	@tutcam.name
[TUTORIAL] War Ruse
	@tutcam.description
When playing this campaign, you will learn how to control your forces and your economy as well as understand stratagems and military art. You will find out more about various methods of assault and diversionary tactics and will be able to organize an effective defence. Naturally you already have knowledge that will allow you to gain brilliant victories, but it can never hurt to discover new war ruses and use them to crush previously invincible enemies.
	@auscam.name
[Original] Becoming a Generalissimo
	@auscam.description
Service to the Holy Roman Empire is never boring. The Empire always has a plenty of enemies to satisfy the most ambitious commander.
For many years, Europe has been living in the shadow of Turk menace. Countless times the militant Sultans have tried to conquer Hungary and expand their European holdings. But now Ottoman power is waning, it is time to stop their aggression against Austria once and for all.
To the west, France under Louis XIV is grasping for European hegemony. This, too, makes a conflict imminent.
If you prove yourself a capable commander, you'll have an opportunity to teach a lesson to the Turks and show them that the Emperor is not someone to make an enemy of. Next you'll have to knock the French a notch down and secure Austrian domination over Italy. Your adversaries are the most powerful states in Europe. Prevailing over their armies will bring you the glory of the likes of Alexander, Caesar and Turenne.
	@engcam.name
[Original] Roundheads vs Cavaliers
	@engcam.description
Something is rotten in the state of England. Only a few years ago you have praised the King who has saved England from the horrors of Thirty Years War that ravaged Europe. While the restless adventurers went to the continent, everyone who wished for peace could stay in the safety of their homes.
But the war is over now, yet the bloodlust is apparently not. With continental Europe tired of fighting, the conflict is brewing in a land hitherto peaceful. For some reason, the King and Parliament have decided that strife and conflict are more entertaining than working on the problems facing the state. Shakespeare himself could not imagine the passions flaring. No one can stay away from the events to come. Those who blew their chance to take part in the war in Germany need not despair, for an equally blood civil war is to ravage England.
	@fracam.name
[Original] Dawn of the French fleet
	@fracam.description
This campaign tells how the French have become the main rivals of English navy, making France the great naval power. This is a history of struggle on high seas, against the Berbers, against the Spaniards, against the English. You are about to face the most powerful navies of the world. Here, by the coasts of France, desperate sea battles will decide who is to reign over the waters. You will gain immortal glory and your name will become a part of French naval history. The generations to come will name the most powerful battleships of France in your honor. The golden age of French navy awaits!
	@ruscam.name
[Original] In distress and cold, on the Tsar's employ
	@ruscam.name.alternative
[Original] On Alexei the Most Quiet's service
	@ruscam.description
It is difficult to overestimate the role of Alexei Mikhailovich's reign in the history of Russia. Make no mistake about his nickname, "the Most Quiet", for his rule was a time of great troubles, wars and reforms. It is time for another war against Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. You will be assigned to command a regiment for your efforts to protect the southern reaches from Tatar raids. The Tsar himself will lead his army west to give a battle to the Grand Duchy of Lithiania. The war will be fought over enemy land, so it is crucial to provide the troops with all necessary supplies. The Tsar assigns you to capture and protect strongpoints and to raid enemy territories. You will have to fight the Lithuanians - and the Swedes, if they dare to intervene. Obedience to Tsar's will is mandatory. Complete your objectives at any cost!
	@ukrcam.name
[Original] Cossacks gain fame
	@ukrcam.description
The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is a huge country, spanning from the Black sea at the south to the Baltic sea at the north. It is ruled by the elected king, and its nobility enjoys privileges undreamt of in the rest of Europe. This unusual state surprises the rest of the world with its wealth, the independence of its magnates, and its victories over its many enemies.
The peoples of the Commonwealth fight together the king's banner, battling the Tatar and the Turk, the Swede and the Muscovite. They fight on the land and at the sea, they fight at the north and at the south. "What coast knows not our blood?"
This campaign tells a story about times when the relations between the Crown of Poland and the Zaporozhian Host were the most cordial. You will see the wide spread of Cossack campaigns, their heroic service, their martial feats and the role they have played in the history of the Commonwealth.
	@tutmis1.name
tutmis1n
	@tutmis1.description
tutmis1
	@tutmis2.name
tutmis2n
	@tutmis2.description
tutmis2
	@tutmis3.name
tutmis3n
	@tutmis3.description
tutmis3
	@ausmis1.name
Disrupting enemy schemes
	@ausmis2.name
The Holy League
	@ausmis3.name
Conquest of Italy
	@ausmis4.name
Saving Turin
	@ausmis5.name
The Siege of Belgrade
	@engmis1.name
The Battle of Edgehill
	@engmis2.name
The Struggle on the East
	@engmis3.name
The Battle of Newbury
	@engmis4.name
Raising the New Model Army
	@engmis5.name
The Battle of Naseby
	@framis1.name
On Hospitaller service
	@framis2.name
Expedition against Gigelly
	@framis3.name
Helping Messina
	@framis4.name
The Struggle on La Manche
	@framis5.name
Stopping the Invasion
	@rusmis1.name
Repelling the Tatar Raid
	@rusmis2.name
The Siege of Vitebsk
	@rusmis3.name
The Defense of Mogilev
	@rusmis4.name
War at the North
	@rusmis5.name
War in Livonia
	@ukrmis1.name
Rebuilding the Zaporozhian Sich
	@ukrmis2.name
War in Inflanty
	@ukrmis3.name
The Fall of Kafa
	@ukrmis4.name
March on Moscow
	@ukrmis5.name
The Battle of Khotyn
	@engmis1.description
In the beginning of year 1642 the King and the Parliament, unable to reach a compromise, had to resort to war. The King went north to gather an army. The Parliament wasn't idle either, gathering its supporters. All over the country rode the messengers, calling people to serve their monarch and protect his divine rights from a pathetic mob of merchants and lawyers - or to rise up against the tyrant and defend the liberties and privileges of citizens.
The king's supporters got to be known as Cavaliers, while those of the Parliament were called Roundheads, due to their common haircut.
You cannot weather the storm in the confines of your castle. Your county has already been visited by the envoys from both sides of the conflict. Worse yet, the King's army is marching in your direction. Against it from London rides the Earl of Essex, the Parliament's best hope. You've made the most important decision in your life and sided with the Parliament.
	@engmis2.description
After the battle of Edgehill the King's army lacked power to capture London. The opponents have disengaged to prepare to the battles to come. The Earl of Essex has quartered at Windsor, while the King was busy preparing a defensive line around Oxford, his temporary capital.
The Earl of Essex wasn't particularly active at Windsor, but there was much fighting at Yorkshire and Devon. William Cavendish, the Earl of Newcastle, sent troops to Yorkshire and drove the parliamentarians out of the county. Then he turned on the puritan "textile towns", such as Halifax. The parliamentarians under Sir Thomas Fairfax came to the rescue, forcing the Earl of Newcastle to leave the towns alone. He marched south then, to meet up with the Queen's sea convoy.
On the west, baron Hopton gathered his militia and drove the Roundheads from Cornwall, then invaded Devonshire. The Earl of Stamford marched to intercept him, but was soundly beaten. Only the large cities such as Bristol and Gloucester have continued to resist the royalists on the west. It didn't too the Earl of Stamford long to gather another army, however.
Despite all these victories, the royalists were unable to deal a decisive defeat to their adversary, and the parliamentarians continued their resistance and prepared for new engagements.
You have proven yourself as a capable general and a skilled administrator. The Parliament has appointed you to command the Eastern Association, the collective militia of Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. You head east, to recruit the local nobility on parliamentarian side and to convince the towns to give you men and arms. Remember, you don't need to take what you want by force, there are always different ways.
	@engmis3.description
Luck was on the royalists' side early in this year. They have taken Banbury, Ofxord and Reading. After the assault and capture of Bristol the Parliament had no field army to speak of. When the King besieged Gloucester, the Earl of Essex was tasked to gather an army and relieve the city.
With supplies in Gloucester running low, Essex suddenly approached the city, taking the royal army by surprise. The King has abandoned the siege and retreated, unwilling to fight on unfavorable terms. The parliamentarian army began its retreat and the King rushed to pursue it. After the series of maneuvers in the valleys of Severn and Avon, the King has blocked the road to London at Newbury. You need to save the army and break through the royal troops.
	@engmis4.description
After many battles the Parliament had to face the problem of the lack of professionalism among its troops. While the Roundhead infantry could often match their royal counterparts, the Cavalier horse was invariably triumphant over parliamentarians. Fighting a prolonged war with a volunteer militia force was increasingly difficult, the Parliament needed a professional army.
That is why the Parliament has decided to raise the New Model Army, one consisting of soldiers wholeheartedly devoted to warfare. The generals commanding it were banned from occupying the Parliament seats, to limit their political influence. But the most important quality the New Model Army need was iron discipline.
Royalist soldiers weren't particularly disciplined either, but their skill and valor helped the royal officers to carry the day anyway. Now the newborn New Model Army has to test its mettle and see if the efforts to raise it were worth it...
	@engmis5.description
For the moment, the King avoided engaging the forming New Model Army. He marched north instead, to join up with the Scottish royalists under marquess of Montrose. Meanwhile, the parliamentarians besieged Oxford, the royalist capital. The plight of the city has forced the King to turn back. On 12 June, there was a clash between the detachments of horse, as the opposing armies closed on. Oliver Cromwell himself has joined the parliamentarian army with a cavalry troop. A council of war held next day has decided to pursue and crush the royal army.
The royalists are running low on resources. The King has gathered his most capable troops, the bravest and most experienced among his supporters. If they are to be defeated, the war is over.
You will take charge of the Ironsides, the Roundhead cavalry. Your troops will face the famous cavalrymen of prince Rupert.
	@framis1.description
By its geography alone, France was destined to become a great naval power. However, during the first half of XVII century its fleet was small and weak. This changed thanks to Cardinal Richelieu - the chief minister was well aware of the importance of navy and invested heavily in its development. The newborn navy was baptized by fire in the war against Spain (1635-1659). The French had a hard time, but the experience they earned was priceless.
The tales of wooden ships and iron men, of deafening rumble of cannons and fierce boarding actions, of wrathful storms, deadly dangers and amazing adventures have driven you restless, making you seek a naval career. You were advised to join the Knights Hospitaller who fought for decades against the Barbary pirates.
The Knights are based on the island of Malta. With the age of Crusades long gone, the Order has sworn to protect Christian trade in the Mediterranean - and to wage a ruthless war against piracy.
The Barbary pirates do not limit their operations to preying on Mediterranean trade - they attack coastal cities, engage in distant Atlantic voyages, raid as far as England and Iceland. They are dangerous and deadly adversaries.
With a bag full of letters of recommendation from your friends and acquaintances, you board a ship heading for Malta...
	@framis2.description
The reign of Louis XIV, the Sun King, heralded the changes in every aspect of life. The greatest minds of his time - scientists, administrators, generals, artists - have helped the king to transform his country. It was the dawn of a new age. France has triumphed over Spain and the Hapsburgs, emerging as a new hegemon of Europe. The reforms proceeded at steady pace, central authority got stronger by year, finances were in order, palaces were built, arts and sciences were on the rise. Now the King set his eyes upon the lands far away. To become a colonial power, the country needed a strong navy. And while the King himself did not fully realize its importance for his designs, his Minister Colbert did.
It is difficult to overestimate Colbert's role in the rise of France at the end of XVII century. In a short time, he created a navy strong enough to challenge any fleet in Europe, which was proven time and again. And the beginnings of that navy can be traced to protection of Mediterranean trade, which was crucial for the well-being of the state. The Barbary pirates were a major threat to this trade.
Although your punitive expedition has cooled the berber tempers, the lesson was forgotten over time. Then Colbert got an idea to build a naval base in Africa, one which could become the center for French trade. It had another purpose as well, a more important one - to keep the Algerian ports in check. To this end, a naval expedition was dispatched in 1664. Its goal was to capture and fortify one of two cities, Gigelly or Bougie.
Naturally, a famous conqueror of pirates such as you just had to take a part in the expedition. It was an excellent opportunity for glory and riches. In July the fleet has arrived at the coast of Africa.
	@framis3.description
Louis XIV was renowned for aggressive diplomacy. Having secured French dominance in Europe, he went on to create a colonial empire. Rather than discover new lands, the French have opted to capture the colonies of other powers. The target of their aggression were the Netherlands, who possessed many rich colonies and immense merchant fleet. Besides, the Sun King hated the Dutch. Thus began a war which dragged all major European powers in. Spain was among those who allied with the Dutch.
When a revolt broke out on the Spaniard-controlled Sicily, Louis has decided to support it, and sent a fleet. Spain, unable to protect the island on its own, asked for ships from the United Provinces, while funding the all expenses. In 1675, a fleet left Amsterdam for Sicily, commanded by the Netherlands' most illustrious admiral - de Ruyter.
You were assigned to command a fleet carrying arms, gunpowder and troops for rebels at Messina. The combined Dutch-Spaniard fleet, based in Palermo on the northwest of Sicily, is on your trail.
	@framis4.description
In 1688 the Glorious Revolution shook England. Wilhelm of Orange, ruler of the Netherlands, has landed in England and dethroned king James II. Few were willing to oppose the usurper, and the coup was almost bloodless. Unwilling to follow on the steps of Cromwell, Wilhelm allowed the former monarch to escape. James fled, but maintained designs to reclaim his throne.
Having secured his reign, the new king began intervening in continental affairs. In 1685, the Count Palatine has died, and Louis XIV was quick to press his claims on his heritage. A coalition was formed to oppose the French aggression, involving England, the United Provinces, Holy Roman Empire, Spain, Sweden, and Savoy.
The French are fighting on three fronts now - in Spain, Italy and Germany, all enemy territories. There were no decisive battles yet, the armies stay on the march and besiege an occasional town.
Meanwhile, James asked the Sun King for assistance. He believes most of the English army and navy are still loyal to him, and reclaiming the English throne would be easy. But first, he needs to return to England. English ships are not a threat, they will not attack their King and allow him to cross La Manche. As soon as he lands, the entire army will declare for him, and he will enter London, victorious. This simple plan pleased Louis, and he asks you to implement it.
You are well aware that the English navy keeps an eye over the shores of Albion and their ships aren't all that keen to let James in, so it is not going to be as simple as the former King believes. Prepare and outfit the Brest squadron, deliver James to England and help his jacobite supporters inland if necessary.
	@framis5.description
In November 1690 the Marquis de Seignelay, naval minister of France, has died. His replacement was the Count de Pontchartrain. During his term the navy went into decline, infested with embezzlement and corruption. Worst of all, the new minister would rather exploit the privateers than invest into a proper fleet. For one, this entitled the state to its share of their booty. Moreover, the battles of regular fleets, as far as the minister was concerned, meant nothing but huge expenses, while the privateers were private entrepreneurs who outfitted their ships on their own. Pontchartrain planned to reduce the navy and send the remaining ships to prey on enemy trade routes. This time opened a glorious page in the history of Dunkirk piracy; the names of Jean Bart, Duguay Trouin, de Forbin and other French privateers were renowned throughout the world.
Naturally, this strategy enraged cadre navy officers, but Pontchartrain had the confidence of the King. Anyone who spoke too openly against the minister, risked to lose his post to a "more capable" officer. 
Battles on the high seas still took place, but the Count did not plan to replace the losses of the navy. There were so few French ships left that the English could safely blockade the coast and hunt the privateers at will. Worse yet, they have designed a system of convoys, with merchant ships gathering into massive, heavily guarded caravans with specific orders and training. This made the efficiency of privateers plummet, heralding the end of piracy.
These are dark days for the Ocean fleet. There are rumors that the English plan a decisive blow on one of three key ports - St. Malo, Brest or Dunkirk. A loss of any of these ports is unacceptable. You need to gather all your forces and defeat the attackers.
	@ausmis1.description
You are a young scion of a princely house. Back in the day you aspired to serve the King of France, and asked him for a regiment - or even a company - to command. But the King refused you, his words being, "The request is humble enough, but the one requesting is not". Upon hearing that, you left France at once, and entered the service of the Holy Roman Emperor. A regiment deployed at the southern borders of the Empire was yours to command. The Emperor is short of men capable of standing against the turkish threat.
A while ago the Ottomans have lost their Grand Vizier. Koprulu Ahmet Pasha was an exemplary leader in almost every way, short of his excess love of wine. Sultan Mehmed has appointed Kara Mustafa in his stead. The new Grand Vizier was a greedy and ambitious man, dreaming of the glory of great conqueror. He threatened to stable his horses at St. Paul's Cathedral in Rome, to capture Vienna, to cross the Rhine and fight Louis XIV in France. When a revolt against Hapsburg rule broke out in Hungary, the Turks took it for an opportunity to attack Austria. In 1683, grand Muslim army was gathered at Adrianople. Kara Mustafa led it straight toward Vienna, ignoring the Christian fortresses left behind the lines.
The siege of Vienna lasted for two months. It ended when the army of Jan Sobesky, the King of Poland, along with units from all over the Empire, approached the Hapsburg capital. The allies fell upon the besiegers "like a flood of oil, covering everything" and defeated Turks utterly. The Ottoman army could never recover from such a blow to its reputation.
Now the Turks are trying to escape pursuit and stop the victorious advance of the Christian army. The Ottomans are still capable of repelling an attack by the infidels and striking back.
	@ausmis2.description
The victory at Vienna resulted in the formation of the Holy League, consisting of Austria, Venice and Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, with Russia joining later. The purpose of the League was fighting the Ottoman empire.
You have proven yourself a capable commander, earning the rank of general. You kept fighting the Turks in Hungary, taking part in the sieges of Buda, Belgrade and other fortresses, and earning priceless experience in the field. Military defeats caused the downfall on multiple Sultans and many Grand Viziers. But the Turks got a relief, with Emperor Leopold turning his attention westward, where France started a war against the coalition of England and the United Provinces. The Empire joined the anti-french coalition, while the Turks focused their efforts at sea. The victories of admiral Hussein against Venice inspired the Turkish hearts. Mustafa II, the new Sultan, gathered a great army and captured several Balkan fortresses, repelling an Imperial counterattack. Newly motivated Ottomans were looking forward to new conquests.
You were appointed to command an army and counter the aggressive designs of Turks. Alas, as the Emperor's attention was focused on Germany, the army in Hungary went into decline. You'll have to strengthen it, raise new regiments and defeat the turkish menace.
	@ausmis3.description
After your victory over Turks the Sultan asked for peace, which was eagerly granted by the Emperor. He was now occupied with Spain and its heirless King.
Charles II of Spain has died in 1700. On his deathbed, he appointed as his heir Philip the Duke of Anjou, grandson to Louis XIV. Were a Bourbon to occupy the Spanish throne, the alliance of Spain and France would become inseparable. Obviously, this did not sit well with the rest of European powers. Emperor Leopold had to claim the Spanish inheritance in the name of Hapsburgs. Soon enough, armies were on the march.
England, the United Provinces and the Holy Roman Empire once again have banded together against the French, while Spain became a theatre of fratricidal war among the supporters of both pretenders. Italy was to become one of major battlefields in this campaign. The Duke of Mantua sided with the French, allowing their armies to pass. Meanwhile, Venice still maintains its neutrality, but watches the events as they unfold, choosing whether to enter the war. You will command the Imperial forces in Italy, and your orders are nothing short of total expulsion of the French.
King Louis XIV has attempted to seduce you into switching sides, offering the rank of Marshal, governorship over one of his provinces and 300 thousands of livres of yearly income. You have refused this generous offer, of course. The oath you have pledged to emperor Leopold is not something you would easily break, let alone for the sake of someone who has spurned you those fifteen years ago. Finally you can avenge this indignity, returning to France with a conquering army in charge.
	@ausmis4.description
After your victory in Italy you were dispatched to Germany to assist your English allies, commanded by the Duke of Marlborough. You two had your share of glorious victories, but the French fought hard, slowly bleeding your forces dry. Eventually your army was bogged down in pointless sieges, with supplies running low, yet Louis stubbornly refused to surrender.
Meanwhile, French corps in Italy was assigned to the Duke of Vendome. This brilliant commander fought to a great success, almost driving the Imperial troops from the peninsula. By the beginning of 1706 the Imperial and allied conditions were critical, and you were revoked back to Italy. Putting some order into the battered army, you march west, where the Duchy of Savoy, a loyal ally to the Empire, prays for your arrival. The French are besieging Turin, its capital, and the overall situation is rather disastrous - the siege lines approach the fortifications of Turin by day, Vendome watches your maneuvers and prevents you from crossing the rivers, and the French army is twice the size of yours even after reinforcements.
At this point Vendome is reassigned to the north, to restore the front after the defeat at Ramillies. The Duke of Orleans, now commanding the French in Italy, is nowhere near Vendome in military skill. You have outfoxed him and broke through toward Turin. Having reconnoitered the area, you have chosen the weakest portion of the besieging force as a target of your charge.
	@ausmis5.description
Your victory at Turin pushed the balance in favor of the Empire, Austrian hegemony in Italy is now indisputable and the French have been pushed beyond the Alps. Soon enough, the Imperial army crosses into France proper. Still, the war rages on for 5 years more. In the end, it was a Bourbon, Philip V, to sit on the Spanish throne - but he had to renounce all claims on French inheritance, making the union of France and Spain impossible. Moreover, Austria added substantial holdings to its territory. Unfortunately, you weren't granted much time to rest in your palace.
The French were desperate to pull the Ottomans into their war against Austria, but Sultan Ahmed III was adamant to not get involved into a war between Christians. Yet against his will the Porta was dragged into the war between Russia and Sweden, resulting in the disastrous Russian Pruth river campaign. This victory has motivated the Grand Vizier Damat Ali Pasha to open hostilities with Venice. Greece and the neighboring islands became the battlefield of the new conflict. The Ottomans had a great success driving the Venetians from Morea - until Charles IV, the Emperor since 1711, intervened on behalf of Venice. In 1716, Damat Ali Pasha led the Turkish army north only to be defeated and killed at Petrovaradin.
In order to end the Turkish threat to Austrian lands once and for all, you decide to capture Belgrade, a gathering point for every Turk army marching toward the Empire. If you take this fortress, it will serve as a breakwater to stop any further Turkish advances.
	@ukrmis1.description
The Wild Fields spread their wide expanses between the settled European lands and the pastures of Asiatic nomads. No authority could establish control over these lands; their endless reaches appeared to be a deserted no man's land. But there was a plenty of men in the steppe - hunters and fishermen looking for game and fish, outlaws hiding from persecution, armed shepherds guarding their flocks, knights seeking for adventure, brigands stalking their prey. The outskirts of the Wild Fields were manned by watchful sentries, ever looking at the horizons for the signs of a coming enemy.
This land of the free became new home to all those who felt stifled in their home states, who found no place at the hand of their king, tsar, or sultan. Over time fortified towns rose on the islands beyond Dnieper rapids, hosting the Cossacks - free people bearing arms. Many compared them to a knightly order, and knights was what they referred to themselves as. They were men of incredible courage and valor. Not all cossacks were warriors, though; there was a plenty of skilled craftsmen and hard-laboring peasants among themselves. They lived on the farmsteads around towns, or visited the steppe during summer.
The cossacks were a serious hindrance to the Tatar hordes out to raid Poland-Lithuania from Crimea. But their strength and love of freedom, coupled with short temper, made them troublesome allies for the Polish officials. Stephen Bathory was the first King to legitimize and direct the cossack power, when he established the Cossack Registry. From that time the Polish policy regarding cossacks was twofold - in wartime, their autonomy was expanded to motivate them into service, yet during peace, cossacks were oppressed and their rights revoked. In turn, the cossacks play a significant role in every war fought by Poland, and loyally serve the kings; but in peacetime they are ever on the brink of uprising whenever their privileges are under threat. This gave Poland a powerful yet rebellious ally.
These are dark days for the cossacks, with Krzysztof Kosinski's rebellion recently crushed with a great loss of life, and the original Sich on the island of Tomakivka razed by the Tatars in recent raid. Still, inspired by the tales about the cossack carefree way of life and their heroic achievements, you have gathered your servants and some noble friends with nothing to lose, and went to seek your fortune in the Wild Fields.
	@ukrmis2.description
Upon Stephen Bathory's death, the Sejm has elected Sigismund Vasa to rule over Poland-Lithuania. In 1594 his father, the king of Sweden, passed away, leaving his throne to Sigismund. Yet the Lutheran Swedes would accept no Catholic on their throne. After long and fruitless negotiations followed by some minor fighting the Swedes have crowned the Duke of Sodermanland as their king, dethroning Sigismund - something Sigismund was very much against. The Polish nobility was unwilling to conquer Sweden, but the king has convinced them to campaign in the Inflanty - that is, Livonia.
By 1600 Poland-Lithuania and Sweden were in all out war. Early on, only the Lithuanian Grand Duchy troops fought against the Swedes, as the crown troops of Poland were occupied in Moldavia. When the hostilities at the south ceased, the Poles joined the northern war. The Ukrainian cossacks were eager to prove themselves, as that was the only way to lift the restrictions placed upon them after the failed Nalyvaiko uprising. They served the Commonwealth well during the Moldavian campaign, and so the government agreed to a compromise in exchange for cossack service against Sweden. Led by the hetman Samuel Koshka, cossack detachments have joined the army of the grand crown hetman Jan Zamoyski.
	@ukrmis3.description
For centuries, the Tatars have constantly raided the Commonwealth. They dodged regular troops and avoided castles and fortified towns, their main target being hapless peasant villages. Relentlessly they pillaged the country, ruined the crops, destroyed everything on their way. They took all they could steal, and broke everything else. Yet their main prizes were human beings. After killing anyone they couldn't take along, they dragged their prisoners to Crimea, to sell on local slave markets. Survivors of this terrible trail had to get old and die in slavery. Women faced a lifetime of hard labor in feudal estates, while the youngest and most beautiful were bought for harems. Boys ended up in janissary and mameluk corps, eventually becoming elite warriors of the Muslim world. And men ended up on turkish galleys, called katergons. Life of a galley slave was torturous and mercifully short.
Kafa was the most important center of slave trade in Crimea. It was called an "abyss drinking rusian blood". Merchants from all over the Ottoman empire gathered at Kafa to purchase slaves.
The Commonwealth tried its best to keep the Tatar raids in check, but since the year 1600 onward its troops were occupied by the Swedish war. Shortly after, there came a man calling himself Dmitry, son of Ivan the Terrible. Gathering a band of adventurers under his banner, this man marched on Moscow in 1604. Thus began the Time of Troubles in Muscovy, a lasting, inconclusive war which is yet to end. The first Dmitry - or False Dmitry - has been killed, with two others rising to take his place. Russian countryside is devastated by foreign armies, peasant revolts shake the Tsardom, nobles and entire towns change their allegiances time and again. The Swedes and the Tatars occasionally got involved into the action, and the Don cossacks were getting restless.
The Polish-Lithuanian nobility was not the kind of people to miss such an opportunity, and jumped headlong into the eastern conflict - giving the Tatars a perfect opportunity to attack the undermanned Commonwealth. But Zaporozhian cossacks rose to stand in their way. Far from sticking to their sentry duty and pursuing raiders, cossacks have raided turkish and crimean cities on their own, fighting deep on the enemy territory. Cossack dugout boats terrified the turkish sailors, even Istanbul did not feel safe.
Now you have raised a massive army, boarded the boats and sailed down the Dnieper into the Black Sea. Your goal is nothing less than Kafa itself.
	@ukrmis4.description
The Time of Troubles in Muscovy rages on for over a decade. In the end, Sigismund Vasa has decided to place his son Wladyslaw on the russian throne. Russian boyars would have accepted that, were Wladyslaw to convert to Orthodox faith, but the prince refused the conversion. This meant he was to be crowned by force of arms.
Poland-Lithuanian army marched toward Moscow, but the years of Troubles toughened the Muscovites. Russian nobility banded together against Wladyslaw, their towns refused to surrender, their army retreated but kept fighting back. In the end the Commonwealth army found itself staying deep inside hostile and thoroughly looted territory in winter, suffering from cold and lacking food and money. The adventurers attracted into the army by the promise of rich plunder were deserting it in scores, shortly followed by mercenaries who were paid no longer. The prince was in deadly danger, as the Russians were gathering forces for a counterattack.
To save his son, the King appealed for help to Zaporozhian cossacks. You've led the cossack embassy to Sigismund, and put forward your demands: increase of cossack autonomy and privileges, and expansion of cossack registry. The King had to accept these conditions. Back among the Host, you gather an army and march to rescue Wladyslaw.
	@ukrmis5.description
Your attack on Kafa, among other brave cossack raids in the steppes by the Black Sea, infuriated the Turks. So did the involvement of Polish magnates into the conflict in Moldavia, and the Commonwealth's support of the greatest Ottoman enemy, Austria. The war was looming.
In 1618, protestants in Bohemia rose in rebellion, which sparked the religious war all over Germany. Believing Austria to be incapable of defending itself, the Voivode of Transilvania declared war and marched on Vienna. He was stopped by the Lisowczycy - a regiment of soldiers first raised by Alexander Lisowski during the Time of Troubles. Soundly defeated, the Voivode begged Turkey for help.
While you were busy fighting the Tsardom of Muscovy, new Sultan occupied the Ottoman throne. His name was Osman II, and he was quite an ambitious and enterprising fellow for a 14 years old. He sent an army against Poland, resulting in victory at Cecora in 1620. Hetman Zolkiewski was slain in the field, his head sent by vizier to Istanbul. Next year, Osman, aspiring to surpass Suleiman the Magnificent, gathered an immense army from all over the Ottoman empire, and personally led it to conquer the Commonwealth.
Poland was desperately raising an army of its own, but it took time, and local sejms were unwilling to part with their money. The city of Gdansk, for instance, has decided that Turkish threat is for the southern provinces to worry about, and it will not part with gold nor with soldiers for the effort. Lacking in troops, the government had to ask Zaporozhian cossacks for help once again.
The Cossack Rada is always eager to fight, particularly when it means expanding the cossack privileges once more. The Poles weren't particularly keen on following their promises after the Moscow campaign - at war, the cossack is all honored and respected, yet at peace, he's treated like a peasant. Still, you have met with the King, signed a number of documents and promised assistance. The King, in turn, entrusts you with prince Wladyslaw again. You have raised an army and arrived at the gathering point - the fortress of Khotyn.
	@rusmis1.description
During the Time of Troubles Smolensk was annexed by Poland-Lithuania. But Moscow was not going to abandon its claim on western Russia, and patiently awaited for a reversal of fortunes.
In 1632, Wladyslaw IV became the new King of the Commonwealth. Europe was entangled in Thirty Years War, and the newly crowned monarch could expect no assistance from the west. The Tsar saw his opportunity. Although his diplomacy failed, resulting in no allies for Muscovy, he declared war on Poland. Thus began the Smolensk war.
Large muscovite army has besieged Smolensk. But the siege did not proceed well - worse yet, the Poles have goaded the Tatars to raid Muscovy. Hetman Radziwill was heard saying, "I am not going to argue the theological issue of setting the heathens loose upon the Christians, but as far as political issues go, it went pretty damn well". Many had to abandon the Tsar's army and return to protect their own estates. Realizing the futility of sitting around Smolensk and receiving dire news from home, so did you.
	@rusmis2.description
1654 marked the beginning of the Second Smolensk War. The war goal was the same, restoration of the lands lost during the Time of Troubles, and maintaining control over the liberties of Zaporozhian Host. This time the Tsar wasn't going to concentrate on Smolensk alone and grant the Commonwealth an opportunity to raise a relief army.
On both flanks of the army marching on Smolensk advanced smaller detachments with orders of their own. The plan for the campaign of 1654 was to take the towns on Upper Dnieper and use the river as a means of communication between troops active in Ruthenia and Ukraine.
You are in charge of the northern detachment, tasked with the capture of Vitebsk.
	@rusmis3.description
Our Lord's campaign of 1654 was successful indeed. Russian army occupied the lands lost during the Troubles, along with the Upper Dnieper towns. The campaign proceeded slowly and methodically, without risky raids deep into enemy territory. Expecting no further Lithuanian resistance, the army was dismissed for winter. But the Commonwealth, weakened as it was after years of warfare, was not finished yet. With the coming of spring hetman Radziwill of Lithuania led an army to Mogilev, hoping to cut russian communication lines.
The Tsar did not expect such a move. The garrison at Mogilev was weak and unreliable. The tsar promptly sent reinforcements to the imperiled town.
	@rusmis4.description
Lithuanian counterattack was a failure, and the Tsar resumed his campaign. Unstoppable russian army kept advancing into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, taking fortress after fortress. As the Muscovites approached Wilno, Janos Radziwill's troops tried to defend the city, but failed. The capital of the Duchy was besieged and taken, followed by Grodno and Kovno.
Yet the Lithuanians keep fighting back in desperation. Unable to engage the main muscovite forces directly, they are placing their hopes on quick raids behind the lines. The troops are supplied along the communication lines centered on a network of fortresses. As the troops advance, these lines are extending, getting increasingly harder to defend. The Lithuanians hope to cut the muscovite communications with flanking attacks. If they succeed, Tsar's army will be stuck without provisions and gunpowder, then forced to retreat or perish. Your assignment to guard our flank is of crucial importance, it proves how much the Tsar appreciates you.
Keeping an eye after Lithuanian magnates is not your only duty, however. Russian successes attract the attention of neighbors. The Swedes are watching the events in Lithuania, watching and pondering what might they gain out of this war...
	@rusmis5.description
1655 will be forever remembered as the year of the Deluge. Swedish armies quickly overrun the Commonwealth, taking Warsaw and Krakow. Hetman Radwizill of Lithuania, eager to save his fatherland from thorough destruction (and to satisfy his own ambitions in process), volunteered to be crowned as a King of Poland-Lithuania and enter Swedish vassalage. The Swedes were all too happy to accept this outcome; the Poles, not so much. The Commonwealth was split between the supporters of John Casimir the reigning King and of Radziwill the Sweden-backed pretender.
Meanwhile, the Swedish successes and their excursions into Livonia troubled tsar Alexey Mikhailovich. He desired a stake on the Baltic coast, and signed a truce with John Casimir to battle the Swedes together. Russians went on the offensive, the Tsar himself led the main body of troops toward Riga, while smaller detachments were active elsewhere in Livonia and Ingria. The campaign of 1656 was successful, then Sweden began a counteroffensive. After a string of battles, count Magnus de la Gardie - the swedish commander in Livonia - won a decisive battle at Walk, crushing the army of the voivode of Pskov, who died from his wounds a day after. Northern regions of Muscovy stood defenseless against swedish invasion. You were appointed as a new voivode of Pskov until the situation is stabilized and the Swedes are driven back. You must stop their invasion at any cost.
	@tutmis1.name
Peace
	@tutmis1.description
%include(missions;tutcam.description)%

This tutorial mission will teach you to produce and control units, to build your city and collect resources, to research and develop upgrades.
	@tutmis2.name
War
	@tutmis2.description
%include(missions;tutcam.description)%

This tutorial mission will teach you tactics and combat orders, introduce you to different kinds of troops and how to use their advantages for the common good.
	@bonmis1.description
Last year was a weird one; it snowed in summer, then with the Christmas came the thaw. And rains in the last autumn could rival the times of Flood. People witness all kinds of omens; some say that these are the final days before the Kingdom Come. Nothing good will come out of it, for sure. Great war is looming!
Old fear is gnawing at the hearts, fear that slumbered throughout those peaceful years - fear of Turkish sipahi and janissaries.
Many times the Turks have invaded the Christian kingdoms. Like a legendary beast, the Ottoman army moved from victory to victory, ruthlessly destroying everyone who dared to stand in its way. Nothing could stop the Turks, it seemed. And yet, every single time a hero emerged to stop them in their track, give them a battle and drive them back. Still the beast was never finished for good, it retreated to its lair, licked its wounds, waited for its power and malice to regrow.
Now the Turks are marching to conquer Europe once more. The rulers of Europe must combine their forces to repel this attack together. You'll have to stand to defend your world, lest it perishes: those brave enough to rise and fight will be slaughtered, the rest will live in slavery.
	@bonmis2.description
On the east of Europe, on the border of civilized Catholic world, a mighty state spans from one sea to another - the Commonwealth of both nations, the Poles and the Lithuanians. But there was another nation within its borders, the Ukrainians. Alongside others, they plowed the fields, worked the crafts and fought on the battlefields. Ukrainian cossacks, the fiery infantry, was an even match to Hungarian hajduks, providing excellent support for polish winged hussars. Just as the Grand Duchy of Lithuania stood guard on the Commonwealth's borders with Muscovy, so did the Zaporozhian Host on the border with rampaging Tatar horde. It is difficult to overestimate the ukrainian contribution to the Commonwealth's might. Alas, the rights and privileges of ukrainian cossacks were only respected in times of war, and with peace always came another round of oppression. Whenever the cup of cossack patience was full, rebellions ensued, each crushed with great shedding of blood. Polish magnates failed to see it takes a joint effort to resist muscovite pressure.
If another rebellion goes a step too far, a reconcilement will be impossible, and Moscow without doubt will take advantage of that. Resisting muscovites alone is getting increasingly difficult, and the outcome of this struggle may become tragic for the Poles, the Lithuanians and the Ukrainians alike.
	@bonmis3.description
A scenario allowing to choose a particular side or disable alliances, based on the Thirty Years war, the bloodiest conflict of these times.
	@bonmis1.name
Turkish invasion
	@bonmis2.name
Fight for freedom
	@bonmis3.name
Thirty years war
	@boncam.name
[Original] Three wars (bonus)
	@boncam.description
Bonus campaign containing three unrelated missions following some of the bloodiest conflicts of XVII century.
	@polcam.name
[Days of Brilliance] Pro Fide, Lege et Rege
	@polcam.description
In the year 1587 Sigismund Vasa, the son of king John III of Sweden and Polish princess, became King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. The new ruler proved to be decisive, militant and quite power-hungry. He was a devout Catholic as well.
As his main focus in the domestic policy he chose to enforce his crown authority. He aimed to restrain the szlachta and to restrict the range of influence of the numerous Sejms, as well as to abolish the vote for the title of King of Poland, making it hereditary. Naturally, nobles and magnates opposed such policies.
His second focus in the domestic affairs was all about strengthening Catholicism and eradication of other branches of Christianity. He strongly supported the Union of Brest, according to which the Eastern Orthodox Church would place itself under the authority of the Pope of Rome and accept the catholic teaching, forming the Greek Catholic church.
Sigismund also intervened into foreign affairs.
He was rightfully crowned as King of Sweden, yet Swedes had no intention of bowing to the catholic ruler and announced his deposition. Sigismund desired to create a proper Polish-Swedish and never abandoned the idea.
Among other things, he sought to conquer the aggressive Tsardom of Russia, which had been in distress after the death of tsarevich Dmitry and the rise to power of Boris Godunov. There are rumors that tsarevich is still alive and Sigismund was ready to back his claim on throne. However, he would be quite content with his own son, Wladyslaw, residing on the Russian throne. 
Would he be able to fulfil his ambitious plans and make his own son King of Poland and Sweden, Grand Duke of Lithuania and Tsar of Russia?
	@polmis1.name
The Assault of Kokenhusen
	@polmis2.name
Lifting the Siege of Riga
	@polmis3.name
The Skirmish of Klushino
	@polmis4.name
Saving of Pochayiv Lavra
	@polmis5.name
The Battle of Vienna
	@polmis1.description
In the year 1587 Sigismund Vasa, a noble from a Swedish dynasty, became King of the Commonwealth. When his father, king of Sweden, died, he was the first in the line to sit on the northern throne. But the Swedes had no plans to pledge their allegiance to a catholic ruler, so they crowned a duke of Sodermanland. Sigismund had no intention of giving up on his claim, which led to a conflict. In 1600 the Sejm announced that Swedish Estland is now a part of the Commonwealth.
The recently crowned king of Sweden did not waste time and raised an army of 10 000 men. After he landed with it in Estland, local nobility joined him and together they moved on Lithuanian Livonia, which was guarded by a mere 5000, led by general Farsenbach.
The Swedish invasion was extremely effective. Despite a few lost battles, they had taken Pärnu, Valmiera, Dorpat and Fellin. By February of 1601, they came to Daugava and Riga, and on March 28 started a siege of Kokenhusen, which lasted only 3 days. The remains of the Lithuanian garrison took cover in the fortress near the city. Finally, after a number of unsuccessful attempts to take the fort, the Swedes decided to starve out the defenders. A small encampment was left to continue the siege, while the main Swedish forces moved to north, to Erle. There the Swedish king decided to come back to Sweden for more reinforcements, leaving his son, Carl Gyllenhielm, to command the forces.
Meanwhile, the Sejm had approved new war taxes, which were aimed to fund an army for great crown hetman Jan Zamoyski. While it was forming, a great Lithuanian hetman Krzysztof Radziwill, nicknamed The Thunderbolt for his military prowess, was given a task of protecting Courland and Samogitia. But Lithuanian forces took more time to gather than the hetman had predicted, so he sent a young Jan Sicinskito to Kokenhusen. The brave commander managed to disturb the Swedish supply lines, severely weakening the besieging party this way. Gyllenhielm tried to attack the bold Lithuanian commander, but The Thunderbolt came just in time to rescue the forward unit. Now the Swedes were surrounded and locked up the fortress of Kokenhusen.
You need to take Kokenhusen back from the enemy, as it is an important base of operations, crucial for a successful counteroffensive.
	@polmis2.description
After a triumph at Kokenhusen, the Swedes retreated to previously captured lands, while the Polish crown army and a group of Ukrainian cossacks, led by king Sigismund himself and Samuel Koszka, joined up with The Thunderbolt in Livonia. 
By the end of 1602 the Commonwealth almost fully reclaimed Livonia, but its soldiers refused to progress any further, as their wages had been already withheld for a few months. Hetman Jan Zamoyski left along with cossacks, after paying the soldiers off from the funds provided by the Sejm. The king himself had also deemed his presence unnecessary, so it was upon Jan Karol Chodkiewicz to took a mantle of command. He continued to reclaim Livonia, pushing the offensive to Swedish territories. Despite the initial success, Polish military had a severe lack of funds to continue the campaign, so the commanders had to spend their own gold. The fact that winter came and brought diseases with it, didn’t help as well. All these factors resulted in inability of the Commonwealth’s army to fully grasp the momentum and efficiently use their streak of victories. For example, after the skirmish near Dorpat, forces, that were not paid for a long period of time, rebelled and formed their own confederation under Aleksander Lisowski. This brought the Polish campaign in Livonia to a halt. 
At the same time, the Swedish military became inspired by an example of Maurice of Orange, which found his own school of military professional practice and reformed the army of the Dutch Republic. They invited John VII of Nassau, which had reorganized and reeducated the battered Swedish military with help of Dutch techniques. The duke of Sodermanland, with help of some funding from Moscow, spared no costs and called upon officers from all over Europe. By the end of 1605, Swedish armies transformed into a force to be reckoned with, prepared not only to conquer Riga, the biggest naval port of the Commonwealth, but to progress further into Lithuanian lands.
The army of hetman Chodkiewicz found itself in a difficult position. The Sejm had not only ignored their pleas for help, but also refused to provide any financing for an upcoming war. From now on they can rely only on themselves, retreating is out of question. Riga must not fall!
	@polmis3.description
When Fedor, a successor to Ivan the Terrible, died, Boris Godunov got his turn to rule the Tsardom of Russia. Russian folk was aware of their new ruler, as he was not of noble blood. And when the rumors about tsarevich Dmitry murder came out, awareness transformed into open hostility.
In the year 1603 in the Commonwealth appeared a man brave enough to call himself Dmitry, telling stories about his miraculous survival. He made sure that his intentions were clear - he wanted to get what was rightfully his and sit on the Russian throne. The Sejm rejected his ideas about invading Moscow, while great crown Hetman Jan Zamoyski called his plan a comedy worthy of Plautus. But commander Jerzy Mniszech decided to support Dmitry, despite the odds. He gathered his troops and cossacks, betrothed his daughter to Tsarevich and matched out. 
His path to Moscow started with the battle of Dobrynichi, but when tsar Boris died, Russian folk began to turn sides really quickly, which led to ascension of Dmitry to the Russian throne. But his policies did not please the boyars, as they decided to perform a coup. In May of 1606 Dmitry was murdered, Vasili IV became king of Russia and rebellions started to tear Russia apart.
In 1607 Dmitry once again appeared in the Commonwealth, telling even more ridiculous stories about his survival. Yet again Polish forces besieged Moscow. Dmitry's wife, Marina Mniszech, recognized him.
To drive Dmitry out, tsar Vasili formed an alliance with Sweden in 1609, which was already at war with the Commonwealth. This gave king Sigismund, with blessing of Pope, a cause to start a war with Tsardom of Russia and combined Polish-Lithuanian forces besieged Smolensk.
The Swedish army, along with mercenaries from France, Scotland, Germany and England, came to Novgorod. They united with Mikhail Vasiliyevich Skopin-Shuisky and broke the siege of Moscow, forcing Dmitry to flee. Deserters and scoundrels became common in Russia. Seeing this, patriarch of Moscow Filaret came to Polish king and offered a Russian crown to his son, Wladyslaw.
Vasili sent an army led by Dmitry Shuisky againsh Polish-Lithuanian forces. To meet them, Polish crown hetman Stanislav Zolkiewski and his troops were sent.
Two armies are about to meet each other in a deadly skirmish, which will determine if Vasili will hold onto his crown, and if no, who shall become the next king: Wladyslaw or Dmitry.
	@polmis4.description
Since 1648 the Commonwealth had been struck by a number of wars. Best knights fell in numerous battles with the Swedes, Russians, Turks, Hungarians and internal enemies. In the year 1672 began a new war with Turkey. The Turkish army started to capture forts and castles in Podil, and Tatarian hordes to plunder cities and villages. The exhausted Commonwealth was able to put a meek resistance, but they were led by Jan Sobieski.
In 1673 he attacked and crushed Turks near Khotyn and brought glory to the Commonwealth across Europe and got himself elected as King. From now on Turks called him as "The Lion of Khotyn". But he was unable to maintain the momentum due to frivolous nobles. For example, great Lithuanian hetman Michal Kazimierz Pac disbanded his army right after the battle of Khotyn, despite the orders from Sobieski. This way the remains of the Turkish army were able to flee.
Nevertheless, 1674 marked new victories: Southern Ukraine was freed from Turks and Tatars. 
After a streak of defeats, Turks gathered a new army in 1675 to bring back things to the way they used to be. 
The commander of Turkish forces was Ibrahim Shishman-Pasha, while Tatars were led by nureddin Safa Geray. Their offensive started really luckily, after crossing Dniester they besieged a number of Polish castles. Some of them resisted, but many fell to the attackers.
The whole Commonwealth heard a story about the three hundred famous defenders of castle Trembovle and their commander Captain Ian Samuel Hshanovsky. But the main heroine of this story became his wife - Anna Dorota. In September, 10 thousand Turks besieged the castle in Trembovle. Lady Hshanovskaya set an example of courage and perseverance, she inspired the defenders of the castle with both words and deeds, by taking up arms and fighting with the enemy on a par with everyone else. All of the Turkish attacks were repelled, and they retreated with nothing.
Now King Jan Sobieski had enough forces to help the castles and forts to banish the enemy hordes from Podil. The army is gathering near L'viv, soldiers are flocking from all over the Commonwealth.
You discovered, that the enemy is threatening the Pochayiv Lavra. Deciding that every minute counts, you can't afford to wait for the king, and decide to go to the monastery with your troops.
	@polmis5.description
At the end of 1676 the Commonwealth and Turkey signed a truce - Zhuravensky pact. Jan Sobieski wanted to end the war as quickly as possible, because the Sejm could not raise the money, and the army had been maintained with the personal funds of the King. In addition, the nobles would go campaigning only if they felt a direct threat to their holdings. All these facts extremely complicated gathering an army, while the Turks were still numerous. Continuing the war in these conditions was impossible.
The second reason for the haste of the King - the desire to capture East Prussia. For this, he was going to form an alliance with France and Sweden. The fact that his beloved wife Marysienka was French would certainly help. The king of France, Louis XIV, on the other hand, hoped that an alliance with Poland would ensure his superiority over the Holy Roman Empire.
But against these plans Szlachta acted at once. Magnats did not want to spoil their relations with the Emperor, and feared that King Jan had plans to become an absolute monarch, like Louis XIV.
Meanwhile, the embassy in Istanbul continued to discuss the terms of peace. The Polish side is wanted to return to pre-war borders, which was not to the Turkish liking.
This whole tangle of contradictions led to the conclusion in 1683. An alliance with the Holy Roman Empire was formed: in case of Turkish aggression on the capital of either ally, the other one had to rush to its aid.
In the same year, a huge Turkish army under the command of Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa matched from Adrianople and went to Vienna. Ambitious Turks had no intention of stopping in the Austrian capital. They dreamed about capturing Rome and Paris. Once again, Europe is threatened by the Ottoman menace.
Ahead of you is, perhaps, the most terrible and important battle in the history of the Commonwealth. If you are victorious, your fame and glory will surpass all the great hetmans' combined!
	@scecam.name
[Days of Brilliance] Scenarios
	@scecam.description
Missions not related to each other.
	@scemis1.name
Konotop
	@scemis2.name
Peasants' War
	@scemis3.name
Clash at Nordlingen
	@scemis4.name
Stuart Restoration
	@scemis5.name
Landing in Brittany
	@scemis1.description
Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich was closely watching the events occurring in the Commonwealth. It began in 1648 with Khmelnytsky uprising, which soon grew into a full-scale war. The Polish nobility was not going to make any concessions and wanted to drown the rebellion in blood. The fighting did not cease, and Khmelnytsky was forced to form an alliance with Moscow in 1654.
The Tsar agreed, moreover, preparations for a full-scale war with Poland had already started: military reform was carried out, troops stockpiled provisions and powder, bought weapons. So when in 1654 Moscow has stood up for Ukraine, it possessed a huge army prepared to march. On the contrary, the Great Duchy of Lithuania was completely unprepared to repel a Russian attack. The Russian troops captured almost the entire territory of the principality. This invasion of Lithuania is called "the bloody deluge."
Meanwhile, foreign policy of Ukrainian Hetmanat changed. After the death of Bogdan Khmelnitsky in 1657, Ivan Vygovskyy became the Hetman of Ukraine. Vygovskyy decided to return the Cossack Hetmanat to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. He became an ally of the Crimean Khan Mehmed IV Giray.
Knyaz' Alexei Nikitich Troubetzkoy was supposed to represent the tsar's interest in Ukraine. He was ordered to punish Vygovskyy and bring Ukraine back under the tsar's iron rule. The first fortress in his way was Konotop.
You need to help the besieged city and defeat the tsar's troops, otherwise they will start a second "bloody deluge", now in Ukraine, as their task is to punish cossacks for an alliance with Poland.
	@scemis2.description
The Time of Troubles ended, it's time to put things in order and to reason with anyone who did not understand that anarchy is over. When the law triumphed once again over the vast realm, the period of reforms began.
However, the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich was a difficult test for the country. Reforms conducted by him led to discontent and riots, and the reform of Patriarch Nikon led to a split of the Orthodox Church. A lot of men were lost in the war with Poland. Serfdom laws, which weakened during the turmoil, began to weight even heavier on the shoulders of common men.
Among those things, the tsarist administration led an offensive on the rights and liberties of cossacks, who were guarding the southern border of the kingdom. They are often arbitrarily made campaigns against the Ottoman Empire and Persia, with whom the tsar was trying to keep the peace. Such cossacks were labeled as thieving and the government strongly fought with them.
In 1667, under the leadership of Stepan Razin cossacks made yet another "thief" campaign. This led to a clash with government troops, capture of Yaik town, that was an unpardonable crime. The following year Razin went on a pirate expedition against Persia. After that he returned to Astrakhan, where he was permitted to enter only on the condition that he would free the prisoners and share his loot.
However, the crafty cossack deceived the governor, made his way to the Don river and began sending flattering letters calling for an uprising. Razin united unsatisfied with the actions of authorities under his banner, and those were many. The rebellion of a never seen before scale quickly began to spread and soon engulfed the entire south of the country.
The rebels did not fight against the tsar and against his administration, but against the landlords. There were even rumors that the rebels were supported by Tsar Aleksei himself and Patriarch Nikon.
You are the commander of the tsar's armies. Your task is to punish the rebels and their leader - Stenka Razin.
	@scemis3.description
Who would have thought that a heretic Luther has so many followers? Heretics are not separate fools anymore, but the entire duchies. Who do they think they are? Yesterday they murmured against the Catholic Church, and now they are not satisfied with the Catholic emperor. They went into their madness so far as to take up arms on their monarch! And this at a time when neighbors only think how to grab a piece of our Empire and the Turks are dreaming to capture Vienna, the French are always interfering in German affairs, and Sweden is only waiting for an excuse to interfere. But what have the northerners have forgotten here? They'd rather take away from the Baltic lands of Lithuania, where, as we know for certain, the Protestant heresy is still thriving, along with of Jews, Orthodox Christians and even Muslims.
It's hard to fight for a just cause. But under Wallenstein we gave Protestants a good beating. It is a pity that the success went to his head, and began to consider himself equal to the emperor. God took him and king Gustavus Adolphus. Now we'll deal with the Swedes without Wallenstein. 
The enemy is preparing an offensive. Let them come - we are not afraid! God, the Catholic Church and their faithful supporters - Spaniards and Poles - will help us. We won't them move past Nordlingen. If they dare to fight, we will send them all to hell, to their ginger king. 
	@scemis4.description
The English civil war has finally come to an end. King, who trampled on the rights of his loyal subjects, parted with his head. Control over Ireland and Scotland, that was lost during the war, is now restored. Kingdom of England, Scotland and Ireland became a republic, the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, and its head became Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell. He ruled over the Parliament and the army with an iron fist. But unfortunately, he died, and the balance was broken.
Army generals had great influence after the war and had no intention of sharing their power. Parliament, experiencing fear of the army, tried to weaken it in every way.
After the death of Cromwell his son Richard became a new Lord Protector. He had no combat experience, so he wasn't particularly popular among the troops. Intrigues and conspiracies were in every corner. Members of Parliament tried to sway some generals to their side, and those in return did the same to them. Both contending parties tried to win over the Lord Protector.
Everything was resolved in less than a year: the generals dissolved the parliament, Richard was forced to resign. They formed a new government and a new parliament. Now the head of the country was John Lambert - the most popular general in the whole army.
You watched all these events from Scotland. Great forces are at your disposal, so everyone is asking you to intervene. Republicans urge you to punish Lambert, calling him a dictator, and the generals - to share your power with them. Even royalists raised their heads. They think that the moment has come to a successful restoration of the monarchy, and Karl Stewart, that had been hiding in France, is ready to take his father's throne.
You cannot stay neutral anymore, because the future of the country is in your hands. Go to London and make things right there. If you'll be able to beat Lambert's troops, you will become the one to dictate your will to the whole country.
	@scemis5.description
Yet again, the French and British met in a deadly battle for the world domination. Again, numerous battles are conducted on all continents and seas. But there is a huge difference in their strategies. The English Parliament is clearly aware of its purpose and firmly moves towards it. It sent ships and troops to America and India without diverting its attention to the European theater, limiting their interference only to the financing of allies on the continent. But that's where the French king sent his main force, oblivious of his oversea lands.
The British, while fighting with the French fleet, decided to attack the coast of France, and to destroy its naval bases. They intend to act against a weakly fortified ports, so that their raids will be swift, and the French troops won't have time to react.
You unfortunately do not have friends in high places, so you had no chance of going to Germany at the head of the expeditionary force, and stayed in command of the garrison. You thought that you were deprived of the opportunity to become famous on the battlefield and must stay behind the lines at the edge of the world. But fortune smiled upon you! The British decided to try their strength of the coastal defense exactly in your area.
Show them what you are worth of. If you shall defeat the Englishmen, you won't only become famous, but make any English think twice before coming to France with a weapon in his hand!
	@celcam.name
[Holiday Season 2016] Holiday Mission
	@celcam.description
A Holiday gift mission
	@celmis1.name
[Holiday Season 2016] How elves saved the reindeers
	@celmis1.description
[Joke-mission] Once upon a time there was a very kind man that lived at the North Pole. He had a lot of names: Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, Ded Moroz, Sinterklaas, etc. Each year he spent preparing for a Holday Season: Prepared presents for the good and obedient children all over the world. But he was not alone in this difficult task: He could always expect for assistance from his little helpers, the elves. When Christmas came, he harnessed the reindeer to the sleigh and traveled far and wide, as children all around the world were waiting for gifts.
But everyone liked things this way. A wicked and greedy overlord, that acted as if he had never received any gifts, decided to spoil the Holidays for everyone. With help of artfull lies and deceit he stole the reindeer, so that Santa won't be able to distribute gifts to children.
Santa immediately ordered to equip a rescue mission. Lead it, as the most experienced elf, return the reindeer and save the Holiday!
	@swecam.name
[Rise to Glory] The Lion of the North
	@swecam.description
On the Northern end of Europe, near flat Denmark, mountainous Norway, and filled with lakes Finland, resides Sweden, which was graced by God with mountains, valleys, forests, lakes and rivers to the extend it was necessary. The harsh climate made the Swedes warlike and threatening, and their achievements on the battlefields made everyone think that the Baltic sea will soon become an internal Swedish lake.
You will have witness the most glorious pages of Swedish history - the era of King Gustavus II Adolphus. This extraordinary man, who was called "The Snow King" and "The Lion of the North" turned Sweden into a powerful state, the likes of which simply did not exist in Northern Europe prior to him. You will discover how Sweden came to power, and how King Gustavus II Adolphus, by crushing his enemies one by one, were able to forever engrave himself as "the Great" in annals of history
	@swemis1.name
The Ingrian War
	@swemis2.name
The War in Prussia
	@swemis3.name
The Battle of Breitenfeld
	@swemis4.name
The War in Germany
	@swemis5.name
The War for Armistice
	@swemis1.description
In 1611, King Charles IX of Sweden died, and his son Gustavus Adolphus succeeded the throne. The young ruler's inheritance consisted of the three wars: with Denmark, Poland and Russia.
In the autumn a peace treaty with Denmark was signed, from which it benefited greatly. This was due to the fact that all the king's attention was absorbed by the events in the east. Polish King Sigismund, who dreams about the Swedish crown, decided to take Estonia and Livonia from Sweden. And even farther down the East in Muscovy was a war for the throne.
When Shuiski became the tsar, he formed an alliance with Sweden for a joint struggle with the Commonwealth. This did not prevent the Poles from taking the Kremlin and crowning prince Wladyslaw IV Vasa. Shuiski was killed and no supporters of the alliance were left, but it's not in the nature of the Swedes to retreat. Previously independent from Moscow, Novgorod, which had become a protectorate of Sweden once again, pledged to provide full support to the Swedish troops. Carl Philipp, brother of Gustavus Adolphus, failed to become a tsar, but he can still be a Grand Prince of Novgorod.
Meanwhile, Mikhail Romanov ascended the Russian throne. The new king is not going to abandon Novgorod and sent an army under the command of Prince Trubetskoy to drive the Swedes out.
You have to repel the attack of the Russian army in Novgorod.
	@swemis2.description
You were able to capture the Baltic lands belonging to Muscovy, and to end the war in your favor. Now the Tsardom of Russia is cut off from the Baltic Sea and gave up their claims on Livonia and Karelia. It's time to finish the third and last war, the war with the Commonwealth.
This war goes for almost thirty years. There has been a lot of battles, some of them were won by the Poles and Lithuanians, some - by the Swedes. The fight has been hard and only recently Rzeczpospolita has begun to show weakness. According to the latest peace treaty, the Poles gave up Livonia and the largest port of Riga. Now Gustavus Adolphus aims to take Prussia, with another important Polish port - Gdansk. This may finally cut off King Sigismund from the Baltic Sea.
But don't think that it's going to be easy to accomplish. Poles and Lithuanians are raising an army, and organize navy with help of the Danes and the Dutch. In addition, an ally of the Commonwealth - the Holy Roman Empire - is going to help on land.
Complete what your father has started, cut off the Poles from the Baltic Sea.
	@swemis3.description
The Commonwealth lost all hope to drive the Swedes from Livonia and East Prussia, so in 1626 agreed for a truce for 6 years... But there is no time to celebrate the victory, a whirlpool of events forces you to match to Germany once again.
The Holy Roman Empire, because of the confrontation between Catholics and Protestants, is divided into two camps: the Catholic League and the Evangelical Union. With the uprising in Bohemia is torn between the warring parties. Other countries have also supported fighting, explicitly or implicitly. Initially, luck was on the side of the Imperials Catholics, and their successes worried Scandinavian Protestant rulers. Denmark entered the war, but it was not able to tip the scales in the direction of the Lutherans. Imperial army under the command of Duke of Wallenstein, received the title of Admiral Oceanic and Baltic Seas with the fighting took place throughout Germany and only the absence of fleet prevented her grab Copenhagen. The Danes had to make peace, for they could not do anything with a skilled Catholic generalissimo, who reigned hosted throughout Northern Germany.
In this difficult hour for the Union of the Evangelical Gustav Adolf I decided that is the time to become a master of Pomerania. The more that the imperial troops helped the Poles attacked Swedish merchants, did not miss the occasion to intimidate the Swedes to prevent their participation in the war. But this has led to the opposite consequences.
In 1630 the Swedish army, led by the king himself became Gustavus Adolphus landed in Pomerania. Under the banner of the Swedish mercenaries began to gather from all corners of Europe and the allied troops of the German rulers. King, meanwhile, was considering a plan of campaign and led the diplomatic negotiations.
When the Swedes marched, then easily passed through northern Germany to the south, Saxony. The fact that the victorious army Wallenstein divided into parts that went as reinforcements for other theaters of hostilities, so the path was clear. Together with the Swedish troops are under the command of the Saxons your old friend on the war in Prussia - Field Marshal Hans Georg von Arnim-boizenburg.
In the very same acts Saxony imperial army under the command of Count Tilly.
The case to get even with the Imperials would not delay to introduce myself: You overtook the enemy and forced upon him battle near Breitenfeld
	@swemis4.description
After the defeat at Breitenfeld, Imperial troops retreated and began to prepare for the defense, and the emperor called to aid his allies: Philip IV of Spain and Sigismund III of Poland. They were supposed to gather enough forces under the command of Count Tilly, and start the counter-offensive to get rid Germany of the Swedes.
Unfortunately for Austria, the pressure on the Swedish caused some interesting events to occur on other fronts. The Spaniards fought fiercely with troops of the United Provinces commanded by Prince Frederick Henry, and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was forced to repel the attack of Moscow's military general Shein at Smolensk. Despite all of that, some troops of the Spaniards and the Poles reached Germany, though not as much as Ferdinand II would've wanted.
The Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus is also gathering strength for the next battle. Previously, he had been limited to support only from Sweden and from the German Protestant rulers, but now he began to receive the promised French money. 
Thus, you have to strike down the Austrians, Bavarians, Spaniards and Poles. On your side you will see the Saxons and the French will provide financial assistance.
	@swemis5.description
The Battle of Lutzen proved to be a Pyrrhic victory. Although the Swedes won, but at what cost - Gustavus Adolphus was killed. With his death a losing streak hit the Swedes, but the situation was imporved by advancements in other theaters of war!.
France joined the war, and began an offensive against the Spaniards troops in the Spanish Netherlands. In response, the Imperial army immediately marched on Paris. The French managed to hold back the onslaught of the enemy and seize the initiative. Now the Austrian and Bavarian troops have to prepare to repel the invasion.
French diplomats are not inferior to the French soldiers in any way, as managed to persuade the Italian allies to oppose the Holy Roman Empire, and also to prevent a new war between Sweden and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which is so wished by Vienna.
The revolt in Portugal, which is a part of the Spanish Empire also weakened position of Spain. The outbreak of the revolt pulled over part of the Spanish troops.
But the Empire have seen success as well. Firstly, England ceased to support the Protestants, since civil war began there. Secondly, the German Protestant rulers, whose lands have been completely ruined by the war, began to move to the side of the Empire and is not only a truce, but also unions, giving his troops at the disposal of the imperial generals.
One way or another, but Sweden does not intend to part with Pomerania, or the death of its favorite king and all the sacrifices would be in vain. Hold what you have conquered and force the Imperials to sit behind the negotiating table. Everyone is tired of this war and wishes it to end.
	@scemis6.name
Second Northern War
	@scemis7.name
Great Northern War
	@scemis8.name
Franco-Dutch War
	@scemis6.description
Rzeczpospolita is bloodless due to war of national liberation of the Cossacks under Bogdan Khmelnitsky. Taking advantage of the weakness of long-time enemy, the King of Sweden, Charles X, invaded Duchy of Lithuania, which was soon forced to recognize the authority of the Swedish crown. In desperation, Poland proposed an alliance of the Tsardom of Russia, in exchange for the crown after death of the childless Jan II Casimir, which fled to Silesia by that time. The tsar accepted the generous offer, thereby violating the Pereiaslav agreement with Ukraine and announced war on Sweden. Freed from the obligation to Muscow, Bohdan Khmelnytsky formed an alliance with Charles X, and sent expeditionary force of commander Antin Zhdanovich to help him. At the same time, yielding to the pressure of von Habsburgs, Danish king Frederik III invaded the Swedish lands.
Lead one of the warring parties to victory!
	@scemis7.description
By the beginning of XVIII century the Swedish Empire dominated the Baltic Sea This state of affairs did not suit the nearest neighbors -. Tsardom of Russia and Denmark-Norway, that have lost their influence in the region because of the defeats of the last century. After death of Jan III Sobieskii, the Elector of Saxony, Augustus II the Strong was elected as king of the Commonwealth, and promised to return Livonia to the Polish possession, which was part of Sweden right now. The participation of Denmark in the war was interrupted by the sudden landing of troops of eighteen-year old Swedish King Charles XII near Copenhagen, forcing Frederick IV to abandon the alliance with Augustus II. But soon the Tsardom of Russia declared war on Sweden. Active hostilities between the armies of Saxony, Muscovy and Sweden began. Meanwhile, the state of affairs in Hetmanat rapidly deteriorate - forced to deliver Muscovy food and manpower for the war with the Swedes, the population had been subjected to looting and repression. After learning about the plans of Peter I to put an end to political autonomy of Hetmanat, hetman Ivan Mazepa made an alliance with Charles XII, and together with Zaporozhian Cossacks defected to Sweden.
Lead one of the warring parties to victory!
	@scemis8.description
In spite of the cultural and economic differences, the Netherlands and France were considered as military allies for nearly a century. But the recent formation of the Triple Alliance with England and Sweden by had violated the balance. France has decided to deal with the Republic, and began preparations for war. First of all, French diplomats managed to destroyed the Triple Alliance - England, fearing the naval power of the Dutch, signed a secret agreement with the French, and Sweden was supposed to contain Brandenburg-Prussia in the east. In 1672, France and England declared war on the Dutch Republic, which was supported by Spain and Brandenburg-Prussia. Soon, Sweden and Denmark-Norway joined the conflict as well, but with help of the Prussians at Ferbellene, a truce was arranged between Northern countries and they dropped out of the war. The Dutch managed to win the support of the Holy Roman Empire, but another attack the Turks did not allow them to provide any substantial help.
Lead one of the warring parties to victory!
	@prucam.name
[Rise to Glory] Huge gambles and Great achievements
	@prucam.description
The rulers of the Duchy of Brandenburg and the Duchy of Prussia have been working hard to multiply their power and wealth. They are trying to build the foundation for their future greatness. In 1701 Frederick I became the first king of Prussia, and his son Frederick William I reformed the entire state and created a strong army. But Prussia was still in the shadow of the Great European Powers. Together with young King Frederick II you have to change it. As history books tell, the path to greatness and glory is always difficult and bloody.
	@prumis1.name
First Silesian War
	@prumis2.name
War of the Austrian Succession
	@prumis3.name
Battle of Kesselsdorf
	@prumis4.name
Ahead of the Curve
	@prumis5.name
Against all Odds
	@prumis1.description
First Electors of Brandenburg, later kings of Prussia have always craved for an expansion of their possessions. Of course, it can be only done at the expense of its neighbors, it was only necessary to wait for an appropriate moment. Young King Frederick II did not hesitate to introduce himself to the world.
Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, who had no sons and nephews, adopted the Pragmatic Sanction, according to which the imperial crown would be passed through the female line, and achieved recognition of these conditions from other members. Pragmatic Sanction had been recognized by all the Great Powers, but not by the Duchy of Bavaria. Its ruler, duke-elector Albrecht, refused to accept them, as had intentions to claim the throne of the Empire.
When Charles VI died, and his daughter, Maria Theresa, became the Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, Spanish King Philip the V in coalition with duke of Saxony, King of Poland Augustus III, and the King of Sardinia Charles Emmanuel III, presented his claims on the Austrian lands. Long-standing opponents of the Austrian - French - decided to support Maria Theresa's rivals.
At this moment, when almost the whole Europe is planning to attack Austria, the time has come to expand the Prussian domain. The target of Friedrich - Silesia. It is a rich and well-developed Austrian province, the number of people who live there make up almost half the population of Prussia. Frederick was afraid that either Saxony and Poland would get ahead of him, as this way they can connect Saxony and Poland. Scribes immediately found the necessary antique documents and certificates, which confirmed the legitimacy of the claims of the Prussian king. Friedrich told Maria Theresa that he would recognize the Pragmatic Sanction and her right to the imperial throne, if she agrees to give him Silesia.
But it was not so simple: the French and Bavarians are meddling, and there are rumors about the formation of a large Austrian army in Hungary Maria Theresa decisively refused the proposal of Friedrich.
So, the times has come to obtain new lands with sword in hand!
	@prumis2.description
Frederick were able to get out of the war, in which other countries just have entered. England is traditionally performed on the opposing side of France and supported Austria. She was joined by the Netherlands, Saxony and Piedmont. The French and Bavarians had tight. The Anglo-Dutch army successfully advancing on France, and Austro-Saxon - to Bavaria.
Friedrich anxiously watching the developments. England, Austria, the Netherlands and Saxony concluded a new alliance against France, Prussia and Bavaria, which provided, among other things, the return of Silesia, Austria, and the promise of the Saxon Prussian possessions. England undertook to finance its allies.
To protect themselves, Frederick tried to create a union Frankfurt - an alliance of Germanic rulers, but his plans failed. He remained the only hope for France, with whom he signed a new alliance.
The Allies have developed a joint action plan under which the French put the two armies. One of them is under the personal command of King Louis XV would have to act against the English and the Dutch in the Austrian Netherlands. A second army under the command of Marshal de Kuan will have to work together with the Prussian troops against the Austrians in Bavaria, commanded by the Prince of Lorraine. It is assumed that Friedrich will take Bohemia, the Austrians will come to the rear and cut the line of communication. This led to the abandonment of Lorraine Prince of Bavaria and Marshal Kuan will pursue him on his heels.
If successful, you will save up not only Silesia, but will get a piece of Bohemia. The game is worth the candle. Without delay and without declaring war, you were hiking.
	@prumis3.description
No matter how much effort Friedrich puts in, there is no peace on the horizon. Maria Theresa would rather abandon the imperial crown than Silesia. She is looking for any opportunity to regain the lost. Another plan was suggested by Saxon minister Bruhl. His idea was to invade Brandenburg from Saxony and capture Berlin. This was supposed to force Frederick to return Silesia to Austria, give Saxony the Duchy of Magdeburg along with towns of Cottbus and Peytsom, and give up his crown, making him just Margrave.
The Austrians and Saxons began to prepare the army for the implementation of its plan. Once Friedrich received information about these plans of his enemies, he immediately convened a council of war. Above Friedrich in mortal danger, the delay was fatal. A plan was drawn up, that anticipated speedy destruction of the enemy army alone, as long as they have not had time to connect.
Berlin prepared for defense, and all the Prussian troops were gathered in a fist. First, Frederick rushed to the Austrian army of the Prince of Lorraine, which it did not expect. Charles of Lorraine was forced to retreat to Bohemia and to abandon the intention to go to Berlin.
Frederick now sent all his forces to Saxony. The news of the defeat of the Austrians struck Saxons and made them also to abandon the march on Berlin. Frederick again made peace proposals to the Polish King and Saxon Elector Augustus, but he spurred Bruhl, replied that he would agree to peace only on condition that Prussia would withdraw its troops from Saxony and pay indemnities. Friedrich emphatically refused, and the war resumed.
August fled to Prague with such haste that he left in Dresden family and ministers. Saxon troops Count Rutovskogo ready to defend the capital. Friedrich got in Meissen embassy from Augustus to the peace proposals acceptable to Prussia, which agreed in advance and Austria. But it was too late: when Frederick read the conditions, the horizon glowed already the glow and the thunder of cannon fire filled the air: for Kesselsdorf battle began.
Divide the Saxons, which are concentrated in Kesselsdorf. The war will end here!
	@prumis4.description
The conquest of Silesia and the general increase of Prussia's might trouble its neighbors. Everyone is certain that Frederick won't rest on his laurels and will continue to expand. The neighbors of Prussia slowly began to prepare for the inevitable war.
The main opponent of Frederick was Maria Theresa. She bitterly watched as Silesia flourished under Prussian rule, and actively began to reform her country and army to avenge the humiliation inflicted upon her with the two Silesian wars. She also managed to create a joint alliance against Prussia with Russia and Saxony.
in this alarming situation Friedrich sought for strong allies. The experience from the previous wars had convinced him of the futility of an alliance with France, so he decided to try his luck with the British this time.
British King George II was also Elector of Hanover and wanted to defend his continental possessions from the French. But the Parliament preferred to rather send troops to seize the enemy's colonies, than to guard the mainland territories in Germany. Therefore, Frederick managed to make an agreement with the United Kingdom, according to which he was receiving subsidies and pledged to protect Hanover from French encroachment in return. In response, the king of France, Louis XV, formed an alliance with Austria.
In the end Prussia has opponents Austria, France, Russia and Saxony as enemies, and only one ally - the United Kingdom, which will send only financial aid.
So the new war has come. The first shots thundered in North America, where the British and French colonies clashed. Echoes of those shots spread to Europe.
In this difficult situation Friedrich decided that his main ally in this was is speed. He had no intention of waiting until the enemy will gather its strength, he will break the opponents one by one.
The first blow will land on Saxony and will bring it right out of the war.
	@prumis5.description
The whole world has become a battleground. On all the seas and oceans and all continents British fought the French, trying to take away colonies of other countries or to protect its own. But in Europe, it went unnoticed.
No Friedrich's success could've compensate for the advantage his opponents had in men and resources. The war, which began with the big victories over the Austrian, French, Russian and Swedish troops, devastated the Prussian treasury and buried numerous drilled Prussian soldiers and officers. The only thing that saved Prussia from a complete defeat was that its opponents did not show the desire for unity and consistency. The difference between the political interests led to controversy, contradictions and lack of coordination. This allowed Frederick to fend their blows somehow. However, he cannot be everywhere at once. So the Austrian general Count Hadik managed to carry out a successful raid on Berlin, which caused jubilation in Vienna and demonstrated the vulnerability of Prussia and its capital.
Frederick longed for peace, but his opponents had firm intentions to pursue their goals. His fame and success must've been partially to blame for this, but all of his peace proposals were rejected.
Heavy misfortunes began to follow one after another. In 1760, Russian and Austrian forces took Berlin, and the keys of the town were solemnly transferred for permanent storage in the Kazan Cathedral of St. Petersburg. Capture the Prussian capital inflicted huge damage to the supply lines of the Prussian army. But even greater was the moral damage.
For example, while Frederick was trying to ward the threat off Berlin, the Austrians were able to oust the Prussians from Saxony, whose resources are so needed to continue the war.
Frederick decided that he's either going to win this war or perish beneath the ruins of Prussia!
	@scecam2.name
[Rise to Glory] Scenarios
	@scecam2.description
%include(missions;scecam.description)%
	@scocam.name
[Guardians of the Highlands] The heroic struggle
	@scocam.description
The Celts have been living on the island of England for a long time. The South often became the prey of various invaders: Romans, Saxons, Angles, Normans. But the intruders failed to conquer the mountainous north of the island, where the Celts continued to live. They called themselves the Gaels, and the outlanders called them the Scots. Scotland was divided into the low terrain - the Lowland, and the mountainous one - the Highland. The Highlanders were poorer but much more militant, than the inhabitants of the Lowlands, at whom they looked down. It was in the mountains where a special Scottish clan system had been formed. The Lowlands were under the great influence of neighboring England. Scotland was an independent kingdom, where the Stuart dynasty had been ruling since the fourteenth century. When the English Tudor dynasty ended with the death of Elizabeth I, the king of England and Ireland became James I Stuart, who ruled Scotland as James VI. The King moved to London. Upon departure, he promised the Scots to return every three years, but he did not keep the word. Since that time, the ratio of the Scots to their King began to deteriorate. Look what the Gaels can do when their sense of honor and duty were offended.
	@scomis1.name
The Bishops' Wars
	@scomis2.name
The Battle of Marston Moor
	@scomis3.name
Scottish Civil War
	@scomis4.name
The Jacobite rising
	@scomis5.name
The Battle of Falkirk Muir
	@scomis1.description
King of England, Scotland and Ireland, Charles I was a constitutional monarch, but he intended to strengthen and reinforce his power. In Scotland, he decided to rely on the Church. He appointed bishops to high government posts. In addition, he started reforms that were supposed to bring the Scottish Presbyterian Church closer to Anglicanism. The patronage that he exerted on the Church caused the indignation of the nobility, and the reforms - the indignation of the priests. But Charles decided to carry out his policy resolutely, and did not disdain forceful methods of fighting dissenters. The Scots have repeatedly appealed to the King with their complaints, which he ignored. In 1637, a new liturgy was introduced, which was perceived as an attempt to restore the Catholic rites. It rallied the Scots against Catholicism, bishops and King's authoritarianism. In 1638, the representatives of the Scottish nobility, gentry, clergy and burgesses signed the National Covenant - the manifesto of the opposition condemning the king's policy. The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland decided to abolish the innovations in worship and eliminate the episcopate, as being incompatible with Presbyterian faith. Charles I, outraged by the disobedience of his subjects, began to gather an army to punish the Covenants. The Covenants were also not sitting idly by and bought weapons in Europe and began recruiting troops. You have to lead the Covenant Army and force the King to reconsider his policy.
	@scomis2.description
The English Parliament, like the Scottish one, did its best to resist the policy of Charles I aimed at strengthening the Royal power. Having exhausted all possibilities to reach an agreement peacefully, both sides began to gather troops for the war and appealed for help to Scotland. At first, the Scottish Parliament has decided to remain neutral. At the same time, the majority of the Scots shared the English rejection of the King's actions, and the Puritans of the English Parliament were far closer to the Scottish Presbyterians than the Royal Anglicanism. Therefore, in 1643, the treaty, called The Solemn League and Covenant, was signed between the English and Scottish Parliaments. This treaty formalized the military alliance and became the basis for the Union of the Churches of England, Scotland, and Ireland with the final eradication of the remnants of "papism and prelature." Performing allied duty, the Scottish army under the command of Alexander Leslie, Earl of Leven, a veteran of the war in Europe, who received the rank of Field Marshal from the Swedish king, marched on. After joining with the troops of the British Parliament, Roundheads, under the command of Lord Fairfax, the allies besieged York. The Army of Royalists, "Cavaliers", under the command of Prince Rupert came to rescue the besieged city. Roundheads retreated and took up positions at Marston Moore. Both sides are not going to shy away from the battle. The outcome of the battle will decide the fate of the campaign in the North of England.
	@scomis3.description
After the victory in the Bishops' Wars, many Covenanters decided that justice was restored and condemned further confrontation with the King. The participation in the Civil War on the side of the British Parliament split the Scots into the Covenanters and the Royalists. The Royalists united around the Count of Montrose who did not accept the Solemn League and Covenant and started negotiations with the King. As a result, Charles I granted the Count the title of the Marquess of Montrose and appointed him Lord Lieutenant of Scotland with wide powers. To defeat the Covenanters and restore the Royal power in Scotland, there has been developed a plan of attack from three sides. It was assumed that the troops of the Marquess of Montrose, together with the English Royalists, would invade Scotland from the south. The Irish would land in the west, and the Marquess of Huntly would rise the rebellion in the east. However, this plan failed: the Covenanters have quickly suppressed the rebellion of the Marquess of Huntly, and the Marquess of Montrose had not enough troops for independent actions. So, when it became known that the Royalist troops led by Alasdair MacColla MacDonald landed in Ardnamurchan, the Marquess of Montrose hurried to join up with them. The regiments of Montrose and MacColla linked up at Blair Athol.It is the time to restore the Royal authority in Scotland.
	@scomis4.description
In the English Civil War, the Scots fought on both sides – for the King and against him. The Royalists lost, Charles I was executed, and Scotland was occupied by the British troops of Cromwell. Scotland became part of the Republic, which also included England, and Cromwell ruled as a Lord Protector, relying on the strength of the army. When he had died, the British Parliament ousted the generals from power and restored the monarchy. The new King Charles II Stuart in 1660 returned the sovereignty of Scotland. However, his successor, James II, reigned in such a way that, three years later, he was deposed in the bloodless Glorious Revolution of 1688 and sought refuge in France. Mary II and William III of Orange, Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, became king and queen regnant. To prevent Catholics from the Stuarts dynasty ever taking the English throne, in 1701 the Act of Settlement was passed. The new blow to the exiled Stuarts was the accession of the Elector of Hanover, George I, the founder of the Hanover House, to the British throne in 1714. As for Scotland, in 1707 it united with England in one Kingdom of Great Britain, while retaining its legal system. In the Parliament of Great Britain, the Scots received 16 seats in the House of Lords and 45 seats in the House of Commons. All this time the Stuarts had to hide in France waiting in the wings.Their supporters in England, Ireland, and Scotland, called Jacobites, were waiting for their return. Many Tories and almost all the nobility of Scotland Highlands belonged to them. The first attempt to restore the dynasty of the Stuarts occurred during the War of the Spanish Succession. Twice, in 1715 and 1718, the Jacobites had raised the rebellions in the Highlands of Scotland but failed. In 1741, the War of the Austrian Succession began. The Jacobites have once again turned to the King of France, and he agreed to help them put James Francis Edward Stewart, the son of the deposed James II, on the British throne. In 1744 they started to prepare the invasion, assemble troops and fleet. However, the traitor betrayed the Jacobite plans to the British Parliament, and the landing was disrupted. The French king decided to abandon his intentions, but the Jacobites began to persuade him that all British troops were fighting on the continent and the throne would be seized without the civil war. Finally, the son of James Francis, Prince Charles Edward, said that he would go to Scotland even with only one infantryman. The French then gave weapons, money and two ships that were supposed to deliver Prince Regent Charles Edward and a brigade of Irishmen serving in the French army to Scotland. However, only one ship managed to slip past the British patrols. In the summer of the year 1745, Prince Charles Stewart stepped onto the Scottish land. To his surprise, most of the Clans took a wait-and-see attitude, only a few people joined the Jacobite army. So, he began to act decisively without giving the British time to come round. The Commander of the British troops in Scotland, Sir John Cope, also did not hesitate and led his soldiers to meet the Jacobites. Not far from Prestonpans, two armies have met.
	@scomis5.description
Charles Edward marched south as far as Derbyshire. He decided to return to Scotland to gather more forces and wait for help from France. All the Jacobite troops went to Sterling, where the British garrison has stationed under the command of Major-General Blakeney. This city, standing at the crossroads, served as a gateway into the interior of Scotland. So, it was absolutely necessary to seize it. The army of Jacobites left Glasgow in two columns. One was led by Lord Murray, the other by Charles Edward. An artillery convoy was sent from Perth under the command of Lord Drummond. The united forces besieged Sterling and demanded the surrender of the city and the castle. On reflection, the townspeople agreed to surrender the city, but Major-General Blakeney politely, but firmly made it clear that he did not intend to surrender the castle. He was expecting help from Edinburgh, which had been already occupied by the English troops of Lieutenant General Hawley. As soon as Hawley had heard about the siege of Sterling, he immediately moved forward to help. In the meantime, Prince Charles Edward ordered to besiege the castle and begin its shelling. But when it became known about the approach of Hawley's regiment, the Jacobites have retreated to Bannockburn and prepared for defense. Hawley did not hurry to attack and pitched his camp near Falkirk. Confident of his strength, he believed that the Jacobites did not dare to attack and did not take the proper precautions. By making sure that the British were not going to attack, the Jacobites decided to take the initiative in their own hands and stealthily marched to the British camp.
	@spacam.name
[Path to Grandeur] St. Jacob with us, Spain!
	@spacam.description
Fighting against the Moors during the Reconquista, winning their lands back step by step, the Spaniards turned into the best warriors in Europe. After returning the Iberian Peninsula, they moved on and conquered as many lands as no one before. The Crown of Spain has entered into the new XVII century as the Grand Empire, over which the sun never set. From all over the world, heavily laden ships carry priceless goods to the Iberian ports: spices, silk, porcelain, sugar, ivory, precious woods... But the main source of the wealth of the Empire is the gold and silver mines in America. Where there are strength and courage, there is wealth, and where there is wealth, there science and art flourish. Spanish writers, artists, sculptors, and musicians have conquered those who could resist the Spanish swords with their great works.Unfortunately, the rest of the world looks at the brilliance and power of Spain not only with admiration and fear. Some countries dare to join with it in battle. Holland boldly challenged it and has been stubbornly resisting for many years. Strengthening England constantly worries Spanish merchants with dishonest pirate raids. France, scrambling out of bloody religious wars, incites others to war with Spain, and the Protestant vassals of the Austrian Habsburgs are about to succumb to these temptations. As you can see, there are enough enemies. Join the best army in the world, lead the invincible Spanish infantry tercios to new victories.
	@spamis1.name
The Spanish Road
	@spamis2.name
Siege of Ostend
	@spamis3.name
On enemy land
	@spamis4.name
The war in the Palatinate
	@spamis5.name
The rescue of Genoa
	@spamis1.description
We say, "Moved a pikeman to Flanders" when we successfully finish a very complex enterprise that took a lot of efforts and money. In fact, to send in reinforcements to strengthen the Flanders Army is not so easy. There are two ways: by sea and by land. The first is almost closed due to the increased Dutch, English and French naval power in the North Sea and the English Channel. Therefore there is the only way for the Spanish troops - from Milan to Luxembourg, which was called the Spanish Road. It was first used by the Duke of Alba. He made a lot of efforts to make the Road convenient: he expanded and repaired roads, cut glades in forests and hollows in rocks, built bridges across rivers and ravines, ordered detailed maps and laid the optimal routes for the troop convoys. The Duke also provided food for the troops, establishing a network of warehouses and trade points where one could always get or buy the necessary amount of provisions. The quality of roads, careful planning, and good supply allowed the Spanish troops to make their way to Flanders very quickly. The shortest was 32 days! Nevertheless, this way is rather unreliable because of political, military and weather conditions. The landowners, through which the Road passes, no matter how insignificant they wouldn't have been, by hook or by crook are trying to benefit from their situation. They bargain, threaten, sign secret treaties with the Spain's enemies. it is often necessary to find a detour when any of the sectors of the almost 700-mile Road become "impassable". And the troops are needed in Flanders. In 1568, in the Netherlands, an uprising against the Spanish rule has begun. The Duke of Alba arrived to subdue the disobedient subjects of the Crown of Spain. He quickly earned the nickname of the Iron Duke from the rebels. The fact is that he viewed the insurgent provinces not as s sovereign country, but as rebels against the King, and acted accordingly. The war quickly became unusually cruel as the Dutch responded in the same way. The strict discipline, the meritocratic system, the personal involvement of the Commander in the affairs of the Flanders Army turned it into "one of the greatest treasures that any monarchy or empire had ever possessed in ancient or modern times". However, the Duke of Alba had failed to break the resistance of the Dutch, and his receivers had far more modest talents. By the end of the sixteenth century, the rebellious provinces had achieved great successes and united in the Republic of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, which had grown and flourished into a new important subject of European policy. The Dutch leader Maurice of Orange has carried out a number of reforms that turned his army into a formidable opponent, so to conquer the Netherlands, Spain needs new troops and new commanders. You, the heir of a rich and famous Genoese family, decided to seek out a fortune on the Spanish service. You spent your fortune and got into debt to recruit a squad of soldiers and lead them to Flanders. You know that there will be glad to the commander, who can pay for the soldier's service. But before you join the Flanders Army and show yourself in the battles with the Dutch, you have to pass along the Spanish Road.
	@spamis2.description
Many reasons contributed to the prolongation of the war in the Netherlands, one of which was the constant delay in paying salaries to Spanish soldiers, which led to revolts. But these revolts were by no means the riots of bloody anarchy. The rebellious soldiers and officers gathered together, drove away all who remained faithful to the King, and elected new commanders. After the election, the strict discipline was established. The rebels occupied a certain city, sometimes seizing it from the Dutch, and strengthened it. After having provided a reliable protection for themselves, they put forward demands, which in most cases were the payment of debts on wages, a fair trial of guilty soldiers, the exchange of prisoners between the Dutch and the Spaniards and the organization of hospitals. To feed themselves, the soldiers started an organized collection of food from the surrounding areas, but avoided unnecessary cruelty and uncontrolled robberies, for the justice of their claims served as the defense and support of the rebels. The Spanish authorities could do nothing in this situation, therefore they always satisfied, even after a year, the demands of the rebels, and then by hook or by crook pursued the selected "officers". To honor rebels, it is worth adding that they never rebelled before the battle, and no one could accuse the soldiers of cowardice or bargaining. Moreover, as the enemy approached, the rebels themselves entered into battle or joined loyal to the government forces, and then the commanders could not complain about the lack of discipline. The rapid end of the war in the Netherlands was also hampered by the participation of the Spaniards in other conflicts: in the religious war in France, as well as in the war with England. The Spanish tercios visited Paris and then prepared for landing in England. Wars against numerous opponents have led Spain to the brink of bankruptcy, but the forty-year war was also hard for the Netherlands. Both sides want to make peace, but only after some big success. When you arrived in Flanders, Archduke Albrecht welcomed you very warmly and soon proposed to lead the siege of Ostend. Do not be surprised at such a rapid promotion - you are a man of noble birth, rich and you can pay your soldiers, in contrast to talented but poor officers. The fact is that the times when the commanders were appointed only for their merits have ended. Archduke Albrecht, although he has had a smell of powder, is the first Captain-General of the Flanders Army without great military talents. Apparently, he is more attracted by art and politics, not war. The inglorious Battle of the Dunes in 1600 and the endless siege of Ostend, which began in 1601, discourage him to command, so he was looking for an officer to whom he can entrust the command of the troops. Your wealth allows to hope that you will be able to promptly provide the army, which is besieging Ostend, with needed supplies, as well as to pay for the maintenance of the army. The Spanish officers are unsatisfied and are angrily asking what a Genoese banker, who has never left his house, can know about the war. But believe me, if you show yourself as a capable commander, they will appreciate your accomplishments. Ostend is the only possession of the United Provinces in Flanders and serves as a base for the Dutch armies invading the Spanish Netherlands, as well as an important naval port. This city was besieged two years ago in 1601, but there wasn't the full blockade, so the garrison receives reinforcements and supplies with Dutch or English ships. Archduke Albrecht, commanding the siege army, has made several assaults, but all of them turned into bloody failures. You cannot stop the siege of Ostend because of its strategic importance. In addition, all previous victims will become meaningless. Capture Ostend and show everyone that you are worthy of commanding the Spanish soldiers.
	@spamis3.description
Archduke Albrecht, after becoming the Statthalter of the Spanish Netherlands, managed to achieve a strategic victory and defended Flanders from the Dutch invasion, although he was defeated in the Battle of the Dunes in 1600. Moreover, he decided to launch the offensive and besieged Ostend, but he has failed to achieve the decisive success. This endless war, constant delays in payment of salaries and an unfamiliar climate completely tired the soldiers. They believe that when God was creating Flanders, he endowed it with a black heretical sun that does not heat, and rains that pierce to the bones. It seems strange to them, likewise the people who inhabit it. They assure that the Dutch are afraid and despise them and will never leave the Spaniards in peace. To put it in a nutshell, Flanders seems like hell to them. Having successfully completed the siege of Ostend, you managed to inspire the Spanish soldiers with the hope and raised their morale. Unfortunately, both sides have spent a huge amount of money and lost a colossal number of soldiers during the siege of this city, which turned into a pile of stones. The Spanish success was immediately balanced by the capture of Sluis by the Dutch under the command of Maurice of Orange. Archduke Albrecht longs to break the existing balance and tip the scales in Spain's favor. He appreciated your talents and instructed you to command the Flanders Army, especially since the Spanish officers also acknowledged your merits. Archduke asked you to seize the initiative and continue offensive operations. A bold plan came to your mind: to strike at the very heart of the rebel provinces, where there was a peace for a long time - the County of Zutphen, in the east of the Republic. You rightly believe that this will not only force Maurice of Orange to abandon the attack on Spanish cities and rush to defend his own, but it will also get the enemy's troops into a panic, showing the defenselessness of the inner areas before the Spanish invasion. Break into the center of the enemy's possessions and make them run in panic.
	@spamis4.description
In 1617, the Spanish Habsburg Philip III and the Austrian Habsburg Matthias secretly entered into the Oñate treaty to settle the differences. The Spanish King refused to claim the crown of the Holy Roman Empire in favor of Ferdinand II, Duke of Styria, and the German Emperor refused from the lands in Alsace and Northern Italy, which extended the narrowed Spanish Road. This treaty allowed the two branches of the Habsburgs respond together to new challenges. Becoming Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Catholic Ferdinand II changed the course to the Counter-Reformation. In response, his Protestant subjects raised an uprising in Bohemia. They turned for help to the Protestant Union - the coalition of the German Protestant rulers. Their plea was answered by Elector Palatine Friedrich V and the Duke of Savoy Charles Emmanuel I. There began fierce diplomatic negotiation as all sides of the conflict preferred to persuade or intimidate the opponent with words, but not to decide the outcome of the situation in the battle. However, as additional arguments, both sides assembled the armies and began fighting in Upper Austria and Bohemia. Having decided that they would not succeed in negotiations with Ferdinand II, in 1619, the rebels crowned Frederick V the King of Bohemia, and later - Holy Roman Emperor. This was too much even for Protestants, so Ferdinand II managed to deceive Frederick V. With the mediation of the French, he signed the Treaty of Ulm ensuring the neutrality of the Protestant Union. In addition, Ferdinand II received military support from Bavaria, to which he had promised the Palatinate possessions. Spain also did not stand aside. The lands of the Palatine Electors have always been a "hard to pass" area of the Spanish Road. For example, in 1568, the Palatinate captured 150,000 escudos intended for the Flanders Army. They not only took money but also destroyed Spanish gunpowder and attacked mercenaries, taking away their weapons and equipment. In addition, the Palatinate provided support to the United Provinces, sheltering the Calvinists and sending them money. It's time to avenge all the insults. You will lead the Spanish troops from Flanders to the Lower Palatinate. Bavarian and Austrian troops led by Count of Tilly will march from Bavaria to help you. Capture the Lower Palatinate - secure the Spanish Road since it may soon become very useful. There's only one year left to the end of the twelve-year truce with the United Provinces.
	@spamis5.description
Your success in the Palatinate has provided reliable communications between Italy and Flanders. It seemed that nothing would prevent transfers of soldiers and supplies along the Spanish Road to support both the Flanders Army and the troops in Germany. But that is exactly what alarmed France. The French have hoped that the Treaty of Ulm, which helped to avoid the conflict between the Protestant Union and the Catholic League, would allow to send the Protestant forces to defend the Palatinate from the Spanish troops. The Protestant rulers, however, chose to be inactive, but not to enter the battle together with the army. Then First Minister of France Cardinal Richelieu decided to act alone by himself. He has chosen the traditional ally of Spain in Italy - the Genoese Republic as his goal. The Spanish soldiers and supplies, delivered across the Mediterranean Sea to Genoa, were then sent north along the Spanish Road. Thus, Genoa was a strategically important point in the communications line, ensuring the supply of Spanish armies in Germany and in Flanders. In order to cut off Ferdinand II from Spanish aid, France in alliance with Savoy decided to attack the lands of the Genoese Republic. Cardinal Richelieu hoped that Venice would maintain France, and the British and Dutch fleets would support it from the sea. The conflict between Catholics and Protestants in the Valtelline Valley, which hosted the Spanish Road, was used as an occasion. In 1625 the French-Savoy troops entered Valley and cut the Road. Capturing the Valtelline, the Franco-Savoy army moved on and crossed the border of the Genoese Republic, to which the latter was completely unprepared. The French fleet managed to intercept the Spanish reinforcements, which were immediately sent by sea. The French quickly captured the lands of the Genoese Republic without meeting serious resistance and laid siege to Genoa itself. However, expectations for the assistance of the Dutch and the British were not justified, and Venice was not in a hurry to intervene in the conflict. Nevertheless, Genoa was in a very difficult situation and it could only rely on luck and Spanish help. At this time, you stayed in Naples, gaining power after heavy marches in the northern climate conditions that aggravated your health. When it became known about the threat to Genoa, the Governor of Naples immediately gathered regiments, including veterans of the Flanders Army, and ordered them to load on ships. You, as a Genoese aristocrat and illustrious general, were appointed to command the campaign to save Genoa. When all preparations have been completed, the squadron weighed anchors and took you to the north. Defeat the French who besieged Genoa and drive away the arrogant invaders from your homeland.
	@turcam.name
[Path to Grandeur] In the Service of the Grand Vizier
	@turcam.description
In 1453, Constantinople fell, together with it fell the Eastern Roman Empire. The Ottoman Empire filled the vacuum, which formed in its place. Since then, Christian Europe has been living in fear of the invasion of the Ottomans. The Ottoman Empire has three distinct aspects in its structure: it is Turkish, it is Muslim, but the main thing is that it is universal. The forms of government are so diverse that they cover a myriad of national, social and particularly religious communities. The central government willingly delegates some powers to separate ethnic, social and religious groups, therefore, for example, a Muslim Turk is dearer for an Orthodox than the Catholic Pope. The Ottoman Empire is the only one recognizing all three monotheistic religions. This is its strength, this is its stability. The Ottoman Empire reached the peak of its power and glory under the rule of Suleiman the Magnificent - the Lawgiver. But, unfortunately, those days have gone. Heirs to the throne, who previously had been sent to the provinces as governors to gain experience, became prisoners of their own palaces and were completely out of touch with reality. The environment of the sultan has also changed. High officials were previously recruited exclusively from slaves, Christian children converted to Islam, who were forbidden to have a family. This allowed to nominate them solely for their merits and avoid the temptation to protege their relatives. But now, Muslims, who may have children, have appeared in the government. Nepotism, corruption, and intrigues have flourished. The army can still win, but cannot conquer anything. The previously formidable Janissary corps has also changed. They started to recruit Muslims. The Janissaries were allowed to craft and trade. There became too many of them, they became capricious, they became disobedient, they became a source of permanent local revolts and riots. At this desperate time, when the country was teetering on the edge of the abyss, there appeared a savior - Mehmed Köprülü. He is an outstanding administrator and strategist, but not a warrior. To carry his plans out, he needs a talented military leader. Would you be able to implement Köprülü's ambitious plans?
	@turmis1.name
Restoring order.
	@turmis2.name
Fourth Austro-Turkish War
	@turmis3.name
The Siege of Candia
	@turmis4.name
Wars in Ukraine 1672-1681
	@turmis5.name
Battle of the Pruth River
	@turmis1.description
By the beginning of the XVII century, the Ottoman Empire had expanded so widely that any further conquest would become impossible without administrative, economic and military reforms. Besides, the absolute power of the sultan made the country very dependent on the personality of the ruler. The Ottoman Empire gradually began to sink into anarchy and lawlessness. Many artisans lost their jobs, peasants-lands, merchants-profits. Sanjakbeys, governors of provinces-sanjaks, sensing the weakening power of Istanbul started to behave as independent rulers. Sultan's harem exerted a huge influence on the appointment of the principal officials and military commanders. Therefore it has been even spoken about the Sultanate of women. The Sultan Murad IV, who ruled in 1623-1640, tried to fix the situation. By using the violent steps he managed for a while to restore order. But his successor and brother Ibrahim I reigned in such a way that in 1648 in Istanbul there started a revolt, supported by clergy. The Sultan was deposed and later executed. Mehmed IV ascended to the throne at the age of six. There began a new round of fighting for the right to patronize a minor sultan. At this point, when the Ottoman Empire was on the brink of catastrophe, it was saved by the decisive actions of the officials and clergy. In 1656, Mehmed Köprülü was appointed to the post of Grand Vizier. He became the mentor of boy-Sultan to his maturity, and then throughout his adult life. Thus, despotism has been replaced by enlightened ministerial rule. The fact was that Sultan fully and consistently supported Köprülü in the struggle for power against all the intrigues and rivals. From now on, the governmental center of the Empire was not in the Sultan's Palace, but in situated opposite to it the Grand Vizier Palace Bab-i Ali. Gates leading to the Palace gave the name to the whole empire -"High Porte", and then "The Sublime Porte". To save the country plaguing with the abuse of officials and fighting against Venice, Mehmed Köprülü began to eradicate riots, corruption, and incompetence abruptly. Of course, this caused resistance among officials and soldiers, and only a strong person was needed to lead the opposition. Abaza Hasan Pasha became such a person. In 1651, Abaza Hasan launched a rebellion in Anatolia, which was impossible to suppress. When his opponents in Istanbul were eliminated, he reconciled with the new government and was forgiven. Moreover, he started helping Ibshir Mustafa Pasha to become Grand Vizier but failed. Ibshir Mustafa Pasha was executed, and Abaza Hasan fled to Anatolia. Appointed to his post, pasha not only failed to catch his predecessor, but he himself was killed. When the Grand Vizier had changed again, Abaza Hasan was forgiven and appointed the governor of the Eyalet of Diyarbekir. The Grand Vizier Mehmed Köprülü had reasons not to trust Abaza Hasan. At first, he did not fulfill the order to execute the governor of Egypt and aided his escape. Then, having received the order to assemble an army for a campaign against Transylvania, the obstinate Pasha began to procrastinate. As a result, the Grand Vizier marched without his troops. In the meantime, all those who had been resisting the Köprülü policy began to join Abaza Hasan. They sent envoys to the Sultan with the demand to get rid of the Grand Vizier, accusing him of being bloodthirsty and unjust. But they were mistaken: the Sultan strongly supports the Grand Vizier and instructs you to lead the government troops and punish the insolent rebels. A fatwa has been issued declaring Abaza Hasan a criminal. Defeat the rebel troops.
	@turmis2.description
Mehmed Köprülü has fully comprehended the art of government and began to rule the country with a rod of iron. He was determined to root out corruption and incompetence and ruthlessly punished any official who inflicted damage on the Empire by his activities. The chief executioner claimed that only he personally strangled four thousand famous personalities. However, it wasn't an obsession with cruelty. Acting with a cold head, he functioned within the framework of existing laws, forcing them finally to work. The Grand Vizier Mehmed Köprülü was most worried about the welfare of the Ottoman Empire and dreamed of restoring not only its internal stability, but also to revive the Ottoman tradition of conquests. Having dealt with his political opponents and suppressing internal rebellions, Mehmed Köprülü could channel the energy of the army into military campaigns abroad, but he died in 1661. His son Ahmed became the Grand Vizier and continued his father's policy. Before his death, Mehmed Köprülü instructed sultan Mehmed IV: never follow the woman's advice, never let subjects become too rich, keep a treasury full, always be in the saddle, keeping the army in constant action. However, sultan Mehmed IV does not at all strive to deal with state affairs. His true passion is hunting, so he relies entirely on the new Grand Vizier Ahmed Köprülü. Before the enemies again see the Turkish swords, it is necessary to establish order among the vassals of the Ottoman Empire, who began to feel themselves too independent. There is a particular growing concern about Moldova, Wallachia and Transylvania. In the good old days, they constantly feuded with each other and turned to the sultan to judge them. But somehow unnoticeably they reconciled, began to conclude alliances, make advances to the enemies of the Ottomans and conduct an independent foreign policy. First the Prince of Transylvania, George II Rákóczi, togehter with the Wallachian ruler Constantin Serban put Gheorghe Stefan on the Moldavian throne, and then started war with Poland in order to get the Polish Crown. It was too much: the divan had deposed him and appointed Francis Rhédey the Prince of Transylvania. But George Rákóczi expelled him. Then in 1658 Sultan Mehmed IV deposed all three vassals: Gheorghe Stefan, Constantin Serban, and George Rákóczi. And all three decided to resist. Gheorghe Stefan was quickly defeated and he began to wander around Europe in search of the means to return the throne. Constantin Serban, with the support of George Rákóczi, twice occupied Moldavia, and both times he was driven out by the Crimean Tatars, so he also had to go into exile. George Rákóczi, supported by the Habsburgs, proved to be the most successful. In 1659, he returned the prince's power by force and allied with the new Wallachian ruler Mihnea III against the Ottoman Empire. The Wallachians captured the Turkish fortresses Giurgiu and Braila, and on November 23, 1659, they defeated the Turkish army at the Battle of Fratzesti, but already in December they were crushed by the Tatars, and Mihnea III fled to Transylvania. If you do not put an end to troublemaker George Rákóczi once and for all, there will be no peace in Moldavia, Wallachia and Hungary. To solve this problem, the Turkish government appointed Ákos Barcsay the Transylvanian Prince and organized a punitive campaign against Transylvania. Punish the arrogant vassal. Remind him who his master is and what fate awaits the traitor and his patrons.
	@turmis3.description
Defeat in the Battle of Saint Gotthard in 1664 was the first decisive Turkish defeat in the fight with the Christian troops and interrupted the victories started in 1526 by the Battle of Mohács. The Turks realized how far they were behind the Europeans in the military organization, training, equipment and tactics. However, where Ahmed could not win with a sword, he won with a pen. With his art of diplomacy, he achieved the advantageous Warsaw peace treaty and was greeted in Istanbul with ovations as a triumphant. His next goal is to end the war with Venice, which began in 1645. After the loss of Rhodes, the only major overseas possession of Venice was Crete. The position of this island made it a tasty morsel. Taking into consideration the weakening of its Republic, the Venetians carefully followed the terms of the peace treaty, so the lull lasted sixty years. But in 1644 the Maltese Knights attacked the Turkish convoy, seized it, and on their way back they made a stop on Crete. Supporters of the war with Venice accused the Venetians in the conspirance with the Maltese Knights and persuaded the Sultan to begin military operations. The Turks immediately managed to capture the entire island except of Candia, the main Cretan fortress. However, its siege posed insurmountable difficulties. The internal instability of the Ottoman Empire, as well as the domination of the expecienced Venetian fleet, prevented the transfer of necessary troops and supplies to Crete. As a result of fierce battles, culminating in the Third Battle of the Dardanelles in 1656, which turned out to be the most difficult Turkish defeat since the days of Lepanto, Venice won supremacy at sea and established the Dardanelles blockade. When Mehmed Köprülü became thre Grand Vizier, he succeeded, albeit at the cost of heavy losses, to drive the Venetians away and break the blockade. He also ordered to build two new fortresses to protect the strait. Because of the fatigue of both sides, the war began to boil down to small raids on coastal cities. However, all this time, Turkish troops stood under the walls of Candia and continued the siege. The hope of a happy outcome of Venice was returned by the end of the war between Spain and France. Volunteers from all over Europe began to join the Venetian army, and in 1660 France even sent a detachment under the command of Duke d'Este. But after his death, the French returned home. Now, after the signing of peace with the Habsburgs and the establishment of order in Transylvania, it's time to end the war with Venice. The Grand Vizier tried to solve the situation peacefully, but the Venetians refused, so he ordered to gather an army to capture Candia, and you are instructed to command it. Your task is to capture Candia to compel Venice to peace. 
	@turmis4.description
At his father's behest, Ahmed Köprülü finished wars with the Austrians and Venetians and also accomplished various reforms initiated by his father. This became possible thanks to the wise government of the country. Ahmed Köprülü in its qualities can be compared with Sokollu, the last Grand Vizier of Sultan Suleiman. Possessing the power of his father and being well educated and fair, he is deprived of his cruelty. His rule is less strict and more humane. Despite his involvement in the state affairs, he is also the patron of poets, writers, and historians. With his astute mind, honest judgments, amazing modesty and subtle politeness, he won general respect and affection. His only drawback is the wine addiction. In 1672, Ahmed Köprülü turned his eyes to the lands lying behind the Black Sea, where since 1648 there has been a war. It all started with the rebellion of Bogdan Khmelnytsky. Then the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was plunged into a series of wars, one of which was against Muscovy. The tsarist troops managed to achieve great success, so in 1667 the Truce of Andrusovo was signed, dividing Ukraine into two parts: the left bank was given to Russia and the right bank to Poland. This treaty outraged the Cossacks that inhabited Ukraine, and soon the Right-bank Hetman Petro Doroshenko raised an uprising in order to free from the Polish rule and unite all of Ukraine under his Mace. To subdue the rebellion, Polish troops moved under the command of the Field Crown Hetman John Sobieski. Then Hetman Doroshenko appealed for help to the Ottoman Empire and invited the sultan to become the suzerain of Ukraine. In Istanbul, he was received with honors and appointed a bey of the Ukrainian sanjak, handed the banner and promised the support of the Crimean Khan. Both Poland and Russia began to protest and threaten to intervene together against Turkey. In response, the Grand Vizier personally wrote to the Polish envoy that the Cossacks, free nation subordinated to Poland, were unable to tolerate the injustice and oppression of the Poles. So they began to seek the protection of the Crimean Khan in order to regain their freedom. He also asked whether it was reasonable to pursue them now when they were under the protection of the sultan himself. The King of Poland did not react in any way, so in the spring of 1672, you were instructed to lead the Turkish army to protect Ukraine from Poland.
	@turmis5.description
Unfortunately, when Ahmed Köprülü, nicknamed Politician, died, his brother-in-law Kara Mustafa succeeded him as Grand Vizier. Because of his swarthy skin, he was called "Black Mustafa". He was proud and ambitious, but he did not possess outstanding abilities. Moreover, greed prompted him to sell posts of all kinds and deal with ambassadors of other countries. His government has caused irreparable damage to the Empire. At the same time, he dreamed of putting his horses in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and of fighting with Louis XIV in order to conquer Europe and become the ruler of a vast dominion. He was so little occupied with the situation in Ukraine, that within five years, the Turks lost it to the Russians. In 1683, the Turkish army laid siege to Vienna, but the troops of the King of Poland John Sobieski came to the aid of the city, defeated the Ottoman army and captured unprecedented booty. Sultan did not forgive this defeat and ordered to execute the Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa. However, this was only the beginning of sixteen disastrous years. The Pope managed to implement his plans for the creation of the Holy League. It included Austria, Poland and Venice, and later Russia. The blows from all sides rained down on Turkey. For example, during the Venetian shelling of Athens, the gunpowder cellar, which the Turks had set up in the Parthenon, exploded, so a large part of the temple was destroyed. Failures in the war and chaos in government devastated the treasury and led to the collapse of the army and rebellions in the country. Several times the Ottomans tried to reverse the situation, but each time suffered a severe defeat. During the Battle of Slankamen in 1691 the Grand Vizier Köprülü Fazil Mustafa Pasha was killed. After the defeat at Zenta in 1697 for the rescue of the country, Köprülü Hüseyin was appointed the Grand Vizier. By this time, Venice was already exhausted, John Sobieski died, and the Holy Roman Emperor was preparing for the battle for the Spanish succession. That's why all parties to the conflict were ready to sign peace. The only country that wanted to cintunue the war was Russia. The Russian tsar managed to capture Azov and create the Azov fleet with a base in Taganrog. However, the way out of the Sea of Azov was guarded by Kerch, which the Russians wanted to capture. But whatever pressure the tsar has not exerted on the allies, with the mediation of the British at the end of 1698 the Treaty of Carlowitz was signed, according to which Turkey lost Ukraine and part of its possessions in the Balkans. However, Russia signed not peace in Carlowitz, but only a truce for two years. When this date expires, Russian ambassador arrived in Istanbul on the ship of the Azov fleet "Fortress" to conclude peace. Tense negotiations ended with the signing of the treaty: Russia ceded Kerch and part of the Dnieper, but kept Azov, and was released from paying tribute to the Crimea. As soon as the tsar received news of peace with Turkey, his regiments moved to Sweden. During his five-year rule, Hüseyin, nicknamed the Wise, struggled to fix the administrative and economic situation in the country and to improve relations with the Christian West. But in 1702, exhausted by poor health and illness, he became a victim of intrigue and resigned from the post of Grand Vizier. Hüseyin Köprülü died in three months at his estate. The country once again plunged into the turmoil, the new sultan Ahmed III succeeded to the throne, and the new Grand Vizier became Köprülü Numan Pasha, the son of Mustafa the Virtuous. During his rule, Turkey turned out to be dragged into a conflict with its northern neighbor. As a result of the war between Russia and Sweden, the latter began to win and crashed all the Russian allies one after another. In Poland, there began battles between the supporters of the pro-Russian King Augustus and pro-Sweden King Stanislaw Leszczynski. When the campaign approached the borders of Ukraine, Hetman Mazepa, the vassal of Russia, decided to allied with the King of Sweden Charles XII. They signed a treaty according to which the Hetman became the ruler of both banks of the Dnieper River and was under the protection of Sweden. Peter I came to an indescribable rage and ordered roughly to punish anyone who would maintain Mazepa. Frightened by Russian punitive actions and not trusting the Protestant Swedes, the Cossacks did not hurry to support Mazepa. And the defeat at Poltava in 1709 has forced Charles XII and his Ukrainian allies to flee to the south. They took refuge in the Moldavian city of Bender. Despite the fact that the Swedes still have not established diplomatic relations with the Sultan, he welcomed them hospitably and rejected the demands of Peter I to extradite the fugitives. The old Hetman Mazepa soon died and the Cossack starshyna and the Cossacks have elected the new Hetman Pylyp Orlyk. In 1710 the peaceful Grand Vizier Numan Pasha, who made it clear that he did not intend to break peace with Russia, retired. Thus ended the era of Köprülü. At the court prevailed militancy, warmed by the fact that the Russians undertook a raid in Moldavia to capture the Swedes and incite people to riots. The Crimean Khan also added fuel to the fire by writing numerous letters to Istanbul with the reports about the construction of Russian fortresses and ships in the area of the Sea of Azov. Sultan ordered immediately to allocate a detachment to protect Charles XII in Bender and went to war with Russia. Despite your venerable age, it was you, the conqueror of Podolia, who was offered to lead the Turkish army marching to Moldavia. Remembering the defeats of the Turkish troops in the battles with Christians, you decided to act prudently. You figured out how to lure the enemy into a trap and fight in the most favorable conditions. To do this, you ordered in early 1711 the Cossacks of Hetman Orlyk, along with the Tatar warriors of Khan Devlet Giray, the Sweden soldiers of Charles XII and Polish zholners of Stanislaw Leszczynski to make a raid, the purpose of which was to entice the tsarist troops into Moldavia. You also spread rumors that the Moldavians hope for the arrival of the Russian army and are ready to provide it any support. The trick was successful, and Peter I went straight to your networks. Do not miss the Russian Tsar and make him lay down his weapon.
	@celcam2.name
[Summer] Holiday mission
	@celcam2.description
Gift mission in honor of the summer.
	@celmis2.name
How Cossacks get to the fair.
	@celmis2.description
It is time when in a distant country which name you do not remember, in a city which name you cannot pronounce, they begin to prepare for a big fair. There should gather guests not only from the neighborhood, but also from neighboring countries to sell their goods profitably and make all kinds of purchases. But this is not all. What is the fair without magicians, acrobats, comedians, and other artists? In short, fans of different wonders will find something to see. Zaporozhian Cossacks also gathered at the fair. Recent campaign was very successful. The journey was long and dangerous, but everything went well so far. Lead Cossacks intact and visit this grandiose festival.
	@netcam.name
[The Golden Age] Oranien boven!
	@netcam.description
Despite the constant wars, the 17th century was the heyday of Dutch economy. Fighting against Spanish absolutism, Republic of the United Provinces entered a period of economic growth in the last decade of the 16th century.
A number of trading companies appeared: the Dutch East India Company, the Dutch West India Company, the Baltic, the Levant, and others. The total annual turnover of the country rose to 75-100 million guilders till 1650.
Bank of Amsterdam, established in 1609, played an important role in credit trade. The 17th century became the time of the decisive turn of Holland to overseas trade, which not only supplemented but also surpassed by huge profits export and import trade on traditional European routes. In search of new possessions and incomes, a powerful Dutch colonial expansion developed in the first decades of the century, characterized by a special rapidity. The Dutch quickly seized strongholds on sea routes to India, Oceania, and America.
The Dutch did not seek to seize large areas - they aimed at the most important strategic and trade points, arranged fortresses and fortifications there to protect their trade monopoly and ensure the dominance of the Dutch fleet on sea.
Established in 1602, the Dutch East India Company began an offensive against the rule of the Spaniards and Portuguese. In the middle of the century, the Dutch established themselves in Africa, on the western and eastern shores of southern Hindustan, seized Ceylon.
In South America, the Dutch captured the territory of present Guyana, Suriname and Guiana, several Caribbean Islands, and part of the coast of Brazil in the early XVII century.
Having started the colonization of North America, the Dutch West India Company captured lands in the Hudson Bay and founded a settlement New Amsterdam in 1626, the future New York City.
The Dutch took an active part in the slave trade, including the import of slaves from Africa to Brazil.
Dutch successes kept on the alert their competitors in the struggle for world domination. While the Netherlands fought against Spain and led trade expansion around the world, relying on the ships and private forces of both trading companies, Portugal, which, as far back as 1580, merged with Spain into an allied state of the Iberian Union, disagreeing with the imminent transformation into a second-rate country, was preparing its decisive response. Portuguese were especially motivated with a burning feeling of outraged grandeur for the lost part of the precious diamond in the Crown of the Portuguese Empire - Brazil. 
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[The Golden Age] Scenarios
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%include(missions;scecam.description)%
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New Holland
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Capture of East Indies
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Raid on the Medway
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The Disaster Year
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Glorious Revolution
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The Dutch took advantage of the Iberian union, and de facto, the occupation of Portugal by Spaniards and the decline of the Portuguese colonial empire to occupy the North-East of Portuguese Brazil.
The capital of the Dutch possessions in Brazil became the city of Mauritsstad (modern Recife). Headquarters of the Dutch West India Company was located there. The main hero of the conquer campaigns of the Brazilian coast was John Maurice of Nassau- Siegen, Field Marshal of the United Provinces, nicknamed the "Brazilian" and whose name was given to the city-fortress. But the Field Marshal was not the first. Many decisive and ready to fight men served under the banners of the West India Company before him. They had combat experience in the war for provinces independence and were not too sensitive in matters of morality and righteousness of profit.
	@netmis2.description
During the Eighty Years' War against Spain and its satellite Portugal, the Netherlands replaced Flanders as the main trade center of Northern Europe. The Dutch traded spices in India and Indonesia and founded colonies in Brazil, North America, South Africa, and the Caribbean. New nation experienced an economic and cultural heyday. The tulip speculation led to a collapse on the stock exchange in 1637, but the economic crisis was soon overcome. The 17th century is called the Golden Age of the Netherlands thanks to all these achievements. Dutch bourgeoisie was not satisfied with the high trade revenues in Europe. They rushed to the Spanish and Portuguese colonies, the possessions of the opponents, in pursuit of profit. The Dutch East India Company and established in 1621 the West India Company had extensive financial resources, their own Navy, their Armed Forces and unlimited powers in the colonies received from the government. The Dutch created a whole network of their fortresses and factories in the areas of production of spices, on the Sunda Islands and the Moluccas, with the center in Batavia on Java Island. Positions of the Dutch East India Company have become even stronger in South-East Asia. Taking advantage of internecine struggle of the feudal principalities, the Dutch gradually subjugated the Indonesian feudal lords and seized all of the spice trade. In 1656, the Dutch seized Negapatam, which became their main stronghold in India, and completely forced the Portuguese out from the island of Ceylon by the end of the fifties.
Since the country's entry into the international arena drastically contradictions emerged between Dutch and English trading interests. During the first half of the 17th century, the competition between merchants in European markets and their rivalry in the colonies were sometimes so that both countries were on the verge of war. The richer Dutch merchants pressed the English everywhere: in the markets of the Baltic countries, in the North American colonies, in the countries of East Asia, in the Mediterranean Sea and on the coast of West Africa. At times, it came down to armed clashes between trading companies at sea. Thus, after the Spanish and Portuguese fronts of economic and military rivalry, the front of the struggle against England was opened for the Republic of the United Provinces.
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The beginning of the 17th century did not foreshadow the thunderstorm relations between the Netherlands and England. Moreover, the support provided by the British to the Republic of the United Provinces in its struggle for independence from Spain promised both sides lasting peace and union. The defeat, which the British made to Spanish Invincible Armada, seemed to make England an eternal ally of Holland.
However, England did not have permanent enemies and allies; it had and has permanent interests. Since the Dutch, who continued the war with the Habsburgs, achieved serious success in their privateer raids against the enemy and seized most of the Portuguese trading posts in the East Indies, suddenly became one of the world's strongest maritime and trading powers, the British felt a threat to their interests.
In January 1631 Charles I of England signed with Spain a number of secret agreements aimed against the Dutch maritime hegemony.
The English Revolution and the civil war of 1642-1651 weakened the maritime positions of England. Taking advantage of this, the Dutch closed on themselves even most of the trade with the English colonies in North America. However, the situation has changed in 1648-1651. In 1648, the United Provinces concluded the peace of Münster with Spain, on which a large part of the Dutch army and navy was dissolved. Oliver Cromwell, who united his country after strife in the Commonwealth of England, created a powerful fleet - numerous and possessing excellent organization and discipline. England was ready to challenge the Dutch trade dominance.
The anti-Holland sentiment prevailed in England: the Dutch were considered ungrateful for previous assistance in the struggle against the Spaniards. Now the Dutch have overtaken their former patrons: they took most of herring on the east coast of England; pushed the British from the East Indies. The First Anglo-Dutch War of 1652-1654 broke out, in which the Republic of the United Provinces was defeated, losing one of the prominent naval commanders Admiral Maarten Tromp. However, Cromwell’s England was also pretty exhausted by the war and the parties at the time were reconciled by signing the Westminster agreement.
The Second Anglo-Dutch War began in 11 years after the first. The Dutch, who quickly recovered from the defeat in the first conflict and were able to reorganize their fleet, caused jealousy and even hatred of British society, primarily merchants.
The desire of British traders to finally take away from the Dutch the palm of economic superiority has caused a patriotic rise. England was "hungry to fight." Both sides managed to distinguish serious victories during the war: the British captured New Netherlands, and the Dutch triumphed in the Four Days’ Battle. Anyway, the Dutch fleet became significantly stronger, the shipyards descended to the water vessel after vessel, the war highlighted experienced and fearless naval commanders. The Dutch fleet was preparing for a decisive outcome of the conflict.
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The Third Dutch War of 1672-78 broke out as a coalition. In the search for allies in the struggle against the economic expansion of the Netherlands, England concluded an alliance with France and Sweden against the Republic of the United Provinces. The Third Dutch War was started by the British on sea, and on land by France, not satisfied with the results of the War of Devolution of 1667-68. France wanted to capture the territories in the Southern Netherlands that belonged to Spain so far and to approve French hegemony in Europe. The French troops led by Turenne and Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Condé seized four Netherland provinces, a number of fortresses and approached to Amsterdam during the first months of the war. 1672 was called the “Disaster Year” in the Netherlands. The country was in a panic, and the radical circles blamed the States General and Stadtholder in everything. The lower and middle classes rebelled against the government, demanded the appointment of the Prince of Orange as Stadtholder and the punishment of persons guilty of war and the weakness of the army. The government fell. Angry crowds were looking for scapegoats. Cornelis de Witt, a brother of Jan de Witt, was imprisoned in The Hague on suspicion of high treason. When Jan de Witt appeared there to visit his brother, crowds of angry opponents brutally murdered brothers de Witt. Amid panic rumors and general chaos in August 1672 the command of the Netherlands army passed to William III of Orange, who was declared a lifelong ruler, in view of the mortal danger for the existence of the country. William of Orange had a difficult task to prevent the country from seizing by enemies and internal collapse.
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The new King of England, James II, was the soul of the so-called Cabal Ministry, a group of high councilors, who concentrated power in England (including Wales), Scotland and Ireland in their hands after the restoration of the Stuarts in 1668-1674. King James converted to Catholicism. The influence of the parliament, which was strengthened as a result of the unsuccessful war, forced Jacob to publicly confess his Catholicism. Contrary to his wish, the eldest of his two daughters from the first marriage, Maria was married to William of Orange. It created the possibility for the latter to claim succession to change in England. The relationship between the confessors of the Anglican religion and Catholicism exacerbated inside England. James humbled clergy protests by means of the so-called “High Commission" and set out to establish an absolute Catholic monarchy by the almost undisguised propaganda of Catholicism and a close alliance with Louis XIV. Even the most faithful servants of the King, Anglican bishops, have been brought to justice. People so far restrained their indignation, and matter did not reach to uprising. But prominent representatives of both political parties, the Tories and the Whigs, were preparing their response by plotting to put William III of Orange on the throne. Stadtholder of Holland William of Orange had the right to the English throne, since he was born from the English princess Mary Henrietta Stuart (wife of William II of Orange) and was married to James II's daughter Princess Mary. After the accession of James II, until there was no heir, it was Maria Stuart who was recognized as the heir to the English throne, and her husband William of Orange was its co- regent. The removal of Jacob II from power seemed highly desirable to William, even regardless of his own prospects to become the ruler of England. The main purpose of the Prince of the Orange-Nassau dynasty was the end of the Anglo-Dutch confrontation and the creation of anti-French coalition. By this time, William visited England several times and won great popularity there. William began preparations for the campaign. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange (3 million guilders), the Jewish banker Francisco Lopez Suazo (2 million guilders) and Pope Innocent XI (2 million guilders) provided the loan for the acquisition of troops and navy. The invasion army included besides the Dutch six English and Scottish regiments of Protestants, the Prussians of Frederick III of Brandenburg under the command of the French Huguenot Frederick Schomberg, and several Spanish battalions. Pope Innocent issued a special papal bull and allowed the Catholic Spaniards to participate in the overthrow of an English Catholic.
Extra 9000 people were recruited to the Dutch Navy, and the number of armed ships doubled and reached 49 units.
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War for Brazil
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War in the Caribbean
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The Portuguese War of Independence
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Siege of Dunkirk
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The whirlwind of events of the beginning of the 17th century drove a wedge between the allies of the Iberian Union - Spain and Portugal. In the 17th century, the Portuguese elite began to realize that the Iberian Union was causing much damage to Portugal. This was due not only to the deterioration of the Monarch's attitude toward Portugal but also to the fact that the Portuguese colonies were targeted by many enemies of Spain. Spain, in turn, was not in a hurry to protect them. Portugal itself did not seek to engage in costly military adventures. Break of the alliance with England was very acute for Portugal. The Dutch rebelled against Philip II and occupied the Portuguese Ceylon, Luanda in Angola, and the northern regions of Brazil. Following the Dutch, the French also landed in Brazil. The Portuguese continued to become poorer in the result of constant wars and taxation. Due to exorbitant taxes in 1637-1638, the first revolts began in the country. The first clear calls to fight for the independence of the country were made. Enormous damage was caused to Portugal in large part because of the reluctance of the Spaniards to fight for the main colonies of Portugal - Brazil and Portuguese India, the income from which accounted for the lion's share of the money flow to the country. The confrontation between the Spaniards and the Portuguese extended to the colonies. Realizing this, some of the main opponents of Portugal, the Dutch, even went on a temporary reduction of their military presence in New Holland, won from Portugal, in order to cut costs. A truce was concluded, but Brazil with its wealth of mineral resources and nature was such an attractive acquisition that the war for it soon resumed.
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Holland could not put up with the constraints for its maritime trade caused by the Navigation Acts and the outcome of the first Anglo-Dutch war (1652-1654). Having restored its fleet and finances, Holland continued to be the most dangerous competitor in trading. Therefore England reigned by King Charles II was also striving for war. The prepositions were easily found in the constant violence that the trading companies in the colonies caused each other. The King of France Louis XIV was pushing Holland to war to weaken it. He promised his support, joined with it in a formal union but provided no aid. In 1664, the English suddenly captured the Dutch North American colony of New Amsterdam on the island of Manhattan. On January 24, 1665, Holland declared war on England. Soon, France and Denmark joined the first. Taught by the experience of the previous war, in which trade protection largely weakened the military fleets and constrained their operations, the Dutch issued a decree prohibiting all sea trade and fishing during the war to concentrate all forces to fight the English Navy. Both fleets were almost the same by the number of troops and vessels, but now the Dutch fleet no longer conceded either in size or in equipment to the English one. The war began both on land and at sea - wherever the interests of the opposing sides in previous times led to the creation of colonial possessions, markets, trading factorias, and fortresses. While active naval battles took place off the coast of Europe, the French, who had at one time demonstratively questioned the need to enter the war in connection with the Anglo-Dutch clash in Africa and did not want to help the Dutch in the Channel, where furious battles had been fought, nevertheless did not neglect to take away from the English some poorly protected islands in the West Indies - Tobago, St. Eustatius, and St. Christopher, which the English had won from Holland shortly before, and utterly ruined the English colonies of Antigua and Montserrat. Thus, the Caribbean islands became one of the theaters of military operations.
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Beginning with 1580, Portugal and Spain were in the status of a single union state. In the years of the Iberian Union, the power of the Spanish Habsburgs, the Philip Dynasty, as the Portuguese called them, extended to Spain and Portugal. In 1578, the Portuguese King Sebastian I died in a battle known as the "Battle of Three Kings". After that, Portugal lost its status as a powerful state, and the Aviz Dynasty was on the verge of extinction. 66-year-old childless Cardinal Enrique was proclaimed King of Portugal. He died two years later, and this led Portugal to an acute dynastic crisis. The Crown was disputed by the legitimate born Philip II of Spain, who was the grandson of Manuel I, the Prior Antonio of Crato, as well as the Duchess Catherine Braganza with her husband. This war was won by the Spanish army, led by the Duke of Alba, which defeated the army of Prior Antonio. Philip II arrived in Lisbon in 1581. He was crowned and became the King of Portugal Philip I. He allowed Portugal to keep its currency and its own laws and also provided representation in government administration. At first, everything went well, many people considered the union to be strong and reliable, and even the great Luís Vaz de Camões called the Portuguese "one of the great Spanish nations". However, the whirlwind of events of the beginning of the 17th century drove a wedge between the allied states. In the 17th century, the Portuguese elite began to realize that the Iberian Union was causing much damage to Portugal. This was due not only to the deterioration of the Monarch's attitude toward Portugal but also to the fact that the Portuguese colonies were targeted by many enemies of Spain. Spain, in turn, was not in a hurry to protect them. Portugal itself did not seek to engage in costly military adventures. Break of the alliance with England was very acute for Portugal. This alliance, the oldest one in Europe, began its history in 1386, after the signing of the Windsor Treaty. The Dutch rebelled against Philip II and occupied the Portuguese Ceylon, Luanda in Angola, and the northern regions of Brazil. Following the Dutch, the French also landed in Brazil. The Portuguese continued to become poorer in the result of constant wars and taxation. The Spanish Inquisition also began the persecution of the Marranos, forcibly baptized Jews, in Portugal itself. Their mass emigration had started, more than 300 thousand people left their homes. The difference in mentality of the two nations, their different views on life and different cultures played a certain role in the failure of the union, despite the common origin and proximity of languages. Due to exorbitant taxes in 1637-1638, the first revolts began in the country. On August 21, 1637, an uprising broke out in Evora. The rebels expelled the Spanish governor-corregidor from the city, destroyed the taxation lists, and smashed the prison and government offices. The first clear calls for the struggle for independence were heard on the streets. Patience of all classes of Portuguese society overflowed and the movement for independence and the restoration of statehood started.
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By 1646 the French army managed to seize a number of important fortresses in Flanders, not without the aid of the allied Holland. After the victory at Rocroi (1643), after the uprisings in Catalonia (1640-1652) and Portugal (1637-1668), Spain could not allow itself to defend also Flanders. Thus, the defense was based on heavily fortified cities and natural conditions. In 1644, when the Duke of Enghien was sent to the German army to help Turrene, the Flemish army of France was led by the incompetent Duke of Orleans. Due to the activation of the Dutch army of Frederick Hendrik, the younger brother of Maurice of Orange, in 1644 and the diversion of Spanish Imperial troops, the Duke of Orleans managed to advance and capture the fortifications of Gravelines, the western stronghold of Flanders defense. In 1645, the Duke of Orleans continued his offensive along the coast and captured medium-sized fortress Mardik, located between Gravelines and Dunkirk, after the 20-day siege. But the Spaniards, having waited for the French to settle in their winter flats, returned Mardrik by a sudden attack, thus reversing all the successes of the French in 1645. At the beginning of 1646 the bulk of the French army, which was to attack Flanders, concentrated in the southwest of Arras. Spanish forces remained in positions in the triangle of Dendermonde - Ghent - Deinze when the Duke of Orleans began a march westward to the coast to restore positions, lost during the winter. Having bypassed Ypres and Poperinge, the French arrived on the River Colm. On July 29, Berg, which was controlling the channels that connected Dunkirk with the inner territories of Flanders, capitulated in a result of a sudden attack. Spanish military leaders Marquis de Caracena and Lambua, which were immediately sent after the French, arrived at Colm too late. But troops of Caracena managed to enter Dunkirk and Lambua entrenched in Furneaux. Thus, Dunkirk, one of the important ports in the north of Flanders, was in the hands of the Spaniards.
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Battle of Nieuwpoort (1600)
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One of the battles of Netherlands Revolution (1568-1648), which took place on July 2, 1600, near the city of Nieuwpoort between the Dutch army under the command of Maurice of Orange with their British allies under Francis Vere against the Spanish army under Austrian Archduke Albert VII.
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Battle of Pyliavtsi (1648)
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One of the battles of National Liberation War of Ukrainian People (1648-1657), which took place on 21-23 September 1648 under the village of Pilyavtsi between the Ukrainian army under the command of Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky with their Tatar allies under Tugay Bey against Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth forces under the command of voivode Wladyslaw Dominik Zaslawski-Ostrogski.
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Battle of Prostki (1656)
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One of the battles of Potop Szwedzki (1655-1660), which took place on October 9, 1656, near the village of Prostki between forces of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth under the command of Hetman Wincenty Gosiewski and allied Crimean Tatars commanded by Subhan Ghazi Agha against the allied Prussian-Swedish army under the command of Prince Georg Friedrich of Waldeck.
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Battle of Saint Gotthard (1664)
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The final battle of the fourth Austrian-Turkish war (1663-1664), which was fought on August 1, 1664, near the Abbey of Szentgotthárd between the army of Holy Roman Empire under the command of Count Raimondo Montecuccoli and French allies under Jean de Coligny-Saligny against Ottoman army commanded by Grand Vizier Köprülüzade Fazil Ahmed Pasha.
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Battle of Villaviciosa (1710)
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Two battles of the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), which took place on December 8-9, 1710, near the town of Brihuega and on December 10, 1710, near the village of Villaviciosa between the allied Franco-Spanish army under the command of Philip V of Spain and Louis Joseph de Bourbon against the British army under James Stanhope and Habsburg-allied army commanded by Guido von Starhemberg.
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Battle of Sheriffmuir (1715)
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One of the battles of the Jacobite rising of 1715, which took place on November 13 on the Sheriffmuir plateau between the British army under the command of Duke John Campbell against Scottish Jacobites commanded by Earl John Erskine.
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Oran (1732)
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Events of the Spanish conquest of Oran, which took place in June-July 1732 at the coasts of Regency of Algiers of Ottoman Empire. The Spanish army under the command of Don José Carrillo de Albornoz and Don Francisco Javier Cornejo fought with the Algerian-Turkish army under the command of Bey Hassan.
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Battle of Soor (1745)
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One of the battles of the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748), which took place on September 30, 1745, near the village of Soor between the Prussian army under the command of Frederick the Great and the Austro-Saxon army led by Prince Charles of Lorraine.