Nav 7 History

[snip]

While Rocky is continuing to catch up (good looking stuff by the way), I want to revisit the Last General War idea. I think having this in 1870ish is good for two reasons.

1) It allows us to place the conflict far enough in the past that the economic revolutions of the conflict can be handwaved into our starting numbers.

2) It allows us to ensure that the technology in play at the time is "good enough" to make it a WWI-lite, where lots of lessons are learned about Industrial Warfare. Enough lessons to provide major IC disincentives for a repeat with more deadly technology perhaps?

So, can we get a hard timeline hammered out on this?

[The Rock Doctor]

Possibility:  Rome attempts to trigger German nationalism within the Vilnius Union.  The Union discovers evidences of this, so war.  Weakening the Union would perhaps benefit the Northern Kingdom, so they enter alongside Rome.  My gut says Iberia and Byzantines then pile in against Rome and so Parthia joins with Roman/Norse alliance out of enmity against Byzantium.

Possibility:  There's some kind of independent state(s) in the Pannonia/southern Rzeczpospolita/northwestern Byzantium area, and two of us get into a scrap over succession and the poor bastards end up annexed.  This ends the consolidation of the six surviving major powers.

Possibility:  Northern Kingdom and Rome have a border dispute in England.  Iberia allies with NK, or maybe Rome whacks them first in case they've got ideas about it.  Byzantium could go either way; attacking Rome in Europe, or attacking Iberia in northern Africa.  Assign the Union for [reasons] to whoever needs help, because Parthia fights Byzantium.

Possibility:  The 96th Parthian/Byzantine War begins on schedule - maybe as the result of third party (Mughals?) shenanigans.  Somebody takes a shot at Byzantium and things escalate westward.

[The Rock Doctor]

The problem, of course, is that I'm still trying to figure out what happens in the two centuries between the Second Northern War in 1660 and whatever happens in 1870.

[Kaiser Kirk]

While Rocky is continuing to catch up (good looking stuff by the way), I want to revisit the Last General War idea. I think having this in 1870ish is good for two reasons.

1) It allows us to place the conflict far enough in the past that the economic revolutions of the conflict can be handwaved into our starting numbers.

2) It allows us to ensure that the technology in play at the time is "good enough" to make it a WWI-lite, where lots of lessons are learned about Industrial Warfare. Enough lessons to provide major IC disincentives for a repeat with more deadly technology perhaps?

So, can we get a hard timeline hammered out on this?

A) For my part, I've been meaning to approach Jefgte about a version of the Franco-Prussian war of 1872 where Byzantium plays Prussia and steamrollers Parthia, capturing the Black Sea coast and Baghdad (again). This would result in Parthia realize she needed to modernize.  I was going to set this during the time of the Crimean war instead (1856), to put it a bit further back, and I was thinking that 50 year timespan on conquests...which Snip has said wouldn't apply at Start.

One advantage of post 1873 would be Suez would be open, so the appearance of a Byzantine navy on Parthia's shores would be a shock, spurring her into building a decent one.

B) if you look at Jefgte's why I love/Hate you, he notes Sweden/Vilnus wants land on the Black Sea. Perhaps that's a good start point?

C) At some date to be determined later....
1. Norse/Parthia/Vilnus attack Golden Horde. Vilnus supports the Norse in destroying the local Horde force.  Norse advance to current boundary and more, Parthia extends up Caucus to seize Black Sea shore.
    Revolt in Ukraine, they petition Vilnus for liberation. Vilnus advances to the shores of the Black sea, basically maximum extent of Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth.

2. Winter falls, fronts... freeze.  Golden Horde regroups and summons the Horde.

3. Spring thaw occurs starting on Black Sea and rolling north. Golden Horde Campaign plan is to first knock out Vilnus, reclaiming the grain basket of the Ukraine, and then engage Parthia, before using interior lines to follow the thaw to attack the Norse.

4. Horde ejects Vilnus, then attacks Parthia east of the Caspian,
    Byzantium decides it doesn't want Vilnus on the Black Sea, and advances, capturing the seacoast.
             [EDIT] Clarification (well I think it is): Sequence is Ukrainian noble revolt, ask Vilnus to help in ejecting Horde. Vilnus claims all the way to Black Sea.  Then Winter. Then Horde ejects Vilnus in Spring Campaign, takes retribution against nobles. Byzantium then takes coasts of Black Sea from Horde and then continues against Parthia. In 5 below Vilnus regroups and objects to this, contesting the Black Sea shore.
    Byzantium decides with Parthia distracted, to attack there.  Still fighting the Golden Horde,  Parthia finds itself outclassed, with most of it's forces still armed with muzzleloading rifles  and cannon against breechloaders and QF guns. Tremendous losses along the Black sea and in Mesopotamia.
    Byzantium navy transits the Suez canal (?)
   
5. Vilnus is ...upset..with the Byzantium occupation of the Black Sea coast, and launches an attack.
    With Parthia beat back, and the thaw moving far enough North, the sea of Horde Cavalry launches counter offensive hits Vilnus and the Norse
   Rome, seeing Vilnus and Byzantium occupied in the East...attacks one of them- Vilnus would be better I think...
   Vilnus, already fighting the Byzantiums and now Horde, finds Rome attacking her rear. Calls open her co-belligerent, the Norse, to help.
   Norse attack southern England, triggering a naval war.  With the Byzantium navy thinned to operate against Parthia, Rome can counter.

6. A couple years go by.
    The Horde, fighting the Norse/Vilnus/Byzantium/Parthia ...is broken. Norse and Vilnus reach current borders. Parthia keeps her old ones.
    Rome - Fighting Vilnus/Sweden bogs down with little progress. Fun naval war.
   
   I see 2 scenarios for the Byzantines.
          A) Byzantium ejects Vilnus and Parthia from the Black Sea, and seizes Mesopotamia all the way to the Tigris.
              A Byzantine thrust into the Zagros mountains along the Diyala River meets disaster . Emerging from the Diyala gorge near the City of Siemani, the Parthians engage and rout the vanguard of the Byzantine force. Unable to flee down the Diyala river gorge, much of the force is destroyed.
              regroups and holds the mountain lines, bogs down into static warfare. 
              Parthia sues for peace, Byzantium expands to her current borders. With Vilnus engaged with Rome, they fear for their rear and agree to terms with Byzantine.

OR
         B)   Same as A, but with bonus complications :
               Free in the East,  Byzantine then turns and attacks ...Iberia?, . Probably the North African shore, so Iberia gets involved.
               War in west drags on a couple years, with Rome/Iberia fighting the Norse (at sea/England), Vilnus and Byzantium.
                All finally come to terms with minor territorial changes.  Presumably Rome gives up the portion of Vilnus they grabbed, keeps England and Iberia keeps the North African shoreline
               -lots of fighting for little to no gain.

Ok , I'm sure there's tons of flaws, but that's what you get for 11pm+ rambling.
               

[Jefgte]

All scenarios are interresting.
I have not particular preference.

But Byzantine prefer, in the first time, conquest Soudan and west Red Sea coast.

[The Rock Doctor]

...our nice, quiet Jef is going to conquer northeastern Africa?  Say it ain't so!

I'm puzzling over how to get Catholic Poland-Lithuania and Lutheran Sweden under joint management.  There are points in time where I can have either one run into a succession crisis even without resorting to arbitrarily whacking people, but religion's a big deal for a lot of people.

[The Rock Doctor]

Okay, I think I have it.  Even makes sense.

The Second Northern War didn't include the Deluge - the Russian/Swedish over-running of PLC.  So PLC remains religiously tolerant to the point that they end up with a Lutheran monarch at some point.

Meanwhile, the Scanian War takes place in the 1675-9 area, more or less.  Denmark/Netherlands/some Germans take on the Swedes.  Things goes back and forth and its pretty much a draw with no real exchange of territories. 

PLC sat that one out, and does so here also.  It takes a few years for them to sort out the Russian refugee situation, and the presence of Cossacks and the Horde on their borders is a powerful incentive to improve their military.

So we come to the historical time period of the Great Northern War, 1700-21.  PLC, Denmark, Prussia, Saxony, and even the Horde (doing their own thing) against Sweden, Netherlands and Holstein-Gottdorp.  Per historical, the Swedes act quickly and smack down Denmark so hard they bail.  Then the Swedes shift forces and attack from their Baltic possessions into northeastern PLC.  Initially, they beat up the PLC alright.  But when Charles XII leads the Swedish army across a defended river in Latvia, it doesn't go as well as last time.

He gets murderized by some random Saxon soldier attached to the allied army.

Boom.  Swedish army routs, PLC chases them right of the country and rolls up through the Baltic states and ex-Russian states.  Sweden sues for peace and loses a large chunk of Finland/ex-Russia/Baltic possessions to get it. 

Peace in 1702.  Charles XII's heir is his sister.  She has a year-old child.

Naturally the Horde attacks Sweden in 1703 when they figure this out.  PLC comes in on the Swedish side because it's the Horde, and things get lively all along the PLC/Swedish/Horde borders.  Nations further west sit this out.  Fight for four years, the Horde is repulsed.

Things seem cool. Then a few months later, the Queen of Sweden dies of smallpox (historical). Her son (age 7) survives (also historical).  While some people support him for the throne, others support the younger sister of the dead queen.  Power struggle ensues, foreigners get involved.  War of Swedish Succession now - PLC versus German/Danes.  PLC wins.  Exact details to be resolved, but Sweden is at least puppetized, if not annexed.

[Kaiser Kirk]

But Byzantine prefer, in the first time, conquest Soudan and west Red Sea coast.

[Edit : Unless you were talking further south than your current borders. That you'll have to do in 1910 and attack the peaceloving Christian Ethiopians to do ]

I rather figure you've had those areas since about 750AD.

After the Muslim expansion nearly slew Parthia and forced Byzantium back to what is now western Turkey, we both reconquered- Byzantium faster.
The Muslims expanded west and into Iberia, while Byzantium reclaimed first eastern Turkey and then Mesopotamia and Egypt.
Egypt was a very important agricultural region at the time.
I can easily see Byzantium expanding down both the east and west shores of the Red Sea at that time.
So it should be yours for 1200 years.

[The Rock Doctor]

Jef/Snip:  At what point in time do Rome and Byzantium become monolithic entities inside your current borders?

Is there a Hapsburg Empire in those areas which are now part of your nations, for example?  If I invoke one, will it be limited to those bits of the historical Hapsburg Empire that are inside my border?

[snip]

The points of Rome that I wish to remain "monolithic" are roughly England, France, Italy. The stuff in the Balkans I can be more flexible with.

[The Rock Doctor]

Notional Europe, or at least the eventual Vilnius Union, in 1716 after the Second Northern War/War of Swedish Succession:

Dark Green:  Poland-Lithuania-Sweden [Personal Union at this point]
White:  German states (unorganized)
Tan:  Hetman Cossack Empire
Mauve or whatever:  Grand Duchy of Greater Moldova
Light Blue: Kingdom of Bohemia or Hapsburg Empire or something.
Pea Green:  Denmark
Pink:  Holland

[The Rock Doctor]

The points of Rome that I wish to remain "monolithic" are roughly England, France, Italy. The stuff in the Balkans I can be more flexible with.

So here's a thought:  The Big War of 1870s features the two of us allied in a take-over of the Netherlands (in the west) and a ~Hapsburg Empire that spans (for me) Bavaria, Czechia, Silesia, and a bit of OTL Austria, and (for you) Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, and maybe parts of Pannonia. 

This puts Rome and Vilnius in the role of allies who, after we've split up continental Europe between us, have probably had a long cold war relationship since.  Iberia and Northern Kingdom would likely be fighting to prevent our annexation of these states and resulting growth in power.

[Jefgte]

Jef/Snip:  At what point in time do Rome and Byzantium become monolithic entities inside your current borders?

For the Sublime Porte, borders are fixed since 1833 by Sultan Mahmud II.
At this period, Bagdad & a part of Egypt were the last conquest.

[The Rock Doctor]

Notionally, central Europe at the beginning of the 1870s war.

The scenario sees the Netherlands, Switzerland, ~Hapsburg Empire, and the Hetman Cossacks allied against Rome and the Vilnius Union.  Perhaps there was a succession crisis, perhaps the Hapsburgs were meddling somewhere.  Maybe Rome and the Union were just hungry.

Light blue shows territories gained by Rome in the war; dark blue is the Union gain.  We've got opportunities for intensive land warfare in various terrains, as well as naval actions (Vilnius vs Dutch, Rome vs. ~Hapsburgs).

The other powers don't actually have to get fully involved if they don't want to - they could have observers established with either side, for example - but there's no reason they couldn't.

Alternately, I suppose, this could be an earlier conflict...

[Walter]

Weakening the Union would perhaps benefit the Northern Kingdom, so they enter alongside Rome.  My gut says Iberia and Byzantines then pile in against Rome and so Parthia joins with Roman/Norse alliance out of enmity against Byzantium.

The Northern Kingdom alongside Rome???
A Roman/Norse alliance???

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

...uhm sorry. Got carried away with copy/paste. ;D

The problem, of course, is that I'm still trying to figure out what happens in the two centuries between the Second Northern War in 1660 and whatever happens in 1870.

A few things you may have seen in the possible battles list of the Northern Kingdom some posts back in this thread. Like I said, nothing is fixed, but maybe give you some ideas what happens in the North or could additionally happen in the North.

1048–1064: Invasions of Denmark.
1288–1295: War of the Outlaws. Against Denmark.
1495-1497: First Norse-Swedish War
1554–1557: Ivan the Terrible's Swedish War. Against Sweden.
1563–1570: First Northern War. Against Denmark.
1590–1595: Boris Godunov's Swedish War. Against Sweden.
1611–1613: Kalmar War. Against Sweden.
1643–1645: Torstenson War. Against Sweden.
1652–1654: First Norse-Dutch War.
1655–1660: Second Northern War.
1665-1667: Second Norse-Dutch War.
1672-1674: Third Norse-Dutch War.
1700–1721: The Great Northern War. Against Sweden.
1788–1790: Catherine the Great's Swedish War. Against Sweden.
1807–1814: Gunboat War. Against Sweden.

Note that it originally was created with the Swedish Empire in mind. Now that is has become the Vilnius Union and if you think that the lists of conflicts is something you can work with, you could determine when "Sweden" should become "Vilnius Union" or whatever name is appropriate for the time period.

As I was thinking about taking the role of those English Bullies here and there, I took the first three Anglo-Dutch Wars and changed them to Norse-Dutch Wars while playing with the idea to suggest to the Swedish player to take the later Anglo-Dutch Wars and change them to Swedish-Dutch Wars. If you were to apply them to your own timeline, it would be Vilnius (or whatever name will be used at the time of those conflicts)-Dutch Wars with the last one leading up to the absorption of the Northern Netherlands into your Union.

Spring thaw occurs starting on Black Sea and rolling north. Golden Horde Campaign plan is to first knock out Vilnus, reclaiming the grain basket of the Ukraine, and then engage Parthia, before using interior lines to follow the thaw to attack the Norse.

Aye. We shall meet them with canister and shell. :)

The one flaw with the Golden Horde Campaign plan is that after they attack Vilnius and then Parthia, the Norse will probably expect them to be bold enough to attack the Northern Kingdom as well at the same time, so they will either be ready for any Horde attacks or they will strike at the Horde before they can launch their attack. I kinda liked the idea to put something along the lines of the Battle of Nagashino in my list, having the sea of Horde Cavalry charge into oblivion against well-protected riflemen and guns. This could be the first crack in the Horde campaign which would lead up to it eventually breaking in your step 6. Having those naughty Romans pester us in the West will mean it will take a bit longer to make the Horde break.