When we last looked in on my Prussians, they had quickly nabbed the provinces of Saxony and West Prussia, a severe blow to the Polish war effort. Sharing a mutual enemy, Austria and myself hammered out an alliance, joining our fortunes. With Saxony in Prussian hands, I could rest easier. I now had a heartland that could supply the growing needs of the war in the east. After the shelling that it had endured, it was going to need at least a turn to repair the city and get basic government functioning again. My western army was ordered to remain garrisoned there for fear of the citizenry rioting if left to their own devices. Law and order was established with legendary Prussian efficiency, and after the militia was organized the army departed for the eastern front. On their way east, the officers made certain that there was ample time for a triumphal parade through Berlin. After a raucous hero's welcome, they resumed hoofing it east, hugging the Baltic Sea coast-road.
The Austrians had sent an allied army to aid me in the West Prussia, taking up blocking positions so that the Polish forces in Warsaw couldn't move northwest without a fight. There had also been heavy fighting to the south along the eastern Austrian frontier, the results inconclusive. My plan was a two-pronged offensive straight at their capital. My western army, the larger of my two, was going to march down the left bank of the Vistula, sweeping from the land all obstructions. Meanwhile, my smaller, more mobile eastern army would have already by that point have thrown up a cordon to the east, sealing the city from outside support and cutting off the Polish trade routes to eastern Europe.
Events on the diplomatic front intervened to stay the execution. Out of the clear blue, Westphalia declared war on me and crossed an army over their shared border with Saxony. At this point, they could threaten either Berlin or Dresden. It annoyed me, but I had no choice; I had to turn my western army around and quickly march it back to meet the threat. At this point, I pondered my situation. I could go on the defensive on the eastern front, and build my forces slowly and methodically before pushing on Warsaw. I decided to throw caution to the wind. I was going to attack on both fronts. I would make the Westphalia pay dearly for their opportunistic treachery, and I hoped that my offensive in the east would yield comparable success. I thought it better to take the initiative and dictate events to the Polish, rather than the reverse.
It turned out to be beneficial that I had shifted my main army back west. A Polish army soon slipped past the Austrians on their South-Eastern front, and appeared in Bohemia, posturing for an attack on Prague. There were scant defenders within the city, and none without; this meant I may very well have to attack and defeat the Westphalian army, and quickly turn south to attack the Polish threat as quickly as possible. I was confident this was doable. I hedged my bets by infiltrating an agent in to the Polish force, who managed to slip into the commander's tent while he was bathing and plunge a dagger into his chest. Without the benefit of leadership, their attack might falter without any action on my part.
The position of my western army was actually very promising. They held the interior lines, and could easily contest either approach the enemy chose, whether they moved towards Berlin or Dresden. If they moved north, they would have to swing west and cross the Elbe where I could easily contest them at Magdeburg. If they moved south-east, I could block their path at Leipzig. I chose the tactical defense for the moment, while in the east I moved on Warsaw. I besieged the city and got artillery reinforcements moving from Königsberg towards the army. They would need it if the had to assault the walls, especially since my army appeared outnumbered. Once again, the Polish moved outside reinforcements behind me, and simultaneously sallied forth from within Warsaw.
The battle was short but incredibly bloody. They hit me from two flanks and the rear. I swung two batteries to face forward, and two to face rearward. The gun crews were working overtime, plastering the enemy with solid shot. There were masses of infantry, and mine taking quite a beating, testament to their discipline. They stood even when their fate looked doubtful. Once they enemy reached canister range, however, the tide swung. The Polish regiments simply were not willing to sustain the casualites that I was inflicting. They routed, and I mopped up. I didn't have enough left to storm the city, and they didn't have enough left to dislodge me. I settled in for a turn while rushing reinforcements forward.
The fate of the eastern front more or less settled, I turned my attention west. I absolutely smashed the Westphalian army. They had made an incredible mistake declaring war on me, and I was going to take their sovereignty as compensation for the time I had already wasted. I needed Warsaw to fall quickly though, and it would, as soon as the eastern army received the reinforcements. But the outcome will have to wait until the next installment. ;)
When we last looked in on my Prussians, they had quickly nabbed the provinces of Saxony and West Prussia, a severe blow to the Polish war effort. Sharing a mutual enemy, Austria and myself hammered out an alliance, joining our fortunes. With Saxony in Prussian hands, I could rest easier. I now had a heartland that could supply the growing needs of the war in the east. After the shelling that it had endured, it was going to need at least a turn to repair the city and get basic government functioning again. My western army was ordered to remain garrisoned there for fear of the citizenry rioting if left to their own devices. Law and order was established with legendary Prussian efficiency, and after the militia was organized the army departed for the eastern front. On their way east, the officers made certain that there was ample time for a triumphal parade through Berlin. After a raucous hero's welcome, they resumed hoofing it east, hugging the Baltic Sea coast-road.
The Austrians had sent an allied army to aid me in the West Prussia, taking up blocking positions so that the Polish forces in Warsaw couldn't move northwest without a fight. There had also been heavy fighting to the south along the eastern Austrian frontier, the results inconclusive. My plan was a two-pronged offensive straight at their capital. My western army, the larger of my two, was going to march down the left bank of the Vistula, sweeping from the land all obstructions. Meanwhile, my smaller, more mobile eastern army would have already by that point have thrown up a cordon to the east, sealing the city from outside support and cutting off the Polish trade routes to eastern Europe. 
Events on the diplomatic front intervened to stay the execution. Out of the clear blue, Westphalia declared war on me and crossed an army over their shared border with Saxony. At this point, they could threaten either Berlin or Dresden. It annoyed me, but I had no choice; I had to turn my western army around and quickly march it back to meet the threat. At this point, I pondered my situation. I could go on the defensive on the eastern front, and build my forces slowly and methodically before pushing on Warsaw. I decided to throw caution to the wind. I was going to attack on both fronts. I would make the Westphalia pay dearly for their opportunistic treachery, and I hoped that my offensive in the east would yield comparable success. I thought it better to take the initiative and dictate events to the Polish, rather than the reverse. 
It turned out to be beneficial that I had shifted my main army back west. A Polish army soon slipped past the Austrians on their South-Eastern front, and appeared in Bohemia, posturing for an attack on Prague. There were scant defenders within the city, and none without; this meant I may very well have to attack and defeat the Westphalian army, and quickly turn south to attack the Polish threat as quickly as possible. I was confident this was doable. I hedged my bets by infiltrating an agent in to the Polish force, who managed to slip into the commander's tent while he was bathing and plunge a dagger into his chest. Without the benefit of leadership, their attack might falter without any action on my part.
The position of my western army was actually very promising. They held the interior lines, and could easily contest either approach the enemy chose, whether they moved towards Berlin or Dresden. If they moved north, they would have to swing west and cross the Elbe where I could easily contest them at Magdeburg. If they moved south-east, I could block their path at Leipzig. I chose the tactical defense for the moment, while in the east I moved on Warsaw. I besieged the city and got artillery reinforcements moving from Königsberg towards the army. They would need it if the had to assault the walls, especially since my army appeared outnumbered. Once again, the Polish moved outside reinforcements behind me, and simultaneously sallied forth from within Warsaw. 
The battle was short but incredibly bloody. They hit me from two flanks and the rear. I swung two batteries to face forward, and two to face rearward. The gun crews were working overtime, plastering the enemy with solid shot. There were masses of infantry, and mine taking quite a beating, testament to their discipline. They stood even when their fate looked doubtful. Once they enemy reached canister range, however, the tide swung. The Polish regiments simply were not willing to sustain the casualites that I was inflicting. They routed, and I mopped up. I didn't have enough left to storm the city, and they didn't have enough left to dislodge me. I settled in for a turn while rushing reinforcements forward.
The fate of the eastern front more or less settled, I turned my attention west. I absolutely smashed the Westphalian army. They had made an incredible mistake declaring war on me, and I was going to take their sovereignty as compensation for the time I had already wasted. I needed Warsaw to fall quickly though, and it would, as soon as the eastern army received the reinforcements. But the outcome will have to wait until the next installment. ;)
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