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| The Reconquest of the Balkans; Byzantium on the march | |
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| Topic Started: Apr 30 2014, 01:39 AM (1,062 Views) | |
| Kasnyia | Apr 30 2014, 01:39 AM Post #1 |
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Chairman of the Bank
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OOC- I'm RPing on behalf of Sed. IC- Emissariat of Alexanderhaven Constantinople, Byzantine Empire 5:09 pm The Casinia Palace, home and office of Alexanderhaven's official envoy to the Byzantine Emperor, Marius Dovler, was abuzz. The Emperor had been in chambers with his closest ministers for three days straight, according to the rumor mill in the emissariat. It was the first time since order had been restored within the Empire of something like this happening. Furthermore, whatever was going on was going to involve all the Orthodox nations in the world. Both Emissary Dovler and his Russian counterpart, among others, had been in the meetings. Alas, they had yet to report back to their offices, so the staff could only guess. The rumors about what was happening was running the gamut. Some had it that the Emperor was firing his court. Others said he was throwing a fete in their honor. Still others thought some kind of reforms were being planned. No one had figured a war. It was an entire week before Emissary Dovler returned to tell his staff of the Emperor's new directive. It wasn't going to just be a war, it was going to be a reassertion of control and authority in the Byzantine lands. It was going to be the Reconquest. The first phase of the operation was to provide strategic depth for Constantinople. The borders as they currently stood were too close to the heart of Orthodoxy to be tolerated for much longer. To that end, the Balkans, specifically the provinces of Macedonia and South Dalmatia, would be the first to come back under Byzantine rule. The meeting had laid out the specifics of the Byzantine Army's operations and logistics. It also laid out what the various Orthodox nations would be doing to support the conquest. Russia, for example, was to keep outside powers from interfering. That meant everyone from the Genesians to Central Europe to the TCG and everyone in between. For Alexanderhaven, remote as it was from what was to be the front, was to merely provide supplies and an army of it's best troops to assist the Byzantine Army's push. This force, the Royal Alexanderhaven Expeditionary Corps, was to be led by Lt. General Simeon Rajumann, formerly of the Royal Border Guards before being promoted for excellent service. The Byzantine Army would be led by Legate Marcus Rabirius Zogu, who would have supreme command of the campaign and of the newly formed Dalmatian Legion. He had been born in South Dalmatia back when it was still a functional province under House Damascene. He had been among the officers that hadn't left the Byzantine Army after the collapse, and was experienced in fighting the Dominion and in the collapse against the factions that dared challenge Byzantium. The plan was to strike in a little over a month. By then the men and material would be ready. ------------- Five weeks later. ------------- Gevgelija, Macedonian Front 3:47 am On the border between the self-proclaimed Macedonian Republic and Byzantium, the heavy rain and dim light of the overcast sky made things look quite grim. Macedonia wasn't well armed or particularly threatening, but the 75th Century of the Dalmatian Legion had never seen battle, and so were determined to prove themselves for their Emperor. They waited until they recieved word from the neighboring front against the 'Kingdom' of Albania, who would attack first, for their signal to move. They would then begin their campaign up the Vardar into Skopje, bifuricating Macedonia in the process. It had been hoped by the century that this battle would be dramatic, but when their officers finally gave them the signal, there was no bellowing of the order, not great explosions to signal their arrival, and no great soundtrack. Just a simple "Go" and no enemy to fight; the border guards at Gevgelija had fled. ------------- Korce, Albanian Front 3:50 am Having moved just ten minutes before, the 3rd Century of the Dalmatian Legion, supported by the 17th Royal Grenadiers of Alexanderhaven, managed to push all the way to Korce city twenty or so kilometers from the border before they hit their first batch of resistance at the city outskirts. Their job was to take the interior highlands until they were within artillery distance of Tirana. Later on, another push would occur up the coast, once the Albanian forces were distracted enough. So far, so good.... |
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| Kasnyia | May 6 2014, 02:01 PM Post #2 |
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Chairman of the Bank
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Gradsko, Macedonian Front 4:48pm Day 6 The 75th Century had finally reached Gradsko, a major crossroad and fork in the Vardar. The front was now wide enough to trace along the southern banks of the Bregainica and Strumica rivers to the north and the eastern bank of the Crna to the west. They had faced little resistance. Strumica city was in the middle of a bread riot when they had arrived, and were grateful for the order once again provided by Byzantium. Kavadarci, a major crossroad just a few kilometers south of Gradsko, had been the first area of resistance they came across. The ill-equipped opponent managed to hold out for three days before they submitted. And now that they had reached Gradsko, the front would narrow to just the Vardar river valley between it and Veles further north. In the meanwhile, The eastern flank would march on Radovis as the western flank pushed to Prilep. All three targets were said to be well defended and would show the true mettle of Macedonia. --------------------- Elbasan, Albanian Front 7:00pm Day 6 After Korce, the 3rd Century and the 17th Royal Grenadiers split up. The former continued through the mountains into Pogradec while the latter took the low road into Gramsh. For both paths, they had to deal with significant numbers of ambush attacks, even if the ambushes themselves were fairly low in threat level. Finally, they met up at the opposite outskirts of the town of Elbasan, a local stronghold and strategic chokepoint leading into the mountains and specifically to the road the Byzantine Army intended to use to move up their artillery for the planned siege of Tirana. As they prepared for battle against Elbasan, which would likely recieve reinforcements from Cerrik and Tirana itself, the southern front started by the Byzantines three days before with a push into Gjirokaster and artillery barrages from Corfu had itself made it to the cities of Vlore and Fier. Led by the 51st Century of the Dalmatian Legion and the 2nd Armored Division of Alexanderhaven, they had split at Tepelene, with the 51st Century moving toward Vlore and the 2nd Armored toward Fier. It was hoped this push on the flanks would force the main Albanian host, stationed in Berat, to spread itself thin in assisting one or both of the fronts. To force the issue, holding and occupation forces in Gjirokaster and Korce sent troops into the now-undefended regions of Permet and Kolonje, from which they would use as a staging ground to launch a feint up the Ossum river north into Berat. Edited by Kasnyia, May 6 2014, 02:01 PM.
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| Kasnyia | May 9 2014, 04:18 PM Post #3 |
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Chairman of the Bank
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The successes of the Albanian and Macedonian fronts had brought great jubilation to the Byzantine Emperor. And as usual, the rumor mill at the Alexanderhaven Emissariat was running at full steam. They ran the gamut from saying the Emperor would now take ALL Roman lands to the Emperor growing bored with expansion and that he'd not take anymore after Albania and Macedonia fell. As always, the truth was somewhere in between. Once again, they recieved confirmation from Marius Dovler, after another meeting of the Imperial Cabinet. It seemed the Emperor was now convinced that the Byzantine Army was ready to proceed forth with conquest of Bulgaria which, more than Albania and Macedonia, was the most important territory required to protect Byzantium, being directly north of Constantinople. However, Bulgaria was much larger and more organized. Rumors of Marslavan and Austrian involvement was also of great concern. As such, while the initial plan had been to take Bulgaria only a while after the current campaign, in order to give Sofia a false sense of security, the plan now was to push north before Bulgaria could be strengthened any further than it already was. To this end, a new army, the Moesian Legion, would be formed to accomplish this task. It would be commanded by Legate Octavius Sratsimirius Krum, newly minted from Constantinople's General Staff College, but well-trained and gifted. Because of the rushed nature and lack of preparation this legion, unlike the Dalmatian Legion leading the current campaign, would consist mostly of conscripts instead of seasoned and/or professional soldiers. To ensure success, Alexanderhaven was ordered to send more forces. Unlike in the current campaign, where Alexanderhaven was merely a support force, Alexanderhaven was to lead in Bulgaria, if only to give on the spot training to the Moesian Legion which would support them. To this end, the 2nd Royal Alexanderhaven Expeditionary Corps was formed, under the command of Colonel General Jan Maria Arjan Zingh, consisting of three infantry divisions, two armored divisions, and a regiment of His Royal Highness's Royal Life Guards, Alexanderhaven's special forces. ------------------- Rezovo, East Bulgaria Front 11:59pm Two weeks after the order was given, and three weeks since the start of the reconquest, the new front was ready to start it's push north. The East Bulgaria front had a very straightforward objective: Take the coast. Their first target would be the border town of Rezovo. From their, they intended to take the coastal road right up to Burgas 70 kilometers to the north. After a brief rest, they then intended to go further north to Varna and Dobrich. With the coast secured, Constantinople would have nothing to fear from the Black Sea, at least from nearby. Leading the charge was the 7th Armored Division of Alexanderhaven, supported by five Byzantine centuries who would dwindle with each town as they secured them and the surrounding countryside. At midnight, they invaded Bulgaria and began the campaign. Unlike in Albania or Macedonia however, Rezovo had already fortified itself in anticipation. It wasn't a tough fight (that would most likely be later), but it was good practice for the legionnaires. After a day and a half of fighting, Rezovo fell. ------------------- Sandanski, West Bulgaria Front 6:09am As the coastal campaign to the east got underway, the West Bulgarian front had a much harder task. They were to march upon the Bulgarian capital of Sofia itself. The most direct route was through a valley along the Struma River leading to the classic chokepoint that was Blagoevgrad. With Bulgaria in a heightened state of alert, the possibility of multiple ambushes was high, and intelligence reports were already giving a grim picture of Blagoevgrad's defenses. Even more unsettling was the total abandonment of settlements between Byzantium's border with Bulgaria and the city of Sandanski nearly 20 kilometers inland. For this campaign, the vast majority of the Moesian Legion, some tens of centuries, would be taking part on this front. Leading it was the 11th Armored Division and two of it's three infantry divisions. They proceeded slowly and cautiously, keeping special attention to their flanks as they entered the mountains.... -------------------- Plovdiv-Stara Zagora, Central Bulgaria Front 1:00am As the other two fronts marched up their respective roads to their respective objectives, a third front was just touching down from their massive airdrop consisting of the Royal Life Guards, the remaining Alexanderhavenien Infantry Division, and a regiment of Cataphracts, courtesy of Legate Krum. Theirs was the most interesting objective: to distract and destroy as much of the Bulgarian forces as possible. They were spread out from Plovdiv to Stara Zagora over a hundred and fifty kilometers inland. To meet their objectives, they would seize the two towns, which were reported to be ill defended with most local forces to their south. Then they would start destroying enemy logistics and make as much noise as possible until the other fronts and completed their objectives and could relieve them. They would then march north across the mountains and do the same thing there. Time would tell how well this would work. Eventually. --------------------- Veles, Macedonian Front 5:30pm Day 23 The city had been prepped for ambush. The initial attack had been successful in keeping Byzantium out of the city...at first. Legate Zogu had been reorganizing his units to surround and besiege the town when he learned that their forces in Radovis had moved north all the way into Sveti Nikole, which had been abandoned by the enemy in order to fortify Veles apparantly. Zogu decided to push the advantage and ordered them to hit Veles from the east. His flank to the West was still busy fighting the Macedonians in Prilep and would be too far away to provide assistance soon enough, but would be on the watch for any forces fleeing south from there. Zogu then made another push in. This time, he managed to take a foothold, but there were casualties. Once they took about half the city however, the Macedonian commander had ordered a retreat north to Skopje, doubtless trying to conserve his forces the best he could. Still, a few of the enemy broke west to Caska to regroup. Not wanting to get hit from behind, Zogu halted and fortified Veles, and then ordered both his forces and thos of his west flank, now having taken Prilep, into rooting out the enemy from Caska. The battle from first to last shot took a week and a half. ---------------------- Elbasan, Albanian Front 9:56pm Day 24 Elbasan had proven well fortified. Forces from Berat had already reinforced the city when the Byzantines arrived. The fighting was heavy, and the city had yet to fall. It was decided that Tirana would have to be shelled from where they were which, without visual aid to hit specific targets, made the shelling of the capital quite random. However, with forces having emptied out of Berat, this allowed the forces that had been raiding along the Ossum to push and hold territory right up until the outskirts of Berat itself without any resistance. They didn't give into the urge to take Berat itself however. Though mostly emptied of troops, there was still a large enough garrison there that the raiders would earn a pyrric victory at best if they pushed further. It was decided they would hold and fortify their position and wait for relief from their forces along the coast. In Vlore, they faced heavy artillery barrages against them, mostly from the Albanian Navy just off the coast. The 51st Century did what it could, but they couldn't push in until their own navy could eliminate the ships. Unfortunately, gone were the days when the Byzantine Navy posed a significant threat. Most of the ships had been seized at local ports when the empire broke up (indeed, the Albanian Navy itself consisted mostly of ex-Byzantine cruisers) and what was left was needed to defend Constantinople itself. So either they would have to wait for Russian assistance from their base in Spain, or for the Byzantine Air Force, which was busy fighting their surprisingly tenacious Albanian counterparts, before they could continue forward. Fier had proven a bit better, since they were too inland for naval artillery support. But not by much, since Fier and Vlore were reinforcing each other. It was decided that taking the city would not be possible. Even if they could split the road connecting the two (which was, by itself, quite possible at a crossing on the Vjose), they'd then run the risk of also being pincered. So they decided to secure Patos, which had been their staging ground against Fier, and to push east from there to Berat. |
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| Whal | May 9 2014, 08:08 PM Post #4 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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Edited by Whal, May 9 2014, 08:08 PM.
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| Kasnyia | May 9 2014, 10:10 PM Post #5 |
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Chairman of the Bank
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| Whal | May 10 2014, 08:12 AM Post #6 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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Edited by Whal, May 10 2014, 08:31 AM.
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| Alberto | May 10 2014, 11:56 AM Post #7 |
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Resident Italian
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Marslavan Diplomat The Grand Duchy of Marslava does not recognize Vienna's claims over the Balkans. But it does not either recognize the pretentions of the emperor who sits in Costantinople. Any enroachment upon the Serbian, Romanian, Bosnian territory will be seen not only as an act of war against Austria but also an act of war against Marslava. Do not presume that the Balkans will fall to Byzantium. If aggressed, the Balkans, Austria and Marslava will offer a resistance over which you cannot prevail easily. |
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| Kasnyia | May 10 2014, 12:19 PM Post #8 |
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Chairman of the Bank
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------------------- Within hours, the Byzantine Black Sea Fleet moved north along the coast toward the Marslavan port. They were going to move anyway, to provide artillery support against the Bulgarian coast, but now they would also show the costs of intervening in situations that were not their concern. ------------------- Skopje, Macedonian Front Day 35 1:00pm Veles has been the straw that broke Macedonia's back. Even though the Macedonian commander had retreated up the river to Skopje in an effort to save his forces, it did little good. The Macedonian forces had always been small and ill trained. Veles had sapped the greater strength of that force, with everyone else either too spread out and spread thin to be of much use, deserting and surrendering in droves, or afflicted with low morale. Indeed, by the time the Dalmatian Legion had reached Skopje, the Macedonian commander only had a bit less than an 8th of the minimum force required to defend a city such as Skopje. Rather than risk it's destruction, the commander parleyed with Legate Zogu and surrendered. Less than an hour after that, the city council capitulated and it's national government ceased to exist half an hour later. Legate Zogu would be acting governor of the province until Constantinople could provide a permanent replacement. In the meantime, he began to impress the local militias and able-bodied men into the Dalmatian Legion. Macedonia was theirs now. Kosovo was soon to be next. ------------------- |
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| Whal | May 10 2014, 01:03 PM Post #9 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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The rhetoric between the Byzantines and Austrians was heating up and showed no signs of stopping soon. The Byzantine Navy had already placed the Marslavan Black Sea port under blockade, and had threatened the same upon Austria itself. While Austria did not truly care for Marslavan economic wellbeing, it did depend on the still inflowing supply of imports which sometimes traveled from Rumania to Croatia on Marslavan merchant vessels. In response, the Austrians prepared their competent Navy - placing the Adriatic Fleet on high alert and ordering the North Sea Fleet to return from Porcuian waters back towards the Mediterranean. While Austria did not have substantial intelligence surrounding the Byzantine Navy, it was understood to be weakened and somewhat vulnerable. The Kriegsmarine was confident its Adriatic Fleet could hold out and perhaps even gain ground.
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| Alberto | May 10 2014, 01:13 PM Post #10 |
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Resident Italian
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OOC: Kasnya, you should have written me about your intention to block my port. It was a bit of a surprise, next time when you do something like that please write me. IC: Marslavan Diplomat The Emperor who sits in Costantinople does not seem to know well the situation in the Balkans, and seems to not be aware that his "empire" is a shadow of its former self. Marslava is not a collection of Albanian fighters - nor is Austria - and striking it will be costly. While you can strike us in Anatolia, we can strike you in the Balkans. For this, to avoid further complications, we invite the Emperor to reconsider his moves and withdraw his fleet from Sinop, unless he wants a very costly clash to take place in the Balkans. If the Emperor will not heed our advice, we will freeze all assets held by Byzantinian citizens in Marslava, and will consider further moves. The weapons industries of Silesia may very well arm the enemies of the Emperor too. Edited by Alberto, May 10 2014, 01:20 PM.
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| Kasnyia | May 10 2014, 01:20 PM Post #11 |
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Chairman of the Bank
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| NRE | May 10 2014, 02:18 PM Post #12 |
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman
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Saint Petersburg, Russia.... The Winter Palace was mostly quite, something that was normal for a Saturday. Emperor Ivan enjoyed the peaceful nature of the palace of the weekends. Moscow was too busy, too noisy for his liking. Saint Petersburg though, oh the great Venice of the North, it was a place of fun, of elegance, of leisure. Sadly for the Emperor, even this great place did not always afford him the comforts of simply sitting and enjoying the sights and sounds. Hoping to enjoy most of the afternoon with the Empresses and his first born, Ivan was locked in his study where he was putting his pen to a few final pieces of legislature and such when the phone rang. Posted Image "Your majesty" came a young, gentle voice from the other line. "Your Majesty, Count Tolstoy is on line one he saw it is urgent." Ivan sighed, "very well, put him through." "Your majesty, I apologize greatly for the intrusion" the Count stated. "I call because there is a situation brewing that I believe we should concern ourselves with." "Have the Catholics bombed another city?" Ivan asked enthusiastically, he still believed the Genesisians were to blame. "No your majesty, its not that" the count replied, "its about the Balkans and Constantinople." "Constantinople" Ivan stated confusingly, "Why on Earth would Constantinople be any concern of mine?" "Well your majesty the Emperor has ordered troops into Albania, Macedonia, and Bulgaria. This has naturally drawn the concerns of Austria and Marslava. We don't have all the intelligence but from some of the communiques we've intercepted, the dialogue between all three parties isn't promising. Warships have also been spotted in the black sea around Constanta and the Dardanelles." "Hmmmmm" Ivan stated as he thought to himself. "I'm affair if the situation persists, there could be a war. While we have limited relations with Marslava and even lesser so with Austria and the Byzantium, it would be economically unfortunate for us if war broke out so close to home." "I married a Roman princess so that I would never have to fall under the thumb of a Roman Emperor again, I saw how little Russia's fealty to the last Emperor's got it during the reign of my father and his before him. I will bow to no Emperor of Constantinople" Ivan's last words were stated with great authority after which came yet another sigh. "Still, war in the Balkans is no more useful to us than war in central Europe. " "My thoughts as well your majesty." "Very well, dispatch word to Constantinople that I wish to formally meet the new Emperor of the Romans and speak personally on the affairs of Europe and future relations. Request that, for at least the time of my visit, that military advancements made by the Romans cease so as to ensure the security and safety of such a meeting. I will humble this new Emperor by going to Constantinople personally but make no mistake Count Tolstoy, there is only so much I am willing to give when it comes to courtesy to the new Rome." "Very well your majesty, I will make the arrangements at once...." ___________________________________________________________________
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| Alberto | May 10 2014, 03:42 PM Post #13 |
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Resident Italian
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The actions of the Byzantinian Empire shook Marslava. A new adversary had arisen to threaten the increasing power and prosperity of the Grand Duchy. Sinop, 10th of May In Sinop, the Byantinian navy had imposed a blockade. The city was quite important, as it was the terminal for the imposing Velikaya pipeline. The pipeline, which spanned from the Aghaban deserts to Anatolia, brought ingent quantities of oil and natural gaz to Sinop. From there, the oil was shipped to Costanta and Trieste, supplying South Eastern Europe. The possession of Sinop was thus very important for the Marslavan economy. And Sinop was vulnerable. This, however, did not mean that the city was not well defended. Predicting an attack from the sea, the Marslavan leadership had reinforced Sinop's garrison with numerous units of artillery. Among the deployed units, many were equipped with Exocet Harpoon anti-ship missiles. These missiles could hit with extreme precision a target at a distance of up to 100 km. Very rapidly, the position and route of the Byzantinian warships was calculated, and the Marslavan missile artillery was ready to fire. If the Byzantinians were going to annihilate Sinop, they would suffer severe losses. The Marslavan artillery witheld its fire, hoping that the Byzantinian warships would carry on to Bulgaria without doing anything stupid. Prague, 10th of May The Byzantinian Empire - or the Empire of the Romans - had once been a mighty world power. Sitting on his golden throne the Basileus ruled over the Mediterranen and the many peoples which lived on that sea's shores. But, now, these times were gone: while it still was mighty, the Empire was the shadow of its former self. The Basileus of the Romans now presided over a despotic and decadent system - something that was actual in the middle ages, but had started to look antiquated since the XVth century. Marslava would not let its neighbourhood be invaded by an entity which still lived in the Middle Ages. The Byzantine Empire had struck far from its territory and, as its forces got further to the north and got closer to Austria and Marslava, their vulnearbility to their adversaries would increase. It was difficult to resupply troops which had got so far from their bases, particularly since the recently conquered territories were still not secure. For now, pitted against some ragtag militias, the Byantinian forces advanced, but they would not hold so easily against a real army. Still, if there was to be war, this would be an extremely difficult one. With these considerations in his mind, the Grand Duke of Marslava - who reigned over the Czechs, the Slovaks, and the Hungarians - declared the full mobilization of the Marslavan army. Something more was also at work in Marslava. At Plzen and Brno, in Silesia, were located some of the largest weapons manufactures in the world. Skoda Works, the largest corporation of Marslava, supplied with weapons European, Middle Eastern and African armies, warlords, bandits. The leadership of Skoda received a new, very considerable commission. That was to increase its production of weapons destined to the Balcanic armies which may fight against the Byzantinian invader. The material to be delivered to the Serbian, Bosnian and Kosovar buyers included rocket launchers, towed artillery, armoured vehicles. Edited by Alberto, May 11 2014, 04:52 PM.
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| Kasnyia | May 10 2014, 04:08 PM Post #14 |
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Chairman of the Bank
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OOC- According to the map, your port is north of Bulgaria, Al. My post was to say that they were already being deployed to hit the coast there but have also gone further north to blockade you. IC-
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| Aelius | May 11 2014, 01:07 AM Post #15 |
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Norman Warlord
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OOC: Sed and I have been hypothesizing an eventual RP for some time. Hopefully this is an excuse to at least get me going again. IC: London, Norman England The Isles had been quiet for the longest time. The Irish rebellion had long sense been crushed and the attempted Genesian conquest of Cologne had been thwarted by Norman and Russian efforts, among others. Robert sat upon his throne, and while the Norman sphere of influence sat undisturbed, other lands of Norman heritage sat idle: namely, those in Sicily and southern Italy. With the resurgence of the Greek empire, he thought that perhaps it would be time to intervene in a larger capacity in greater Europe. Indeed, a greater presence in Italy could prove helpful should the Genesians ever try to poke their heads up again. But, for the time being, it behooved the King of the Normans to at least make his presence known.
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| Kasnyia | May 11 2014, 02:40 AM Post #16 |
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Chairman of the Bank
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OOC- If there is anything you might need for that Ael on my end, PM me IC-
Edited by Kasnyia, May 11 2014, 02:40 AM.
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| Margrave | May 11 2014, 12:03 PM Post #17 |
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Is very much a holla-back girl.
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OOC: I'm not entirely sure Danzig is my territory. I think it is but it may be split between me and the Knights. Oh well. |
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| Kasnyia | May 11 2014, 01:44 PM Post #18 |
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Chairman of the Bank
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| Whal | May 11 2014, 03:35 PM Post #19 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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The Byzantine offensive had been halted on all fronts, however the recent orders from leaders on both sides had far reaching consequences for both Vienna and Constantinople. For Austria, the Byzantine emperor's decision to seize or engage all Austrian vessels encountered was viewed seriously and the Adriatic Fleet was fully prepared and outfitted for combat operations. Leaving from its base in Rjecka, the fleet sailed down the Dalmatian coastline and prepared to guard the mouth of the Adriatic Sea - protecting Austrian shipping and even threatening Byzantine operations in Albania. Should the Austrian Archduke wish it so, the fleet could be ordered south to actively engage the Byzantine vessels stationed off the Albanian coast. Based on the current orders to seize all Austrian vessels in Byzantine ports, the Austrians were determined to prove to the Emperor that their threats were anything but empty. While trade with Constantinople was not paramount to Austrian economic prosperity, the seizure of Austrian merchant vessels was a national insult to the country's honor - something Austria would not turn its back on. Constantinople would need to release these vessels and make amends if they wished to avoid a naval war. Negotiations with the Russians and Normans aside, Austria was ready for war if their demands were not.
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| Kasnyia | May 11 2014, 04:58 PM Post #20 |
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Chairman of the Bank
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| Alberto | May 11 2014, 05:17 PM Post #21 |
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Resident Italian
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In this affair, Marslava was poised to lose the most. Byzantium had blocked the country's middle eastern trade, preventing the passage of the oil which supplied the whole S.Eastern Europe. Austria too had been hit by the hostile measures of the Byzantinian Empire and had deployed its fleet in the Albanian coasts. If it did not want to suffer from the subsequent events, the Grand Duchy had to react. Marslava did not have a fleet worthy of this name, even if voices circulated that the Marslavan secret services had equipped numerous "merchant vessels" which could fight an irregular war on the seas. What Marslava had was some of Europe's best ground forces and an extremely efficient air force - these were the greatest asset of the Grand Duchy. To this should added the fact that the Marslavan throne had allied himself with the Voivodas of Serbia, who ruled the northern half of that country from Belgrade. With these assets, Marslava could strike a hard blow to the advancing Byzantinian forces. However, before such an action, the Grand Duchy deemed wise to issue a last warning. "The blockade against Marslava's ports on the Black Sea are acts of war which can lawfully be replied to through other acts of war. Your fleet has not been fired at only because the Grand Duke's government has acted too reasonably. Unless the Byzantinian fleet ends this blockade, it will be fired upon by our missile artillery. Moreover, the Grand Duchy of Marslava is ready to deploy a consistent force in Serbia if the emperor does not to heed our advice. If this happens, the emperor of Costantinople will realize how badly he has overestimated his force" Edited by Alberto, May 11 2014, 05:19 PM.
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| Kasnyia | May 11 2014, 06:31 PM Post #22 |
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Chairman of the Bank
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OOC- NRE, if you could go ahead and post this meeting of yours, I'd be grateful. Also, could everyone PM me their intentions? I'm just the substitute teacher. :P :lol: |
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| NRE | May 12 2014, 09:55 PM Post #23 |
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman
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OOC: Man events have moved along this quickly in a while :lol: IC: The Russian court understood time was of the essence, word was sent to both Prague and Vienna making assurances, however vague they were at the time. The message was thus short and read:
About the time the messages were delivered, Ivan himself was touching down in Constantinople. Ivan had never been to the imperial city as the Russian Emperor. In truth, the trip was the first time he'd made an official visit as head of the Empire to anywhere. The Russian Emperors were not accustom to traveling outside of the borders but, while Ivan's own personal concerns were more focused with events at home and in the Americas, he was not so far removed and he didn't recognize the delicate situation that was the Balkans. Posted Image Arriving in Constantinople, Ivan was greeted as a man of his stature and place in the world should be. However, it was also quite obvious to the Russian monarch that changed had come to Byzantium. The Byzantine were always accustom to having about themselves a sense of supremacy over others. In truth this war, for many generations the very case of the matter. However, while the last dynasty of Roman Emperors were more subtle over the issue, it appeared that subtly was a virtue the new dynasty was lacking in their repertoire. Being shown to a motorcade of cars, Ivan was soon taken from the airport through the grand streets of Constantinople to the Emperor's palace. Ascending the great steps he came into the grand palace and was soon shown before the new Emperor himself. "Most esteemed Emperor of Byzantium, I am honored to be here in the grand palace" Ivan stated as he bowed slightly. Hand it been a Monomachus Emperor, Ivan would have bowed lower and given more reverence. It was not, however, and in Ivan's mind the fealty of Moscow to Constantinople died with the last of the Monomachus. For him, he stood before a man he viewed his equal. "I am hopeful that, among other things today, we may discuss both the situation in the Balkans as well as the establishment of proper relations between our two courts. Byzantium, as well as Russia, has transformed much over the past few years. Eastern Europe has been weakened and, to make matters worse, the Middle East is growing more and more hostile. I fear that those hostilities will soon begin to spill over into Europe unless we do something to strengthen Eastern Europe. More so that Russia, Byzantium has long stood as a natural cross-road between the Middle East and Europe. While I can understand that expanding your influence into lands traditionally held by the court of Constantinople is beneficial, surely you realize that timing may be ill conceived." |
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| Kasnyia | May 12 2014, 11:05 PM Post #24 |
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Chairman of the Bank
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OOC- Does anyone know the name of the current Byzantine Emperor? IC- "It was due to all the chaos that we moved in the first place. I will not jest with you, Constantinople is not in a mood for war. Not when order has only just been restored. But when rabbles led by hedge knights are launching petty schemes to my north, dangerously close to this beloved city, and the Muhammadans and Gasselists are causing chaos to the south, endangering my seas, I had no choice but to move." The Emperor offered his best wine to his Russian counterpart, "The Austrians I may be able to deal with, provided they are reasonable, though the Alexanderhaveniens view them with suspicion. Marslava on the other hand has the pretense of Empire but not the ability. A landlocked nation that somehow has a port? The sheer impudence of them. Constantinople will not be pushed around. Not anymore Far too long has the city been under siege. Gasselists, Genesians, Caesarists. The whole lot can rot." |
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| Whal | May 13 2014, 08:56 AM Post #25 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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OOC: I believe it was stated in a post Sed posted in the Middle East. Here is what he wrote: Imperator Flavius Valerius Sabbatius Constantinus Augustus IC:
Edited by Whal, May 13 2014, 08:59 AM.
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11:36 AM Jul 13