This is a short report after action of our Europa Universalis campaign,
with many modifications we are working on. We are 8 players: Poland
and Russia are added to the 6 usual ones in periods I and II, and the
player of Portugal takes the fate of Sweden from the period III onward. 
We also use many modified rules and events (some of which come from
Risto's rewrite), and a set of redesigned maps and counters.
Most of this material is available on two websites, but this is
unfinished work:
http://pborgnat.free.fr/indexEU8.html.en
http://bamgames.free.fr/Europa/

This report is written by the player of Poland (and I played also 
Portugal because of the absence of the player for the first session).
The story may be subjective from time to time.


*** First session (Nancy, 12-17 of August 2004) ***

-- PERIOD I --

Turn 1/1492
I-3(1)/War in Italy (Napoli);
I-5/Dynastic alliance with Hungary 
I-8(1)/Reformation (minor countries)
I-12(b)/Wars on the Roads of Spices: Veneto-Turkish commercial disputes
History:
SPA and FRA separately attack Napoli, not as allies. SPA annexes Calabria
after 2 turns of war and FRA annexes Napoli itself on the 1st turn (exchanged 
for Artois with SPA at turn 4). Milano entered the war for itself and was
beaten by Savoie (allied of FRA).
TUR ravages Syria and annexes it whole.
Allied SPA and POR attack Marocco (both for annexion and presidio
purpose) and succed in both their objectives only after 3 turns of war.
SPA discovers the America (the islands in Caraibes) and the Portuguese
explorers cross the Cape of Good Hope and discover the southern lands
of Africa.

Turn 2/1495
I-1/Treaty of Tordesillas
I-10/War with Scotland
1-11(1)/The end of the Golden Horde
I-H/Secularization of the Teutonic Order
History: 
ENG is at war with Scotland in turn 2. ENG manages a level -2 peace at the
end of the war (it lost 2 battles and was eager to end the war).
TUR takes Rhodes on turn 2, almost undefended by Major powers.
With the last Khan of the eastern Mongols out, RUS and POL feel confident 
enough to form an alliance and attack the Don Cossaks on turn 2. This war 
keeps on going on the following turn. 
Cabral and Da Gama discover a maritime road to India to be used by the 
Portuguese crown. On the return trip, the ships of Cabral sight the
coast of Brazil but do not stop.
Hispaniola is founded on Haiti and the Spanish explorations reach the
mainland in Costa Rica.

Turn 3/1500
I-4(1)/Hungarian Independance
I-8/Reformation (major powers)
I-9/Turkish Diplomatic Pressures
History:
FRA is going protestant and starts to intensively explore North Atlantic 
and America with Vespucci. Its first attempt on colonization is to
settle in Terre-Neuve, but this does succeed only on turn 6. 
SPA supports the Counter-Reform and POL and ENG are Concilant.
TUR takes Moldavia on this turn. A Jagellon inherits the crown of
Hungary, discarding the weddings proposed by the Hasburgs, and he allies
openly with Poland.
POL is checked by revolts and has hard times dealing both the revolts 
and the Cossacks. RUS keeps putting pressure in Don. They manage to
put down the last defense of the Cossacks and dismantle this country.
In Maroc, POR annexes at last Fez and SPA sets a Presidio on the Marocan
coast.
Meanwhile Spanish vessels find a path around the Cape of Horn and then up 
to Vera Cruz, the first european settlement on mainland America (in Costa 
Rica). Some Portuguese ships go as far as the Cape of Horn but they do
not venture in the Pacific Ocean from the east.
POR attacks the Muslim traders in India and sets a first European
trading post in Cochin. The Indian Ocean is charted up to Malacca but
Da Gama dies fighting the Gujerats and a white peace is signed that 
gives not much to POR. Only a  small part of the coast of Brazil is 
explored.

Turn 4/1505
I-4(2)/Dynastic alliance with Bohemia
I-7/Habsburg Dynastic action
II-10/War in the Indian Ocean
History:
On turn 4, Oman and Aden attacked an unprepared POR (there is only
one Portuguese TP in India and the Gujerat are still strong). POR comes to
an agreement with TUR in letting Aden to TUR (it's now in Treaty, so
giving it's commercial income) and Oman to POR (who should try to impose 
a treaty as soon as a viceroy will have some time). Portuguese explorers 
discover also the Spice Islands and set sail further in Pacific.
TUR attacks Persia and manages a level 4 peace, taking Armenia and Van 
(in only one turn...)
Exchange of Napoli against Artois.
SPA and VEN are going for presidios (and succed) in Tripoli and
Cyrenaique during turns 4 and 5.
POL suffers troubled times (-1 STAB in turns 4 and 5) because of
enduring revolts. RUS lives through peaceful times.

Turn 5/1510
I-3(2)/War in Italy (Milano) => a revolt in FRA
I-8/Reformation (some more minor countries)
Many Revolts
Consequences:
More revolts in POL and FRA. Spain, deprived from its war for Milano, 
seizes the opportunity and declares a war against France and Savoie. It
ends up annexing Nice.  Not much else happen in Europe; TUR is busy
destroying Georgia. VEN tries to dominate Northen Italy by diplomacy.
Confident in its destiny as the leader of Orthodoxy, RUS attacks Pskow 
and Ryazan. The small cities would prove tough nuts to crack: the war 
would only end on turn 7 when the last spirit of resistance is burnt in
those cities, and the inhabitants dead.
POR, allied to Vijayanagar, tries to settle a colony in Goa. The
defenses of the city hold against the troops of the Sultan of Bijapur
which are later defeated by Albuquerque returning from Ormuz where
commercial arrangements were unsuccessfully attempted, and Oman were
a military treaty is successfully imposed.
The settlement in Goa would be from now on the jewel of the Portugal.
Meanwhile 6 ships lead by Pires leave Lisbon and go around 
the globe in an epic travel of 3 years; only 2 ships survive to
witness that the wolrd is round.
SPA charts Guyana and reaches Luçon crossing the Central Pacific Ocean. 

Turn 6/1515
II-21: Apparition of the Moghols (conquest of Afghanistan)
A great amount of revolts (4!)
Consequences:
TUR fights Hungarian armies for Serbia and Bosnia. TUR takes back Serbia
but this would have to wait for Bosnia.
RUS is at war against Pskow and Ryazan and suffers many defeats.
POL sets in peaceful times this turn and the next 2 ones to recover.
Learning of possible natives rich with gold, spanish conquistadors go
deep in America but do not find yet the main Aztecan city.
Fighting against the Sultan of Bijapur and the muslims traders, POR is
victorious (leaving only Aden and Diu as independant commercial cities).
POR begins some colonizations in Brazil. Japan is spotted but the first
explorers that landed never came back. Annual shipments of Spices and
Luxuries of Orient arrive now regularly in Lisbon.


-- PERIOD II --

Turn 7/1520
Events:
II-2(1)/Election of the HRE Emperor
II-16/War between Russia and Poland
History:
The Spanish king is elected emperor, even if some malecontent electors
supported an outsider polish candidate (rumors are that England and
France were behind this scheme).
TUR declares war to the Mamelouks and in less than ten years would
defeat their resistance. Neither VEN nor SPA defend them.
POL and RUS decides for peace, and RUS finishes long sieges of Pskow 
and Ryazan.
Coming from the sea, Cortes marches on Lima and submits the Incas.
First shipments of gold travel back to Spain from Guyana.
The Brazilian coast is almost entirely explored by POR at this time.
Portuguese emissaries go in China. POR attacks the Gujerats and captures
Diu: this ends their existence as a major actor in India.


Turn 8/1525
II-9/The Schmalkaldic League
I-11(2)/Russian annexion of Pskow and Ryazan
History:
Cairo surrenders and TUR now dominates the Nile valley and the trade
from Levant.
Pskow and Ryazan are repopulated by Russian people from Moscow. 
The emperor decides to ignore for the times being the religious
agitations in the HRE, and the so-called League of Schmalkalde.
First contacts made with Japan by POR.

Turn 9/1530
I-7/Habsburg Dynastic actions
II-4/End of the Union of Kalmar
History:
The Ottomans decide to march in force against Christians: Hungary is on
their path. POL runs to the help of Hungary. The resistance is fierce
and the Turkish forces remain short from Buda.
A Portuguese Trading Post is founded in China (Macao). The last
portuguese important sea explorations discover the Sea of Japan, the 
Northern Pacific ocean, and the sea bordering north of Australia.
POR sends conquistadors in Amazonia.
Expecting Gold and treasures, Pizarro goes deep in central America and
reaches at last the great city of Technochlitan; when he leaves, the
city is now called Mexico and the Aztecan empire lays in ruins.
A Spanish Trading Post is also settled in Luçon.

Turn 10/1535
II-11/Portuguese colonial dynamism
II-12/Spanish colonial dynamism
II-18/Forward to the Baltic Sea
History:
The Turks make decisive advances in Hungary. Still the war is mainly a
war of attritions, and not of major defeats. Buda is conquered near the
end of the turn, but not Pecs. Poland holds the moutains of the
Carpathes, Austria moves forward to defend its frontier.
In the same years, RUS attacks the Livonian Brothers of the Sword.
Lithuanian forces help the Livonian army and defeat (barely) Russian 
forces. However, the small amount of remaining ennemy forces tease Russia 
in continuing the war.


Turn 11/1540
II-3/War in Italy
II-12/Spanish colonial dynamism
II-14/Russian conquest of the Khanats
III-22/Chinese Trade Attitude => closure
History:
France hesitates about its conduct in Italy and does nothing yet but 
raising armies.
RUS renews its attacks against the Nordic Orders and fails again; it
begins at the same time a war against Kazan.
SPA joins the fight against TUR to grab Hugarian provinces from the
Turkish claws; its armies are defeated. Austrian troops begins to
crumble and only Polish forces hold a little. Christianity holds its
breath, and is reassured only when the Ottomans pack up theirs forces
and agree for peace. Austria annexes provinces from Slovakia to Kapela,
POL both mountainous provinces and TUR all the rest (with Transylvania
as a vassal). No Crusade is called; some spanish advises against this
were surely issued to the Pope. 
FRA attacks SPA on some obscur inheritance claims for Lombardia. The
military campaigns won't achieve anything, and they soon make peace
again.
What is ENG doing those turns? Exploring the world. But French guys were
already traveling in the same places. 


Turn 12/1545
II-1/Act of Supremacy
III-8/Secularization of the Nordic Orders
III-12/Revolt of Corsica
History:
The Collapse of the Brothers of the Sword lure Sweden in Livonia. Facing
now Sweden and Lithuania (reinforced by Polish forces now free of the war
in Hungary), RUS withdraw from the fight and turns its armies fully against
Kazan. Here this is a war that goes well, with constant but slow progresses. 
Poland fights back Sweden and takes Riga but further fortresses in
Estland and Neva are too strong to be taken without a fleet.
TUR is once again fighting Persia.
ENG decides to break with the Pope; it seems that it was well for FRA,
why not for England ? Ireland is set aflame and revolts: their rebellion 
won't be submitted in the next 20 years...
Adding injure to insult, FRA and SPA decides to harm England right at
that time. SPA debarks in England whereas FRA assaults Calais. England
obtains peace only by giving Calais to Spain. End of the last jolt 
inherited from the Hundred Year War; but this creates one more cause of
dispute  between Spain and France.
SPA and POR develops their colonial empires in their respective areas.

Turn 13/1550
II-13/Union of Lublin
Many revolts
History:
TUR takes Kurdistan and Dagestan from Persia.
The Russian war against Kazan goes well, but is very slow: the conquest is
still far from made.
Poland and Lithuania contemplates a Union, but for now their worries are
turned towards Sweden. Their combined forces defeat the swedish army but
the fortresses hold. In a bold campaign, POL crosses through besieged
fortified provinces and takes major parts of Finland that were undefended. 
Sweden sue for peace and abandons Livonia and gives somes lands in the 
deep of Finland (Häme) to lithuanian noblemen.
SPA helps its Genovan allies and crush the revolt in Corsica.
POR is satisfied with its dominance of trade in Asia, but...

Turn 14/1555
II-2(2)/Habsburg Dynastic Commitments
II-10/War in the Indian Ocean
II-15/Russian Superiority over the Khanats
History:
The population of Oman attacks the occupying Portuguese. Fleets from
Aden and Turkish vessels help them. Using a last surge of dynamism, POR
defeats its foes and puts back Oman under its dominance.
Spain has finally a web of solid alliances by marriages all around it
(all dynastic actions A and B).
TUR attacks SPA in North Africa and tries to destroy the Presidios. The
Tercios fight bravely and save those, but the glorious military facts and
the repulse of the Turks cost many spanish lives.
RUS at last destroy Kazan (just in time for the objective).

-- PERIOD III --
Turn 15/1560
III-1(1)/Revolt of the United Provinces
III-11(1)/Wars of Religion in France
III-19/Revolts in Ceylan
III-20/The Great Moghol Akbar (conquest of Dehli, Oudh, Bengal, Gujerat)
History:
At that time, Spanish colonial empire is spread all across southern and
central America and brings back around 200 ducats in gold each turn.
Portugal has set many trading posts in Asia, from Diu to Japan, passing
through Goa, Ceylan, Malacca, the spice islands, China. Installations
were set in Africa, with a small colony at the Cap. Brazil is also
colonized all along the coast.
France has set three colonies in Terre-Neuve, Montreal and Quebec, and 
a trading post in on the coast of Delaware.
England is a late-comer in the New World: its first colony, New-York, is 
created around this time. 

Maybe because Spain did not react to the defy of the League of
Schmalkalde, religious struggles erupt all over Europe.
Spain is caught unaware by revolts in Holland that soon degrade in a
full scale rebellion of the United Provinces. It manages to quench the
revolts in Belgium, but the north up to Limburg and Brabant is firmly 
held by the rebels.
In the same time, french catholics that were malecontent with the
choice of protestantism take the arms against their king. Hard campaigns
and two major battles are not enough to force them into submission: 
peace is settled only by giving many fortresses in Île-de-France as places 
of safety for the Catholic cause.
Lastly, Sweden attacks Danemark in an attempt to take back its national
territy still submitted to the Danish. It does not go well: its army is
crushed by Danemark.
Turkey decides its high time to advance in the Mediterranean sea: it
attacks Venize which is not supported by Spain and grabs some islands.
Far away, a new distribution of powers in Asia emerges. When Russia
advances towards Tartaria and Siberia and crush the last Mongols in the
west, the Moghol dinasty that dominates Afghanostan finds with its new 
ruler, Akbar, a surge of power. A few years later, the Moghols rule northern 
India. The portuguese establisments in Diu are destroyed, as well as the
recent trading post in Colombo, when Ceylan is plagued by internal
fightings.


Turn 16/1565
II-21/Apparition of the Mongol Empire (conquest of Penjab)
III-11(2)/Wars of Religion in France
IV-7/The English Civil War
History
Russia wars against Siberian armies so it may march further in Asia.
But Poland grabs the occasion to attack Russia, confident in its
technological advantage in warfare. Lithuania and Poland signs the Union
of Lublin between the two kingdoms and declare war. Polish armies come 
from Ukrania, Lithuania and Finland but do only succeed to take Pskow.
Wanting to finish quickly this war, and because on the whole it has
repulsed the assaults, Russia agrees for a white peace but gives back
their autonomy to the cossacks of the Don (only one province).
The Catholic Saint League renews its military campaigns against the king
of France, and this time the battle greatly favors them; the king is 
complied to sign a disastrous Truce and gives a place of safety in Orléans 
to the catholic party, that are added to the fortresses of Paris.
Maybe inspired by this, the english king decides to turn its back to
anglicanism and renew bonds with the Papacy. The Parliament rebels
against this position. Sadly for it, its armies are utterly defeated on
the field and the king takes back many provinces in England. Catholic
revolts that were plaguing Ireland since 20 years are now stronger.
Spain and Poland makes plan to help the english king but do not find the
opportunity to bring armies. Spain tries to debark in Ireland but is
stopped by the english navy.
Holland defeats the Spaniards and keep control of Limburg and Brabant.
Spain facing troubles, TUR chooses this time to attack the Knigths
refugied in Malta who plague its commerce. The Great Master of the
Ordre, La Valette, dies in the first assault. The city will not resist a
second one, and surrender before the ships of Venize and Spain succeded
in breaking the turkish supply.


Turn 17/1570
III-6/Portuguese disaster in Africa
III-10/Revolt in the Sierra Nevada
III-17/Archangelsk and the Moscovite Trading Company
History
Siberia is crushed by Russia, now that Moscow is no more threatened by
Poland. Colonization of Siberia is about to begin.
The revolt in Granada adds to the troubles of Spain. Helped by the
french catholic armies of the League, and by Poland, Spain manages to
fight back Algerians and Turks that tried to help the revolt. The
revolts themselves will last another five years.
In England, the Parliamentarists are thrown out of England by the
King's armies. The King enters in London. The last remains of the
Parliament hold a now pacified Ireland, the colonies, and the fleet
with many a brilliant admiral.
With so many religious struggles, the French Catholics are content with
peace (besides, they are warring in Spain).
A Truce was negotiated in Holland, eagerly by both sides. Holland begins
to send explorers towards Asia.
Sweden is still at bay against Danemark, obtaining no decisive victory.

Turn 18/1575
III-2/Amsterdam Stock Exchange
III-13/Union between Poland and Sweden
III-16/War in Siberia
History:
The english King orders to build a navy, so he can crush the last 
english parliamentarists seeking refuge in Ireland but Rupert never
manages to hold the sea of Man for attempting a landing. 
In Holland also the cause of protestantism seems in jeopardy.
The combined armies of the Spaniards and the french Saint League defeat
armies from Netherlands twice in major victories and Spain regains
Limburg and besieges Brabant.
Spain is also still trying to fight against the revolts in the Sierra 
Nevada so Turkey attacks Venize one more time. Spain has its hands full 
and can not really help its Italian ally; Venize keeps only Corfu of all 
the Mediterranean islands.
Sweden sees at last the end of its nightmare: a major victory against
Danish armies brings a needed peace; the Danish King renounces its claim
on the Swedish crown but gives no land. At the same time, Poland elects
a swedish King: the next troubles might come from this.
Yermark destroys one more time the Siberian forces, with no difficulty.

*** Second session (Lyon, 21-23 January 2005) ***


Turn 19/1580
III-5/War between Scotland and England => Covenanters
III-9/War between Persia and Turkey
III-18/Persians Safavids
History:
TUR has now to turn its attention eastward: Shah Abbas seizes the power
in Persia and attacks the Ottomans. Many soldiers die and Turkey buys
the peace with gold.
HOL begins to battle Portuguese overseas. In response, Spain decides
to seize the Portuguese crown directly, using dynastic ties to claim the
crown of the king dead 8 years before in Marocco. Noone supports the
independance of Portugal and it surrenders easily. Holland occupies
Elmina and the Cap.
Cromwell is now the leader of the parliamentarists and designs a New 
Model Army using brand new Mousquets. Attacked in the south from the 
sea by Cromwell, and from the north by the Covenanters, the english 
Royalists face a hard task. They move south but are destroyed by the 
New Model Army. Cromwell begins the reconquest of England but soom 
dies on th field. The King takes refuge in London with no troops. The 
Covenanters agree to sign a peace with the Parliament, taking 
Durham for Scotland.

Turn 20/1585
III-4(1)/War between Danemark and Sweden
History:
Danemark attacks Sweden after a short peace. The fate is in favor of
Danemark who occupies Bergsladen. Sweden counter-attacks in Copenhague
and besieges the city. The danish navy makes a sortie, and is destroyed.
Now secure in the east, the Ottomans give another go against their
favorite prey: Venize. In one turn, they take the Dalmatian coats and
Corfu, Venize receiving yet another time no help.
Spain is busy against Holland, trying also to contain Dutch far from
the Portuguese overseas possessions. This does not go well and Holland
occupies more trading posts. As they feel they can not occupy Elmina any 
longer, the Dutch burn the trading post.
The Truce is then broken in the French Wars of Religion. The king has
some years of preparation and manages to weaken the Catholics. A new 
peace is negotiated that removes Paris from treir hands.
Following the same elan in England, the Protestants are now victorious: 
the king is captured during a brief siege of London and the remaining of
England is retaken by the Parliament.

Turn 21/1590
II-17/War between Russia and Turkey
III-3(1)/Creation of the East Indian Company
IV-9/Dutch colonial dynamism => Creation of the VOC
History:
Spain, irritated by the victory of the Parliament and the overseas
successes of the Dutch, attacks at last the League of Schmalkalde.
Holland interfers and this does not go as well as it could. Reformed
cities surrender in Germany but the League keeps on fighting.
At the same time, Spain loses back Limburg to a Dutch army lead by Maurice.
Inspired maybe by this crusade against the Reform, the Truce is broken
again in France: the protestant king is now at bay and, worse, does not 
manage to find a compromise with the Catholics. The armies remain on the 
field. The only hope of the king is that Guise died in a battle, so the
Catholic party lack now a pretendant to the throne with good credentials. 
Sweden tries harder against Danemark; it destroys once again the danish
vessels and capture both Copenhaguen and the island of Gotland. On
land the Danish armies are victorious: they conquer Jämtland after
Bergladen, but are fortunately repulsed by the fortifications around 
Stockholm.
Russia and Poland decides that the Ottomans have had a life too easy for
too long a time. Russian armies attack its vassal Astrakhan while Polish
armies hold the Turks in the Carpathes. The whole Russian army is 
destroyed by the Ottomans whereas Poland and Turkey achieve a stalemate 
(for instance, losing both in one campaign around 3/4 of the forces
involved, which were 2 full armies on each side). 
With the war in Germany about to worsen (Brandeburg sides with the League
for the next turn), Turkey prefers to sign a white peace so it may use
the difficulties of Austria.


Turn 22/1595
III-1(2)/Creation of the VOC => Dutch colonial dynamism
III-11(4)/Wars of Religion in France => War of Succession
History
The Ottomans attack Austria, in a clear attempt to grab Vienna. Poland
continues its personal crusade against the Turks by helping Austria. Repulsed 
once by polish forces, then pushing them aside and arriving just before the 
gates of Vienna, the turks are defeated by the Autrian army coming back from
Saxe. They withdraw their forces and sign a peace.
The Habsburgs try to destroy the League of Schmalkalde but this is too hard,
facing the Turks, Holland, many German protestants. The war stops,
Austria annexing Schwaben for its troubles.
Spain agrees also that it is time to recognize the independance of
Holland. They let Limburg to the Dutch, along with the Cap and a trading
post in Nyaza. This early reconnaissance is motivated by the resistance
of the fortified trading post in the Spice Islands. It held 15 years
with little relief, and Spain is satisfied to keep it out of Dutch hands by
this peace.
Spain obtains great victories in France. After the death of Guise,
the catholics have no hope that the legitimate heir would be a faithful 
catholic. They decide to conquer the crown by arms. Spanish armies help 
the Catholic League and they obtain great successes. Navarre and Condé fly
with only remains of their armies.
Sweden tries to defeat Danemark but fails once again. Both countries
stand on their positions and none wants to sign a losing treaty.
England is kept busy by a lasting rebellion in Munster, besieging the
insurrected city.

Turn 23/1600
III-1(3)/League of Nassau
III-15(1)/Oprichnina => revolt in Russia (Ivan is dead)
III-20/The Great Moghol Akbar 
	(conquest of Indus, Balouchistan, Orissa, Gondana)
History:
Spain would like to see the victory in France but once again its armies
are drawn in Germany when Hessen and some protestant lords attack the
Archdioceses on the Rhine. Yet another stalemate results of this
struggle involving Spain, Austria, Holland, and the german states.
Brandeburg joins Hessen at the end of the turn and more religious
troubles are to be expected during the following years. The Habsburgs
manage to appease the struggle and a fragile peace sets up in the HRE
once again.
In France, the Catholics lead the dance. The army of Navarre is
surrounded and destroyed in his attempts to walk on Paris, and 
he ends in Toulon, threatened from Nice by Farnese's army. Condé lead 
the last protestant army which is in Vendée, closely followed by
Mayenne and its Catholics. Spain helped a lot the Catholics whereas 
the Protestants did receive no support from England of Holland. But 
this is due to another confrontation in the north. 
Another religious struggle happens when the kings of Poland and Sweden 
die the same year. A dynastic crisis in Poland is solved when a Vasa is
again elected. The new king makes claims for the swedish crown with
support from Russia (who looks eagerly towards Newa) and Spain (who
would not be against a victory of catholicism in Sweden). Its authority
in Poland is established by moving his capital in Varsovia, and by paying
with spanish gold many mercenaries (from Sweden and Poland) that thus 
agree to fight to seize Sweden. Sweden ends up assaulted by Danemark 
in the north, by supporters of the now polish king that are based in 
Smäland, and by Russians in Newa and Finland. 
Holland and England help Sweden and try to stop Spanish fleets that
attempt to enter the Baltic sea. First they succeed and an english army 
that arrives to defend Stockholm manages to defeat and besiege the 
polish army in a bold move. Then the spanish navy goes again out on sea,
escapes numerous times the blockade and debark an army in the north, 
and many polish reinforcements in the south. The english army is then 
defeated by the reinforcements. Fortune does not abandon completely 
Sweden: the spanish army lead by Spinola suffers badly from winter and 
has to retreat back across the Baltic in Kurland.  
The last hope of Sweden lies in the fact that Danemark now agrees to
sign a peace after defeats against the swedish army. Nothing is gained
nor lost as result of the war, but Sweden is left at war against only
one alliance. Russia withdraws also from the war, having achieved
nothing.
But the Christians should look eastward, and not west or north are they
are doing now: an ageing Soliman has decided major reforms in Turkey. The
Pashas are destituted by order of the Sultan, and a modern and
professionnal army is created by extending the Janissaries. 


*** Third session (Lyon, 8-12 of August 2005) ***

Turn 24/1605
III-4(2) Oxenstierna
III-15(2) The times of Troubles in Russia
IV-4 National Revolt of the Portugal
History (7 rounds):
Sweden is saved by a new strong prime minister: Oxenstierna. The
stability of the country improves sufficiently to discourage the
Polish king to renew its campaigns in Sweden, which would have to
be done without support from Russian and Spain this time. A white 
peace is signed.  In Russia, a dubious and self-proclamed heir to 
the Tzar, Dimitri, raises an army against the perceived 
usurper Godounov. A small Lithuanian help is not enough: Dimitri
dies in a battle but two provinces are still in rebellion at
the end of the turn. Pskow was taken and garrisoned by Poland.
The Habsburgs try one more time to quell the religious dissensions in
the HRE. Yet another time they fail to defeat the League of Schmalkalde
quickly and a tense peace resumes between catholics and protestants.
In France, there is no peace: the protestant armies are hunted by
spanish and french catholics without mercy. A handfull of protestants
(1 LD) lead by Condé manage to escape in Vendee with the help of the
army of the Palatinate. The protestant cause is blemish but not
desperate.
Spain let go away Portugal, for the moment. A military alliance
between England and Portugal is signed.

Turn 25/1610
III-21 Wars in India
Two revolts in France
History (7 rounds):
Using bold military maneuvers, the french protestant defeat the
catholics then conquer Paris. But the Treasury is empty and nothing
can be done to buy a long-awaited peace. The choice of the new king,
Henri of Navarre, is now almost accepted excepted by a few noblemen
that continue the fights some years afterwards.
The forces of Poland are involved in higher number in Russia. Even 
if Dimitri is dead, they support its cause. Having a superiority in
military technics, the polish armies take Moscow from Godounov and 
the rebellion extends in Russia.
Sweden recovers from the past dreadful years in peace.
In India, a new equilibrium emerges from the ruin of Vijayanagar.
Goa still holds its ground but the Portuguese loses their last 
TP on the Karnatika coast; the one on the Malabar coast is saved.  
An old Akbar fails to increase its empire.


-- PERIOD IV --

Turn 26/1615
IV-1 The Bohemian Revolt => The Thirty Years War
IV-3(1) War between Persia and Turkey
IV-10(1) Liberum Veto
History (3 runds):
Attacked by the Safavids, Turkey holds it ground but does not
succeed to advance in Persian territory.
The perspectives of Russia are blemish: Godounov is murdered, a period
of anarchy follows and a crushing defeat against the Polish armies cause 
defections of the loyalists. A compromise puts a Romanov on the throne,
civil peace is restored and Pskow is left to Poland. The noblemen of
Poland and Lithuania, encouraged by all their successes, decide to try for
some increased democracy in the Republic...
In France, the last constestations by the catholic faction end up as
they are defeated by the new prostestant king. The Spanish forces
withdraw from France.
Another religious struggle awaits them. Bohemia attempts to free itself
from austrian rule. But the armies of the catholic league lead Tilly beats 
both Bohemia and the army raised by Mansfeld, who flee in Brandenburg. The 
Palatinate is conquered by Spanish troops with no effort. Austrian armies 
and a polish army are busy figthing rebellious hungarians lead by Gabor.
The rebels manage to hold onto Kapela.
Entangled in this rebellion, the austrians are not able to storm the 
forts of Bohemia and Prague. The protestant cause finds a new hope when
the Leagues of Schamlkalde and Nassau decide to help a still fighting
Bohemia.


Turn 27/1620
III-E The Thirty Years War
IV-6 Personal Union between England and Scotland
V-3 The Glorious Revolution in England
History (3 rounds):
The catholics are slow to move against the protestant in Germany.
All the countries mobilize for one side of another. Tilly breaks
the fortress of Prague at the same time than the austrian-polish armies
crush the revolt of Gabor (he flies in Transylvania).
The emperor uses the help of Wallenstein who raises a mercenary army.
Christian IV dreams to be the champion of Protestantism in the
HRE. The danish army goes south in Germany, only to be destroyed in two 
battles by the catholics. Spanish armies fight in Baden and Wurtemberg,
and against Dutch forces along the Rhine. Because of short seasons and of 
the early mobilization of the protestants (that is due to the Leagues), 
the catholics are one turn behind the historic situation and the protestant
are viewed as the dominant side in Germany. And that is just before 
the swedish intervention... Sweden and France bid their time and
await for the opportunity to destroy the spanish domination in Europe. 
The restaured english king proves to be to close to the Papacy and
has to flee the Parliament once again. This time, only weak rebellions in 
Scotland and Ireland support his cause. They are not calmed down by 
the end of the turn, but they are under control of the forcesof the
new Orange king. Busy in  Germany, Spain makes no attempt to help 
the overthroned king.
In Persia, the turks are stopped by the rough country and the fortresses
and make no progress at all.


Turn 28/1625
IV-15 Richelieu
IV-18 Extension of the Moghol empire
History (7 rounds):
Gustave Adolphe debarks its forces in Pommern. Hearing from
his advance, the catholic armies attack with determination before
the Sweden are there. 
Wallenstein defeat decisively the german protestant in Franken but 
is injured on the field. Tilly is also killed in a victorious battle. 
But the arrival of Sweden in the war changes everything. 
GA detroys the spanish tercios that were in Silesia. Then he goes 
against Franken: he beats the austrian forces but is killed on the 
field. New generals continue the war. Everywhere the catholics have to
withdraw in front of the onslaugth of Sweden: Speyer, Köln, Trier 
are taken by the protestant, Lotharingia also. They besiege Bohemia. 
Gabor tries to come back in austrian Hungaria but is destroyed.
France looks at the situation, and waits... Most of its energy is
devoted to its colonies that are more developped than the english ones.
French explorations towards India goes well.  
In England, a last rebellion holds in Connaught; the Jacobite king
resolves himself to hold its court in Madrid for the rest of his
life... The Orange disnasty is now firmly established in England.
In the east, the luck smiles at last to the turks: the persian armies
are destroyed, the turks advance in Persia from Irak and besiege
Azerbadjian. Still the war has to continue because the Shah refuses to
give any land.
The Moghols suffer from their first major setback under the guidance 
of a new ruler: The Afghans revolt and they fail their conquest of 
both Karnatika and Malabar. A turkish trading post on the Malabar 
coast is destroyed in the mean time.


Turn 29/1630
IV-5 Act of Navigation
IV-7(2) The Parliament and the English Kings
IV-10(2) The Great Elector Friedrich-Wilhelm
A revolt in Poland
History (5 rounds):
The catholics are desperate in Germany and the Germans are tired. They 
decide to try to hold their ground but to risk their forces no more. 
The Protestants, seemingly victorious, finish their conquests on the 
catholics, taking no risks. A bold (and traitorous) Saxon army resume
the war and attack the Spanish, some polish forces attack the rear-guard
of Sweden forces but those battles are not followed by a general revival
of the war. Negocations begin: the protestant gain religious freedom in
the HRE, Sweden and Brandenburg gain territories on the Baltic coast,
the german cities on the Hanseatic League on the North sea are associated 
closely to Holland. Brandenburg begins to build a permanent army and
claim for the Duchy of Prussia.
France see no necessity to involve itself in the conflict and uses
threat and  the bad position of Spain to negociate a future wedding 
between France and Spain so that Roussillon will be given to France.
Freed from war, France continue its exploration and discover the road to
India. England cleans Ireland from the remaining revolt and is still
late in the race for colonies.
Turkey takes two provinces to Persia (one of them in the heart of
Persia: Isfahan) and now is a time for peace.
Russia and Poland are also satisfied with peace.
Talks of war over commerce begin: England, Holland, France and Spain
are looking for opportunities to bother each other. Concurrences for the
commerce will become more and more frequent and aggressive in the years
to come, especially between Holland and England.

Turn 30/1635
IV-1(2) Revocation of the Truce of Augsburg: revolts in Spain and Holland
One revolt in Ireland
Two revolts in Poland
History (3 rounds):
Now that the TYW is over, Sweden attacks Danemark and advances slowly
but firmly. Christian IV is beaten and captured after a major defeat.
Revolts stir Europe during those years. Maririme powers are
occupied by the race overseas, toward India for France, China and
Japan for Holland, and Africa for England which is little bit behind
the other powers.
Turkey, Russia and Poland just watch and wait for the Cossacks to
revolt of for some other opportunities to raise their weapons against
their neighbours.

Turn 31/1640
IV-18 Extension of the Moghol empire
Rebellions in France, Sweden and Danemark
History (3 rounds):
More revolts of peasants plague Europe at a time were diplomacy is the
weapon of the time. The spanish king marries his daughter to the french
heir and gives Roussillon as a dowry. Poland and the Habsburgs sign a
defensive alliance. Spain tries to break the alliance between Portugal
and England. In the east, the neighbours of Poland talk with each other
in their eagerness to attack Poland; but they still wait for the
rebellious Cossacks to break free from Poland. 
Sweden ends it war against Danemark and takes the territories of
mainland Sweden he was looking for and the island of Götland. 
The Ottomans enjoy peace, Russia prepares itself for its next war.


Turn 32/1645
IV-16 La Fronde
IV-14 Rebellion of La Rochelle => revolt in Limousin
One strong revolt in Holland, two revolts in Turkey
Switzerland attack the Habsburgs !
History (6 rounds):
This is a time of strange wars. Condé leads half of the french forces
and moves against Paris. He defeats the army of the king but fails to
overcome the huge fortress of the capitale. Then, he fails to catch
the remaining of the king's army  before its troops desert. He finally
surrenders and is forgiven by the young Louis XIV.
The Swiss Cantons attack Austria because of petty frontier's troubles.  
They defeat decisively the austrian army but then quickly agree to sign 
a peace, maybe because the turks begin to mass troops in Hungary. 
Spain attacks Portugal in an attempt to subdue it and regain the unity
of the peninsula. England and Portugal are victorious on the sea but
they can do nothing on the land. The spanish forces led by the Cardinal
Infant crushes the forces of Portugal several times and repulse the
landing of an english army on the north coast of Spain. The portuguese
king is destituted and the Spanish king is proclamed legitimate king of
Portugal.
Nothing new on the east front.


Turn 33/1650 
IV-9 Dutch Colonial Dynamism
IV-13(1) War between Danemark and Sweden
V-15 Korprülü
History (5 rounds):
By now the Dutch are the only colonial power in Eastern Asia: Portuguese
possessions are confined to Brazil and Goa. Under the impulsion of the
Spanish crown, new forts are set on the african coast in remplacement of
the old ones lost to Netherlands.
Sweden attacks Danemark and conquers the Jutland. But the war goes on
because of numberous successes in battle of the danish army.
The east is still very quiet. The new dynasty of Vizirs that rules in 
Istanbul urges everyone to be careful.


Turn 34/1655
IV-8(1) Creation of the London Stock Exchange
V-17 Slave Revolts in the West Indies (for FRA and ENG)
History (6 rounds):
Holland and England begins to develop their industries with methods.
This is a kind of first industrialization in both countries;
manufactures are numerous.
The revolts in the Caraibes are easily crushed. The price of sugar,
the main ressource of the Caraibes, is not high yet but the islands
are seen as future jewels of colonial empires.
Sweden annexes two provinces in Norway and takes the Rights over the
Sund from Danemark. In 50 years, Sweden has emerged from a weak 
country almost subdued by its neighbours to a respectable power
that has taken the place of Danemark and dominates the baltic sea.
It developed also colonial settlements in Newfoundland.
Eastern Europe has enjoyed 25 years of complete peace (excepted revolts
of peasants) but one can guess that this will not last. Russia is now
ready for war with armies raised and gold stockpiled. Poland appears 
strong but is on the verge of inner decline due to the strong independent 
mind of its noblemen; its alliance with the Habsburgs is renewed. 
Turkey was never so strong than under the harsh hands of the Korprülü. 
And now that Danemark is vanquished, Sweden and Brandenburg begin to look 
south and east.


Turn 35/1660
IV-2(1) Olivares
IV-3(2) Persian Safavids: Persia attack the Turks and Isfahan revolts
IV-13(2) Agitation of the Swedish nobles: Sweden will probably decides
that the king resigns and that he will attack some neighbours (arguably
Poland with the help of Russia and maybe Turkey, or some turkish gold at
the least).
Japan reduces its relations with the Occident.
History:
To be continued...