Novgorod the Russian Republic: A MEIOU&Taxes AAR Part 4 The Grand Imperial Republic of Russia

Author: aquila
Published: 2017-12-24, edited: 1970-01-01

Part of the campaign:

Novgorod the Russian Republic: A MEIOU&Taxes AAR

Previous part:

Game: Europa Universalis IV

Novgorod the Russian Republic: A MEIOU&Taxes AAR Part 3

Images: 66, author: aquila, published: 2017-12-24, edited: 1970-01-01

Novgorod has gone from a large fur trading republic in the far north of Europe to a budding Imperial Republic the likes of which haven't been seen since the days of the Roman Consuls. As the true heirs to the Roman Empire our Third Rome will not perish! The vast riches of the east and weak lands to the West lay before us. Ну вперёд!
The Palaces of the Prince, Home of the Posadnik, and Meeting hall of the Veche have grown grand indeed thanks to the funds earmarked for their expansion.
Some of our farther territories lack infrastructure despite being critical parts of the Republic, this should be corrected so that we can continue to grow.
Some of our cities in the Russian heartland were somewhat wounded by the years of conquest as well. We must begin to rectify this.
Posadnik Gorchakov is reelected, somewhat stunning the people of the Republic. He has proven quite capable and his infrastructure projects are very popular.
In response to his reelection the projects continue, this time focusing on the lands conquered from Lithuania.
However some are not willing to let the republic build itself in peace. The treacherous and reactionary princes backed by the Kingdom of Halych-Volhyna declare war with the aims of stopping our destiny. They must fail.
We are able to catch the army of Briansk while they suffered from sickness besieging Rzhev. Still they have clearly superior guns and we take heavy losses.
Luckily this victory combined with several smaller battles won by our vassal princes allows us to begin peace talks. For a large sum of gold to pay for our dead we agree to end hostilities.
In light of these wars by the princes the Veche calls a meeting. It is decided that all princes need to be for us or they are enemies by definition. As a result of this the prince of Kiev, previously independent, is to be met with steel.
We take from him his vassal state as the city itself is well within the territory of Halych-Volhyna and would be impossible to govern.
We also negotiate that our ally the prince of Vorotynsk become our direct vassal. They understand that they were freed at our pleasure and that the future lays with the Republic, so they accept.
The infrastructure projects continue now that war has ended and the coffers are full. We build up the port of Ravala to strengthen trade in the Baltic.
Gorchakov has lead the Republic past a short war and greatly improved our cities and so is reelected for a third term.
The Veche's projects in education also begin to pay off as our nobility and merchants become increasingly more literate.
Struck down far too soon the Posadnik Gorchakov is killed by an assassin in his 50th year. It would seem that his brilliance in administration was viewed jealously by our enemies. The people mourn him but must elect a replacement.
With his death come the question of how to prevent such events in the future. Many within the Republic think that the Posadnik's bodyguard should be turned into a full military force of as many as 1000 men. The new Posadnik Iosif Nagiye reminds everyone in a speech to the veche that the Posadnik is only one man and his death should not come at the cost of our ideals. The Bodyguard would certainly begin to transition into a political tool if it were to grow so large.
However we should not go without reprisals. It is highly suspected that the assassin was sent by the prince of Briansk and we go to war to teach them the cost of their actions.
The Lithuanians are familiar with defeat by now.
At the same we manage to hold while the army of Briansk breaks at the sound of our cannons. Despite taking marginally larger losses we manage to route them.
Unfortunately one of our generals dies in a siege and we have Iosif Kurlyatev a senior cavalryman replace him.
The Teutonic knights hire themselves out as mercenaries to our enemies to try to avenge their previous losses. They are better equipped with German guns and new tactics from the Bohemian wars, but they lack cannon support and we manage to win the day despite our losses.
All of our armies and all of theirs gather together in a grand battle at Polack. Our forces are staggered and don't engage all at once. The new tactics brought by the German knights prove devastating but Novgorodian Valor wins the day, in part thanks to the leadership of the great general Mensjikov from our vassal.
We are able to pick off the beleaguered army of Briansk in their retreat
With that we force a peace treaty taking a province from Lithuania and Brainsk as well as gold and other reparations.
Posadnik Nagiye does not seek a second term and a man by the name of Barashev is elected in his stead. While this is going on we deal with a rebellion in Ravala which began in the Teutons territory.
Posadnik Barashev is able to win over the prince of Klyazma adding to the princes pledged to our side.
A couple years the Veche agrees with a plan initiated by the Prince to go to war with Lithuania and try to stamp them out more permanently.
Our army is used to Lithuanian tactics and we win easily.
While the war goes on a new Posadnik is elected, Matveiy Baryatinsky.
Our vassals loose a battle while we siege down the Lithuanian fortresses but we revenge them soon after.
We take a large portion of the Lithuanian crownland for ourselves leaving them with a shadow of their former territory.
With an overwhelming majority of the land of Rus in our hands either through our vassals or governed directly the Posadnik declares the Prince of Novgorod the Tsar of all Russia!
The Posadnik himself takes the title of Grand Posadnik and the Veche is renamed the Great Veche of Russia.
With renewed legitimacy it is time to bring the rogue princes to heel.
Our traditions have slowly shifted to reflect our new Empire and we embrace this destiny.
We must be the sole ruler in all of Russia!
The war is short. The prince of Tver has only a small army and we quickly force peace.
While finishing out war with Ryazan we declare on Novosil as well. Swiftness is key here, let us fight our enemies piecemeal before they rise all at once.
Ryazan gives up their lands in Russia proper.
We have to replace General Lykov after he goes down in battle with General Masurov, an excellent cavalryman who is entirely unremarkable elsewhere.
Before long Novosil bows before the Tsar and Grand Posadnik.
Now that we have earthly control we establish spiritual control of Russia as well. The Archbishop of Novgorod become the Patriarch of the Russian church.
In order to better manage our far flung territory a second center of bureaucracy is built in what was the capital of the Tatar-Mongols. It is also given a new Russian name, Volgograd after the river is lies upon.
With all Russia under us we turn eastward. The remnants of the Mongols have grown weak and vast new territory lies before us.
The first election of the Grand Imperial Republic. Boris Solitkov is elected to manage the new territories gained in recent years and the planned expansion east.
Not a short war but an easy one which adds expansive territory to our empire and allows us to settle along the northern frontier looking for new fur, wood, and metal gathering opportunities on the other side of the Urals.
Moscow is till the city in the heart of Russia and is growing steadily. The Veche builds a center for art there to encourage Russian prestige.
The Grand Posadnik also funds new facilities for the city of Riga to encourage growth for this important port.
the Grand Posadnik runs again but is defeated this time.
The next four years pass uneventfully after a momentous few decades. The Grand Posadnik Lazar Minih is replaced with a more mercantile focused Posadnik.
Halfway through his term the Veche begin to move foward with their plans to take the last Russian Prince, Briansk will bow to us before long.
We take their capital, a rich province indeed and force them to retract any claims on our land.
While we are rapidly integrating the lands of Nizhny Novgorod into the empire proper we earmark funds for building up the artisans workshops in the city.
Yefim Koltsov-Mosalski is elected to be the next Grand Posadnik. Upon his election he begins initiating plans for an eventual war with Halych-Volhyna currently our most powerful immediate neighbor who owns provinces which by right should be ours.
First he invites many warriors from the former Tatar-Mongols to settle in Ryazan in exchange for permanent military service. These Horseman are fantastic on the open field, especially with Russian leadership.
Next the integration of Nizhny Novgorod is completed greatly centralizing the empire.
We also begin upgrading border forts.
While this is going on we reach out to the Isle of Gotland whom we've had freindly relations and a large amount of influence in since we forced the Danes to release them. They agree to become our direct vassal in exchange for gold and certain rights in the empire.
Finally along with the Mongol general who now fights for us, we make Anton Yalichev formerly one of our military advisers to the rank of general.
The wider world recognizes our power and prestige.
Finally all the preparation is complete. We declare war to take the southern Steppes and northern Caucasus.
General Yalichev wins a glorious victory against his unprepared enemy opening the way to an easy victory.
Posadnik Koltsov-Mosalski is unable to see his war to its end and is Artemiye Gagarin is elected to finish out the war.
(missed a screenshot) Halych-Volhyna regroups and we move to meet them crushing their army once again.
Utterly defeated we negotiate taking from them all of their lands connecting them to the Caspian as well as border territories in the west.
Now the path to the Caucasus lies open, the Georgians have betrayed the true faith for the pope in Rome and will pay for these actions.
We defeat them handily at Svaneti and occupy their northern lands.
We liberate much of the faithful living along the Black sea and take some land in the north Caucasus besides.
Following this victory the Veche decides that we need more ports in the Black Sea to help push trade north into Russia. The Republic of Genoa, having lost all their lands in Italy and Greece is the perfect target. The war is declared to spread the faith but trade is the real reason.
Meanwhile a bright young man named Anatoliy Khovanski is elected Grand Posadnik, planning to finish the war shortly.
We have no fleet in the black sea and settle for the ports of Tana and Matracha
Wile many in the capital had embraced the new ideas coming out of the west for some time these ideas have finally spread to other areas of the empire and we can begin to integrate these ideals into everyday life.
Meanwhile another war is declared in the east to allow for further expansion into Siberia.
The young Anatoliy is a deft politician and manages to win a second term as the century ends.
Just 50 years later the Russian empire has nearly doubled in total territory completely controlling the Russian princes, expanding down into the Caucasus and far into the east of Siberia. Our only true rival in Europe is the Turkish Empire whom we cannot yet hope to match on the sea and are content to expand into Asia and the balkans leaving us alone. Which they will regret centuries from now when we come to reclaim Constantinople. For now however our sights are set on Prussia and the other Baltic territories, as well as lands still under control of Halych-Volhyna. Our destiny lies at our feet! Ну вперёд!

Check out another AAR:

Game: Victoria 2

Eighteen Thirty-Six - A HPM Russian Luddite AAR - Part 1

Images: 87, author: ElvenAshwin, published: 2017-04-25