17th century

[Rodion Romanovich]

CHAPTER 2 - August 1st, 1609 AD
...this chapter will affect the events from August 1st, 1609 AD to March 1st, 1610 AD

There are rumors of the Papacy and Spain having had diplomatic discussions. What the discussions have been about has not been revealed, but shortly after the discussions with the Papacy, Spain made an official statement that all Vatican representatives are to be given free passage on Spanish ships departing from the ports of Lisboa and Sevilla to Eastern Africa, offering also a military cross, the Cross of the Red Sea for noblemen, and 'hidalguia' (lower knighthood for footmen) to those who volunteer to accompany the Papal envoys in East Africa, implying some form of Spanish strengthening of the colonial rule there, even though somewhat decreased naval traffic to the region implies the opposite. In the continuing expulsion of Christianized moors, some 2,000 have now been deported to East Africa, somewhat surprised over being given some benefitial offers of status and land ownage in the region to build up a stronger colony there. Six ships sailing from Spanish ports arrived at the East African colonies safely with only a few dozen casualties from disease during the transport. Some of the nobility in Spain have frowned upon the decision, and have questioned whether the Christianized moors really are a good way to build up a Christian colony, but the nobility generally hasn't been bothered much by the incident.

The Spanish Emperor Philippe III has also made plans for the creation of a Spanish East India Company, recalling some ships from African and East Indian colonies, but the Company is still only at the planning stage. Many merchants, nobles, retired soldiers and sailors and others interested in the idea have been invited for further discussions about how to control the company. The peace negotiations with the Netherlands are called to a halt when Dutch representatives refuse to accept the Spanish Emperor's demands of ending piracy, claiming they refuse to take responsibility for the actions of individual Dutch citizens or provinces, and that it's a matter between Spain and the provinces or citizens involved. The shipping of some additional 3,000 Spanish troops to southern Netherlands has also delayed the negotiations, but Spain reassured the Dutch representatives that they're there strictly for defensive purposes. After these interruptions the discussions have continued and are likely to be concluded before winter, however a de facto ceasefire has already begun during the summer, which has enabled Spain to begin a recovery of the Imperial economy. It seems that about 10% of the debts will be repayed already by next spring. The locals in the southern Netherlands are not happy about being forced to accept continued Spanish rule, and some have emigrated to England, Brandenburg and Sweden, bringing technology and knowledge to these areas. Swedish copper and iron production, which constitutes a majority of the Swedish export income, has benefitted greatly from this. British wool industry has also opened important factories for creating wool fabric - exporting the fabric instead of the raw wool has increased the British export income. However the remaining population in the area knows it can't match the Spanish troop strength and unlike the Northern Provinces can't use fleet and dykes for defense, and are therefore not very likely to cause any rebellions in the nearest future.

In Russia, the civil war rages on. The situation has been worsened for Vasili IV by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth entering the war. In april they quickly marched into Russian lands with their army and besieged Smolensk. After having an initial assault being repelled, the Polish set up camp and continued besieging the city, passively trying to starve out the garrison.

Upon the arrival of the Polish army, most of the Polish troops from Dmitriy's army immediately deserted to join the Polish army. Russian raids on Dmitriy's key farms have also taken their toll on the impostor's forces. With reduced supplies and the loss of his key troops, his army has begun to dissolve. The winter is also approaching, making the situation for his remaining troops, with their lack of supplies, difficult. There are estimates of some 20,000 deserters. In the meantime in Moscow, one of the boyars who formerly was one of the most loyal supporters of Vasili, Prince Vorotynsky, has been holding meetings with many boyars, arguing in favor of the removal of Vasili IV from the Tsar position, and trying to make the boyars accept Polish suggestions for putting the Polish heir on the Russian throne as Tsar. The Vorotynsky lineage has distinguished itself in many battles against the Crimean Tatars during the late 16th century, and could possibly have good support among the 50,000 Russian troops along the Russian southern borders if Vorotynsky would want to use war to remove Vasili. However Vasili's influence over the Russian main armies near Moscow is limited too, which means Vorotynsky would hardly need to actually use military force to force Vasili to leave power, if only he could rise enough discontent among the other boyars. Poland has assured Swedish troops neutrality in the conflict, and the Swedish troops have so far been rather passive.

In the Holy Roman Empire, the religious conflicts has severed after the death of the ruler of Jülich-Kleve in the northern parts of the empire. The now deceased ruler, being Catholic, has two heirs with valid claims to the region, both of which are Protestants. Upon hearing this, the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph II has, against the terms of the 1555 Diet of Augsburg ordered his Catholic cousin Leopold of Austria to garrison the fort of Jülich. If the Catholics would lose this key location to Protestants it would mean the entire Northern part of the empire would be a united Protestant front, and it would also cut off the link between the Empire's armies and the Spanish-owned Southern Netherlands. The Protestant League has gained a few more members from parts of the Holy Roman empire, but the efforts of the Catholic League of making Poland and Spain join their pact have so far failed.

In France, the religious conflicts of the last century have been settled by the tolerant Edict of Nantes a few years earlier. The skilled politician he is, Henry IV of France has managed to calm down most of the Huguenots, but also with his personal conversion to the Catholic church and upheaval of the expulsion of the Catholic Jesuit order, he has at the same time gained acceptance among many of the Catholic citizens, and due to his position as competitor to the Habsburgs been able to gain popularity with the pope despite somewhat Protestant ideals. After solving the internal conflicts, France has been able to improve it's finances by encouraging trade, internal industrialization to decrease import costs, and is now capable of maintaining an army of around 50,000 men. However the problems in France are far from solved. The acceptance shown in the Edict of Nantes grants the Huguenots a lot of influence which limits the power of the French monarch, decreases unity within the country, and arises some suspicion among the Catholics, reinforced by Henry IV himself formerly being a Huguenot and the somewhat hostile relations to Spain and the Holy Roman Empire.

After the death of Queen Elisabeth I, England has come under the leadership of King James I, giving the power to the Scottish lineage, creating a loose union between England and Scotland. James due to his Scottish origins is somewhat impopular with the English, but even greater unrest is caused by the end of the war with Spain, which has deprived the merchant and sailor classes of their chances of piracy and competition with the Spanish colonies. English trade is however still doing comparatively well after the Elisabethan era, with London being almost comparable to Amsterdam in importance and traffic. The restrictive handing out of higher noble titles has also had the effect of decreasing the power of the higher nobility, but instead made the lower nobility, along with mechants and many others a more influential power factor, perhaps too well united against their ruler by means of the parliament. The Admiral Sir John Hawkins has also given England one of the best fleets in Europe, comparable only to the Dutch and Spanish fleets. While having fewer ships than the Spanish, the English navy has superior, more manouverable ships with more guns than the slower, less manouverable but more heavily fortified Spanish ships that are adapted mainly to boarding action tactics. The English ships with their guns and manouverability don't need a powerful defense against boarding actions... English colonial rule has however so far not been very successful. This very year, the settlers in Virginia were forced to retreat back to England, having been defeated by the local population, at least temporarily defeated.

There are also events of interest in the Nordic countries. The areas north of the northernmost Swedish cities of important has seen limtied colonization from Swedish and Norwegian citizens, and the area is mostly controlled by nomads. However now Denmark has made demands that Sweden should give up any claims to the region to Denmark-Norway.

Decisions for Chapter 2
the answers to the questions should be sent to me by PM, you only need to answer the questions for your own faction. Also remember that you can make decisions about other things than those I have mentioned below.

England

1. alliances and non-aggression treaties for the future. Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Spain, the Holy Roman empire and Sweden are all interesting candidates for discussions by PM.

2. colonial competition, which targets should English ships primarily aim for?
a. North America, specify exact location more closely (for example try to retake the newly lost colony of Virginia)
b. India region
c. Africa
d. East Indies
Helpful map: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Spanish_Empire.png

3. the stance on English pirate ships
a. keep it as it is, it's necessary for English colonial competition to maintain peace with Spain, at least until English economy allows the maintenance of a larger fleet
b. severe the diplomatic relations with the Spanish by allowing the pirates to do as they wish. This would make many merchants and sailors happy, but could mean a risk of war

4. the Swedish-Danish conflict
a. important transports of ship timber from Norway, used for construction of English ships, could be threatened by a war. Try to mediate in the conflict
b. as a, but instead of mediating offer assistance to Denmark-Norway, specify what type of assistance (send troops, send upkeep for mercenaries)
c. ignore such an insignificant conflict


France

1. should France intervene with the situation in Jülich-Kleve? The incident shows signs of Habsburg expansionism, which isn't in the interests of France, which is squeezed between Spain and the Holy Roman Empire.
a. declare war on the Holy Roman Emperor and march through the Spanish Netherlands to intervene in Jülich-Kleve. If necessary engage the Spanish garrison in the area, which consists of some 10,000-15,000 men according to your estimates. Specify how many of your 50,000 man strong army you wish to send. Helpful maps:
http://www.tacitus.nu/historical-atl...lich-kleve.htm
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/histo...lands_1678.jpg
...possible targets include Spanish garrison near Brugos and Antwerp in Southern Netherlands, the fort Jülich and the major cities and forts in Spanish Southern Netherlands
b. unconditionally send money corresponding to 5,000 mercenaries for a year to the Protestant Union to assist them
c. don't intervene. If it would be good to intervene it's better to wait until next spring to see if the Holy Roman Emperor's cousin is still garrisoning the fort Jülich, and spring is also a better campaign season

2. alliances and non-aggression treaties for the future. The Netherlands, England, Spain and the Holy Roman Empire are all interesting candidates for discussions by PM. The Netherlands and England could provide France with a fleet and are also natural enemies of the Habsburgs, which have long been France's enemies. On the other hand temporarily maintaining peace with the Habsburgs could be benefitial for the French economy, which is currently at a crucial stage of upbuilding.

3. the religious-political situation in France. What to do?
a. expel the Jesuits again, they are instigating revolts and unrest
b. improve relations with Spain, one of the champions of Catholicism at the time
c. make sure Huguenots who exceed the rights given by the Edict of Nantes are stopped and punished if necessary, but also don't deny Huguenots any of the rights they have according to the Edict
d. do nothing

4. threat of war Sweden-Denmark and the Russian civil war - should France intervene with either side in either of the conflicts? French farming has been extended dramatically recently, decreasing dependence on Danish food exports, but French agriculture still is far from self-supporting and the food prices could be affected by a war. In the Russian civil war it could be of interest for France to support Russia and challenge the Catholic Polish, thereby weakening a possible future player in the Catholic League. Discuss by PM...


HRE and Austria

1. what would you advise your brother Rudolph to do about Jülich-Kleve?
a. claim Jülich-Kleve for the Holy Roman Emperor to at all costs keep the path to Spanish Southern Netherlands open
b. keep garrisoning the fort Jülich and wait for the conflict between the two protestant heirs to be settled, with no loss of prestige, as your excuse for holding the fort was to keep the region calm while the heirs discussed the inheritance. However this choice can also be a risk.
c. try to establish negotiations for settling the conflict quickly, despite the small prestige loss it means
d. abandon the fort, despite the huge prestige loss it means, to avoid war with France and/or a Protestant rebellion
http://www.tacitus.nu/historical-atl...lich-kleve.htm

2. what to do about your brother Rudolph as Holy Roman Emperor? He is indecisive and somewhat mad, and could probably not be trusted to handle his task too well
a. have one or more of the provinces directly under your control - Hungary, Austria and Bohemia - join the Catholic League to try and gain influence there to have something to say while Rudolph is still alive. Specify which of those provinces should join the Catholic League (having the Protestant Bohemia join could be risky)
b. do nothing, just wait for Rudoplh to die
c. try to poison Rudolph, hopefully then being elected as the next Holy Roman Emperor quickly. If discovered you wouldn't have much chance of becoming Emperor, but you hold strong provinces around Austria and by approaching the Catholic League you would still hold important power, especially if you intervene in the religious conflict


Poland

1. the war with Russia. The besieging force is doing well starving the garrisons, but it'll take 1 or 2 more years before it can be destroyed. The defenses have been weakened by bombardment, but no openings have been created yet. Your infantry besieging the city are ready to form a tabor, a wagon fortress similar to those used by the hussites, against any Russian relief forces, making you able to withstand enemy attacks from much larger forces towards the infantry components of your army. This could allow you to send away some of your troops to carry out supporting missions, sieging smaller forts and cities or carrying out smaller-scale raids.
a. continue besieging Smolensk with your entire army, conduct the necessary raids and troop movements to supply your army.
b. as a, but send 30% of your winged Hussars to scout for and intercept Russian troops near the city
c. as a, but send 30% of your winged Hussars to Dmitriy to cover him during the autumn. The Russians might want to attack Dmitriy before winter, and without your support he is more likely to be defeated
d. pull back
e. besiege another city instead, specify which, see map and list of suggested cities in the previous chapter:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:R...Dymitriads.png

2. reinforcements for the war with Russia, choose one or more of these:
a. send 3,000 more cavalry taken from the Livonia and Riga areas to strengthen the ability to resist Russian attempts to relieve the garrison
b. send 3,000 infantry mercenaries to strengthen your ability to assault Smolensk (such a large force would be difficult for your economy to handle for more than 1 or 2 years)
c. transport 30 more guns to Smolensk to improve the bombardment of defenses, these risk being lost if you're forced to retreat quickly
d. acquire no more reinforcements, Russia is still a mess by the civil war and you don't need more troops, plus removing troops from elsewhere would leave those lands vulnerable, and finally spending money on new mercenaries would be a too heavy burden for your treasury


Russia

1. what to do about False Dmitriy II? Dmitriy has lost his Polish key troops and also several of his other followers, leaving him extremely vulnerable. Even though his numbers are around 70,000, your general Mikhail Skopin-Shuisky points out that the remaining troops are mere levies and have very few guns, low morale and primitive equipment. He advices you to attack with the Russian main army of some 30,000 to 40,000 men with some 50 guns immediately to destroy them and also stand a good chance of capturing Dmitriy himelf along with some Polish troops remaining under his command (which could be useful hostages in your new war), Ukraining Cossacks and some of his levies. He says it would be a major propaganda victory and help you through the immediate crisis with the boyars
a. follow the advice of your general, he knows what he is doing and you really need the propaganda victory. Afterwards call him home to enter Moscow on your side in triumph
b. as a, but advice him to bring not only the main army but also some troops from the Russian city garrisons (specify from where, see previous chapter for troop strength and locations)
c. don't deal with Dmitriy at this time, let the winter make his army dissolve and engage it when it reassembles next spring
Useful map: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:R...Dymitriads.png

2. what to do about the Polish siege of Smolensk? Remember that the Polish Hussars are of extremely high quality and probably constitute a majority of the Polish force.
a. send your main army of 30,000 - 40,000 men to relieve the garrison (this can't be combined with 1a or 1b)
b. send your main army of 30,000 - 40,000 men and also troops from your garrisons (specify where to take them from, see previous chapter) to relieve the garrions (this can't be combined with 1a or 1b) (see previous chapter for garrison strengths of the troops you can command. You haven't got enough influence to be able to control the troops in southern Russia mentioned in this chapter)
c. send some cavalry patrols to scout out the Polish forces near Smolensk
d. leave the Smolensk garrison alone for the time being, it can withstand Polish assaults and has supplies for over a year, possibly more
Useful map: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:R...Dymitriads.png

3. what to do about Prince Vorotynsky? You can choose one or more of these options.
a. have spies kill Vorotynsky. If it leaks out you were behind it there's a huge risk of the boyars listening to Vorotynsky's friends' demands to have you removed, however if it doesn't leak out, it's likely to keep the other boyars calm
b. assemble the Duma and invite to more open discussions. If the boyars meet under such offical circumstances it'll be a counter-weight to their secret conspiracy meetings. It would also give you more information about the nature of their discontent. Your newly won boyar friends, carefully chosen for their great ambitions (but before you helped them of limited resources), would stand up for you during the meeting and lower the risks of Vorotynsky gaining much support for any suggestions of your removal
c. as b, but also invite your cousin and general Mikhail Skopin-Shuisky to come home from the wars with Dmitriy (if you choose 1a or 1b the Duma is assembled after his battle, otherwise he comes home right away). Mikhail with his popularity would add further strength to the pact you and your boyar friends would form in the discussions
d. join your cousin and general Mikhail in the war as a propaganda action


Spain

1. how should the Spanish East India Company be controlled?
a. the state should own the company and it's ships directly and get all of it's income, except for salaries to the sailors
b. the state should not own the company directly, but have merchants run it and only take out taxes of 10% of their income. The state should own the ships and have the merchants borrow them
c. the state should not own the company directly, but have merchants run it and only take out taxes of 10% of their income. The state could provide them with their first ships and allow them to not pay off the ships until after 5 years
d. offer absolutely customs duty free trade for the Spanish East India Company for the coming 20 years if they can promise to expand to a strength of some 30 ships within 10 years. Help them aquire their first few ships.

2. if you chose 1b, 1c or 1d, what type of ships should their first ships be?
a. during summer you pulled back a few ships from Africa and the East Indies intended for possibly joining the Company. Convert a few of these ships from the Spanish war fleet. They could be repainted, rebuilt and equipped with new banners within a month or two and would enable you to send the first merchants before the winter. However this would reduce Spanish war ship strength corresponding to the number of ships you convert
b. construct new ships, 3 would be ready by late spring next year and about 6 would be ready by fall next year
c. try to negotiate to buy completed merchants ships from abroad, specify from where

3. how many ships should be launched in the first year?
a. send 3 ships as an experiment
b. send 10 ships right away

4. the Catholic League claims it has no resources to pay off the Spanish debts in return for Spain joining the Catholic League, but they offer you to join the pact anyway, as it would benefit both parties - the Spanish would get assistance against Netherlandic rebels, and the local rulers near Bavaria with the aid of the Holy Roman Emperor would be able to crush the insurgents within the Holy Roman Empire. The League reminds you that the pact is purely defensive and the members only need to offer their passive support to be members of the pact at all times. Active support however can be negotiated within the pact later as needed, meaning there's no pressure of Spanish active contribution while the Spanish debts remain. They also claim it's vital to join the League as it would demoralize the protestants to see a united front standing against them. However you wonder if perhaps the latter could also fuel the protestants to unite a bit more firmly.
a. accept
b. decline, offering to join later "to be able to devote yourself fully to such a divine task when the time comes"

5. what to do in response to the Spanish trade ship that was lost somewhere in the English channel, probably due to Dutch pirates, during the spring?
a. decrease Spanish trade and war ship activity in those areas, making fewer travels but in larger groups, even if it decreases the contact with the Spanish garrison in southern Netherlands and decreases possibly important trade
b. temporarily end all Spanish trade and war ship activity in those areas until your debts are payed off, and during the period only make contact with the Spanish garrison in southern Netherlands in cases of emergency, although this means a risk of mutiny and decreases Spanish overview of the strength of hostiles in the region, meaning limited intelligence being available when such an emergency situation would occur
c. send a fleet of some 5-10 war ships to patrol the area and search for and destroy pirate ships, however this would require decreased naval traffic in other regions, specify where
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Spanish_Empire.png

6. the situation in Jülich-Kleve
a. don't interfere at all
b. support your ally the Emperor
c. just pull all forces from your Southern Netherlands garrison together in a single place and have it ready for defense against the French, should they attack


Sweden

1. the Polish are now busy in Russia, you could possibly use that to attack the Polish possessions in Riga
a. order a naval blockade of Riga
b. march your troops in the Livonia and Keksholm area towards Riga and besiege the city
c. march your troops in the Livonia and Keksholm area towards Riga and besiege and assault smaller cities and forts to quickly establish own garrisons in the area, then prepare to besiege Riga
d. do nothing, at least not yet...
Useful map: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:R...Dymitriads.png

2. the Russian civil war, possibly coordinate actions with Russia by PM. You currently have the force under Jacob de la Gardie and some further troops in your own garrisons. Out of those troops about 30% are infantry mercenaries, 15% are Finnish cavalry and the rest are Swedish infantry.

3. reinforcements to your possessions in Keksholm (almost same as Karelian Isthmus) and Livonia areas (choose a or one or more of the other options)?
a. send no more troops
b. send 1,000 Finnish Hakkapeliitta cavalrymen. These are cavalrymen who fire two pistols in the charge, then switch to cold steel rather than pulling back to reload. They're not comparable to hussars is cavalry to cavalry fights, but very effective against most other types of cavalry, and against musketeers
c. send 3,000 - 5,000 Swedish infantrymen
d. send 3,000 - 5,000 mercenary infantry
e. send some 50 guns to strengthen the garrisons
f. don't reinforce those areas, instead call some troops back home, specify how many and from where (if you call home some from Jacob de la Gardie's force Russia will see it as you breaking the treaty). You can also hire any of the mercenaries above (b or d) and send to your homelands). This could be needed in case of a Danish attack

4. the relations with Denmark
a. accept the Danish claims to the land north of Sweden
b. decline
Map: https://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y1...NorSwe1609.jpg

5. roadnet, infrastructure and cities
a. finance the construction of a larger harbor, and small fortified city near Älvsborg, the only Swedish piece of coast in the North Sea. This will be expensive and limit mercenary recruitment capabilities for a while.
b. improve the roads from the Stockholm area to Älvsborg. This will be fairly expensive and somewhat limit mercenary recruitment capabilities for a while.
c. leave these construction projects until later
Map (Älvsborg's fortress is where Gothenburg (Göteborg) is on the map, the land north and south of it are in Danish hands): http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/europe/sweden.jpg

Edit: added some maps. I'm afraid I couldn't find any better maps for some regions above... I hope the descriptions attached to the maps will do... edit2: fixed somewhat better maps, edit3: fixed an error under options for France