powloon1
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1866 Jul to Sep - Constantinople Besieged

Tue Mar 12, 2013 4:04 pm

Balkans Theatre

Situation Early July (East):
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I Army

The expected fireworks at Constantinople fail to materialise as Garibaldi leads his I Army to capture the main objective of our campaign. The enemy commander worried by Garibaldi’s reputation and aware that much of his nation’s manufacturing capability is now at risk declines battle and decides instead to withdraw his force within the fortifications of Constantinople.

** It makes my life much simpler to have their main field army bottle itself up inside the fortifications. The down side is I cannot order a quick assault.

I Army maintains the siege throughout August and September without interference from either the besieged force (roughly 2200 power) or any relief force. The navy still smarting from its defeat in the Aegean Sea and with 2 squadrons immobilised by casualties (2 squadrons are immobilised in Thessalonica as replacement ships are being built) decides it cannot provide a blockade in light of the more powerful Turkish fleet harboured within the naval base at Constantinople much to Garibaldi’s disgust.

By the end of September four major breaches have been made in the fortifications making an assault on the city feasible (the city starts with non-industrial level 3 fortifications).

** I am not sure at this stage whether to just sit it out and attempt to get the enemy force to surrender or except the potentially high casualties and assault the city.

During August I Army detaches a light cavalry brigade which successfully transits the strait into Izmit. The mission of the cavalry is to provide early warning of any relief force approaching Constantinople. The region is found empty of any enemy forces and a siege is instigated around Izmit (city). Patrols are sent out around the clock to monitor the surrounding regions.

Marine Corps

Proceeded by a heavy artillery bombardment which opens a further 2 breaches in the fortifications the marines successfully neutralise the Ottoman garrison at Plevne over the course of two separate assaults.

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Thousands more Ottoman prisoners are marched to the already over flowing POW camps at Tirana.

With the depot in their hands the marines move to reduce the last 2 Ottoman hold outs along the Black Sea.

In July Constanza is easily cleared:
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Later on in July Varna is also captured:
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Again large numbers of Ottoman troops are taken prisoner.

** General Cucchiari has been congratulated several times and is now one of our leading 3* generals with a 4-5-2 rating. He started the campaign as a 2* general with a 3-3-1 rating.

With the eastern Balkans wrapped up the Marines move to Adrianople to support I Army's operations and to take on replacements. They also receive reinforcements in the guise of the 3rd Marine Division which until now had spent its war garrisoning Tirana.

Situation Early July (West):
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In the west the heroic Ottoman stand at Sarajevo is eventually overcome and the western Balkans is secured.

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A single cavalry division based in Sophia will now provide security for this area whilst the remaining infantry formations will march towards Adrianople before deploying across the straits into Asia Minor.

By the end of July the Balkans are completely secured (other than Constantinople) and the campaign in Asia Minor can begin in earnest.

Asia Minor Theatre

II Army

At the beginning of July II Army forces the enemy garrison at Canakkale to surrender:
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With this surrender the straits are opened to our navy and we secure a bridgehead into Asia Minor.

During this period our scouts had observed an enemy army marshalling to the South at Smyrna. After resting to take on supplies General Fanti ordered that this force be driven off and the industry at Smyrna captured.

** Smyrna is important as it is an Ottoman objective city and one of only very few cities which actually has some industry.

In August the 2 armies face off in Smyrna (no screenshot)
The enemy force is defeated we take 2511(29) v 19885(194) casualties (hits) (plus the enemy suffers an additional 32 hits during its retreat). No elements are destroyed on either side.

The situation at the end of August:
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With the enemy force in full retreat, Smyrna is besieged. In September General Fanti orders the assault:
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At the end of August (the Ottomans have disappeared again from the score screen in September) our total casualties had risen from 122550 to 134500 (+ 11950) and our national morale had slipped slightly to 131 whilst Ottoman casualties rose from 401700 to 521762 (+ 120062). Ottoman prisoner numbers rise from 98700 to 171000 (72300) and Ottoman NM had declined slightly to 75.

** Whilst these Ottoman casualties sound appalling the vast majority of them are from the destruction of garrisons rather than from their field armies. I am hoping the fall of Constantinople and Smyrna will be enough to push their NM below the magic threshold of 65.

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Elsewhere:
  • We complete a depot extension in Djibuti.
  • We upgrade the iron extraction in Piedmont to an iron pit.
  • We complete a coaling station in Aden.
  • We complete a coal pit in Susquehanna Valley (USA).
  • We complete schools in Tabor, Ankober and Ogaden.
  • We complete a depot in Albania.
  • We get a new Prime Minister Beninto Ricasolli.


The French and the Prussians decide to let off a bit of steam:
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** This has the unfortunate consequence of slowing our bid to overtake the French in prestige terms. We had managed to close the gap to just over 1000 points before this set back!

Despite the war we are still plugging away at our colonial goals in West Africa:
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Mainly to secure a coaling station for our ships moving around the Cape of Good Hope to our East African empire and equally important to try and secure the gold mines here.

powloon1
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1866 October - Götterdämmerung

Tue Mar 12, 2013 4:05 pm

Balkans Theatre

Situation Early October:
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Throughout the month the guns of I Army continue to hammer at the defences of Constantinople opening at least 2 further breaches in the already undermined fortifications. With winter approaching and no sign that the enemy is willing to parley Garibaldi prepares his men for an assault on the Ottoman positions. With this in mind the Marines move into the siege works to lend their weight to the attack.

Facing the attackers (I Army and Marine Corps approx 5000 power) are at least 3 enemy Corps plus a host of supporting militia (approx 2100 power). This showdown promises to be the defining moment of the campaign.

At dawn on the 2nd October the first assault goes in against the outer defences
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Losses on both sides are horrendous however the Ottomans loose 3 times as many men with several units trapped and forced to surrender. Most importantly the assault is successful and the enemy is driven from their positions.

Over the next week four further assaults are launched against fanatical Ottoman resistance whilst none compare to the initial battle it proves to be a bloody affair. The keys to victory numbers, leadership, firepower and morale are all heavily weighted in our farvour.

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By the end the Italian flag flies over the ruins of a once great city. With its main army destroyed and their capital captured the Ottomans send emissaries to begin discussing the terms of the peace.

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** I will need to wait at least 6 turns before I can make peace due to the fact I have 2 naval units locked in Thessalonica taking on replacement ships (with hindsight I should have moved them to Italy before allowing replacements to be built). I am not sure if these units would be destroyed by the peace routine as it tries to relocate them to a home region.

Both I Army and the Marines have suffered nearly 50% casualties:
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Captured equipment:
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The butcher’s bill:
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Almost forgotten amongst the carnage further east II Army moves to intercept the Ottoman army in Eskisehir with the aim of preventing a counter attack towards Constantinople:
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The Ottomans are put to flight and we now dominate the approaches to Constantinople:
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Whilst costly in men and material these battles secure our reputation around the world as a military power:
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Our national morale shoots to its highest level ever 193. Our casualties rise from 134,500 to 212,275 (+ 77,775). Ottoman casualties are obviously an order of magnitude higher. Ottoman morale at the beginning of October had fallen to 56. With the destruction of the army and the capture of their capital it is likely it decreased by a significant amount. Ottoman prisoner numbers rise from 171,000 to 333,500 (+ 162,500)
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powloon1
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1866 Nov to Dec - Peace Talks

Tue Mar 12, 2013 4:06 pm

With the capture of Constantinople and the initiation of peace talks the war enters a “quiet” phase.

Situation Late December:
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I Army and the Marines spend the period recuperating by the shores of the Black Sea. By the end of December both formations have been made good with replacements. I Army also finally upgrades to the new breech loading artillery.

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Both will remain in defensive positions around Adrianople and Constantinople until an armistice is signed or strong Ottoman forces are encountered.

In Asia Minor we decide to extend our stop line to include the Ottoman depot in Ankara which will deprive the Ottomans of a supply hub to support any advance on Constantinople.

II Army advances on Ankara in late October:
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This battle highlights the rapidly decreasing combat effectiveness of the Ottoman army and sees us inflict casualties at over 10:1

In a desperate counter attack the enemy tries to push us back:
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** Bizarrely considering the results this somehow displays as a stalemate. I have to say I would happily settle for stalemates which see hits in the order of 36:1 and 4 elements destroyed.

Finally II Army storms the city:
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Cavalry formations are ordered into the regions around Ankara to provide early warning of enemy flanking manoeuvres.

With the winding down of the hostilities our engineers are ordered to destroy the fortifications previously built up around Thessalonica.

Prestige:
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Over the course of the year we reduce the prestige gap to France to under 1000 points and increase our overall ranking from 4 to 3. We also for the first time draw near to surpassing France in terms of combat power.

Elsewhere:
  • We extend two of our mechanical parts factories to the 2nd generation factories
  • With the removal of all Ottoman influence in Massawa Harbour we are finally able to start proceedings to declare Eritrea as a formal colony
  • We complete a wood logging structure in Weichsel (Prussia).
  • We pass another electoral reform (Contentment now stands at 94% and militancy 0%)
  • We complete the fort extension in Sicily (Level 3 industrial fort)
  • We complete a depot in Sanaa (Yemen)
  • Schools are also completed in Negele and Goba (Ethiopia)
  • We agree a state visit with the USA
  • Zanzibar and Nigeria are both likely to be eligible for colonial status in the next 6 months whilst 2 areas in the Gold Coast region of West Africa will also soon be eligible for Protectorate status over the same period

powloon1
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1867 January to June - Peace in our Time? / New Threats

Tue Mar 12, 2013 4:06 pm

Diplomacy

Despite an overwhelming military victory the peace congress set up in Paris and mediated by the Great Powers proves to be a long torturous affair. Our reasonable demands include the immediate withdrawal of all Ottoman officials from Libya and the cession of Albania and the Dodecanese Islands to Italy.

Eventually by early March the Ottomans with a nervous eye on the Russian menace in the Caucasus and confronted by the hopeless military situation give in and sign the Treaty of Paris. The year long war cost of over 140,000 Italian casualties (Ottoman casualties may never be fully known however it is estimated that they lost over 500,000 men) many in Italy privately question whether the resulting territorial gains were worth the price paid in blood.

On the back of his work to secure the peace Prime minister Rattazzi comes to power.

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Of the territory ceded to us only Albania had been occupied during the course of the war and here we had already begun the process of integration

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Fortifications, a depot and port facilities had been constructed in Tirana out of military necessity however we also kick start the process of industrialisation by ordering the construction of a railway and canned food factory. It is hoped that by creating a new middle class here that we can avoid the worst of the nationalist rebellions which were such a feature of Ottoman occupation.

Libya had long been outside of the effective control of the Ottoman Empire with vast stretches of the colony controlled by rebels. By late June a division of Marines had landed to secure Tripoli and its environs.

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The general staff begins laying plans for a full scale military campaign to secure the colony. These include the raising of three new Colonial Divisions (1 x Colonial Brigade; 1 x Mixed Expedition Brigade; 1 x Supply Wagon). The Marine Corps is also put on notice that it will participate in the campaign.

The islanders in the Dodecanese had taken advantage of the war to expel the Ottoman garrison and were not in the mood to exchange one set of masters for another.

In early April General Cucchiari leads an expedition to reclaim the islands.

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In what by pre war standards would have been seen as a bloody affair the islands are secured and a marine garrison is installed.

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Fortifications and port facilities are started in order to stamp our authority on the islands. Plans are afoot to harvest the islands rich fruit crop to help pay the costs of occupation.

Elsewhere Russia chooses to look east to expand and declares war on China.

Military

With the cessation of hostilities the bulk of our operations in this period involve moving back large numbers of men and guns from the Balkans to Italy. This process is hampered by the shipping required for the Dodecanese operation and by the end of June is still not completed.

At the end of May French revolutionaries capture Dijon together with the Coal mines established by one of our mining companies. Several Italian managers and their families are taken hostage. Garibaldi is out raged when he hears the news and acts before any orders from Rome can reach him. He swiftly crosses the French border to deal with the partisans

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Unfortunately Garibaldi rather over steps the mark and claims all farms and factories in the region as “reparations”. Diplomats are enroute to Paris to help soothe over the fall out from Garibaldi's actions.

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** When Garibaldi destroyed the rebels not only the Italian coal mine but all the French structures suddenly become Italian. Will need to sort this little lot out through script!

With our position in the East Mediterranean secure and the overzealous suppression of Italian nationalist uprisings in Milan the Austrian question is once again front and centre.

Our returning armies are immediately ordered to deploy along the Po. In addition we begin mobilising a fourth army in case tensions escalate out of hand.

At the end of June are army dispositions are as follows:

  • I Army is deployed to Allesandria (minus a corps under Garibaldi)
  • II Army is in transit from Albania to Rome
  • III Army moves out of its barracks in Rome to take up positions in Parma
  • IV Army begins assembling in Romagna
We have built the following naval units:
  • Replacements: 1 x Light Warship; 3 x Merchant
We have built the following land units:
  • Replacements: 1 x Field Artillery
  • 3 x Colonial Brigades
  • 3 x Mixed Expedition Brigades
  • 1 x Mountain Division
  • 1 x Infantry Corps L
Economy

The end of the war has shown us that the main bottleneck remaining in our economy remains the number of mechanical parts. Our new economic policy focuses on the creation of new factories to build this vital commodity.

Balance of Trade:
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Organic Stockpiles:
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Inorganic Stockpiles:
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Census:
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We started the following industrial improvements:
  • Canned Food Shop – Albania - January
  • Railroad - Albania - March
  • Oil Field - Trucial (Dubai) - March
  • Canned Food Shop - Rome - April
  • Canned Food Shop - Sicily - May
We completed the following industrial improvements:
  • Textile shop - Toscany - February
  • Mechanical Shop - Campania - March
Colonisation

We gain our first foothold in West Africa with Lome being declared a protectorate. This provides us with a strategic port location for ships voyaging around the Cape of Good Hope.

Our hold on East Africa is further secured with the announcement that Eritrea is now a formal colony and that Zanzibar will also follow suit in the next couple of months.

The Gold Coast region of west Africa (8 regions with at least 2 gold producing regions) is close to being declared a protectorate. This produces a few nervous flutters as for the first time we are directly competing with the British Empire.

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Colonial Possesions
Protectorates:
  • Kenya
  • Yemen
  • Zanzibar
  • Lome
  • Libya
Protectorates ready for colonial status:
  • Zanzibar
Colonies:
  • Somalia
  • Somaliland
  • Dubai
  • Djibuti
  • Eritrea
  • Abyssinia

Prestige

Our national morale stands at 157. We close the prestige gap to France to 443 points.

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powloon1
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Tue Mar 12, 2013 4:12 pm

Stuyvesant wrote:Good to see you and your AAR here, Powloon (I'll learn to attach the '1' eventually)!. Looking forward to having your and loki's AARs available when I finally succumb and attempt PON myself. Thanks for porting it over.


Nice to see you over here! I had fully intended to let this AAR drop (over on the Paradox site) but obviously the day after I declared that the AAR forum opened here. Like any adict I am missing my fix of this game so I will be pushing on.

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loki100
AGEod Guard of Honor
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Tue Mar 12, 2013 4:20 pm

great to see you've decided to save this, its another very valuable insight into the game
AJE The Hero, The Traitor and The Barbarian
PoN Manufacturing Italy; A clear bright sun
RoP The Mightiest Empires Fall
WIA Burning down the Houses; Wars in America; The Tea Wars

powloon1
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Tue Mar 12, 2013 4:37 pm

loki100 wrote:great to see you've decided to save this, its another very valuable insight into the game


I've gone for the AAR Lite version (minus comments) to save my sanity. I can only admire your dedication to bring the full thing across!

Looking forward to seeing how your slug fest with Austria pans out.

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Pocus
Posts: 25659
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Location: Lyon (France)

Wed Mar 13, 2013 5:20 pm

I have started to red your AAR powloon, this is very interesting to see how players play and what the game can bring as enjoyments or frustrations to them :)
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Hofstadter's Law: "It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's law."

powloon1
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Thu Mar 14, 2013 9:13 am

Pocus wrote:I have started to red your AAR powloon, this is very interesting to see how players play and what the game can bring as enjoyments or frustrations to them :)


Welcome aboard Pocus!

The game definately has many more enjoyable moments than frustrations (a lot of the frustrations can also be put down to me being a newbie and not understanding). It is one of the most adictive games I've played with a huge amount of depth and detail. Saying that it still has a few rough edges that need to be ironed out so the news that the rights are back with AGEOD is good indeed.

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WallysWorld
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Location: Canada

Thu Mar 14, 2013 8:30 pm

I'm very much enjoying reading this AAR. Many thanks, powloon1.

powloon1
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Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2012 2:27 pm

Fri Mar 15, 2013 9:36 am

WallysWorld wrote:I'm very much enjoying reading this AAR. Many thanks, powloon1.


Glad you are enjoying. Hopefully I'll have the next 6 month update early next week.

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