by MNPundit
Introduction
The world of the year 1700 has changed a great deal. The time of knights are a fading dream, the lion of Libya are extinct by the hand of men and gunpowder is the true focus of war. But Spain endures. Achieving primacy in the west after discovering the New World under the House of Hapsburg, Spain performed its Holy Duty conquering and exploring for God, the King and to get rich.[1] Now the wars with the Grand Turk have subsided and Spain has been separated from the ancient Hapsburg homeland. Spain's power is also fading as France and Britain are beginning to compete for influence in regions that Spain never touched. It rankles more than a few Spaniards to be allied as a junior partner to the French but the decline makes it inevitable. Nowhere is that decline attested to more clearly than in the person of Carlos II, the King of Spain.
New Minister, New Plan
The king's very presence makes diplomacy and state management a daily struggle against failure. Yet while he remains God's anointed, in a few quiet corners of the Spanish Empire men think and dream on new ideas and old. Perhaps even that oldest of ideas, a Republic....
But first the ministers of state must take stock of their remaining possessions and I must help them.
The world of the year 1700 has changed a great deal. The time of knights are a fading dream, the lion of Libya are extinct by the hand of men and gunpowder is the true focus of war. But Spain endures. Achieving primacy in the west after discovering the New World under the House of Hapsburg, Spain performed its Holy Duty conquering and exploring for God, the King and to get rich.[1] Now the wars with the Grand Turk have subsided and Spain has been separated from the ancient Hapsburg homeland. Spain's power is also fading as France and Britain are beginning to compete for influence in regions that Spain never touched. It rankles more than a few Spaniards to be allied as a junior partner to the French but the decline makes it inevitable. Nowhere is that decline attested to more clearly than in the person of Carlos II, the King of Spain.
New Minister, New Plan
The king's very presence makes diplomacy and state management a daily struggle against failure. Yet while he remains God's anointed, in a few quiet corners of the Spanish Empire men think and dream on new ideas and old. Perhaps even that oldest of ideas, a Republic....
But first the ministers of state must take stock of their remaining possessions and I must help them.
In the West Indies Spain is hemmed in by the British and by Pirates and the Cherokee war with us in great numbers. If we can somehow extinguish the pirates and provide a respite to New Spain, we can again exercise more direct control over those lands, a great boon. For now the consensus is that Florida is simply to difficult to hold and not rich enough to bother. Yet the king is adamant. Instead the garrison in San Augustine has been ordered south where they will take ship to Cuba. If the province is simply lost the king may take it more calmly...
Ah the United Provinces. Heretics and ungrateful ones at that. We retained the south but they eye it hungrily. Yet those lands are valuable. We CAN take it back because of the French alliance which I championed. Yet the parts we hold are poorer and less powerful. We must defend what we have and slowly build up to crush the rebels in the north.
Of greater concern is the western Mediterranean. Sardinia, the Kingdom of the Sicilies, and Milan remain in our hands but our Austria cousins are hostile to us and the lands themselves are isolated and impoverished. We treated them like colonies but perhaps if we spend on them they will reward us. Our main effort will be in the south to pacify the western sea. Now that the Unspeakble Turk is stretched in east and west we may be able to claim the Spanish Hegemony that is only proper in Africa.
Who am I? I am not actually a Spaniard. My name is Jean Orry and I was sent by the Great Sun King to prepared the way for his grandson. Charles is not long for this world and Phillip must receive a kingdom worthy of him.
"Become a Spaniard," my king told me. "You must, for my grandson."
And so I shall.
Relations
We are not liked. This is simply a fact. Even if were not for the king who is mocked throughout Europe, we would still be in a difficult place. While the king spent his time digging up trees and giving them Christian burials, we decided to try and improve our diplomatic situation. In line with our policy of regaining hegemony in the western Mediterranean, we made alliances with the Italian States and the Pope, Genoa and Venice. Savoy hates us, but Savoy hates the French as well. We can only hope that being surrounded by enemies will keep them in line.
Savoy, the United Provinces AND Morocco. This in addition to the native opponents in the New World. Yet it is we who were attacked. I was able use these aggressions to fire the populace for war and many volunteers, cheap volunteers, rallied to our banner to defend the state. Of greater value were the Irish volunteers who arrived. Four large companies. The king defies expectations and continues to live, so perhaps I will have more time to make things better for Phillip the Bourbon.
Author's Note: Now obviously it seems like I am obsessed with Spain. However Spain was the first faction I achieved real success with in Medieval 2, and they present a good and varied challenge in Empire. Difficulty is Hard/Hard. To be honest I haven't been playing Empire very long and I think I'll probably lose--but those are better AARs than when you win! Comments appreciated.
Who am I? I am not actually a Spaniard. My name is Jean Orry and I was sent by the Great Sun King to prepared the way for his grandson. Charles is not long for this world and Phillip must receive a kingdom worthy of him.
"Become a Spaniard," my king told me. "You must, for my grandson."
And so I shall.
Relations
We are not liked. This is simply a fact. Even if were not for the king who is mocked throughout Europe, we would still be in a difficult place. While the king spent his time digging up trees and giving them Christian burials, we decided to try and improve our diplomatic situation. In line with our policy of regaining hegemony in the western Mediterranean, we made alliances with the Italian States and the Pope, Genoa and Venice. Savoy hates us, but Savoy hates the French as well. We can only hope that being surrounded by enemies will keep them in line.
Alas, we failed. I failed. In the years 1700-1701 our efforts at quiet rapprochement were undone.
Savoy, the United Provinces AND Morocco. This in addition to the native opponents in the New World. Yet it is we who were attacked. I was able use these aggressions to fire the populace for war and many volunteers, cheap volunteers, rallied to our banner to defend the state. Of greater value were the Irish volunteers who arrived. Four large companies. The king defies expectations and continues to live, so perhaps I will have more time to make things better for Phillip the Bourbon.
The general was placed in command of the operation to Morocco was Francisco Castillo Fajardo, he was the the 2nd Marquis of Villadarias and had shown success in repelling the Voracious Turk only a few years before. We sent with him our best army leaving even the capital under-strength save for the volunteer units. The Warrior King of Morocco, Ismail, sent his general Muhammad Al-Temiyat against us. He himself was visiting the small town of Meknes that he founded and he remained there as Franciscio invaded Tangier.
--Letter from Francisco Castillo Fajardo to
Prime Minister Jean Orry on the eve of the Battle of Tangier
Prime Minister Jean Orry on the eve of the Battle of Tangier
The Battle of Tangier
The Battle of Tangier only involved about 2000 men, but it proved to be decisive in the struggle for Morocco. Upon seeing the enemy disposition, General Fajardo and his men rushed to take up positions in several houses near the governor's palace a small ways away from the city. Regarded as barely defensible by the Moroccans they had abandoned it. Now the Spaniards made it a strong point as the Moroccans advanced confident in their numbers. This became the center point of the battle.
Colonial cavalry and the 3rd Regiment of Horse from Madrid swept around the left flank of the town and put to flight the Moroccan cavalry on that side. Following up their advantage they swept down on the left flank even as the Moroccans were engaging the Spaniards in battle in the town. On the right flank the Irish Volunteers caught a number of Moroccan camelry by surprise as they tried to capture the Spanish cannons.
The true battle raged however around the governors house. Filled with Spaniards who erected some barricades in the streets near it, the battle surged back and forth with the forward Spanish positions being overrun and Moroccans attacking from both streets leading to the mansion. There they were met by the regular Spanish line infantry. The Spanish were holding until a surprise attack by Muhammad Al-Temiyat himself struck from the rear. General Fajardo took the pikemen guarding the cannons and rode to stop a route while sending a messenger to recall his 3rd Regiment of Horse.
In the confusion though, disaster struck. General Fajardo was slain in battle. The Pikemen were wavering and might have broken had not the Third Horsemen returned. Taking Al-Temiyat by surprise in turn, he was killed by the captain who now took command of the assault. Predictably with both generals dead the battle degenerated into a more disorganized melee but the experience Spanish troops were able to form up more rapidly and as the day wore on the Moroccans were defeated.
Several hundred Spaniards died that day but over a thousand Moroccan troops were annihilated and Tangier was taken by the Spaniards and the flag raised over its walls.
The authority of Sultan Ismail was broken after the loss. So many of his men had died that the country descended into battling warlords which the Spaniards slowly conquered. For all practical purposes the Kingdom of Morocco was no more and in 1702 it simply became Spain.
It was said that when Orry heard the news of Fajardo's death he wept not for a man or a friend but for the tool of the state that had been removed from his grasp.
_____________________________
[1]The very end of Medieval 2: Total War and the Americas Campaign of Medieval 2: Total War - Kingdoms
The Battle of Tangier only involved about 2000 men, but it proved to be decisive in the struggle for Morocco. Upon seeing the enemy disposition, General Fajardo and his men rushed to take up positions in several houses near the governor's palace a small ways away from the city. Regarded as barely defensible by the Moroccans they had abandoned it. Now the Spaniards made it a strong point as the Moroccans advanced confident in their numbers. This became the center point of the battle.
Colonial cavalry and the 3rd Regiment of Horse from Madrid swept around the left flank of the town and put to flight the Moroccan cavalry on that side. Following up their advantage they swept down on the left flank even as the Moroccans were engaging the Spaniards in battle in the town. On the right flank the Irish Volunteers caught a number of Moroccan camelry by surprise as they tried to capture the Spanish cannons.
The true battle raged however around the governors house. Filled with Spaniards who erected some barricades in the streets near it, the battle surged back and forth with the forward Spanish positions being overrun and Moroccans attacking from both streets leading to the mansion. There they were met by the regular Spanish line infantry. The Spanish were holding until a surprise attack by Muhammad Al-Temiyat himself struck from the rear. General Fajardo took the pikemen guarding the cannons and rode to stop a route while sending a messenger to recall his 3rd Regiment of Horse.
In the confusion though, disaster struck. General Fajardo was slain in battle. The Pikemen were wavering and might have broken had not the Third Horsemen returned. Taking Al-Temiyat by surprise in turn, he was killed by the captain who now took command of the assault. Predictably with both generals dead the battle degenerated into a more disorganized melee but the experience Spanish troops were able to form up more rapidly and as the day wore on the Moroccans were defeated.
Several hundred Spaniards died that day but over a thousand Moroccan troops were annihilated and Tangier was taken by the Spaniards and the flag raised over its walls.
The authority of Sultan Ismail was broken after the loss. So many of his men had died that the country descended into battling warlords which the Spaniards slowly conquered. For all practical purposes the Kingdom of Morocco was no more and in 1702 it simply became Spain.
It was said that when Orry heard the news of Fajardo's death he wept not for a man or a friend but for the tool of the state that had been removed from his grasp.
_____________________________
Author's Note: Now obviously it seems like I am obsessed with Spain. However Spain was the first faction I achieved real success with in Medieval 2, and they present a good and varied challenge in Empire. Difficulty is Hard/Hard. To be honest I haven't been playing Empire very long and I think I'll probably lose--but those are better AARs than when you win! Comments appreciated.
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