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#221
June 7th, 2007, 09:02 PM
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#222
June 7th, 2007, 09:49 PM
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#223
June 8th, 2007, 10:13 AM
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(1643) September. Henry, reinforced, moved to secure the areas he currently occupied. This mostly involved scouting and skirmishing with small garrisons of French occupying towns and removing any hostile forces behind his lines that might threaten his lines of supply. He was very cautious not to interfere with the local peasantry fearing a revolt could undo any good will he had built up with his army’s reputation for good and honest behaviour. In most towns and villages being freed of the ruling (usually distant) nobility left them with a surplus of food to which the British were keen to buy. Having gold on their hands allowed the villagers a greater degree of self determination than they’d ever known. Henry also made sure the British religious “Contract” was enforced with no reprisals against Roman Catholic priests so long as they did not promote trouble against the occupation. His use of Huguenots as Royal Marshals, was at first suspect, but as they knew the language and had strict rules of conduct no troubles arose as a result, indeed their hanging of a group of soldiers caught raping a local woman made them popular with the town and countryfolk alike.
Montrose continued to invest Arles, it was proving a very tough nut to crack, though the arrival of a second siege train from Britain looked as if it might tip the odds in his favour, hopefully before winter could set in. Admiral Hamilton started making plans for modernising the Port of Calais into making it the largest British naval base outside of Britain proper. He planned to extend the harbour walls as well as build new fully bastioned fortifications to the south of the town to prevent a repeat of what Montrose had achieved. In the Mediterranean, The two British squadrons continued to attack any French or Papal state shipping they found, though many merchants simply flew any colours of convenience. The British also attacked and destroyed any pirates’ nests they found particularly on the North African shore. In North America the influx of German speaking colonists came as a surprise but welcome addition to the colonies, particularly their willingness to work hard to clear the wilderness sites in order to create farms of their own. With good relations with the 5 tribes of the Haudenosaunee, towns such as Quebec and Montréal took on a distinctly hybrid German, Native American flavour with the original French settlers becoming a tiny minority. In The Southern Colonies, British aid to the Tsalagi enabled them to defeat and absorb the Chickasaw and Creek tribes, with the British moving settlers onto some of the conquered territories. The Tsalagi at this time settled their differences with the British and were given all the rights of citizenship when not on their native lands as had been granted to the Haudenosaunee several years ago. Many colonist groups now contained Native Americans from the friendly tribes as they moved ever westward into new territories. British explorers with native aid at this time completed sailing down the Erie River to the Mississippi and down to New York (New Orleans OTL) The Dutch seized Charleroi late in the month and settled into defensive positions awaiting the winter and a new year. With the Danes, General Anders Bille took charge with Christian’s son assisting him. Though the Chosen Prince was hopelessly unfit, his earnest desire to do his best for the army made him very popular. That plus the strict regime of army life meant he was also shedding weight and building muscle quite well. His life was not made that easy by reports of attempts by his brother in law Corfitz Ulfeldt to undermine him at every possible moment. Christian 4th himself was of no help as his injuries had sunk him into a coma and he was not expected to recover. Fortunately for the Danes, Wallenstein was busy rebuilding his army by seizing territory and loot from anywhere too weak to resist him. The Swedes were being reinforced as fast as Danish ships could carry replacement troops. Though they were too weak to prevent Tilly from entering Brandenburg and systematically pillaging each town and village he came too. In Paris, things had settled somewhat with relieving armies arriving to make sure the British and Dutch did not attempt to seize the city. Though not prepared to attempt anything more this year, it was hoped the new armies raised would be sufficient to crush the Dutch and British in the New Year. In the German HRE Tilly and Wallenstein continued to increase their armies and power at the expense of any state too weak to stand in their way. Ruin and starvation are now faced many of the smaller electorates as the peasants had been driven off their lands and crops burnt in the fields. The Emperor himself was facing growing anger on the part of his other electors at just how far and how bad he’d allowed the situation to become. Though he knew he no longer had the power to stop Wallenstein and Tilly. In Spain Philips forces met and defeated rebels near Valencia and placed the port under siege. In Venice talks continued with the British with trade agreements being worked out along with mutual protection of merchants being agreed in each others waters. Britain also agreed to send trainers to bring the Venetian army up to modern standards (what was now becoming known as the “British Method”)
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#225
June 8th, 2007, 10:27 AM
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#227
June 8th, 2007, 10:52 AM
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Spains civil war will keep her out of Northern European affairs for a while. Oddly enough this is in Spain's best interests as she'll emerge far stronger eventually.
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#228
June 8th, 2007, 11:20 AM
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The Danish navy will be in good condition to ship the reinforcements from Sweden to Germany and keep any straggling Catholic ship away or more likely board and capture it.
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#229
June 8th, 2007, 01:23 PM
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#230
June 8th, 2007, 04:46 PM
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My pleasure to help out.
Another candidate in TTL for regent in Denmark could be the youngest brother Ulrik - OTL killed in Germany 1633 after having served with the Swedish army and joined the Saxon. TTL he would still be alive and would probably hold some army command. He was highly thought of in his own time - seen as the best of Christian IV's sons. Born 1611 he would now be 32.
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#231
June 9th, 2007, 02:48 PM
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(1643) October. Most of this month was spent by Henry making sure his troops were securely billeted and supplied with food and fuel in preparation for the coming winter. He also made very sure that when possible he would always have scouts out in case the French tried to surprise him.
Montrose finally took Ardres in mid October garrisoned it and moved the bulk of his army back to Calais and Dunquerque for winter billeting. He also made sure the areas he controlled and just beyond were well scouted. Henry also received at this time several parliamentary delegations, mostly to sound out his views on various matters of concern. The main ones being the efforts necessary to support the British colony of New London (OTL San Francisco) and the Panamanian Isthmian Kings Highway. The consensus agreed that the third resupply to New London would be the last major one; the colony would have to be minimally self supporting after this. The Panamanian road would then get top priority to give Britain and her allies’ easy access to the North Pacific. Other matters requiring the Royal seal of approval were the expansion of British trade with India and Japan. Chinese trade was discussed though the tendency was a wait and see approach over the current civil war raging there. With all the Spanish Netherlands under their control, the Dutch were extremely happy. Their long term aims now were to secure their state from French expansionism. The Danish army continued to mount many low level hit and run conflicts with Wallenstein and several mercenary bands roaming eastern Germany. Though not keen this year to have a major battle with Wallenstein, plans are in progress to meet and defeat him next year. Chosen Prince Christian appointed his Brother Frederick to be his eyes and ears in the Council of the Realm and to keep in check the activities of his uncle Corfitz Ulfeldt. He also appointed Hannibal Sehested another uncle to be his ambassador to Britain. His next steps were to find an admiral for the Danish fleet settling upon his brother Ulrik, a promising young prince with an already accomplished military career behind him. Gustav and his Brandenburg allies manage to push Tilly out of Brandenburg, though the amount of damage done to the surrounding countryside and people is enormous. The Swedes too dig in to winter quarters. In France, Cinq-Mars continues his machinations to increase state power, by ensuring that everyone and everything would soon be subordinate to the crown. Though not as skilled as Richelieu had been he worked towards creating an absolutist and centralised state (with him holding the strings of course) He spent most of October making promises and securing the means necessary for France’s armies to drive the British back into the sea. Bribes and patronage were keeping his nobles very happy, but what he didn’t notice was the level of hostility his decrees and orders were producing amongst the ordinary people of the land who had armies forced upon them and forced conscription robbing them of sons and husbands. In the HRE Wallenstein and Tilly both removed their armies away from hostile territory and also arranged for winter quartering. Other than the armies this was a bad time to be in Germany, Nobles, merchants, traders and peasants had all been victims of the war. Few areas had escaped damage and they were over run by refugees, there was little food to be had nor money to buy it, so extreme had the looting and pillaging been. For some there was the hope of making it to Danish territory, then to Britain and the New World, but even the best efforts of the British could only take so many. The Emperor was now virtually under siege by nobles who wanted him to rein in the power of Tilly and Wallenstein (all without having to involve themselves in doing so) In Spain, Valencia surrenders to the forces of Philip. All supporters of the attempted coup are arrested, but otherwise unharmed (for now) Phillip then moves north to return Catalonia to the Kingdom. An army lead by Gaspar de Guzmán meets and defeats a Portuguese army and marches into Lisbon which had declared its loyalty to Philip after the defeat. Charles Emmanuel II duke of Savoy declares war on Genoa for aiding and assisting French attempts to undermine the Savoyard state. The war is quick and brutal with only the city of Genoa remaining free of Savoy’s occupation. Whilst there is a lot of discomfort in the Papal States about this, there is also fear that Venice would side with Savoy and possibly Milan should the Papal States intervene.
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#232
June 9th, 2007, 03:01 PM
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#233
June 9th, 2007, 03:33 PM
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Does this also include Luxembourg and Artois?
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#234
June 9th, 2007, 03:55 PM
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Last edited by Quiet_Man; June 9th, 2007 at 04:16 PM..
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#235
June 9th, 2007, 05:23 PM
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 The nobility might disapprove - but in the current situation and in the interest of the Realm...I like it. As he was a soldier he just might take to his fathers love of the navy and do a good job.
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#236
June 9th, 2007, 07:05 PM
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Frederick would keep a keen eye on Corfitz Ulfeld and the other son-in-laws of Christian IV's daughters with Kirsten Munk. A number of those were given high offices deemed by Christian IV to be loyal to him. Problem was that they or rather their wifes would ally to rehabilitate Kirsten who had left the court 1630 after the king discovered her adultry with a mercenary officer.
The natural party opposing the son-in-laws was the Chosen Prince, Frederick and Ulrik and Ulrik Christian Gyldenløve (golden lion) son of Christian IV and maitresse Vibeke Kruse. Christian IV was very much keen on keeping Kirsten Munk away from court and Vibeke Kruse being a former maid of Kirsten Munk would supply the ammo in this respect. However in TTL the circumstances are altered but the split of Christian IV an Kirsten Munk should happen anyway as it was her mother that had sent her to the kings bed! Kirstens leaving the king was much to annoyance of her mother who then supplied Vibeke Kruse to the royal chambers! Christian IV was a very loving father and actually barred Kirsten from her children when she would dicipline them harshly.
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#237
June 9th, 2007, 07:26 PM
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#238
June 9th, 2007, 07:34 PM
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#239
June 10th, 2007, 01:39 PM
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(1643) November/December. Europe settled down to a tense winter. All armies were now in winter barracks and little was happening in affairs of state. In Germany there was starvation and mass movement of the populace as they tried to reach areas that might be able to support them. Many small states closed their borders if they had supplies or collapsed and vanished if they didn’t.
In Britain it was decided that 1643 had been a good year, though natural worries about the war in Europe abounded, it was the increase in trade and colonisation that gladdened many in the state. Trade along with politics for many had become the new religion as many now qualified through careful investment to be enfranchised. In Holland the Dutch were quietly satisfied too; they now felt that their own destiny was almost within their grasp. Trade too had increased and the Northern alliance had proved itself the equal of Europe’s Great Powers. There were many discussions and agreements with the British on joint ventures abroad which would prove advantageous to both realms. René Descartes publishes in Amsterdam, The World, originally titled Le Monde and also called Treatise on the World, it contains a relatively complete version of his philosophy, from method, to metaphysics, to physics and biology. It is immediately put on the banned books list of the Vatican and he is excommunicated in absentia by Pope Urban VIII. There is a lot of debate in the Lutheran church about Descartes theories (and a lot of anger too) but it is felt that debate not censorship is the best way to deal with his beliefs. Denmark was in mourning. The death of Christian the 4th from his coma seemed a bad omen for the future. His son Christian the 5th however came back to be crowned a changed man. No longer a slave to gluttony or indulgence and prepared to listen and be advised by the Rigsraad he was seen as the hope for Denmark’s future. To Gustav of Sweden the future looked quite bright, Sweden was on the cusp of becoming a major European and colonial power. His biggest problem was actually paying for it. France had come to think of herself as the leading power in Europe over her victories against Spain. The British and Dutch lead military incursions in the north had come as a very rude surprise. However there was still very much an air of complacency over the defeats suffered, the thought being that once the full might of France’s military came to bear, the British and Dutch would be forced to capitulate their temporary gains. What was being ignored or underplayed was the growing anger of the peasant underclass for the conscription, tolls and levy’s put upon them by their political masters over the last 10 years of war. The HRE was reaching a crisis as confidence by the nobility in their emperor was at an all time low. It was now well understood that both Wallenstein and Tilly had imperial ambitions. Savoy conquered Genoa and consolidated her position as one of the coming powers on the Italian peninsula. The Isle of Corsica remains ostensibly under Genoan control, though no-one on the islands ruling nobility really cared. In the Papal States the Castro war is reaching a conclusion. The war had started when Odoardo Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza, who controlled Castro, had quarrelled with Pope Urban VIII's influential Barberini nephews during a visit to Rome in 1639. These offended relatives of the Pope convinced him to ban grain shipments originating in Castro from being distributed in Rome and the surrounding territory, thereby depriving Duke Odoardo of an important source of income. As a result, Duke Odoardo was unable to pay debts due to Roman creditors, which he had accumulated in military adventures against the Spanish in Milan and in luxurious living. These unpaid and unhappy creditors sought relief from the pope, who turned to military action in an attempt to force payment. The war had proceeded to drag on for years making Pope Urban VIII a very unpopular man in the Papal States. His Bull on Roman Catholic re-conquest of the Protestant states was almost the final straw as British ships now regularly boarded and seized papal State vessels. In Spain most armies had settled into winter barracks, there was much back and forth of diplomats as each side sought out to gain allies or undermine the other side’s efforts. In Venice there was serious talk of trying to gain the help of Britain or the Northern Alliance to aid in the defence of their Republic against constant Ottoman expansion.
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