its behavior in times of crisis makes many feel that the pretense of equality is quickly cast aside when push comes to shove.
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The Crown remains unwilling to address most of the deeper reasons for unrest in the country, and unable to dictate things like the composition of the Sejm even if it wanted to. And so it happens that between Whites, Reds and separatists, Poland also has to deal with the same old liberals who apparently haven’t gotten the note that the ‘40s were forty years ago. Partly thanks to Russia next door going on a sudden reformist streak and vastly expanding voting rights and the power of its new parliament – the Duma – people in Poland are once again demanding the same. Though the official position is that what happens in July 1884 is just a series of riots that got out of control, the fact that even the gendarmerie can’t handle them and has to call in the Crown Army shows that although ultimately hopeless, what occurs is a real armed rebellion.
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Beset by enemies and critics on all sides, is the very idea of moderate “semi-parliamentarism” doomed to fail? Is it unsustainable to give the people a voice and then ignore it when it doesn't please you? Those critics would certainly say so, and the SDP still stands as a prime example of a group that can be neither excluded from the Sejm nor truly accepted into it. There’s no particular crisis going on – in fact, by the Crown’s own metrics, Poland is thriving – and all these groups are attacking various real or perceived flaws in the very fundamentals of the state, making it hard to dismiss as them just venting their frustrations over something else and going home soon enough.
High Queen Wieslawa herself was raised as a strong believer in the current system, and remains one even after decades of first-hand experience. Unfortunately, even less so than a regular parent, being the Mother of the Nation doesn’t necessarily mean understanding how your children feel, and she has become the sort to get either defensive or more likely aggressive when confronted with the idea that some of their demands might even be reasonable and justified, not just necessary evils. Her original policy of “nailing down” the status quo through small reforms has proven incapable of satisfying the hungry masses in the long run, but her own reaction has been to become stricter, not more lenient. At this point, she could well align with the Whites if she didn’t find them so personally off-putting. As long as the military power of the state is powerful enough to put down any and all uprisings, traitors can be treated as just that, while she focuses on the good of the loyal Polish people. However, she is increasingly aware of the fact that even the Crown Council’s lack of ideological vetting is working against her – another reason that she’s becoming more distrustful of it.
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Both she and the Coalition approach the ’86 election with some dread, understandable given the communist surge in the last one and the supposedly unrelated unrest that has tormented the nation ever since. The SDP, its most popular candidates once again suspected communists – can the two really be distinguished at this point? – has gotten even bolder in its rhetoric. Their ideologues have found that painting a vivid image of capitalist atrocities (real or exaggerated) allowed by the total lack of government control is even more effective than going into the nitty-gritty of how to fix them. Worse, they’re suggesting that this isn’t just a place for a change of policy, but proof that the system – be it the Sejm, the Crown or both – heartily approves of this behavior and any incremental change it might agree to is thus inherently disingenuous.
The final results bring small gains for the hardcore SDP, a new wind for the Populists, and a corresponding drop for the Coalition, but it manages to keep its lead. That’s just the electoral system talking, though: thanks to the increasingly fragmented political field, in the popular vote it wouldn’t take much of a swing for the communists to take the lead altogether, or possibly usher in another Sejm where no party has the majority. Though Wieslawa has already made it clear in private conversations that she would never accept a communist government and Premier, that kind of declaration is grounds for a crisis in itself. One can only hope that Poland isn’t stuck too deep in a pit of denial.
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Newspaper Gallery (https://imgur.com/a/7DH5L4f)
Until recently, the Asturian colonies in Amatica had done an admirable job honoring one particular treaty: that with the Pueblo Nation, allowing it to remain independent while squeezed in between the USA and Tayshas and attracting many native refugees from both. However, for a number of reasons – their own newfound independence, the discovery of oil in neighboring regions, the worldwide surge in colonialist thinking – the USA finally decided to sweep that old piece of paper under the rug and boldly march right into Pueblo territory with little real justification, annexing it as a frontier territory.
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Gameplay or even story-wise I certainly don’t mind it, but the middle and upper classes being so weirdly willing to vote for the communists keeps forcing me to trip over myself to explain it. :smalltongue: Anyway, after some tweaking by me, the communists have some pretty interesting behavior in the government: while in the opposition, they support political reforms (which expand the vote, raise the demand for social reforms etc.) but despite their promises oppose social reforms, calling them a weak compromise to forestall the revolution. Once in power, they finally support social reforms but quickly start rolling back political reforms to create a one-party state. Socialists always support both kinds of reforms.
I forgot about that PDM-added “The [Country] Protectorate] event, which triggers when an uncivilized country in Africa falls into a sphere of influence and (after some force calculations) decides to submit rather than be conquered. For a moment, I actually considered rejecting it as “too easy”, but ultimately decided that if I had them in my sphere anyway, it would only mean doing the same thing more tediously piece-by-piece. However, it gives me such a big head start that I’ll stick to these specific regions rather than just colonize everything in sight. Speaking of, I hate colonizing the Pacific. So many tiny, weirdly laid out islands that you gotta spend a minute clicking through every time you want to upgrade your buildings. That’s why you should always pick the biggest, easiest to click ones!
I’m not sure why my writing style changed or when – somewhere around the Amatican Revolution? – but, full disclosure, I often find myself writing like a page and a half of the next chapter before even opening up the game, just talking about whatever was going on when we last left. Next thing I realize I’m like a full chapter’s length and only two years in. But it comes naturally, and some way into an AAR a little rambling kinda feels necessary to stop it from becoming just a bullet-point list of events – I’ve also practically stopped doing world-building “specials”, just shoving the same info into the main chapters instead. Guess I’ll keep doing that, since it’s not like anyone’s complained or anything.
That being said, the next chapter will be the 50-year world overview.
IthilanorStPete
2020-08-10, 02:50 PM
Eventful update!
The Scottish-English conflict was a bit of an anticlimax; I was expecting it to build into a much bigger problem. I expect more disputes in the future, though...
That is a weird level of Communist support; any idea what's causing it?
Curious changes to the Communist party behavior; what's their behavior normally like in PDM?
Hope the Polish Kongo works out better for the Kongolese than the Belgian Congo did...
Where are Kanem Bornu and the other African countries at in the country rankings? Any chance of any of them becoming a GP?
Looking forward to the 50-year overview!
SilverLeaf167
2020-08-10, 03:22 PM
Eventful update!
The Scottish-English conflict was a bit of an anticlimax; I was expecting it to build into a much bigger problem. I expect more disputes in the future, though...
That is a weird level of Communist support; any idea what's causing it?
Curious changes to the Communist party behavior; what's their behavior normally like in PDM?
Hope the Polish Kongo works out better for the Kongolese than the Belgian Congo did...
Where are Kanem Bornu and the other African countries at in the country rankings? Any chance of any of them becoming a GP?
Looking forward to the 50-year overview!
Yeah. That's partly from me ending the previous chapter there (and not knowing myself what was going to happen), and then proceeding to go on that ramble about their troubled relations before the war even began. :smalltongue:
I'm not entirely sure, but first and foremost it's because voters aren't hard-coded to hate or fear them in any way and just vote for them on the same criteria as any other party. Upper-class citizens are coded to be unlikely to become reds, but apparently don't mind voting for them should the situation allow. The biggest of their draws would be Protectionism, which after the Coalition's slide towards Free Trade is only offered by the Royalists, Socialists and Communists – protectionists are in the minority, but apparently very passionate about it, as it's the second-largest dominant issue right after Free Trade. Our Consciousness has also stayed remarkably low for some reason, which (if it works as it claims to) means that voters prioritize issues over ideologies.
Standard PDM (or vanilla) Communists always support rolling back political and expanding social reforms, whether they're in power or not, which is the polar opposite of what's strategically sound for them. Similarly, standard Socialists will only back political reforms under pressure (same as Conservatives) but always support social reforms. I consider my approach more accurate and functional.
Yeah, well... Probably somewhat better, given the Poles' track record (which is what it is partly because I don't want to spend all this time roleplaying that), but "softer" colonialism is still colonialism.
Benin and Kanem-Bornu are at a very respectable #20 and #21, equal in industry score despite the size and population difference between them, with Benin leading in prestige and Kanem-Bornu in military. Benin is the world's top producer of... boots? GP is a long shot, but they're still higher than for instance Sweden, Arabia, or any New World country other than the Free Nations. They're both in our sphere, too, so probably safe for the time being. The other African nations are much lower, and most of their immediate future's not looking so good...
SilverLeaf167
2020-08-11, 05:00 PM
Special #7: The New Millennium (1886)
https://i.postimg.cc/pL6g9GNq/world-map-1886-small.png (https://i.postimg.cc/GbXrwKfB/world-map-1886.png)
https://i.postimg.cc/htZB8k2x/poland-map-1886-small.png (https://i.postimg.cc/D7r4QBQN/poland-map-1886.png)
(Link to 1836 for convenience) (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24552493&postcount=172)
Excerpt from the preface of Liberty or Death: Peace and Unease in the Revolutionary Age by Samuel Moss (2004)
[…]
More generous and less Eurocentric writers have placed the beginning of the Revolutionary Age, or sometimes a separate ‘First’ Revolutionary Age, as far back as the Kanmei Restoration in 1756. This saw the Japanese Shogunate overthrown and, after some twists and turns, replaced by what many consider the first modern constitutional monarchy. This was indeed a key inspiration for consequent revolutions in Yan China (1756), Cambodia (‘71), Amatica (‘76) and Germany (‘81), but actually rather different in nature, resembling more a bloodless palace coup that only gradually ended up ushering in proper democracy. Furthermore, out of these initial regime changes the Japanese one was the only one to prove lasting, the others either backsliding into tyranny, being toppled by foreign invasion or even failing to reach their goals in the first place. Indeed, the Japanese contribution deserves to be acknowledged, but later revolutionaries themselves would say that they drew their inspiration from somewhere in the chain of events that began with the bombing of the Mlody Orzel in Ledenesz Harbor on 27 February, 1776.
To follow that logic further, however, after the German Revolution ended and the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesrepublik Deutschland) was formed in 1783, for more than fifty years other countries experienced only brief and abortive attempts at revolution, not counting those where the Germans enforced it through military means. By the method-based definition of a revolution, for our purposes ‘mass insurrection by the non-ruling social classes’, this can hardly be considered an Age of them, even though due to the German example’s monumental cultural footprint there’s been a natural desire for historians to include it. There is no lack of excellent reading to be found on the details and impact of all these earlier revolutions. In this more narrowly defined book (in the interest of not making it even thicker than it is) the proper Revolutionary Age, which saw more of them in rapid succession than any period before or since, is considered to have started in 1840.
But to make any sense of the Mad Year of 1840, one must start at the top of that downward spiral, back in 1836.
[…]
In 1883, the Kingdom of Poland celebrated its own millennial birthday and the year 1000 in the Slavic Calendar. It’s a common and very natural illusion for more recent history to seem more eventful and important, but it’s hard to deny that, in many ways, the changes to all aspects of everyday life have been far more rapid in the last century than any similar era before it.
In one sense, the global megatrends of the 19th century (A.D.) have included things like industrialization, urbanization and the rapid introduction of technological marvels, but on the other hand, there’s the revolutions. Broadly speaking, the entire world has drifted towards liberalism and democracy in such a way that absolute monarchies have gone from the clear majority to an exception and a sign of backwardness. Among the 69 widely recognized countries in the world, there are:
12 traditional monarchies, all but two of them in Asia or Africa
8 semi-parliamentarist monarchies, mostly Poland and friends
30 constitutional monarchies, though this includes sixteen colonial governments that are in themselves republican
17 full republics
1 military dictatorship (Maratha Confederacy)
1 communist state (Tibet; see the section on Asia)
In some countries, this shift has been achieved by violent uprising – notably the Latin Federation, Sweden, Asturias, Arabia and much of East Asia – but others such as Russia, England, Moldavia and Karnata have simply seen the change in the wind and chosen to bend rather than snap. The role of the monarch varies accordingly from simple figurehead to chief executive, typically retaining more power the more compliant they were in the process.
If anything, Poland stands out as unusually pig-headed for its complete lack of reforms to monarch power, only making some small tweaks to the Sejm, but from the Polish point of view (and especially that of High Queen Wieslawa herself) this is a sign of strength. It is also apparent in the Poles’ rather traditional view of the role of the state: to collect taxes, wage wars and maintain order. Partly thanks to the surge of socialism in the past couple decades, other countries have started putting more attention on “the welfare of the people”, and at least some basic things like minimum wages, pensions and public education have become the norm in most European nations, especially those where the lower classes are able to vote. Meanwhile, industrial subsidies have become the second-largest expense in the Polish budget (right after naval upkeep – ironclads aren’t cheap), yet barely a zloty is spent on social security or public services, which many rightly see as a great injustice. The rich get free money so they can stay rich, while their employees have to scrape by on a starvation wage. The Long Revolution is still ongoing.
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Also over the past few decades, the vast majority of countries have finally banned chattel slavery. While other forms like wage traps, prison labor, indentured servitude and even just black market slavery still exist, and former slaves are generally second-class citizens, the practice of owning and selling human beings as property has been quite unanimously condemned. Although, the rather undramatic and outwardly almost casual nature of this change has allowed many countries to heavily whitewash the practice – and their own role in it – in retrospect. The last major holdouts to give it up were the United Arab States, the Union of South Amatica, Tayshas, the Zanaras and the United Lordships, all highly reliant on slave labor but ultimately forced to bend to internal and external pressure. Though about twenty countries (mostly in Asia and Africa) have yet to explicitly ban it, the only ones where slavery remains a major presence are Kanem-Bornu and Abyssinia.
In terms of technological development, Poland has just about kept pace with the others, but that’s in stark contrast to its old tendency to present itself as an innovative forerunner. It was a shock when the Latins first fielded more advanced weaponry than was used by the Poles at the time. Telegraph lines can reach almost anywhere in the world (or at least the major cities), railway lines cover each continent even if they don't quite connect them (Russia’s “Trans-Tartary Railway” is still a work in progress), electrical lighting and machinery are becoming more commonplace, and the internal combustion engine has been invented but not yet put to use. Poland is well-positioned to exploit that coming boom, though: great quantities of rubber and oil have been discovered in the colonies, and subsidies have allowed even otherwise unprofitable fuel refineries to get a head start setting up.
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Some countries in the circle of great powers are old acquaintances, whereas others have only risen recently. Sweden and Asturias have decisively fallen off the map, but at the same time, England has firmly entrenched itself as a major player (albeit one that still lost to Scotland), as have the Free Nations. Germany has also managed to recover from its long civil war as a full-blooded democracy, but its awkward location and loss of all its colonies mean it’s still at the back of the pack when it comes to global influence.
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The so-called secondary powers include some that stand a real chance of joining the big leagues one day, and some that are simply coasting by under Polish protection and focusing on economic or cultural development over military might.
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As might be expected, many of the most populous countries have gotten there simply by conquering chunks of China; in terms of “home” population, Wu is the clear leader, not that this is stopping it from being torn apart. In the developed countries, reduced infant mortality and increased life expectancy have led to a massive spike in population growth even as actual fertility has somewhat declined due to lifestyle changes: even before factoring in colonial conquests, Poland’s European population has almost doubled within the last 50 years. Meanwhile, the Marynarka is the largest navy in the world by far, but the Latin Federation’s standing army (357 brigades) is actually bigger than Poland’s (349). The next runners-up in army size are Russia (299), Japan (266), the Free Nations (195), Moldavia (176), Germany (172) and England (160). Both Japan and England draw a lot of their cannon fodder from China – England more than half.
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Almost all of Europe either belongs to a great power or is allied with one – Navarra, Bolgharia and Armenia are the only “neutral” countries, and only because no one wants to make an alliance with them for little benefit and the risk of being dragged into war with their larger neighbors. This web of alliances means that the smallest change in borders requires a huge amount of blood spilled and international outrage, so at the same time that entire continents are being partitioned at the coffee table, it took a huge congress and mutual concessions for just a few towns in Europe to change hands (and people are still not entirely happy). The balance of power shifts through economic, cultural and political upheaval, not territorial expansion. It also makes for a nice double standard between Europe and the rest of the world. That’s why it was such a huge event when Chernigov and Novgorod entered a personal union and created a whole new, never before seen great power with ambitions to expand its borders and hegemony towards the east – thankfully not towards the west, for the time being, though Poland’s anxiety over this new front to defend is well-documented.
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Despite their initial foreign policy stunts being a series of embarrassments, the Free Nations eventually managed to be recognized as a great power after all, albeit a regional one whose influence is restricted to the New World. The Anti-Asturian War was a good showing for the Free Army, and economically speaking the country’s population, natural resources and industry have allowed it to dominate its neighbors. Its main weakness, militarily speaking, would be its rather piddly navy, which makes it difficult to send its sizable army anywhere outside Amatica. Both of the major parties officially identify as liberal, their defining trait being whether they support more power for the central government (Federal Party) or the states (Commonwealth Party). Socialism is also growing in popularity, but is somewhat held back by the state-based voting system's tendency to favor the more conservative countryside.
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To address the elephant in the room: less than a year ago, a native separatist movement managed to break free of Alfmark, claiming most of the colony’s territory as the Mikmaq Kingdom and leaving the colonial forces controlling only the capital Alfsvik. Neither government officially recognizes the other, making it something of a cold civil war. In the confusion, and out of outrage towards Sweden’s failure to intervene, the Socialist Party in charge of Alfmark has left the Nordic Union and declared independence – never mind that this makes it much harder to fight the rebels. The rebel Kingdom’s own population is only about 34% Mikmaq, but its official stance is that the colonialists having moved onto native land gives them no right to rule it, and if they don’t want to live in a Mikmaq country then they’re encouraged to leave it.
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The former Asturian colonies have mostly gotten their things in order, abolishing slavery and whatnot, and even Tayshas has worked out some sort of peaceful solution with its myriad ethnic groups; hopefully it'll last. Caliphania stands out as another rare country with an elected socialist majority, the Hizb al-Eummal – Labor Party. The socialists have implemented massive and massively popular reforms to working conditions, immigration and more, and as a result, drawn in an almost overwhelming flood of migrants, growing Caliphania’s (relatively small, but still) population by 50% in only a decade. At least they have plenty of empty (or Native) land to settle them on.
https://i.postimg.cc/Twphqjj2/20200811215317-1.jpg
New Svea remains an oddity, within the Nordic Union and in general: quickly cobbled together from what used to be Tayshan territory, it’s a native nation in all but name, with a roughly 1,4% European minority. That minority happens to hold all the top government positions, but the need to keep the colony together ends up creating a huge mess of compromises, benign neglect and local autonomy. Many believe New Svea’s situation to be rather similar to Tayshas’, with only (quickly waning) colonial power keeping the ragtag confederation together.
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https://i.postimg.cc/kXxGcgSS/alcadra.png
Alcadra remains, to put it bluntly: peaceful at best, stagnant at worst. The closest thing to a border or government change on the whole continent has been England’s recent decision to grant its small Guyanan colony some autonomy as a viceroyalty. Alcadra also receives much less immigration than either Amatica or even other colonies in Africa or Asia. Other than that, Andeland, Vanaland and Santa Croce have been able to industrialize somewhat – and though the Poles mostly remember Santa Croce for its farcical performance in 1863, when its entire invasion force got captured and paraded around Poland, it has actually done a decent job helping out in other Latin wars since then. There are no independent countries on the continent (other than the Nordic Union being de facto autonomous), and they aren’t given much notice on the world stage.
https://i.postimg.cc/rphKrZrY/20200811222450-1.jpg
(Nice party name…)
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The trendy destination of the decade. The Krakow Conference was held only 5 years ago, and already more of Africa has been colonized by European powers than in all the time before then. Poland itself has focused on its (tragically not connected by land but still closely linked) colonies in Senegambia, the Gold Coast and Central Africa. All of them are on the west coast, but at least Poland has Poniatowski (Île Bourbon), the Sambojas (Seychelles) and Hollhavai (Diego Garcia) for bases in the Indian Ocean. Great metal deposits have in fact been found, while other areas have been put to use growing the same old cash crops like sugar or new ones like rubber. Much of the territory claimed hasn’t actually been explored at all – by Europeans, anyway – somewhat like the early days of Amatican colonization, and much of its value remains speculative. Very exciting for all involved.
The other major landgrabber would be England, which has claimed much of the southeast and tried to build a land connection across the center of the continent, only to run into disagreements with the Latins in the east around Lake Wieslawa. Having reached the Rwandan border, England quickly annexed the entire country after a rather one-sided war. The Latins themselves are in the process of invading Betsimisaraka, a war which started as a local conflict over their provinces on the continent but has since expanded to the point that the Federation is also expected to annex Madagascar itself by the end of it.
Sofala for instance may well face a fate similar to its neighbors, but Kanem-Bornu, Benin and Abyssinia are all under various levels of Polish protection – for now. The former two are actually rather advanced, which even the colonial powers have had to acknowledge after getting over their initial enthusiasm to conquer all of Africa. If anything, this highlights how artificial and arbitrary the idea of African inferiority is to begin with, but that won’t save the rest of the continent. While the sheer hopelessness of any open battle between tiny African tribes and the great powers has actually made the conquest seem less violent on the outside, almost like drawing lines on the map, on the ground the colonial masters often resort to brutal methods to keep their huge tracts of land and new subjects in check and maximize productivity. The promised “civilization efforts” aren’t entirely absent, but an afterthought at best, and often actually performed by non-government volunteers who may even be appalled by their fellow colonialists’ behavior.
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The so-called Chinese Chaos has been going on since the Pratihara Empire lost control over the region, throwing new fuel into the battle for dominance that had already mostly calmed down. New factions and factions within factions rise and fall by the year, and though there are obviously periods of “peace” in any given area, they’re always broken by another invasion. There’s little certainty where a given border may run, even less where it might be next year, and so foreign observers and cartographers have pretty much given up on keeping track, only labeling the whole region as “China” and deciding to come back once the dust finally settles. With Yan’s promising rise and equally sudden collapse, it seems increasingly likely that the ultimate result will be a partition of China between Manchuria, Japan, England and the Shan Empire – unless they then start fighting each other, anyway. Russia also came in over land to annex the Uyghur Khanate in the west, but has yet to get involved beyond that.
As the nearest mostly neutral country, Tibet has become the natural destination for many Chinese refugees, be they regular civilians or political exiles. This includes communists from several failed revolutions, or from Zhenhua – even Zhao Qiang, the first and last Chairman of the Zhenhua Communist Party and now a founding member of the same in Tibet. Whereas orthodox Sternism assumes a natural progression from feudalism to capitalism to socialism, and places great emphasis on industrial workers as “the proletariat”, Zhaoism says that the agrarian peasants of less developed countries have neither time nor any need to wait and should rise up in revolution as soon as possible. If anything, socialism is easier to enact by “skipping” capitalism before the bourgeoisie can lay its roots of cultural and economic hegemony any deeper.
Tibet, which only five years ago was still a feudal, theocratic state ruled by the Bön pagan clergy, proved to be fertile ground for upheaval, and it didn’t take long for the strongly anti-clerical People’s Republic of Tibet to be born. In a country lacking any republican tradition or political parties to begin with, after the revolution it was only natural for the Communist Party to become the only one allowed, and whereas the concentration of power under the party is obviously questionable, many of its planned reforms in terms of communal ownership, free healthcare and education etc. seem great… on paper. As Zhenhua only existed for a few years and spent all of them being invaded, the full party agenda has yet to be tested in practice. Time will tell whether a small (population-wise) and poor country like Tibet can actually get it to work. It’s already been forced to admit that it’ll be dependent on imports and foreign contacts at first to get its own system running.
https://i.postimg.cc/kXrDKb29/20200811234734-1.jpg
The same way that Japan can be considered the grandfather of the republican revolution, it’s quite peculiar that the first communist revolutions should also occur in East Asia. Of course, this may not be completely coincidental: the tradition of successful revolutions, independence movements and other uprisings in Cambodia, the Pratihara Empire, China itself and so on has certainly instilled in the locals a certain awareness that such things are not only possible, but a lot more desirable as a way out of their already wartorn conditions.
I didn’t fully realize how many social reforms other countries have been passing before I started looking around for this update, geez. Are we the baddies? (https://media.tenor.com/images/a1bad30e164f3990e0503277100fe901/tenor.png) I've never had an upper house willing to enact any social reforms so far – guess those strict voting laws are doing something after all – whereas with the political reforms I've decided that the Sejm and the Crown Council can only change their own rules, and neither really wants to.
I’m not sure why my military score is so much higher than everybody else’s. I have the biggest navy, sure, but my “Soldiers & Army” score is 612 whereas the Latins’ is 112, even though their army is larger than mine. I think this might be because army size is measured partly in how many supplies they’re consuming, and they have both a smaller portion of expensive troops like artillery, and modified AI buffs giving them a huge reduction to supply consumption. Point is, the military score is very misleading.
A lot going on in some places, absolutely nothing in others. I tried to cover or at least mention things that caught my eye, but as usual, feel free to ask additional questions about whatever.
Corvus
2020-08-12, 12:59 AM
Just finished making my way through the whole thread - I just wish I had the time and patience and knowledge to try something like that. I know CK2 very well, but have barely touched the other games in the series, despite owning them and wouldn't know where to start on converting it all over. Hopefully with CK3, Paradox will build in the ability to do it with EUV and VIC3 (come on, we know they are coming.)
Looking forward to see where the play-through goes from here.
SilverLeaf167
2020-08-12, 04:59 AM
Glad to have you! And yeah, the conversion part is both one of my favorite things about a megacampaign and the most laborious one. Well, besides the sheer amount of writing, but that all happens a chapter a time.
At this point I'd almost feel weird writing a non-megacampaign AAR, given just how much worldbuilding (and artistic liberty) it allows, but on the other hand, a years-long undertaking is kind of rough to do over and over. I feel like when/if I finish this one day, we might well have gotten another game or two by then. :smalltongue:
Keraunograf
2020-08-12, 10:42 PM
Hell, you can start the next one on CK3!
SilverLeaf167
2020-08-16, 08:30 AM
Chapter #66: Communication Problems (1887-1896)
1st of January, 1887
As the year 1004 begins in the Slavic Calendar, the main reforms being debated in millennial Poland – i.e. angrily demanded and bluntly refused – are the same that they’ve been for several decades. An end to the clunky Commissions system and properly expanded voting rights; public education, already embraced by most surrounding countries and with tangible benefits to the state; and the abolition of child labor and other practices harmful both to the children themselves and everybody else. At the same time, many liberals, communists and separatists alike are getting impatient with the state’s intransigence and turning to more violent means to enact their preferred solutions by force. The Crown’s policing, anti-militia and weapon stockpiling laws have been decently effective at preventing a rehash of the Hungry ‘40s – or worse – but small-scale terror attacks, protests turned riots and generally heightened tensions are a regular headache. Slav civilians have started feeling scared to enter many parts of the Bremen and Vienna Voivodeships, which of course is exactly what those rebel scum want. Poland is perhaps not authoritarian enough to use the level of violence that could actually put down these movements (even temporarily), but neither is it democratic or humble enough to compromise with them.
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The so-called Social Democratic Party is disrupting the Sejm from within, but the other parties know perfectly well that, at least right now, any voting reform would not appease the reds but only make them stronger. After all, the reason those other countries are so far “ahead” in terms of social(ist) policy is because their broader voting rights have given the reds that much more influence. Conservative groups in Poland, not least the National Coalition, see themselves as a successful bastion against socialism, not the outdated relic the left would depict them as. Blanket opposition to socialism as a movement with some legitimately worrying elements makes it a lot easier to avoid addressing its actual contents.
Of course, people’s exact reasons for opposing socialism are varied. Some minority probably does feel actual disdain for the lower classes, or equate democracy with uneducated mob rule. Others are just worried about the communists’ openly violent rhetoric. Some can understand the left’s economic demands, but not its social and moral stances. And others just can’t accept going against the new economic dogma established in the past few decades, together with the amount of money all these demanded programs would inevitably cost.
What is clear is that the SDP is no longer merely “infiltrated” by communists, but actually split within itself into two camps: revolutionary and reformist (all putting up a thin veneer of the latter, of course). As it turns out, given the Sejm’s stonewall attitude the more inflammatory and passionate revolutionary wing has been more popular by far, leaving the reformists completely sidelined within their own party but unable to leave it either. As long as it remains in the minority, the party might be unable to achieve anything regardless; but at least the revolutionaries are ready to speak up against the rest of the Sejm, not just lick its boots in hopes of perhaps being thrown a bone one day. That’s how the hardliners put it, anyway. The Dwójka has failed to live up to its promises of busting this charade wide open; either it is truly incompetent, or the communists very good at picking “clean” candidates and hiding their tracks.
The government is more immediately worried about the state budget. Open-handed industrial subsidies have helped the economy to grow, most importantly keep ahead of the Latin Federation, and as long as the economy has done well, the subsidies themselves have been affordable; however, many enterprises built entirely on subsidies never end up getting off the ground. Instead, they remain dependent on government support – even growing and demanding more subsidies – or actually become outright money laundering schemes to channel that cash directly to other pockets. In addition, when the economy happens to dip, the demand for subsidies rises at the same time that tax income drops, which isn't the best combination.
To deal with this, the Coalition is finally forced to review its economic policy. This means not removing subsidies entirely but restricting what sorts of companies can have them, introducing stricter vetting of the recipients themselves and demanding proper bookkeeping... all of which someone in the administration will have to go through. The Coalition is also unable to let go of its free trade platform and raise tariffs, but quietly makes some cuts to its “negative tariff” programs that have effectively been subsidizing cheap exports until now.
Minor changes in Polish economic policy can have devastating effects on smaller nations dependent on Polish trade, as demonstrated by Bavaria: with tensions heightened by the massive layoffs caused by the drop in demand, protest marches on 1st of May – a traditional holiday co-opted by socialists as International Workers’ Day – end up escalating into an outright communist uprising, with the angry masses even outnumbering Bavaria’s own army. Polish reinforcements are requested and sent from Prague, cleaning up the would-be revolution (in a very messy manner), but such spontaneous eruptions of red rebellion right in the neighborhood only feed the Polish government’s own paranoia.
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Socialism is indeed creeping into the Polish sphere, the Lotharingian Workers’ Party even winning the local election (fair and square). So far the party has held onto its promises of working peacefully within the parliament and not trying to consolidate power in any way, but many Polish diplomats on the other hand are refusing to deal with their Lotharingian counterparts, or struggling to hide their distrust while doing so.
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There are even bumps in the so-far smooth colonization of Africa: troops trying to establish order in the Upper Congo, a remote region they’re only now expanding into that wasn’t actually part of the eponymous Kingdom of Kongo, are forced (quote) to adopt ever more brutal measures in their subjugation of the locals. Unlike their more civilized neighbors, these tribesmen refuse to bow at the sight of the Polish military. It is estimated that during 1887 alone, as many as 10,000 natives are killed in various riots, battles, massacres and even some conflicts amongst themselves, a fact which Poland tries to keep from the rest of the world – and the colonial government from Krakow. While the situation calms down in the years after (i.e. the Poles assert control), overall harsh treatment and the constant specter of violence still linger.
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Not far to the east, the Latins both get the upper hand in their colonial competition with the English and successfully annex the entire Sultanate of Betsimisaraka. General Fiorenzo Canevaro, whose name will live on in fame and infamy, “singlehandedly” leads his troops from one victory to another, marching halfway down the east coast of Africa as he also invades the Swahili Republic and the Sultanate of Sofala in short order and establishes Latin dominance across the region.
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As the best spots in Africa are getting rather crowded, Moldavia – which has so far languished in the Mediterranean, conquering Socotra in the Indian Ocean but not really doing anything with it – gets its first real colony in India instead. The Pratihara Empire is invaded and the region around the port city of Karachi seized, possibly setting the stage for the renewed colonization of India after the previous attempts somewhat fizzled out. This also puts some pressure on the independent Indian states to the south.
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Of course, India is rather inconvenient to reach from Moldavia. They’re not dumb enough to sail around all of Africa, no, but generally have to disembark in Egypt, move across the Suez isthmus on a purpose-built railway and then get on another ship. This wastes time and effort, is restricted by the railway’s capacity and obviously requires multiple ships. Inspired by the Kiel Canal, opened in 1890, and the still work-in-progress Panama Canal, Moldavia hires some Polish consultants to help it construct the Suez Canal – the holy grail of Indian Ocean travel, dreamed of for decades or centuries but now finally possible.
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Even further east, as Wu continues to implode, Jan Chodkiewicz, Marshal of the Indies, is given permission to seize another treaty port for Poland before it’s too late. The Wu government is so weak and tired that it actually sends out boats to offer surrender before the Poles even make landfall. The city of Macao is made into a military base without a single shot being fired, complementing the Poles’ other base in Lüshun further north.
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Premier Cyryl Zaworski was first propelled to power in an intra-party feud right before an election, and now in September 1890 he leaves the same way. While he has proven competent at his field of choice – foreign diplomacy – he's found himself hamstrung by Polish policies out of step with the rest of Europe, and distracted by domestic issues. His ousting isn’t about efficiency at his job, though, but a financial scandal: while the subsidy system used to be ripe with unchecked corruption, the vetting system introduced by Zaworski ultimately just tamed that corruption and let him and his associates decide where the money went. When a major newspaper exposes their abuses just as election campaigns are about to start, the party is left with little choice but to give him a vote of no confidence, lest they anger just about every part of their voter base.
Ironically, his replacement Andrzej Gabris is a well-connected businessman himself, but a supposedly very honest one, and most importantly one who promises to focus on economic reform and establish several independent organs to avoid similar abuses in the future.
https://i.postimg.cc/3wwvLymN/20200815234206-1.jpg
(Despite the color, the top modifier is positive, though the lower two aren’t.)
Of course, whether he can stay there depends on the election. Even with the addition of free trade, the Coalition’s platform of “more of the same” is growing ever more outdated, insufficient to match the challenges of the day, and somewhat trite even for its actual supporters. Meanwhile, the party is struggling with the fact that its promise of never raising taxes or tariffs is, unsurprisingly, very restrictive, and “emergency” measures to balance the budget by making sudden cuts elsewhere have become the norm – especially as the country’s colonial projects and naval expansion have proven more expensive than originally thought. The constant barrage of anti-socialist attacks has only served to desensitize the people to their actually problematic aspects and, much like an oppressive parent, make the reds seem that much more attractive for anyone who only wants the opposite of whatever the Coalition is serving.
While the Crown has managed to keep rebellion in the streets to a minimum, it finally ends up occurring in the voting booth instead. The SDP (both wings included) ends up winning almost half of the popular vote, and a share of seats to match, becoming the largest party in the Sejm – but just barely short of a majority.
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This seemingly gives the other parties a way to avert a communist takeover through political horsetrade: by refusing to join forces with the SDP and instead forming a coalition government themselves (with 51% of the seats), they give Wieslawa an opening to “accept” Andrzej Gabris as Premier and the Coalition as the de facto ruling party, albeit somewhat weakened by having to appease the Populists. The other option would be a communist government – albeit a minority one – and a communist Premier, neither of which are even remotely acceptable. The only reason an entirely new election isn’t called is that there’s no guarantee it would go any better.
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Needless to say, neither the victorious SDP nor its supporters are very thrilled about this, and many otherwise on the fence about the socialists are also shocked that a party’s rightful victory in a fair election would be denied in such a manner. The government counters that besides being morally justified, the move is also practical – a minority government wouldn’t get anything done – and perfectly legal. There’s no rule dictating that the largest party must lead the government, if it’s unable to form a functional one, and besides, it’s important to remember that the Premier and the Sejm only serve at the High Queen’s leisure to begin with (a risky precedent the Coalition is nevertheless willing to set in this situation).
But whatever the rules say, the reality is that democratic ideals are firmly entrenched in the mind of the Polish voter, the Crown’s autocratic power tolerated only as long as it doesn’t actually wield it. Groups that were hoping for this election to finally make a difference are forced to realize that the establishment will never allow change within the system, and violence really is the only option.
Almost as a sympathy strike of sorts, the people of Benin – an extremely industrialized country where as much as 22% of the workforce is employed in factories – stage a massive uprising against their similarly conservative government. Socialism in Benin is in fact a Polish “import”, though the timing here is just a coincidence. Much as was done in Bavaria, the nearby Polish army is invited in to stop the revolution, where some of the colonial troops gett a little too excited and treat the Beninese like they do those other Africans in their own territory. This is a risk the Beninese government accepts in order to keep its own people in check. Poland is rapidly building itself a reputation (good or bad) as not only a cultural, but also a military bulwark against communist revolution across the world (or at least its own sphere). Other countries that have tried to contain the communist threat by compromise, many of them with success, have mixed feelings at best.
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In Poland, too, the first real “uprising” after the election is one organized by the hardcore communists, but far from mobilizing the deep masses, it’s a stillborn attempt at a riot that is quickly put down by local forces. The leaders get a little overzealous and call for an outright communist revolution, something most of the SDP’s voters don’t actually want, alienating most of the potential rebels. Not even the most optimistic security officers dare assume that this is the end of it, though.
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Indeed, the failed communist uprising actually helps legitimize the one that is yet to come. It shows that the other protesters do not seek a communist state or one ruled by any given party, but merely a fair, democratic one where everyone can vote and expect that vote to matter. Though their actual hopes and goals obviously differ, the various rebel groups have decided to put those differences aside and not only cooperate (as they did last time) but actually found a single united People’s Front against the oppressive Polish government. Almost half a century later, the republican movement is far more refined, defined and organized than it was during the Hungry ‘40s… and it is big. The election was in March 1891, the failed communist uprising in October; but the People’s Front is willing to build its strength for years, showing great skill in its creation of a countrywide network. The police and the Dwójka do notice this activity and make many raids and arrests, seizing thousands of guns illegally stockpiled or smuggled from abroad, but fail to make a dent in the wider movement. It is already too big to go down with anything less than a bang.
Although, the Sejm and the Crown do hold the power to end it before it starts. All they need to do is hold a new election and commit to the results. However, that means that if the SDP won again, they’d actually have to work with them, not just let them have the premiership and then block everything they do, which would only be seen as another betrayal and bring them back to square one. And even if the Sejm were to grit its teeth and accept some moderate reforms, there’s the High Queen. The matter is ideological, but also highly personal: the communists are openly and violently anti-monarchist and would happily have her head on a platter if given the chance. Of course, right now they’re on their best behavior, pretending to be innocent victims only interested in democracy, but the sheer cognitive dissonance displayed by the SDP’s voters baffles the mind. To many anti-communists, the fact that they’re falling for such an obvious farce is the best possible argument against mob rule in general.
Wieslawa doesn’t take the matter lightly, or blinded with rage. An unearthed letter from an official visiting Grazyna Palace in 1892 claims that after one meeting, she breaks into tears as the scale of the mounting conflict dawns on her. The fact of the matter is that while her subjects may have “failed” her, she has also failed them by letting them be led astray like this, and should the crisis continue on its current track, the mother of the nation may be about to kill hundreds of thousands of her own “children”. Crocodile tears, say the critics; she must be truly deluded to cry over horrors she herself is about to release and perfectly able to stop. But if bending to the rebels’ seemingly harmless demands would mean ushering communist rule into Poland, that’s just not an option.
Of course, the possibility of the Crown Army actually losing to any rebel uprising barely even occurs to Wieslawa or the rest of the government, making the People’s Front’s cause seem even more pointless to them. Going by the election results, the revolution ought to have the support of almost half of the voters, and then probably most of the non-voters as well. But as with any other movement, most of its “supporters” don’t want to resort to violence, and even fewer are willing to take up arms themselves.
The build-up to the seemingly inevitable uprising is as nerve-wracking as anything. The very real tension in the air afflicts every aspect of Polish society, even those that have nothing to do with the matter itself, not least the colonies. The first months of 1893 see a series of local rebellions on every end of the colonial empire: Senegambia, the Gold Coast, Malaya, Brunei, the Maniolas… the lattermost in particular is massive, involving more than twice as many rebel soldiers as Poland has troops in the region. These rebellions are all separatist in nature, resisting Poland’s increasingly harsh brand of colonialism adopted within the last decade, but a closer investigation also reveals a sizable Polish contingent among the rebels, either out of actual sympathy for the cause or just to distract and weaken the Crown by forcing it to divert its attention overseas.
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Even more so than the typical colonial war, the Battle of Legazpi in September 1893 will go down in infamy. The smaller rebel groups are easily taken care of, but the main force takes Manila and then quickly marches out to try and disperse Marshal Chodkiewicz’ troops amassing nearby. However, sensing that the rebels are going on the offensive, Chodkiewicz makes use of the excellent terrain: Manila and Legazpi are on the same island of Luzon, but that island is long, hilly and very narrow, providing no lack of perfect chokepoints for his troops to dig in. With the Marynarka patrolling the sea and bombarding any rebels who so much as show up on the beach, they’re funneled right into the heavily entrenched kill-zone.
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Such a battle would be one-sided at the best of times, with the Poles more than making up for their numbers disadvantage it in terms of positioning and artillery support. Chodkiewicz has constructed a series of trenches behind one another, allowing him to retreat to the next one in good order as the rebels slowly inch their way forward through devastating artillery, rifle and – the first time Poland gets to use such weapons in a large battle – machine gun fire. But his only priority is ending the battle as quickly and with as few Crown casualties as possible. That’s another “first” for Poland: the first practical use of chemical weapons.
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The fifth day of the battle starts out like any other, with the Poles sitting in their trenches and the Maniolans considering their options while hiding in the jungle. And just like any other morning, the distinct thunder of Polish artillery fills the air, the rebels’ own captured cannons responding with a brave but pale imitation. But when the shells land, striking the terrain the soldiers are using for cover, something’s different: instead of shockwaves and shrapnel, the shells erupt into a rolling cloud of green gas that sweeps across the entire 10-mile front and crawls directly into the valleys and holes the soldiers are hiding in. The noise of the next incoming volley is covered by the screams of panic and pain that erupt as people all around go blind, start coughing up blood and collapse to the ground; those who can still run, do. The Poles, rather than walk through the gas, mostly just send them off with some more artillery fire and then sail around to meet them on the other side, rounding up the survivors with little resistance. And just like that, the way Chodkiewicz sees it, chlorine gas has done in minutes what might ordinarily have taken days and many, many good soldiers. Little does he know that in the eyes of many, this little incident will retroactively ruin his entire heroic career. And unless every great power suddenly grows a conscience, the trenches, machine guns and most of all the gas seem like horrible foreshadowing of the future of warfare.
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Far from trying to cover it up, the Crown actually reports it far and wide as an attempt at intimidation. Chemical weapons are almost by definition something only the state can use, requiring both industry and heavy artillery to back them up, and the Crown Army apparently doesn’t see them as “unethical” in any way but merely effective. They ended the battle faster with fewer casualties – arguably on both sides. And though it isn’t explicitly stated, there’s an implied threat that their use doesn’t have to be limited to the colonial theater…
Poland’s years-long struggle with internal problems doesn’t do wonders for its foreign affairs. In the same way that Polish policies caused unrest in Bavaria and Benin, they’ve made Scotland veer farther away from the Polish sphere for a while now, especially as Poland vowed not to station troops in Scotland and failed to participate in the (short and silly) Shepherd’s War in 1880. England, growing increasingly rich and powerful on its African and Chinese colonies, has wasted no time filling that void, and what might seem like a sudden reversal to an outsider is actually a long time coming. In Scotland, apparently tired and somewhat scared of further feuding with its much larger neighbor, the Unionist Party is propelled to power by popular vote, advocating for closer relations with England – much closer, apparently. In a move mirroring the union of Novgorod and Chernigov, in 1894, Scotland and England agree to solve their disputes by forming a very Russia-inspired federation of sovereign kingdoms (de facto dominated by England, but letting the Scots keep some of their dignity). The Irish question is solved by making it a third kingdom ruled by the King of Scotland’s nephew, though as something of a double standard, Wales isn’t given the same treatment. As part of these reforms, most of Guyana’s recent autonomy is rolled back, but the Scottish colonies of Hibernia, Cascadia and Patagonia are given the option of independence, which all of them choose to take. It's hard to imagine that the new state could entirely smooth over centuries of mutual grudges, but Russia has already shown that it might be possible when the practical benefits are great and the alternatives terrible enough...
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Poland isn’t entirely blindsided by this, of course, but unable and almost unwilling to do anything about it. It loses a medium-sized ally, but one that had already become a liability and never seemed to pull its weight. England was never really a Polish enemy, either, but a Scottish one. If England and Scotland have really made up, perhaps Poland can actually have better relations with this new great power of Britannia.
Miraculously, Poland manages to make it through the Sejm’s entire 5-year term without the long-awaited revolution ever coming, but that’s the thing: the rebel movement hasn’t actually gone anywhere, and its mere presence is enough to paralyze the country. The Sejm writes new rules requiring 51% of all deputies, rather than merely votes given, to support any new legislation, so that the SDP stands no chance of sneaking something through when enough people happen to be absent or abstain – but this also makes it even harder for them to pass anything themselves. And as the 1896 election approaches, a committee is found to be analyzing and manipulating voting district borders in order to ensure a non-socialist victory regardless of the popular vote. Even the SDP and the press discovering this does nothing to stop it from occurring anyway.
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And yet, much as the others feared, the SDP ends up even more successful than last time, even after the government resorted to outright fraud. This leaves Wieslawa and the Coalition in the exact same position they were in five years ago, with the Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads: accept the people’s misguided will, or annul it once again and knowingly march into the bloody civil war they were given every opportunity to avoid?
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The nation waits with bated breath…
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Newspaper Gallery (https://imgur.com/a/AvWQNXv)
Apparently trying to stop Moldavian India in its infancy, the Maratha Confederacy has doubled its efforts to hem it in and unite India under its own flag.
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In the end, no one bothered to intervene in the Alfish civil war, leading to Mikmaq victory.
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Britannia, huh… I even made it so that they had to sphered and allied to form it, but they pulled it off, so I guess they deserve it?
The communist situation is bizarre indeed. I’ve tried to include some subtext of an unreliable narrator, where the government and the people’s views of the communists are vastly different and only hindsight will show which one was actually right. It would feel somewhat jarring for so much of the country to be supporting openly murderous revolutionaries in the Sejm, and the idea of the communists using the more peaceful SDP as a cover helps sell the idea, I believe… though the election mechanics make it a bit weird. The “coalition” effect is only applied to the end results, after seats have been distributed and the ruling party needs to be determined; during the voting process, the SDP and the communists are effectively competing as two separate parties, even though narratively speaking they should be only one. We’ll just glaze over that.
In the interest of not dragging things out, I’m taking opinions. I’ve been legitimately torn over how to handle the decision, be it from a narrative, mechanical or in-universe point of view, and to be entirely honest, I’ve actively started pushing the damn rebellion to fire. It’s been sitting at maximum power for years now! When/if it does fire, I won’t lose to it on purpose – but before then, I’m willing to compromise if y’all think I should. The roleplaying restrictions I’ve placed on myself have been a lot stricter than a typical game, or any AI country for that matter, but I don’t necessarily want to spend the rest of the game waffling over this or anything. Accepting the results of this election won’t necessarily avert the rebellion, but not doing so will only ensure it fires and possibly make it even bigger. Appointing a new ruling party raises the entire country’s Militancy by 2.
Dunno if I the writer am just in a bad mood or something, but our Poland really hasn't been the best country recently, and while that's better than always being the perfect paragon of virtue, I wouldn't mind some corrective maneuvers.
To nitpick myself: I’m using Kongo to refer to the kingdom, and Congo to the river and thus the geographical regions named after it. Mostly because they just happen to be named that in-game. In their own language, the Poles call both of them Kongo anyway.
InvisibleBison
2020-08-16, 10:04 AM
In the interest of not dragging things out, I’m taking opinions.
It seems to me that the High Queen and the Crown Council are not at all willing to accept the Communists, and willing to let the issue come to civil war. I think it would make the most sense for them to set aside the results of the election once again, even if that would trigger a revolt. It's possible that there might be some elements of the Polish government who would welcome a revolt, as they think it would allow the issue to finally be resolved.
Keraunograf
2020-08-16, 02:23 PM
The only way I could see the communists being allowed power is with a set of harsh restrictions on what they're allowed to do...
Which when I think about it, the Sejm already pretty much has? Since they can't effect the Crown Council, and they can't put anything through without crown and council permission, they can change voting rights for the Sejm but nothing else.
I think there's really two options that make sense here, and neither of them involve just saying the communists don't have the Sejm.
The first is two use the historically not enforced restrictions on the Sejm to allow them to "take power" but effectively have full veto on anything they want to do from the crown and council, and the second is to abolish it entirely as a failed experiment and change the government back to being a monarchy. The second one is probably practically insane, but we've seen monarchs losing their grip do crazier things to maintain it, and the High Queen is potentially losing faith in the public.
SilverLeaf167
2020-08-23, 04:33 AM
This isn't a long break by our standards or anything, but the next bit is taking longer than I expected. There's big things happening, and I decided I should play a couple chapters ahead to make sure I keep things consistent, don't hype up the wrong thing etc.
Chapter(s) should be up by the end of next week.
SilverLeaf167
2020-09-14, 06:54 AM
Okay, so obviously that wasn't true, and the next update's been delayed a bit. Lectures, other hobbies and whatnot starting up again has drained me of time, but more importantly, productive time worse than expected. You know how it goes. Since the next couple chapters are almost done, I hope to push them out the door soon before I forget altogether, but we're in for another slower period at the very least. Stay tuned. :smallsmile:
InvisibleBison
2020-09-14, 02:05 PM
I'm glad to learn another update is on the way!
SilverLeaf167
2020-10-15, 01:01 PM
Chapter #67: Their Own Gravediggers (1896-1903)
2nd of April, 1896
The communist-led Social Democratic Party has won another election, and a narrow majority of seats in the Sejm, leaving the other parties without even the feeble excuse they used last time. Denying the SDP this victory, reached despite the others conspiring against it and defrauding the election – making it doubly difficult to claim any foul play from the SDP – will take nothing less than an outright dismissal by the High Queen. A new election under the current conditions could only be expected to give them even more votes, which leaves a minority government or an arbitrary redivision of seats as the only options should the government insist on keeping the National Coalition in power.
High Queen Wieslawa need only say the word, and it will be done – and legally at that. But legal isn’t the same thing as legitimate, and crimes against the Polish people and their sense of justice will be judged by the man and woman in the street. Poland doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and seeing in great detail just how much progress every surrounding country seems to be making only makes the feeling of betrayal and being left behind that much more painful. All the technological development in the world – telephones, radios, groundbreaking medicine, even the first commercial tractors within just the last decade – can’t make up for moral stagnation, especially when the regular people can’t afford it… or when it also creates new and inhumane tools of violence. For most of a millennium, the people of Poland could believe that their relatively tolerant and reasonable nation possessed not only material but also moral superiority over its opponents, and for the first time in history, they’re not so sure. The Crown doesn’t seem to care about anything other than its military, prestige and new colonies, at great cost to those being conquered and the regular Pole alike. Much as happened during the previous wave of revolutions, nationalism itself has begun to turn against the state: people value not only their own rights but also the “nation” over the “Crown”, and are willing to go against the regime that treats them as “subjects” if that means doing their duty and claiming their place as “citizens”.
Wieslawa’s inner circle of advisors – this is too sensitive to trust even the Crown Council with – is basically tearing her in three different directions. No one, not even those who agree with them on some policies, is willing to openly endorse the communists. Some want to do the above and keep them out of power no matter what, even if it means war: even if the communists could theoretically be contained, their control of the Sejm is something that can’t be accepted as a matter of principle. Others suggest a middle-of-the-road approach, not “accepting” the communists but also not dismissing them: symbolism aside, them sitting in the Sejm doesn’t need to affect national policy in any way that Wieslawa doesn’t want. One could argue that this is just the worst of both worlds, but it has the best chance of avoiding bloodshed. And finally, a small but increasingly persuasive group suggests that the Sejm has become too far removed from its original purpose and an outright threat to national security. If the High Queen and the nobles are losing sleep over it, the only reasonable answer is to accept parliamentarism as a failed experiment, roll back voting rights, turn the Sejm back into a purely noble institution and restore Crown authority. The only “platform” that traitors deserve is the executioner’s.
In some sense, of course, one can sympathize with Wieslawa for not wanting to accept a party that she has good reason to believe wants her dead. The exact ideology of the SDP is hard to grasp at this point, but the secret police in the Dwójka and through them Wieslawa are convinced that any pretense of peaceful socialism is nothing but a cover for their anti-monarchist revolutionary goals. A trickle of news from distant Tibet, under communist rule for 15 years now, tells that the party has purged the nobility and pagan clergy, sent disloyal citizens to labor camps to feed the rest of the country and seized absolute power for itself. Naturally Poland is not Tibet, plus the people spreading these rumors are mostly anti-communist exiles themselves, but the already paranoid atmosphere doesn’t need much pushing to get worse. Of course, other democracies like Lotharingia have had no trouble electing socialists and then peacefully voting them out a term or two later like any other party, but in Krakow, the line between social democrat and revolutionary is frighteningly hazy.
A week after the 1896 election, the Crown comes up with a set of reforms later named the Wieslawan Restoration, passed by the authority of the High Queen without requiring Sejm or even Council approval. Though there’s no hiding that the Restoration is a direct response to the SDP, it only makes ominous side references to it and is wrapped up in a thick layer of monarchist, nationalist or even seemingly humanist rhetoric. Painting a horrid picture of the civil discord and culture wars that Poland has fallen victim to, in her speech to the Sejm – after the SDP has been pushed out of the room – Wieslawa refers back to the times when the Crown and the Sejm could complement each other to provide civilized leadership without having to worry about appeasing demagogues or the political fads of the day. She handily sidesteps how the Sejm was originally created as a check on royal power, and clearly prefers the Crown to be the dominant side in this relationship, seemingly even borrowing many Royalist Party talking points.
By her decree, the Commissions Act of 1856 is repealed and the vote once again restricted to the upper classes. Behind the scenes, leaning on laws that are already in the books but usually not applied, she plans to concentrate far more power under the Crown and her personal appointees. On paper, other liberal laws like the freedom of press and right to organize remain untouched – for now – but the Crown gets much more aggressive in applying its anti-treason laws to any and all activity it considers subversive or revolutionary. White Guard divisions in all but name (so-called Citizen Patrols) are made into auxiliaries of the Crown Army so they can operate and be armed by the state, while at the same time, even ostensibly peaceful left-wing groups come under great scrutiny. Reds and their sympathizers are arrested, threatened, beaten and in some cases even “disappeared”. The Crown has clearly given up any hope of appeasing the left and started digging in for an armed conflict it has accepted as inevitable. The period quickly labeled as the White Terror has begun.
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Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the Free Nations are appalled. Their alliance with their former oppressor Poland was already awkward at times, but made possible by a mix of cultural closeness and geographical distance. More recently, they’ve been eyeing Poland’s behavior in the colonies and at home with growing anxiety. The Wieslawan Reformation is the last straw, condemned by all major parties but especially the socialist lobby. Whatever hope there was of liberal development in Poland seems to have been dashed, and the Free Nations no longer wish to be seen fraternizing with it. More cynically speaking, having “used” Polish help to assert their dominance over an Amatica almost completely free from colonial rule, they feel secure enough even without that alliance. In the rest of the west, the reaction tends to be more cautious, apathetic, or just eye-rolling as the Poles once again show their true colors.
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Due to alleged abuses by the SDP, the results of the election are declared null and void and a new one called. Wieslawa makes it clear, though, that either an acceptable party will win, or she’ll make it win. At the same time, Premier Andrzej Gabris retires from his post – citing his deteriorating health, thanking the High Queen for being able to serve, and quickly getting way, way out of Krakow. Apparently he and Wieslawa have had some disagreements behind the scenes, though she still would’ve preferred to keep him on to maintain at least some kind of continuity. He is replaced by Karol Lechowicz, Baron of Rybnik, a young and energetic cousin of the High Queen appointed directly by her to be her trusted lackey.
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Even out of those still able to vote, people on both sides have good reasons to fear going to the polls – either the riots popping up all over the country, or the Crown making it unusually clear what it considers the “correct” choice. The middle classes demand an immediate reversal of the Wieslawan Restoration, having found themselves back in the same boat as the lower classes they used to scoff at. The Crown monitors these protests closely and doesn’t hesitate to get violent the instant they seem to cross the line – firearms are avoided for now, but cavalry with long clubs seems to be fair game to break up an unarmed crowd. Although, even the support of the soldiers themselves can’t be taken for granted: the influential officer corps has suddenly found itself voteless as well, and they are increasingly at risk of siding with their subordinates. However, the officers also hold great personal authority over their troops, and so the Crown starts buying their favor with “raises” and other promises bordering on open bribery to hopefully keep them under control. There are also plenty of examples to show that a revolution usually brings with it a thorough purge of the military, meaning that the officers have a strong incentive to remain loyal.
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Yugoslavia, an already very autonomous vassal state kept around for its geopolitical value and manpower, has had a mutual understanding with Krakow to avoid entangling it in Poland’s internal problems. However, not only are they still closely connected, it’s also not immune to international trends: in July 1896, a major communist uprising takes place in its capital region near the Polish border. Though Yugoslavia has a sizable army of its own, the Crown Army hesitantly dispatches some help from nearby Prague and Vienna, the latter a hotbed of rebellion in itself, to make sure that Yugoslavia is ready to help if – or when – the same occurs in Poland.
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Over in Poland, the first ones to go – lose their nerve, perhaps – aren’t actually the People’s Front but the German patriots of Bremen and Holstein, who have been plaguing the region with intermittent terror attacks and street violence for a long time now. The Bremen Voivodeship is one thing, but Holstein (meaning Hamburg and Lübeck) has never been part of Germany proper and ethnic Germans are actually in the minority. Nonetheless, they rise up against the Crown Army and even their civilian neighbors, whom they see as occupiers and colonizers. As many as 260,000 people (with varying levels of weapons and training, obviously) are estimated to participate in the uprising that begins with the rebels trying to storm military bases in Bremen and Hamburg.
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The intense fighting on Poland's own streets proves a tough nut to crack for Crown Army soldiers used to relying on artillery support. Most of them have never seen a real battle either, despite the Army trying to cycle officers back and forth from the colonies for that very reason. Still, the Germans being out of sync with the other rebel groups allows the Crown to bring in troops from nearby regions and box them into the narrow North Sea Corridor, ultimately stamping them out through sheer numbers and firepower.
While the fighting is still going on, the results of the election come in, producing few surprises: a clear Coalition victory. Although, despite Crown crackdowns, the opposition still maintains a small presence in the form of the newly founded Polish Unity Party. It is composed largely of conservatives and liberals turned socialist sympathizers by recent events, and is determined to present at least some sort of dissenting voice in the Sejm, but also wise enough to not be too blatant about it now that the Crown has shown just how harsh it is willing to get. Officially, the PUP focuses on reconciliation, negotiation and compromise – and however honest this programme may be, it seems to fly for now, at least as long as it’s in the minority. Some level of tolerated opposition can be a good way for even an autocratic state to steer rebel sentiment in a controllable direction.
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If other rebels were ready to rise up, the failure of the German uprising seems to put them on the back foot for a while. More time passes. At this point, the People’s Front has spent many years preparing itself almost in broad daylight, gripping the Crown Army and civilians alike with a feeling that the revolution could start at any moment. That in itself may have been one more chance for the state to redeem itself – a chance that it threw away, and knowingly went in the opposite direction. The rebels can only shake their heads and sharpen their axes. It’s not a decision to be made lightly, and indeed, waves of people who have lost their faith in Poland are choosing to leave the country entirely; but a committed core of revolutionaries are willing to fight for the cause, be it out of assurance that they will win or bloody-minded determination to fight no matter the odds.
The White Terror is clearly having an impact: on one hand, as the Crown’s abuses escalate, the People’s Front only gets more and more support from the general populace – people whose usual first instinct is to hate any rebels and do as the Crown says. On the other hand, as the repercussions of supporting the rebels become more severe and the number of armed militias in the streets grows by the day, the fear for their lives and livelihoods drives many people to simply hunker down and wait for the storm to pass. The Crown keeps repeating the mantra that it’s all in order to protect them from the rebels and good citizens have nothing to fear, which in a sense is true enough; but being a good citizen in this case means submitting to no representation, no aid, unbridled corporate exploitation and no improvement in sight.
And, surprisingly for both sides, that radicalization seems to be driving members of the People’s Front into the arms of the open communists, the revolutionary wing of the SDP (which is now outright banned from the Sejm). Disgraced by their failed uprising some years ago, they are back with a vengeance. The communists’ core claim that any “rights” given by the bourgeoisie can be retracted at a moment’s notice once they are no longer convenient obviously rings very true at the moment. Liberal democracy where all parties are supposedly allowed will just fall victim to the hegemony of the oppressors and end up driving their interests. While the liberal People’s Front would be willing to team up with them against a common enemy, the feeling doesn’t seem to be mutual. Instead of vague promises of winning first and then letting the people decide what they want, the communists are saying loud and clear what they’ll give the people – or rather, what the people can do for themselves after they’ve formed a true proletarian state.
Given the peculiar length of this gap in between – Long Revolution indeed – people will disagree, in rather semantic manner, on when and where the Polish Civil War truly began. Certainly the street violence starts almost immediately in response to the White Terror in 1896, but it has its less and more intense periods: Red Guards and the People’s Front fighting both Crown forces and (legal or illegal) White Guards, either to raid and harass them or to defend against the same. Despite their disagreements, the rebels mostly resist the temptation to fight each other, but as the Red Guards’ popularity waxes and wanes, the People’s Front becomes increasingly aware that it faces another potential enemy on its left. Due to the underground nature of both movements, no one is entirely certain about their balance of power. But still, while commonplace, these outbursts of violence are ultimately local, and don’t see any attempts by the rebels to take or hold any actual territory; outside these hotspots the rest of the country does its best, and partly even succeeds, to live in relative normalcy.
Outside Poland, the relative peace of the world (besides East Asia) is broken first by a colonial conflict between Asturias and Britannia. Moldavia has formed something of a Mediterranean power bloc to compete with the Latins, extending its influence into Asturias and the UAS, and thus gotten itself involved in this war as well. The real target of the fighting is the same old Asturian claim on Southern Africa, but there’s also fighting in other regions where the two sides’ borders meet, such as the Arabs invading British Central Africa and the Brits marching on Asturian Indochina. After a lot of hassle, the war will end in another white peace with a lot of death but only nominal concessions on both sides.
https://i.postimg.cc/sXLzZpWg/20200819231353-1.jpg
Once again, though, even if all the fighting is colonial, it seems to have opened some sort of mental block among the European great powers. In March 1900, the newly elected warlike government of the Latin Federation takes advantage of Poland’s situation to basically declare the treaty of the Congress of Charleroi defunct and end 25 years of peace between themselves and Germany. A big war for a tiny border adjustment; basically a war for its own sake. After all, military might is the Federation’s entire raison d’etre, so much like Poland, it needs to flex it every now and then. Since the strike isn’t directed at the Polish sphere itself, Wieslawa takes the hit to her personal prestige and only issues a public denouncement of the Latin government. Not that her words here carry much weight. Luckily for everyone, the war is already over by June of the same year, Germany deciding to cut its losses rather than face the Latin Legions, actually the largest land army in the world. Out of some strange mercy or compromise, Germany is allowed to keep its access to the sea in Udine/Weiden, but forced to give up nearby South Tyrol instead.
https://i.postimg.cc/5yFV565q/20200819235515-1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/MKVcqTkQ/20200820000815-1.jpg
Peace in Europe. Just in time for a much more important war to finally begin.
The People’s Front sure has kept the nation waiting. As it has taken over 9 years from its inception to this fateful day, some were already starting to wonder whether the real uprising would come at all, if it’d flame out, or if the current skirmishing was just going to last indefinitely. The Terror on the right and the Red Guards on the left have made it increasingly difficult for the Front to organize, stretching things out even further. On Kupala Night 1900, echoing the Kupala Coup of the Meczenniks in 1745, a coded message is distributed country-wide on the pages of Nowy Polak (New Pole), a popular and seemingly moderate newspaper that the Crown had failed to suspect – in an innocuous article about a football match between Krakow and Lwów. Even if someone fails to receive the message by the designated day, they need only look out the window. On 28 June, almost simultaneously across the country, people put on their arm bands, take out their flags and go to war.
https://i.postimg.cc/fRsVLNZg/20200820001210-1.jpg
Symbolizing its demands for liberal democracy and nothing else, claiming to take no side between left and right, the flag of the People’s Front is a simple white-red design. The Crown Army has been on “high alert” for almost a decade now, and while it isn’t caught entirely off-guard, it certainly doesn’t know to expect anything today of all days. The main bases in the major cities hold out against the initial attacks, but as people take to the streets with clubs, axes and guns, their arsenal grows with every additional soldier they manage to overpower. Many of the smaller garrison, police and gendarmerie units throughout the rest of the country are taken by surprise and overrun, and often unenthusiastic to shoot their neighbors anyway. At least the feeling is mutual, and the People’s Front is willing to take prisoners wherever possible, or even convince the enemy to join them. Though the numbers and definitions are once again hazy, it’s estimated that as many as 1,550,000 people take part in the uprising – empire-wide, that is.
https://i.postimg.cc/MZjHmTpF/20200820001221-1.jpg
Indeed, the rebellion isn’t limited to Europe: the People’s Front has also made contacts in the colonies, especially Kongo, which hasn’t really experienced the White Terror but was already suffering regardless. Though operating in Africa is rather difficult due to geographical factors and the locals’ understandable distrust of Poles asking them to take up arms, the rebels promise an end to exploitation and even independence should they succeed. Thus they manage to recruit a decent number of locals, especially in the more remote regions. The order to begin the uprising takes a while longer to reach Africa, but the same goes for the Crown Army’s communications, so it evens out. Unlike in Europe, even regular gendarmerie units are equipped with machine guns; but on the other hand, a lot of those weapons end up in rebel hands once they get overrun.
https://i.postimg.cc/rm7mL6Qj/20200820001344-1.jpg
Even more distant, and exhausted by previous struggles for independence, the East Indies only see comparatively small but still noteworthy uprisings, mainly in the Maniolas. They will be quickly put down by the forces there. To their credit, though, the rebels at least succeed in assassinating the elderly Marshal Chodkiewicz as revenge for the slaughter at Legazpi.
https://i.postimg.cc/Jh60PHX9/20200820020042-1.jpg
Krakow is one of those places where the local rebellion is contained in its early stages, and High Queen Wieslawa is hurried from Grazyna Palace into the city, believed to be the safest place in the country. She gets, or has, to stay in Wawel Castle – just like in the old days. Now 65 years old, the last few years have been the most active of her already lively 39-year reign, but mostly occupied with maintaining order. Hearing more and more reports of the mayhem that has overtaken the country “despite” her best efforts only fills her with more determination to win – for Poland to win. She has no way to lead it in person, though, besides written messages that are printed in some still operating newspapers or distributed as pamphlets, urging all who care about their country to enlist in the Crown Army. The Citizen Patrols are even more closely integrated into the army, basically treated as expendable but especially vicious shock troops and enforcers.
On paper, the rebels actually outnumber the Crown Army. No region is truly spared, but some of the largest rebel concentrations are in Byelorussia, Slovakia and Ruthenia. Many of the people now fighting under the red-white flag used to be part of their own rebel movements, only to wise up after what happened to the Germans and join forces with the republicans for better odds of success and promises of future compensation. Most of them are still organized into smaller bands scattered across the countryside, though, and after the Crown Army secures its current positions, it will likely start expanding from there and clearing them out, should they fail to regroup and consolidate.
Well-prepared or not, when a People’s Front warband and a proper Army meet in the field, the fight tends to be rather one-sided. As such, the rebels usually try to stick to the cities, towns and villages that they’ve already overrun, having learned that this is the best way to counter or at least reduce the Crown’s advantage in heavy weapons. However, the Crown once again incriminates itself in some of the larger battles by using chlorine gas against its own citizens. The Battle of Mogilev in mid-July goes down as the first, but not the last example. The gas doesn’t care about cover, and leaves the buildings remarkably untouched too, but is obviously even more merciless towards civilians who have failed to evacuate the battlefield. Then again, the rebels are also quick to adapt: though their homemade breath protectors are of limited use, they find much more success with new tactics. This might mean moving into close quarters combat, or – after realizing that the gas floats close to the ground – fortifying themselves on the upper floors of buildings now surrounded by an impenetrable moat of green. Still, merely surviving the gas is not enough to triumph against the better-trained, better-armed and better-organized Crown Army.
By the start of September, roughly two months into the uprising, there is still some ground-level fighting, but the People’s Front has already all but collapsed. Due to the Crown Army holding onto its strongpoints throughout the country, it has been able to stop the rebels from securing any given region as a base of operations. Perhaps even more importantly, though, someone is notably absent: the Red Guards. With a few scattered exceptions, they’ve been less visible than at any point during the Terror, having apparently chosen to go into hiding while the others fight it out. By first undermining the People’s Front and then abandoning it to its fate, they might have doomed it altogether – but might also have blown their own chance to overwhelm the Crown. At least the Yugoslavian communists stage another uprising now that the army is busy helping in Poland, which allows them some early gains, but only until the army comes home again.
https://i.postimg.cc/3Npw8LqT/20200820013547-1.jpg
In October, the fighting comes to an end – or a pause. Due to the communists looming in the background somewhere, the Crown still can’t quite relax, and Wieslawa remains sequestered in Krakow, only making a short public appearance to show that she is in good health and declare victory over the traitors. She even says some things that could be generously interpreted as conciliatory. However, despite this early show of confidence, it takes until April the next year for the last battles to finally end and villages to be reclaimed in Kongo.
To put the whole thing behind her and show just how completely Poland is back to normal, the High Queen insists on starting the election in May 1901, right on schedule (but again with heavy interference). Whether this is a principled decision, a fatal mistake, only accelerating the inevitable, or all three is a question for the ages, but as soon as campaigning begins – in a historically depressed atmosphere – massive crowds pop up almost out of nowhere to protest and riot once more. The so-called election serves as a stinging reminder of just what the short but still traumatizing fighting last year was all about. The riots aren’t entirely spontaneous, though, but actually provoked by communists taking advantage of the volatile situation.
https://i.postimg.cc/PxCxcfzN/20200820020205-1.jpg
Indeed, though retrospect will find many practical and even personal reasons behind the Red Guards’ tardiness – ideological disagreements and infighting, for instance – at the moment it also seems to have been a highly strategic decision. Instead of having to compete or share power with the People’s Front, their rivals were taken out by the Crown Army; and after that was over with, the Red Guards’ own ranks were quickly bolstered, not just by survivors from the Front, but also even more civilians outraged by the Crown Army’s conduct during the war. One can only assume that they feel at least a little smug reaping the rewards.
Photographs from 25 May 1901 of the Red Guards rolling into Krakow’s market square on hijacked buses (https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a3/50/29/a35029c24664e611cb54a4f0dd9678fb.jpg) stacked to the brim with guns and literally throwing them into the crowd become an iconic image of the era. The June Uprising was (causing some chronological confusion) an elaborate, bloody setup for the May Revolution.
The Civil War has only just begun.
https://i.postimg.cc/3J5RSTyJ/20200820020546-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/02YNhBmG/20200820020623-1.jpg
This second, even larger uprising includes a mind-boggling 3,000,000 rebels, ragtag in nature but becoming more organized by the day as the war continues. The Crown Army in Europe numbers around 1,150,000 on a good day. In contrast to the People’s Front, the Red Guard’s flag is just solid red, and soon it will fly over a number of major cities: due to their excellent timing, and having focused on the urban regions from the start, the Red Guards are immediately on the verge of overwhelming the troops in Gdansk, Poznan, Wroclaw, Warsaw… and Krakow. The capital is both swarming with rebels and completely surrounded by them, ensuring that any relieving force has its work cut out for it. While the army remains admirably loyal after all, and also maintains its clear advantages in organization and equipment, Poland’s military service model means that many if not most civilians have at least basic military training. The rebels are also able to scavenge more equipment from every outpost they take and battle they win.
https://i.postimg.cc/8zwzzfZj/20200820020557-1.jpg
Still sheltered at Wawel, Wieslawa herself is trapped in the eye of the storm. General Zofia Grzymala throws together a multi-tiered defense of the medieval citadel hiding the High Queen. Meanwhile, her colleague Agnieszka Wend – General of the Army of Prague, a city mostly spared by the rebellion – finds what she believes is a relatively lightly-defended path through rebel territory and immediately goes for it. Telegraph and telephone lines have been cut, and she has no way of knowing the situation within Krakow, but can only assume it’s not good.
https://i.postimg.cc/BvVZx993/20200820122933-1.png
At nearly 3 million people, Krakow proper is already one of the largest cities in Europe; and it sits at the center of a vast metropolitan area, its urban sprawl blending seamlessly into neighboring cities like Tarnow and Katowice to form a Greater Krakow of 8 million, more populous than most countries in the world. Needless to say, it’s absolute hell to fight across, and even though distances are short, the map of Greater Krakow with its distinct White and Red-occupied districts, blocks and even individual buildings is an entire theater of war in itself. The Crown Army obviously can’t dig many trenches, and its bases within the city are mostly just administrative centers meant for peacetime organization, not actual frontline fighting. With the exception of a few sections left as monuments, Krakow’s old city walls have been long since taken down as obsolete. Both sides are forced to use buildings as cover, but the urban environment also provides no shortage of flanking routes, and as the city has grown gradually across the ages, some of its streets are almost randomly laid-out mazes while others are wide open and perfectly straight kill-zones.
The machine guns come out right away and are put to deadly use, but whether the Crown Army would use chlorine in the capital or not, it hasn’t been dumb enough to stockpile chemical weapons inside the city in an era of rampant terror activity, and thus doesn’t have any on hand. Causing even more confusion and paranoia is the fact that the Red Guards have no standardized uniforms and can easily disguise themselves just by taking off their red pieces of cloth. The Crown Army tries to impose a strict curfew or evacuate areas under its control, but to little success, as the Red Guards have the city encircled and will not let anyone leave (both to thwart these attempts by the Crown Army, and to stop anything or anyone from being smuggled out).
General Grzymala and the Army of Krakow, the most elite fighting force in the country – officially, anyway – are the only thing standing between the High Queen and the regicidal hordes, and they know this. Yet they do it, the crazy bastards. They manage to hold back the Reds and, after almost a month of fighting, push them out of central Krakow altogether. But rather than fall willingly on top of their bayonets, the Reds make a tactical retreat, joining the besiegers with free rein of the rest of the metropolis. Help is incoming, but the fight is far from over.
https://i.postimg.cc/yxqVbm8r/20200820133141-1.jpg
Not everywhere is doing so well. The eastern, western and southern regions had comparatively smaller uprisings and can benefit from Yugoslavian and Frisian aid, and Gdansk seems to be holding out for now, but central Poland is going down. Warsaw sees the first major defeat for the Crown Army: after a heroic defense lasting over a month, Bozydar Dnistri and the entire force under his command are overrun and captured or killed. While even the Red Guards don’t just execute prisoners by default, in the heat of the revolution, they show no mercy to those they can identify for “crimes” committed before or during the fighting. This includes Dnistri himself, held collectively responsible for everything done under his command, and publicly executed in front of his former headquarters. Whereas the Crown has held onto its ancient tradition of beheading traitors by axe, the Reds prefer the more matter-of-fact and impersonal method of a firing squad.
https://i.postimg.cc/VvjYQJSs/20200820133415-1.jpg
(The numbers on the rebel side are incomplete, not showing how many there really were.)
General Wend’s reinforcements cut a bloody swath through the rebels to reach Krakow, only for the hole to close up behind them. She and Grzymala both hole up in the city and strengthen the perimeter, but other generals keep roaming as much as they can to catch stragglers, seek out battles they can win and stop the Reds from capturing any more ground. The Reds, meanwhile, are already trying to set up some kind of competing government in the area around Warsaw. Random wandering Guards are easy pickings for the Crown Army, but it feels unready to assault this region where the rebels are strongest and which might take the combined force of multiple Armies to penetrate.
https://i.postimg.cc/vHtQ06F3/civil-war-july-01.png
(Situation on 1 July 1901. Number of Red troops in order from lightest to darkest: any, >30 K, >100 K.)
Poznan falls in late July. Albert Dnistri follows his cousin Bozydar into Wyraj, but manages to drag down many, many godless Reds with him. Let them explain themselves to Weles in person.
https://i.postimg.cc/SKsN2QPV/20200820141746-1.jpg
The second battle for Krakow begins in mid-August. Not content to simply besiege the heart of the nation and risk getting surrounded themselves if they waste too much time, the Reds build up their forces for a massive assault that can only be described as a human wave. So massive are their numbers that potential Crown reinforcements actually face the painful choice of whether to rush in to protect the capital and the High Queen no matter what, or stay out of it and be more likely to fight another day. Lambert Razicky, commander of the Army of Berlin and noted loyalist and glory hound, chooses the former. His bravery will be remembered.
https://i.postimg.cc/RF78vKTY/20200820142326-1.jpg
Poland ill needs a martyr, though. Zofia Grzymala is killed in the fighting, struck by a sniper while observing the front from the window of a residential building. The Red who kills her, a housewife handed one of the better rifles after she showed a sharp eye and a stable hand, doesn’t even know who she was. She will go the rest of her days thinking she only shot some random officer poking her head out a little too far, not the recently promoted Marshal of the Realm.
https://i.postimg.cc/C1nh7PSq/20200820142926-1.jpg
Agnieszka Wend takes over the defense, and Razicky arrives just in time to join the fray – the generals and their troops can be rather competitive, which also shows on the ground, but this is no time for petty rivalry. Experience shows time and again that one Crown soldier is worth a dozen rebels, and indeed, an engagement often starts out with the Reds taking casualties at almost a 10-to-1 ratio; but as the bodies pile up, they just keep climbing over them, and the difference starts to shrink. When one falls, there’s always someone to pick up their gun and carry on the fight. Hell on Earth for everyone involved, but both sides only become more committed by the day.
On October 9, there’s a glimpse of light in the darkness: reinforcements from the eastern front win a massive victory near Przemysl, inching one step closer to the battle still raging in Krakow.
https://i.postimg.cc/Y2g2msXc/20200820144650-1.jpg
It turns out that glimpse was just the headlight of an incoming train.
https://i.postimg.cc/XYNnm7n3/20200820144907-1.jpg
At the same time that more and more excited proles join the revolution, the Latin Federation chooses to once again exploit a Poland at the verge of collapse and invade Calais. This should be a major historical event, yet the nation has, in all honesty, better things to worry about right now.
https://i.postimg.cc/nhdnJbLm/20200820145155-1.jpg
Meanwhile in the east, the Russians seem eager to prove that Wieslawa was always right about them: as Poland has fallen from grace and power, the King of Russia has declared himself the “protector of all Russians”, including rather questionably the Ruthenians and the Byelorussians. Now Russian troops are already crossing the Dniepr, initially into the border city of Mogilev.
https://i.postimg.cc/SK3qn6CN/20200820145555-1.jpg
As the fighting rages on in Krakow, High Queen Wieslawa has no way to respond to these undeclared acts of war or actually even hear about them. However, putting their own careers and lives on the line for what they believe is the best of the nation, the local authorities choose to try and spare Poland from utter destruction by giving up willingly. In return for a truce and an acceptance of more limited demands, both the Latins and the Russians get to occupy Polish territory without a fight. If Poland only survives, it can settle things later.
And not a day too soon, as Germany decides to follow suit and do what the rebels couldn’t: reclaim the North Sea Corridor. Here the decision to surrender is less obvious: the North Sea is far more critical for Poland than either Mogilev or even Calais ever was. Germany was probably hoping to attack while Poland was distracted with two other great powers, but with them appeased for the moment, the Polish commanders – acting on their own initiative – actually decide to try and fight this one out, or at least wait and see before just bending over. Maybe the Germans will take out some Reds on their way in.
https://i.postimg.cc/G2DRG4xP/20200820150323-1.jpg
German troops start marching into Frisia, Yugoslavia, Lotharingia and Bavaria – the latter two of which have been remarkably unhelpful against the Reds – but in Krakow, there’s a Midwinter miracle on December 23. After pushing through a wall of corpses and corpses-to-be, more relieving forces manage to squeeze the Reds between an internal ring and an external one, snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and turn it into a near-annihilation of the enemy force. The battle is very bloody for the Crown as well, but including all the dead, captured and wounded, the Reds lose more than half a million troops in this single months-long battle for the nation’s soul. The war might not be lost yet. Also, notably, the way is now open for the High Queen herself to be evacuated south to Yugoslavia – a blow to her pride, but after almost half a year under siege in Wawel, one she is willing to take.
https://i.postimg.cc/mkNGpKqt/20200820151230-1.jpg
The war is just getting messier, but hopefully approaching its end. The Reds have lost a lot of people, not to mention ground, and the Crown is marching on Warsaw next. However, the remaining Reds have regrouped and become concentrated in such a way that they’re rather difficult to approach. The Germans have in fact ended up fighting some of them, but that’s just getting rid of mice by throwing in snakes, and they too will have to be dealt with.
https://i.postimg.cc/RVBS1L8W/civil-war-january-02.png
(Situation on 1 January 1902. Red presence in order of lightest to darkest: any, >30 K, full occupation.)
The first half of 1902 is a long series of hard-fought victories for the Crown. As it tries to put new recruits in arms and replenish its numbers, those fresh troops on their way to join the fight are easy prey for Reds and Germans alike, but all in all it’s clearly on the way to success. The Crown Army even finds some time to push back the Germans alongside fighting the Reds. Poland’s allies and vassals, who weren’t too eager to wade into the civil war, acquit themselves much better in the defense of their own territory. It’s a testament to Polish bravery or German cowardice when, in May, they agree to cease their offensive and go home empty-handed before the tide turns against them.
https://i.postimg.cc/0jqsf9VT/20200820154942-1.jpg
The civil war proves remarkably difficult to end, though. Even if the Reds lose ground, they don’t necessarily get weaker the way a conventional enemy does: in addition to guerrilla warfare, they can even raise entirely new units behind Crown lines. Several new “waves” of rebels rise up throughout 1902, even if they keep getting beaten back down; and they become increasingly willing to simply escape and join the next wave rather than go down fighting. The worst thing about this is that the Crown can never know how many more soldiers or suicidal peasants might still be hiding in the woodwork.
Almost to the day on 1 January 1903, after two and a half years of nearly constant fighting (if one includes the People’s Front), there’s finally a point where there are no rebel forces active in the field or controlling any territory. Some of their leaders have been killed or captured, but others have gone into hiding – as they tend to do – and the sentiment in the street is clearly that this isn’t really the end of it. As long as the root causes aren’t fixed, it will repeat next week, next month, next year or maybe next decade, but it will repeat. The Crown has made enemies of its own people; and as it happens, it kind of needs its people.
The Hungry ‘40s ended on a similar note: a tired truce, but not a true lasting peace. And much like Nadbor III back then, High Queen Wieslawa – finally returning to a half-ruined Krakow – is under a lot of pressure from all sides to try and forge one. The reforms initiated in Nadbor III’s time ended up stalling, and then reversing course thanks to Wieslawa. By now it should be clear that whether she wants to or not, she must seize this brief window to do as much as she can to modernize the country – politically. She probably can’t save her reputation, but maybe she can still save Poland, the Poles… and herself. The Long Revolution has already lasted 60 years; it’s about time it finally ended, if it ever can.
Newspaper Gallery (https://imgur.com/a/T4e1rJI)
For at least a couple chapters, world information will be brought up as it becomes relevant.
An extremely difficult chapter to write. Practically speaking, sure, but also in how I (as the government of Poland) feel like I'm definitely "in the wrong" – and somehow in a much more visceral way than before in this AAR, as we move from relatively distant and abstracted power struggles closer and closer to the modern day, and the stuff of real civil wars that still scar the psyche of many countries. This unplanned break definitely helped put some mental space between myself and these couple chapters, though, and I don't really feel that strongly about them anymore.
Not to mention the other reasons this chapter was stressful. A real nail-biter, for me anyway. Whether I’d win or lose (I would’ve if the rebels had better timing), whether the damn revolts would start at all, or if the game would just screw with me and make them evaporate at the last moment. How long can you sit at like 20% revolt risk!? Isn’t that supposed to be monthly? Also, more so than ever before, I’ve been making actively poor decisions putting roleplay first, gameplay second, and that always fills me with constant doubt over whether I’m doing too much or too little. Definitely overthinking what’s supposed to be just a lighthearted narrative I write for fun… but I’m of the school of thought that feels like events in an AAR should arise at least somewhat naturally instead of the player deciding them ahead of time. When it comes to those written by myself, anyway. I really don’t judge anyone else’s.
Not wanting to end on a cliffhanger and then immediately get derailed by the game being silly, this turned out to be another candidate for the longest chapter so far. I mean, up until the last minute it seemed like the Reds were going to be a tiny sideshow to the People’s Front, but suddenly some switch flipped somewhere, and the rest is history. As of the end of this chapter, there are supposedly still millions of rebels ready to rise up, but who knows with this game. I also played through the next chapter before publishing this one, just to make double-sure I didn’t spend too much time writing a setup for something that ends up not happening.
Anyway. No matter how I mulled it over, none of the half-hearted options – sticking with the status quo, or accepting but kneecapping the SDP and thus pretty much sticking with the status quo – really felt right, so I went the other way, and this is where it got me. Abolishing the Sejm entirely felt unfeasible, but why should or would Wieslawa tolerate one that insists on electing the communists over and over again? In-universe there really wasn’t a pleasant option here, and this one also required modding to work, but at least it moved us somewhere, and in a way I considered roughly plausible. Obviously the narrative side of the situation was kinda engineered by me, and the game went out of its way to try and derail it, but I’m still impressed with Vic 2 for letting it emerge to begin with. Anyway, as implied at the end, Wieslawa’s going to take this little… show of displeasure as motivation to finally go “ugh, fine.”
Some mechanical notes, if anyone familiar with the game is curious/skeptical about the rebels’ odds of victory:
PDM reduces the enormous +4 combat boost from gas attack to +2, and as usual it’s removed once the enemy unlocks gas defense.
I’m not otherwise using the mod-mod PDM: Divide by Zero, but before this chapter I nabbed the events that give rebels new military tech at certain intervals – otherwise they’re at zero tech forever, contributing to those battles where the rebels lose by an order of magnitude. They’re still a few tiers behind the typical country though, these techs don’t include gas attack or defense, and as the numbers show, proper troops still have a huge advantage. Just smaller than vanilla.
InvisibleBison
2020-10-15, 02:15 PM
I'm delighted to see this AAR updating again - and wow, what an update!
I think Wieslawa might go down in history as the worst monarch in Polish history - deliberately bringing about a massive civil war only to change her mind and give the rebels what they want after millions of deaths is pretty hard to top. And I can't help but notice that Poland has basically inflicted an entire Great War's worth of casualties on itself just as the era of Great Wars is starting to get underway. That doesn't bode well for the future.
SilverLeaf167
2020-10-21, 02:40 PM
Chapter #68: Red-Stained Band-Aid (1903-1905)
1st of January, 1903
Krakow is a city of ghosts. Usually when people say that, they mean that it has a lot of history; but if someone could look at the spiritual sediment of the years 1900-03, they would find a lot of grudges and blood. Every street has a crater, every wall its bullet holes – every home a tragedy. Even historical buildings, temples, churches and synagogues have taken great damage as the Reds have gone out of their way to use them as bases, and with a heavy heart, the Crown has had no choice but to shoot anyway. Of course, the implication that they’re grieving the buildings more than the people is part of the problem for many.
Since the June Uprising of 1900, which led to the May Revolution of 1901, Poland’s total population has actually shrunk by 6 million. This includes many who simply left the country, but obviously those who died in the fighting, either as participants or as collateral damage (from a stray projectile, a months-long siege or simple political persecution). And of course, statistically speaking, those who “should” have been born but weren’t. But though the war is currently on break, if nothing is done to prevent it from heating up again, that number will only grow. The thing with civil wars is that even if they begin as political disagreements, they quickly become as personal as can get once the killing starts.
The People’s Front and the Red Guards had (or still have – they haven’t gone anywhere) different approaches, but were ultimately fighting for the same reason: the regular people are not well. They lack many things that the Crown has the power to give, and are exploited by people the Crown has the power to stop, but when they tried asking, the Crown only doubled down and got even worse. Some wanted to fix this by winning themselves the vote, and thus the ability to change their own fates; others by simply skipping the middle man and taking what they wanted, which, after decades of parliamentary reform going nowhere, actually proved the more popular idea by far.
If High Queen Wieslawa really wants to end the revolution, the only thing she can do is lean into reform. It’s a hard pill to swallow after seemingly "winning" the civil war, but there’s a point where “not negotiating with rebels” has to give way to the realization that not only do those “rebels” and their sympathizers include the bulk of the country, the only thing that proud bullheadedness will cause here is more and more death, possibly or likely her own. She has finally acknowledged this, and while she can hardly pretend to have had a change of heart – convincingly, anyway – she can at least go through the motions and seek a fresh way forward. In a republican system, or if she were anything less than the High Queen, she definitely would be expected to step down or worse; but abdication is not in the cards, and she’s in good health for the time being, so uneasy compromise is the best anyone will get. As her personal image has been bathed in blood, though, she is forced to retreat somewhat from the public view and leave more space for other politicians, lest those vital decisions be also tainted by her touch.
The May Revolution began just as another heavily manipulated election was getting under way, and as Krakow itself became a warzone, no one thought twice about suspending the election and extending the previous Sejm’s term until peace could be restored. Of course, the Sejm couldn’t actually function anyway: as leaders hid in their fortresses and communications were cut, what government there was left basically had to improvise and fend for itself, and now everyone is trying to compare notes on what even happened during that lawless time. Not to mention that as a result of the war, many of the Sejm’s 300 deputies have died, been jailed or simply decided to retire, inevitably ushering in backbenchers or even a whole new generation to fill their seats.
Wieslawa pushes the decimated Sejm to act while it can, i.e. allows it to reverse some changes that she herself dictated. There’s no option here that would make her look good, but at least she gets to try and claim some credit for this, which might actually fly with less attentive citizens. The clunky Commissions Act isn’t reinstated; instead, for the first time, the Sejm goes all the way and officially expands its voting franchise to… everyone who pays a certain minimum in taxes. This basically includes the middle classes, but still not the manual laborers who form around 80% of the population. A lot of countries have used something similar as a transition towards universal suffrage, though, and many people are at least willing to wait and see if this finally leads to real change. Meanwhile, even though the lower classes are still voteless as ever, this causes at least a temporary disruption in their alliance with the middle classes, which includes many leaders and organizers of the various rebel movements.
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The Sejm takes the risk of repeating history by calling an election in this confused atmosphere, but it has little choice. While that’s underway, the National Coalition aims to undercut the Reds (in the Sejm and in the streets) by finally passing some of the most demanded legislation, ranging from general civic reforms to seemingly esoteric but actually critical things like education. Although a well-established tradition of religious, tutor and parent-to-child teaching has technically achieved almost full literacy in Poland, anything other than basic reading and math – especially post-primary education – has been pretty much restricted to the rich and well-connected. Some of these laws introduced in 1903 aim to make higher education and thus a higher standard of living more attainable to the regular people as well, but most of this new schooling will still be organized by various religious organizations (whatever kind of pagan or oddani they might be). This is partly because they’re the ones best equipped to provide it, but also a conscious decision by the Coalition to try and prevent undue socialist influence. The rapid expansion and maintenance of these schools will also require quite a bit of state funding.
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With these individually modest changes but a steady stream of more to come, the country lets out a collective sigh of relief and the immediate risk of renewed rebellion seems to all but disintegrate. There’s still trials, unrest, heated polemic and grudges that will last for a century, but they’re all “tolerable”. The People’s Front is well on its way to getting exactly what it wanted, whereas the remaining Reds are left floundering with greatly reduced support from an exhausted nation: even those with no illusions regarding the Crown are in no mood to keep fighting for the rest of their (potentially very short) lives while there’s any chance of a peaceful alternative. In fact, the most frustrated are those who fought on the side of the Crown, especially the White Guard and other right-wing groups, who are now seeing their glorious – but alas, illusionary – victory turn to bitter compromise.
While it seems – and is probably true – that the Crown could’ve avoided a lot of horror by simply doing this in the first place, as critics and adversaries have been saying all this time, the mental and cultural hurdles that had to be overcome to officially turn the noble Sejm into a popular parliament of the people should not be entirely dismissed with the benefit of hindsight.
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Meanwhile, Poland’s foreign policy must also be revived. After its ugly breakup with the Free Nations and the “loss” of Scotland, and the loss of Calais and Mogilev in the chaos of the past few years – a great humiliation for the invincible Poland – it is in dire need of European allies. The old pact with Moldavia is remade once more, creating a distinctly “central” alliance of Sweden, Poland and Moldavia (plus various smaller nations) stretching from the Arctic to the Indian Ocean. Poland and Moldavia have both tried seeing other countries, but history and the realities of geography just keep bringing them together again.
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The election season of 1903 isn’t easy for any of the parties, trying not to stoke up any new hostilities, but especially the National Coalition, which has to commit to its new direction and adapt its rhetoric to a more sensitive time and expanding voter base. The 7-year ban on the SDP is lifted, but while it makes a respectable comeback at the ballot box, in terms of actual seats it fails to squeak out the all-important majority in a single district. Instead, the cobbled-together Polish Unity Party is looking to become a major player in its place, quickly transforming from an uneasy “official opposition” to what is best described as a populist, relatively hardline socialist party that is nonetheless committed to reform rather than revolution.
Which is good, because once the results come in, Poland finds itself in an awfully familiar situation. The PUP wins the most seats in the Sejm, but falls short of a majority. The last time this happened with the SDP, they were sidelined in favor of the Coalition, leaping down the slippery slope towards civil war. At least the government has learned from its mistakes and agrees to step aside to let the PUP take the reins, which Wieslawa also grudgingly accepts. The PUP has enough support from the social-liberal wing of the Populists to form a shaky majority government, but the liberals are also expected to act as a moderating influence and retract their support should the PUP try anything too radical. All in all, it’s perhaps the best possible way for a pseudo-communist party to come to power in Poland. From the ashes of the Restoration and bloody Revolution, it’s time to start a Reconstruction.
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Wieslawa’s relationship with the PUP’s choice of Premier is awkward, but workable. The journalist and political author Mikolaj Rusin used to be a deputy of the National Coalition, but mostly because it was the default choice for a political greenhorn still getting his footing; after his actual views solidified, he joined the newly-formed PUP in the 1896 election. While there are in fact revolutionary elements within the party, he is clearly on the moderate end of the spectrum, and while his goals are ambitious, what matters is that he wants to reach them legally and legitimately by working with the Sejm. He has an ambivalent history with the civil war, but no personal involvement (he fled to Bavaria for the duration), and his preferred way forward is clear.
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The core of those ambitions is simple: after recovering from the devastation of the war, Poland remains the greatest industrial power in the world, and that wealth should also be enjoyed by those who produce it. This inevitably means taking away from the oppressors who have been hoarding that money until now, and as the PUP tries to take almost total control of the country’s economic policy – heavy regulations, state-owned enterprises, progressive taxation – many are rightfully wondering if the Reds won the civil war after all. Those who’d rather keep that war from reoccurring have no choice but to reserve judgment until these economic policies have at least been tried in practice, though it certainly seems like the PUP is driving headfirst into a degree of economic planning that it has no ability to handle. Industrialists are none too happy, and the noble landowners also see the specter of major land reform down the line.
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The PUP finally legalizes trade unions, organizations through which the workers of a given factory, company or entire industry can join forces and demand better treatment from their employers, be it by collective bargaining or direct action such as strikes. Until now, these have been specifically banned and sometimes violently dispersed, but this only led them to move underground and provide manpower for the Reds. Indeed, there are worrying traces of Red militancy within the now emerging unions as well, but the argument goes that they’re going to exist anyway and legalizing them is the only way to regulate them. Of course, the PUP can hardly deny that it sympathizes with the unions and wants to use them to do from below what the Sejm can’t do from above.
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In the same vein, the PUP wants to continue on the path begun before the last election and keep expanding voting rights until they cover the entire adult population. Only thus, the party argues, can the root causes of the civil war be addressed and true parliamentarism achieved: to avoid them taking to the streets, the people must be led to the ballot box instead. Of course, to old-school nobles who never wanted “true parliamentarism” to begin with, this is quite hard to swallow, not to mention fears that many of the additional votes will end up going to the left wing and solidifying their control of the Sejm. However, after much passionate debate, the Representation Acts are passed over the course of 1904-05. While quite radical by Polish standards, it’s really just the bare minimum that’s been enjoyed by almost every other country in Europe for decades now – not so much breaking new ground as catching up. But, as long as it took to arrive, the speed of reform in the PUP's first term has been immense.
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All these reforms are achieved in the shadow of another wave of revolutions sweeping the rest of Eurasia, heightening anti-socialist sentiment among some but also serving as a reminder of why compromise is the lesser of two evils. In March 1904, Yugoslavia sees another major uprising by groups trying to achieve a communist state, independence from Poland, or both. The PUP is noticeably more reluctant than the Coalition to send in troops to put down the rebellion, which many see as a damning revelation of the party’s true sympathies, but luckily the Sejm doesn’t control the Crown Army – the Crown does. Multiple armies march into Yugoslavia to maintain control of the Principality, and while the rebellion is ultimately defeated after more than half a year of fighting, it feels like the civil war has merely moved to new fronts.
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To the east, two major countries with no merciful overlord to protect them are defeated by such uprisings and join Tibet in the ranks of communist “dictatorships”, as they are quickly branded. Uralia provides a much closer-to-home example of what such a nation looks like, and is certainly a cultural threat if not a military one. Manchuria, on the other hand, is one of the most populous countries in the world (even the most, depending on how you count certain countries' colonies), and its fall to communism – should it last – is a radical shift in the power balance of the already tumultuous region. Its long-standing alliance with Japan is broken, for one, and the largest independent country in China is no longer a republic (even an authoritarian one) but an outright revolutionary state that aims to spread its dangerous ideology.
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These revolutions happening abroad are actually rather inconvenient for the PUP, as they seem to undermine its own attempts to establish itself as a peaceful and democratic party. As a result, Premier Mikolaj Rusin often has to try and denounce such movements in an awkward display of ideological gymnastics: peaceful reform under the threat of revolution is preferable over mutually destructive conflict, and thus any country where one actually occurs has already failed and been forced to take an inferior alternative (pushing aside the fact that a revolution that’s never expected to occur isn’t very threatening). This rather contradictory doctrine, smoothed out over time and eventually dubbed Rusinism, will join the likes of Sternism and Zhaoism as a major school of socialist thought born out of Poland’s unique circumstances.
Speaking of dangerous ideology, though, the Coalition’s hopes of controlling the expanded school system by tying it to religion are dashed by the PUP continuing to pump more and more money into it. The initiative is arguably rather clever in that it doesn’t attack the current or up-and-coming institutions that are tied to religious groups, and in fact gives them more money as well; but what it does is allow the founding of more and more schools without religious ties. It’s rather difficult for anyone to make a convincing argument against, if they ever want the lower classes to vote for them.
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But as Poland’s eyes are still focused inward, many feel confused or even angry that neither the Sejm nor the Crown has made a serious effort to address what they view as the elephant in the room: Calais and Mogilev. They were handed over to the Latins and Russia in a moment of weakness, and in a manner that was in fact illegal: while probably a wise decision, it was still made by local authorities without the actual right to make peace treaties ceding Polish territory to a foreign power. There are calls for Poland to either demand them back, or otherwise prepare for war to reclaim them and its position as the unrivalled global power. The Crown Army has had its hands full replenishing its ranks after the civil war, training the soldiers hastily conscripted during it, and arguing with the PUP over the role that the White Guards should or should not play in the military. But if Poland is working with the assumption that it can freely bide its time until it’s ready, it might well see war come to its doorstep once again.
March 1905. The Crown Army has once again been deployed in Yugoslavia, this time to put down a separatist uprising in Bosnia. Ethnic and cultural lines are notoriously messy in the region, the puppet government having tried and mostly failed to create some kind of united Yugoslavian identity. Even after the Pannonians to the north, Croats to the west and Serbs to the east were recognized as distinct groups and given certain pseudo-federal rights, the less numerous Bosniaks (around 8% of the population) fell through the cracks, leading to continued unrest in the mountainous center of the country.
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However, this isn’t just a regular rebellion, which Yugoslavia seems to have every other week. While the other great powers obviously didn’t hesitate to exploit openings created by the communist uprisings in Poland and Yugoslavia, they also had no interest in actively supporting them and potentially encouraging similar movements within their own borders. This separatist movement, in a region the Latins have great interest in no less, is a different story. As the ragtag Bosniaks are defeated by Polish and Yugoslavian forces – the latter even more exhausted than the former – it becomes clearer and clearer that the Latin Federation is providing them with not just moral but also economic and military support, smuggled in across the Adriatic. When High Queen Wieslawa publicly accuses the Latins and demands that they stop meddling in the Slavic sphere, they don’t in fact back down, but rather double down and start questioning the very legitimacy of that sphere in the first place.
The very state of Yugoslavia started out as nothing but a Polish power project, a puppet to control the Balkans and act as a buffer against Italy, and that’s what it still is today. After a few surprisingly stable centuries, in more recent years, greater autonomy from Poland – an admirable idea – has only led to unrest as the puppet state proves fundamentally unable to keep itself together. Most of the population remains staunchly Christian, too, and be they separatist, republican or communist, freedom from Polish influence is a goal they can all agree on.
It doesn’t help that the Latins have been dredging up their old claims to the region, denouncing the Treaty of Rome of 1737 that supposedly established the present borders but which they claim to have never fully accepted. When the Latins bring border disputes to the table, it doesn’t take long for the much more acute issue of Calais to be raised in turn. With both sides demanding something from the other and refusing to back down, the situation quickly develops into another major international crisis, and no one seems to be in the mood for another congress.
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There are some crises that start out small and routine, that no one expects to balloon out of control. With relations at a long-time low and the Latins not even bothering to hide their aggression, the combined Calais-Mogilev-Bosnia crisis isn’t one of them: leaders on both sides basically set out with the assumption that war is coming, and they’ll be surprised if it doesn’t. The real question is who else will stick their nose into it and who will support whom. For what it’s worth, Moldavia has Poland’s back right from the start, much preferring the current status quo in the Balkans and having committed to the alliance for now. Precedent implies that Russia will once again side with the Latins, an implication that proves to be correct. With the Free Nations and Japan expected to stay out of European disputes as usual, the real wildcards are Britannia and Germany. Within the month, Britannia declares its intent to respect and, if necessary, protect Slavic sovereignty – it too is worried about this trend of Latin revanchism and growing power in the region. Germany, however, seemingly hates and has recently gone to war with both sides. Nobody knows if it’ll support either of them, stay neutral, or try another high-risk gambit somewhere down the road.
Within Poland, the government does its best to highlight the other side’s provocations and emphasize its own striving for peace. Though there are awkward differences between the Crown and the PUP regarding Yugoslavia and foreign policy, the need to defend against direct aggression is at least something they can agree on, as can the otherwise divided populace. Whatever their politics, they still want Poland to remain strong and independent. Calais and Mogilev for that matter are ancient Polish territory, and they are under illegal occupation, though the opinions of the people actually living there are strongly divided and hard to accurately gauge – both sides have spent a while publishing bold claims of which country those cities belong or “want to” belong to. Their fates will be decided by others.
It’s not easy to bring together a nation so shortly after a civil war, but in return for the Crown supporting certain popular legislation like long-awaited restrictions on child labor (loudly opposed by the industrial lobby), the PUP agrees to throw its full weight behind the propaganda effort. The totally-not-Reds try to balance between acknowledging Poland’s past sins and driving home the point that right now, the Latins and Russians are trying to push the country back down right as it’s on the brink of true progress. They and their associated papers make much noise about the conservative and reactionary forces in those enemy nations, but also veiled references to such groups within Poland itself that would surely exploit any weakness among The People. Thus, contemporary and future critics will argue, the PUP is also enlisted in the effort to maintain Poland’s imperial hegemony.
Of course, though they can’t afford to show any hesitation, it’s not like either side has decided to go to war yet: as unlikely as it seems, achieving the same goals with much less bloodshed would still be the preferable option. As they each gauge the other’s strength, sanctions and offers aplenty are thrown around through the summer and fall of 1905. To stop the Bosnian insurrection, Italian shipping is banned from Yugoslavian ports, quickly escalating into an outright embargo and trade war between the two blocs. Poland demands back Calais and Mogilev, even making some vague promises of a revised colonial treaty in return, but is instantly shot down. The Latins demand that Poland retreat from Frisia and Yugoslavia, while Russia seems to want as much of Byelorussia as it can get, an utter non-starter. In the end, all these demands are impossible to reconcile, and already by August, it has truly become a matter of who will fire the first shot where and when. Even if inevitable, PR still matters and the diplomatic repercussions for the perceived aggressor could be severe. Germany, too, grudgingly slips into the Polish bloc, having decided that its Latin border is more critical than the Polish one.
In late October, High Queen Wieslawa – with the backing of the Crown Council and the Sejm – orders the mobilization of Poland’s reserves. All men and women of service age are ordered to report to their local military station, from which some of them will be sorted straight to the border, some to training camps and most back home until they’re needed (even if Poland is one of the few countries to include women in the draft, the percentage of the population actually put in arms remains roughly the same and mostly male). Officially, this is only to put the country on high alert in case of attack, but everyone knows that it’s also a provocation in itself: if one side mobilizes and the other doesn’t, it’s only shooting itself in the foot. Thus, while officials try to deal with the flood of people and paperwork, Wieslawa’s order sets off an instant chain reaction all across Europe as other countries rush to do the same.
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8th of November. The Latin monitor RN Sagitta passes right outside the port of Pula, Yugoslavia. After their hails are ignored, the coastal batteries fire several warning shots over the ship. A shot that was allegedly supposed to miss strikes the deck, killing one sailor and seriously injuring two. The Sagitta finally retreats.
11th of November. A diplomatic summit convenes in Tunis, United Arab States. There’s little neutral ground to be found in Europe, but the UAS and Asturias form one of the only pseudo-neutral blocs in this entire quarter of the world, hence the meeting in such an out-of-the-way place. Its original purpose was to reaffirm certain agreements on civilian shipping “in case of” war, but the recent and still fuzzy Sagitta Incident has sidetracked the whole thing. It is attended by some of the top officials in the region, namely the Latin Admiral Lettieri and some of Poland’s ambassadors to Yugoslavia. The sailor killed on the Sagitta was the first actual death in these myriad border incidents, the Latins demand reparations, and so and so on. No progress is made. Suddenly, the show is stolen by a gunshot. Lettieri falls to the ground, soon to take his last breath. He has been assassinated by Yugoslavian soldier Ilija Šimek, “mad with the lust for vengeance” (as the papers put it) for his brother’s death fighting the Bosniaks. He saw his chance to lash out and took it. Šimek is quickly tackled and restrained by his fellow soldiers, but needless to say, panic ensues and the negotiations break down entirely. The two parties barely make it out of Tunis without starting to fight then and there.
13th of November. Lettieri’s assassination is the convenient last straw. Who is actually to “blame” for everything has been thoroughly scrambled, but the Slavs have literally and figuratively fired the first shot, and as soon Rome gets the formalities in order, the declaration of war rings out across the continent. The opening salvo is fired upon Wieden, Germany, immediately making sure that the entire awkward coalition has no choice but to commit. It is quickly followed by more in Lotharingia, Switzerland, the Dniepr and elsewhere, and as soon as the artillery quiets down, the infantry starts to advance. In one move, nearly the entirety of the Old World from Ireland to Mongolia, from Norway to Namibia, has been dragged into war.
Of course, no matter how large the war might seem, many people – whether naive or in fact cynical – believe that it might still end quickly and rather painlessly. Being home by Midwinter might be a bit much, but true, many wars between the great powers have started off with similar bravado, only to fizzle out a couple months later when one side's bluff is called and a modest peace treaty hammered out after all. But the thing is, when viewed in retrospect, the last century in Europe hasn’t seen a single true agreement so much as one bitter armistice after another. Every so-called peace has sown the seed of a new war or several. It might turn out that those grievances have finally piled up to the point that they can only be settled by overwhelming force and unconditional surrender.
Whatever the case, for now it certainly seems like a Great War has begun.
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Newspaper Gallery (https://imgur.com/a/cuAa7Rv)
A major update regarding the belligerent countries is coming next.
Of course it’s the frickin’ Balkans.
Those numbers seem pretty one-sided, but who knows how it actually goes. There are more allies on my side, but the Latins and Russia haven't called in theirs, both have larger armies than I personally do, and the AI also has a habit of only building up to force-limit after the war has started. PDM also adds a complicated system and unique events for great wars to potentially drag in more and more countries on either side. I haven't played forward yet.
The popular narrative of the real-life Great War is one of a long peace broken by a random individual act, and a deadly domino effect that took everyone by surprise but was nonetheless “inevitable” in hindsight. This timeline is rather different, in that the continent has basically been stumbling from one war and crisis to another for a good while now and this is only the biggest one so far. For better or worse, I can’t really borrow many of the usual clichés, and as a history person, it’s almost weird how alien it feels to me. It felt difficult to write without being melodramatic or getting ahead of myself, too, and I obviously left out most of the civilian reaction to things since the political and military side was already a lot of raw text. More of that should be brought up along the way as the war gets going from here.
I’ll also wholeheartedly agree that it feels quite odd for us to rebound from the civil war this quickly, but alas, that’s how the game has decided to work and I’m not going to intentionally gimp myself again. Only the future will show whether the great war really becomes a heroic story of a healed nation coming together, or the thing that tears open those fresh wounds. The victors will write the history, I suppose.
Some other notes I wrote during the making of this chapter but that feel very trivial next to current events:
Turns out that PDM does have a “Constitutional Crisis” event that fires after a few months if a “banned” party comes into power, and doesn’t give you the option to keep them even if you wanted to. Since I had already committed to keeping the PUP for now, I had to manually bypass the event. Good to know that it’s there, I guess, since I previously grumbled about the bans on certain parties not really working properly.
The sheer popularity of the communists really is a weird situation that the game has pushed on me, but rather than spend the rest of the game fighting an endless civil war, I have chosen to blur the edges a bit – which is also what happened in-universe, with the communists rebranding themselves as a legitimate party and the higher-ups having no choice but to play along. This gives us the strange situation of a monarchy with a totally-not-communist party in power, though at least the Populists are there too.
I'm delighted to see this AAR updating again - and wow, what an update!
I think Wieslawa might go down in history as the worst monarch in Polish history - deliberately bringing about a massive civil war only to change her mind and give the rebels what they want after millions of deaths is pretty hard to top. And I can't help but notice that Poland has basically inflicted an entire Great War's worth of casualties on itself just as the era of Great Wars is starting to get underway. That doesn't bode well for the future.
Speak of the devil. :smalltongue: I'd played this chapter already but couldn't say anything about it.
Wieslawa will receive her verdict of history when the time comes, but I pretty much agree.
InvisibleBison
2020-10-21, 05:01 PM
As I was reading the first part of the update, I was thinking "Okay, so long as we don't have some militant reactionary nutjobs that try to 'save the realm from the Communist scourge' by a coup of some sort, things might actually be going in a good direction." Then the Great War happened.
I do think the odds are in your favor in this conflict. The major players on your side are all adjacent to each other, while the Latins and Russians are basically fighting in isolation. And even if the other side does have the ability to even out that numerical disadvantage, doing so would take time - time they might not have, given how outnumbered they are.
the Sejm doesn’t control the Crown Army – the Crown does.
My first thought when I read this was "This is going to cause problems at some point." If the war doesn't go well, I imagine the PUP is going to harp on this point in order to try and deflect the blame off themselves.
Edit: Also, in an amusing coincidence, the other Poland megacampaign AAR (https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/threads/here-dwells-god-a-jewish-poland-aar-part-three.1411861/) I'm following also posted an update today in which a socialist party comes to power and the first Great War begins.
SilverLeaf167
2020-10-22, 04:52 AM
I do think the odds are in your favor in this conflict. The major players on your side are all adjacent to each other, while the Latins and Russians are basically fighting in isolation. And even if the other side does have the ability to even out that numerical disadvantage, doing so would take time - time they might not have, given how outnumbered they are.
I mean, yeah, that seems like the most likely possibility to me too, but I have to at least keep acting like it's not one-sided. Then again, guess you could also say that the real-life world wars were decided from the start, but that didn't stop them from being horrible nonetheless.
The real question is how many great wars we're going to have before we even reach HoI4. :smallbiggrin:
My first thought when I read this was "This is going to cause problems at some point." If the war doesn't go well, I imagine the PUP is going to harp on this point in order to try and deflect the blame off themselves.
I notice that my first reflex when something like this is pointed out tends to be to act coy like I'd planned it all along, but every now and then (such as now) I have to give credit for noticing an angle I didn't actually think of!
Edit: Also, in an amusing coincidence, the other Poland megacampaign AAR (https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/threads/here-dwells-god-a-jewish-poland-aar-part-three.1411861/) I'm following also posted an update today in which a socialist party comes to power and the first Great War begins.
Hah, that really is a big coincidence. I didn't even know that AAR existed, I'll probably check it out!
SilverLeaf167
2020-10-24, 08:26 AM
Special #8: At the Dawn of War (1905)
https://i.postimg.cc/MG2G1Wsh/V2-MAP-POL-1905-11-13-1-kopio.png (https://i.postimg.cc/rc8wjv3H/V2-MAP-POL-1905-11-13-1.png)
(Click for full size)
At the moment, the war is just getting started, and while it’s been a long time coming, no one really knows what to make of it quite yet. However, already in a few weeks’ time the two sides of the war will come to be known as the Treaty Powers and the Coalition. The Treaty, consisting mainly of the Latin Federation and the United Kingdom of Russia, is named after the Treaty of Valletta they signed in August, officially recognizing each other’s territorial claims (against other countries) and vowing to join forces should war break out in Europe for any reason. The Coalition, on the other hand, is quite simply all the other countries that have joined forces against this unusually bald expansionism, be it due to an alliance with Poland (the current target), as an actual principled stand, or just out of self-interest and the need to contain the Treaty Powers before it’s too late.
While various groups still try to dress the war in religious terms here and there, tapping into that age-old struggle for Europe’s soul, the briefest look at the map reiterates the well-established point that religion has long since faded into irrelevance in terms of realpolitik and is only brought up where convenient. The Coalition includes a great mixture of pagan, Christian, Muslim and multireligious nations, whereas the Treaty consists of the staunchly Catholic Latin Federation and just as staunchly Slavic Russia. The related moniker of East and West doesn’t really work, either, as the Treaty Powers are actually located on either side of the “central” Coalition. Although, religious divisions are still relevant in how they're used as shorthand for the distinct cultural spheres in some contexts.
Whether this means that the Treaty Powers “have the Coalition surrounded” or are in fact “helplessly separated” is a matter of perspective, and will be decided in retrospect by how the war goes. Outside of Europe, though, there is less doubt about the fact that the Treaty is hopelessly outranked in terms of colonies and colonial allies, and its own holdings in Asia and Africa will probably be mostly a distraction – unless it can enlist more help from the currently neutral powers. As for Alcadra, the British and Latin colonies mean that there will probably be at least some fighting, but if Sweden’s Nordic Union (still on the fence) decides to join in, that will mean another continent-wide war between them and Santa Croce.
If it seems hard to discern the red thread of this war as it begins to unfold, that’s because there really is no grand clash of ideologies, except the big one that all the major participants follow: imperialism. Expansion is by definition a zero-sum game, and too many militaristic powers in the world eventually have no one to fight but each other. Alliances are decided by whose immediate interests align with yours, or who you hate less than the other. And as men and modern weaponry are arriving to the front in unprecedented numbers to fight a war for war’s sake, the Great War is poised to be both the bloodiest and grimmest in history – even though most are too busy remembering the more limited wars of the past to have grasped that yet.
Population numbers include direct colonies but not subject states. Army size only represents the situation on 13 November 1905 and also doesn’t include mobilized citizens.
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Ranking: #2
Capital: Rome & Paris
Government: Republic (Federal)
Ruling Party: Partium Populi Latinum (Latin People’s Party, Conservative)
Population: 110,320,000 (#5)
Army Brigades: 571 (#2)
In 1898, the Federation held a referendum and got a healthy majority to finally abolish the already gutted monarchy for good, flicking off that remaining scab of its past as the Italian Empire. The imperial family had already been so thoroughly sidelined that this caused almost no change to the actual political system. The Alfieris were made into regular citizens and left to live their lives, some of them going into politics. It shouldn’t be assumed, though, that this dedication to republicanism has made the country or government any more liberal or moderate: if anything, conservative and Christian values have only been growing in importance as something to hold the diverse country together. Even if religious ties seem to mean little when it comes to foreign relations these days, being the greatest “Christian nation” in the world still has both internal and international relevance. On the other hand, the socialists lost the last general election by only the narrowest of margins, meaning that the conservatives might well be grasping at straws – such as this war – to assert themselves.
At the same time, the Federation has ridden its large population and economy to global influence and many a military adventure, including this latest period of revanchism that has made it so many enemies and – arguably – plunged the world into the Great War. Though it can manifest in a number of ways, there’s an underlying idea popular across the nation that the Latin Federation has the right and the might to take its place as the dominant great power, the only guarantee of peace and prosperity in Europe. Some openly call for the reclamation of all formerly Italian, Francian, Christian or perhaps Roman territory, whatever old empire they’re identifying with today, while some explicitly cast aside such historical baggage and look forward to some utopian future instead.
Neither of these extreme goals, nor the more realistic ones somewhere in between, are attainable without a showdown on the field of battle. An already likely war was made inevitable by the time the Latins invaded Calais. But despite the militarism that has been deeply implanted into Latin culture and society, there are still those who question either the philosophical basis of the war or the military arithmetic that has the government so convinced that it will win. Against Poland and its puppets alone, the Latins and Russians would probably be about equal; but in the months leading up to the war, the Coalition standing against them has grown a little beyond their expectations.
Honduras, Santa Croce and Aotearoa have been granted autonomous dominion status, but are still highly subject to the Federation’s whims, whereas other territories like East Africa, Indochina and Taiwan are still only “federal colonies” where the locals have little say in their lives.
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Ranking: #4
Capital: Moscow
Government: Constitutional Monarchy (Unitary)
Ruling Party: Konstitutsionalisty (Constitutionalists, Conservative)
Population: 84,530,000 (#6)
Army Brigades: 442 (#3)
Ever since Novgorod and Chernigov were joined by royal marriage in 1864, they’ve been more or less a single country, slowly creeping its way across the Central Asian steppe until it sprawled all the way from the Baltic to parts of China and the farthest tip of Mongolia. Today, Russia is one of the largest contiguous countries next to the Free Nations. The Lechowicz-Artamonovich rulers saw the writing on the wall and decided to reform from within before it was too late, turning the country into a constitutional monarchy with universal voting rights, first for Slavs and then gradually for others. However, old power structures still make it so that the people sitting in the Duma come overwhelmingly from the 40% who are pagan Slavs. The Khazars who form 17% of the population have an established role as second-class citizens, but the rest often feel like they’re practically third-class; the farther from Moscow, the lower on the totem pole.
Though the much-celebrated railways have helped tie together Russia’s vast land empire, as well as Uralia and Siberia – the former of which recently fell to a communist revolution and is currently in a state of flux – the bulk of Russia’s industry is in the old Slavic heartland. It’s also sorely lacking in sea access, having zero ice-free ports in the Arctic, a single-digit number in the Baltic, and the rest mostly in the Black Sea where they are heavily restricted by Moldavia’s control of the Bosphorus. These economic realities are surely part of the reason that for the last few decades, Russia has embraced its own version of the Pan-Slavic philosophy and started infringing on Polish territory. Even if, within Poland, the east is viewed as the least prosperous region, from Russia’s point-of-view Byelorussia and Ruthenia, and why not the Baltics, are extremely tempting prizes.
However, even though the conservatives just happen to be in power right now – they call themselves Constitutionalists, and the new Russian Constitution happens to say that it is the nation of “all Russians” – the political field is actually very closely split between them, liberals and different socialists. The success of the PUP in Poland and especially the revolution in Uralia have raised the specter of something similar happening in Russia, whether at the ballots or at gunpoint. Much like the other great powers at the moment, the Constitutionalists’ answer to most of their problems is military power. They expect Poland to still be weak from the civil war, where they were able to march into Mogilev with no resistance, and are approaching this war with grand ambitions of Russian unity, an image boost for the party, Eurasian hegemony – and maybe even some overseas colonies.
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The Latin Federation counts Navarra, Sardinia and Malta among its allies (basically dependents), while Russia has a strong grip on Siberia. However, all of these are minor countries with nothing to gain and much to suffer during the war, and have yet to officially announce their participation – which, if it happens, will be entirely due to pressure from their great power patrons.
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Ranking: #1
Capital: Krakow
Government: Semi-Parliamentary Monarchy (Unitary)
Ruling Party: Partia Jedności Polski (Polish Unity Party, Communist)
Population: 142,740,000 (#3)
Army Brigades: 426 (#4)
The primary defendant in this unfolding conflict. In addition to the more fundamental root causes of how Poland has maintained its hegemony across Europe and the world and put pressure on the other great powers, it was also Poland’s arrogance and policy of always answering one provocation with another that – arguably – plunged the world into the Great War. Of course, in more material terms, the Latins also point to Polish repression of Frisia or Yugoslavian minorities and many other casus belli, accusations which definitely aren’t unfounded, even if they all feel rather hollow in the face of their own behavior.
The Poles’ confidence in their own country certainly has been shaken, even if they still prefer it over the enemy’s. On paper, Poland retains its unusual status as a technically absolute monarchy where the sovereign delegates some duties to the Sejm, but in practice, it has been shown time and again that popular opinion can only be resisted at one’s own peril. Many believe that the current system – a monarchy with a social-liberal coalition in power – must inevitably veer one way or the other. The war finds Poland in the middle of great societal shifts following a frankly indecisive civil war, and though the official representatives of both sides – the Crown and the PUP – are seemingly working together, people wait anxiously to see whether the nation’s current experiment in left-wing republicanism will be accelerated, stalled, reversed or thrown off course entirely.
Poland is in a precarious balance where the leftists “tolerate” the Crown as long as it keeps its hands off, the Crown and most centrists “tolerate” the PUP as long as it does nothing to prompt a new civil war, and an extreme corner of White Guards and other anti-socialists (including nobles and capitalists) hates the PUP and feels betrayed by the Crown. Even ignoring that last one, a situation where both sides only grudgingly tolerate the other is easily blown up by any disturbance, which a large war qualifies as. It’s definitely true that High Queen Wieslawa and her loyalists see a certain silver lining to the war in that the Crown Army and Marynarka are still in service to the Crown, and should receive a boost in the arm from this conflict, general mobilization and justified state of emergency.
Poland’s very essence as a country is somewhat contradictory, as it rules over a great variety of peoples yet tries to present itself as a “Slavic nation-state” under the circular reasoning that being part of Poland makes you a Slav. Credit where it's due, those different communities do have great cultural, religious and “everyday” autonomy, but in the past couple years, the PUP government’s economic controls and even some more positive things like public education have had the unfortunate side-effect of interfering with that self-rule. The system has been successful enough in that political disagreements have so far overshadowed ethnic ones, but they also come up on a regular basis, sometimes violently so. No matter how the meaning of the word is twisted, it’s hard for groups like Germans, Hungarians, Lithuanians, Khazars and Danes not to feel somewhat second-class next to the “real” Slavs. They’ve been held together mostly by the lack of a better option, especially as the Crown Army seems impossible to defeat by armed rebellion. At least life in Poland has still been relatively decent – most of the time.
The far-flung and quiet Nowa Straya is an autonomous voivodeship, Ligor is a vassal sultanate, and the other overseas territories are direct Crown colonies – the East Indies, especially the Maniolas, being a major nest of separatism. The Grand Duchy of Frisia is a relatively prosperous nation-state, but de jure and de facto bound under Polish control, while Yugoslavia – one immediate cause of this war – is an artificial homunculus of a puppet state. In sheer size, the Crown Army is currently surpassed by Japan, the Latin Federation and Russia, but the Marynarka remains the largest and one of the most modern navies on the high seas, with the Imperial Japanese Navy (Kaigun) as a distant second.
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Ranking: #8
Capital: Belgorod
Government: Constitutional Monarchy (Unitary)
Ruling Party: Konserwatywni Demokraci (Conservative Democrats, Conservative)
Population: 60,420,000 (#10)
Army Brigades: 232 (#8)
Out of all the great powers, Moldavia has the most trouble presenting a unified national identity, and doesn’t necessarily even try. As Moldavia proper is only a small region and basically a former Polish frontier settlement, and even the core provinces of the country are massively diverse, it really maintains the spirit of an early modern empire ruled by loyalty to King Nadbor X Movilesti, his officials and the threat of military power, not so much the “ideal” of the Moldavian nation. Despite this, much effort has been put into democratizing the country in order to keep it together. The end result is basically a more extreme form of Poland’s situation, with the Moldavian Sejm officially getting its power from the King while the reality is almost the opposite. The main difference is that the King of Moldavia really is almost a figurehead, unlike the High Queen who still (stubbornly) holds the reins in her own country.
Despite the capital staying in Belgorod for historical reasons, its location can be rather inconvenient, and in practice the country is built more around local power centers, most famously Lechogród (former Constantinople) and Adana (the Ruman capital). Moldavia’s control of the Bosphorus – the narrow strait passing right through Lechogród itself – has great strategic importance. While a treaty was signed some decades ago to forbid Moldavia from gathering passage fees from the other signatories, that same treaty put great restrictions on military vessels using the strait, and during the trade war leading up to this real war, Moldavia has hamstrung Russia’s whole economy simply by closing it to all Russian shipping. Similarly, Moldavia’s control of the Suez Canal is a great problem for the Latin colonial empire, which has already grown to rely on the canal in the mere decade that it has existed.
Depending on how you fudge the terms, Moldavia’s overseas colonies are rather modest – only the island of Socotra and the Indus estuary – but looking at the map, it has extended its contiguous empire all the way from Central Sahara to the Caspian Sea. Yes, in terms of area, much of that is basically just sand and unhappy people, but North Africa and the Levant are still valuable territories in themselves. Although, they’ve also fallen behind due to meeting the same fate as most other colonies: while the world around them industrializes, the colonies’ resources are only extracted and sent to factories in the metropole. No one south of the Mediterranean is allowed to vote, either. Arguably, the sheer diversity and disparity of Moldavia’s conquered regions is one reason that it has no real hope of becoming a federation of any kind, as the staunchly pagan Moldavians and their colonial Muslim subjects for instance have little in common, and all the more against each other.
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Ranking: #35
Capital: Stockholm
Government: Constitutional Monarchy (Unitary)
Ruling Party: Allmänna Valmansförbundet (General Electoral League, Conservative)
Population: 7,410,000 (#27)
Army Brigades: 57 (#23)
The Kingdom of Sweden, Finland and Norway is one kingdom with three regions, but still a unitary state with power concentrated in Stockholm, even though the Inger dynasty has been reduced to a ceremonial role next to the Riksdag parliament. Despite its small population, military and economy, the state is of great strategic importance due to its sheer area and access to the Baltic, North and Arctic Seas. However, that size also means that it could become a liability tying down a lot of troops on the Finnish-Russian front (Karelia). Indeed, within the country, there has been much debate between those who want no part in this war (especially Finns, who have the most to suffer) and those who consider the Polish alliance invaluable to prevent Russia from targeting Sweden next. There are even fringe groups on the militant right who would’ve preferred to join the Russians and finally “liberate” Denmark from Poland. However, the ruling center-right party has made its choice.
Sweden is really a vestigial empire, no longer even the hub of its own colonial network: the countries of the Nordic Union, all located in and around Alcadra (as Alfmark was lost to the Mikmaq), are geographically better suited to trading with each other instead, and while they might be less developed and wealthy than the homeland on a per-capita basis, Sweden lacks the power to hold them in against their will. They’ve only stayed in the Union under the condition that they’re practically equal with Sweden, and even in this war, it’s not immediately obvious whether they’ll actually join the fray or not. On one hand, even if they do, they’re rather distant from where their help is most needed; but then again, their distance from the danger could mean that they’re free to send more of their forces to the aid of others. After they’ve dealt with Santa Croce, the most populous colony in Alcadra, of course.
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Ranking: #5
Capital: London, Edinburgh & Dublin
Government: Constitutional Monarchy (Federal)
Ruling Party: Conservative Party (Conservative)
Population: 159,840,000 (#2)
Army Brigades: 417 (#5)
In contrast to Sweden, Britannia consists of three kingdoms with three kings, their political system being closer to that of the Free Nations. Born only 11 years ago as a union between England and Scotland, it understandably took most people by surprise – British unification had been a dream for almost a thousand years, but it looked perhaps farther from fulfillment than ever before. The nuanced reality is that the vendetta between England and Scotland was ultimately a petty one from a modern perspective, and more importantly, Scotland had fallen hopelessly behind England in just about every way. As opposed to being conquered, voluntary unification meant a great deal of autonomy and economic support for both Scotland and Ireland. Indeed, Ireland was the other major issue, as the Scots were outnumbered in their own country and only propped up by Polish support, support which was quickly disappearing. Unification, approved by both rulers and parliaments, seemed like the best way to stop being used as pawns by foreign great powers and let Britannia become one in itself.
The plan seems to have worked, but it may be too early to judge. While the Irish have received new autonomy, it’s still a far cry from their desired independence, and a constitutional monarchy with a Scottish king is not the same thing as a republic. Matters concerning the whole union are decided in London, officially or not, and the “colonization” of Ireland has only accelerated with the introduction of free movement from England. Wales too had a briefly successful rebellion in the 1850s, yet was given no real recognition in the new Britannia. And finally, the Yorkish region remains divided between England and Scotland with no political recognition, though it's more of cultural borderland than a clearly defined nation anyway.
The peaceful secession of the United Lordships, Hibernia, Patagonia and Cascadia hasn’t really slowed down the British colonial empire, which is still one of the main players in Africa, the Pacific and South China. China in particular is a source of great pride and wealth (not to mention inflated population numbers), and for the time being, relatively far from any real fighting. The Three Kingdoms Army is one of the largest in the world, but (fittingly enough for connoisseurs of Chinese history) mostly drawn from China under a mix of professional and conscription schemes, meaning that it’s often tied down dealing with local matters. The Royal Navy, basically all English, is the fourth largest and relatively modern.
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Ranking: #7
Capital: Frankfurt
Government: Republic (Unitary)
Ruling Party: Konservative Partei (Conservative)
Population: 39,300,000 (#13)
Army Brigades: 234 (#7)
When, in the late 1850s, the Nationals and Liberals finally ceased fighting over the ashes of the Bundesrepublik, the Liberals had won and the cycle of violence ended. What was left of the federal system was gradually dismantled to a form a unitary Republic of Germany, both because decentralization was seen as a threat to the fragile nation and because many of those regions were in too poor shape to handle themselves anyway, being seen as almost lawless wilderness for a time. While democracy became more firmly entrenched than ever and the country recovered spectacularly well by most measures, the people and their government’s priorities shifted: rather than a beacon of liberal revolution, they at least aspired to be a nation state of all the Germans. Not too much to ask, surely. However, in the reality of Central Europe, this mostly served to unite them against those external enemies and put them on permanent war footing.
The old Lechowicz Germany was a middle-ranking great power for the longest time; but after the glory days of the Bundesrepublik lasted all of a couple decades, ended in bloody and painful failure and left behind a thoroughly disgraced nation, there’s a strong temptation to say that the Republic of Germany’s worst enemy is its own history. Rather than be content in its status as a middle power with a dense population, strong economy and highly respected arts and sciences, Germany is the one that keeps rubbing salt in its own wounds and always lingering on historical losses like the North Sea, Vienna, Bavaria, South Tyrol, Elsass-Lothringen, the Freigrafschaft, its former colonies and more. Of course, Poland and the Latins are far from blameless in bringing about this state of things – it’s easy for the victors to tell the loser to be a good sport – but Germany’s foreign policy has been jingoistic and opportunistic to the point of self-destruction in a way that simply can’t be defended from a practical point of view.
As a multireligious nation with a mix of strong Slavic influence and anti-Polish sentiment, Germany has no “natural allies” in the neighborhood but all the more enemies. Only a few years ago it tried to invade Poland in the chaos of the civil war, yet for the Great War, it has deemed the Latin Federation the greater common enemy. Germany considers itself the victim of Latin aggression in much the same way as Poland does, though on a much larger scale, demanding back its disputed territories in the same way as Poland demands Calais. It is telling, though, that both countries prefer to depict the alliance as a matter of “co-belligerents” fighting on the same side temporarily, not as any kind of reconciliation.
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Other independent countries in the Coalition include Lotharingia, Bavaria, Kanem-Bornu and Abyssinia. All of them have great strategic value, but only Kanem-Bornu really has a major military, at 99 brigades.
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Ranking: #6
Capital: Radziwill
Government: Republic (Federal)
Ruling Party: Partia Federalna (Federal Party, Conservative)
Population: 39,250,000 (#14)
Army Brigades: 242 (#6)
The Free Nations’ unusual political system has led to unusual problems, such as the fact that having two separate parliaments – and not one but three chief executives – means it’s very hard to do anything even slightly divisive unless all of them are controlled by the same or similar parties. Given their disparate electoral systems, this is less than assured. The idealistic assumption back in 1847 was that the members of the Trojka would avoid associating with any given party and instead act as a unanimous, impartial tiebreaker, but that illusion was crushed within a decade or so. Nevertheless, the citizens – or at least the politicians – have been persuaded to accept this as a moderating influence rather than a hindrance, and while electoral gridlock is a routine occurrence, it’s also routinely resolved one way or another. Important issues tend to achieve a wide enough consensus “eventually”, even if that means being highly contentious in the meantime.
That brings us to foreign policy, where non-interventionism has been the easiest and most popular position for everyone but a few fringe groups. The Free Nations are by far the greatest power in the western hemisphere, geographically distant from both Europe and Asia, and perfectly happy to maintain a large army as a deterrent – 6th largest in the world – while staying out of unnecessary wars and expanding their Amatican hegemony by economic means instead. This mentality has only deepened ever since they formally cut ties with Poland in 1896 as a protest against the High Queen’s autocratic policies. While Poland’s new direction under the PUP has been promising, the Free Nations have been burned too many times to put much faith in Poland or in fact anyone in Europe, especially as long as they think they have nothing to gain from it. Their attitude towards the starting Great War seems almost indifferent, apparently convinced that whatever the result, it won’t really concern them. The most they’re doing is getting their bureaucracy ready for a potential flood of refugees, to be welcomed with open arms.
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Ranking: #3
Capital: Tokyo
Government: Constitutional Monarchy (Unitary)
Ruling Party: Rikken Kaishintou (Constitutional Reform Party, Conservative)
Population: 261,970,000 (#1)
Army Brigades: 624 (#1)
The Japanese Empire, arguably the first constitutional monarchy, has been very stable and prosperous all this time, social reforms proceeding a bit slowly but in good order – with the notable exception of minority rights. This difference was already visible but far less striking a hundred years ago, when voting rights were rare and things like chattel slavery still the norm around the world, but by now, even Japan’s fellow empires are drawing attention to it. One could argue that Japan is merely treating Korea and China the same way that Poland treats the East Indies, but it’s still highly unusual that everyone not Japanese enough is categorically barred from gaining citizenship and discouraged from even moving to the islands. Everyone except perhaps the ideological socialists pretty much accepts this, too, taking it for granted that in the Japanese Empire, the Japanese nation leads its less-enlightened neighbors.
Japan proper already has a large population of 52 million, but 73% of the total population is in China, living under – indeed – roughly colonial conditions. Japan’s massive army, too, is mostly drawn from China, and kept from rebelling en masse by divide-and-conquer tactics: after all, the Chinese haven’t been a united people for a long time, and there are plenty of local differences to exploit. Korea, on the other hand, has been swamped with Japanese settlers and is already considered 15% Japanese. The northern wilderness regions of Hokkaido, Karafuto (Sakhalin) and Kamchatka haven’t received that much economic or military attention, being mostly important as a matter of principle and little else.
The Home Islands are an industrial powerhouse, and typically a forerunner in advanced technology such as shipbuilding and electronics. Much like the Free Nations, Japan has been able to keep to itself due to being so distant from all the other great powers. It has, however, had to compete with them for influence over the rest of Asia, even if both sides have resisted the temptation of open war for the simple reason that it wouldn’t be worth the effort. As Japan and England both exploited the Chinese Chaos to carve up the region, they managed to cooperate for a long time, but recently they too have had violent clashes over the matter. With its old friend Manchuria suddenly turning communist, Japan has no allies left other than the Shan Empire, and might do well to keep its cards close to its chest and stay out of this distant Great War.
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Ranking: #12
Capital: Toledo
Government: Constitutional Monarchy (Unitary)
Ruling Party: Unión Liberal (Liberal Union, Conservative)
Population: 43,060,000 (#11)
Army Brigades: 171 (#11)
After yet another foreign policy disaster and the cascading loss of most of the nation’s colonies – the Union of South Amatica, Tayshas, Caliphania, Alaska and eventually even Juliana – a country-wide revolution in 1874 reached a settlement with the royal government and, far from a feeble compromise, founded a full-blooded constitutional monarchy. The Cortes parliament sits in Toledo and still maintains the country’s remaining colonies in the Zanaras, Esperanza and Indochina, but has mostly continued its policy of neutrality in great power politics. After all, while somewhat more receptive towards Moldavia for instance, it has obvious grudges towards the Latins, Poland, Britannia, the Free Nations and more. The closest thing it has to an ally is the UAS of all things, both sides putting religion aside for a moment to form a defensive pact against those who would disturb their neutrality.
Ever since the revolution, Asturias has done a decent job modernizing its military and industry, coming right behind the great powers while still maintaining respectable colonies in the eastern hemisphere. The confusingly named Unión Liberal, a conservative party, actually has a much stronger majority than most of its equivalents in other countries, and the country seems remarkably stable for the moment. All the less reason to get mixed up in this war between its bitter enemies.
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Ranking: #39
Capital: Mecca & Medina
Government: Democracy (Federal)
Ruling Party: Hizb al-Muhafizin (Conservative Party, Conservative)
Population: 33,090,000 (#16)
Army Brigades: 126 (#12)
While the official capital in name is still Mecca, it is inconvenient to say the least that Islamic law forbids non-Muslims from entering the city at all. Because of this, most of the functions of a capital are performed by Medina, also holy but less so. The republic can’t be too strict about religion – almost half of the country is something other than Sunni, after all – but clearly prefers Sunni Islam on the federal level while technically leaving the choice to the individual states. Many of them are only “Arab” in the sense that they were conquered by Arabs at some point or another, but of course, like every similar country in the world, seceding from the federation is forbidden.
Especially after its most fertile lands in Northern Egypt were conquered by Moldavia, the UAS tragically hasn’t been blessed with natural resources or a dense population, making it hard to grow an independent industry. As such, it’s reliant on imports, and can scarcely pay for them except by handing over control of what little industry it does have. It’s been having what could be called a rough patch recently, economic woes heightening tensions both in the border regions and in the capital; however, within the Majlis parliament, the opposition has been too divided to pose a viable challenge to the ruling conservative party. The country might be heading into another period of instability.
https://i.postimg.cc/8c1JM1C1/20201023224618-1.jpg
This is already quite a lot of words, and I figured that it’s best to save the rest of the world for when something relevant actually happens there, rather than waste a lot of time to say “not much”. You can see from a couple screenshots, though, that China has had yet another reversal between Manchuria and Yan. I’m frankly kind of tired of putting too much faith in anything that happens over there, though. :smalltongue:
The social effects are really the most important part of a big war, which is why I wanted to lay some groundwork on that side of things to see how it might be affected by the war. As a side note, I manually changed the Latin Federation from a constitutional monarchy into a full republic, just because that was bugging me and kind of messing with the narrative I made up. There’s little mechanical difference between the two, anyway.
I kinda ended up tearing into Japan there, but it just stood out to me that they’re the only major country that actually has “Oppression” selected under minority rights. Needless to say, there is a bit of a double standard in the way that I discuss their colonialism and everybody else’s, but it’s partly because I haven’t been talking about them much during the game so far.
InvisibleBison
2020-10-24, 09:20 AM
So at the start of the war the Coalition has three times as many soldiers as the Treaty Powers, but only twice the population and just 30% more industry. In the long run, those numbers might actually favor the Treaty Powers. Assuming, of course, that there is a long run and the Coalition's initial massive numerical superiority doesn't carry it to victory.
SilverLeaf167
2020-10-24, 01:35 PM
So at the start of the war the Coalition has three times as many soldiers as the Treaty Powers, but only twice the population and just 30% more industry. In the long run, those numbers might actually favor the Treaty Powers. Assuming, of course, that there is a long run and the Coalition's initial massive numerical superiority doesn't carry it to victory.
Wow, you're doing the math? Scary. But appreciated. :smallbiggrin:
Speaking of attentiveness, I, uh... literally didn't notice until now that when Russia took Mogilev, it also took the nearby Pastavy province, which is part of the same weirdly shaped region but not adjacent so I missed it in all the hassle. Pastavy has more population than Mogilev and everything. Just assume that when I say Mogilev, it's actually shorthand for both of those cities due to its greater historical importance or something.
SilverLeaf167
2021-01-24, 04:19 PM
Chapter #69: Not Nice (1905-1906)
14th of November, 1905
When the war starts, most people in Poland learn of it the next morning. Papers across the nation print fairly simple and uniform front page articles with headlines like “WAR!!” – which they’ve probably had templated for a while – telling how Wieden was shelled by the Latins yesterday, soon followed by reports of shootouts all across the many fronts. Most people don’t get this directly from the papers, of course, but from their family or just people in the street shouting about it. While some publications go for something more specific, such as “POLAND INVADED”, that isn’t quite true: the enemy hasn’t yet taken a single step into Polish territory, or even really attempted to do so. It’s been less than 24 hours since war was declared, though, and forces have been amassing on the fronts for weeks now: there will be plenty more fighting to come.
In the west, Poland has a large buffer zone against the Latins – but that doesn’t mean that the Crown Army should sit on its hands until its allies are beaten and the Legions on its doorstep. Rather, it’s better to keep the fight on other people’s land and never let it reach Poland itself, not to mention that Poland abandoning those allies is exactly what the Latins want. There’s no question that the Crown Army will defend Frisia and Lotharingia, and preferably use them as a launching board for a counter-invasion, but as it happens, everyone involved has been less enthusiastic about stationing Polish troops in Germany – even at the time the war breaks out, some of the German army is actually watching the Polish border out of sheer paranoia.
https://i.postimg.cc/7LzXgn7s/20201122184927-1.jpg
As such, once the initial offensive begins on the long Latin-German front, Germany is largely on its own and underprepared. Wieden and Switzerland are targeted first, both because of the shape of the border and because the Alps are best taken before the Germans can mount a strong defense there. The Crown Army is already spread thin elsewhere, and so it may take a while before Poland (or other Coalition members) can reinforce Germany.
https://i.postimg.cc/tJ4hm3ZH/20210124010210-1.jpg
In the east, on the other hand, Poland faces a long, long border with Russia. For some 500 years, the border between Poland and the Russian lands – before Russia was even a unified country – has been defined by the Daugava and Dniepr rivers, with the main exception being a short gap between the towns of Vitebsk and Orsha where the rivers don’t quite touch. That river border was never precise: several important cities like Riga, Kiev and the disputed Mogilev actually straddle their respective rivers, extending on both sides, yet this was never an issue and there was a clear understanding of which country they belonged to. Until recently, when Russia seized Mogilev on nonsensical grounds – and is now trying to go even further. The rivers provide a natural barrier for the Crown Army to defend, of course, and have also been heavily fortified, but the length of the border – and the fact that there’s no buffer zone to rely on – means that most of Poland’s forces are tied up trying to cover all 1,000+ miles of it.
https://i.postimg.cc/bJjgLS9z/20201122184947-1.jpg
As people absorb the news, some may also have choice words on the political side of things, but right now, most are only thinking about their daily lives and their loved ones. The Crown does have some tricky political questions to settle, such as what to do with the White Guards: the Reds have been fully disbanded, of course, but in secret Crown meetings, the Whites are also seen as a threat to internal stability despite operating with the Crown’s permission. Sending them to the front might cause clashes between them and their more left-leaning comrades, but on the other hand, drafting the leftists and not the rightists would raise protests from both and also leave them free to cause trouble on the home front. Instead, the Crown chooses to simply give them no special treatment, but scramble them between regular units and forbid the display of any political symbols in the Army. The ideal, which the Crown and the Sejm agree on even if their reasons may vary, is to make Red and White stand side by side and focus on fighting the enemy rather than each other.
Premier Mikolaj Rusin, head of the PUP and arguably the most powerful socialist in the world – whatever his revolutionary credentials – has spent a while preparing his party for this day. And for the time being, his message that Poland may have fallen behind the times but is now progressing faster than any of its increasingly reactionary opponents seems to be getting across. Though he doesn’t put it in such brazen terms, he’s a firm believer in substance over form and doesn’t mind working within an on-paper oppressive system such as the Polish monarchy if he can get his desired results (and eventually, preferably, cast aside that system when the time is ripe). As Poland is the only nation in Europe with a democratic socialist party in power at the moment, a loss for the Crown would be a loss for the workers, and thus every Pole must fight to defend their nation no matter what. This message is implicitly aimed at the former Reds and Red sympathizers he knows are in the party’s ranks – he is one, after all – who might otherwise have mixed feelings about serving.
Whether it works in the long run or not, and whatever Rusin’s ultimate role in it, the war is indeed taking priority over everything else.
https://i.postimg.cc/Df66dZJT/20210124004329-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/rFpJhkxt/20210124004329-2.jpg
Though it is November, in the equatorial colonies there is no worry of winter, only the rainy season. Luckily the Crown Army in the colonies is almost all professional soldiers, trained and accustomed to the climate. The civilian population hasn’t been mobilized – both for lack of need and because no one wants to put guns in the hands of the still rebellious natives – but the regular armies have been waiting at the borders of Latin Africa to secure that large region before it can become a thorn in the side of Kongo. It is in fact larger than the Latin homeland itself, but relatively sparsely defended.
https://i.postimg.cc/rmCJHyf5/20201122185230-1.jpg
Serra Leoa (Sierra Leone), the smaller Latin outpost in West Africa, will be seized without much trouble by the end of the year, denying the Latins the use of that particular port.
https://i.postimg.cc/zvzjYmQ6/20201122185542-1.jpg
In the East Indies, it’s a matter of launching naval invasions into Latin Indochina and Taiwan, which may take a moment. Aotearoa, often spared from fighting due to its sheer remoteness, must be secured for the same reason: to deny the enemy any and all bases from which they could harass the Polish colonies. The forces and invasion fleets in the East Indies are limited, though, which is why it’ll have to wait, unless Nowa Straya is capable of handling it on its own. In the past, it has shown worryingly little enthusiasm to fight Aotearoa, one of its only neighbors in this distant corner of the world.
https://i.postimg.cc/j2Mhsg05/20201122190216-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/Qdw09yBK/20201122185253-1.jpg
Back in Europe, though, the coming of winter is a major concern. The first snow might quite literally freeze the Alpine and eastern fronts in place. On one hand, winter should favor the defender; on the other, doctrine favors the first strike, plus the protective rivers could also freeze and become easier to cross. In the first days of the war, the Latins seem to be focused on Germany and the Russians unready to launch a wide offensive, so the Crown decides to seize this opportunity. The so-called Step Forward Order, given by Wieslawa herself and passed down the chain of command, orders that all fronts move forth across the border, even if only a few dozen miles. From there, the armies can either hold position or keep moving if an opening remains, but the point is to take the fight to the enemy, deny them their border fortifications and not simply wait for them to attack on their own terms. Of course, that also means stepping past Poland’s own defenses, but at least plans are made to fall back to them if necessary. About a week after the declaration, the war begins in earnest.
The Step Forward Order already brings Poland within striking distance of both Mogilev and Calais, in the east and west respectively, and is met with modest resistance as the enemies are still getting their own operations running. Most of these first battles are concentrated around the southern Dniepr: even though Chernigov is no longer the enemy capital, it is basically “a” capital, and it falling into Polish hands is a great sign. The initiative clearly lies with Poland. The Poles also don’t hesitate to use gas weapons wherever applicable, just to speed things up as much as they can. Unfortunately, it turns out that the Russians have learned enough from their own experiments and observing the Polish Civil War to develop quite passable gas masks and tactics. Chemical weapons in general will go on to have a relatively negligible effect on the war as a whole, but all the more tragically, will still be used as a harassment and terror weapon throughout the conflict.
https://i.postimg.cc/pdKY9Xb3/20210124005919-1.jpg
In the west, the terrain is much less forbidding and the fighting more localized, but the main spearhead of the offensive is aimed at northern France in order to cover the recapture of Calais. True to form, the Latins are more focused on taking out Germany, letting the Poles proceed almost unhindered.
https://i.postimg.cc/hjrLryGr/20210124010216-1.jpg
These first victories are highly encouraging, and more reminiscent of Poland’s mid-century wars as opposed to, say, the Civil War or just the last few trench-riddled wars against the Latins. While the idea of being back home by Midwinter is only uttered as a joke – it’s already November when the war even starts, after all – the sense of optimism is palpable, making many people feel like the war really might end in just a few months. At this rate, surely it can’t take longer than maybe a year, total.
Regardless, though, towards the New Year, the war expands onto two new continents: in Alcadra, the signs are positive, the Nordic Union deciding to join the Coalition in an almost surprising show of unity, declare war on the Treaty Powers and help with the fight against Santa Croce. Well, just the outlying province of Amapa for the time being, but they’re only getting started.
https://i.postimg.cc/vBM75FGT/20210124013935-1.jpg
Meanwhile on the other side of the world, the simultaneous invasions of Indochina and Taiwan make landfall just as planned, and start securing bridgeheads for a full occupation.
https://i.postimg.cc/DyYcHMPp/20210124013526-1.jpg
In less positive news, the Nowa Strayan navy – carrying an invasion force as well – is intercepted by the Aotearoan one and sent packing with grievous damage, successfully deflecting the attack on Aotearoa for now. The island colony may be small, but it sure is plucky.
https://i.postimg.cc/Gm8jCxML/20210124014405-1.jpg
In Europe, though – the theater of war that really matters – 18 January 1906 brings the first major milestone towards victory, as the last defenders of Mogilev are defeated and the rightfully Polish city in the Crown Army’s hands once more. Fittingly, Calais falls only days later. The citizens of both cities welcome their liberators with cheers and open arms; or if anyone dares think otherwise, they at least have the wisdom to keep their opinions to themselves.
https://i.postimg.cc/HW608hRW/20210124015424-1.jpg
Alas, this war will have a few more twists in store.
For decades, centuries even, basically ever since the European powers first started establishing themselves in Asia, the Japanese have been eyeing their growing empires uneasily at best. Of course, after the immediate fear of being colonized themselves proved mostly unnecessary, it became a matter of simple competition. As the most technologically and “societally” advanced country in Asia, the Japanese Empire views itself as the rightful hegemon of the entire continent. So far, it has mostly been able to bite its tongue and even make some cordial “alliances” with the Westerners to partition China for instance, and direct conflict has been avoided. However, it has always been simply biding its time.
In February 1906, the Japanese Empire joins the Treaty Powers in the Great War.
Naturally, Japan couldn’t care less about either the Latins or Russia, but the Polish landings are just a reminder that should the Coalition grow too strong, perhaps gorge itself on the Latin colonies in the region, that would be just another blow to the Japanese sphere of influence. Confident that the Coalition won’t be able or willing to commit enough troops to the far east to defeat the numerically largest military in the world, Japan is basically expecting to run this whole Asian theater as a separate war and walk into Coalition territory almost unobstructed.
https://i.postimg.cc/XYRk7Bhw/20210124015934-1.jpg
It’s not the only opportunist around: within the week, the UAS declares war on Abyssinia. As Abyssinia is both a Polish ally and a participant in the Great War, Poland obviously declares war on the Arabs in return, but it’s not in the most convenient location right now. This will likely be a distant second in terms of priority, to be dealt with once the Latin colonies are fully under control. For now, though, the Arabs don’t speak of throwing their lot in with Treaty Powers per se.
https://i.postimg.cc/wT3XXkYX/20210124022324-1.jpg
However, the UAS is actually supported by Asturias in this bold endeavor. Asturias must be expecting Poland’s distraction with other matters to mean that this so-called war is basically a non-issue leading to a quick peace; why else would they be throwing their lot behind this invasion for no real gain? Time will show if they’re correct in their judgment.
https://i.postimg.cc/VLTjDbz3/20210124022843-1.jpg
Even as the war expands, the Polish Unity Party seems more concerned with driving its own agenda in the Sejm, to the derision of many. Armed with the argument that modern war requires every part of society to work to the fullest, not just the military but also the economy, the PUP makes great expansions to the freedoms and powers of trade unions, which soon start making ever greater demands of their employers. Of course, laborers across the nation are working overtime and meeting harsh quotas to meet the demands of the war, and it is only fair that their own rights be secured. But, the counter-argument goes, is the PUP seriously taking the risk of undermining the war effort just to appease its own voter base?
https://i.postimg.cc/prcDNmz5/20210124021551-1.jpg
At least not every declaration of war is against Poland or its allies: the Karnata Kingdom takes this opportunity to finally try and grab Russia’s last colonies at the tip of India. It makes no statement of joining the broader Coalition, but is de facto on the same side.
https://i.postimg.cc/vZV5jHBD/20210124024031-1.jpg
Whatever else this global war might be, it sure is a bloody mess. As 13 May 1906 rolls along and the war turns 6 months old, the already wide-spanning conflict has only grown larger, expanding to include even many of the ostensibly neutral powers – really just the Free Nations have stayed out for now, knock on wood. Although, with the Zanaras entering the war alongside Asturias and Ingerland actually invading Latin Honduras, there really is active fighting on every continent at once, for what might be the first time in any one war in human history. Perhaps the moniker of the Great War is indeed deserved.
https://i.postimg.cc/8cdzW9Pp/V2-MAP-POL-1906-05-13-1-kopio.png (https://i.postimg.cc/RCh6yVp9/V2-MAP-POL-1906-05-13-1.png)
(Click for full size.)
The semi-anniversary also brings one of Poland’s first real “strategic” defeats: after painstakingly making its way through the unfamiliar, jungle-covered terrain of Indochina and engaging the Latin defenders waiting farther inland, one of Poland’s East Indian armies finds itself crashing head-first into a much more disciplined and well-entrenched force than expected. General Boris Mokronowski is forced to beat a desperate retreat, but not before losing most of his troops. Even though the survivors make it back to the coast and get evacuated, this is a major setback for the Asian theater. While humiliating, the colony is actually not that important (the Poles tell themselves), and the occupation can wait.
https://i.postimg.cc/g0y8zS3W/20210124025405-1.jpg
At almost the same time, the small fleet supporting the invasion of Cape Verde off the coast of Senegambia is caught by the Latin navy (Classis Militum), leading to a sizable naval battle between similar numbers of ironclad ships on both sides. However, the Latins have more light vessels supporting them, and the Poles decide to retreat to nearby Dakar before taking too many losses for no reason. They only lose a few “empty” transport ships (not counting the crew onboard), but this is basically the closest the Classis has come to contesting the Marynarka, even in a colonial theater. Back in Europe, the Marynarka still dominates.
https://i.postimg.cc/fbQYhntC/20210124030256-1.jpg
The African theater for the most part is still going in the Coalition’s favor, just very, very slowly, though actual pitched battles have been rare. In the early stages, the Coalition lost more troops to disease than to the actual enemy, forcing it to slow down even further and make sure it had proper supply lines in place.
In Alcadra, the fighting between Santa Croce and the Nordic Union seems relatively even for now. Only in China is the colonial war turning sour: after what seemed like a deceptively easy march into Japan’s half of China, the British forces (mostly Chinese conscripts) are finding themselves flanked and overwhelmed by, well, a small part of the largest army in the world. It might not be long before they’re completely surrounded and overrun.
https://i.postimg.cc/Ssy8J6Gz/20210124034512-1.jpg
At least Europe is, the Poles like to think, on the way to total victory. The Latins have indeed seized most of Switzerland, but failed to proceed north of the Alps; and while the Coalition has been less than eager to engage them in the mountains, a real strange-bedfellows mix of Polish, German, Lotharingian and Frisian forces has been able to dominate northern France. Paris has fallen, and there seems to be nothing to stop the Coalition from continuing this counter-clockwise sweep across France to eventually "go around the Alps" and strike the Italian homeland itself.
https://i.postimg.cc/Qt075F6Y/20210124034705-1.jpg
The eastern front stands in stark contrast to the west in terms of size and terrain, covering vast swaths of forest, swamp and overall wilderness and stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Luckily it is still going well, just seemingly more slowly due to the distances involved. Even the comparatively small Swedish army is finding modest but, well, proportionate success on the Karelian front. Both Nyensants (St. Petersburg) and Novgorod are under siege and constant bombardment. Of course, the United Kingdom of Russia is incredibly large; best not look at a map, you’ll only depress yourself. This westernmost part of the country is the one that really matters, anyway: they won’t hold for long once it is taken.
https://i.postimg.cc/2ytBcPN4/20210124035044-1.jpg
Farther south, the entrance of the UAS into the war – technically a separate war, but that makes little difference – has opened up a new front and added some complications for the Moldavians caught in between them and Russia. Moldavia is making progress into both their territories at once, but at the same time, they’re also both sending spearheads into Moldavian territory. Kanem-Bornu’s contribution to the African fronts, both here and in Latin East Africa, deserves some mention. Some of it is in fact a conscious attempt to try and earn the respect of the great powers, who still have some clear trouble treating them as equals.
https://i.postimg.cc/j227hRmx/20210124035645-1.jpg
The big “pleasant surprise” of this war so far has been the delightful lack of the trench warfare that everyone observing the wars and developments of the past few decades had grown to fear. The Crown’s magnificent Step Forward Order was clearly instrumental in averting it right from the start. However, the summer of 1906 starts showing glimpses of what it might be like: the reason that trench warfare hasn’t become an issue has been that, indeed, the Polish fronts so far have been relatively mobile, giving neither side time to truly dig in. When it comes to assaulting those sorts of well-entrenched positions, it’s perhaps worse than anyone could’ve imagined.
The Poles’ first hands-on experience comes in the Battle of Kolmar in July, trying to dislodge a sizable Latin force from a part of Elsass-Lothringen that they have occupied almost since the start of the war. What looks like a rather extensive trench system is actually infinitely worse than it seems, with more trenches and bunkers hidden in every cranny around, behind and even under each other. Worse, Latin arms technology is just about equal to the Poles’, a large portion of the Polish troops involved are conscripts, General Sedzimir Lechowicz is an impatient and classically educated man going against a much superior commander, and the terrain itself favors the defender. The Battle of Kolmar will go down in infamy as a horrendous meat-grinder, the Poles taking losses at mind-boggling ratios as Lechowicz sends his farmboys straight into withering machine gun fire, even against the advice of his peers.
https://i.postimg.cc/KYb3HPws/20210124041657-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/DyWGJy15/20210124040855-1.jpg
(That's a -10 dig-in penalty on the attacker, largely due to insufficient numbers of cavalry.)
It isn’t until more experienced troops arrive that, three grueling months and almost 170,000 Polish casualties later, in early October the Latins are finally forced to retreat. All over a random German town with no special significance to either side. At least the whole thing teaches the Crown Army some much-needed lessons about doctrine, especially officer training… from the ground up. As generals commanding tens of thousands are liable to miss or neglect the reality on the ground and start thinking purely in terms of numbers, no matter their moral backbone, it makes sense to ensure that unit-level officers can look after their own troops and are given the authority to do so.
https://i.postimg.cc/P5Y8y33w/20210124043737-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/QNY5dWKH/20210124042527-1.jpg
The one-year mark of the war comes and goes, but it is not unremarkable. With a long trek behind them, on 19 November 1906, Polish-Moldavian troops are finally able to break through the defenses of Moscow and secure a front all the way to the Uralian border, dealing what should be a death blow to the remaining Russian troops trapped between here and Sweden. While the Russian royal family and most of the government have long since evacuated the capital, it is still the largest city in the whole country, a major industrial and logistical center, and of course, an important symbol. The end of the war didn’t quite make the one-year deadline, but it should be near. For that matter, perhaps the Coalition should get together to actually discuss what the end of this war might look like…
https://i.postimg.cc/d09ZP7KQ/20210124044918-1.jpg
The Russian army with its ample conscripts is still far from destroyed, of course. If anything, its new “fortress” strategy is proving quite a tough nut to crack: by fortifying itself in one central location, one massive force can avoid being defeated in detail and make itself basically unassailable, at least without the attacker also taking absolutely horrendous losses. The so-called Bryansk Fortress, for instance, has been consolidating in the forested region south-west of Moscow for months now. It might not be able to move anywhere, but it’s tying down a huge number of Polish troops who also can’t move deeper into Russia without leaving these 320,000 enemy soldiers to run wild behind their lines. Truly, the siege warfare of the Middle Ages has come back on a whole new scale.
https://i.postimg.cc/JzVss3r4/20210124045706-1.jpg
A similar pocket has also formed in Mariupol, on the Black Sea coast.
https://i.postimg.cc/hvXXdpQh/20210124051152-1.jpg
Maybe it’s best not to be making any premature declarations of when the war will end after all…
No newspapers, unfortunately.
At the same time that Moldavia is invading the UAS through Egypt, Syria and India, the Abyssinian front is still anyone’s game. The Abyssinians are making good use of their mountainous home turf, while the Arabs are forced to divert most of their troops elsewhere.
https://i.postimg.cc/zXRLD21c/20210124135152-1.jpg
There’s even fighting deep in the Sahara – between very small bands of roving cavalry, including some on camels.
https://i.postimg.cc/Qtyth1YD/20210124140459-1.jpg
Having apparently realized that the Coalition’s promise of aid for Abyssinia wasn’t just empty talk after all, Asturias has wisely decided not to actually do anything in the war – in Europe, Africa or Asia – and is seemingly just waiting for it to end.
https://i.postimg.cc/FF6d45wS/20210124135406-1.jpg
After more than a year, Polish, British and Bornuan troops have finally all but seized continental East Africa… but that still leaves Madagascar.
https://i.postimg.cc/vBHgQQQr/20210124135605-1.jpg
Over in Alcadra, Santa Croce was making decent progress into Paraland and Vanaland for a while, but the arrival of more British troops has turned the tide decisively against it.
https://i.postimg.cc/MTPcHhTh/20210124135833-1.jpg
Unlike Honduras, the Zanaras have been spared from invasion for now, and much like Asturias, haven’t taken a very active role in this war besides harassing some Nordic shipping.
https://i.postimg.cc/j2BLQPyc/20210124135959-1.jpg
With fresh reinforcements, the Poles have chosen to take another go at Latin Indochina after all, now looking much better.
https://i.postimg.cc/Mp7vVcH0/20210124140131-1.jpg
The invasion of Aotearoa is also making progress, with Strayan and – surprisingly enough – New Svean troops spearheading the offensive.
https://i.postimg.cc/YS80DJ1h/20210124140249-1.jpg
In its own separate war, Karnata has occupied the Russian colony on the Indian mainland, and now has little else to do but sit around and wait for the Russians to collapse at home. It has yet to make a go for the Maldives.
https://i.postimg.cc/ZRRRGVcj/20210124141009-1.jpg
Hello there. Been a while… again. This was a pretty intimidating chapter to approach for reasons that should be obvious, and then I ended up having a bunch of false starts with technical issues and events not firing and such, which just made me punt it forward into the future. In the end, I decided that I just need to push it out and keep moving.
As expected, the fighting is pretty one-sided for the most part, but at least the other theaters of war add some spice. A turnaround seems impossible, but a slowdown might still happen (see: Russia). Ironically, it seems that in terms of this AAR, the Great War will end up being something of a breather episode compared to all the politics and civil war at home. I’m fine with that, though, looking at those colossal and pretty heavy last few chapters before this one.
Pretty straight-forward chapter, as I have my hands full just keeping track of the war itself. More politics are sure to follow in the future, of course.
Spoiler: What awaits the Latin Federation and Russia should they lose this war is “dismantlement”, a mechanic added by PDM. They won’t be totally taken apart, but the winners will divvy up their colonies, take any cores they might have, and maybe release a couple states here and there – in addition to the usual war reparations and “disarmament” limits on army size.
InvisibleBison
2021-01-24, 04:46 PM
It's back! Hooray!
Looks like the Coalition's superior numbers are proving decisive after all. It's going to be fairly bloody dealing with those Russian doomstacks, though. I'm kind of surprised they're being so quiescent, but I guess the AI is aware that while it might be able to defeat any one of the surrounding armies it can't defeat all of them. And dealing with Japan is going to be difficult.
SilverLeaf167
2021-01-25, 03:50 AM
I'm kind of surprised they're being so quiescent, but I guess the AI is aware that while it might be able to defeat any one of the surrounding armies it can't defeat all of them. And dealing with Japan is going to be difficult.
Well, I honestly don't know whether they're thinking ahead or actually just braindead. I know Japan's deathstacks over in China spent like half a year just standing around while the Brits sieged everything around them, until (or even after) I popped in for a second to give them some movement orders.
I'm kind of curious how late-game dig-in bonuses affect AI behavior, really. Does it know it needs to stand in place to use them, and if yes, does that make it stand around even when it shouldn't?
Keraunograf
2021-01-25, 02:27 PM
Wooo! Just wanted to say thanks for continuing, we appreciate your work.
SilverLeaf167
2021-01-27, 01:23 PM
Chapter #70: The Two Fronts (1907-1908)
1st of January, 1907
The Great War between the Treaty Powers and the Coalition, which started on 13 November 1905, has lasted a little over a year and expanded to cover even more of the world. There has been bloody fighting on every continent, and as Poland and its allies (or “co-belligerents”) have successfully invaded the Latin Federation, Russia and most of their colonies, the biggest unknown right now is the Japanese Empire. Other than that, victory should be only a matter of time – but as the Coalition’s demands escalate, so does the Treaty’s willingness to fight to the bitter end, or at least a better bargaining position. The Coalition seems determined to make sure the Treaty Powers can’t pose a threat again anytime soon.
Having apparently seen the writing on the wall, the UAS and Asturias approach the Coalition with an armistice. Moldavia is marching deeper into Arabia, while Coalition troops in France are almost at the Asturian border, and they both want to avoid getting (more) mixed up with the broader Great War or its ensuing peace treaty. Poland has no interest in the UAS and Asturias has done a good job avoiding direct hostilities, and although Moldavia does protest against a white peace, it is also glad to free up more troops for the fight against Russia. This sideshow of the Great War – the Desert War – is brought to an end with only nominal concessions.
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But as one branch of this sprawling conflict is cut off, another sprouts in its place. The Maratha Confederacy has gone through something of a liberalizing streak recently, as the initial military dictator’s heirs decided to compromise rather than be overthrown, but the country’s rivalry with Karnata hasn’t changed. Now it’s clearly hoping for the Great War to serve as a distraction: though the Treaty Powers have no real forces active in the area, Karnata’s own army has actually headed east towards Latin Indochina, leaving its flank wide open. This is just another separate war, though, and doesn’t involve the Coalition in any way.
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Which is good, since the new year seems to have also brought the Treaty a new shot of energy. Germany may have “gone around the Alps” and marched down the Rhone River valley to even reach the Mediterranean coast, but this also served as a wake-up call for the Legions to get to work before the Federation is at a point of unconditional surrender. The Latin counterattack is fierce, and Poland’s Crown Army isn’t really there to help yet.
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At the same time, the so-called Fortresses in Russia make some probing attempts to break out of their encirclement, but “probing” in this case just means hopeless attacks for little real purpose that are always forced to retreat back inside. Unfortunately, the Fortresses still remain strong enough for the Poles to be rather nervous about assaulting them in return. Some forces in the Mariupol Fortress actually attempt an escape by sea, but those hopes are dashed by the Black Fleet showing up off the coast.
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The Swedish army is cleaning up the last scraps of the Russian army in the extreme north of the country.
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And for what it’s worth, the so far rather sleepy behemoth of the east seems to be finally stirring somewhat. Japan starts a massive and rather one-sided push into British China. It could’ve started doing this a year or so ago, though.
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From a certain perspective, of course, the Treaty’s war is as good as lost and has already reached its most pointless point: death before dishonor…
For Poland, the Great War has been more or less a march from victory to victory, becoming “Great” in the other sense of the word as well. Among the people willing to consider a war great to begin with, of course. Compared to, say, a century ago, far more people are opposed not just to sending Polish citizens to die, but even to killing the enemy. This is partly because the Great War has been unprecedentedly industrial and all-encompassing in nature, harnessing not only the entire economy but also the population: beyond the 1,400,000 or so professional soldiers in the Crown Army, some 600,000 have been drafted, and more are taken by the day. Though most commanders prefer to use conscripts in support or garrison roles or just to “fill up the ranks”, they’re not always so discriminating when an attack really demands those few more bodies to throw at the enemy. And that’s before getting to the elephant in the room: that the Great War is following right on the heels of the Polish Civil War.
Materially speaking, Poland was quick to recover up and above its pre-Civil War situation, but the jury’s still out on the spiritual side. Morale is boosted by the fact that this war was, as far as anyone is concerned, started by Poland’s enemies who had already occupied Calais and Mogilev a few years prior. Polish propaganda emphasizes that its enemies were the ones to attack it and massively underestimate its strength and tenacity, and that no real fighting has taken place on Polish ground as of yet. The success of the war has kept it far more popular than it could be, at least, but plenty of people are opposed to serving the Crown or the Crown Army just as a matter of principle. And the real question is when the war will end.
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Britannia has made an official decision to focus on the global conflict and keep its army out of continental Europe, but the most enthusiastic of its young men have been allowed to join the Polish Crown Army as volunteers. This option has been especially popular in Scotland.
Most of the rationing introduced near the start of the war has already been slackened since then, though, and people on the homefront have started to see their quality of life rebound somewhat. The wartime economy and the PUP's economic programs ensure that there are jobs for everyone, and on better terms than before the war. Once the war ends and the troops get back from the front – whenever that might be – Poland will go on to have a massive post-war baby boom, almost making up for the massive loss of life. Numerically speaking, of course.
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And the Crown’s partnership with the Polish Unity Party still holds for now, both supporting the other’s agenda in return for the same.
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Throughout the first half of 1907, France remains the most mobile and active front of the war. In the east, the Fortress strategy and, again, vast distances mean that proper battles are rare and interspersed with weeks of maneuver or simply maintenance. France on the other hand is under constant counterattack by the Latins, slowing down the Coalition advance while working hard to push the enemy out of Italy as well.
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The Crown Army leadership is convinced that a deep push into Italy is exactly the knockout blow needed to force the Latins to negotiate on desirable terms (i.e. accept the ones dictated by Poland). To that end, in June 1907, a Polish-Bavarian-German force finally launches an offensive through the Wieden corridor, somewhat less hellish than fighting across the Alps.
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The attack gets off to a good start, as the Latins are a bit distracted in France, but at the cost of many Polish lives: the Battle of Avignon, remembered as the second-worst of the entire war so far right after Kolmar, isn’t even a trench-filled meatgrinder but almost a return to the open field battles of old… with all the bloodshed that entails. Far worse battles are only on the way, though.
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Motivated by the human horrors on the front, the Poles make great progress in the field that is their love and pride: artillery. More efficient, more accurate, more deadly artillery is expected to end battles quicker, or at least with fewer frontal charges, and more than save in terms of blood what it might cost in iron. Bring Down the Thunder!
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Armed with some of these new railway guns – and a purpose-built railway from thankfully nearby Polish Crimea – the Crown Army in the east decides to show it means business as well and finally close the Mariupol pocket. At the same time that the Black Fleet and its Russian counterpart fight it out in the Sea of Azov, the besiegers of Mariupol close in from all sides. The fighting doesn’t end in the trenches, though, but continues well into the suburbs and city center of one of the largest cities in the Black Sea. The Poles keep tightening the noose, not letting any soldiers escape. Surrender, of course, is always an option, but not many take it until the very end. And Geneva Conventions be damned, when push comes to shove, Polish soldiers matter more than enemy civilians, and many of them die in the heavy shelling endured by the city.
One way or another, the entire force of 282,000 Russians is taken out of the equation – but with similar losses on the Polish side. At least the lock to the east is now open, the Bryansk Fortress having also disintegrated in the meantime.
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If the Poles, the clear winners, are starting to get tired of this war, then one can only imagine what the mood might be like on the other side…
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The 2-year mark of the war in November brings yet another needless distraction: the Republic of Benin, opportunistic like all the others, has decided to align with the Latins to invade its neighbor and timeless enemy Kanem-Bornu. This isn't entirely suicidal, as despite the difference on the map, Benin is very dense with a population almost half as large as Bornu’s, and the Bornuan army is busy on another continent. Of course, as an ally of Kanem-Bornu in the current war, Poland promises to defend it, which puts the adjacent Polish colonies in peril as well. Some of the forces in East Africa will need to be sent to take care of this.
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Poland would have better things to worry about. The Italian offensive ends in disaster, nearly a hundred thousand soldiers (mostly conscripts) lost as their initial success makes them overextend and allows the Latins to cut off their supply lines – and escape route.
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Despite making such terrible mistakes at times, the Crown Army – effectively in charge of governing millions of civilians in the occupied territories, not to mention each front and theater of war more or less running its own show – is increasingly resembling a state of its own. Perhaps that's the reason they make such mistakes in the first place. It should be temporary, of course, only for the duration of the war, and there doesn’t seem to be anything to worry about politically speaking; but despite ostensibly working with civilian authorities, the Crown Army can be a little heavy-handed on the locals. There’s also a noticeable difference in how the occupiers get along with their Slavic pagan neighbors in the east, as opposed to the Latin Christians in the west.
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Early 1908. Gradually but undeniably, even though the eastern front is moving faster than ever – the Crown Army has officially crossed over into Central Asia and the Caucasus – the Coalition is losing momentum in the west. Not just mistakes on the Coalition’s part, but also the sheer tenacity of the Latins have allowed them to push back into France, even threatening to retake Paris, which has been under occupation since the very first months of the war. There isn’t so much a front line as several opposing armies running around, occasionally into each other, and all the Polish ones are terribly, terribly understrength, forced to clump together in order to operate at all.
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The Crown Army in the west is at a major strategic crossroads: fight the Latins wherever they pop up and keep going for that knockout blow to end the war as soon as possible, at the risk of repeating the Italian disaster on a much larger scale, or retreat to a safer position, take a breather and replenish its forces for a more organized offensive. The Latins are fighting on their own turf, giving them shorter supply lines and a much more cooperative population that allow them to reinforce their armies much faster than the Poles can, which means that an unrelenting push-push-push approach is actually in their favor. On the other hand, the Poles have been bragging about their successes – and concealing their problems – so much that even a temporary, limited retreat is seen as a moral defeat. The decision is far from clear-cut, either strategically or politically.
High Queen Wieslawa is 73 years old. Her diminished public role since the Civil War has helped conceal how fast she seems to be aging in these past few years. All her appearances are triumphant, defiant and encouraging, but increasingly few and far in between. After spending the Civil War holed up in Wawel and fearing for her life, she now rarely leaves her luxurious Grazyna Palace. Instead, the High Queen has been addressing the nation in text, through monthly written missives published in public spaces and loyal newspapers. Despite being carefully crafted and arguably quite high on rhetoric but low on substance, these texts do reveal the occasional glimpse of a tired sovereign, jumping between melancholic and mad, who in private still struggles with the question of whether her subjects truly betrayed her or vice versa. She never did marry, and the only people around her are her servants, advisors and government officials; some of them have been around for decades, even becoming the closest thing she has to a family, but even they can’t really speak with her on equal terms. She isn’t on her death bed or anything, but there are already plenty of whispers about her “fading days” and the eventual succession.
As the generals can’t reach an agreement on their next course of action, they decide to ask Wieslawa directly and give legitimacy to (or shift away blame for) whichever choice she makes. As their go-between they choose Sylwester Kujawski, Marshal of the Realm. His predecessor Zofia Grzymala was killed by a random sniper in the Civil War and became a national martyr, whereas his role so far has been more administrative. The Army of Krakow under his command hasn’t left the capital during the entire war. Someone needs to stay behind, coordinate all the various fronts and safeguard the capital, after all.
Perhaps Marshal Kujawski just catches the High Queen on a more depressive sort of day, but she turns out to be more acquiescent than anyone dared expect. Given the high-risk high-glory option and the more cautious one, she goes for the latter, giving a royal order for the Crown Army to fall back to the north and reconsolidate. Paris and especially Calais must be kept at all costs, for both strategic and PR reasons, but the rest of France is expendable for now. Since the eastern front is looking rather stable now, some reinforcements can actually be sent from there. It might be that Wieslawa simply realizes how much worse a massive defeat and loss of life would look, as compared to a temporary retreat.
Even if it’s the lesser of two evils, the northward retreat becomes another catalyst for the rapidly worsening mood and falling enthusiasm among the Polish people. The Crown has been telling them that the Treaty was decisively beaten for over two years now, so how come the enemy is still refusing to negotiate? Calais and Mogilev were recovered almost immediately, so what is this war even about at this point?
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The High Queen doesn’t really care about “politics” these days, or at least acts like she doesn’t, but the year 1908 is definitely shaping up to be a trying one. It’s an election year – the first one since universal suffrage was introduced, and thus the very first one for almost 80% of the voters. Many in the government and especially the more conservative parties are hoping for low turnout among the lower classes, but after voting rights were such a high-profile issue for so long, there’s little chance of that, and there’s little they can do to actively suppress it without causing massive outrage. For similar reasons, and to keep up the appearance of decisive victory, there’s no hope of using the war as an excuse to delay the election either.
It is unsurprising that the war should dominate the campaigns, debates – more important and publicized than ever before – and of course unofficial speeches given on the side. Even though the actual fighting is up to the Crown Army, the Sejm is deeply involved with it on the homefront, and regardless, the Sejm not actually being in charge of something has never stopped anyone from arguing about it anyway.
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Premier Mikolaj Rusin and his Polish Unity Party are in an awkward spot: on one hand, they’ve done a great job driving their main policy goals, and their success has even propelled their sister party to victory in the Yugoslavian Sejm. On the other hand, they have the rare pleasure of being perhaps too successful for their own good, as the reforms they’ve passed in the Sejm have already alleviated people’s suffering enough that some of them no longer see such an acute need to vote for the socialists, especially if they still feel uneasy about them for some other reason. And last but not least, many of their most hardcore and left-wing supporters feel betrayed by the way that they’ve formed a coalition government with the Populists and thrown their, cordial or not, support behind the Crown and the “White" war effort.
Then again, the National Coalition – the main opposition – has had a rather lackluster term. It too has supported the war, obviously, but the war has also kept it from disrupting the Sejm too much and being seen to be undermining national unity. Who knows how much it’ll benefit just from being the main alternative people turn to after the PUP, though.
Both parties expend a lot of oxygen debating not so much military strategy, but how they’d improve people’s lives on the homefront. Over the long summer, however, the cautious approach chosen by the High Queen ends up paying dividends, as the Crown Army is indeed able to hold on to northernmost France, reinforce, and then start pushing out again with much better casualty rates. Of course, the Latins are also growing more and more exhausted – personally speaking, and in terms of material. The frontline in the Alps is still quite stale, or rather moving a short distance back and forth, but the Coalition has at least managed to secure South Tyrol and liberate some of Switzerland.
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In the east, the main opponent is still geography. No one thought it would need to come to this point, but over half of Russia has indeed been occupied by the Coalition. The Crown Army has reached as far as Baku in the Caucasus and Samarkand in Central Asia. Although, there are still some quite brutal battles happening in Anatolia between Russian and Moldavian, Yugoslavian, or Bornuan troops.
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Japan ended up getting bogged down in China after all, perhaps due to being a little too paranoid of a Polish naval invasion (which Poland has neither the resources nor the enthusiasm to do on a sufficient scale) and keeping most of its army on the Home Islands. It has more or less occupied the British territories, but not even tried to take Taiwan for instance. Britannia, to its credit, has fought fiercely to protect its by far most valuable colony, and there are still British soldiers evading the Japanese forces to harass them in the back. It helps that the local inhabitants aren’t much fonder of Japan than they are of Britannia.
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Santa Croce is nearing total defeat, mainly at the hands of Britannia.
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And the fighting in Benin is technically still ongoing, but it’s more or less clear where it’s going, and Benin accepts a white peace in July.
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So Japan is alright, but not really contributing to the war as a whole; Russia’s total occupation is only a matter of marching speed; and thus, the Latin Federation is the real lynchpin of the Treaty Powers. Perhaps due to the Poles also getting a dose of realism and lowering their demands a bit, and the Latins themselves suffering from the war a million times worse, tentative approaches for peace are actually made throughout the year. At first, the Latins still reject them, perhaps out of principle or just as a haggling strategy, but as the Poles start sweeping across France again and even gearing up for another invasion of Italy, the government finally buckles and comes to the negotiating table for real.
The official armistice between the Coalition and the Treaty Powers is signed on 1 September 1908, just short of three years into the war and less than two weeks before Poland’s own election. Though sporadic fighting still takes place for a while, especially in the colonies where the message doesn't even reach the troops immediately, both sides are just relieved to finally stop. This is only the armistice, though: the agreement to put down arms and take up pens. The actual contents of the peace treaty still need to be hashed out, and even if the Latins in particular may still be defiant, it seems they have little choice but to sit down and hope for mercy. The Coalition has won the Great War, and now the Treaty must pay.
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Funny how this war has mirrored the real Great War for me as a player/writer. I legitimately thought it was going to end quickly and uneventfully, but they put up a surprisingly strong resistance and also required like 93% warscore before they’d surrender. At no point did I play badly on purpose, either. The war became a lot more interesting to me when I realized it wasn’t going to be quite as simple as I thought.
I think I’ll make the treaty/treaties another special chapter. I’ve handcrafted the capitulation events for both the Latins and Russia, rather than rely on the default PDM ones, and mine are quite harsh but honestly still more merciful. In terms of real-life Great War, think more Germany and less Austria-Hungary. Japan gets off easy with only the regular capitulation and no loss of territory, though.
InvisibleBison
2021-01-27, 02:05 PM
Hurrah! Victory!
Perhaps Marshal Kujawski just catches the High Queen on a more depressive sort of day, but she turns out to be more acquiescent than anyone dared expect. Given the high-risk high-glory option and the more cautious one, she goes for the latter, giving a royal order for the Crown Army to fall back to the north and reconsolidate.
I wonder what effect this decision is going to have on Wieslawa 's legacy. It did prove to be a good decision, but it's unclear how much of her decision was based on the military situation as opposed to her own mental health issues.
I’ve handcrafted the capitulation events for both the Latins and Russia, rather than rely on the default PDM ones, and mine are quite harsh but honestly still more merciful. In terms of real-life Great War, think more Germany and less Austria-Hungary.
So the peace will be harsh enough to drive them to anger, but not so harsh as to prevent them from coming back for another round twenty years down the line. Perhaps not the best decision, though obviously I have the advantage of knowing real-world history when evaluating it.
SilverLeaf167
2021-01-29, 07:45 AM
Special #9: The Three Treaties (1908)
https://i.postimg.cc/44h1BWVQ/Treaty-of-Grazyna-kopio.png (https://i.postimg.cc/MzBYy3q6/Treaty-of-Grazyna.png)
Russia, of course, has been completely brought to its knees: all its major or even medium cities are occupied, the Crown Army is halfway to China, and the remaining Russian troops stuck in Anatolia are trapped with nowhere to go. As for the Latin Federation, the Italian half of the country might be mostly untouched – but that’s glossing over the amount of men and resources that have already been expended, not to mention the fact that with the Coalition dominating the seas, there’s a worsening shortage of basic goods. People in the occupied regions are arguably eating better than their countrymen farther south. The Latin people are growing angry, first and foremost towards the Coalition, but also their own government: why did they start this war, how dare they lose, and why are they still prolonging their suffering?
The fact that the Federation still holds Italy can easily give the illusion that it has some room to bargain, but from a practical point of view, it too is at the Coalition’s mercy. It can’t survive another year of this war.
Under the self-assumed leadership of the Polish Crown, the Coalition starts finalizing its demands. The peace will actually consist of three separate treaties with the three main enemies: this is to keep each treaty manageable in size (two of them are already almost 200 pages long), but also to isolate the enemies from each other, and force them to take responsibility for their own treaties so that, say, the Russians can’t come back and claim that they weren’t given a choice in the matter. That final and otherwise quite reasonable goal is somewhat undermined by the way that the Coalition handles its own side of the “negotiations”, though.
The Treaty of Macau is a rather straight-forward white peace between Britannia and Japan, restoring and setting in stone their pre-war borders in China. Britannia is the only one to have had a single battle with Japan. The Empire is quite reluctant to “surrender” after what seems like a string of victories, but it can also see that the war isn’t really going anywhere and the long-term economic harm is simply too much to be worth it. It seems to be only now realizing how heavily dependent it is on trade with the Coalition Powers. The Coalition demands only minor reparations, but shortly after the peace, Japan’s economy will fall into a depression all on its own and its army be downsized anyway.
The other two are quite different. The Latin and Russian delegates summoned to Poland are expecting to sit down and work out an agreement, even if from a position of weakness. Instead, they are basically handed their respective treaties, barely given time to read through them, and told to sign if they don’t want the war to resume. They do get to consult with their governments back home, but despite their best efforts at haggling, it’s “take it or leave it”. In the end, the Latins sign the Treaty of Grazyna and the Russians the Treaty of Ryszarda with only the smallest of adjustments.
Before getting into the contents of the treaties, it may be worthwhile to note what the Coalition’s actual or at least stated “goals” were:
To work towards peace in Europe, namely by ensuring that the aggressive Treaty Powers will not or can not start a similar war again.
To punish those who would shamelessly invade Poland and Germany, and meddle in the internal matters of Yugoslavia, bringing on this mutually destructive war entirely by their own actions.
To split up the Latin colonies between the victorious powers, both as reparations for the war but also for the benefit of the colonies themselves and in order to minimize global flashpoints.
To, truth be told, “settle” some long-standing border disputes while they have the chance. In order to stave off future wars, of course.
That being said, there are some things the Coalition negotiators themselves deem a bridge too far. For instance, large-scale annexation of European territories with no historical basis is simply not on the table, but neither is completely dismantling the Federation or the United Kingdom into their constituent parts, which would basically require an indefinite occupation of those territories to enforce such a breakup and stop them from joining back together. Such an occupation is opposed from a practical and, believe it or not, moral point of view, especially since the Coalition doesn’t want to end up looking like the villains here. New states can thus only be created in places with actual local support for such a move. But, as something of a double standard perhaps, the Coalition Powers also can’t support any independence movements that would threaten their own stability. This is mostly relevant for Poland, which absolutely cannot have an independent Khazaria or Byelorussia in the neighborhood. The Dniepr border will stay right where it used to be.
With all that in mind, the treaties include pages upon pages of diplomatic and economic protocol – ranging from bureaucratic arrangements in the colonies, to the return of individual pieces of art looted from the occupied regions – but the territorial changes are explained below.
Speaking of protocol, all the peace treaties include Frisia and Yugoslavia as signatories – who really made an impact in the war and deserve recognition – whereas Ligor and Nowa Straya are nowhere to be seen, not for lack of participation per se but because Poland is a bit paranoid about any implications of colonial autonomy given some of the things in the treaties. Frisian and Yugoslavian autonomy, to the contrary, has proven diplomatically convenient in the past (partly to bulk up the “Polish” representation at any given event). Similarly, all the members of the Nordic Union insist on being listed as equals of Sweden.
The Latin delegation, having taken the long way around by ship – for reasons of both pride and security, it refuses to travel through either Germany or Yugoslavia – disembarks in Szczecin and is taken straight to Grazyna Palace by rail. These meetings being held here of all places could be an honor under some circumstances, but right now, it’s just a show of dominance by the Poles. Though the Latin diplomats are shown the usual courtesy, there’s no doubt in the air that as long as the treaty is unsigned, they are still representatives of the enemy, and a humiliated one at that. Strangely enough, despite this being the High Queen’s house and her name being on the papers, she actually doesn’t show herself during the proceedings, which are handled entirely by the foreign ministry and the Crown Council (under her instructions, of course). At Premier Rusin’s request, the Sejm has been allowed to send in a Crown-approved observer, but no press is allowed inside before the final public ceremony.
Diplomatic, monetary and other reparations are made to every Coalition member, but obviously only some of them can benefit from actual transfers of land:
The province of Calais, whose illegal occupation was perhaps the very first prologue of this war, is of course returned to Poland. Poland has already held it since the start of the war and long since reintegrated it, so this is merely putting it on paper. Technically it never legally left Poland, which is why the treaty itself only speaks of the Federation renouncing its claims to an already Polish city. On that note, though, Calais really is in a strange position: it’s been held by Poland since the Middle Ages, used to be part of Francia and then the Grand Duchy of Frisia, and has a Walloon majority, meaning that everyone and thus no one has a clear claim to it at this point.
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Out of the Coalition Powers, the Republic of Germany has suffered the most by far. In addition to Southern Germany as a whole taking a lot of damage, the Alps and everything south of them are basically still smoking. Many places there are only connected by a single pass, mountain road or even tunnel, and those have been blown to bits by one side or another as battles over a single footpath might go back and forth for weeks. But Germany also contributed hugely to the fight against the Federation, and has the most territorial disputes with it anyway, so even with relations between it and the rest of the Coalition being rather cold, it can’t really be denied its rightful part of the peace deal.
South Tyrol is a no-brainer, being both historically and culturally German. Germany’s demands for the rest of the Venetian region are shot down by its co-belligerents, though. Franche-Comté/Freigrafschaft is more contentious: it is quite markedly French, and has only really been part of Germany during its short territorial peak as the Bundesrepublik, but its claim is at least strong and insistent enough that given the situation – and the fact that it already occupies the region – it can hardly be denied. With the return of South Tyrol and the Freigrafschaft, Germany has now reached and exceeded its size during the Bundesrepublik (not counting the various sister republics, of course). However, even if the surrounding monarchies still don’t like strengthening it, they don’t see it as such a major threat anymore, and also care more about weakening the Latins. This also makes up for the fact that Germany isn’t getting any colonies out of this deal, no matter how it wanted them.
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The one new country carved out of the mainland Federation is the state of Brittany. It has been safely occupied for most of the war, has a long-standing even if not very powerful separatist movement – seeing itself as culturally distinct from the Latins – and already had a brief bout of independence after the Mad Year of 1840. Not to forget, of course, its highly strategic location. It will be organized as a constitutional Kingdom of Brittany – the “King” part being seen as an important status symbol – under the official “protection” of Britannia until its independence is deemed secure.
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The Latins’ three “settler” colonies – Santa Croce, Aotearoa and Honduras – are granted the right to hold a referendum for independence from the Federation. Very noble, although something of a double standard given the handling of the other, non-white colonial subjects who are quite casually thrown around from overlord to overlord. Out of these two, Honduras and Aotearoa both end up with a firm majority for “Leave”, Honduras because its population is actually mixed Asturian-Andalusian and Aotearoa because it’s tired of getting dragged into European politics on literally the other side of the world.
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Santa Croce, however, ends up voting “Remain”, for a few big reasons: because its more prolonged role in the war actually fostered a deeper kinship with the Latin cause, because it has the closest relationship with the homeland to begin with, and because the outraged Santanans see the whole treaty as illegitimate due to the fact that it also includes the secession of Amapa to Paraland. Santa Croce will thus stay as one of the Federation’s only two overseas territories. As discussed above, there’s little the Coalition can do to force independence upon those who refuse to take it.
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The other overseas territory the Latins are allowed to keep is Cape Verde. While deceptively similar to a colony, it houses at this point half a million Italians, Frenchmen and Andalusians and is in fact a fully-fledged state in the Federation, leading the Coalition to conclude that, despite the Polish occupation of the islands, trying to annex them as a colony is more trouble than it’s worth. Nearby Serra Leoa, though, is handed to Britannia, which did most of the work in occupying it and also has fewer colonies in the region than Poland does. The topic of Poland previously wanting this land in order to secure a connection for its colonies does come up, but Britannia promises free access – or even a wholly Polish-owned road through the colony – and the matter is settled with a handshake.
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This brings up another of those double standards, though, regarding Kanem-Bornu’s presence (or lack thereof) in the negotiations. Despite committing to the Great War just as hard as anybody else, even sending its troops to fight and die in Anatolia or Italy, it gains precisely no territory from this peace treaty. The Sultanate also submits its own request for Serra Leoa, trying not to be too blunt about the fact that the European colonies are the very reason it currently has no southern ports whatsoever; but the very idea of handing a colony “back” to an African nation strikes the others as anything from silly to uncomfortable, and the suggestion is pretty much ignored. It doesn’t take long after the treaty is signed for the outraged Bornuans to officially sever ties with most of the Coalition.
Continental East Africa goes to Britannia, while Madagascar is handed to Moldavia, hungry for any bases in the Indian Ocean but running low on options for where to get them. Despite being some of the largest transfers of land and population in this entire treaty, East Africa and Madagascar are treated rather as an afterthought, as the matter is quite clear-cut diplomatically and they’re “just” colonies with no local autonomy anyway. Then again, it might also not matter to the natives which Europeans are the ones exploiting them, as there’s really no discernable difference between the Federation, Britannia and Moldavia in that regard.
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Latin Indochina, containing parts of Siam and Cambodia, is taken by Poland and placed under the administration of its vassal Sultanate of Ligor. Ligor and Poland have proven to have a surprisingly good “working relationship”, and advisors stationed in the East Indies suggest that this is probably the most efficient way to deal with this piece of land that isn’t otherwise especially important. The unspoken truth there is that Ligor is also relatively more prosperous and, perhaps, more competently run than the Crown colonies. In any case, Indochina saw some of the most vicious fighting of all the colonies, and stripping the Latins of their global bases is half the point here, so it’s not like it could just be left alone or anything.
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And finally, as expected, Taiwan goes to Poland. This is actually Poland’s third base in China, alongside Dalian and Macau, which don’t get a lot of attention – the fact that they weren’t even invaded in the Great War is further proof of just how anemic Japan’s offensive really was. However, Taiwan is actually something of an oddity, compared to the other Polish colonies: it’s rather heavily urbanized and industrialized in a way that the adjacent Maniolas for instance definitely aren’t, the Latins clearly having run some sort of experiment with this particular colony and boosted its population by inviting settlers from mainland China. Poland chooses to keep it that way for now rather than actively impede its development.
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The peace also includes some smaller border adjustments with Lotharingia and Germany, amounting to all of a few villages that don’t really show on a map or matter to anyone but themselves.
All in all, however, Poland’s own gains from the Treaty of Grazyna are limited to Calais, Indochina and Taiwan, which some believe is an outrage but those with knowledge of the geographic situation mostly understand. At least it makes it harder – in theory, anyway – to paint Poland as an aggressor, or claim that it’s abusing its leadership position in the peace talks. The truth is, there’s little more that could be taken from the Federation – apart from the massive reparations and military restrictions – that wouldn’t be simply asking for trouble, not just internationally but even within Poland. What would Krakow even do with, say, Sicily? What matters is that through the loss of their colonies and other bits of territory, the Latins have been greatly weakened, if not lost their great power status altogether. Even in the case of any future war, the Coalition will be able to focus more and more of its strength in Europe.
Unable to escape to the west and denied entry into either the UAS or Communist Uralia (more on that country at some point), the Russian royal family and government-in-exile have been forced to operate out of Siberia of all places. After traveling across more than 3,000 miles of Polish-occupied territory – by train, by car, and even horse cart when the car breaks down – their delegates are finally housed in Ryszarda Palace, a separate building at the edge of the Grazyna estate.
The Treaty of Ryszarda quite closely mirrors Grazyna, except that Russia’s more complete defeat, sheer size, and perhaps lack of colonies to play with all lead to a larger loss of “home” territory. First things first, Poland of course takes back its illegally occupied provinces, but rather than move the border any further from there – and simply bring a lot of angry Russians into the country for no real gain – chooses to make something of a moral statement by reaffirming that the Dniepr is the rightful border between Poland and Russia. The only other piece of land it takes is the Daugavpils region, to be integrated into Polish Latvia. That ties into the next item on the list.
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For its great contribution to the war, Sweden gets Nyensants – a major port city with a substantial Finnish population, now integrated into Finland and renamed Nevanlinna – and an independent Kingdom of Estonia. Comparable to Brittany in the west, the Estonians have not appreciated the loss of the minority rights they used to enjoy as part of Novgorod, nor the active Russification that replaced them. From Sweden and Poland’s point of view, the loss of Nevanlinna and Estonia greatly weakens Russia in the Baltic Sea or even in general, which also makes their own borders more secure. Sweden requests that Estonia be placed under its protection for the time being, and Poland sees no reason to disagree.
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Way down south, Anatolia – its population a mix of Greeks, Armenians, Arabs and Kurds – has been awkwardly split between Moldavia and the Russians ever since they partitioned the Christian and Muslim states there. For a long time, neither side really minded this arrangement, but in the last century that they’ve turned from friends to enemies, it has become a hotly disputed and extremely deadly battleground. That was true in the Great War as well, and not even by the end of it, when Russia had already basically lost, had the Anatolian front calmed down. With so much of their blood soaked into the ground, it’s only right that the dispute be settled and Anatolia finally unified under the Moldavians. This is by far the largest land transfer in the Treaty of Ryszarda – to any of the Coalition powers, that is.
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Indeed, to the far east, actually in the only part of Russia that the war didn’t reach, it is forced to grant independence to the Khanates of Mongolia and Uyghuristan. It has only ruled these regions for a few decades, and it isn’t even too hard to find direct descendants of their previous rulers to form the basis for modern, constitutional monarchies with European-style government. Although the main point is to weaken Russia (and stop it from expanding into China), there’s also some hope that this introduction of “solid but civilized” monarchy in the region will act as some sort of buffer against the spread of communist ideology. Again, though, despite the size of the areas involved, these far-flung countries are really just pawns in a larger game and probably mostly forgotten about after this.
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On a side note, trivial to anyone in the west but absolutely critical to these countries and Russia itself, the Trans-Tartarian Railway it has worked so hard to build will be nationalized by the Khanates to do with as they wish. This easternmost part was the most difficult, too, with all those damn mountains in the way.
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(The main completed parts of the Trans-Tartarian Railway, intended to connect Eurasia from coast to coast.)
Finally, the war between Karnata and Russia ended up with the transfer of mainland India but not the Maldives. Partly because Karnata’s distraction with the war against Russia ended up costing it the war against the Maratha Confederacy, and quite a bit of land, the Coalition has some sympathy for Karnata despite it not being a member per se. In the end, rather than pick a fight with Karnata, the Coalition agrees to include it in the treaty and throw it a bone in the form of the Maldives. Japan has been supporting the Confederacy and throwing a lot of investment its way, so it makes sense for the Coalition to try to maintain relations with Karnata instead.
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In the Treaty of Ryszarda, the United Kingdom of Russia actually loses about a third or more of its land area and almost a fourth of its population. Even if neither those lands nor those people were really “Russian” per se, some of them had been part of the country for centuries, and it certainly stings. The independence of Central Asia was also discussed, actually, but ultimately put aside both for being “overkill” and for worry of giving the UAS – not exactly a friend of the Coalition – a potential avenue to exploit.
Russia’s near-total occupation also seems to have crippled its economy even worse than it did for the Latin Federation, and people are definitely eager to write off Russia as spent and nothing to worry about. As the final cherry on top, the Russians are even obligated to rewrite their constitution and remove the part implying that “all Russians” should be part of the country. That’s what they get for trying to claim a huge chunk of Poland, though.
A total peace for a total war. Now all sides deal with the aftermath.
I didn’t really need to make that mockup of the actual real-life Treaty of Versailles, but then again, when do I need to do anything? :smalltongue: I think a glimpse of the text used at the time adds a little something.
The treaties here were based on a mix of what would make sense, what would look nice on the map, and maybe the fact that I would’ve felt weird about using these custom events to give myself too many benefits. And of course, from a meta perspective I don’t actually want the Latins and Russia to be completely crippled forever, but that’s neither here nor there. In-universe, it really is rather simple: this is already the largest and most wide-spanning peace treaty in history, and it’s funny to assume that the victors “should” or “would’ve wanted to” make it even larger. To their contemporaries, what happened here was already quite an overreach compared to anything that has come before, but of course, so was this whole war. Who knows what the future might hold.
The real-life treaties actually included a clause banning any kind of political union between Germany and Austria, which was seen as necessary, but always struck me as kind of funny and obviously didn’t work in the end. That was another reason, though (besides the meta one), that I didn’t do something like a forceful separation of France and Italy, or Novgorod and Chernigov. I would have trouble explaining why they don’t just reunite or at least ally the moment they get the chance. There are some actual good reasons that Austria-Hungary, already crippled by separatist movements, was totally dismantled into (messy) nation-states, while relatively homogeneous Germany wasn’t. Though that was suggested too.
Also conspicuously lacking is something like the League of Nations, which IRL was founded at the end of the Great War. Just didn’t feel appropriate here.
There’s still 27 years of Vic 2 left, so I wouldn't be surprised if we get another Great War in that time. The post-war effects disable most casus belli for a bit (10 years for the Latins and Russia, 5 for everyone else), but not that long. Who knows if it’ll be big and dramatic enough to be called that, though, like this was. I won’t force it to happen, but I also won’t force it to not happen.
InvisibleBison
2021-01-29, 01:13 PM
So it looks like my preliminary assessment was pretty on-point: Once they sort out the inevitable economic and political chaos the war and the peace will give rise to, both Russia and the Latin Federation are going to still be powerful nations, and they're going to want revenge. I'm fully expecting another Great War a couple decades down the road.
SilverLeaf167
2021-02-01, 12:37 PM
Chapter #71: Look Left, Look Right, Look Left Again (1908-1912)
2nd of September, 1908
The Great War is over. That bit of news is received with great celebrations across Poland and the rest of the Coalition – even more so than the fact that Poland won, though that of course is also a plus. Unlike the creaky, insecure end of the Civil War, this can really be seen as a moment that the entire nation is united in joy, though perhaps more bittersweet for those whose homes feel a lot emptier than they did just three years ago. In the Treaty Powers, too, people and governments alike take the news perhaps less happily but also with relief; on this day after the armistice is signed, their humiliating peace treaties, not to mention political and economic reckoning, are yet to come, and the main thing on everyone’s minds is that at least the war is over. They’re not going to be very enthusiastic about any more of those for a while.
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Needless to say, this also has vast implications for the Sejmic election now only a week away. No one can quite agree on what those implications are, though, especially with the ideological free-for-all that Poland has become since the previously unimaginable rise of the Polish Unity Party. On one hand, the PUP can now boast of a successful war; on the other, with the country finally at peace, some people might feel more willing to vote their conscience without needing to heed any arguments about solidarity or whatnot. All parties have been assuming that the war would keep going for a while longer, and formed their campaigns and talking points accordingly. The returning soldiers themselves are also seen as something of a political wildcard: though the Crown Army has done a commendable job working with the Sejm to make it possible for soldiers to vote on the front in this historically significant election, those circumstances were still expected to lead to a lower turnout and perhaps also affect the votes themselves, given the low level (i.e. lack) of voting secrecy in the Polish system so far. Whites and Reds ended up proving very capable of fighting side-by-side, but would they have been able to vote side-by-side, or would one or the other have stayed away from the polls?
In purely material terms, Germany and Moldavia saw a fair bit of fighting in their own territory, but Poland and Britannia got off “relatively unscathed” in that they only pumped a huge amount of resources into fighting on other people’s land for the past three years. The PUP has done its job well enough. From a cynical enough point of view, the country even achieved nearly full employment for a while, if only because everyone was called in to either make guns or shoot them. The worst economic shock Poland is likely to see is some temporary issues as it moves back to a civilian economy, military industries need to downsize, and a lot of people coming back from the front have to get back in the workplace, but most people foresee an economic boom if anything. On a side note, the already relatively high employment rate of Polish women has risen during the war – since fewer of them were sent to the front – but the social impact there is far less dramatic than in other countries where this wasn’t already the norm before. The expansion of the vote, given to all adults regardless of class, group membership or taxes paid, has also had a direct impact on women’s suffrage, as they used to be less likely to fulfill those criteria even if gender was technically not an issue.
For any of the reasons discussed here and previously, the election ends up swinging far in the National Coalition’s favor, earning them a large majority in the Sejm all on their own. To many people, this marks a reassuring return to normalcy. They “only” get 37% of the popular vote, but then again, the Populists take a historical beating as voters upset about their cooperation with the PUP defect to other parties. What this means for the PUP is that it’ll be stuck in the opposition for a while, but far from condemned to stay there forever, a situation it can live with. Party chairman Rusin is still a very influential speaker and writer in socialist circles, too, and will continue to dominate the PUP-loyal part of the electorate. His biggest problem is actually the resurgent SDP: with the PUP and the SDP quite difficult to tell apart in terms of politics, the split between them seems to be mostly about personal opinion regarding Rusin’s party leadership and some philosophical differences that non-socialists have trouble grasping. The problem, of course, is that they’re splitting the vote too. If they were just one party, they could’ve actually won the majority of districts here.
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More so than any petty drama on the left, interesting – or concerning – things are happening on the right. The relationship between extreme conservatives and the Crown that used to be taken for granted, and is still represented by the Royalist Party, has been fraying since at least the 1870s, accelerated even if not started by Crown “failures” like the Congress of Charleroi. It saw a turnabout during the Civil War when everyone right of center rallied behind the Crown, but that proved to be temporary, and things only got worse after the war came to an unsatisfying end and the Whites felt more betrayed than ever. Unhappy with either the Coalition or the Royalists, the most radical Whites have been shaping up into a movement of their own.
Unlike socialism, what will come to be known as primacism is not a grand global ideology, but an informal grouping of eerily similar movements in different countries. As implied by their name, primacists are all about putting things before other things. State before citizen, security before liberty, order before options, unity before diversity – "us" before "them". However, their rhetoric is most strongly defined by the things they hate: capitalists, socialists, democrats, communists, internationalists, pacifists, heathens, the genetically inferior and more. All these groups are marked as enemies of the state that must be either controlled or eliminated, lest they destroy it from within. Of course, the focus on protecting one's own nation means that primacism is by definition a very local phenomenon with many variants – fascism, falangism, national socialism, integralism, you name it – with a tendency to adopt whatever policies will attract the local voter, yet they share the same core attitudes and may also be willing to work with fellow primacists against mutual enemies.
Whether they support or oppose monarchy depends largely on their local situation, but some sort of absolute leader is a must. They lean towards strong religious values and always, always a strong military to safeguard the nation and subjugate its lessers. One thing must be made clear, though: despite having the trappings of a conservative or reactionary movement, primacist ideology at its core is neither of those things, but first and foremost revolutionary, stopping at nothing short of total reconstruction of the state in its own image.
Poland's own primacists similarly call for a sanacja, healing, the removal of rotten elements from the "national body". They are the culmination of White frustration, and the way they see it, treasonous Reds have been allowed to infect the Sejm and even the Crown right there in the open. Their public focus is on fighting against government corruption and communism, but they also draw some tenuous connections regarding what kinds of people those enemies might be, and their cure of choice is to dismiss parliamentarism as a failed experiment and return to the days of authoritarian rule. They look back to some imagined golden era centuries ago, or perhaps even before 1444 and the Moscow Pact. Indeed, on the fringes of the movement, they even promote a new wave of Pan-Slavic ideas of uniting all Slavs under one nation, and what they consider traditional paganism cleansed of any real or imagined Abrahamic influence.
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In the 1908 election, the Slavic Sanacja party wins some 5% of the votes and none of the seats, but that’s already more than the Royalists for instance. The movement is still new, and still finding its footing. None of the other parties, except maybe the socialists, really make much of them at this point in time, and the question of how to deal with them is not yet relevant. Many conservatives might even think it’s possible to work with them. But while not a lot of people can make the connection yet, primacist movements may well end up seeing far more success in other countries that are, say, going through great humiliation, unrest and disillusionment in their democratic government.
During the war, the National Coalition needed to do some soul-searching to find itself a passable leader. Their last Premier, Andrzej Gabris, was basically forced to flee in 1896 over differences with High Queen Wieslawa. His successor Karol Lechowicz was openly Wieslawa's personal appointee and not theirs, before being replaced by the PUP’s Mikolaj Rusin in turn. Due to the party’s indeed coalition-like nature, finding a clear ideological leader has always been difficult. In the end, they have settled on Borys Piela, a well-spoken and well-liked party elite from a businessman background. Many similar deputies (and not just voters) have defected from the Populists to the Coalition lately, but he’s a staunch conservative who’s been there since the start of his career. He’s expected to provide a strong contrast to Rusin’s socialist policies.
(Mechanically I’m unable to change Premiers right now, but just take my word for it.)
Speaking of Coalitions, since the war’s over, what will be done with the international Coalition is up in the air. While it certainly started out as more of a ragtag grouping, it did in fact become formalized in a number of ways to coordinate everyone’s militaries and economies for the war effort. The central alliance between Poland, Moldavia, Britannia and Sweden likely isn’t going anywhere for now, but Kanem-Bornu has already left, and soon after the war Germany does the same. Despite fighting together against a common enemy (and witnessing Poland’s full military might firsthand), it still holds onto its old grudges, and refuses to maintain any formal alliance with Poland as long as it still holds the North Sea and Vienna.
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Germany being Germany isn’t very surprising. What happens to the east in December 1908, though, takes everyone off guard: when the Russian royal family and government-in-exile finally make their way back to Moscow, the people don’t want them back. In their absence during the war, the local authorities – Russia is a constitutional monarchy with a robust Duma, after all – have set up a provisional government, and while it was supposed to be a temporary arrangement, after reading the mood in the capital, it’s become clear that the Lechowicz-Artamonovich king has lost popular support. After their suffering during the war, the citizens are not in the mood to watch their failure of a king return from his little vacation (in Siberia, but still). In its first peacetime assembly, the Duma almost unanimously votes to abolish the monarchy and fill the executive branch with an elected president instead. After only existing for 44 years, the United Kingdom of Russia has decided to keep the Russia but ditch the Kingdom. The royal family is forced to leave the country, and neither they nor their descendants are allowed to enter Russia again. For lack of better options – Siberia is far too isolated – they seek refuge in Paris. A bloodless and disturbingly easy revolution… with worrying implications for the Coalition as well.
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The Coalition was expecting to hem in, weaken and keep the Treaty powers preoccupied, but they would’ve actually much preferred that the Russians keep their government. All the countries in the Coalition are monarchies, even if mostly constitutional ones, and that does still hold some ideological relevance (not to mention personal, for the rulers themselves). A republican Russia, dislodged from history, seems like it could be unpredictable. Hopefully still hemmed in and weakened, though.
A more subtle revolution happens in Poland’s own sphere: the Grand Duchy of Frisia has been getting increasingly autonomous for a long time now, both by its own efforts and by what could best be described as benign neglect on Poland’s part. In the wake of the Great War, and especially Frisia’s admirable contribution to it, this has reached the point that it’s basically independent. This isn’t formalized in any papers, but at this point, it’s only cooperating with Poland on its own terms; the day that it doesn’t feel like doing so, Poland will discover that it has little ability to force it to.
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(Becoming a great power by any means automatically removes you from any vassalage and sphere of influence.)
One reason that Frisia doesn't get much attention is that Russia’s situation is actually degrading rapidly. The bloodless December Revolution seems to have failed to solve the question of how Russia should be ruled: the Constitutionalists try to cling to power, but seeing as they were the ones in charge during and before the war, their legitimacy is just about as low as the monarchy’s. The devastation done to Russian infrastructure, communications and of course the army – basically nonexistent at the moment – leaves the Duma with little way to keep track of local unrest, and the lead-up to the first presidential election only raises tensions further. The March Revolution of 1909 erupts nigh-simultaneously all across the vast country, actually consisting of all kinds of disparate militias armed with more cudgels than guns: a few communists, a few republicans, and Kazakh, Turkestani, Bolghar, Cuman, Dagestani, Georgian, Armenian, Azeri and Finnish separatists. Most notable, however, are Russia’s own primacists under General Yegor Zavoyko, one of the last commanders to keep fighting at the end of the war and now a national symbol for “Ryszarda revisionists” to rally around.
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This sudden explosion of violence is actually shocking enough that Poland requests permission from the provisionary government to move troops into Russia and help put down the unrest, but in the wake of the last Polish occupation, this genuine offer of help (or attempt to manipulate Russian politics, depending on how you see it) is swiftly denied. Seems that the Duma would rather go down with the ship than let the Poles into the country again. Poland can’t invade by force, either, without jeopardizing the peace treaties it wrote. All it can do is watch, and try to evacuate its last representatives from the country.
Zavoyko and his thugs (“The Greenshirts”, for they’re basically the only ones still in military uniform) take control of the capital and place every government official under arrest. Given the situation unfolding around the country, they’re perhaps not entirely unjustified in declaring that the democratic government can’t maintain control and the presidential election will obviously not be held. Until stability can be restored and more permanent arrangements made, Zavoyko names himself Vozhd, “Leader”, the supreme political and military head of Russia. However, that Russia is at acute risk of getting a lot smaller. His Greenshirts will fan out to enforce military law, first in the capital region, then elsewhere as soon as possible.
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His Vozrozhdeniye – “Russia Reborn” – movement never had time to participate in an election or even really form a party, making even its stated ideology a bit of a mystery. It will later be seen that it fills all the criteria of primacism, and of course, its ultimate goal is to overturn the Treaty of Ryszarda, restore Russia’s territorial unity, and expand it into a grand Pan-Slavic union. That last bit is obviously in conflict not just with Poland, but even Poland’s own Slavic Sanacja.
Right now, though, none of that is clear to Polish observers, who only know that one of Russia’s most famous generals has established an emergency government. Most of them even wish him luck in keeping Russia together, as opposed to letting it fall apart into a mess of squabbling states… or even worse, communism.
As it turns out, he succeeds. It’s a low bar at the moment, but he and his fellow officers – and their soldiers turned personal warbands – are the best organized and equipped military in Russia. Slowly but surely they are able to march into the countryside, suppress the populace with great prejudice, and violently disband the rebel governments that have already started to form. Due to the shortage of cars or even functioning railroads, they actually tend to move around on horses, most of them confiscated from the horse-raising Khazars and Kazakhs as they come across them. The Greenshirts have the broad if not enthusiastic support of the ethnically Russian parts of the population. The situation gives Zavoyko an excellent pretext to crack down on the political opposition and cultural minorities, extend the state of emergency indefinitely and not even bother to restore the Duma. And while many of his allies are probably only thinking of a bog-standard military government, to the Vozhd and his inner circle, this is a major head start towards the creation of a monocultural, monoreligious, monolithic Russian state where the other half of the population is assimilated, exploited or at best “endured” more so than tolerated.
Still, no matter how he might deny the legitimacy of Ryszarda (and refuse to pay the reparations demanded there), Zavoyko’s takeover doesn’t change the fact that Russia is physically in shambles, and will take time to rebuild. And that’s if it doesn’t get carved up by other countries after all.
https://i.postimg.cc/FzKTTzzR/20210201130704-1.jpg
(Russia doesn’t have and cannot build an army for another few years; the various other uprisings just evaporated on their own after the primacists succeeded.)
No one in Poland really makes the immediate leap to “blaming” the Treaty of Ryszarda for this, as the treaty was actually seen as pretty merciful and the Russians brought it upon themselves. The most heartless even scoff at the whole mess, calling it good riddance. But that doesn’t change the fact that its consequences are probably not positive for Poland either.
Russia isn’t the only post-war country having problems: the Kingdom of Brittany, whose populace already elected a socialist party in the country’s first independent election, faces a violent communist uprising in the fall of 1909. As Britannia is being slow to react, Poland is once again forced to request permission to move troops into the country. It takes some coaxing, but unlike Russia, Brittany is ostensibly a Polish ally, and finally agrees. The Marynarka docks in the capital Naoned (Nantes), carrying an army to help the legitimate government restore order. Arrangements are made for the troops to stay in Brittany for a while, which is of course a blow to the young country’s independence.
https://i.postimg.cc/0QntGD8F/20210201131044-1.jpg
Across the Atlantic, the Free Nations actually makes some attempts at breaking out of its isolation. Radziwill is sending out feelers for, if not quite membership in the Coalition, then at least a bilateral alliance with Britannia. Both have had conservative parties in power for a while, and they share many interests geographically speaking, but in the end, their military and “personal” differences (especially in regards to Poland) prove too great for a formal alliance to be viable. The Free Nations will remain a strictly Western Hemisphere power, only associating with Amatican and Alcadran countries for now.
https://i.postimg.cc/2yX2MYLx/20210201133036-1.jpg
On that note, though, things are happening in their backyard as well. In September 1910, Ingerland of all places falls to a primacist coup. Alcadra, generally seen as perhaps the sleepiest corner of the world, has clearly been stirred awake by its participation in the Great War, where Ingerland for instance saw a fair bit of fighting against Honduras and Santa Croce. This coup isn’t a popular movement born out of the desperation of a ruined country, though, but just an opportunistic attack by a small military elite, and it remains to be seen if it can consolidate its power; then again, there are also no countries especially likely to interfere from the outside. Making no effort to hide its takeover, the so-called Nordic People’s Party leaves the Nordic Union, changes the name of the country to Solmark (Inger being the Swedish ruling dynasty), declares it a folkstat (as opposed to a republic) and gets to work bringing all non-Nords within the country to heel.
https://i.postimg.cc/yYtLTVH1/20210201142942-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/rpSZm778/20210201142952-1.png
The success of the coup in Ingerland also inspires their colleagues in neighboring Paraland to rise up, but despite making a lot of noise for a while now, they’re ultimately rather small in number and easily put down by the Parish army, forced to retreat into the jungle. Vanaland on the other hand is dealing with an already rather long-running communist insurrection which regularly breaks out into open fighting, but the communists too are unable to overthrow the democratic government.
https://i.postimg.cc/NfMn4J24/20210201142749-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/HshhPwQC/20210201142755-1.jpg
The Latin Federation has been a cause for anxiety as well, given what happened in Russia. Its devastation during and humiliation after the war was a lot less total than Russia’s, though, and it’s also been able to maintain at least the semblance of stability – until now. February 1911 sees an attempted primacist uprising in Italy, for the Latin people are outraged and looking for alternatives to the federal government, but the Federation has just enough of an army to keep order for the time being. Still, the so-called Firenze Uprising is large enough that it’s probably too early to bury the issue just yet. The Fascist Party is gaining in popularity, and is expected to have its first chance to prove itself in the election a couple years from now.
https://i.postimg.cc/tJfNDz8S/20210201145052-1.jpg
Aotearoa doesn’t fare as well as the Federation: struck with crises of identity and economy, it’s unable to put down an openly advertised primacist march into the capital Accardo (Auckland). The marchers force the government to bend to their demands and abdicate to make way for a primacist dictatorship. Among these very different countries to fall for the allure of primacism – Russia, Solmark and Aotearoa – one common thread is starting to emerge: they are all strongly multiethnic states, post-colonial or otherwise, seeking national unity and finding it not in cooperation but in oppression, division rather than solidarity.
https://i.postimg.cc/Qd704R8p/20210201145943-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/cH098XNf/20210201145949-1.png
Then again, the Federation isn’t out of the danger zone either: soon after putting down the primacists, it faces a much larger uprising by Occitan separatists who would rather run their own independent country again than be subject to the whims of Rome. Should they succeed, the whole Federation would be cut in half like it was during the time of the Bundesrepublik.
https://i.postimg.cc/Y2yRppj6/20210201151158-1.jpg
That proves to be a double whammy: as the Latin government declares the Occitan rebellion a state of full-blown civil war and starts conscripting civilians to form emergency militias, these efforts are met with widespread protests and resistance, coming only a few years after the conscription drives of the Great War. This unrest and the army being busy elsewhere provide the Fascists with the opening they need to strike again and perform their now nearly unresisted coup in Rome. In a pattern that has become all too familiar in the last few years, and with much the same excuses that Zavoyko used in Russia, the Fascist leader Felice Fanti declares a state of emergency and himself “Dux”, with basically dictatorial powers. With the power of his own followers, the Blackshirts, the Occitan uprising is in fact defeated; but as expected, he shows no interest in stepping down, and instead gets to work consolidating the federation into a unitary Latin Empire.
https://i.postimg.cc/Fz1xj6Ck/20210201153522-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/zDdtVC2R/20210201153621-1.png
At the same time, the original primacist power finally faces its first failure at the hands of the Bolghars: for all of Zavoyko's boasting, Russia's in such a poor state that it can only scrounge together a few divisions’ worth of militias, unable to match even the small republic of Bolgharia. Zavoyko’s forces – now rebranded as the Liberation Army – put up a good fight, but by late 1911, they’re finally forced to accept the loss of a large Bolghar-majority region, right about doubling the size of the republic. Just one more wrong for Russia to avenge.
https://i.postimg.cc/pTWCdrDZ/20210201151431-1.jpg
So… how about that firm, just and durable peace…?
Newspaper Gallery (https://imgur.com/a/qtj0OHD)
Despite deciding to stick with the Federation in the referendum held after the war, Santa Croce has no interest in dealing with Felice Fanti or his dictatorship, and has unilaterally declared independence. The Dux, of course, will not recognize Santa Croce’s independence either, and has declared it another rebel province that will soon be pacified. Given the actual state of the Latin military and especially its navy, though, this war is expected to be a rather cold one.
https://i.postimg.cc/027qmXTB/20210201175652-1.jpg
The fallen Pratihara Empire has finally, well, fallen to the point that the Emperor has been overthrown by a popular rebellion and replaced with a democratic government. The rump state of Rajasthan is now a somewhat backwards but reasonably “modern” republic. Although, despite being called a rump state compared to its past as the largest land empire in world history, it still has a size and population comparable to Germany. Not the economy to match, of course. At least the Marathas and Karnata have stopped kicking it around for now.
https://i.postimg.cc/MT9Dfw58/20210201155504-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/QxH65FvY/20210201155508-1.jpg
The Uralian People’s Republic has existed for roughly 8 years now, having first toppled the government through an uprising in 1904. As an avowedly communist country, it is designed to be governed by a hierarchy of overlapping “councils” representing the workers of various villages and regions, factories and industries, and so on. However, in practice, the Uralian population is so concentrated around a few major cities and the rest of the settlements so small and far-flung that this system has ended up becoming rather centralized after all. When it works well, it allows messages and feedback to be passed both ways up and down the chain – vital for the communist model of a planned economy – but most of the time, the capital will simply tell the provinces what’s best for them.
https://i.postimg.cc/gkXDjf6f/20210201160615-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/W4PSQXzx/20210201160638-1.jpg
While very loud about its Sternist ideology and even rather dogmatic at times, the Uralian government actually hasn’t proven that authoritarian so far, allowing freedom of the press, assembly and independent trade unions to roughly the same extent as most countries in Europe, albeit with the expected level of oversight to weed out any obviously counter-revolutionary activity. The value of universal suffrage is rather undermined by the fact that the Bolshevik party is the only one allowed, though. Something of a cult of personality has also formed around the General Secretary, Gondyr Yamshanin, the leader of the original revolution. The capital Vladimir has been renamed Gondyr-Ola (Gondyr City) both to celebrate him and to “turn over a new leaf and step away from its imperialist Russian history”. Though many Russian influences still remain in place names, culture, language and so on, Uralia has been quite serious about reviving its Finno-Ugric heritage (even if that means making stuff up every now and then). This also includes deposing the previously dominant Slavic Church to make way for state atheism with hints of "Uralic cultural paganism".
Comrade Gondyr, as he is called by the nation, is so far committed to the idea of “communism in one country”, believing (probably accurately) that any aggressive action on Uralia’s part would only lead to its doom at the hands of the imperialist powers. The best way to spread communism to the workers of the world, or at least maintain it in Uralia, is to focus on building up a good example of a workers’ utopia and not pick any fights. The country still needs a decent military as a deterrent, though, especially given the zealously anti-communist government that has emerged in Moscow only 100 miles from Gondyr-Ola. Uralia has also made an alliance with its fellow communists in Manchuria, but given their geographical separation, this cooperation is mostly moral and cultural in nature.
So it looks like my preliminary assessment was pretty on-point: Once they sort out the inevitable economic and political chaos the war and the peace will give rise to, both Russia and the Latin Federation are going to still be powerful nations, and they're going to want revenge. I'm fully expecting another Great War a couple decades down the road.
Yeah, no kidding. :smalltongue: We're lucky if we get "a couple decades". If we actually get into the '30s before WW2 breaks out, I probably will in fact artificially delay it so we can do it in HoI4 instead.
Russia’s, uh, fall happened far faster than I thought. As did the spread of primacism in general. This chapter largely consists of me gawking at the chaos.
The original reason I renamed fascism to primacism (a term I made up, as far as I know) way back when I made this conversion was that there was no guarantee Italy would have anything to do with it in this timeline: it wouldn’t have made sense to name a, say, Polish movement after a Roman symbol. It was also to separate them somewhat from real-life fascism and its well-deserved baggage, especially in case Poland somehow ended up going primacist and I found myself having to roleplay them. I just personally feel more comfortable using it as an umbrella term that includes fascism and national socialism, but isn’t synonymous with either, and those two might not be identical to their real-life equivalents either.
Speaking of not the exact same, Sanacja was also the name of the actual movement that led Poland from 1926 forward. While not fascist, and I don’t want to claim it was (especially given Poland’s quite well-known invasion by Germany), it was in fact authoritarian, anti-democrat and anti-communist. Most importantly, though, its name is just a little too perfect not to borrow. Another reason to coin the term primacist is that it lets me use that sort of inspiration without having to directly call them fascist. I think. Anyway, the reference there should be taken as only name deep.
If we’re still thinking about the real-life WW1, the Treaties of Grazyna and Ryszarda should’ve taken almost another year or two to be finalized and come into effect. But that would’ve caused some weird situations in-game, so instead I made them happen immediately and just acted like they took some indefinite amount of time. That probably helped accelerate the whole primacist thing, but only by a few months, which is how long the events normally take in-game.
InvisibleBison
2021-02-01, 05:10 PM
That's kind of an odd election result. I would have expected the party that won the war to be able to benefit politically from doing so, though the election coming so soon after the end of the war might change that. And looking at the 1903 election, there's been very little shift in the ideological makeup of the country; it looks like people then and/or now are voting for parties that they ordinarily wouldn't support. Perhaps the surge of pacifism and war exhaustion has something to do with it?
The original reason I renamed fascism to primacism (a term I made up, as far as I know) way back when I made this conversion was that there was no guarantee Italy would have anything to do with it in this timeline: it wouldn’t have made sense to name a, say, Polish movement after a Roman symbol. It was also to separate them somewhat from real-life fascism and its well-deserved baggage, especially in case Poland somehow ended up going primacist and I found myself having to roleplay them. I just personally feel more comfortable using it as an umbrella term that includes fascism and national socialism, but isn’t synonymous with either, and those two might not be identical to their real-life equivalents either.
That all seems reasonable to me.
SilverLeaf167
2021-02-01, 05:31 PM
That's kind of an odd election result. I would have expected the party that won the war to be able to benefit politically from doing so, though the election coming so soon after the end of the war might change that. And looking at the 1903 election, there's been very little shift in the ideological makeup of the country; it looks like people then and/or now are voting for parties that they ordinarily wouldn't support. Perhaps the surge of pacifism and war exhaustion has something to do with it?
The short of it really is that the voters are just kinda weird. Mechanically there isn't even anything to make them like a party for performing well or winning a war, for instance. They also still seem to be prioritizing individual issues over ideology, and/or switching ideology pretty willy-nilly with little regard for class or type. The explanations given for any shifts in the electorate largely come down to what I can come up with, or how distracted I get with other things happening. First-past-the-post might be kind of a mixed blessing in this regard, since on one hand it means that small shifts in voter behavior can have a huge effect, but on the other, that effect tends to be kinda random at times.
The pacifism boost might actually have caused that small uptick in Devolutionist seats, now that you mention it, since they're the only outright pacifist party on the ticket.
EDIT: I mean, looking at it again, ideologies and party vote counts have started matching each other quite well. Who adopts what ideology is still kinda weird, though.
SilverLeaf167
2021-02-04, 07:30 PM
Chapter #72: Crash and Burn (1912-1918)
28th of August, 1912
In the less than four years since the end of the Great War, four countries – Russia, the Latin Federation, Solmark and Aotearoa – have come under new primacist leadership. Despite the outward differences between these regimes, this is a clear enough pattern to cause some anxiety anywhere in the world. Perhaps surprisingly, though, they haven’t actually been flaunting their most aggressive rhetoric towards other countries so far. Be it because they’re small and weak or because they need to recover from the Great War, they all must focus on consolidating their position within their own countries before possibly turning their attention outward. After all, it’s not like their people are very enthusiastic about anything war-related just yet. And much like was the case during the long German Civil War, many in Poland and elsewhere are thinking that at least the primacist dictatorships might be more “stable” and even possible to work with in the long run. Clearly their democratic predecessors weren’t very peaceful either, so it might not be immediately obvious whether this is really such a bad thing.
To reiterate: Yegor Zavoyko, Vozhd of Russia, was one of the last Russian generals to keep up the fight during the Great War, facing Poles and Moldavians alike as they progressed into the Caucasus. His takeover of the Russian state mere months after the war was quite straight-forward and organized, as the fall of the monarchy and the weakness of the transitional republic gave him and his military friends the perfect opening to take what was left of their armies and simply place themselves in the power vacuum. His Vozrozhdeniye movement – Russia Reborn, or simply Rebirth – is so far focusing mostly on post-war reconstruction, material and spiritual alike. The former is, of course, fair enough and also good for his image, whereas the latter comes with a side of military law, political repression and steadily emerging cultural oppression. In Zavoyko’s ideology, Russia belong to the Russians, Russians belong to Russia, and Slavs should systemically settle all of inner Eurasia. The current Russian living space is, in his view, small and cramped; what are the mostly empty southern steppes and northern woods if not wasted space and untapped potential? The various non-Slavs comprising the local population will be either subjugated, “gradually reduced to insignificance”, or maybe in some cases assimilated. However, the Vozhd isn’t really going into the specifics of his plans towards other countries, only Russia’s own territories for now, even trying to maintain some level of plausible deniability.
https://i.postimg.cc/gjf3Brwq/20210203012944-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/J0ybqjhz/20210203012948-1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/ZKd8vPgf/20210203014111-1.jpg
In contrast to Russia, the Latin Federation doesn’t really have major non-Latin or non-Christian populations, besides some Andalusians on the outlying islands. As such, Dux Felice Fanti doesn’t put as much emphasis on purity of race or religion, though insufficient devotion to Christianity is still a major talking point. He was a relatively young, zealously conservative, upper middle-class journalist from the Tuscan countryside when he got conscripted to fight in the Great War. After a severe leg injury that troubles him to this day, he spent his time in the hospital writing his polemic magnum opus Ruina (“Ruin”) about the moral decay infesting the Latin military, government and society as a whole. Basically all of the Federation’s problems were explainable by its commitment to democracy and liberalism, or “popularity politics” and “decadence” as he calls them. After the end of the war, he was one of the founding members of the Fascist Party (borrowing the Roman symbol of the fasces, an axe tied into a bundle of wooden rods), consisting of like-minded revolutionary thinkers or simply frustrated youths.
Fanti’s natural charisma and well-written speeches propelled Ruina to become a smash hit, regardless of how many people actually read it, and already within a couple years, he found himself at the top of the young movement. However, his expected path to power, or at least the first step, was still through the Senate election to be held in 1913; although the fascists did organize violent marches, his sudden rise to Dux in the spring of 1912 was simple opportunism made possible by the Occitan rebellion, but a chance he took with no hesitation. In terms of rhetoric, he is perhaps more subtle and roundabout than his Russian counterpart, and tries to present himself as more of a Julius Caesar; but his underlying ideology, presented in Ruina for all to read, is primacism at its purest. He has great vision and the zeal to make it reality, although no political or really even military experience. He’s keeping the Senate around, but basically powerless, and starting to pare back the rights of the federal states. Abroad, he actually seems to be seeking reconciliation and better relations with the Latins’ fellow Catholics… mostly Asturias and the various small countries in Southwest Europe.
https://i.postimg.cc/nV5KLSdj/20210203013043-1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/269Qh0rt/20210203014124-1.jpg
Meanwhile, Poland has been able to watch the rest of the world with a sense of, shall we say, nervous complacency, everyone making a conscious effort to point at how nice and stable and wealthy Poland is to distract from all these problems directly or indirectly caused by the Great War. Even the National Coalition and Premier Piela’s term have only slowed down, not entirely stopped, the rate of social reforms, an area in which Poland is still lagging behind the rest of Europe but at least catching up. There has been the occasional labor conflict as the Coalition has either taken a more hands-off approach than the PUP or sided with the employers, but after the Civil War, at least the military knows better than to get involved. Despite having no need to compromise with the opposition per se, the Coalition feels that the best way to keep the masses on its side and not drive them back into the arms of the socialists is to pass the occasional piece of popularly demanded legislation, such as increased state pensions, minimum wages, and especially pollution controls. Funnily enough, environmental issues are actually hugely personal for religious circles in many pagan countries. After all, the Slavic Church speaks of gods and spirits everywhere in nature, and no one wants to see the trees in their sacred grove turn yellow.
https://i.postimg.cc/9fWZk6fS/20210203132051-1.jpg
1913 is an election year for Poland as well, and by all accounts it’s expected to be a peaceful one. The Slavic Sanacja party has failed to grow, while the left wing is indeed reorienting itself: the PUP is definitely falling out of favor and giving way to the SDP. Mikolaj Rusin’s awkward, noncommittal attitude towards both the Civil War and communist dictatorships abroad is coming under greater scrutiny, and his old message of “reform under threat of revolution” seems hopelessly outdated if not outright offensive in the current atmosphere. This decline is only accelerated by well-timed scandals, even if a bit hazy in their veracity, regarding the sources and uses of the party's funding. Those actually interested in peaceful parliamentary work are seeing the writing on the wall and switching over to the SDP, which is welcoming them with open arms. It seems that in response to the chaos in other countries, Polish politics are becoming less polarized on left and right alike, and moving towards the center.
https://i.postimg.cc/k5fKPT65/20210203135131-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/LXWPnhVK/20210203141506-1.jpg
As a sign of that, Poland actually gets its first true two-party Sejm in a while. Having had a rather successful term, the National Coalition only grows its majority further, while the SDP becomes the sole opposition party. The PUP, the Populists and various other hangers-on fall off the map entirely. Of course, it might once again be premature to draw any strong conclusions from this, seeing as the Coalition and SDP’s support on the ground is closer to 35% and 27% respectively; but to many, this two-party set-up feels nice and simple, especially as both parties are seen as comparatively moderate. The Polish voting system has its quirks, but there isn’t actually a lot of support for a switch to a more “proportional” model among any but the smallest parties. The general perception is that it would just distract the Sejm and grant a voice to the worst disrupters without really adding anything of value.
https://i.postimg.cc/yxSZ9BfJ/20210203142319-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/V5QbWTTK/20210203141637-1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/PJ4P1xW5/sejm_1913.png
After such a strong showing, Premier Piela is obviously allowed to keep his seat for a second term. As a strongly traditionalist businessman, he has been able to strike a good balance between the socially conservative and economically liberal wings of his party.
https://i.postimg.cc/T2ZksPv4/20210203143305-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/wTLWYd6T/20210203143305-2.jpg
The Coalition does have certain problems, though: the treasury has been running a large deficit for a while now, having greatly increased social spending and maintained industrial subsidies while still trying to keep taxes as low as possible. Poland’s strong economy has been able to handle it until now, but one of the first things the party is forced to do in its new term is hike up taxes and tariffs, as quietly as possible, before that buffer starts running dangerously low.
All in all, the post-war economy that has emerged in Poland has been very strongly defined by Coalition policies: mostly free enterprise, but with limited government intervention and oversight in the name of stability and common welfare. The overall goal is to prevent wild speculation and short-sightedness from becoming too detached from the real physical economy with potentially disastrous effects. The opposition claims, though, that the Coalition isn't in practice committed enough to these otherwise fine ideals.
https://i.postimg.cc/zGk03Sbs/20210203145931-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/pV9GkF4j/20210203144412-1.jpg
The rest of the world remains in flux: after already being dismissed as small and marginal, the Paraland branch of the Nordic People’s Party manages to overthrow the government in Belsby (Belém) after all, seemingly with active support from the Solmark regime. Paraland also leaves the Nordic Union and starts working towards closer cooperation with its primacist neighbor instead. The remaining Union members to the north and south, and obviously in Sweden, are growing increasingly panicked and reportedly even considering military intervention, but that fails to manifest. Every primacist victory is also a morale (or even funding) boost for similar groups in their own countries.
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In November 1914, Britannia throws its own spanner in the post-war order: the Treaty of Macau may have “settled” the border dispute between Britannia and Japan, but Japan isn’t the only country in China. Britannia has decided to turn its eyes south towards the Shan Empire, which just so happens to be allied to Japan. Japan proclaims that it will not tolerate this, but Britannia forges on anyway, and soon they are indeed at war. Poland reluctantly accepts Britannia’s call to arms: while still quite reluctant to start any major wars, this should be a purely colonial one, with no need for general mobilization or anything like that.
https://i.postimg.cc/GmRXcS2P/20210203150546-1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/xdx53fPg/20210203151020-1.jpg
Rather than face the Japanese head-on, the Poles decide to invade the Shan from the south and go for a target they themselves have been considering ever since the last war: the expansion of Ligori Siam.
https://i.postimg.cc/zDR7T1HS/20210203151321-1.jpg
However, while the Poles make good progress, the Chinese front is – as might have been expected – a total disaster. The Japanese sweep all over British China with little difficulty, even invading Polish Macau this time. As soon as it becomes clear that this whole war was a terrible idea (was there ever any doubt?) the Brits and Poles start seeking out an armistice, but at first, the Japanese seem unwilling to grant one. They want something as reparations for this unprovoked aggression.
https://i.postimg.cc/wT8VVbhK/20210203152044-1.jpg
It takes a while, but in August 1915, the war is finally settled with an uneasy return to status quo. Still, this little venture has served to demonstrate that the peace in the region is not likely to be very lasting.
https://i.postimg.cc/XYxknjt3/20210203153328-1.jpg
Albeit relatively limited and brief, this military adventure’s effect on the economy is less than desirable after all. The upward curve of the post-war boom was about to bend anyway, and the disruption of trade in Asia is the last straw that it takes to put investors on the back foot. The Polish economy doesn’t outright crash, but is definitely headed into a rougher period again.
https://i.postimg.cc/fL1v18p9/20210203152242-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/0QzftTWv/20210203152243-1.jpg
The war also serves as a reminder that, if anyone was still living under that illusion, the Great War didn’t solve all the problems in the world and Poland will not be at peace forever. The Crown Army has learned from some of its mistakes in that gruesome conflict, though, and is hard at work exploring solutions to avoid them in the future: namely new methods of mobility, breakthrough and reconnaissance to avoid getting bogged down for years at a time. Of course, the power of horses and men being limited, these solutions are increasingly sought in new technology instead. Fast, winged aircraft – “airplanes” – are only now starting to emerge as a viable form of transportation, opening up a whole new dimension of movement, and while their civilian uses are of course many, the Crown Army is sponsoring their further development specifically to explore their military potential. On land, automobiles have been evolving even more rapidly, and the boldest are thinking of ways to stick some armor and guns on them to use them as a new form of cavalry, bunkers on wheels, or perhaps even “landships”.
All of these are still only in the planning phases, though, and there is neither an acute need, finalized designs, nor the means to produce any of them.
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(I literally can’t make tank or airplane units because no one in the world is producing tanks or planes yet, and thanks to Interventionism I can’t build said factories either.)
This latest peace in Asia doesn’t last long, either, as Japan refuses to let a good mobilization go to waste and ends up invading the People’s Republic of Manchuria. Their partition of Korea, arranged in good spirits in the times when Manchuria was not yet communist, has proven less tenable now that it is. The Chinese Chaos really seems to be just the natural state of things at this point.
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On 16 November 1916, two big things happen on the same day: first off, Russia has finally begun serious efforts to rebuild its military might, and as a show of this, now declares war on Bolgharia. The supposed goal is to retake the lands annexed by the Bolghars in their surprise invasion some years ago. Seeing as Bolgharia was the original aggressor, it’s hard to blame Russia too much, but there are hints that it might not stop at merely reclaiming what it lost.
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However, the much more shocking thing hogging the front pages… is the death of High Queen Wieslawa. She has been even more secluded from public life ever since the Great War ended and she stopped sending her regular messages to the nation; and as she is already 81 years old, her passing is of course a long time coming. Still, it never fails to surprise when it actually happens. At least her courtiers report that she slept away peacefully during the night, and does not seem to have suffered.
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Wieslawa’s long reign of 55 years leaves behind a colorful legacy, but it is tragic that one of the more prominent things to bear her name is the Wieslawan Restoration of 1896, basically an attempt to restore royal authority that started the White Terror and was a direct cause behind the Civil War. Wieslawa took the throne with the stated goal of “nailing down” the power of the Polish crown, a goal that she fought tooth and nail to reach even while the spirit of the times turned decisively against her. While an active and competent leader in her younger days, most of the lasting, positive reforms of her reign were done despite her, with or without her grudging acceptance. Fading away from public view for the past ten years was perhaps the best thing she could do to try and salvage her legacy, since it allows more people to view her as simply “the High Queen”, without her personal baggage, and cry genuine tears over her death. Still, even if people on all sides have done their best – with surprising success – to reconcile the nation after the Civil War, her role in it is far from forgotten, and there are many who privately bid her good riddance.
Of course, she still receives a massive and grandiose royal funeral in Krakow, which also becomes the first such event to be captured as a cutting-edge moving picture and distributed across the nation for all to witness. Already during the funeral, though, people are wondering what comes next. While she of course had long since cloaked her chosen successor, and his identity isn’t any kind of secret, he hasn’t been much more visible in the past ten years than she was, and the nation has many questions.
High King Lechoslaw IV Lechowicz, crowned a week later with all the usual proceedings, is 34 years old. He has spent most of his adult life at court, performing some ceremonial tasks and meeting with the occasional foreign dignitary, but not really in any meaningful capacity. At first glance, he ticks all the boxes of a pampered aristocrat, not especially driven or ambitious, even if a decent enough speaker and all that. The future will show whether he can shake off that perception. In many ways, though, he could be symbolic of this new era: despite Wieslawa’s best efforts, Poland’s monarchy has become parliamentary in all but name, and near the end, she basically handed over even her rubber stamp for others to wield in her place. Perhaps it would be fitting for the new High King to formalize his role as a ceremonial even if still respected father of the people, as has long been the case in most of Poland’s allied countries such as Moldavia, Sweden and Britannia.
However, both the Crown and the National Coalition dismiss such suggestions out of hand. There will be no change to the legislation surrounding royal power at this juncture.
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This quickly becomes a highly divisive and defining issue in Polish politics, or has in fact been brewing for a while. Whether or not the monarch personally decides to wield that power, Poland can not be considered a truly democratic country (who said it should be?) as long as the Sejm can be overruled at will, the Crown Army explicitly serves the Crown and not the people – yet can still conscript citizens by force – and there is the overall concept that everyone in Poland lives at the High King’s mercy. The left wants a formal constitution and real division of power; the moderate right wants to keep the status quo, maybe with some polishing; the Sanacja, obviously, has its own ideas entirely.
Primacism claims yet another victim: in August 1917, a military strongman seizes power in the tiny kingdom of Vietnam, most of which is actually controlled by either Asturias or Britannia. As the old royal government has long floundered and failed to do anything about the foreign conquerors, or even cooperated with them, the coup-makers have a pretty solid argument to make that a change of leadership is needed. Well, not that they can actually do anything to make their tiny country a match for the great powers.
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The competition for influence is unusually intense in Europe as well, though. Bavaria and Lotharingia, both highly strategic allies in Central Europe, are being pulled in several directions by the Germans and Latins alike. After long being taken for granted, they are being drawn out of Poland’s orbit by a generous mix of gifts and pressure. Poland, of course, answers in kind and tries to remind its allies of who they’re dealing with on the other side, but that proves surprisingly difficult. Indeed, Bavaria might even have some genuine support for reunification with Germany, as they’ve moved a lot closer together politically speaking and most of the reasons they broke free in the first place have been rendered moot, or at least insignificant compared to the potential upsides of joining.
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These country-sized bidding contests in the heart of Europe, with the great powers competing to see who can throw the most promises, privileges and investments at the same few countries – channeled mostly through the private stock market – probably don’t cause the events of 1918, but they certainly don’t help either. Having received a windfall of colonies in the Treaty of Grazyna, the British government has ended up badly overhyping them and attracting tons of unsuspecting investors (private citizens and corporations alike) who all expected their money to multiply within a few years at most. This “colony bubble” soon expanded to affect every part of the British economy, considering how they were all either dependent on or also eager to benefit from the colonies. And, because of how intertwined the free stock markets of the west have become – especially in this decade since the Great War – the direct and indirect effects of the bubble haven’t been just limited to Britannia, but also touched every country doing trade with it, not to mention entirely new bubbles being created in other countries as well.
When the colony bubble finally bursts in March 1918, it having become apparent that those profits aren’t going to manifest – at least in the amounts expected – it’s like an earthquake has hit the Atlantic, and a great tsunami starts rolling all over the world. The chain reaction of stock prices collapsing across the board sees a large chunk of the entire world’s so-called wealth disappear into thin air, and even if Poland has been “relatively” careful in this regard, neither the treasury nor the savings of its citizens are spared. As people rush to the banks and stock markets to take out their money while they still can, those banks and markets more or less fall apart, and many of those people are left empty-handed as the institutions don’t actually have enough money to pay back everyone at the same time.
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As the other likely option would be mass unemployment and riots, the Polish government has no choice but to keep throwing money at companies that suddenly find themselves insolvent, many of them really built on foundations of sand from the start. However, that money can only come from a combination of a.) more loans from sources that both sides know are actually broke, b.) sales of state property at a time when prices are extremely low and c.) higher taxes on the very wages those subsidies are supposed to go towards. And on top of that, the Coalition with its “right to work” policies has been directing its social reforms at workplace regulations, minimum wages, pensions for the elderly and so on, rather than literally any kind of safety net for the unemployed. Then again, even if that safety net did exist, it would also have to be funded from the state budget. Every aspect of this crisis is a vicious cycle.
Of course, not literally every part of the economy collapses, nor is the collapse quite as complete as it might sound, but it is by far the worst on record. Considering how wide and deep these problems go, their effects are expected to be felt for a while, too. Better yet, it’s not hard or entirely inaccurate to present the whole thing as the result of capitalist and colonialist profiteering, and the SDP wastes no time jumping on that particular bandwagon. 1918 happens to be another election year, and though the idea of a full “planned economy” is both beyond the SDP’s ambitions and probably still unpopular, it blames the Coalition for blindly propping up moneymaking enterprises through a combination of subsidies and low taxes without enough state controls and supervision to go with them. As experience has already shown, workers who now find themselves either unemployed or working more for less prove very receptive to socialist campaigns.
The SDP urges people to show their displeasure at the polls and not on the streets, but that means surviving for almost half a year until said election. Despite Lechoslaw IV’s urging (a nice little PR boost), for the aforementioned budgetary reasons, the Coalition has trouble agreeing on any kind of unemployment fund. The fact that it’s somehow still finding the money to throw at industrial subsidies gives the opposition a lot to talk about.
Perhaps the only countries that don’t feel the shockwaves from London are those sufficiently primitive, secluded or communist to not be so closely tied to the international stock market. For those that do, one of the methods available to “deal” with the lack of funds is to simply create more money; a blatantly unwise move with immediately predictable results, yet still tempting to a desperate enough government, be it autocratic or democratic. While this can take care of budget deficits and debts for a short while, those deficits soon come back again, and if the country doesn’t change course, it’ll just keep pumping more and more cash into its own economy until hyperinflation strikes and money becomes less valuable than the paper it’s printed on. Communist and primacist countries can feel vindicated in their anti-capitalist agenda, but especially Russia and the Latins are still highly dependent on international markets (and financial trickery) to fund their recovery, and really can’t afford this kind of disruption.
Poland also ill needs a distraction, but has to deal with some anyway. The only major foreign policy project it’s been engaged in lately is the creation of a “bulwark” east of Russia, to discourage Zavoyko from doing anything reckless in that direction. The so-called Altay Pact is a rather simple guarantee that Poland will defend the Uyghurs, Mongols and Siberians in case of war, in addition to more general support and cooperation in peacetime. Geography would make it challenging for Poland to deal with an attack from the direction of China, but in the case of Russia – the real target here – this deterrent should prove rather effective.
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Russia may be busy elsewhere, but Mongolia apparently also has enemies within. Despite seeking closer connections with Siberia and Uyghuristan – the other options being hostile Russia, unstable China and communist Manchuria – it’s still highly reliant on Russian trade along the Trans-Tartarian Railway, and highly susceptible to the slightest disruption. Relatively poor Mongolia finds itself without anyone to buy its raw resources, which provides the impetus for its homegrown (but likely Manchu-sponsored) communists to stage a country-wide uprising that the Mongolian army might find itself unable to handle.
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The further spread of communism in Asia is something Poland wants to avoid, and Mongolia calls for aid, but the thing is, as mentioned, Poland doesn’t exactly have a lot of ways to move troops over there. It takes several months for the East Indian armies to negotiate passage through China, understandably distrustful of any European incursions, and while they eventually get through, this gives the insurgents plenty of time to entrench themselves in the western, mountainous parts of the country. In the end, the problem is “solved” and the rebels defeated, but this demonstrates, if nothing else, how much work it takes to maintain Poland’s global influence.
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As feared or expected, the Coalition’s popularity does indeed nosedive given its lackluster handling of the financial crisis, while the SDP’s grows in similar measure. It actually seems like all the other parties’ popularity remains rather stable, but those parts of the working class who previously voted for the Coalition feel themselves betrayed and turn directly to the main opposition party.
The resulting boost for the SDP, though, is actually even larger than anyone dared predict, its popularity among the working class – the largest class – propelling it to win almost every district with pretty strong margins. The Populists do make their own return to the Sejm, but only due to the Coalition’s weakness and not any strength of their own, and not in any significant numbers. In a historically sharp reversal, the SDP finds itself with an even larger majority than the Coalition did in its previous term. For the Coalition, the humiliation of losing 70% of the Sejm in one fell swoop is similarly massive.
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Now the SDP just needs to prove that it deserves this trust placed upon it. One of the very first and most urgent things the new Sejm does is lay the groundwork for the much-demanded unemployment fund, cutting military spending somewhat to make space for it. In many ways, though, the SDP needs to show how it differs not just from the Coalition, but also the PUP. After all, it’s often hard to describe the SDP as anything but a more moderate PUP, which – while the PUP was also forced to “play nice” during its reign – isn’t the most appealing to some. Secularism instead of outright atheism, supervision instead of micromanagement, material welfare over grand ideology, more conventional anti-war views instead of “safeguarding the revolution”. Very tangible differences, on paper, but still in need of a bit more demonstration.
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Luckily, the dynamic head of the SDP and the new Premier – Bartlomiej “Bart” Stawicki – seems like he should be more than a match for old Mikolaj Rusin in terms of presence. The cult of personality that has started to form around him in the past couple years, even more so the last few months, has been derisively compared to those of Felice Fanti or Gondyr Yamshanin, but that insult is also a back-handed compliment (and of course, they aren’t actually much alike in terms of policy). The voters apparently see in him some sort of saving deity. May he – and Poland – have a peaceful and successful term ahead of them, despite everything happening in finances and world politics alike. For what it’s worth, he immediately starts building a warm public relationship with Lechoslaw IV to put at ease anyone who might think him another Red… but he hasn’t yet dropped the SDP’s insistence on that new constitution.
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Newspaper Gallery (https://imgur.com/a/4XEKrtR)
The situation in China has, at long last, started to “stabilize” into a number of larger powers, at least enough that people are finding it worthwhile to actually pay attention.
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With all the other claimants to the title having vanished off the map, the state formerly known as Yan is more and more often called the Chinese Empire – in contrast to all the non-empire Chinas and non-Chinese empires, that is. The Empire, which only controls a relatively small chunk of the region, is a constitutional monarchy more similar to the European than the Japanese model, with the Emperor serving in a still significant but severely restricted role while most of the actual work is done by the National Assembly and its powerful Premier. The country and especially the current liberal government have been investing heavily into infrastructure and industry, seeing them as the key to modernization and international recognition, but with relatively slim progress so far. It’s also apparently rather unstable, struck with rebellious Mongols, communists and even some sort of primacist movement within its borders.
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The resurgence of the Empire has put Manchuria in an awkward spot, with its inland provinces isolated from the rest and none of the countries in between wanting to cooperate. This just means a lot more smuggling and subversive activity between the two halves, though. These inland provinces have also been given increased autonomy and even formed the so-called People’s Republic of China in the process, contesting the Empire’s claim to the name. Despite the relative stability of the region, compared to its much, much worse periods that is, the Manchu-PRC union has still had two separate and inconclusive wars against the Chinese Empire and the Shan Empire within just the past ten years, in addition to the recent one against Japan (which it lost). Very much like Uralia, the People’s Republic of Manchuria was created by an uprising in 1904, but as opposed to a popular movement, it is seen by history (in other countries, at least) as just another bunch of warlords, which China has had no shortage of. The party leader Kang Xinyue is an avowed Zhaoist, but much like his neighbors in the Empire, a great believer in industrialization as the pathway to prosperity.
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Right next door is Tibet, the “original” communist country (not counting the Zhenhua People’s Republic, which never really got off the ground). Comparatively small and not exactly well-placed in terms of building a modern economy, it’s at least managed to keep itself together, but the general perception abroad is that it’s also the most authoritarian of the bunch and the People’s Commissars just the new priestly caste, there to preach (or enforce at gunpoint) the word of Zhao. Zhao Qiang himself, the so-called first communist revolutionary, inventor of “communism on the Chinese model” and the founder of the country, is long dead, and the country has seen a far more rapid succession of leaders after him. Tibet is actually somewhat diplomatically isolated from the rest of the communist sphere, partly because the People’s Republic of China refused to accept Zhao as its leader and his heirs still carry this grudge.
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One more country even smaller than Tibet joined the communist ranks just recently: Honduras. With only some 740,000 people living in a relatively small area, the so-called council model seen in the Uralian government might prove a bit more workable over here. The Honduran government is actually the most liberal and idealistic one, even taking on some supposedly anarchist ideals, but that may well be just because it’s still rather new and untried. Many of its neighbors have even shown willingness to work with it, which is good, because Honduras as a recently freed colony is basically an overgrown sugar and coffee plantation – not exactly self-sufficient. The primacist government in Solmark is cause for concern, though.
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Speaking of primacists: after an embarrassingly long two years, Russia having clearly overestimated its readiness and rushed things a bit, the Russian-Bolghar war finally seems close to ending in a Russian victory. To many people worried about Zavoyko’s revanchism, this fumbling mess is actually quite a relief to witness. The Uralians appear to be bothered by any conflict in their neighborhood, though.
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Hit with a budget crunch following the London crash – and the burst of its very own colony bubble – the Asturian constitutional monarchy recently granted Esperanza’s requests for self-government, which the Cortes had resisted until now. A semi-independent “white” country in southernmost Africa is something of an oddity in more ways than one. It’s also highly unindustrialized and reliant on cheap manual labor for raw resource production rather than manufacturing, still very much a slaver colony in spirit. People, including some in the Cortes, have their doubts whether the Ciudad de Esperanza (Cape Town) government will use its new autonomy to improve or in fact worsen the lives of its native population; the Nordic Union provides plenty of examples of the latter.
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I wanted to add some detail to the main primacist leaders, since they might well be future antagonists and their ideologies are highly leader-centric anyway, but because their takeovers happened quite early, there’s a good chance they might die well before HoI4. I have it so that I get notifications for any “death of leader” events, though, so I’ll know whether or not that happens. If not, well, they’ll just be kinda old, but not implausibly so.
Yan was able to form the Chinese Empire through a decision when no more independent Chinese states existed (neither Manchuria nor Tibet counts). The main effect there is that all the Chinese cores across, well, China are now theirs. Having a lot of unowned cores leads to a rise in primacism, though…
InvisibleBison
2021-02-04, 09:07 PM
In the early 20th century, Poland is arguably at the most powerful it's ever been. Its internal troubles have been if not resolved at least made manageable, its foreign enemies have been smashed flat. And yet - it finds itself lurching from problem to problem, unable to resolve them all. It cannot halt the rise of primacism, it cannot preserve the economy or balance its budget, it cannot defeat its enemies and can barely keep its allies from being defeated. So if this is the height of power, is power even a thing? Or is the world simply grown too large for any one nation, even the mightiest of the mighty, to be able to control it?
IthilanorStPete
2021-02-05, 12:09 AM
Great to see that this is back! I need to refresh my memory, probably will reread all of Victoria II (if not the whole thing), then I'll have more comments.
SilverLeaf167
2021-02-05, 04:20 AM
Great to see that this is back! I need to refresh my memory, probably will reread all of Victoria II (if not the whole thing), then I'll have more comments.
Can recommend! I also needed to reread the Vic 2 portion before I got back to this.
SilverLeaf167
2021-02-21, 08:21 AM
Chapter #73: Constitution Score (1918-1922)
5th of October, 1918
The Social Democratic Party has been left with, or rather, taken upon itself the unenviable task of dealing with what will come to be known as the Great Depression. Its leader Premier Bart Stawicki seems to have managed to strike an alliance with High King Lechoslaw IV, who hasn’t really made a strong impression on his subjects yet. Now Lechoslaw is clearly starting to make a conscious effort to appear in public, perform every ceremony he can, and make inoffensive but broadly leader-like statements. Rather than openly favor any one party, though, his frequent speeches to the Sejm are focused on individual issues, such as traditional values, aid for the poor and austerity in matters that don’t directly help the people. He commends the Sejm for its action in some fields and lightly nudges it forward in others. He doesn’t personally write for the papers like Wieslawa did, but they write plenty about him. If people want him to be a “cultural” leader and symbol of the nation, he seems interested in doing that job as well as he can. It might also be that he just doesn’t want to let the hugely popular Stawicki steal all his thunder.
In the past ten years, communism and primacism alike have mostly been successful in full republics as opposed to constitutional monarchies. The most striking example is Russia, which collapsed into total anarchy within mere months of the United Kingdom being abolished and thus let the primacists take over. Whether this correlation actually hides a causation or not, monarchists sure like to think so. An independent monarch, even if mostly sidelined in regular times, is a unifying figurehead, reminder of long-standing tradition, and last bastion against radicalism. In comparison, the legitimacy of any elected politician is temporary at best and can basically be retracted at will, especially as long as these institutions themselves are still young. Thus, even if “democracy” is increasingly accepted as a good thing, it needs to be tempered by the presence of a “permanent” ruler who can step in if necessary. And again, it’s not unusual to think that a competent (?) dictator in countries like Russia or the Federation might actually be preferable to an incompetent republic, or that their popularity (?) is actually a sign of people’s natural desire for a strong leader.
As has been discussed, however, the Kingdom of Poland is unusual among the so-called constitutional monarchies, being only “semi-parliamentarian” and having neither a formal constitution nor any legal checks on Crown power. Even though High Queen Wieslawa somewhat stained the Crown’s image during her own reign, opinions are split on whether or how this should be changed. And even though the new ruling party is in favor of constitutional reform, it obviously can’t do anything about it without Crown consent: that would basically be a heavy-handed ultimatum and dismissal of the Crown’s legal authority, a very high threshold (and literal treason) that no one is interested in crossing as long as the issue remains non-urgent.
It’s common knowledge, or at least strongly assumed, that Premier Stawicki is bringing up the question in his meetings with the High King, but there has been no visible movement so far. He probably doesn’t want to rock the boat by pressing the issue too much, either.
Though most people are probably far too traumatized from the Civil War and too content with the present state of things to do anything radical, both the Depression and to a lesser extent the constitutional question have indeed raised tensions in Polish society. In a haunting echo of two decades ago, liberals and communists alike are trying to build support for more radical movements that could well turn violent in one way or another. On paper, though, the current government should prove a lot easier to work with than the one that was in power “back then”. The Slavic Sanacja also seems to be organizing, partly in response to these left-wing movements, but it’s small enough that any attempted action on its part would probably be suicide for the whole party, and the threat isn’t really taken seriously.
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Demand for reform is definitely mounting among the populace as a whole. The Premier should have some pretty good ammunition to convince the High King with, should he decide to use it.
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(Non-Secret Ballots here is a stand-in for overall stronger democratic control, and adopting it turns you into a Constitutional Monarchy.)
As this left-wing fervor goes to show, though, the matter isn’t as “bureaucratic” or “a meaningless formality” as many conservatives like to put it. Whatever its actual content, the mere existence of a constitution is still immensely meaningful from an ideological point of view, for all sides. While there definitely are a lot of centrists or moderates who really don’t have strong feelings on the matter, it can hardly be settled before the people who do have strong feelings can reach a compromise.
Further complicating the matter is the fact that the ones most energized by this debate – the hardcore communists – are the same people who think that even a constitution would just be slapping a bandage on a gangrenous limb that needs to be amputated altogether. As the months roll by, it increasingly seems that this threat on the very extreme left will be the thing that forces the SDP and the Crown to do something before it can recruit too many people into its ranks.
By the spring of 1919, as the Depression approaches the first anniversary of the London stock market crash, its effects on daily life – unemployment, evictions, crime, largely improvised breadlines, suicides – have long since become a dreadful part of daily life… and now, as the snows melt and people are more willing to take to the streets, so do the riots. The liberal and right-wing rebel movements have remained rather marginal, but support for the communists – who have rebranded themselves as the “United Workers of the World” and started bringing entire labor unions into the fold – is growing faster than ever. This is manifesting as all sorts of direct action: large strikes, sabotage, blocked roads and railroads. The ostensible goal is to force those companies to bend to their demands, but the notoriously anti-communist secret police Dwójka, greatly curtailed since the peak of its power during the White Terror, seems certain that the UWW’s actual aim is to sow chaos across Polish society as a whole. All this occurs despite open support for “communism” as a political stance actually being historically low, but that just goes to show how wily the Reds really are. And due to the legacy of the Civil War, the Crown Army and the Gendarmerie are also quite toothless in putting down these so-called rebels, beyond making sure that no public buildings or officials are targeted.
By July, the UWW (on paper a totally legal union) has several million registered members, and the official estimate is that a few hundred thousand of them could be not only willing but prepared to join more direct revolutionary action, should the leadership call for it. The SDP does in fact try to appease them by passing new regulations, which fits the party’s own agenda just fine, but the deeper issues remain unsolved. Constitutional reform arguably has little to do with any of this in practice, yet it has somehow become the proxy battleground for tensions enflamed by the Depression. Whether or not this is on purpose, the SDP isn’t helping things with its occasional insinuations that the Crown is somehow constraining its more important reforms.
Poland has its hands full trying to keep stable, especially important as other countries have seen a variety of revolutions recently. In August 1919, though, the most notorious of said revolutions faces a humiliating setback: almost three years after Yegor Zavoyko’s Russia started its much-vaunted rematch against little Bolgharia, the war has in fact become an indecisive slog. The Bolghars, who had prepared for the Russians to counterattack like this eventually, have turned to mobile guerrilla warfare in the northern woods and southern steppes alike, and despite ostensibly occupying most of the country, Russia has proven unable to beat the nomads into submission or reintegrate the contested territories, where the local population is clearly siding with Bolgharia. Russia’s own army is pathetic for a country its size, and even fewer of its units are actually in fighting condition or competently led. The Depression has only made an already bad situation worse, as Zavoyko’s economic recovery was always built on loans, hopes and empty promises that became completely unsustainable as the global stock market crashed. Now Zavoyko – and yes, he really does make these decisions pretty much alone – is finally forced to accept his failure and retreat from Bolgharia altogether.
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No actual peace treaty is signed, though, only a shaky armistice, and occasional clashes and tense standoffs continue near the border. In this situation, the staunch nationalist Zavoyko does the unthinkable: he turns to the international community. As ironic as the whole thing is given Russia’s own history, it is true that Bolgharia is the one that invaded Russia in 1909 and annexed a region almost the same size as Bolgharia itself at the time, referred to here as the Samara Territory. Besides, Zavoyko says, any past aggressions or so-called crimes were committed by the United Kingdom, not his “reborn” Russia – thus this matter should be considered on its own merits, where it’s quite clear-cut that Bolgharia has the responsibility to return the land it took. Actually, if you really think about it, what right does Bolgharia even have to exist? It was arbitrarily carved out of Uralia by the German Bundesrepublik in the name of self-determination. That’s around where Zavoyko realizes he’s pushing it, though, and scales back to focus on the real issue.
In reality, of course, it’s more nuanced than that: the 1909 invasion occurred in the aftermath of region-wide uprisings of people wanting to join Bolgharia, the population is almost entirely Bolghar, and Zavoyko’s government was actively persecuting them at the time – still is, actually. Some outside observers propose a referendum to let the Samarans themselves decide which country they want to join, but all sides already know that the outcome would be hugely in favor of Bolgharia. Thus the Russians refuse to even consider the idea.
Ideology, personal opinion and realpolitik all make the question of whom to support hugely complicated. Poland, for instance, doesn’t want to lean too hard into the whole idea of referendums and self-determination – which could have a less than desirable effect on its own territories – but also can’t bring itself to support Russia in this debate, despite the fact that a growing contingency of people actually have sympathy for Russia’s plight and especially its treatment in the Treaty of Ryszarda. Thus the Polish position is to just skip the referendum, force the two to sign a proper peace treaty and let Bolgharia keep Samara.
Over the course of a couple months, the matter somehow threatens to balloon into another major incident as different nations step forward in support of either side. Felice Fanti’s Latin Empire shows no interest in the whole thing, apparently not too eager to legitimize the concept of territorial disputes being settled by outside intervention, but Germany (always the odd one out) and, more shockingly, Frisia, still thought to be in the Polish sphere, actually support Russia.
https://i.postimg.cc/6qhkxDqY/20210220144234-1.jpg
However, once it becomes clear that this isn’t going to be settled at the negotiating table, no one has any interest in escalating the matter further – not even Russia, which, it bears emphasizing, just lost against Bolgharia (twice). International interest vanishes as quickly as it came, and the border is left right where it is. Zavoyko still refuses to sign an official peace, though, and all this farce really achieved was to humiliate himself and Russia in the eyes of the world. And if he himself was starting to show some interest in rapprochement with the west, those hopes might well have been dashed.
https://i.postimg.cc/rwYLmXJH/20210220144504-1.jpg
Britannia doesn’t even participate in the whole debacle, being too busy with internal problems: the Irish have been unhappy with the concessions they were given at the formation of the Triple Monarchy, where they were saddled with another Scottish king instead of their own proper republic, and autonomy instead of independence. The citizens have been up in arms for a few years now, and the situation has only gotten worse as the Great Depression – which originated in and hit Britannia harder than anywhere else in the world – led to the loss of financial support from the capital, the Monarchy’s one saving grace in the eyes of many. As demands for reform grow louder and louder and London doesn’t have another penny to spare, a new marginally better compromise is finally reached in November 1919: while the King of Ireland will officially keep his position, the Irish regional parliament (which actively detests him) will be given ever greater autonomy to basically run Ireland as an independent republic with ever more tenuous ties to the rest of Britannia. It is a bizarre system, but hardly more bizarre than the Triple Monarchy itself. As part of this compromise, though, the Irish are forced to swallow a bitter pill of their own: for Irish autonomy to be possible, the rights of the Scottish and Yorkish settlers in Northern Ireland must be ensured, and thus Britannia must maintain more direct control of that part of the island. There’s no hiding the fact this also gives the Monarchy a base to “maintain order” in Ireland, should it try to rebel or otherwise slip out of British control.
https://i.postimg.cc/wMzCP6q1/20210220144526-1.jpg
On most maps, there is no official change in borders, but on the ground, Ireland is basically a state within the state. And as usual, neither side really sees this as a permanent solution.
https://i.postimg.cc/mZNf9FjC/20210220144544-1.jpg
While of great interest to the political leadership, these international crises do little to distract the regular citizens from their everyday concerns. Even as the SDP does its best to reform the economy (despite being bogged down by budget issues) and allay any fears of an actual uprising, others say it’s simply distracting from the real, more important long-term problem.
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January 1920. Both Premier Stawicki and High King Lechoslaw IV have been making fewer public appearances for a while. Some have taken this as a sign of weakness, fear, complacency, government paralysis or whatnot. Thus it comes as a great surprise when, in the first Sejm session of the new year, Stawicki suddenly comes out with a constitution that his and the Crown’s inner circles have been drafting in uttermost secrecy almost since the start of his term. Now all that remains is for the Sejm to accept it.
Due to the sensitivity of the issue and uncertainty of whether it’d actually go through – Stawicki feared that saying too much too early would be a great humiliation if it didn’t work out, whereas the Crown feared that it would bring even greater public pressure – even most of the SDP is taken by surprise, albeit a positive kind. With their control of 86% of the Sejm, they could just pass the law right then and there, but they do still want to go through it properly. The National Coalition and Popular Party who make up the remaining 14% are more torn, but mostly convinced after the High King personally gives the piece of paper his support and also sends people to speak with them in private.
The Constitution is long and rambling, and obviously covers a lot of basic rights and liberties that have already been taken for granted or made into law ages ago, while also entrenching things like “Polish culture and identity, religious freedom, and equality regardless of sex, race or creed” as the defining values of the nation. Some of the biggest new things are:
The Constitution overrides any laws that might be in conflict with it, such laws cannot be enacted, and it can only be changed or amended by a large enough majority in the Sejm and the consent of the Crown.
The High King and the Crown Government’s public position and unassailable dignity are entrenched, more or less enshrined. However, on the legal side, their ability to pass laws without the Sejm’s approval is greatly limited, and while they retain their right to veto the Sejm’s actions, the Sejm can now override that veto with a large enough majority. This is the part that was the most controversial during the negotiations.
The High King still appoints the Premier, but “as nominated by the Sejm”. Only a formality in most cases, but it means that he can’t skip over the largest party without giving it a chance (like in 1891) or arbitrarily replace the Premier with his own (like in 1896). The various ministers who are then nominated by the Premier are given more responsibility and no longer require specific Crown approval. The High King can still call a new election, but is only expected to do so if the Sejm fails to form a functioning government.
In a similar vein, instead of being chosen by the Crown directly, the various members of the judiciary branch will be appointed as nominated by the relevant councils, themselves consisting of professional judges. The goal is to finally have an independent judiciary and Supreme Court that can buck both the Sejm and the Crown if necessary, but mostly make sure that the laws the other two pass are enforced by the letter and only rewritten through the proper channels instead of bending along the way. It’s also the judiciary’s task to monitor that the constitution is obeyed. Of course, there’s no way to fully block out political pressure, backroom dealing among the judges themselves, or their personal views affecting their judgment, but it’s better than nothing.
Elections will be held every four years instead of five.
Starting with the 1922 election, the number of seats in the Sejm will be increased from 300 to 450 and the number of voting districts adjusted accordingly. This number hasn’t changed in all this time even as voting rights were massively expanded, meaning that there were as many as fifty times more voters for the Sejm to represent (before even considering population growth). The districts themselves are also overdue for a revamp, their borders having remained rather constant regardless of changes in population. There are some now half-dead hamlets that have their own seat in the Sejm just because some noble used to own a manor there. The goal is to have roughly equal, or at least closer to equal, populations for each district. The exact arrangements aren’t part of the constitution, though, and will be decided separately.
The proceedings take a few weeks, and many word choices and other little details still receive tweaks, but finally the Constitution of the Kingdom of Poland passes with 98% of the votes. It having become clear that this was a foregone conclusion, only six deputies vote against: four on procedural grounds, two Coalition members out of actual ideological protest.
https://i.postimg.cc/VLDxGQ3N/20210220153921-1.jpg
This marks the first recognition of true parliamentarism in Polish history: the Sejm is the highest authority with the power to overturn the others. To many it might seem like an outright capitulation to the demands of the Sejm, the SDP and/or the masses, depending on how one chooses to put it. It’s not entirely one-sided, of course, as the Crown also gets many things it wanted and even the more dramatic parts are mostly just acknowledging the reality that already exists. A few radicals on both sides might feel that if it really comes down to it, this constitution is still just a piece of paper that can be rewritten or overridden when the time comes; but to most, it symbolizes both a hope and a real promise of a stable, prosperous Poland. After some 80 years, has the Long Revolution finally reached its goal?
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Halfway across the world, yet another country comes within a inch of falling under the thrall of primacism: after losing another war against Manchurian communists and losing control of its most valuable and populous territories, including the capital Beijing, the Chinese Empire is extremely weak and anti-communism is at an all-time high. A primacist faction known as the Blue Shirts Society leads part of the army in a coup against the imperial government, and shockingly, actually succeeds in assassinating the Emperor with a car bomb while he is still being moved to his residence in the temporary capital Taiyuan. However, this ultimately serves to turn both the populace and the rest of the army against the Blue Shirts and allow the elected government to restore order. Faced with the option of bringing in one of the young emperor’s indirect relatives as his heir, the government decides – with a heavy heart, if you want to believe it – to “delay the coronation of the next Emperor until it can be performed in the true capital.” In the months to come, this decision will be cemented and taken a step further, officially turning China from a constitutional monarchy into a full-on republic.
https://i.postimg.cc/kG7Hsfs8/20210220222225-1.jpg
Unlike the interregnum, though, this period of peace was always going to be brief: aided by the Uyghurs, the Mongol Khanate seems intent on making use of this weakness to annex Inner Mongolia, a large albeit sparsely populated Mongol-majority region that has long languished under Chinese rule.
https://i.postimg.cc/m2Xn33Hz/20210220223654-1.jpg
That proves to be a severe miscalculation, as the Republic still has a population several times as large as the two Khanates combined, and is quickly able to throw together a conscript army large enough to push across the steppe all the way to the Mongolian capital.
https://i.postimg.cc/HL5PCfPX/20210220224829-1.jpg
As for Poland itself, though… through a combination of the SDP’s diligent work, the Coalition’s already cautious enough policies in its own term, and Poland’s overall economic strength, it’s one of the faster countries to start recovering from the Great Depression (which is to say, it “only” takes around three years from the start of the crisis). It’s not all the way back up yet, especially as long as its trading partners are still in shambles, but this is still something for all involved to be proud of. It also means Poland is well placed to capitalize on those other countries’ weakness; economically, of course.
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It comes as little surprise that with this, the Constitution, and Stawicki’s unfailing PR skills, the SDP expects to win handily in 1922. The shocking thing is the sheer scale of that victory. The SDP wins a nigh-unprecedented actual majority of the votes, not merely a plurality as is usually the case. This support is once again quite even across the country, with the single-digit number of districts that the SDP doesn’t win being clustered around Torun, Latvia and Mogilev, where the Coalition squeaks out a narrow victory. The SDP has proven ideologically moderate enough that a lot of voters who don't otherwise identify as socialists have crossed party lines to vote for them, as have basically all the so-called social liberals, who are seen more as "liberal socials" at this point. Thanks to the wonders of the Polish voting system, and some alleged (alleged) tampering with the district borders, this 50.7% of the votes brings a grand 98.1% of the seats.
https://i.postimg.cc/Jzs2pyNT/20210220224959-1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/RZ2byMGv/20210220225124-1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/rm2yV2yk/sejm-1922.png
In the past, when a majority was a majority and its size didn’t really matter as much, this might’ve meant little more than bragging rights. However, with the introduction of the Constitution, the power to overrule the Crown, and the idea that some decision requiring a supermajority is supposed to make a difference, the fact that the system makes it disproportionately easy for a single party to win almost the entire Sejm is increasingly seen as a fatal flaw. Whether or not the SDP is going to abuse this power right now, either it or some other party might try to do so in the future. And so, though that is clearly loser talk and the SDP itself is quite happy with the current state of things, it can’t convincingly deny this problem either. Further reforms to the voting system might well be on the way.
Newspaper Gallery (https://imgur.com/a/OD2wtlh)
In May 1920, Fanti’s Latin Empire tried to turn its long-running cold war with Santa Croce – consisting mostly of naval skirmishes and diplomatic spats – into a hot one with a surprise naval landing. However, much like Zavoyko’s invasion of Bolgharia, it was a huge failure that led to the death or capture of the entire invading force. A white peace was finally signed soon after, grudgingly recognizing Santa Croce’s independence in exchange for the return of those POWs.
https://i.postimg.cc/x18WBp23/20210220204829-1.jpg
In addition to whatever’s going on in China at any given time, communism seems to be making headway in the rest of Asia as well: in Cambodia, the rather long-standing republic ended up being its own undoing, as the local communists were actually elected in an entirely fair election only to then maneuver their competitors out of power and, with only a few assassinations’ worth of blood, turn the country into a one-party dictatorship. A good reminder of the importance of checks on parliamentary power, though Cambodia is small enough that it goes unnoticed by anyone in Poland.
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Meanwhile, the much larger Karnata seems to have followed a worryingly common pattern by blaming the King for the losses against the Maratha, abolishing the monarchy, and declaring itself the Karnata Republic. Thing is, in the latest election, this republic too ended up electing the communists, and the jury is still out on whether this is the start of another internal takeover similar to Cambodia, or more like the PUP in Poland. It would seem like the communists here aren’t similarly placed to exploit the system and undermine the republic, but who can tell. It’s a strange trend going around nonetheless.
https://i.postimg.cc/d3nxxrNf/20210220232037-1.jpg
I had to set aside two weeks where I wouldn’t allow myself to work on this before I had taken care of other things I needed to do. And it worked! Somehow! So back in we go.
Mechanically, pretty much the only difference between a Semi-Parliamentarian and Constitutional Monarchy is the inability to appoint a ruling party, which I haven’t done very much anyway. The full impact this might have on the narrative side remains to be seen. It felt important to me to go through some of the things a proper constitution actually contains rather than simply say it’s there, though. :smallwink:
On a side note: Obviously the use of supermajorities as a check on government power isn’t inherently incompatible with first-past-the-post systems IRL (only partly so), but it kinda might be in this world where regional differences in voting behavior aren’t really a thing and the same party has had a huge supermajority for two terms in a row now.
InvisibleBison
2021-02-21, 09:05 AM
Does the constitution say anything about the command of the army? You mentioned in Chapter 68 that the Sejm had no authority over the Crown Army, and I would have expected that to be one of the things addressed by a constitution.
I do think it would be a good idea to adopt a more representative method of elections. Though if I'm reading the charts correctly, that would probably mean a few primacists would get elected, which while not meaningful in and of itself would still be a worrying precedent.
SilverLeaf167
2021-02-21, 10:33 AM
Does the constitution say anything about the command of the army? You mentioned in Chapter 68 that the Sejm had no authority over the Crown Army, and I would have expected that to be one of the things addressed by a constitution.
That's a great question, which I was actually planning to address but apparently either forgot or left for later. Everything Army-related has kinda been on the back burner, in-universe as well. I'll discuss that in the next chapter, when we also deal with the other bug fixes being made to the Sejmic system.
I do think it would be a good idea to adopt a more representative method of elections. Though if I'm reading the charts correctly, that would probably mean a few primacists would get elected, which while not meaningful in and of itself would still be a worrying precedent.
It will make the Sejm a pretty noisy place, yeah. Literally too: a single-digit number of opposition members can't really have a physical presence in the room if they wanted to, but a larger number of smaller parties can maintain a lot more debate, even if the ruling party were to still hold a majority.
SilverLeaf167
2021-03-01, 10:46 AM
Chapter #74: Changes in Order (1922-1927)
12th of October, 1922
As the SDP has taken credit for drafting Poland’s first true constitution – which was also accompanied by changes to the voting districts – only to then take 98% of the Sejm in the next election, the half of the nation that didn’t vote for them isn't unjustified in feeling like the system could be a bit busted. The largest supermajority demanded by the constitution – in order to both declare a bill urgent and override a possible Crown veto – is 5/6 of the Sejm (83%), which means that any party that manages to reach that on its own can legally do anything short of rewrite the constitution itself (where Crown consent is strictly required). It’s widely assumed that the Crown wouldn’t just sit by if that power were abused, but it’s also obvious that a constitution whose balance can only be maintained by extra-constitutional action isn’t exactly well-designed.
https://i.postimg.cc/rm2yV2yk/sejm-1922.png
To be fair, the problem isn’t actually the constitution itself, but the way that it happens to interact with Poland’s archaic voting system. While the SDP is extremely well-liked, at 50.7% of the vote as compared to the Popular Party in distant second place at 15.7%, it can hardly be considered fair that such a hair-thin majority should give a single party absolute power in all of Poland. Speaking of the Populists, it’s also worth bringing up that thanks to the way the districts are laid out, the Coalition at least got 9 seats in the Sejm despite actually having fewer votes than them. If the system were directly proportional, the Sejm would currently have 71 Populists and 66 Coalition members. While the old system was considered perfectly adequate until just recently, that situation has suddenly turned on its head.
https://i.postimg.cc/RZ2byMGv/20210220225124-1.jpg
Indeed, the district-based system is a remnant from the days when the Sejm was intended to represent a.) only 2% of the population and b.) different localities first and foremost, not so much parties or ideologies. Whether one considers this change a good thing or not, that’s definitely the reality of the times, and there’s no point in trying to ignore it. It puts into perspective how much things really have changed over the past 100 years or so, with the same words meaning completely different things, but the SDP for one is obviously happy with the continuing triumph of democracy.
That democratic ideology is another reason, though, that despite holding the dominant position (for now), the SDP can only agree that the current system is unsustainable. Far be it from them to undermine their grandest achievement and probably destroy their own respectability in the long run. If they create a blatantly unfair system and expect it to hold up by the power of legal text alone, someone will simply ignore that text and drag them out by force. Thus a special committee with representatives of the SDP, the Populists, the Coalition and the Crown is put together to draft some major changes to the voting system in time for the next election.
Another awkward thing about the constitution involves the status of the Crown Army (which in these contexts also includes the Marynarka). The High King remains the commander-in-chief, all levels of the military are closely intertwined with Crown institutions, and all soldiers swear loyalty to the High King personally – an ancient ritual that dates back to the honor guard of Lechoslaw the Great himself. The Crown is literally in the name and forms the whole military’s spiritual backbone, which has more than just symbolical importance. On all this, the Crown more or less refuses to budge. It is quite strange indeed for the military of a constitutional monarchy to be under the monarch’s direct command, but that’s one of the compromises you’re forced to make in order to get said monarch to sign said constitution. And, after all, if the Sejm were to try something blatantly unacceptable with its veto-overriding powers, who could stop it if not the eternally loyal Crown Army?
That being said, even if the Crown Army’s ultimate loyalty is to their sovereign, sharing that power is a necessary exercise in trust. In practice, though the Crown has some income of its own, the theoretical independence of the military is always subject to the Sejm’s power over the state budget, not to mention the stream of other decisions that involve or affect it somehow. The Sejm has a Ministry of Defense whose main purpose is to act as a liaison between the two and coordinate things for mutual benefit, but it has no actual power to command the military should it come down to it. In a similar vein, foreign policy and matters of war and peace still belong to the Crown, but the Sejm tries to work with it as closely as possible, and as long as the High King remains cooperative, can expect to be included in the decision-making.
Finally, the gendarmerie and the Dwójka (full name “Second Department of Crown Army General Staff”) remain part of the Crown Army, while the regular, mostly unarmed police force is under the Sejm’s Ministry of the Interior. How one feels about this depends largely on how avowed of a republican one is, and whether one trusts the Sejm or the Crown more. Who knows, maybe it’s good that the Dwójka – which the Crown is doing its best to reform into a proper intelligence service as opposed to an ineffectual and reviled secret police – answers to the High King rather than the whims of a ruling party that might change every four years. Regardless, the split into Sejmic and Crown police does plant the seed for a possibly dysfunctional interservice rivalry.
All in all, it is fair to say that even with the new constitution, Poland is still on the more monarchist end of the spectrum, at least in terms of the powers that the High King theoretically has.
After successful field tests in the central Polish plains, and with more vehicles being churned out by high-security factories, Poland has managed to scrounge together the world’s first "armored" unit: the Crown Tank Regiment. Actually consisting of only a few dozen tanks and their support crews, the regiment is intended to act as a model and testing ground for more to come, but funding and especially military funding are hard to come by in the current economy. Besides, Poland is rather confident in its ability to avoid any European wars in the near future anyway, so tanks aren’t really at the top of the shopping list.
https://i.postimg.cc/y8gCWSqF/20210227164814-1.jpg
Tests show that the so-called Škoda KH-50 (Kolohousenka, "Wheeled Caterpillar") is more or less bulletproof, and basically a mobile bunker. With its tractor-inspired tracks, it can cross difficult terrain – even trenches and barbed wire – and then switch to its wheels for road speeds as high as 22 mph. However, its worst enemies are enemy artillery, which can still give it a good rattling… and its own engineering. Tank design is still an experimental field, and the KH-50 has the tendency to break on its own a little too often for comfort.
https://i.postimg.cc/PqfXJ54h/KH50.jpg
Tank doctrine is even more of a mystery, and highly dependent on both their number and steadily improving technical capabilities. Hell, the Crown Tank Regiment has been placed under the cavalry corps for the time being (the artillery was also considered), and many seem to think that it really is going to act like some modern equivalent of the winged hussars of old, riding into battle alongside the other more lightly armored horsemen. No one besides a few revolutionary thinkers can even imagine that in a decade or two, that whole ancient service branch might be more or less ceremonial, replaced in the field by motorized and armored troops.
The greater purpose of the tank is to make the next conflict less bloody than the last one (hopefully for both sides, but primarily for the Poles). The most ambitious theorists claim that in the future, entire wars will be decided by tanks. But of course, the best-case scenario would be not needing to go to war at all.
The Crown Air Force (the Poles are pretty consistent in their naming; even Marynarka Korony is just Polish for Crown Navy) is also founded in 1923. While civil aviation has been advancing in leaps and bounds – it should soon be possible to take a series of flights from Stockholm to Esperanza – military usage has lagged behind for, well, largely the same reasons as tanks. And much like tanks, the actual use of planes in warfare is still something of a question mark, as even the top theorists of the field are just that: theorists. The roles planned for aircraft can largely be divided into scouting, bombing, and stopping enemy planes from doing the same. While the decision to implement the Air Force as its separate organization on the same level as the Navy was the result of a long debate – it simply doesn’t sit comfortably under any existing branch – it will still be de facto at the bottom of the pecking order, especially as long as it doesn’t get any chance to prove itself.
https://i.postimg.cc/kXLh11Zb/siskin.jpg
While the Latins can be proud of their history as pioneers of lighter-than-air travel and aviation in general – the hot-air balloon was first invented and mastered in France – the gas-filled airships developed by Italian inventor Zeppeli and named after him have been largely dismissed as having any military use, despite some initial hopes that they could be used for bombing. The Fanti regime has taken a great liking to them as something of a vanity project, though, often flying them over political rallies and other public events or even sending them on visits to other countries. Zeppelis are also capable of taking a few dozen passengers on longer, even transatlantic flights, something which planes have yet to achieve.
https://i.postimg.cc/xCSPMBX0/zeppelin-kopio.jpg
Latin Zeppeli on tour over Tokyo, Japan.
Back to world events: Despite managing to march all the way to Ulan Bator, the Chinese conscript army has proven unable to resist the Khanates’ highly mobile professional soldiers after all. In January 1923, the young republic is forced to admit its defeat and give up more than half of its remaining territory (albeit less than 7% of its population, and mostly discontent Mongols at that). The so-called legitimate Chinese government is looking weaker by the day, but of course, that’s just normal for China at this point. On that note: Poland has made some half-hearted compromises of recognizing the imperial-slash-republican government as the legitimate one over the communists without actually supporting its claim to the Japanese and British parts of China, nor making any commitment to protect it.
https://i.postimg.cc/NFdv26fx/20210227154439-1.jpg
On 21 July 1924, Felice Fanti is found dead at his mountain villa, where he often used to retreat in the hottest weeks of summer. Though it’s been 13 years since he installed himself as Dux, he was still only in his late 30s, and people – adorers and enemies alike – were expecting their youthful, charismatic leader to remain in charge for decades to come. Accordingly, the whole hierarchy and government of the Factio Fascistica have been more or less built around him and a cult of personality bordering on messianic. Then again, dying is what messiahs do best. Though it is in fact apparent that he died of "poisoning", said poison turns out to be alcohol and drugs. The regime does its best to silence all witnesses and pass it off as a tragic heart attack.
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The logical next step in the Caesar metaphor would be for Fanti’s heir apparent to take his place and really cement the status of the new Empire, but due to his young age and not having expected to die any time soon, he doesn’t really have one – nor even a clear favorite among his followers. As the nation mourns, the top levels of the regime itself immediately erupt into a crazed mess of intrigue and scheming to see which of his cronies and generals gets to inherit him. However, this clash mostly happens in the shadows and smoke-filled backrooms of the Empire, with the public only ever seeing a highly censored glimpse of the action.
https://i.postimg.cc/WbfP2wyN/20210227184659-1.jpg
The fascists enjoy real, but far from overwhelming, popularity within the country.
When the second Dux finally emerges, it is no less than one of the party’s foremost ideologues and architects of Fanti’s popularity, the aptly titled Minister of Propaganda, Lucius Santori. Many would say that despite his proven proficiency at helming the Empire’s media machinery, Santori is not quite as charming or charismatic in person, but he certainly was in a good position to maneuver his way into power. Whatever his weaknesses, he knows how to cover for them, and covering things has in fact been most of his job description up to this point. Due to holding his cards so close to his chest, though, it’s quite hard to say what he’ll actually look like as the leader of a nation. One thing he will be is a pioneer of the radio as state propaganda, eventually making it official policy that every home should have a receiver. The one to design all the programming, of course, will be himself.
https://i.postimg.cc/cJfqByLC/20210227211116-1.jpg
In July 1925, Sweden sees countrywide communist unrest in the wake of a harsh crackdown on an ironworkers’ strike. While unusually large, this uprising is actually only the latest of many: the country’s parliamentarian but still staunchly conservative government seems to have taken a basically zero-tolerance attitude towards socialist action in recent years, which has in fact caused some awkwardness in their dealings with Poland’s SDP. While the Crown does offer its help should the Swedes need it, it is refused, as they (perhaps wisely) calculate that calling in a foreign military would only make things worse in the long run. Militarily speaking, Sweden should be able to handle itself, even if it takes a while due to the country’s sheer size. Although widespread, these self-proclaimed Red Guards are still scattered and small in size.
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What’s more, just as Britannia’s economy is finally starting to recover from the Great Depression that started in London, it sees another massive stock market crash that takes it two steps backwards. Even with the Irish question “solved” (more like punted forward), the country seems to be stuck in a real quagmire that might well result in more unrest sooner or later.
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At the initiative of Lechoslaw IV, in late 1925 the Sejm approves a large recovery program aimed at Poland’s allies rather than Poland itself; a rather radical concept based on a modern understanding of supply and demand. With a mixture of directed investment, extremely cheap loans and actual “free money” (no such thing exists, of course), Poland can accomplish the dual goals of supporting its own largest trading partners and tying them ever more closely into its own sphere of influence. While the monarchs and governments in charge of these countries surely realize this aspect of the deal, most of them decide to make use of it. Such is their desperation, and perhaps their actual desire to tie Poland to their interests. Separate but parallel to this financial support, Poland also pursues closer military and political cooperation between its former Coalition friends.
Arguably a rather bold move to make just as Poland heads into an election year, but Premier Bart Stawicki and the SDP believe the optics to be in their favor, especially as they manage to include some minor "workers’ rights" conditions in the program. The Electoral Act of 1925 is also finally rolled out. While it obviously falls to the SDP to pass it through the Sejm, it has been shaped by broad consensus between the three largest parties in order to give it legitimacy. Through this, the SDP more or less concedes its dominant position, but hopes that this display of sticking to its principles might help maintain its lead.
Most notably, instead of 450 equal-population districts that each have one deputy, the country will be divided into larger, geographically defined districts with a different number of deputies based on their population. The seats in each district can then be divided proportionately to each party’s share of the vote, or at least closer to it, which should add up to a similarly fair distribution on a country-wide scale. The exact math that goes into it can be a bit complicated, involving party lists and whatnot, but the end result should be that no longer will parties with 15% of the vote get 0% of the seats. Of course, with only so many seats to hand out in each district, there will still be a certain “rounding error” threshold to cross before a party can win one of them. This isn’t entirely unintended, as it might help keep the worst rabble out of the Sejm.
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On a secondary note – less significant to the end result if not the individual voter – the Electoral Act also cements certain voters’ rights, mostly the right to conduct the voting itself in secret, not be questioned on one’s vote, and not face discrimination based on political stance (however impossible that is to enforce). In the last couple elections, individual votes have no longer been publicly announced as they used to be, believe it or not, but the voting still happened in plain view with everyone else standing in line behind you.
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Mere days before the results come in, the government has to deal with an unusually direct provocation from the Latins: on a visit to Lotharingia, which is drawing closer and closer to Rome, a Latin Zeppeli not only passes over Calais but also drops pro-Latin propaganda flyers all over the city while it’s there. While the flyers themselves are rather benign – pretty much just advertisements for the fascists’ new holiday resorts – the way in which they’re distributed obviously isn’t. One would expect a bit more subtlety from Dux Santori. Whatever the case, one of the last things the government does in its current term is send an official protest to the Latins for violating Polish airspace and distributing foreign propaganda. For the fascists’ first concrete offense towards Poland, perhaps this isn’t the worst it could’ve been?
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And with that distraction still fresh on everyone’s minds, the most diverse Sejm in recent history is sworn into office. The new system works more or less as intended, at least in the sense that every party that makes it in has a seat share within a couple percentage points of its vote share. At 0.5% of the votes, the Royalists continue to be so unpopular that they’re literally a joke, but that brings up the main problem that many see with the situation: most of the former Royalists have moved over to the much more radical Slavic Sanacja. While the Sanacja doesn’t openly flaunt its worst tendencies or ties to foreign primacists, it doesn’t take a bloodhound to smell something fishy about them, and especially the ruling left-wingers sure don’t like them. To others, though, the Sanacja’s presence is just another reminder that the right really needs to pull itself together if it’s ever going to pose a real challenge to the left. That might mean more strongly denouncing the Sanacja… or who knows, actually working with it. At least the party itself remains marginal for now, even if symptomatic of something greater.
As for those left-wingers, the SDP ends up losing its narrow majority of the vote. However, it is still able to form a coalition government with the hopefully rather subservient PUP. The great thinker Mikolaj Rusin has retired after some forty years in politics and the precipitous collapse of his party, and the new generation hasn’t yet built a clear profile for itself, but whether the communists particularly enjoy working with their more moderate comrades or not, the other option would be to let some other party like the Coalition take their place and probably lead to a much less productive term.
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With the Sejm finally the highest authority in the realm and representative of the general population, hopefully political decision-making will also become more responsive to the public from here.
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In much the same way that Lotharingia has been slipping under Latin influence – Frisia’s growing independence making it increasingly difficult for Poland to exert pressure in the region – the Republic of Bavaria finally makes official its departure from the Polish sphere, where it’s been stuck since the start of its existence. Treated as a protectorate, a vassal or an afterthought at best, it’s not entirely unfair to say that Bavaria has never been truly “independent” at all, and if its existence is basically a choice between sucking up to either Germany or Poland, it’s increasingly willing to go with its cultural brethren. The original reasons Bavaria broke free in 1840 included religious differences and the chaos of the German Civil War, but Poland is obviously no better in the former department while the latter has long since been settled. Rather than join Krakow’s economic program, the München government is in talks with Frankfurt to seek deeper integration on mutually beneficial terms – certainly better than relying on Poland’s protection and fighting wars on its behalf.
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There are actually several other countries begging for closer relations with Poland, yet being consistently denied: Bolgharia, Siberia, Mongolia and Uyghuristan are all asking not just for Polish money, but more importantly, a full military alliance, which both the Crown and the Sejm are unwilling to give. The goal is to guarantee them against (mainly Russian) aggression, not risk getting drawn into some distant disputes or especially offensive wars deep in Eurasia. The Altay Pact is entirely adequate as it stands.
The governments in Tomsk, Ulan Bator and Urumqi increasingly disagree. Zavoyko’s Russia has so far proven less threatening than expected, while they’re under growing pressure from the east instead – and indeed, anyone who can look at a map will realize that Poland is no real help in that regard, especially as the Republic of China can no longer act as a corridor to the sea. In addition, even though the Pact has kept outright aggression at bay, communist influence through politics, economy and culture has been unavoidable. Seeing Poland as an unreliable crutch, the Siberian Republic has elected a rather radical socialist party and formed a military alliance with Manchuria, even participating in attacks against China. The two Khanates have shown more restraint so far, but Zhaoism – the more rural-focused communism characteristic of China – has a growing foothold among their people as well, and both of them regularly have to deal with guerrillas in their vast countryside. The local socialist party has also found success in the Mongol elections.
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Bavaria might find, though, that its decision to draw closer to Germany has come at a very bad time. Despite a certain standoffishness, the foreign policy of the late Felice Fanti could actually have been characterized as rather reconciliatory, whether due to the material realities of the time or just lack of enthusiasm on his part – he was, in retrospect, rather driven by his personal whims. Especially in contrast to Russia, the Latin Empire (still officially called Federation, mind you) has managed to appeal to many of its neighbors with its displays of wealth, stability and conservative values, and even reclaimed its status as the second-largest economic power of the world.
Alas, Lucius Santori is proving somewhat different. The almost comical Zeppeli incident in Calais has been far from the only border incident that the Latins started since he took charge. Since the Latin nation has recovered quite well – and Germany so thoroughly alienated itself from the Coalition – he’s been building up for an effort to right the wrongs of the Treaty of Grazyna. Tyrol is but a footnote in the Latins’ grievances, but the loss of Franche-Comté has been a constant source of resentment and reminder of their weakness. Home to a couple million Frenchmen and little to no Germans, it being handed to Germany based on some already illegitimate Bundesrepublik-era claims goes against everything the staunchly Pan-Latin government stands for.
In October 1927, after already hammering on the issue and riling up his people for several months, Santori finally sends Germany an ultimatum for the return of Franche-Comté. He fully expects the ultimatum to be rejected, and indeed, mere days later the Legions start marching for the border. 19 years after the end of the Great War, the Latin Empire and the Republic of Germany are about to clash once more.
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Poland and friends loudly protest this violent revision of Grazyna, but just as Santori had calculated, they’re all unwilling to actually throw their weight behind Germany – not to mention that the Latins actually have better PR and even some sympathy on their side, as the general perception is that Franche-Comté was only grudgingly given to the Germans because they had already occupied it. As the great powers try to avoid a new war over a Latin-German dispute they don’t actually care that much about, only the direct allies of the two seem ready to get involved, and even then, Asturias actually breaks off its fledgling alliance with Germany rather than get dragged into this. This war puts both Lotharingia and potentially Bavaria in the line of fire. Should’ve just stuck with Poland…
Even one-on-one, though, this war won’t be an easy one for the Latins. They should once again get a head start thanks to the Germans stationing much of their army on the Polish border, but before accounting for wartime mobilization, their armies are actually more or less the same size (310 vs. 316 brigades), and neither side’s weak allies should be expected to tip that balance too much. Depending on how the fighting goes, it could really swing either way. The rest of Europe waits with bated breath, but mostly hopes that this will be a brief showdown between “only” two great powers. There is a certain confusion in the air, though: this whole war is eerily reminiscent of past Latin-German wars – over the same region, even – that turned into terrible meat grinders and achieved nothing. The main difference is that this time, they didn't even blunder into it by trying to be too smart for their own good, so much as just walked into it willingly.
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With more and more conflicts starting to pop up in different corners of the world, though, there’s definitely a tangible sense that what little “post-war order” there was is starting to fall apart.
No newspapers, somehow.
Even Amatica, remarkably peaceful ever since the Anti-Asturian War ended in 1872, hasn’t been entirely spared from conflict, albeit brief: Hibernia finally secured the support of the Free Nations to attack the United Lordships (always the odd one out) and take back the disputed province of Charlotte, as well as South Fiorita while they were at it. The war was extremely one-sided and over in a couple months.
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Certainly helped along by its constant wars against its much larger neighbor, the Republic of Benin – actually one of the oldest democracies in the world, though often forgotten – has finally succumbed to internal pressure and broken apart into Dahomey and Benin. Alas, neither republic survived this transition, but were quickly taken over by military juntas. Benin is still fighting an extended civil war against various other nationalists, as well as rebels trying to restore the republic. The Sultanate of Kanem-Bornu also had a huge outbreak of separatist unrest a while ago, but somehow managed to contain it.
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Kanem-Bornu has its own share of problems, though. After its unfortunate involvement in the Great War greatly weakened the Sultanate and made it cut its ties with Poland, it was left wide open for the UAS to start pushing into Morocco. Both the Arabs and frankly many of the Moroccans consider North Africa to be rightful Arab land, or rather, membership in the federation to be preferable over the Sultanate. The UAS has already secured much of Morocco and cut off the Saharan Railway, the Sultanate’s vital lifeline to the north, and is currently in the process of invading the rest.
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Much like in the Altay Pact, communism is seeping into South Asia as well: with international pressure, the Maratha Confederacy was forced to release the Republic of Gondwana (a region which had been tossed back and forth between the other Indian powers), which was immediately taken over by a military junta, which was then overrun by a communist coup that established a full-blown proletarian state right in the middle of India. Indo-Zhaoism, communism adjusted for the local audience, seems to be proving rather popular. For that matter, the UAS and even the Polish vassal of Ligor have fallen for the possible trap of electing outspoken revolutionary communists into their government. Other countries that haven’t gone that far have also seen a sharp uptick in socialism.
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The Chinese wars rage on: the Manchus (and now Siberia) continue to gnaw at the Republic, which is still putting up a fierce but hopeless defense.
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1927 is right on the border of when I’ll actually “let” this war go through rather than step in to delay it until HoI4. It shouldn’t become a Great War, either, as neither side has any great power allies. We’ll see what happens if it somehow stretches into 1936; probably a temporary truce of some sort, since HoI4 kinda requires the initial buildup phase.
The timeline of tanks and airplanes has been somewhat jumbled by the fact that they were too late to be used in the Great War, but since we did just get our tank and airplane units, I figured it was high time I gave them at least some token notice. The Kolohousenka was a real, funny-looking Czech design from 1923 that was quickly scrapped. Somewhat more conventional tanks are about to get their first real use in the Latin-German war.
Poland doesn't have a proper Upper House, but only a single-chamber Sejm that the Crown can veto if necessary but generally doesn't have a direct say in. Hence the Upper House's shift to "Based on Population".
And yeah, I’ve shamelessly turned off fog of war entirely to better keep track of what’s happening around the world. I’ll turn it on when/if we get into a war ourselves, of course.
InvisibleBison
2021-03-01, 12:10 PM
A resurgent Latin Empire won't be good for anyone. Hopefully the Germans can beat them hard enough that the regime will collapse, or at least be too busy dealing with internal problems to bother anyone.
Also, who are the Latins allied with?
SilverLeaf167
2021-03-01, 01:36 PM
Also, who are the Latins allied with?
Lotharingia plus their usual cadre of goons, i.e. Malta, Navarra and Sardinia. Germany is allied with Bavaria and Juliana (the former Asturian colony in Alcadra). Lotharingia and Bavaria are the only ones with any significant military.
InvisibleBison
2021-03-01, 04:14 PM
Lotharingia plus their usual cadre of goons, i.e. Malta, Navarra and Sardinia. Germany is allied with Bavaria and Juliana (the former Asturian colony in Alcadra). Lotharingia and Bavaria are the only ones with any significant military.
Ok, so that numeric disparity that the war summary shows can be brought to bear. That's not going to be good for Germany.
SilverLeaf167
2021-03-01, 05:52 PM
Ok, so that numeric disparity that the war summary shows can be brought to bear. That's not going to be good for Germany.
Not necessarily. The military score on the Latin side is hugely inflated by some weird hidden math, plus their navies, which should be all but irrelevant (since neither side has colonies and Juliana's not gonna do much anyway). Their actual relevant numbers are:
Latin Empire: 310 brigades, 24.07 mil. pops
Lotharingia: 46 brigades, 2.14 mil.
Malta: 1 brigade, 44.27 k.
Navarra: 8 brigades, 337.22 k.
Sardinia: 16 brigades, 870.41 k.
Total: 381 brigades, 27.37 mil.
Germany: 316 brigades, 15.15 mil. pops
Bavaria: 33 brigades, 1.60 mil.
Juliana: 9 brigades, 408.60 k.
Total: 358 brigades, 17.15 mil.
So basically, the initial army numbers are more or less even, though the Latins do indeed have the advantage in population and economy, which translates directly into more conscripts in the long run. But it's nowhere near the 3-to-1 odds given by the war overview. Normally I'd say the Germans have the advantage in terms of geography, too, but I already know the AI's not gonna make any use of that...
InvisibleBison
2021-03-01, 08:32 PM
Not necessarily. The military score on the Latin side is hugely inflated by some weird hidden math, plus their navies, which should be all but irrelevant (since neither side has colonies and Juliana's not gonna do much anyway).
Yeah, I was misremembering how the game works. I thought those numbers were the straight number of soldiers each side had.
SilverLeaf167
2021-03-10, 05:24 PM
Chapter #75: Commies, Colonies & Civilization (1927-1933)
12th of October, 1927
The Latin Empire under its new Dux, Lucius Santori, has declared war on Germany to reclaim the territories (and prestige) it lost in the Treaty of Grazyna. Those are indeed important, but on paper, this war still seems like it should be rather hard-fought – certainly not an opportunistic attack on a vulnerable enemy the Latins could expect to just roll over. It all makes much more sense in terms of primacist ideology, though: having all of their national brethren under the same flag means even more to them than to the average country, and the same goes for military glory, the true lifeblood of a nation. As a new and perhaps still vulnerable Dux, it is doubly important for Santori to cement his position and remind the people of why they tolerate the regime to begin with. And last but not least, primacism itself might have had a role in convincing its own advocates that their enemies are inherently inferior and one Latin soldier is actually worth ten “Teutons”.
The Latins do have population and economy on their side in the long run, though, and even the belief in their military superiority might not be completely baseless: while both sides are more or less equal in terms of the military technology accessible to them, the more warlike Latins have been more active in actually implementing it, perhaps in preparation for a chance like this when the first adopter might still have an advantage. Both sides have small amounts of tanks and airplanes, but the Germans have been slow to organize them into an actual fighting force, and while the Latin tanks also only number a mighty two regiments, their air force is about ten times as large as the Germans’. That’s still rather tiny in comparison to the total militaries on both sides, though, which raises the question: can such a small number of advanced weapons really affect a war? That’s what everyone else (including the Crown Air Force) is waiting to find out. Europe will be their gruesome firing range.
As the Latin vanguard crosses the border into Franche-Comté, the Germans also become the first people to find out what it’s like to be on the receiving end of aerial attack (their own planes, besides being badly outnumbered, are not even close to the front yet). In practical terms, the damage done by strafing runs and sporadic, inaccurate bombings is much less than that of an artillery salvo, but the novelty of the situation makes it all the more disorienting and terrifying for the soldiers on the ground. Of course, the Latin air force also becomes the first air force to take any casualties, as any plane flying low enough to hit anything is also vulnerable to machine gun fire. But then again, once the Germans finally manage to send in some disorganized planes of their own, they become the first ones to take any aerial casualties in plane-to-plane combat.
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Latin fighters flying in formation, photographed for the press.
While the Poles would like nothing more than to send in frontline observers – out of both political and military interest – neither the Germans nor the Latins are willing to receive them. The Poles are more or less forced to rely on espionage, third countries, and the German media, which is rather informative and freely accessible in Poland (even though Frankfurt quickly implements some wartime censorship). Despite wanting to stay out of this war, the Polish government and populace alike are following it as closely as possible every step of the way.
Geographically speaking, the main lines of the war can be expected to be rather similar to the Great War: grueling combat in the Alps, faster thrusts and entangled frontlines in France. A few weeks in it seems like the Germans might even have the better position, using Franche-Comté as a base to enter Latin territory just as much as the Latins enter theirs, but it’s far too early to say. Lotharingia is right in the German line of fire, whereas Bavaria at least has the luxury of being nestled “behind” Germany, where only a few scattered bombing runs can reach for now.
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Poland offers Germany its moral support in this conflict – regardless of all else, the Latins are the aggressors and Poland still clings to the Treaty of Grazyna – and also doesn’t do anything to stop it from using Polish ports and other infrastructure to obtain supplies. It does, however, fall short of directly intervening, as not only have the Germans loudly denounced Poland so often in these interwar years, the Polish people themselves are strongly opposed to any military action. Not a single party has chosen a pro-intervention line, not even the otherwise jingoistic Sanacja, most likely because the enemy would be their fellow primacists. As such, Poland can only hope that this is just a short conflict before another period of peace, but prepare for the possibility that it isn’t.
With Lotharingia, a former Polish “ally” or buffer state, caught in the war as well – and on the wrong side at that – staying out of it truly isn’t a matter of waving “good luck” and sitting back. Lotharingians buzzing around Frisia and Calais, not to mention all the other disruptions to everyday life in the region, force both local officials and Poland itself to make an executive decision on whether to try and salvage Lotharingia from the Latin sphere by offering it more aid, or even a way out of the war. In light of Poland’s commitment to peace (for itself), the answer seems to be “no”.
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The forms of rearmament easiest to “sell” to the public are the ones that involve boosting Polish industry – be it in quality or quantity – rather than increasing conscription and military spending for instance. Of course, technological progress is achieved more and more by private actors that the Crown then contracts to either produce those inventions or license them to the state, but through its subsidies and network of “trusted partners” the state is still closely involved with most developments in the field. At the moment, with the military going through a possibly somewhat belated modernization boom, it really is a seller’s market: tanks, planes, warships, artillery, and naturally the equipment of the regular soldier are all receiving great attention from the Crown if not the public.
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Doctrine and organizational reforms are some other things conveniently “free” to implement (if you gloss over the administrative costs, as many people happily do). As the cooperation between the Sejm’s Ministry of Defense and the Crown’s various military organs has become more official, constant and organized, both sides have agreed, though probably with different ideas of what it actually means, to the forming of a War Council – a traditional institution that has already existed in many forms in the past. There the Minister will meet directly with the three coequal leaders of the Crown military’s different branches, in hopes of fostering more efficient cooperation and planning. Fast coordination and concentration of forces are indeed becoming a more central part of military doctrine, as better communications (such as radios) and the desire to avoid extended wars make it possible and necessary, respectively.
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October 1928. A year into the war, any hope of a fast German turnaround has pretty much vanished. While the Latins’ success has been far from overwhelming, German operations in Latin territory are small and scattered while most of the fighting takes place deep in Germany, even just a few miles away from Frankfurt.
After sweeping through the Wieden corridor, some Latins have actually reached as far as Austria, Bavaria and the Polish border, but these troops are in fact badly overextended and unable to hold their gains for long before getting encircled.
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At least to the south, one war that has received much less attention finally ends: the United Arab States keep strengthening their grip of Morocco, though still failing to take full control. A mountainous region with such tenuous supply lines to their actual mainland seems to be rather difficult to fight in after all.
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And in the far east, another chapter of the Chinese Chaos comes to an end: after the last communist incursion cost the Republic of China a few major cities, dismantled the parts of the military that weren’t already dead or destroyed, and basically brought on a permanent Manchu presence within the rump state, it fell into one last bout of stateless anarchy before finally collapsing for good. Primacists and communists had long since entered the fight for control alongside the republicans and imperials, but this final battle was basically between the extreme right and left. Although, all sides were so spent that even the fighting was a little anemic at this point. In the end, the ones who emerged victorious in the capital Taiyuan – i.e. basically saved the Manchus the trouble of invading one more time – were the communists, who had been in league with Manchuria and the People’s Republic of China from the start.
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With that, the Republic is truly gone and what remains of China reunited. The Manchu government is able to fully formalize the status of the People’s Republic as an “independent” but very much subservient state, even graciously ceding some regions that had been administered from the north until now due to the Republic being in the way. The Chinese capital returns to a rather ruined Beijing, and in one fell swoop, China is once again the single most populous non-colonial country in the world. Doing something about those colonizers is definitely going to be on the agenda, though…
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There is also trouble closer to home: obviously inspired by the Latins next door and eager to either join forces with their former countrymen, or even literally join the country, a primacist uprising in Brittany attempts to overthrow the government. If not for the Polish army stationed there, the ruling Breton SDP would definitely be done for. Notably, most of these right-wing revolutionaries belong to the French minority, which was never quite as enthusiastic about an independent Brittany to begin with: it turned the Bretons from a minority in a Latin country into a majority in their own country, with vast implications for the Latins who still lived there. The aftermath of this uprising raises those ethnic tensions higher than they’ve ever been; but it is also a symptom, not just a cause.
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In January 1930, the first great primacist leader – Yegor Zavoyko – dies of natural causes, i.e. likely a medical condition his government doesn’t feel like elaborating upon. He was getting up there in years, of course: even before becoming the Russian dictator for 21 years, he was already an accomplished general. It comes as little surprise that his successor as Vozhd is also an old military colleague of his: Timur Morozov, Admiral of the Fleet (which has mostly fallen into obscurity, making his title more political than anything). The unverifiable story goes that he was a lowly officer in the last days of the Great War who took it upon himself to bravely elude Coalition fleets and smuggle in supplies for Zavoyko’s forces, rising through the ranks rather quickly after Zavoyko took power.
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And in April, only a few months later, Lucius Santori’s crusade comes to an ignoble end: after a lot of hemming back and forth, the frontline has ultimately gotten bogged down in Elsass-Lothringen and clearly isn’t moving from there. Due to the way the front is shaped, the further in they push, the shorter the front gets and the more forces the Germans can concentrate in any one place. Any further commitment would only risk turning discontent at home into open revolt, and so he is forced to swallow the bitter pill of white peace, or in fact defeat, as the one thing the treaty does include is Lotharingian disarmament.
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Typical Latin-German war. Some blame Santori’s own obsession with glorious charges, good-looking PR and inherent supremacy that all led to needless waste of men and material. Most of Europe, of course, is in fact glad that there were no further border changes, and hopes that the Latins might even have been humbled a bit. The primacist leaders’ track record so far makes it look like they really might not be such a problem. But if there’s one thing that just makes primacists even worse, it’s being humbled; and the treaty here is in fact only an armistice, not a true peace. Literally, this time: that's what they wrote down. Neither side is actually planning to let the other get off so easy.
Speaking of powder kegs, one that has taken miraculously long to explode finally does so in the spring of 1929: New Svea, originally formed out of a grab-bag of Asturian provinces, has really been the most “traditional” colony left in the western hemisphere, in that it still has a roughly 3% European minority ruling over a quite sizeable native population. While the colonial government has been forced to make more and more concessions to reality, the basic setup hasn’t changed, and has also made it stick closer to Stockholm even as the rest of the Nordic Union veered farther away. Still, the close economic and military cooperation of the Union managed to keep it rather stable as just one more agrarian, resource-producing hinterland.
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A long streak of events such as the Mikmaq revolution, the primacist movements in Solmark and Paraland, attempted communist uprisings in Vanaland, the establishment of communist Honduras right in the neighborhood, Sweden’s loss of authority, and perhaps the overall decline of “colonial” systems in the region have all contributed to mounting support for leftist politics and native independence movements in New Svea. The real deciding factor, though, probably was the dwindling material support from the Union. Now the country is finally aflame with the flames of rebellion, a massive uprising led primarily by the Nahua, the largest ethnic grouping that forms 56% of the population. The colonialist army is utterly outnumbered and outmatched, and can only mount a desperate defense of the capital Sayula.
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The first wave of break-offs occurs in early 1930, when the native republics of Chichimeca and Anahuac declare independence from the Swedish yoke. Anahuac quickly establishes its government at Tenochtitlan, still one of the bigger cities on the continent, albeit only a shadow of its former beauty, as the Lake Texcoco it used to “float” in has been almost entirely drained to make way for more construction. In this unstable situation, though, the socialist rebels in charge of each country end up seizing dictatorial power for themselves, and “republic” remains just a nice word for the moment. Time will tell if this actually changes.
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At the same time, communists – mostly natives, albeit with a couple Europeans mixed in – overthrow what’s left of the New Svean government itself and try to rework it into a socialist federation run on their own terms. Peaceful relations are sought with Chichimeca and Anahuac, as well as Honduras despite its colonial nature. However, that’s easier said than done, and a mere month later, the so-called United Socialist Communes of Amatica has already collapsed into a number of states, all various flavors of communist: Tarasco, Oaxaca, Yucatan and Guatemala. What relatively few Europeans there were have either fled or mostly concentrated in Tarasco, the former capital region.
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What a strange turn for an already strange region. Of course, as anyone could’ve guessed, it’s not exactly going to become a peaceful utopia from here: within a couple weeks, the first war between two of these socialist states has already begun.
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Poland is once again more preoccupied with its own elections. In the last four years, both Europe and the world have gone through a lot of turmoil, but within Poland, not much has fundamentally changed – which is probably a net positive, as it’s now in a rather tolerable state, but that doesn’t make for very inspiring politics. The SDP has continued its social reforms, especially as the economy has recovered to fund them, but though the international program has been a relative success, the coalition partner PUP has – intentionally or not, who knows – ended up sabotaging a lot of legislation and causing electoral gridlock by denying the SDP its votes at the worst moment. In addition, as the economy has recovered but the SDP’s economic controls only tightened, their negative effects have also become more prominent.
In the September 1930 election, the SDP is still the largest party, but far too small to form a majority government even with PUP support. Whether this is in fact a reaction to their politics, anti-ruling party bias, or just a return to normal after an abnormal red shift, is an eternal and rather fruitless debate. What matters is that the Populists, the second-largest party (unthinkable only a few years ago), see their chance and take it: by teaming up with the Coalition, they can scrounge together 53% of the Sejm. By the rules that all the parties accepted, this allows the Populists to be sworn in as the premier party. Though this is obviously frustrating, the SDP doesn’t protest, but only bites its tongue and claps politely.
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(Remember that the Devolutionists don’t legally exist and are a faction of the Popular Party.)
(I used modding to switch the ruling party to the Populists after this.)
The Populists and the Coalition are actually pretty close to each other on economic policy these days, and while they still have their differences in other areas – like conservative values and such – the economy just so happens to be where their main focus lies now that democracy et al. aren't such defining issues anymore. After the SDP was given more or less free rein to rebuild the economy for the last 12 years, the new government’s hope is to keep the finished building but take down the scaffolding, so to speak.
Fittingly, while Bart Stawicki retreats to lead the SDP as the main party of the opposition, the new Premier is as “arch-Populist” as they get: Aurelia Lechowicz, an old money capitalist whose grandparents managed to corner a good chunk of the burgeoning fuel refinery industry back when it was still getting off the ground. Their company – from which she divests herself as she becomes Premier, of course – treats much of the raw oil pumped in the Carpathians, and more notably the East Indies. A self-proclaimed capitalist, industrialist and seventh-cousin-twice-removed of the High King or something, she seems like a figure who can get the government parties to work together on their common ground.
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7th of February, 1931, is a day that might in retrospect live in infamy. Until now, despite their many parallels and shared history of the Great War, the primacist governments in Rome and Moscow haven’t actually had much diplomatic contact. Not only were they both too focused on their own internal matters, the Great War was actually a divider between them, as both countries felt like the other was to blame for the humiliating failure of the Treaty Powers. That’s what makes the Moscow Summit, should it last, so impactful: it promises a renewal of the alliance between the two great powers, in pursuit of their shared ideological interests and, quite openly, vengeance for the Great War. The treaty is publicly, even loudly announced, clearly intended as intimidation for the countries in between them – messing with either one risks plunging Poland into another dreaded two-front war. They'll surely try and use this deterrent to throw around their weight a little bit.
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On one hand, they did lose the Great War quite badly, and have been stumbling through a series of military failures since then. Indeed, this search for allies was no doubt brought on by Santori’s failed invasion of Germany. Many people’s reaction is to scoff and roll their eyes at this empty talk. However, the Great War was also quite hopeless for the Treaty Powers, but that didn’t stop them from starting it, and then causing massive death and destruction before they were forced to accept that. Their new leaders have, if anything, proven themselves very liable to do the same. Quite tellingly, the Poles’ attitude – though increasingly nervous – is in fact rather complacent and self-assured in a way. “They’re not going to beat us this time either, but we’re worried they might try.”
Probably hoping that this would've made the Poles more receptive, the Radziwill government continues its overtures across the Atlantic, but while their envoys are received politely and the talks themselves proceed in good spirit, they still go home empty-handed time after time. It might be that geopolitically, the western hemisphere really is seen as something of a backwater, simply too far from all the actual threats to be very relevant. The Free Nations grows increasingly frustrated at being turned down.
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The Lechowicz government isn’t too concerned with foreign policy – that's the Crown's job. The Populists get right to work undoing not just many of the SDP’s industrial and social programs, but even legislation, such as cutting in half the “criminally high” minimum wages set by the previous government. All minimum wages do, they say, is disrupt the free market and stop companies from taking on as many workers as they’d like; and it’s not like a drop in minimum wage actually leads to a similar drop in actual wage. It's called "minimum" for a reason.
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Surprising precisely no-one – it’s a tried-and-true pattern, and basically part of the party program at this point – on the industrial side, the Populists cutting government contracts, price controls and overall subsidies means that unprofitable businesses (which really shouldn’t be called “businesses” at all) struggle, while lowered taxes and tariffs mean that the already profitable ones do even better. For some lower-class workers who had grown complacent with the SDP, this might well seem like a rough wake-up call to the ideological and class differences that despite best efforts still divide Poland – and most any other country.
And it certainly doesn’t go as planned for the Populists themselves. Whether or not their policies were correct, they at least seem to have applied them far too quickly, as the sheer U-turn in direction leaves a lot of companies big and small in freefall, and in addition to the people who do have a job but with worse pay, unemployment actually reaches levels it hasn’t seen since the first months of the Great Depression. Premier Lechowicz will need to slow down a bit.
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No newspapers.
After stabilizing for a couple years, Native Amatica hasn’t fallen into constant infighting or anything, but that might be because most of the border disputes between them are against Anahuac, which is as large and powerful as all the others combined. The leader of Anahuac, your classic supposedly-socialist strongman, seems more or less content for now with his annexation of Chichimeca.
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The more generic military dictatorship in Benin has been replaced with a markedly primacist one, which has immediately gotten to work reconquering the various states to its west that broke off in the chaos.
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Indo-Zhaoism claims another victory in Rajasthan, where a popular uprising – similar to Gondwana – has toppled the unwaveringly conservative even if democratic government to found the so-called Ganges Commune. The Maratha Confederacy is also strongly social-democratic, but at least the Karnata Republic has stepped back from the brink and away from hardcore communism.
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China’s reunification hasn’t gone quite as painlessly as hoped or perhaps expected: though there’s little doubt that it can eventually put it down, the Beijing government faces quite considerable separatist unrest in its western provinces.
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A bit like Tayshas, I had prewritten events for New Svea to either break apart or "nativize" should it ever become independent, but then I realized those didn't really account for the possibility of independence through breaking apart - nor the communist involvement - so like a lot of stuff in this AAR, I ended up having to juryrig a lot of that as it went down.
I’m very much in Conversion Fever mode, but that’s how it goes. That means somewhat switching into “observer mode” on my part, but it also makes me giddy at anything and everything that happens around the world. It just makes me look at everything in a "now, how will this work in HoI4" mindset.
We’ll probably have one more Vic 2 chapter, and then a Vic 2 wrap-up of some sort.
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