Dear Web-Grognards staff, I would like to submit some suggestions for historical corrections in the campaign scenario for Europa Universalis, the French boardgame that inspired the popular computer game. Please include them on your site as "errata" or a "historical variant." Thank you very much, Evan Liaras 12/28/03 The 1492 campaign scenario includes several mistakes or omissions, some of which have been noted by the designers of the computer game and history buffs. Here is a list of the main inaccuracies/omissions and suggested corrections that can be made with minimal interference to the game system. 1) In 1492, the lands of the duchy of Burgundy (Lower Countries and Franche Comte) were ruled by the heir to the Spanish throne, Philip I; his son, Charles V, became king of Spain and Austria and Holy Roman emperor in 1519, but abdicated in 1559, dividing his lands again between the houses of Austria and Spain. It is a reasonable simplification to present the Lower Countries and Franche Comte as Spanish in 1492. Spain can tax Holland normally. If Milan is inherited by the Habsburgs, treat it as an Austrian province, allowing Spain to build troops there, but gaining no income. When Charles V accedes to the throne at the beginning of Period 2, alter political rule 53.5B: during his reign only, a declaration of war on Spain is also a declaration of war on Habsburg, if Spain wishes to involve them, without a loss in VP or stability for Spain. Charles V abdicates ("dies") at the beginning of turn 15, not 13, i.e. at the start of Period 3. At that time, if Milano has been inherited by the Habsburgs it becomes a normal Spanish province generating income. 2) Make Serbia a province of Hungary, instead of Turkey, and Kouban a province of Astrakhan, instead of Crimea, at the beginning of the game. Also, East Prussia and Memel are part of Latvia instead of Prussia and Hansa respectively. 3) Hungary and Bohemia were ruled by the same king until the Ottoman conquest in 1526. Modify rule 53.2 as follows: Hungary and Bohemia comprise one minor country in 1492. Add Bohemian basic forces to those of Hungary. If Hungary is conquered before 1535, Habsburg automatically inherits Bohemia and Hungary. This has the same effect as events #5 and #6 of Period 1 combined. If the Ottomans conquer Hungary, create a minor country called Transylvania, consisting of the provinces of Transylvania, Marozs, Carpathia, and Ruthenia (you can use the Hungary diplomatic counter and detachments, but note that the Hungarian army counter is controlled by Habsburg). Transylvania is a minor country vassal of Turkey, with diplomatic values, technology and forces identical to Wallachia. Rule 53.2B.2 applies to Transylvanian provinces when occupied by the Habsburg. Replace event #5 of period 1 with a new event, "Ottoman Expansionism." Replace event #6 of period 1 with a new event, "Russia-Poland War" (see below). 4) The Ottoman Empire has a hard time achieving its historical rapid expansion early in the game. The cancellation of the event "Habsburg inheritance of Hungary" prevents an ahistorical takeover of Hungary by its Habsburg rivals before the Turkish conquest. Some corrections are necessary to restore Turkish might. a) Make Crimea a vassal of Turkey at the beginning of the game (the Crimean Tatars accepted Ottoman suzeraignty in 1475). b) Replace event #5 of period 1 with the new event "Ottoman Expansionism": Turkey receives a temporary free CB against Persia OR the Mameluks for the current turn. The Ottomans attacked and defeated the Safavids in 1514, conquering Kurdistan, and then turned against the Mameluks in 1516. This would normally produce a great drop in stability, but the Ottomans were incredible at launching one war after the other in this period, so this event should help recreate that. c) Moldavia did not submit until 1512 and remained quite unruly in the 16th century. The Ottomans never suspended Wallachian and Moldavian autonomy, even if nominal. To reflect this, Moldavia begins in subsidies, not as vassal. Suspend rule 53.16A for Moldavia and Wallachia. Turkey cannot annex the two Danubian principalities by force. Instead, it can force them to become or revert to being vassals by conquering them. It can annex them only diplomatically and never permanently. d) Finally, a minor logical correction: add Coast of Mascat to the sea zones already discovered by Turkey in 1492, instead of Sea of Oman; add Sea of Oman and Gulf of Indus to the sea zones discovered when Oman or Aden come under Turkish control. 5) The religion of the Mameluks is Sunni, not Shia Islam. Therefore Turkey cannot convert them as a result of a peace resolution (correct rule 53.24F). 6) Some events concerning Russian history are out of chronological order. a) Events #16-18 in Period 2 are in the wrong period. The Russian conquest of the westernmost Polish territories happened before 1520. Make events #16-18 of Period 2 one new event called "Russia-Poland War" and use it to replace event #6 in Period 1. The war lasts two turns, reducing Foreign Trade Value by 150 D$ each turn. Woronez, Orel, and Smolensk become Russian at the end of the second turn. b) For realistic play, combine events #14, #15, and #19 of Period 2 into one event, "Russian Expansion." The first time the event takes place, Russia annexes Kazan, the second time it annexes Astrakhan, and the thrird time it annexes the Steppes. c) Event #2 in Period 4, the Time of Troubles in Russia, historically took place before 1615. Move it to Period 3, replacing event #2, Archangelsk. The effects of the Muscovy Trade Company take place automatically at the beginning of Period 3 instead (English traders accidentally discovered the northern coast of Russia while searching for a route to China in 1553). Modify rule 53.13A accordingly and allow England to benefit from the event immediately. Replace event #2 in Period 4 with the new event "Ukrainian Revolt": If Poland owns the provinces of Donetsk and/or Ukrayna, place a strong revolt and a revolt army (+) commanded by the Russian general Hetman in Donetsk (or Ukrayna, if Donetsk is not Polish). Russia controls the revolt and has a CB on Poland until the end of this period as long as the revolt is not fully suppressed. If no player controls Poland, it is played by England. d) Finally, with the Treaty of Nerchinsk (event #14, Period 5) China acquires the adjacent provinces in Amour area only, not in Baikal area. 7) Modify the provinces gained by the minor country Prussia (Brandenburg) as follows: a) Memel and East Prussia are part of the realm of Latvia (Teutonic Order) in 1492. Replace events #16-18 in period 2 with the new event "Annexation of Prussia by Brandenburg." When this event occurs, Brandenburg (Prussia) annexes the two provinces. If this event does not occur, the two provinces are annexed by Prussia by event #8 in period 2, Annexation of Latvia. Make event #19 in Period 3 (Memel becomes Prussian) same as event #8, Annexation of Latvia. b) Prussia annexes Ost Pommern as a result of either event #18 or event #1 in period 4. 8) Venice starts the game a little stronger than it was historically. Although Istria was controled by Venice, the city of Trieste was Austrian since 1382 and Venice did not control a continuous strip of land on the Adriatic coast. Ragusa was an independent republic and a vassal of Hungary. Make Istria a Habsburg province in 1492; it should not be considered a Venetial national province, as that would give Venice a permanent CB on Habsburg. As a result of this change, Venice has to ferry its troops across the Adriatic in order to attack Turkey, which was historically the case, and Austria can be attacked by sea. To simplify things, make Ragusa a part of the realm of Hungary in 1492. If Hungary is conquered before 1535 by any player, Ragusa becomes a province of Turkey (it actually remained independent under Turkish protection until 1806). 9) Note that Trade Centre Atlantique is owned by Spain in 1492 because Dutch commercial fleets are counted as Spanish FOR THIS PURPOSE ONLY until the Dutch revolt. This is not explicitly stated in the rules. 10) Modify the provinces gained by the minor country Sweden as follows: a) After event #8 in Period 2 (Annexation of Latvia), Sweden receives only Estonia; Livonia and Courland are annexed by Poland (this happened in 1561). b) If a stalemate occurs after event #1 in Period 4 (Thirty Years' War), Sweden receives West Pommern, not Ost Pommern, and Bremen. Ost Pommern is annexed by Prussia if event #18 of the same period has not occured yet. Kiel is annexed by Denmark along with Mecklenburg (actually Denmark only acquired Schleswig, and only later vassalized Holstein, but this is a fair simplification for game purposes). c) After event #19 in Period 4 (Sweden-Poland War), Poland cedes Livonia and Courland to Sweden (this happened in 1629; actually Riga was in Livonia, not Courland, but the way the provinces have been drawn incorrectly, it is best to equate Courland with Riga to avoid further complications). 11) The opening setup has Safavid Persia in place from the beginning (the dynasty was actually installed in 1502 after a period of turmoil) and omits some potential minor countries. Naples, Georgia, and Pskov could begin as vassals of Spain, Persia, and Russia respectively, but they are better left annexed to them from the start for simplification. The most notable omission is Navarra, consisting of the provinces of Euskadia and Adour. Euskadia was conquered by Spain in 1515, and the kingdom was finally absorbed into France in 1589 when Henry IV of Navarra acceded to the throne. Start Navarra as a Catholic minor country and a vassal of France with no diplomacy allowed on it. Its forces are one land detachment (9I, 1C) in Europe with Latin Technology (you can use Bohemia's markers). France cannot involve Navarra in its wars; Spain has a CB on Navarra as long as the latter controls Euskadia (a Spanish national province). Since Navarra is a French vassal, Spain can use this CB without declaring war on France only if it is already at war with France (historically this was the case). Navarra's capital is considered to be in Euskadia, and can be exceptionally annexed by Spain, in which case the capital moves to Pau. During the Wars of Religion in France (event #11 in period 3) Navarra and its forces are controlled by the Protestants. Navarra becomes permanently annexed by France at the end of the Wars of Religion, when Henry IV becomes king. 12) Modify events #7-9 and #11 in Period 7 as follows: In the "First Partition of Poland," Russia annexes Seweria, Kharkow, Ukranya, and Donetsk, Prussia annexes West Preussen, and Austria annexes Krakow, Galicia and (historically, Russia had already annexed all except Seweria). West Preussen should border Ost Preussen, but once again the borders are incorrectly drawn. In the "Second Partition of Poland," Russia annexes Volhynia, Polotsk and Byelorussia, and Prussia annexes Danzig and Posen. Place 2 strong revolts and a Polish army with a leader (?) in an ex-Polish province annexed through event #7. Event #9 is replaced by a "Third Partition of Poland" in which Russia annexes Courland, Pripet and Lithuania, Prussia annexes Masovia, Austria annexes Podlasia, and the minor country Poland disappears. Change the wording in event #11 of the same period to read: "if event no. 7 HAS occurred, re-roll for another event." In other words, the Confederation of Bar forces Russia to fight for the partition of Poland. Altogether these changes should make for a more historical game. Please add to them or correct me if I made mistakes.