As I mentioned in the first spoiler, my goal was to achieve a cuiraissier rush against Genghis.
Genghis launched his second war against Elizabeth in 350. That war would continue until 1020, with Genghis ending up capturing only one border city. Meanwhile, I knew that I wanted a state religion, first for running pacifism to generate GMs, then for theocracy when I built my army. One problem: Genghis and Elizabeth were both Confucian, while Willem and QSH were both Hindu. And what religions had spread to my cities? Judaism and Christianity.
Converting to either of those wouldn't help my relations with anyone.
When I founded Taoism in 560, I decided to spread that religion, but I was careful not to convert too early.
Before my first golden age, I had generated three GS (the first built an academy and the next two were saved) and a GA for being first to music. I started my first golden age in 1070, switching only to Caste System. That generated two GM, who sailed to the Netherlands on trade missions. Genghis saw all that gold and demanded 340 gp in 1190. I gladly paid it, figuring that the resulting peace treaty should just about get me to cuirs. Starting my second golden age in 1210, I now switched to pacifism and Taoism. Elizabeth also made a demand for 350 gold. I paid that, somewhat less willingly. Switching to nationalism, slavery and theocracy before the golden age ended, with a third GM sailing on a trade mission, I researched Military Tradition in 1330 and was able to use my gold to upgrade 21 of my 30 horse archers to cuirassiers.
A few turns earlier, I had noticed that Genghis had his army in New Sarai, just across my border. Elizabeth had demanded I cancel my deals with him in 1320, and when I agreed to that I had lost sight of that army. Assuming it was still there, I decided I'd try to bait him with a musket and a couple workers, hoping to lure his army onto the grasslands next to Yakutsk. But when I declare war in 1340, I discover his army has moved! Had he decided to move on Elizabeth? Now my army rushed forward and captured New Sarai. And Genghis returns with his army just outside the city. Lovely!
I attack his army, with flanking attacks wiping out nearly all of those cats and trebs. Genghis tries a suicide attack with his wounded survivors, and none of them escape.
After that, Elizabeth joins me in the war, but I capture all of the Mongol cities and wipe out Genghis by 1520. In the meantime, I've finally made contact with Napoleon and Isabella. Time to build courthouses, spread my religion, and rebuild my economy. I'm far behind all of the AI in tech.
In 1540, my one caravel that had been exploring to the west earned the circumnavigation bonus! This, despite privateers having been a nuisance on my coasts for at least a century. What in the world had the AI been doing?
Elizabeth now has Redcoats, so I continue my research until I have rifling (upgrading my cuiraissiers to cossacks!) and steel for cannons. In 1690, I attack Elizabeth. On the same turn, I notice that Napoleon now has destroyers. At this point, I'd built a couple of frigates to drive off the privateers.
Elizabeth won't consider bending the knee until I capture York, Canterbury, and London. But at that point, London is surrounded by her culture, so I decide to push forward and take Newcastle. I hope she won't peace vassal to one of the AI in the meantime. Well...she doesn't, but she does bribe Napoleon to declare against me in 1785.
You'd think that would have boosted her morale, but I decide it's time for her capitulation and she doesn't hesitate to bend the knee. Now she's at war with the ally she just bribed into the war.
Napoleon lands a small invasion force of cavalry and artillery, which I destroy, then he obligingly calls an AP vote to end the war, which passes by a small margin. Heck, he only had to ask!
Napoleon completes the Apollo program and starts building his spaceship. I know I'll never catch up in a space race and begin planning an invasion to destroy that ship. At least I get an GE to found Mining, Inc., which helps my production. When I'm elected Secretary General, the first vote I get passed is a non-proliferation treaty. Now I know he won't nuke my army/navy into oblivion. In 1890, having researched industrialism and traded with Elizabeth for artillery, I stop all of my research and focus entirely on building the invasion force. My units are still inferior to Napoleon's, but I'm following the classic Russian strategy of making numbers count. In 1910, I declare war on Napoleon. I've divided my forces into two fleets. One attacks and razes Avignon, where he has a large fleet of ships, while the main body lands next to his capital. Thus begins the battle of Paris.
Isabella declares war on me and Napoleon strikes at my army, but can't stop me from capturing Paris. It has three world wonders and two corporate headquarters, so I decide to hold onto it. And then I notice that I've made two errors. One tactical one: I neglected to load my healer onto the invasion fleet. One strategic one:
capturing a capital city before a spaceship is launched does not destroy the ship! 
I call a UN vote to stop the war against Isabella (thinking I could still keep going against Napoleon) but it fails to pass. When Isabella's troops join Napoleon's, my army is quickly eliminated and Napoleon retakes Paris in 1913. I've just lost the largest army I can ever recall building in this game, and all I've accomplished is to raze one enemy city.
I feel like the game is lost at this point and I begin considering which saved turn I'll choose to replay the game "for fun". But I keep going.
I destroy one French stack that lands on my continent, then destroy the invasion fleet when it returns with more troops. Napoleon signs a peace treaty in 1920, then he completes and launches his spaceship in 1927. Isabella invades my northeastern coast and I destroy both her army and her fleet. She makes peace in 1930.
And now, with my fleet and army rebuilt, I've double-checked the civfanatics posts that confirm that I
can destroy a spaceship
after it has launched (even if that's totally illogical). And I've decided on a new strategy: if the French army is too strong to fight on land, I'll become a modern Viking and raid from the sea! My fleet sails into position and I attack in 1933, razing both Lyon (which had become the capital when I had captured Paris) and Paris. Now the spaceship is gone! In the turns that follow, I raze Rheims, Grenoble, and Dijon. Napoleon still won't negotiate. At the far south of his coast, I capture and hold Amiens. Napoleon sends settlers out to found Poitiers and Toulouse, and I raze them, too. I try to end the war with a UN vote, but the vote fails. Napoleon still won't capitulate, but he will negotiate, so I decide to make peace in 1943. He still has four strong cities, but most of his coast is in ruins. (I had failed to take Marseilles in my final attack, but that was to my advantage. He was already trying to rebuild a spaceship. Since Marseilles was the new capital, it might be a convenient target for a future attack.)
QSH was now leading the space race, so I moved my fleet to my northeast coast, preparing for another invasion. Now I could build modern armor and gunships, so I expected this invasion to be much easier. Then I could do the same when Isabella completed her spaceship, and then maybe back to Napoleon. But as another opportunity for a UN vote arose in 1946, which I let pass without a motion, I belatedly noticed something simple. Willem had asked for Satellites back in 1934, and granting that request has raised his relations from pleased to friendly. He'd now vote for my diplomatic victory! And with France being so reduced in population, that would now give me the margin I needed to win. Well, gosh!
I called for the next vote in 1954 and won a diplomatic victory (630 votes out of 992, 615 needed) in 1955.
That which does not kill you makes you stronger.
).
) so already on Astro, with a bunch of other techs I didn't have yet (philo, music, guilds, drama), so lib race also looked complicated. Figured my invasion navy of galleys would have a pretty hard time, so left the game while pondering what the best plan ahead would be. I can cease this pondering, now that deadline day has arrived. 
