The Triple Union- A Polish and Russian TL

Prelude
(1600)
“... the Commonwealth of Poland Lithuania allowed all faiths to preach. The Tsardom of Russia, believers in the Eastern Orthodox faith, oppressed all religions, especially Catholicism. The religious gap between the two nearly led to the failure of the Polish diplomatic mission, saved only by Boris’s stroke and subsequent ‘vision.’” -An excerpt from ‘The Treaty of Kiev and What Nearly Didn’t Happen’ by Alexei Barkov.

In Russia, Lew Sapieha began packing up to heading home. The Polish mission had failed. Boris Godunov, Tsar of Russia, had rejected the proposed Union of the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania and the Tsardom of Russia. Despite the clear military and economic benefits of such a union, the prospect of having to agree to Polish-Lithuanian religious tolerance proved too much to bear. Russia was not as Enlightened as most European nations, certainly not anywhere near the level of the Tolerant Commonwealth.

Lew Sapieha was faintly disappointed. With Russia brought into the Commonwealth, even to a small extent, there were so many more opportunities to increase ones own power… Lew had thought that Boris, the first non Rurikid Tsar of Russia, was different. Already in his reign as Czar he had begun sending of Russians to be educated in foreign countries, as well as allowing Lutheran churches to be built in Russia. He clearly recognized that Russia needed to reform. However, Lew had been proved wrong. The massive Czardom proved too rigid to change...

As the sun rose the Polish diplomatic mission prepared to leave. However, as they began to leave, a Russian messenger chased them down. Apparently, Tsar Boris Godunov had suffered a stroke last night, and by the will of God had survived. Not only that, but he had deigned to restart negotiations with diplomatic mission about the possible Union…


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Right: A portrait of Boris Godunov, Czar of All Russia.


-First Real Attempt at a Good TL. Keep in mind, I am not a expert! :eek:-
 
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Did the Poles ask for the serfs to be freed?

I'm almost certain that Poland also maintained serfdom in this period.

Still, colour me interested. Do go on.
 
Your right about serfdom. I was looking at wrong date when I wrote that. Changed it.
 
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Sorry, Ran out of time. Almost done with next update. Will be released tomorrow morning probably. Looking into serfdom.

I know it's Wikipedia, but this should help you.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serfdom_in_Poland

Gotta remember that Poland was a noble's republic. The life of the average peasant wasn't that great. In fact, you could probably argue that the institutionalization of serfdom in Poland was partly tied to to the weakening of royal power vis a vis the nobility.
 
The Treaty of Kiev
(1600-1601)
“... Boris’s vision has always been a matter of great debate. Some few think that he was truly spoken to by God. Some think that his stroke had just driven him mad. His son seemed to believe that the stroke changed his father, but also gave him an opportunity. A vision would allow him to negotiate with the Commonwealth while keeping the Patriarchate from protesting too much. His son’s views are what most modern scholars agree with.” -An excerpt from ‘The Treaty of Kiev and What Nearly Didn’t Happen’ by Alexei Barkov.


Several days later, when the Physicians deemed Boris sufficiently recovered, Lew Sapieha found himself speaking with Boris Godunov in person. Boris, who appeared to have aged ten years since Lew Sapieha had last seen him, sat in bed being attended by several servants and a Physician. Boris, often having to repeat his words two or three times due to his impaired speech, told Lew words that would go down in history, being debated for hundreds of years. “Lying on the brink of death, I learned a great many things. From the eternal blackness, God himself spoke to me. Our nations may be very different, but we have all been brought into being by the same God. You may be wrong in some of your theological beliefs, but violence is not the answer. Let us join, to form a great Christian nation. Let us fight together, die together, against the Heathens to our South and East.” With this Boris, now exhausted, told Lew to go and negotiate the Russian diplomats.

The second round of negotiations were far more intense than the first. Now instead of the Russian and Commonwealth proposals being infinitely far apart, each was within reach of the other. Boris had told the Polish Mission that he would agree to their term of religious tolerance, although he warned them that this would take time to implement. However, both sides would fight tooth and nail for this small space in between. As negotiations dragged on, Sigismund III of Poland Lithuania decided that reclaiming the throne of Sweden could wait. A Union with Russia was too important.

Early in 1601, The Treaty of Kiev was finally ratified by both Sigismund III of Poland and Boris Godunov of Russia.

The Treaty of Kiev (1601)
Russia and the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania would form a union of two equal states.
Rulers of Russia and the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania would be chosen independently, but with the consent of the other state.
Russia and the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania would remove all economic barriers between the two countries.
Russia and the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania would agree to extradite criminals to their proper country.
Russia would agree to cease the persecution of minority religions, however Catholic Missionaries would not be allowed to enter the country from the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania.
Russia and the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania would agree to allow students to study in each others countries.
With the ratification of the Treaty of Kiev the Triple Union was formed…


In neighboring Sweden, there was despair. Two powers who wanted Swedish territory, joining together in a union… Swedish diplomats began looking for an alliance to counteract this new power. In Austria, the Habsburgs could only watch. Embroiled in the extremely costly Long War with the Ottomans, they were in no position to challenge the Triple Union.

In Russia, the nobles were torn. This Union could bring them new heights of power and wealth. However, a union with Catholics preaching no religious persecution could spell the end of the Russian way of life. Some supported, some were against. Those who were against prepared for a war…

In Moscow, Sigismund III of Poland and Boris Godunov of Russia discussed matters of state. Boris, too infirm to travel, had requested that Sigismund come to Moscow to discuss such things. Reluctantly, had Sigismund agreed. Sigismund III wanted to reclaim the throne of Sweden, while Boris was convinced that God had told him that the Heathens must be cleansed, starting with the Ottoman Turks to the south. After much debate, Sigismund III gave in. They must strike the Ottomans while they are weak, embroiled in the Long War. Before this however, Sigismund must convince the Sejm, and Boris must deal with his nobles.
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Right: A portrait of Sigismund III Vasa, King of the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania.

- Comments still welcomed. :D-
 
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I think it's interesting, but could you put a line between paragraphs to break them up a little more?

Yea, I will do that. When I write this on Google Docs it's fine with double spacing, but that doesn't work here. I will change these and do it for all future updates.
 
The Noble Revolt (Part One)
(1602)
"Historians have always debated over many aspects of the Triple Union. The most obvious aspect however, is what to call it. In its early stages, it was effectively two countries. The official name when the Treaty of Kiev was ratified was the Union of the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania and the Tsardom of Russia. This was immediately ruled out as it is simply too long. The Triple Union, while a good way to describe them, is not a country name. However, the modern name of the is simply not accurate to what they were at the time. By all accounts most people called them the Commonwealth. Eventually, Historians decided that this was a good name. As to not confuse them with the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania, they became the Greater Commonwealth.” An excerpt from ‘A History of Names’ by John Smith.


From the moment Boris Godunov ratified the treaty, many of the nobles were up in arms. A Union with Catholics, as well as fear of Polonization and loss of their power led them to revolt against the Tzar. As it was still February, the Tzar had time to take stock of the situation, the winter of Russia shielding him from any serious threats.

Many of the lower nobility immediately supported Boris, betting that their loyalty to the Czar would pay off in the long run. The Golden Liberties of the Commonwealth, declaring that all nobles were equal, would be very beneficial to them. However, as Boris called the nobles up to fight against the rebels with him, he quickly found that many were not willing to fight. While they would not dare face the Czar, these nobles also didn’t want to fight against the rebellious nobles either. They saw the benefit in Boris’s decision, but they also saw the risk. Therefore, they remained neutral.

As for the rebels, there were two main groups. One, currently camped to the north of Moscow, was comprised of religious zealots and those who feared the spread of Catholicism. They were headed by none other than the Patriarch Job of Moscow. They were comprised of about 8,000 men,however their numbers remained static, with many being dissuaded from joining by Boris’s claimed vision. Being mostly made up of the pious nobles, they were not very experienced fighters by Russian standards. The other group was far more dangerous. Made up of those who feared Polonization, nobles who thought that their own power could increase under the reign of a new Czar independent of the Commonwealth, as well as the most powerful Boyars who feared the Golden Liberties, they followed a man who claimed to be Dmitriy I himself! As they had a leader to follow in addition to a cause, their numbers were growing. Currently, they had around 11,000 men, as well as 1,500 mercenary Cossack infantry. While many believed Boris’s claims that this was a false Dmitry, some simply ignore his claims.

Seeing the danger of these rebellions, Boris began raising an army. Calling upon all Nobles who would listen, he also began training additional soldiers. He estimated that by June he could have 18,000 troops ready to fight the rebels. However, this might prove to not be enough. Because of this, Boris decided to call on his newfound partner. Requesting soldiers, an envoy was sent from the Tsardom of Russia to the Commonwealth.

In Warsaw, King Sigismund III of Poland sighed inwardly. Now not only would he have to succeed in convince the Sejm of training a full scale army, but to send soldiers to aid Russia. Within a few weeks of harsh debate, Sigismund III had convinced the Sejm that a dual invasion of the Ottoman Empire was in the Commonwealth’s benefit. After all, they had already been having small scale conflicts with the Ottomans over Moldavia. Striking the Ottomans while they were weak could lead to the control of Moldavia, perhaps even farther… The Balkans seemed ripe for the picking… Convincing the Sejm to help Russia was far easier than expected. They recognizing that they had to show support for their new partner in order for the union to last. However, they intended to send a token force of only 500 men. After much argument the Sejm finally agreed to authorize some 4,000 men to be moved from Moldavia to support the Russians. With only 4,000 men to send, Sigismund III chose carefully. Eventually Sigismund III chose Jan Karol Chodkiewicz. A Lithuanian military commander, who was very skilled with cavalry. The 4,000 men were made up of 2,500 infantry, and 1,500 calvary. Importantly however, 500 of the Cavalry were Jan Chodkiewicz prized Hussars, masters of mounted warfare.


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Right: Polish forces heading to Moscow to aid the Russians.

All across the Greater Commonwealth, people geared for war. In Poland and Lithuania, an army, massive by the standards of the Commonwealth, was being raised. In Russia, rebels and those loyal to the Czar both prepared themselves for war. In Moldavia, Jan Chodkiewicz received his orders and began marching to Russia, not fully understanding why they were helping those backward Russians…


-The Noble Revolt proved too long for one post, so I've split it into two. Enjoy! :D-
 
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The Noble Revolt (Part Two)
(1602)
“...Upon the backs of the sun,
rode fifty steeds which held fifty men,
who had dared to overcome,
those Russians who had chosen the sword instead of the pen,
rebellion and war, Boris chose to stand firm…” An excerpt from ‘Boris’ by William Shakespeare.

As June came around, the Polish soldiers had still not yet arrived. While the Commonwealth informed him that they were only two weeks away, Boris could not afford to wait this long. Every minute he wasted the False Tzar gained more support. Despite only having around 16,500 soldiers, less than he had hoped for, Boris began to march. Splitting his army against the advice of his military commanders, he sent 6,500 to deal with the Zealots to the north, who were not experienced fighters and Boris expected would break if put underpressure. The remaining part of his army, some 10,000 men, marched East to Nizhny Novgorod, where the rebels had made their stronghold. Despite being outnumbered by what was estimated to be some 6,000 men, Boris was confident that with God on his side, he would not be defeated.

In the Commonwealth, an army was being raised. Having convinced the Sejm to go to war with the Ottomans, King Sigismund III must now build an army. The Commonwealth, despite a very high population, had one of the lowest people to soldier ratios in all of Europe. The Sejm, while now behind him on the war with the Ottomans, underestimated their foe and didn’t want to spend excess money, constantly limiting Sigismund III’s funding for the army. Finally, fed up with the Sejm, Sigismund III called them together.

Sigismund III, constantly being held back, had decided just to explain the situation. “The Ottomans,” Sigismund III told them, “despite the heavy losses from The Long Turkish War, can be expected to have a functioning army of around 140,000 men at this point in time. The Austrians and their allies can be expected to have a functioning army of around 80,000 due to casualties. The Ottomans, should they choose too, can spare perhaps 50,000 men if they go on the defensive against the Austrians. The Crimean and Nogai Khanates can raise a force of perhaps 35,000 horsemen against us. If the Ottomans make peace with the Austrians, the situation will be even worse. Should we invade, we will need a force of at least 80,000 men between us and the Russian Tsardom. Our forces, firm Christian men, are superior to the Heathens of the Ottoman Empire. However, the Russian Tsardom, with it’s nobles rebelling, will have suffered casualties and will only be able to field perhaps 20,000 men by the start of 1603. If we wait longer for our partner to recuperate, the opportunity will be lost. therefore, we must raise a force of some 50,000 men to allow us to defeat the Ottomans decisively. With the funding I have been given, our army will be perhaps 25,000 soldiers strong. The simple truth is I need more money. As inglorious as it is, gold will be the difference between triumph and defeat. Therefore, I beg you, I need more funding.” With that, Sigismund III walked out of the room, leaving the Sejm to debate.

Several weeks later, Sigismund III happily viewed soldiers being trained in Warsaw. He had actually done it, he had convinced the Sejm to increase funding so he could build an army of 50,000. The Sejm hadn’t realized, that despite the Russian army only being some 16,500 strong as of now, this was primarily because many of the nobles would not fight against the other nobles. Fighting a war against Heathens however, was a totally different affair. Sigismund III estimated that the Russians could raise some 45,000 soldiers against the Ottomans, despite the casualties from the Noble Revolt. 90,000 soldiers should be more than sufficient to defeat the Ottomans, despite Ottoman military superiority. One had to appeal to the Nobles confidence, promising them great triumph of the Christian soldiers. However, Sigismund III knew very well the Ottoman army was far superior to that of the Commonwealth. But with 45,000 Commonwealth soldiers and 45,000 Russian soldiers marching down from the north, the Ottomans would simply not be able to fight a war on so many fronts. As for the funding for the training of the other 5,000 soldiers of the 50,000 strong army, it would be going to soldiers, just not the soldiers the Sejm had intended. That money would be diverted to helping his personal army of 3,000 soldiers turn into a well equipt and professional fighting force. One never knew what circumstances would arise…

As word reached the rebels that Boris had split his army, the rebels in Nizhny Novgorod prepared for battle. 17,500 soldiers would prove a tough challenge, but 10,000 soldiers would be decisively defeated. Once they had defeated the army marching towards the led by the sickly Boris himself, the path to Moscow was wide open…

On August 15th, 1602, the two armies found themselves facing each other off outside of Nizhny Novgorod. 10,000 Russian soldiers, facing off with 14,000 rebels led by the False Dmitry, as well as 1,500 Cossack mercenaries. At approximately 10:00 AM the battle began.

Initially, things began well for Boris, with the rebels suffering heavier casualties than the Russian soldiers. By approximately 1:30 PM, the Cossack mercenaries fled the battlefield. Boris was quoted to say that ‘Tonight I shall be dining in Nizhny Novgorod, with the rebels bowing to my majesty.’ However, the tide quickly began to turn. The rebels line, still outnumbering the Russians significantly, began to envelop the Russians. By 5:00, the Russians found themselves almost completely surrounded. Boris, for his part, fought bravely, however being sickly and still recovering from his stroke he was not a very effective warrior. By 7:00 the Russian soldiers were on the brink of surrender. Boris, in a desperate attempt to keep his army from falling apart, rallied them to him. Screaming through the noise of the fight, Boris told them that God was on their side, and that God would save them. The soldiers, desperate to save themselves as much as believing Boris, fought on with renewed ferocity. However, within fifteen minutes the rebels began to break apart, as if by an act of god.

Cutting through Russian rebels left and right, Jan Chodkiewicz was extremely satisfied. His Hussars were cutting through these men like a hot knife through butter. Jan though ecstatically that this would go down throughout history. Five hundred Hussars saving the Russian army from complete annihilation from rebels. Within an hour of the Hussars crashing into enemy, the rebellion had collapsed. All that was left now was rounding up the survivors.


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Right: Polish Hussars charge the rebels in Russia during the Battle of Nizhniy Novgorod (1602)


When the Commonwealth soldiers sent to aid Boris had arrived in Moscow, they had been informed that the Russian army had already left. Chasing them down, the Poles were still three days march away from Nizhny Novgorod when they heard word that the battle was beginning. With no time to spare, the Hussars took off using the horses off the other cavalry as alternates so as not to exhaust their horses.When they had arrived, they had rode into battle with the sun at their backs, and had broken the rebellion.

All across Russia, any thoughts of rebellion fell apart. Tsar Boris had came from the brink of defeat, summoning the horseman of God himself . Tsar Boris Godunov became Tsar Boris Godunov the Pious, Warrior of God. When he announced the War against the Heathen Ottoman Empire, people from all over Russia immediately began flocking to his banner.

Meanwhile, in the Commonwealth, the Sejm quietly put the record of Jan Chodkiewicz’s army in a safe place. That the Russians thought that the Warriors of God had saved Boris, when it had in fact been Polish Hussars, could prove very useful in the future...

-This one was really fun to write, hope you enjoy! :D-

 
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Just adding a map. Not the greatest with maps, so feel free to correct anything that is wrong.

Credit to whoever made the Original Map, Europe in 1648 AD. I just edited it for my own purposes.

Europe on the Eve of the First Ottoman-Greater Commonwealth War (1603)
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-As always, hope you enjoy! :D-
 
The First Ottoman-Greater Commonwealth War (Prelude)
(1603-06)
“The First Ottoman-Greater Commonwealth War, often considered part of the Second Phase of the Long Turkish War by historians, was to prove a turning point in history. Many modern historians argue that more than any other point in history, the Long Turkish War and the First Ottoman-Greater Commonwealth War changed the history of four of the Europe’s greatest empires: the Austrian Habsburg Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania and the Tsardom of Russia.” An excerpt from ‘Turning Points of History’ by Antoni Balinski.

Tsar Boris Godunov looked at the soldiers assembled in front of him with satisfaction. After his defeat of the rebels due to the ‘Horsemen of God’ bearing down on the enemy, nobles throughout Russia joined him for the war against the Ottomans. Following his lead, the Ottomans would be utterly destroyed. Support for Boris’s new war was virtually universal. Even that fool Patriarch Job had been forced to recognize that Boris had God on his side. By April of this year, the campaign will have started in earnest. Having amassed some 50,000 men, the first task of the Russian army would be to take out the Nogai and Crimean Khanates, vassals of the Ottomans. Despite being able to call up a far larger percentage of their populations to fight against the Russians, the Khanates horse archers had already been proven to be inferior to the forces of modern technology. Boris had already decided that 30,000 men would be sent to subdue the Nogai Khanate, with the other 34,000 men, led by himself, would annihilate the Crimean Khanate.

King Sigismund III of the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania looked over the plans one more time. While this may be Tsar Boris Godunov's war, it ultimately fell to Sigismund III to organize and plan it. Their were to be four main armies marching to war, two Russian, two Commonwealth.

The first Russian army, comprised of 30,000 men, would march on the Nogai Khanate. Despite the Russians having superior technology and almost triple the men the Nogai Khanate could field, Sigismund III feared that this army would face the most trouble. While Russia was able to raise a truly massive force in such a small amount of time, only about half of Boris’s men were truly combat ready soldiers. To make matters even worse, most of the inexperienced soldiers were in the army marching on the Nogai Khanate. Led by the young commander Dmitry Pozharsky, Sigismund III feared that they might end up slaughtered. While this was not a deathblow to the war effort by any means, especially considering these were the most inexperienced soldiers in the war, it would still be a major morale hit to the soldiers if any sort of major defeat happened early in the war.

The second Russian army was comprised of 40,000 men, and was the more experienced half of the Russian army. Led by Tsar Boris Godunov, Sigismund III had no doubts that army, with some of its men blooded in the Battle of Nizhny Novgorod, would defeat the numerically inferior Crimean's horsemen. The Russians had experience dealing with the step hordes, and the Crimean Khanate tactics were not very different. The main problem presented for this army was Azov. Home to a stronghold of the Ottomans, it could be supplied by sea infinitely, as neither Russian nor the Commonwealth had any naval presence. Not only this, but many of Azov’s 4,000 defenders were Janissaries, the elite of the Ottoman army. The stronghold possessed some 120 cannons, and could massively slow down the campaign. As long as the Russians were forced to besiege Azov, that was some 30,000 men that would be tied up. However, a direct assault would be almost suicidal due to the Janissaries as well as the massive amount of cannons defending the fort.


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Above: A map of Azov and the surrounding area.

The first Polish army was comprised of 20,000 men, led by Jan Chodkiewicz. This army was to claim Moldavia, long fought over by the Commonwealth, Habsburgs and Ottomans. Led by Jan Chodkiewicz, who unknown to most was the savior of the Russians in the Battle of Nizhny Novgorod, Sigismund III was confident that they would get the job done, and then quickly head to link up with the other Polish army. The deeper they got into Ottoman territory, the higher the risk that the Ottomans would annihilate one of their armies using superior numbers and training. After having studied the Hussars of Jan Chodkiewicz, Sigismund III had decided that they should be used as part of his personal army. As Sigismund III could not just take these Hussars away from Jan Chodkiewicz without the Sejm learning of what he was doing, Sigismund would have Jan Chodkiewicz train his Hussars. Unfortunately, this meant that Sigismund’s III personal army would have to serve with Jan Chodkiewicz for the time being. So, Jan Chodkiewicz army totaled 23,000 men, more than enough for the job at hand.

The second Polish army was to be led by Sigismund III himself. Comprised of 25,000 men, they were to march along the black sea, capturing the key Ottoman cities their. Once they reached Constanta, they were to wait for the other Polish army to meet up with them. Heading so close to Constantinople was too risky with their armies divided. Their immediate mission should not be very difficult. The only problem was they were the only army that was truly invading Ottoman soil. This meant that they were the most likely to be attacked, and subsequently Sigismund III made sure they would have a critical advantage. The army led by Sigismund had the very Hussars that served under Jan Chodkiewicz, reinforced with new Hussars. In total, Sigismund III had access to 1,500 Hussars. These could turn the tide of any battle, crashing through the enemies lines at just the right moment would cause the Ottomans to break rank and run. Hussars, however, would not protect them from a massive Ottoman attack that could heavily outnumber them. While the Ottomans could potentially attack him with such a force, this would take time with many Ottoman soldiers fighting the Habsburgs.

After reviewing the plans, Sigismund III was confident that this war would bring him glory, and a place in the history books.

On April 5th, 1603, the Greater Commonwealth declared war on the Ottoman Empire.

-Get ready for this one, its going to be big and change the course of history! :D-

 
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Very Interesting TL.

Thanks! I really appreciate it. I'm still not sure what path this TL will take after the First Ottoman-Greater Commonwealth War, I do have a few ideas though. I think the relation between the Sejm, the Monarch and the Czar, in addition to the dynamics within the Greater Commonwealth will be very important to the TL. I also can't wait until 1630ish when I can start introducing new characters and stop having to research otl's events.
 
Next update should be released shortly. I have been having to research sizes of armies, and have found I probably need to raise the size of the Russian armed forces all around to board.
 
The First Ottoman-Greater Commonwealth War (Part 1)
(1603-06)
“Subjects of the Sultan, today we march to glory. Infidels attempt to halt the growth of the Sultan’s mighty empire. We must fight them, and show them why are the greatest empire in the world. All shall bow to the Sultan, and those who serve him shall be rewarded. Now, march, brave soldiers. Fight and die for the Sultan!” An excerpt from a speech by Yemişçi Hasan Pasha, shortly before he was executed by Sultan Mehmed III Adli.

Sultan Mehmed III Adli cursed. He had received advanced warning from his spies that the newfound Greater Commonwealth was planning to declare war on him. Not that he needed the spies, the Russian Tsar had all but announced that he was going to declare war on the Ottomans. Of course the cursed Infidels to his north had waited until he was weak to strike. With the Long Turkish War having drained the Empire’s manpower, as well as the populace’s will to fight, it was going to be a painful struggle. However, he was the Sultan of the mighty Ottoman Empire, and he was not going to give in the demands of Infidels.


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Above: A portrait of Sultan Mehmed III Adli.

On April 11th, 1603, Sultan Mehmed III Adli announced increased taxes and conscription. All around the Empire, unrest began to grow. However, for the time being it was contained. After all, the Empire had been attacked, the Sultan was merely trying to protect the people, even if it brought them hardship.

The Russian army led by Dmitry Pozharsky was experiencing a surprisingly easy campaign. The only Nogai forces they had encountered were small skirmishing squads, shooting arrows at his men by horseback. While they undoubtedly slowed his men's advance, they did not achieve much more than that. It appeared the Nogai army chose to flee rather than fight the glorious Russian army. Dmitry was ecstatic. A successful campaign would lead to recognition from Boris Godunov, as well as promotion, wealth and power. Already they had occupied the small towns and villages they had encountered. While this was slowly reducing his force, it was irrelevant. He would defeat the Nogai army, and then this territory would be ceded to Russia when the Sultan came begging for peace.

On May 12th, the Battle of Orekhov began. When the Greater Commonwealth had declared war on the Ottomans, the Crimean army immediately started heading towards the Ottoman fortress at Azov. Although their army was almost entirely composed of horsemen, who would be far less effective defending a fortress than they would be in the open field, the Crimeans knew that they stood little chance against the Russians. Unfortunately for them, however, the Russians had predicted this. As the Crimean army had been on the Crimean Peninsula at the wars start, they had stood little chance of reaching Azov before the Russians, who had cut them off at the town of Orekhov. With 40,000 Russian soldiers armed with muskets and steel weaponry, many of whom fought in the bloody Battle of Nizhny Novgorod, the battle quickly turned into a slaughter. At 10:00 AM, The Crimeans, led by Khan Ğazı II Giray, charged the Russian lines. However, they were quickly repelled by Russian musket fire, suffering heavy casualties. Then at 11:00 AM, the Russian cavalry struck. Forced to fight the Russian cavalry, the Crimeans could no longer retreat using their horses to outrun the Russian infantry. Then, the Russian infantry moved in. Forced to fight the Russians in close quarters, the Crimean horses lost their advantage. By 2:00 PM, the Crimean army was crippled. What was left of their army, including the Khan, rode as quickly as they could to Azov. The Russian army, comprised mainly of infantry, was forced to let them go.


Despite the difficulties of moving large numbers of troops on the Crimean Steppes, by early August, all of the Crimean Khanate was occupied by Russia, in large part due to Boris Godunov making use of the rivers. By August 22nd, 1603, the Siege of Azov had begun.

To the West, the Polish campaign was making headway. In Moldavia, the Ottoman forces that had been continually fighting for control quickly fell to the superior Commonwealth forces. By May 20th, Jan Chodkiewicz had reached the town of Constanta, meeting up with the other Commonwealth army led by Sigismund III. Sigismund III had also had an easy time. Capturing the rich coastal towns of the Ottoman Empire along the Black Sea had proven an easy task. From now on, however, the campaign would grow more dangerous. The Ottomans, while slow to respond, would undoubtedly raise a force to defend themselves. Mehmed III had already announced some extremely unpopular conscription and tax laws. Fresh recruits combined with battle hardened soldiers being transferred from the fighting in Hungary would allow the Ottomans to soon amass an army to take on the Commonwealth forces. While this force would by no means be able to overwhelm the Commonwealth, Sigismund III hoped that the Russians would finish off the Crimean Khanate and the Nogai Horde soon, so they could be used to reinforce his army in the Ottoman Empire.

While Boris Godunov had felt that nothing but success had come his way so far, on June 3rd he received some dire news. The army led by Dmitry Pozharsky foolishly marched deep into the Nogai Horde’s territory. His soldiers, marching straight into a marsh, were ambushed by the Nogai horsemen. Bogged down and under heavy fire from Nogai horse archers, many of the soldiers soon broke ranks and ran. None made it very far. Russian soldiers, retreating on foot, were mercilessly cut down by Nogai horsemen. Those who held their ground, comprised of the more experienced soldiers, fought their way out of the marsh, suffering extreme casualties but still surviving. Being constantly harassed by Nogai horse archers, these soldiers, rallied around Dmitry Pozharsky, who showed extreme prowess in battle despite his severe tactical blunders, made their way back to Russian territory. All told, of the 30,000 men who marched into Nogai territory, some 13,000 made it out alive. Of these, only 6,000 would be combat ready any time soon.

While a undoubted disaster, Boris Godunov was able to turn its effects on the people around. By telling the heroic tale of Dmitry Pozharsky, who saved the lives of so many soldiers by leading them back to Russia, Godunov was able to cement the war effort. Unfortunately, this meant keeping Dmitry around for now, who Boris truly wanted to execute for his massive mistake.

-Hope you enjoy! :D-


 
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