As you can see, my monitor settings are wonky. They differ from too dark to too bright over the course of this AAR. I've also decided to do this from a semi-IC point of view. It's long, I know, but you'll pull through.
Oldenburg
dares to leave the Hanseatic Trade League. The Hansa and their allies mobilize, intent on bringing the poor city back into the fold. Lüneberg, an ally of the Hansa, leads the siege of Oldenburg and annexes them, despite the purpose of the war and the League's claims to it. Relations remain tense between the two states until Lüneberg cedes the territory to the Emperor, not wishing to anger his Hanseatic allies and the Empire.
The Imperial city of Frankfurt attempts the same a few months later, no doubt wishing to destabilize the Hanseatic League on behalf of their Imperial masters. The war that follows is kept secret at first, but as Frankfurt's many allies rally to it's cause, a general Call to Arms is sounded. The war ends with Frankfurt's misguided rulers brought back to the light. They gladly swear their loyalty to the Statthalter and pledge their service to his cause. Ansbach, one of Frankfurt's many allies, is also vassalized. All of these nations and the Swiss are brought into the League, though relations with the Swiss remain tense and they leave the League some time later.
As a pleasant surprise, the Pope proclaims that the Statthalter's great-grandfather, a famous priest in Hamburg, was actually a saint! This is a cause of great celebration throughout the land, with all the lords and ladies of the land coming from far and wide to pay their respects at the priest's grave.
(I've never seen this event before. Actually, I've never had an event giving me free stab before.)Over in the east, the heathen Kingdom of Smolensk wages war upon the king of Finland and his allies. The Scandinavians and their allies mobilize quickly and push back the invaders. After a long and bloody struggle, Smolensk is forced to agree to a peace where the people of Polotsk are granted freedom. However, the cost of the war is heavy on the Kingdom of Sweden. It's embarks on a path to destruction still going on to this day.
In the Holy Land, the accursed Mamluks stand on the verge of collapse. Such is the fate of all enemies of Christendom.
The Kingdoms of Bohemia and Austria are both excommunicated by the Pope and many nations wage war on them, to differing results. Both rulers remain stubbornly unrepentant for over a decade.
Castille, the proven master of Iberia, tells the world in 1525 it has become Spain, and unified the lands before split between the Kingdoms of Portugal, Castille and Aragon.
A new power arises in North Africa, as Algiers takes the lands of once-great Morocco. However, as all nations inferior to those of Europa, it is soon much humbled by the Spaniards.
A little later, Ukraine sends out a desperate call for aid as the Kingdom of Poland marches it's armies into her lands. The Hanseatic League honours the alliance between the two countries, even though they are heathen primitives. The war goes on for years until the rulers of both nations meet to end the bloodshed in a white peace. Ukraine remains free.... for a while, atleast.
The wars the League has been forced to fight have taken a toll on the trade moving through Lübeck, though the Hansa's great navies have always kept the waters clear, even in war-time. It still remains the richest trade hub in the known world, and the merchants of the League are determined to keep it that way. A short war with Austria is especially damaging to the merchant city, and ruins the relations between the Emperor and the Hansa for good.
By 1538, the power of the infidel Ottomans had grown too great to ignore. For centuries they had been terrorizing the Christian peoples of Greece and the Balkans - but at last, someone takes up the spear of Christendom once again - a Crusade is called upon the Ottomans, led by the brave Spaniards.
But before the Crusade has even properly started, the French, vultures of Europe, declare war on unsuspecting Spain! Outraged by this act, many Christian nations pledge their full support to the Spanish king. Naples, England, Burgundy, Milan, even the excommunicated Austrians all strike back at the French with unbelievable fury.
However, the power of France is strong, and it's armies vast. Naples takes it's unlawful Italian holdings and frees the peoples of Baden and Navarra, but that is the extent of it's defeat. France gains a powerful rival in Spain, however, and creates wounds that will never heal.
The Hanseatic League has to defend Ukraine once again - this time against Smolensk and Bohemia. Brandenburg is brought back to the fold for a second time, and Ukraine's independence remains. The ungrateful people of Brandenburg have to be re-educated many more times as the years pass, each time boasting an even larger army.
The military genius of the League is proven once again some time later as their skilled generals defeat the much larger armies of the Swiss again and again, after it attempts to conquer the free people of Baden.
Sweden, long plagued by unstability and internal discord, loses a third of it's land to Catholic zealots, furious at the land's new heretic faith. The rebels decide the land deserves better lords and many provinces defect - two to the Hansa, two personally to the Pope and one, for reasons unknown, to the state of Ansbach. The Pope and Ansbach lose their lands to Norwegian nationalists soon afterwards, though.
As the Crusade against the Ottomans continues, a province in Greece declares independence, claiming to be the Byzantine Empire reborn. However, as the world soon discovers, they are both Muslim and a Theocracy. The Spaniards are understandably enraged by this mockery of the Eastern Roman Empire and attack them as well.
The League conquers the coastal city of Mecklenburg, thinking it would do better under their supervision. Soon afterwards they integrate their long-time vassals and allies Brunswick, under their direct control. The transition of power goes peacefully, but the Emperor, hungry for land, claims the territory was gained unlawfully and should be returned - though not to Brunswick, but to them. The Statthalter throws the Austrian ambassadors out of his court - though some in the land fear angering the Emperor. A few minor revolts follow.
The Pope finally excommunicates the French king. The Milanese declare war, but are soon crushed - it is speculated today that the battles they fought were orchestrated simply to distract and bleed dry the armies of the France, given what happened next. The King of Burgundy sends his armies to French soil, bringing in their allies - Spain. Flanders quickly follows their example, and their allies, Bohemia and Brittany answer their call.
The Spanish expand their border and free the state of Parma in Italy and Flanders gains land as well - a great blow to French power and to their reputation.
Europe in 1550
Author
Topic: Let's Change History! (Europa Universalis 3: Divine Wind) (Read 35806 times)