Prussia (ETW Faction)
| Prussia (ETW Faction) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name: | Prussia |
| From Game: | Empire: Total War |
| Religion: | Protestant |
| Culture: | European |
| Playable: | |
Prussia is one of the 11 playable nations in Empire: Total War's Grand Campaign. It is also a major faction in the game.
Contents
Overview
Prussia itself has only been “German” since the 13th Century, when the Teutonic Knights carved out a new Christian state on the Baltic coast. The present Kingdom of Prussia is a new state, the result of a union between the duchies of Brandenburg and Prussia, and it is a Kingdom only because the current ruler, Elector Frederick III has decided to improve his status to that of King! In doing so, however, he has been careful not to offend the Holy Roman Emperor, the Archduke of Austria, and calls himself the King “in” Prussia, not the King “of” Prussia. The form of words is a fig leaf: Frederick is King. And he is the king of a potentially powerful and influential Protestant nation, a centre of gravity within “the Germanies” for all those who would look elsewhere for a lead than Catholic Austria.
The Prussians believe – not without reason – that their virtues as a people can carry them through any trouble: martial discipline, sacrifice, a sense of order, but this sense of duty should not be confused with ignorance or intolerance, no matter what others may say. Prussians have always had to fight, but that has made them competent, not bloodthirsty. They have the potential to become a great continental power thanks to their martial traditions, many of which can be traced back to the Teutonic Knights. These could form the basis of a truly world-beating army. Under the right guidance, they could unite the German-speaking peoples into a single entity, dominate the Baltic and, perhaps, extend their reach far beyond the confines of Central Europe.
Unit Details
Prussia has access to excellent light cavalry, above average light infantry, superb line infantry, and superior morale in general. Along with Sweden, Prussia is one of only two nations to have access to Superior Line Infantry, excellent units that are passable substitutes for guards accessed much later in the game. Their guards are among the best units in the game, with unmatched reloading skill and morale. Prussia has the advantage of having some of the cheapest line infantry in the game, despite the fact that they are the second best after only British line infantry.
As with most other nations, Prussia has access to most naval units, with the exception of razees, steamships, and eastern ships. However, they lack the resources and the ports to field a navy that can stand up to other, more traditional naval powers such as France and Great Britain.
Prussia begins the campaign with the Plug Bayonet technology already researched, giving them a large edge over their neighbors in terms of melee capability for the first few turns.
Starting Position
Prussia lies in Middle and Eastern Europe on the shores of the Baltic Sea. The country is ruled by an absolute monarch from its capital Berlin in Brandenburg. Furthermore, East Prussia and its capital Königsberg are under Prussian rule. However, East Prussia and Brandenburg are not connected to each other. Between them there lies Gdansk, one of Poland's cities. To the west and southwest, Prussia's Brandenburg borders the minor nations Hannover and the Polish protectorate Saxony. In Brandenburg's east there lies the kingdom of Poland-Lithuania which also borders East Prussia to the south and west. In the north, East Prussia is bordered by yet another Polish protectorate, Courland. While Prussia doesn't have a fleet at the beginning of the game, there is a Prussian field army in East Prussia along with garrisons in Berlin and Königsberg. These armies are notable for being much stronger than their neighbors in the beginning of the game, encouraging rapid expansion. Furthermore, Prussia starts the game with the gentleman Leibniz and a college in Magdeburg where different technologies can be researched. To the west and the south, Prussia is surrounded by rich territories controlled by minor nations, but should it attempt to unite these quickly, the rest of Europe would quickly become unfriendly or hostile. Prussia's greatest immediate threats, however, come from its two largest neighbors: Poland-Lithuania, and Austria. Neither are on good terms with Prussia, and may declare war on it early. Prussia and Austria are almost guaranteed to go to war at some point as both require the other's home territories as victory conditions.
Politically and economically speaking, Prussia is in a somewhat worrisome situation. Since Prussia initially only has two regions, it must expand quickly to support the kind of army it would need to deal with so many unfriendly neighbors; however, expansion will almost certainly lead to conflict with even more enemies. It is surrounded almost exclusively by Catholic powers, and it will encounter yet more Catholics as it attempts to unite a greater Germany. The only Protestant nations that Prussia has contact with are Great Britain, the United Provinces, Sweden, Denmark, and Hannover, and none of them can be expected to lend much assistance in Prussia's diplomatic and military conquests. Sweden in particular is actually hostile against Prussia despite shared religions due to historical grievances. It is not uncommon for multiple nations to declare war on Prussia within the first few turns.
In sum, Prussia has a great potential to develop into the world power it historically did evolve into, but it must make every move cautiously and with intelligence, lest it quickly discover that it bit off more than it could chew.
In terms of ministers and rulers, Prussia has the above average Frederick I as king, as well as some of the best ministers in the game. Since Prussia is an absolute monarchy, it can maintain these advantages for a very long time. Sooner or later, Frederick I is replaced by his son Frederick II, a much more competent ruler.
Victory Conditions
Short Campaign
Capture and hold 15 regions by the end of the year 1750, including: Bohemia & Moravia, Brandenburg, Austria, Wurttemberg, Rhineland, Poland, Silesia, Bavaria, East Prussia, Hannover, Saxony, Alsace-Lorraine, Denmark, and West Prussia.
Long campaign
Capture and hold 25 regions by the end of the year 1799, including: Bohemia & Moravia, Brandenburg, Austria, Wurttemberg, Rhineland, Poland, Silesia, Bavaria, East Prussia, Hannover, Saxony, Alsace-Lorraine, Denmark, and West Prussia.
World domination
Capture and hold 40 regions by the end of the year 1799, including: Brandenburg.
Basics at start
- Protectorates – None
- Allies – None
- Trade Partners – Poland-Lithuania, Hannover
- Enemies – Barbary States, Pirates
- Religion – Protestant
- Government – Absolute Monarchy
- Ruler – Friedrich I (King)
- Population – 2,165,685
- Prosperity - Moderate
- Prestige – Weak
- Treasury – 8000
- Technology – Plug Bayonet
- Gentlemen – Gottfried Liebniz (Brandenburg)
- Missionaries – Gottfried Arnold (East Prussia)
- Rakes – Karl Moor (Brandenburg)
- Generals - Leopold von Anhalt-Dessau (Berlin), Alexander zu Dohna-Schlobitten (East Prussia)
- Admirals - None
Europe Theatre
Berlin, Brandenburg
- Starting Buildings – Barracks, Cannon Foundry, Royal Palace, Conservatorium
- Infrastructure - Basic Roads
- Population – 1,216,906
- Wealth – 5783
- Religion – Protestantism 95.0%, Catholicism 5.0%
- Starting Towns/Ports – Mecklenburg Farmland (Peasant Farms), Lussatia Farmland (Peasant Farms), Rostock (Trading Port), Potsdam (Weaver’s Cottage), Magdeburg (College)
- Later Villages/Ports – Wismar (Town), Stetting (Town), Koslin (Town)
Konigsberg, East Prussia
- Starting Buildings – Barracks, Governor’s Palace, Cannon Foundry, Settlement Fortifications
- Infrastructure - Basic Roads
- Population – 948,779
- Wealth – 4051
- Religion – Protestantism 80.0%, Catholicism 20.0%
- Starting Towns/Ports – Masuria Farmland (Not Developed), Tilsit (Craft Workshop Weavers), Tannenburg (Coaching Inn)
- Later Villages/Ports – Memel (Port)
