It's back. After reading the comments on my first thread, letting it die, and revising my writing, I've decided to give it another go. This time I'll include more graphic elements, such as UCS maps and portraits, in addition to being more organized with the writing. Forgive me if some of the writing is inconsistent or just ASB; I tried to make it more theatrical than skeletal.
The Great Deluge
Prologue and Events Leading Up to the War
“Mr. Ambassador, you cannot fathom the consequences. Your entire Commonwealth lies within the Tsar's grasp!” Sven cried, slamming his hand against the edge of the table. “If you cannot back the Empire in our invasion of Russia, Mr. Ambassador, Sweden will have no choice but to plow through Poland first!” Never one to put off his point, Sven's weakness as a diplomat was beginning to show. He looked quite discontent, and rightfully so: these talks had gone on for three days, and the arrogant Poles kept changing the subject to their King's claim to the Swedish throne. In fact, Sven was only playing diplomacy because the ignorant Poles refused to deal with the “illegitimate” king of Sweden.
The old Polish ambassador looked straight into Sven's eyes. “The Commonwealth cannot further the goals of Sweden until a rightful king is put upon her throne. And I have made myself clear who that king is,” he said calmly. He was too calm. “God has backed us in our war against Russia, and the occupation is of little vice. We would not risk war with Sweden, but in the occasion that our countries did combat, there would be no doubt that Sweden's false ideas would destroy her on the battlefield.”
Sven glanced around the room, now averting the glare of the ambassador. It was an old merchant's hall, renovated for diplomatic purposes. Strewn across the walls were shields emblazoned with the arms of Gustaf, and lanterns adorned the rest. The room smelled of burning wood, incense, and the good night air of the Baltic. He looked back at the Ambassador, doing his best to hide all of his contempt. “It is getting late, my good sir. I wish only one cession from you tonight: grant Swedish forces passage into Russia. All I ask, all we ask, is a month of military access from your Commonwealth. One
month.” Hastily, Sven added, “for fair compensation, of course.”
The Polish ambassador looked down for a moment, as if to think. When his eyes met again with Sven's, one could see the fire in them. “Absolutely not. As I have stated, Poland and Lithuania will have no dealings with the illegitimate throne of Sweden. I promise you, there will be no compromise! Good night, Mr. Ambassador!” The Pole leapt up hastily, and left into the cold night. Snow swept into the room as he slammed the door, dancing with the embers of the dying fire.
Sven was left at the long table to think. He stared into the swirls of snow and cinder, and wondered. These negotiations were getting nowhere. Sven toyed with the idea of invading Poland, simply out of spite. It seemed reasonable, the East half of the Commonwealth being under Russian occupation. He drew a map of Poland-Lithuania in the air, and traced out viable invasion paths. It seemed rather easy, and invasion if anything would make the Poles shut up.
A door closed behind him, and Sven turned around. Charles X, King of Sweden, had emerged from his chambers. “I do hope you got all you could. That foul man and his fouler king won't last long. Pray tell, did you get anything accomplished?”
“No, sire.” Sven replied, a tinge of irritation in his voice.
“Nothing at all?” The king looked worried.
“I'm afraid he continued to ramble on about his king, and little else.”
“I thought as much. Those arrogant buffoons,” Charles chuckled. “Well,
it looks like we've got our war planned out for us.”
“What do you mean, sire?”
“You know exactly what I mean.”
In the events following the Thirty Years' War, the Swedish army became the most feared in Europe. Having emerged ahead of Denmark as the premier Baltic power, Sweden began to contest the Eastern European powers for influence in the region. In 1654, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was attacked by Russia following a Cossack uprising.The rather unprotected commonwealth was occupied as far west as Lublin, however the capitals of Wilno(Vilnius) and Warszawa(Warsaw) remained free[1]. Sweden saw this incursion as a raw act of aggression. Knowing that invading Russia, which would require the Poles' cooperation, was impossible, King Charles X Gustav ordered an invasion of Poland-Lithuania to 'liberate' the protestant population and to recognize Swedish control of Livonia.
[1] First PoD. OTL Vilnius was occupied; assume that ITTL Russian plans were different.