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Double-team us once, shame on us.

Double-team us twice, shame on you.

This was the idea floating around the heads of the Hetmanate as the dust of the Galician War and the Second Great Russian Revolt settled. It was clear as day - Lithuania was now surrounded by hostile powers. Russians to the east and Visegrad to the west, and almost always when one strikes, the other joins to help. It happened during the second half of the 16th century, and it happened in the end of the 17th century. Something had to be done about this. This was the prime line of thought behind the new foreign policy of the Hetmanate, devised by Grand Hetman Aleksandras Chodkevičius and accurately named Eastern Strategy. The basics of this idea were simple - defense on the West, offense on the East. Diplomatic and military efforts in the West must be focused on preventing an another unexpected war with Visegrad, either by improving relations with them, making necessary alliances or outright dismantling the Triple Crown and thus making it powerless. While on the East, anything goes, - Lithuania expected that the neighbors there were weaker and could simply be taken over, and the sparse lands of the steppe had to be integrated - but any new Russian Revolt must be prevented, forever. By any means possible.

The main development in Lithuania during the first decade of the 18th century was the beginning of the construction of a series of fortresses and fortifications along the new Lithuanian-Visegradian border, known colloquially as the Western Wall, or Chodkevičius's Wall. Lithuania was quite lucky in this case - the new border ran through good defensive terrain, like forests, hills and the Pripyat. The Grand Hetman was a visionary in this case, he knew that the Amsterdam System is not going to be eternal, and once it falls, it will fall with a bang - and to protect Lithuania's interests during this event, preparations had to be made in advance. The fortresses along the Western Wall, the most famous being in Grodno, Allenstein and Pinsk, were very impressive, constructed with modern technology in mind, and were the first star forts in Lithuanian territory. Of course, Visegrad responded with protests, but at the time they didn't really mind, their revanchism had already been satiated.

While the Grand Hetman's fears on the death of the Amsterdam System appeared unfounded, some developments during the beginning of the 18th century appeared worrisome. The first half of the Age of Enlightenment were a time of incredible economic growth in Germany, growth that started all the way back after the Twenty Years' War. Peace in the land was beneficial to the recovery of the countryside and the cities, and the inclusiveness and democracy in Reformist South and Central Germany bolstered growth. New advancements in technology helped, too. However, one thing was a problem to the German economy - the division of the nation into the southern Holy Roman Empire and the North German Communion. The hostility between the governments of these two blocs severed trade ties and weakened Germany's standing in the global market. But the idea of a single, united German nation did not disappear, quite the opposite - it strengthened under the flag of the shame and anger that the Germans felt for the horrors they suffered during the Twenty Years' War. The Enlightenment in Germany was unique in that it began to take a national character along the other values brought by the movement, and slowly the people, especially the upper and middle classes, began to question this division of Germany and whether a united "Germania" should instead replace it.

The wealth of the divided Germany and the potential power it could wield if it was united worried it's neighbours, however, especially France. But this German Enlightenment was far from being able to yield fruit.

An another very important development was taking place in Lithuania, however - though it's impact is much harder to quantify. And once again, it was the brainchild of Grand Hetman Chodkevičius. Now that Tatars and other raiders no longer plagued the land, colonization of the Dykra - the barely inhabited lands along the Black Sea, also called the Pontic Steppe - could continue at full force, and it was the Hetmanate who took the initiative, following the Eastern Strategy. The lands south of Ruthenia were divided into Voivodeships, the inhabitants were put through a census and numbered, and the imperial government began a period of full-scale colonization of the region. Settlers from Ruthenia, Russia and Lithuania Propria were invited to settle in many newly built cities along the Dnieper and the Baltic Sea, as well as beyond that - and in some instances, even force was used, sometimes to order entire villages to move south. Reports were bringing interesting news - civilians who began to practice agriculture grew record grain yields, and if crop rotation is used, sometimes they could reach 2 or 3 times greater yields than what was grown back home. The Lithuanians might not have known that yet, but they began to till and exploit the most fertile lands in all of Europe.

Sad news arrived on June of 1708 - the Emperor, Žygimantas II, died after a period of illness, most likely tuberculosis. Since he had no children nor brothers, he was succeeded by his cousin, the son of his aunt Marija, now crowned as Algirdas III. Žygimantas II was a much disliked monarch, he didn't really care for his country and instead focused on his own physical desores, and even centuries later he is despised for almost destroying the Empire. Algirdas III was only eight years old when he succeeded his cousin, but he didn't really need to be independent, anyway. The man who replaced Žygimantas II, Aleksandras Chodkevičius, didn't live much longer, either - he died on October 21st, 1711. Unlike his predecessor, Hetman Chodkevičius is viewed much more favorably - although, it really depends on who you ask. He saved Lithuania in a time of crisis, but at the same time, his army's brutality during the Second Glinskiada is seen in a very negative light.

Chodkevičius's death sparked a short succession crisis - the Grand Hetman did not leave any heirs, and there were no instructions on how he should be succeeded, he died too early. Some nobles feared a possible civil war, but the Council of Lords, the advisory instution under the former Grand Hetman's reign, was quick to come to a solution and nominated General Algimantas Songaila, the hero of the Battle of Vawkawysk during the Galician War, as the new Grand Hetman of Lithuania. The military dictatorship that was the Hetmanate was now established.