The Art of Diplomacy and War

[Franconicus]

So finally here we are:

This is a multiple players alternate history, where the decisions are made primarily by posting here, but also to some extent by PM. The first turn the players will also need to do research about their factions, if needed with each others' assistance. The outcome of actions is decided at the end of each chapter/turn. Rules and more details about the system is listed at the bottom of this post.




PROLOGUE

The year is 1603. After the defeat of the Armada and the de facto independence of the Netherlands, Spain is no longer the major power in Europe. England has through diplomacy and warfare successfully prevented many invasions and with it's colonies and fleet become a power of considerable importance after a century of internal problems. The newly independent Netherlands have developed very effective trade and is a flourishing nation with an untraditional power structure, open-mindedness to trade and an effective fleet, but with limited offensive capabilities. The Holy roman empire is comparatively stable, even though many external threats are in the process of building up. Russia has gone from being a number of smaller principalities occupied by mongols to, under the leadership of Muscovy, become a large empire intent on expanding further west. The Ottoman empire might be expanding well inland, but their naval domination has been limited since the battle of Lepanto many decades earlier.

It is a time when many nations are about equal in power, but also a time of instability where the strategies of the leaders could have huge consequences and make one nation insignificant, while another becomes an empire.

Map of 1600 AD: http://www.euratlas.com/big/big1600.htm

Tasks for this turn:
1. first choose a faction to play as (England, France, HRE, Poland, Spain, Sweden). After choosing faction, make a post in this thread to reserve that faction. The first who posts that he wants a certain faction gets that faction.

2. make some research about your faction. This information will be available to all players, and is later to be used to plan your strategies. The knowledge about what happened after 1603 is supposed to be used to better understand the present situation in 1603, not to be abused as hindsight - I'll deliberately lay out the story in a way that prevents hindsight that couldn't have been known at the time from having any effect (after the first chapters it'll become clear what I mean by this). Things to research:
a. name of your leader, and of the living heirs of your leader
b. your current alliances in 1603. Look at which alliances were broken in the coming 50 years and why, to try and find information about the nature and strength of the alliances at this time
c. current pacts/leagues (with pact I mean a bunch of nations all in alliance with each others, the pacts must also be public whereas alliances can be of a more secret character)
d. current wars that your nation is engaged in
e. regions that historically rebelled against your nation during the period 1603 to around 1648, and why. Did any of the rebellions happen at critical times during wars with outside nations, or did the rebellions for other reasons have greater effect than their military strength alone would imply?
f. a list of the major military campaigns, crucial economical conflicts and other major events during the period 1603 to around 1648 for your nation
g. in 1603, how is your army organized? how many men are available through conscription? how many men constitute a standing army? what equipment and training have they got? how is the quality of the artillery? and how did these things change in the coming 50 years?
h. how well is your nation doing economically? are you in debt or is the economy flourishing? which are the key strategic locations that gives you income? tax, trade routes/tolls, farming or industries? How many people live in your realm?
i. which countries are your major trading partners at this time and what products do they buy/sell from/to you?
j. how centralized is rule? what is your role as leader? military defender of your people? reformer? if your rule isn't centralized, is local unhappiness most directed towards you or the local rulers?
k. what is your leader's religion? what is the stance of different religions in your nation - acceptance, tolerance, non-tolerance or persecution?
l. what's the social situation for farmers, workers etc.? are they in a position to rebel over their social situations?
m. are there any provinces of your nation that are eager to break off and form an own country? i.e. Portugal for Spain etc.


PLAYERS

Here the players commanding the nations will be listed for reference when during play you need to contact them by PM for diplomatic deals.

England - Fisherking
France - Swordsmaster
HRE and Austria - Arjos
Spain - Prince Cobra
Netherlands - El Barto

Poland - Free (formally Csargo)
Sweden - Free (Formally autolycos)

RULES/INFO ABOUT HOW THE INTERACTIVE WORKS

- Your objectives: the objective is to achieve as much as possible in all these fields: conquest of provinces, conquest of strategic positions, strengthening the economy and controlling trade, having an appearance of strength and determination to outside threats by successfully defending and counter-attacking aggressors, have a good diplomatic rumor, and help spread whatever religion you choose. All these factors will be added together and the factions which achieved most in all these aspects will be winners by the end of the game.

- First turn - in the prologue turn you'll not make any decisions but only do research about your faction.

- How to play - every turn, I'll list questions about the most relevant matters for the player to decide about. However, each turn it's also possible to decide about things that aren't listed under that turn. Examples of things that you can decide are listed here for reference during the game:
* thing made publicly in this thread:
a. declaring war
b. hiring mercenaries
c. propaganda - if your nation wants to use propaganda actions it's posted as a public proclamation in the public thread. This can also be a general call for, say "the Catholic cause" etc. but also actions for your own population. Normal actions that aren't explicit propaganda can also have propaganda effects.
d. choosing stance on religion, and the leader's religion - this will affect relations with the pope, relations with other countries, relations with local rulers etc.
* things made by sending a PM to me that turn (sometimes this information risks to leak out to the public forum):
e. reorganizing your army - this is made by PM, but info will leak out
f. diplomatic discussions - it'll always leak out that a meeting has taken place, but very seldom what was said during the meeting, unless the two parts wish to make an official proclamation as result of the meeting. Because some of the diplomatic correspondence can leak out, try to make the PMs with historical phrasing, and it's also a good reason to, even if you're planning on backstabbing, not expressing such things too explicitly in the PMs... The diplomatic discussion in a turn may only be carried out as a series of max 3 PMs, i.e. 1. offer, 2. counter-offer/accept/decline, 3. accept/decline/counter-offer to consider for next turn/suggest discussions continue next turn. The reason for this rule is to make the discussion fast enough to not delay chapters, but also to simulate some of the difficulties of diplomatic discussion and not make the diplomacy an overly effective tool. The PMs from the correspondence should be sent to me by PM each turn so I know which deals took place so I can determine the outcome of the turn.
g. choosing where to launch offensives and which tactics and key targets to use - you're allowed make very complex strategies with conditional plans and diversions etc. Just remember it must be logistically feasible within the length of the chapter. Also remember that pushing soldiers too hard can result in undisciplined behavior, mutiny and desertion etc.
h. starting war without formal declaration
i. determining what to do about rebels - you decide which and how many troops, what tactics they are to use etc. I'll ask more specific questions and give the suitable player options for how to act when a rebellion takes place
j. choosing whether to use your own leader in combat - using the leader in combat can boost morale, but also keeps him away from home which may be tempting to some rebels, and it also puts him at the risk of dying in action. If the leader has gone to the front, the other nations will know it before long through hints in the public thread (this thread).
* other decisions:
k. you can decide about almost anything you can think of that isn't very historically unlikely, say send away mercenaries without pay, choose whether to kill prisoners of war or not, etc. etc. Those decisions can be sent to me by PM. Bear in mind that every character affected by your decisions has some form of power which he can use against you.

[Kagemusha]

I would like to pick France. If that is ok. I will start researching about this realm.

[autolycus]

I will be SWEDEN! I've started research, and will publish information this evening or tomorrow night.

[Fisherking]

I'll take England please and begin research.

[autolycus]

Swedish Research (I'll keep coming back and editing this as I learn more):
Current leader: Charles IX. Technically regent until 1604 (Then proclaimed king)
Living heirs: 1. Gustavus Adolphus (b. 1594) Eldest son
2. Charles Philip (b. 1601). Other living son
3. Catherine (b.1584) eldest daughter
4. Maria Elizabeth (b. 1596) other living daughter
Other potential claimants: Sigismund of Poland, recently deposed King of Sweden (Charles' nephew)
John, Duke of Ostergotland (b.1590) formally renounces his succession rights in 1604

Alliances: None in 1603, but will fight on the Protestant/French side in the 30 years war
Wars: At war with Poland-Lithuania over both the Swedish crown and control of the provinces of Estonia and Livonia. Continues until 1629 with a few breaks
Upcoming wars: Kalmar War (1611-1613( with Denmark-Norway over tolls for naval traffic. Won by the Danes, resulting in major costs
Ingrian War with Russia(1610-1617): Attempt to put a Swede (Charles Philip) on the throne of Russia. Gain the provinces of Ingria and Karelia, but Michael Romanov stays on the throne

Religion: Lutheran. Adamantly so, as we just deposed a Catholic and disinherited all Catholics!
Dissident regions: Finland's Governor-General supported Sigismund before his death in 1597, but no major uprisings since 1580 (and that was probably not directed at secession but rather changing the leadership of all of Sweden), and none historically for several centuries

Military: Infantry conscripted, Cavalry incentivized volunteers. Conscription and army reorganized on Provincial lines with the next decade. Approximately 17k in army. In 1604, relatively untrained and underteched, primary experience from border skirmishes with Denmark and Russia. Over the course of the 1620s, rapid modernization and training on a "combined forces" model, with shot, artillery and pikes/cavalry working in concert for devastating effect. Size of army rapidly grew as well (83k in 1631), but majority mercenaries around a corner of native Swedes. This includes the introduction of the "regimental gun" a 3 pounder, which was one of the first examples of artillery that was used in a mobile fashion during combat.

Economy: Poor, primary resources wood, iron, copper, fish and other commodities additional sources of funds: customs tolls levied on Baltic trading ports and raiding. Went into deep debt to the Dutch in paying the fees from the Kalmar war.

Social Status of farmers, etc. Very poor, but no tradition of feudal system or serfdom. Represented as one of the Estates in the Diet, but often ignored. The Diet gained some power over this time, but power and governance mostly remained centralized in the king.

[Arjos]

I'll be the HRE/Austria, by the evening I'll have the research done ;)

edit:

- Leader: Rudolf II, several illegitimate children (Julius, Karl, Charlotte, Matthias, Anna Dorothea, Dorothea), alive brothers (Matthias, Maximilian III, Albert VII), alive first cousins (Ferdinand II, Maximilian Ernest, Leopold V, Charles II).

- Allies: Spain, very strong, ruled by a branch of the same house.

Duchy of Modena and Reggio (Cesare d'Este), strong, supported his claim during a succession war. Duchy of Mantua (Vincenzo Gonzaga), strong, dynastic ties. Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (Sigismund III Vasa), strong, desire by Sigismund to centralise power.

Wallachia (Radu Șerban), Moldavia (Ieremia Movilă), Zaporizhian Bazavluk Sich (Ivan Kosyi), Grand Duchy of Tuscany (Ferdinando I), Duchy of Savoy (Carlo Emanuele I), Republic of Ragusa (Marin Tudišević), Papal States (Clement VIII) and Serbian Hajduk due to common league against the Ottoman Turks.

- Pacts/Leagues: Holy Alliance against the Turks.

- Current Wars: Long Turkish War, mainly over the possession of Wallachia, Transylvania and Moldavia.

- Rebellions: Bocskai Uprising in 1604-1606 due to Rudolf II accusing Hungarian nobles of treason and war weariness.

Habsburg "succession crisis", not a rebellion per se, but the Habsburg house was not pleased with Rudolf's tolerance and when later Rudolf fell ill his brother Matthias was made head of the house and the latter used a personal army to force Rudolf to yield the rule of more and more territories from 1608 until 1611, when he effectively became ruler in all but name. Matthias was also looking to strengthen the empire by tolerance, but without heirs he was eventually forced to nominate the later Ferdinand II as successor, backed by the other brother Maximillian, leading the inflexible Catholic faction within the family. This led to the following.

Bohemian Revolt in 1618, following the defenestration, it was the first of the religious rebellions, which started to spread across Europe, due to the policies of the intransigent Ferdinand II, who panicked and called for international support, eventually bringing the intervention of other powers, losing any religious ideals as the cause of the conflicts (since the revolts were generally dealt with and never expanded beyond their local areas), escalating as the Thirty Years War.

- Major Campaigns: Long Turkish War (29 July 1593 – 11 November 1606), within of course was also the Bocskai uprising.

War of the Jülich Succession (10 June 1609 – 24 October 1610 and May 1614 – 13 October 1614).

Thirty Years War (1618 - 1648), with also its peripheral conflicts like the Bohemian Revolt (1618 - 1620) and the War of the Mantuan Succession (1628 - 1631).

- Army: the imperial army was attached to the person of the emperor, who could raise troops directly only in imperial cities and his personal domain. This was structured in regiments, between 1,200 and 2,000 men each, costing every year 260,000 florins for infantry, 450,000 florins for cavalry and 600,000 florins for artillery. It is difficult to determine the size of the Habsburg standing army, since the concept pretty much took off with the Thirty Years War, but for example in 1601 35,000 men and 40 cannons were mustered. While later Ferdinand II agreed to raise 20,000 infantry and 6,000 cavalry under Wallenstein. By 1628 the imperial army numbered 110,000 men, a fifth being cavalry.

The electoral states were largely autonomous and it was the Imperial Diet that could muster the army of the Holy Roman Empire, whose contingents had been fixed at around 20,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry. This was called a Simplum, and its upkeep stood at 10 florins for cavalrymen and at 8 florins for infantrymen. During wars the number could be doubled or tripled, in theory even more, by calling extra contingents (the Duplum and Triplum). Indeed by 1681 the Simplum consisted of 28,000 infantry, 2,000 dragoons and 10,000 cavalry. Nevertheless this force due to political differences could hardly be called upon, especially because the nobles and the clergy were reluctant in parting with their workforce.

- Economy: Europe was slowly experiencing the transition from a predominantly agrarian economy to a monetary and market economy. Indeed all the conflicts of the time required money to pay for the soldiers and the control over taxation became vital. The Habsburg Empire had a populous and productive manufacturing center in Bohemia, complemented by textile and iron industries in Upper Austria and Styria. While the Hungarian plain, the Archduchies and Silesia provided a firm agricultural base. Moreover the resources from mountainous territories made the Habsburgs one of Europe's foremost producers of key minerals. However the regional economies tended to operate independently and were not yet integrated in a single economic policy, but this was mainly due to the political administration of the empire.

Issues were the shift of trading routes towards the Atlantic, influx of American gold and silver, plus the increased Swedish extraction of copper and iron. Together with the war weariness in Hungary and the constant Turkish raids. Overall the economy in the previous century had focused on commodity production, ignoring investments in the manufacturing, as a result, when the downturn in Europe at the start of the 17th century brought a decline of 50% in grain and livestock prices, the economy of the empire lost a good chunk of its income, this being felt particularly in Hungary. To contrast this the noble landowners strove to maximize productivity, increasing the number of days the serfs had to work for them and by starting small cottage textile industries. The lords also imposed that the peasants use mills, breweries and other facilities within their own domains, so that they could buy the products at lower rates and then export them through their own agents at the market price. They could also force their peasants to make purchases in their own towns, causing the imperial free towns to also lose business. Indeed the imperial free towns were losing the favour of the emperor and in Austria and Hungary all together came to have just a single vote in the Diet, while the magnates were gaining individual representation.

- Trading Partners: productive areas mostly focused on trading the the German states, but also overall trading with English and Dutch middlemen.

- Centralisation: although having to deal with the framework in place within the empire, the figure of the emperor was quite strong. Generally uncontested, however the emperor relied on the cooperation with the electoral princes and the Spanish Habsburg House to preserve prominence. Troubles arose with emperors like Ferdinand II, whose pro-Catholic position made it impossible to keep friendly terms with most princes. Also the choice by Rudolf II and Maximilian I, Duke of Bavaria, to reestablish Catholicism in 1607 and the later decision by the Imperial Diet in 1608 to restore catholic land as it was at the time of the Peace of Augsburg caused the establishment of the Protestant Union (internally split between Lutheranism and Calvinism), which was answered by the formation of the Catholic League.

- Religion: in theory Rudolf II was a Roman Catholic, being also forcefully raised at the Spanish court, but he was very tolerant and held more occult and scientific interests. He rejected a lot of aspects of the Catholic life and supported different political lines, when it comes to religious matters, depending on his needs.

- Social Status of Farmers and Workers: as noted here there was a patchwork of serfs and freemen, but with little representation. Overall without a prince taking their side, the commoners really couldn't do anything.

- Possible Break-off Regions: not really any in particular at this time. In the eastern territories it was more of a matter of whose side provided more benefits to the local nobility between the Habsburgs and the Ottomans. While Protestant territories became rebellious with the change in policies by Matthias and the ascension of Ferdinand II.

[Csargo]

I'll take Poland.

[Franconicus]

Began to write the new chapter! Still waiting for France, though!!

[El Barto]

I'll put me clogs on.

[Franconicus]

I'll put me clogs on.

If you're ready you can make your introduction post.

[El Barto]

I don't have any introduction written. I thought I would start play after this update.

[Franconicus]

Chapter 3 – Anno Domini 1605

Rome

In the year of the Lord 1605 the rift inside Christianity expands as James, King of England and Scotland, claims both the secular and the spiritual power. Pope Clement VIII vetoes this. While this dispute is going on Clement dies, some say due to the affront of James.

The Papal conclave comes together and elects Alessandro Ottaviano de’ Medici with the votes of the German and Spanish cardinals. He is consecrated as Leo XI on April 1st. Leo is known as a moderate and people expect him to ease the conflict inside Christianity. However, after a papacy of 27 days, Leo XI dies and leaves Christianity unshepherded once again. Most of the Catholics recognize that the death of two popes in a single year forebodes bad times and in dead it is obvious that evil times are imminent.

The cardinals return to Rome. This time they elect 63 year old Roberto Bellarmino. He is a well educated Jesuit and as Urban VIII he leaves no doubt that he is willing to match for the evil.

HRE & Austria

In the meantime Kaiser Rudolf renders a judgement in the case of Donauwoerth: the town has to repay the damage of the Catholics. However, April shows that this does not guarantee peace. This year the Catholic Marcus procession is bigger than last year, as many Catholics from Bavaria came to join the procession. Protestant sources report that many of the visitors are armed. The habitants of Donauwoerth are well prepared though and close the city doors once again. The Catholics insist on the imperial judgement and try to open the gates with force, but when Protestant militia appears on the city wall, the Catholics have to withdraw. Immediately, the Bishop of Augsburg sends a message to the Bavarian Prince Elector who immediately sends an agent to the Kaiser to demand to place the town under the Imperial Ban.

Kaiser Rudolf II congregates with the Catholic and Protestant Imperial clergy asking their help in preventing the people to come to violence. The Kaiser points out the need for the Imperial clergy to support the crown and peace, against the papal Jesuits, which would otherwise foment chaos and minimize the Imperial clergy authority. The clergy do not respond as the Kaiser expects. The Protestants point to the fact, that Jesuits may not operate on Protestant areas, so that the wish of the Kaiser is irrelevant to them. However, they support the idea that Jesuits should be banned from all territories of the Empire. This is something that upsets the Catholics. They remind the Emperor that received his power by the mercy of the Lord through the hands of the catholic church and that his most important and most noble task is to support the spreading of the Catholic teachings by word and by sword.

During the meeting still takes place the Kaiser announces that he is going to adopt his 19 year old cousin Leopold. Leopold is also appointed as heir and the Kaiser is looking for an appropriate marriage.

In the beginning of May, Maximilian of Bayern arrives with news from Donauwoerth. These ends the dialogue between the two confessions, as the Catholics demand the immediate punishment of the city while the Protestants blame the Catholics for the escalation. Maximilian of Bayern offers to send forces to enforce an Imperial ban on Donauwoerth.

The announcement of the adoption of Leopold causes trouble within the house of Habsburg. Rudolf's brothers Maximilian and Matthias and his cousin Ferdinand make a pact against the Kaiser. They demand to meet the Emperor at Prague to discuss the succession. However, Matthias first travels to Hungary to deal with the revolt there. Furthermore there are news that new troops are recruited at Austria.

There are also bad news from Mainz – Black Death returned and about a dozen citizens dies. The Bishop of Mainz acts immediately and expulses the Jews. Their property is confiscated.

Turkish War
According the decision of last year troops of the Reichsarmee gather near Vienna. The building up is rather slow and especially troops from the northern provinces of the realm are still missing. In September, there are 9,000 men in camps around Vienna waiting for further orders.
The Imperial Field-marshal Hermann von Russwurm does not wait for the enforcement from the Reich. He had used winter to organize his supply and to build river boats. In spring he begins his operation against the Turks. He leaves 5,000 men at Raab and advances with 30,000 men to Komorn and further to Gran (Esztergom). Here he lays siege on the Ottoman fort. Additionally he sends his avant-garde towards Buda. His reconnaisance reports that the Ottoman sultan gathers an army east of Buda, but that the Ottoman army is not ready for combat. Russwurm decides immediately to use this chance. Leaving a small besiege detachment at Gran he hurries to Buda to attack the Ottoman army. He takes them by surprise and soon the Ottoman troops disperse. Russwurm makes his cavalry haunt them while the rest of the army lay besiege on Buda. Soon, bad news stops his operations.

From Transylvania there is an upraise against the Habsburg reign. The leader, Stephen Bocskai, a prince of Transylvania and Hungary, formerly a follower of Habsburg, realizes that his home is destroyed by the never-ending wars between Habsburg and the Turks, suck dry by taxation. Furthermore the population does not accept the policy of Rudolf, who tries to settle men from the Empire here to “Germanize” the country.
The local commander sends 300 Haydus to arrest Bocskai, but Bocskai is able to convince them to join him. Bocskai gathers support of the local princes and soon he occupies several towns in the Partium.
Bocskai issues a proclamation to the noblemen from Kassa, reminding them the tyrannical acts of Rudolph and his officials. The delegates of the counties and towns of Upper Hungary come to Kassa and vote the necessary funds to continue the fight. Kaiser Rudolf offers Bocskai amnesty and an official title, but Bocskai refuses.
Therefore Russwurm is forced to send an army of 10,000 to stop the anti-Habsburg rebellion. The disciplined Habsburg army defeats a troop of Hajdús near Osgyán.

In September Lala Mehmed Pasha's envoy who hands the sultan's ahidnâme (or charter) to Bocskai, which styles him prince of Transylvania. Lala Mehmed Pasha also sends reinforcements to Bocskai.

This gives Boscai the opportunity to start an offensive operation. Bocskai's army captures Nagyszombat (now Trnava in Slovakia), Sümeg, Szombathely, Veszprém and other towns in Transdanubia and also pillaged Lower Austria, Moravia and Silesia. Bocskai`s troop threaten the city of Pressburg. Russwurm has to break up the besiege of Buda and call his troops back to defend Pressburg. The Ottoman army uses this opportunity to break the siege of Gran and lay siege on Raab.

In December Rudolf's brother Matthias arrives at Pressburg to organize the defence. He also gets in contact with Bocskai to negotiate a truce.


Spain

At Madrid, Philip III greets a delegation of nobles from Portugal. These give him their wishes regarding the support of the colonies, esp. the protection of bases and ships against Dutch raids.

At Seville there is some unrest when a plot of Moriscos is foiled. These have tried to poison the wells of the town. Three Moriscos are killed and several houses burn down.

The Dutch War slows down this year. Both parties discuss the possibility of a truce and at the front of Flanders it is relatively quiet. In October Spinola attacks and occupies the fort Wachtendonk.
The war at sea continues. A Spanish fleet based at Gibraltar catches the Dutch convoy from South-East Asia and sinks three ships. In return, the Dutch attack a Spanish convoy in the Channel and sink 1 galleon and 2 small ships. At Asia a fleet of the Dutch Trade Company commanded by Steven van der Hagen attacks the fort of the Ambon Island and occupies the island.
As an answer to this, Phillip gives orders to strengthen the fortifications in the Far East.

A Royal Committee to investigate the situation of the natives in America comes to the result, that it is best for the natives if they are converted to Christians, if necessary by violence. It is pointed out that these natives are not able to live free so it is proposed to give them into the keeping of Spanish grandees. There they shall learn how to work and how to become useful members of the Spanish society. The Jesuit members of the committee are contrary to this. The natives should be taught to the Catholic teachings and then should live freely in their own communities under the eye of the church and the protection of the crown.


England & Scotland

Although war with Spain is over, James asks the parliaments of England and Spain to introduce new taxes to increase the armed forces.

The English parliament discusses his proposals controversially. In general, demanding 8 million gulden seems far too much. This would mean that the English taxes raise about 60%. Parliament offers a compromise. Taxes shall be raised by 5 million. 3 million of this shall be invested in the navy. Furthermore the parliament decides that a new trade company shall be found to explore and exploit America. The remaining 2 million from the tax shall be the share of the crown, additionally 5 million shall be raised by private investors.

Scottish noblemen found the Royal Scottish Trade Company to exploit the Caribbean Islands. The new company invests 2 million and would raise another million by taxes. The new company buys and arms 5 small ships and hires volunteers for an expedition in 1606.

At Ireland war is over. Ireland is exhausted and there is currently no one able to resist. James tries to pacify the country by renewing the authority of the old clan leaders, which had fought England before.

All these issues are in the background of the religious conflict. After affronting the pope by claiming universal power for the king, James makes all Jesuits leave England, Scotland and Ireland. There are still three Jesuits imprisoned at Dover Castle. Catholic priest which are visiting the prisoners of Dover are under permanent observation by the secret service. Noblemen expressing Papal loyalties are arrested for incitement against the crown and treason.
These continuous attacks against their religion provoke of opposition. 20 knights from North-West England write a letter to the King in which they express their loyalty to the Pope and demand religious freedom. The English authorities send out troops to arrest these traitors. Five of them were killed during the action at Chester Castle, 15 more are imprisoned at London Tower. Soon Chester becomes a place of pilgrimage, where Catholics admire the Five Martyrs of Chester.

In September secret serves discovers and prevents a plot against the English parliament. The
plotters had the intention to kill the King by blowing up parliament by an explosion of gunpowder. Several traitors are arrested, some were killed.

After this event, there were riots at London and many other English town, where Protestants attacked Catholics on the street, churches were plundered and religious pictures destroyed. At several town houses burst into flames.

Shocked by these events and the restrictive policy of the English government many Catholics try to leave the country for France or Spain.


France

At France, the rift between Huguenots and Catholics is getting bigger. The Huguenots are disappointed that the King supports the Catholics which had attacked and injured several workers of the Huguenots. They feel that they must defend themselves and their rights by themselves as the crown is obviously not willing to protect them against violence acts. They stop the building of the new church, but more turmoil begins when an nearby Catholic church burns down. As revenge Catholics set light to several houses of Huguenots and 13 people die. In reply Huguenots call up their militias and prepare the defence of La Rochelle and the other strongholds. Many Huguenots leave the country, though, and go to the Netherlands or the Protestant north of the HRE.

Russia

The false Dmitri is defeated and killed in a battle west of Moscow. However, Csar Godunow is wounded deadly and the Boyars begin to fight for the power.

Poland

The Sejm dethrones Sigismund and offers the crown to Matthias, the brother of the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Sigismund does not accept this and gathers his army to defend the crown.

Sweden

It is rather quiet here, but the troubles at Russia and Poland decrease the Baltic Sea trade and leads to economic problems. Therefore the King is forced to reduce his armed forces.

[Franconicus]

I don't have any introduction written. I thought I would start play after this update.

Now you can!