Iron and Blood 2 - Game Thread

Requesting an NPC until my return (assuming any of the current IOTs are still running at that time, honestly).
 
Update 1

January 1, 1820

The War of Ottoman Succession
(War of French Reunification)




Music

Ever since Selim III’s deposition and murder in 1808, the Ottoman lands have been divided among its successor states which coexisted in an uneasy and fragile peace. But the ideal of a united Empire still burns in the hearts of rival ambitious potentates. The peace could not last.

Nedim Kotromanić made the first move. While his special embassy was sent to Croatia with great fanfare, a secret messenger armed with a partition plan for the old Ottoman realms was sent to the Ottoman pretender in Anatolia. Though Nedim Pasha is technically a rebel, the Turks were tempted enough to send special envoy Ecebay Çelik to Bobovac, and also, unexpectedly, to the Ottomans’ traditional enemies in Moscow, to negotiate an alliance against the Stamboulis. Thus emerged the strange tripartite pact between the Turkist pretender, Slavist rebel, and the Russian Tsar; in March of 1816, their forces converged on Istanbul.


The City of the World’s Desires


One does not simply walk into Constantinople

Sultan Yahya received the news with characteristic calm, which strengthened the resolve of the Houses and the populace. Instead of factional squabbling, the invasion united the Stamboulis like never before, and foreigners who managed to leave before all routes out of the city were cut reported an energised, purposeful and orderly preparation for war of the sort that recalls the glory days of the Ottoman Empire and its long-forgotten martial spirit and organisational marvels.

The invaders moved quickly, and Bulgaria was overrun by the Bosnians within a month; the Free Army has already abandoned the territory to reinforce the capital, and local resistance was half-hearted. The Russians looked set to do the same to the Danubian Principalities, but for some reasons which are still not clear were held back. Certainly the voivodes of Moldavia and Wallachia are known for their crafty arcane manoeuvrings, the sort which convinced the Transylvanian princes to throw their lot in with the Sultan in the middle of a war.

These going-ons in the north did not halt the advances of the Turkish and Bosnian armies towards Istanbul, with the Turks amassed at Uskudar, on the Asian side of the Bosporus, and the Bosnians at the gates of Edirne by the end of April. It was at this point that the Free Navy left port, heading in the general direction of France. The combined navies of Bosnia and Turkey intercepted the fleet at the entrance to the Dardanelles, near Canakkale. Outnumbered and outgunned, the Free Navy stood no chance.



The city, however, is a different matter; this is, after all, Roman Constantinople, famous for being nigh-unconquerable, with its imposing walls and stubborn citizenry. Sailing up the Dardanelles, the recently victorious Turco-Bosnian fleet soon face an intense artillery barrage from the coastal guns. The Turkish camp on the Asian side was also subject to constant bombardment.

The Free Army forces were split between the city itself and Edirne; the Free Army troops in Edirne were to harass the Bosnians as they emerge over the border from the west. They were subsequently caught off guard when the bulk of the Bosnians poured in from the north. The Stamboulis suffered heavy casualties as they fought to avoid being encircled by the Bosnians. Fierce street fighting in Edirne claimed many Bosnians as well, but the Stamboulis might have been completely destroyed had the Russians been present; in the event, most of the Stamboulis, who in any case never had any intention of giving the Bosnians a decisive battle unless they were in sight of Constantinople’s Walls, and were mobile, escaped back to the City.

Geography was on the side of the defenders. The Bosnians pursued the retreating army, all the while also fighting off armed bands constantly harassing them to its left and right, finally reaching a bottleneck just west of the City itself, where they were met by concentrated cannon fire. Here the City’s defenders have established a strong fortified defensive position. After the fighting around Edirne, and with the Russians still up in Moldavia, the Bosnians did not have the strength to break through, and could only resort to siege. In the east, the situation was even more difficult for the Turks, with their smaller force separated from the City by the Bosporus. Nevertheless, the Turks fought well under the command of Ugur Korkmaz, with ships from the Black Sea providing cover for landing parties. The Turks briefly managed to land troops in Pera but were soon cut to pieces in street fighting. A more successful landing at Tekirdag was eventually abandoned after sustained guerrilla attacks in the vicinity.

As summer turned into autumn and winter, the City still stood unassailed. The besieging Bosnians were themselves in hemmed in by raiding militia bands roaming the countryside. The Bosnians retreated back to Bulgaria, fighting their way out of encirclement with heavy casualties, razing Edirne to the ground as a parting gift. Korkmaz Pasha likewise called off the Turkish offensive. Istanbul, though exhausted and running out of supplies and ammunition, lives to fight another day.





The War in the East


Guess the number of Turkish guerrilas in this picture

Caliph Ibrahim’s objective in life is humble: unite all the lands of Islam. The conquest of Iraq as far as Mosul brought the frontiers of the Caliphate up to the Turks’ own realms. Conscious of the Osmanlis’ own claims to the Caliphate, Ibrahim soon began making plans to confront the Turks, but even he was caught off-guard by the fast-moving events to the north. But the Caliph is a flexible man; the Osmanlis will just have to be destroyed before schedule. As soon as the news of the march on Istanbul reached Medina, the Caliph declared his support for the Free City and ordered the entire army to march north to take eastern Anatolia.

The Turks were led by Kahraman Çalik Pasha, the commander of the disgraced Janissary corps. Having taken charge of the reformation and modernisation of the janissaries over the last five years, against the interests of many powerful enemies, Calik Pasha saw the defence of Anatolia as an opportunity to redeem the Janissaries and silence his critics. A brilliant tactician who uses his spies efficiently and knows well the rugged terrain of the Anatolian mountains, and its effects on hungry armies on the march, he devised a plan to lure the Hejazi forces deep into Turkish territory, relying on quick cavalry raids to harass supply lines. The main forces of the janissaries would be in fortified positions near their bases in Erzurum and Diyarbakir, where the exhausted Arabs would be lured in and encircled. It would be a war of attrition, long and nasty, and the Turks would have the huge advantage of being on home ground.

Even so, the Turks were outnumbered more than two to one, and the Caliph hoped that by attacking in many directions the Turks would be forced to spread their defences thin. Initial advances met very little resistance; Ibn Abdjul’s horsemen roamed the Kurdish hills randomly pillaging while the Crown Prince and
General Hamid took the rest of the invasion force in the direction of Adana and Van respectively. Van was easily taken, which disappointed Hamid Khan, who hoped to take a major janissary base. He duly sent part of his force to take Sivas, as previously arranged. But communication between armies proved difficult in the guerrilla-infested mountains. In any case, that particular expeditionary force took the exact route which Calik Pasha predicted they would and was hunted down to the last man; not one Arab managed to escape to warn Hamid Khan, who was soon forced to leave Van. The Arabs wandered the mountains, lost, famished, cold and worn out, constantly harassed by the Turks, who seemed to be everywhere and capable of anything, so that even the land under their feet appear hostile. Hamid Khan himself lasted barely a month under these conditions; he was last seen running in the direction of an avalanche, screaming some nonsense about an Armenian princess.

The Crown Prince fared only a little better, having run into a pocket of serious resistance a little to the west of Diyarbakir, and soon got himself encircled. The Crown Prince was not expecting much in the way of resistance, and was rather ill-prepared to do serious battle; in any case, he proved to be very obdurate, and managed to break the encirclement, though he now had only a very sorry excuse for an army, certainly not enough to march to Adana with. The Crown Prince was forced to retreat the way he came, this time harassed all the way by Turkish cavalry. He eventually made it, in rags, to Nisibis (Nusaybin) where Ibn Abdjul was encamped. The old general got servants to shoo the beggar away, before realising with a shock that he was talking to the heir of the Caliph of Islam. It did not bode well for the battle that is to come.

The armies of the two empires now converged on Nisibis, with the Turks encircling the Arab camp. The Arabs still technically outnumbered the Turks, but their morale was at rock-bottom; if they stayed, annihilation was inevitable. Ibn Abdjul and the Crown Prince were still not on speaking terms on the eve of the battle, but both resolved to fight their way back to Mosul. Not a few soldiers took a third option and walked off in the general direction of Dayr al-Zawr.

The Battle of Nisibis was probably the single bloodiest day in the Middle East since the Mongol invasions. Quantity, even a demoralised kind, has a quality all of its own, as the janissaries who fought there can attest, and the Turks were cut down in droves. The Crown Prince personally dispatched a hundred Turks single-handedly, Ibn Abdjul reportedly more than fifty before he was hit in the eye by a stray bullet (or not stray, but it’s only rumour, and anyway the Caliph has forbidden its discussion on pain of death). But at the end of the day, Calik Pasha was still the winner. The invaders had been beaten back, and the janissaries redeemed.




The War in the West


An American ship casually setting itself on fire to impress a nearby French frigate

Historians are still not quite sure whether to count the French Theatre as part of the larger war centred on Istanbul, or its own separate conflict. Certainly the Ottoman struggle provided a useful pretext for the Mediterraneans and the French to settle their differences. The Americans? Well, the Americans, it seems they just like war.

The participation of the USNA came as a surprise to many observers, and controversial even within the country, due to a liberal interpretation of the “defensive” in “defensive alliance”. Anyway, the Marines never reached France; a joint Franco-Hejazi fleet put paid to that plan off the islands of Chausey, so that’s that.



France, however, still faced an organised offensive from its south. Massene chose to largely abandon the rest of the country and concentrate all his forces in the Paris region. Intelligence suggested that the assault would come from the west and north, from the sea, but Massene was sceptical. Sure enough, the Mediterraneans crossed the border en masse from the south, and the east and north of France was quickly overrun by the Mediterraneans. But the defence of Paris was well prepared. The Mediterraneans attacked from three directions, but their forces were spread too thin, while the French mobilised a citizen army of the sort that enabled the embattled French Republic to survive two decades prior.




Other Wars

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Country Stats

Africa

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America

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Asia

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Europe

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Large Map

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Global Science/Culture Points

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Country-Specific Events

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AZADISTAN
New Political Movement


The incorporation of the Plain Indians under Azadistan's fold has sparked a debate among the Indian chiefs over relations with the Azadis. Two major school of thoughts are emerging: the Integrationists favour full participation of Indians in Azadistani society and fusion of cultures, while the Segregationists argue for a maintanance of Indian autonomy and separation of Azadi and Indian cultures and peoples.
Option 1: Back the Integrationists (new faction gives SP +20%/turn if ruling)
Option 2: Back the Segregationists (new faction gives CP +20%/turn if ruling)


BOSNIA
A Tempting Offer


The Bulgarians did not resist the Bosnian invasion, but they did not welcome them with open arms either. Maybe they fear Stambouli reprisals should the country be retaken. Maybe they just really didn't care much for the Bosnians. This is rather worrying, since Istanbul may counterattack any moment. A young man, a certain Dimitar Sofianski, thinks he could help; he's such a gifted orator that after an hour listening to him King Nedim was briefly proclaiming his love for the Bulgarian motherland before he regained his senses. However, Sofianski won't do it for free, and King Nedim doubts whether he can be trusted...
Option 1: You're hired (Bulgaria becomes a core of Bosnia... for now)
Option 2: No thanks, we're not interested (no immediate effect)

BRITAIN
British Reunification


The United Kingdom has been reunified; however, a powerful local ruling class still exists in Ireland and Scotland, and bands of guerrilas still roam the countryside.
Option 1: Grant amnesty, extend political participation to the rebels (Scotland and Ireland become cores of Great Britain, National Unity decreases by 10%)
Option 2: Arrest them all as traitors, flood the countries with English people and capital (Gain 2IC in both Scotland and Ireland, either Scotland or Ireland will rebel, 25% chance that both will rebel)

The reunification of the United Kingdom has granted a massive boost to the ruling Whigs, and as it has been largely peaceful so far the militant Roundheads have lost ground.

CSA
Confederaleaks


Some are worried that the activities of the secret society known informally as "Confederaleaks" are causing the CSA to have no friends.
Option 1: No secrets are sacred! (culture points halved, espionage points increased by <SECRET>)
Option 2: Maybe we should tone it down a bit (no immediate effect)

FRANCE
Massenists vs Barbers


Though Andre Massena saved Paris from the Feds, the loss of Picardy and Burgundy has enraged the Barbers, who thought, with some justification, that it could have been prevented had they been in charge. Andre Massena and Jean Barber continue to put on a show of unity, but their supporters are at each others throat, a dangerous situation for a nation on the losing side of the war. Massene has a strong support base in Paris, but the French partisans in the occupied territories prefer Barber, and Barber also has a lot of influence in Aquitaine.
Option 1: I trust in Andre Massena (gain 5 army strength, +100% defensive bonus this turn for Paris only, national unity -10%)
Option 2: I believe in Jean Barber (Barbers become new ruling faction, Aquitaine is annexed to France, +50% offensive bonus this turn for Picardy only, national unity -10%)

HEJAZ
Guardians of the Homeland


The debacle in Anatolia has severely depleted the Caliphate's military strength. Something must be done, starting with recruiting new soldiers.
Option 1: Appeal for volunteers (gain 3 army strength, -25% offensive penalty this turn)
Option 2: Enact conscription (gain 5 army strength, -15% National Unity)


ISRAEL
Backed into a Corner


A steady stream of Muslims and Christians are leaving Eretz Yisrael. However, there remained those who've sworn never to leave their homeland, and they feel increasingly besieged. Muslims and Christians of all denominations have joined forces in Lebanon to demand rights over their ancestral land and end to Zionist encroachment.
Option 1: Concede autonomy (National Unity -15%, gain 4 Culture Points and 1 IC in Lebanon)
Option 2: Suppress them (Gain 2IC in Lebanon, but the province will rise in revolt, Istanbul, Turkey and the Caliphate gain a casus belli against Israel)
Option 3: Liberate Lebanon (equal chances of Lebanon defecting either to Istanbul, Turkey or the Caliphate, Israel loses core on Lebanon)


ISTANBUL
War Policy


Istanbul is safe, but only for now. The Sultan has called the Unified Divan to discuss war preparation plans. All three factions agreed on the need to recover lost lands and rebuild military strength, but had different views on implementation.
Option 1: Follow the Nationalists (gain 2 army strength, +50% defensive bonus this turn, -1 IC)
Option 2: Follow the Militarists (gain 3 army strength, +25% offensive bonus this turn, -2 IC, Militarists become ruling faction)
Option 3: Follow the Merchant Guilds (gain 5 army strength, -2 IC, Merchants become ruling faction)

KONGOLA
Integration of Namibia


The conquest of the Namibian and Kalahari regions brought into Kongola a restive tribal population which were never before under the rule of either the Portuguese or the Kongo or their neighbours. Their numbers are few, but enough to be annoying.
Option 1: Grant autonomy to the tribes (Nativists remain in power, +5% National Unity)
Option 2: Suppress local identity (Imperialists become new ruling faction, Namibia becomes a core of Kongola, 25% chance of rebellion)
Option 3: Send settlers (Socialists become new ruling faction, gain +2IC in Namibia)

KOREA and MONGOLIA
Of Manchus and Mongols


King Daoguang was quick to rebuff the offer of Korean protection; in fact Hui Zhang was thrown into prison. However, the speed at which the Mongols are organising under Chiang Khan over the past five years alarmed him enough to make him think twice. Though still unwilling to recognise Korea as the senior partner, as per the Korean proposal, he released Hui Zhang from prison to deliver a counter-proposal to King Seung.

Chiang Khan was alarmed, to say the least, at Korean attempts to bring Manchuria into their fold. However, recently an emissary from the Manchus arrived to reassure the Khan that his lord has no intention of becoming a servant of the Koreans; rather, he's asking both the Manchus and the Koreans to mutually guarantee Manchuria's independence.

Options available to both Korea and Mongolia:
Option 1: Recognise Manchurian independence, keep as a buffer state (gains a one-off bonus of 2 IC)
Option 2: Submit, or else(gain +5 free army strength)

If both picks Option 1, Manchuria, Kwantung and Amur will be closed to expansion until Turn 7, and Mongolia and Korea gains a casus belli against anyone who expands in the area.
If either picks Option 2, two of the three Manchurian provinces will defect to the side that picks Option 1, and one will join the side that picks Option 2. Mongolia and Korea gain a casus belli against each other.
If both picks Option 2, territorial strength of each of the provinces increase by one, and both Mongolian and Korean colonisation chances for these provinces will drop to zero. Mongolia and Korea gain a casus belli against each other.

MEDITERRANEA
Uprising in the North


The failure of the Federation to take Paris and bring an end to the war means the Federation is now faced with the task of holding down the occupied territories. While most of the population aren't making any trouble, those that do are making life very difficult indeed. One general suggested retreating from Picardy to concentrate on defence, while another advocated launching a lightning offensive at Paris to strike a knock-out blow.
Option 1: Abandon Picardy, defend the homelands (gain 3 army strength, +25% defensive bonus this turn)
Option 2: Stand our ground (gain 5 army strength, -25% defensive penalty this turn, +25% offensive bonus this turn)


PAPAL STATE
Integration of Slavonia


The Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia yielded to the Holy Father with minimal fuss. Nevertheless, integrating the territory, so different from Italy in language and customs, may yet prove more difficult than originally thought.
Option 1: Grant limited autonomy (National Unity decreases by 10%, gain 2 IC in Slavonia)
Option 2: Impose centralised rule (33% chance of rebellion in Slavonia)

The ease of the Papal military victory in Croatia has given a confidence boost to the ruling faction.

PARAGUAY
Siege Mentality


With Venediciya's conquest of Peru and Portugal's expansion into the Brazilian interior; in fact, right up to the Fatherland's borders; and the failure of the Party of Freedom to sway the Indians of Upper Peru, government officials are fearing their political enemies will see their weakness and decide to pounce...
Option 1: Strike first (national unity +10%, Culture Points set to zero, opposition factions purged)
Option 2: Appeal for national unity (national unity +5%, Anti-Militarists becoming ruling faction)
Option 3: Attempt to rally neighbours against Portugal (+5% expansion chance this turn, Portugal gains 2 army strength, 2 naval strength)

PORT HADLEY
A Lead?


The trade expedition to Rajasthan returns to Port Hadley. Alas, though the expedition was a commercial and cultural success, the Rajput princes and Gujarati emirs weren't interested in a more political relationship. In any case, a wealthy Gujarati trader accompanied the expedition back to Port Hadley; Mir Osman Qureshi, it turns out, is interested in art, and decided to come to Ceylon on the suggestion of a Mr Fenelay (or Finlee, or Fundee, one of those) he happened to meet recently. While in Ceylon he ran into some unsavoury elements and, long story short, was forced to leave the island after barely escaping an assassin. He was on the ship out of the country when a Port Hadley warship caught up with him and asked him to return to Ceylon for an audience with a Lady Macbeth, or did he misheard that? Anyway, the old merchant refused to go back.
Option 1: Bribe him to return to Ceylon (bribe is a very expensive painting ie 1 IC)
Option 2: Arrest him and force him to return to Ceylon (rumours spread about Hadleyan "suppression of traders", Hadleyan envoys not welcomed for a while ie no colonisation this turn)
Option 3: Leave him alone (no immediate effect)

SCANDINAVIA
The Isolationist North?


Recent events have seen the Purists gaining influence within both the Republican and Monarchist factions, unnerving the more moderate Republicans and Monarchists. A factional split looks increasingly likely. This should please the Democrats, but their position too is weakened by recent scandals and the rejection of the Union treaty by the Finns.
Option 1: Preserve the status quo (National Unity -10%, half price IC this turn only)
Option 2: Let the political landscape rearrange itself (Monarchists dissolves, Purist faction arises, Republicans reformed as the Liberals, Liberals become new ruling faction)
(Liberal Faction: favours trade, limited expansion, strong federal state, has the support of reform-minded nobles and capitalists, gives -25% IC cost)
(Purist Faction: xenophobic, militant, gives +50% Defensive bonus and -20% CP/turn)

TURKEY
Successful, or Too Successful?


Calik Pasha has delivered the Sublime State a victory against the odds, and become something of a hero in the Turkish street. This unnerved not a few people; so he saved the country, big deal, he's becoming much too popular. Wouldn't it be nice if he was to, let's say, disappear...
Option 1: Yes, it would be nice... (Calik dies, lower organisation for both Ottomans and Janissaries, National Unity -5%)
Option 2: Are you crazy? We're at war! (Gain 3 military strength, Ottomans becomes new ruling faction)
Option 3: Actually, I think Calik should be rewarded (Gain 5 military strength, Janissary becomes new ruling faction)


UNSA
The Navy Calls


And they're not happy. The admirals are saying that if this country really wants to embark on overseas adventures, we'll need to give more to the navy. However, as you know, we have limited resources.
Option 1: Give more to the Navy (+25% naval combat bonus this turn, -25% land combat penalty this turn)
Option 2: Perhaps we should keep to our own hemisphere (USNA withdraws from the War, cannot fight a war outside of the Americas until Turn 5)


VENEDICIYA
Integration of Peru


The nascent Peruvian Republic folded easily enough to Venediciyan arms, but though the new masters of Peru won the war, now they must somehow win the peace. The difficult terrain does not make it easy for Karaman to consolidate control; in fact, the triumphant commander of the janissary expedition has set himself up as governor in Cuzco, ruling the old Incan heartland as his personal fief, and reportedly treating his erstwhile native allies no better than the Spanish did.
Option 1: Let him be (Turk Toplulugu becomes new ruling faction, gain 3IC in Peru, 33% chance of native revolt in Peru)
Option 2: Order him back to Karaman (National Unity increases by 10%, ruling faction gains 20% organisation, 33% chance of Janissary revolt in Peru)
Option 3: Kill him (Milli Gurur becomes new ruling faction, gain core on Peru, 33% chance of Janissary revolt in Peru)

The failure of Venediciya to bring surrounding states into the fold has weakened Modernizasyon's position, though this is partly offset by the victory in Peru.





GM Announcement

Oh boy...

So that's the update, or the main part of it, anyway. There are still a few loose ends to tie up, including some minor rule changes/clarifications, so that will be contained in a mini-update which I will post soon.

While I work on that you have some time to digest the update. Turn 2 has not started yet. You can discuss the update, post roleplay, conduct diplomacy, etc, but I am not accept any orders at the moment, so please don't send any until the mini-update is posted.

The "Country-Specific Events" spoiler contains events that roughly half the players will need to respond to; these are generally pertaining to battle results and the roleplay you posted.
 
Option 1: Recognise Manchurian independence, keep as a buffer state (gains a one-off bonus of 2 IC)

Mongolia accepts Manchurian independence and will declare war on Korea, if Korea doesnt accept Manchuria as an Independent state.
 
Declaration of War

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As per the terms of the defensive pact between the Free City and the Papal States and in accord with an agreement between the two states in regards to Papal entrance into the war, where both states agreed Papal entrance would be delayed and restricted to a limited theatre, the Papal States, on the cassus belli of defensive pact with the Free City of Istanbul, and out of righteous indignation of Bosnia's blatant war of aggression against the Free City, declares war on the Kingdom of Bosnia, and initiates a righteous crusade to restore a christian hegemony in the balkans.

We warn any such nation that would call itself Catholic, namely Catalonia which has already shown its disdain for the reign of Christ in declaring war against its Catholic brother France, that coming to the assistance of the bosnian infidels in this conflict and declaring themselves opposed to the Papal States will merit excommunication to the one who would invoke such assistance, and result in the withdrawal of divine sanction for said government. In the eyes of God and the Church the sovereign in such and instance would in truth become an unlawful occupant on his throne, and it would therefore be legitimate for any of the faithful to depose him and send him to his maker should he show himself unrepentant and obstinate in his opposition to the Lord and His Church.

We urge the faithful to support the Church and the Holy See in its crusade against the infidels. May God bless this venture so that the reign of Christ may push back the muslim tide in the balkans.

-

sincerely

~ Card. Richelieu, Secretariat for Relations with States
 
IC: 6
- (2IC) Build 1 Factory in Mongolia
- (4IC) 4 armies
- Colonize the territory of Yakutia
 
ooc: No orders are being accepted yet Christos, read the red bolded sections at the bottom of TK's post.
 
Okay. I havent read that part.
 
Can you please change Azadistan's full name to "The United States of Azadistan"?
 
Yey! A lead! :D
 
ooc:I love how you described the war :)

And if I may be so free as to "woohoo" on my victory in Ararat: Woohoo!

Two questions though:
- I assume that if the province you tried to colonize is still grey, said colonization attempt failed?
- Do you want a decision on the event with the next orders or before?
/ooc
 
I thought the maximum you could get from war plans was 80%? :confused:

And how did Turkey kill 10 units compared to 4 when our modified strengths were equal?

Probably because they were equal in modified strength. If your modified strenght would have been higher you would have had troops left, if mine was higher I would have had some troops left, I believe.
 
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