AAR - Russianescence

Intro: This is my second attempt at a campaign. The first one ended at about the mid of the 18th century, as I had already captured 90% of the necessary territories and was generally controlling the game (GB in M/M).

This time around, apart from raising the difficulty (H/H) I wanted a more challenging nation. So I thought I’d go with Russia.

The Summer of 1700

After evaluating the situation, my first impressions were the following:

• I had a young smart kid as a Czar, who showed considerable potential, but the cabinet, especially my naval and treasury advisors and the head of the cabinet, were worthless. Something had to be done immediately about this. Also the approval rating was terrible, 42%.
• International relations were not very advanced. Poland – Lithuania and Denmark were our only allies, and Poland the only trade partner. As for enemies Ottoman Empire and their protectorate Crimean Khanate were the immediate ones.
• I had two “major” forces. One in the North of Muscovy near the borders with Sweden, and one in the South near Kiev. Navy… nowhere in sight.
• With the approval rating being so low, I had major issues with public order in 7 territories leaving only the two major territories in rather orderly state.
• Trade and technology are laughable to say the least.

So there was much work to be done. I had to focus and prioritize though. So… my first goals would be, to try and secure a trading port in either the North or the South (and maybe even both), which would help me to modernize and improve my nation’s trade, increase my alliance and trading partners, improve my approval rating and the public order of the nation and try to keep one war front at a time, because if I was to spend money on modernizing the country, I didn’t think I’d be able to keep more than one huge army mobilized and ready.

Action

Infrastructure

First order of the day was to fire half of my cabinet. The new ones were better (one significantly better) and with the lowering of taxes for the lower class, I managed to restore public order to 4 of the 7 problematic provinces. The 3 remaining problematic provinces were the ones that religion was a bit of an issue, with Islamic and animistic (sic) elements making a powerful presence.

Still it was a satisfying result with only two moves. Also the effect this lowering of taxes had on the income was insignificant, as the loss of taxes was balanced by the zeroing of expenditure for town watch.

It was also evident that my provinces were not growing. So an agricultural program was put in effect for the majority of the nation and farms were implemented in half the country. In the capital though I ordered the building of an Admiralty, as I wanted to start preparing for my naval “revolution”.

As a technology I ordered the research of Carbines and ordered a scholarly man to travel to Novgord school to aid the research. The choice was made because I wanted to modernize my army (and I use cavalry a lot in my games).

International relations

Without any ports trading became a problem. So my only solution was to try and come to trading agreements with my neighbors. Sweden were the last nation I wanted to trade with, but beggars can’t be choosers. Plus I thought that if I had a trading agreement with them, that would put off any plans of attack they might have had against me, as I wanted to deal with Crimea unhindered (then I would see how I would deal with the Ottomans). So a trade agreement was made with the Swedes even though I had to also offer them gold (800 after I lowered their demand of 1100).

The only other successful trade negotiation that was made was with Dagestan (I also gave them 520 gold). The total increase in income was 700, which was already half of what I’d given both of them (the increase in income though was also aided by the new ministers).

Subterfuge

As for agents I sent a missionary to one of the territories with religious issues (Don Voisko), one rake to Sweden (as I still didn’t trust them and was afraid of them) and the other to Crimea.

Military

My North army with Prince Ivanovich as his commander, guarded our north borders with the Swedes, while my South army in Ukraine with Ivan Mazepa as the commander, was reinforced with a cannon from Kiev and marched southwards to our borders with Crimea.

As a last action I ordered the recruitment of militia in Komi to help keep the public order there.

End treasury: 110 Predicted Income: 4300

The Winter of 1700

A very uneventful winter followed the busy first Summer of my reign. My treasury was also significantly less than what I begun with, so that restricted my actions a bit.
The four provinces in which farms were built were now growing, and Komi had its public order reinstated.

A new gentleman was recruited by my people and he was also immediately dispatched to Novgord school to help with the nation’s researches.

Roads were ordered in 3 of the nations provinces to modernize our country and help to the increase of trade. Baracks were built in Kiev and a farm in another province.

My South army raided an iron mine and then raided a trade route on the bridge in Crimea.

Finally a trade agreement was made with Georgia after giving them 860 gold.

Not much else happened but I was happy to see my income on the rise.

Treasury: 1 Income: 5975

Then the first setback happened. My allies the Danes were attacked by the untrustworthy Swedes:furious3:! I was forced now to either do the honorable thing and aid my allies, thus creating a second war front (one of the things I did not want) and also losing my trade with the Swedes, or do what’s best for my nation (in the short-term) and look the other way.

That was a tough one (I stayed staring at the screen for almost 5 minutes), but ultimately I had to aid my allies. I know I made it my goal to avoid creating multiple fronts, BUT I also made it one of my top priorities to increase my presence and prestige in the International field, by increasing my alliances and trade agreements. I was not going to achieve that by turning my back on one of my 2 allies!

So with this turn of events I had to alter my plans. I would have to seriously deal with the Swedes now which meant, I had to speed up the proceedings in regards to my southern front :whip:. I would try to capture the Crimean province within the next 1-2 turns, thus destroying them, and then immediately pursue peace with the Ottomans. After all my initial goal would have been achieved (get access to the Black Sea via a port) and I could pursue the added bonus of also accessing the Baltic. If I could do that without being sidetracked, then maybe this will turn out as a blessing in disguise.

Summer of 1701

Military actions

A rake was sent to sabotage a military government's encampment in Bakchisaray and he was successful, while the southern army moved on to capture the area's port, thus delivering a blow to the Ottoman's empire trade which was occuring there.

On the north a rake on the way to St. Petersburg, was ordered to sabotage a farm. He failed but evaded capture.

Meanwhile the Prince in the North, stayed behind fortifications with the army, waiting for reinforcements from Muscovny and Karelia, before he moved against St. petersburg.

Infrastructure was improved in some cities with an emphasis on trade.

Winter of 1701

Austria and the United provinces alliance is broken. My missionary in Tatariya is murdered (i bet my empire it was the cursed Ottomans and their friends).

Also my justice minister (who was average in the justice cabinet, but not bad), received a trait that made him the ultimate economic guru of the Empire. So he was moved into the Treasury department, and the minister i had there went to the justice department (with the same effects as before). The bonuses received for treasury, doubled!

Something odd is going on though. Someone is undermining the reform efforts. My approval rating (although the arrow pointed upwards before) is now down to 40%. I guess some people are just ungrateful. Contemplating now to raise taxes and let them have pie!

On the war front, in the North, my rake was sent to St. Petersburg to try and assasinate the Swede general there and he failed, but escaped. There seems to appear a pattern in this rake's actions. I'm starting to doubt he's actually trying to perform the actions i order him.

My South army moved to the capital of Crimea and attacked. My 492 force was outnumbered 1:2 but of course the bulk of the enemy's army was made up of armed citizens.

The ensuing battle was fiercer than anticipated and the townsfolk, put up quite a fight. In the end though, even though i lost 330 of my men, i managed to capture Bakchisaray and the Crimeans were no more. Immediately i gave orders to replenish the army, to start the repairs especially in the port, and the province was exempted from taxes, until we got the situation of the public order, under control.

Now since my first goal (to secure a port in the south) was achieved, and a new front had broken in the North, i did not want under any circumstance to fight the Ottomans. So immediately i sued for peace. They refused my initial offers, but accepted once i sweetened the pot and offered them a 1000 gold. Now i could focus on the North. Plus my next step would be to try and make a trade agreement with the Ottoman Empire.

Approval rating now rose to 57%.

Income: 6217 Treasury: 1190