Author's Note: This is inspired from TWMala's Saxony Campaign on Empire Total War, Darth Mod. This was originally my submitted comment to his most recent video on the campaign in a role-play format, and decided to role-play as a foreign attaché from Westphalia since, in the campaign, Westphalia and Saxony are on excellent terms. As a result, I decided that this would be a great character to show.

So, after some editing, changing various parts, and with some additions, I turned this into a fanfic! Hope you guys like it. Man, I wish I had a computer strong enough to play games like Empire Total War. I'd LOVE to play these minor factions. ;-;

P.S. I love Westphalia! Love their flag! Beautiful color scheme! Bavaria's great, too! ^-^

P.P.S. If you have any suggestions for Total War fics, please let me know. Over the following, I will be writing for: Medieval 2 Total War, Shogun 2 Total War, Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai, Thrones of Britannia, Age of Charlemagne, Medieval Kingdoms 1212 AD, maybe Attila Total War, and Empire Total War. Also, let me know what nations you'd like me to cover.

Or, if you'd like, you could request me to write a fic concerning a campaign you've done, or a specific event in your campaign!

Disclaimer: I've never played Empire Total War, since I don't have the computer for it. I have only binged-watched other people playing it. XD

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To His Most Formidable Excellency, Field Marshal Johann Kaspar von Bellegarde,

General-in-Chief of the Saxon Army, Commander of the 1st Saxon Army, and Chairman of the King's Military Cabinet of the Kingdom of Saxony

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Warm Salutations, Sir!

Please forgive me for my sudden missive, sir, but I have sent this to inform you that I am newly come to Prague from Dresden to become one of your military attachés and advisors, courtesy of His Illustrious Majesty, Joseph Clemens I, King of Westphalia, who wishes to solidify the bonds of kinship between your noble people and ours. He regrets that he couldn't send troops to aid you against the tyranny of Austria. If only the irrepressible Dutch would quit their war against us! It is rather fortunate that the Spanish are helping us against them, and that we are keeping their forces from marching towards your domain. So praise God for such a blessing! Although I dearly hope for the defeat of the Dutch forces soon.

His Excellency also wishes to inform your King that he does not begrudge your refusal in coming to Westphalia's defence when we were attacked by the Dutch, as you yourselves had your own struggles against the Prussians and, later on, the Austrians, and couldn't afford to send any forces to our aid.

Firstly, I would like to congratulate your forces on both suppressing the Hannoverian revolts and in repelling the Prussian and Austrian invasions against the sovereignty and independence of your nation. From what I've heard, they were fierce and well-fought battles and you and your officers have done well in out-maneuvering and out-witting your enemies. You've certainly made them bleed terribly! How they haven't come to you begging for peace is beyond reason! I can only surmise it to be due to their overwhelming pride at losing to a smaller and weaker nation — not to mention that you have their regions that they want back — and wanting to save face.

Concerning the Hannover rebellions, I have noticed that your tax policies have not lowered taxes in Hannover. If you lowered the taxes for both the nobles and lower classes, I believe this will solve your public order problem, allowing your forces to leave the city without having to worry about any rebel forces popping up. Your forces would've been able to leave much, much sooner to either aid your main army in Prague and eventually defeat the Austrians enough to capitulate or attack the Prussians in West Prussia (East Prussia now that the Russians have taken the former), the Swedes in Copenhagen, or even the Dutch in Amsterdam.

However, if you're wishing to gift Hannover to another country, then I have three suggestions:

1) Gift Hannover to Denmark

Considering the Danish government is now exiled in Iceland, you should consider then, sir, gifting Hannover to them as a gift for helping us in the war effort against Sweden, as well as compensation for losing Denmark and Norway to them. In doing so will put us in their good books and will surely wish to repay us for our generosity with a renewed alliance and trade rights... among other things. Also, they will become a buffer between us and the Swedes. And it'll also improve their interests as I'm sure that, with Iceland being their only province now, their economy is struggling to help them build up a decent army to take back their lands. It is my proposition, then, to have this be the first stepping stone in us helping the Danes reclaim Scandinavia from the Swedes, and even have them claim Stockholm as theirs.

Indeed, my plan, Operation Tidal-Wave, proposes this as the first stepping stone to help the Danes take back Copenhagen, as well as Norway and Stockholm, and gifting these three regions to Denmark in exchange for Iceland. Iceland will be an excellent base for building any navy or army forces unharassed, since no one is interested in adding Iceland as one of their territories! Iceland will also be important as it'll be closer for your ships to sail to the Americas or to South America, West/East Africa, or the East Indies to trade for sugar, spices, and ivory.

Then, after that, take Finland, and then gifting it to Russia in exchange for an alliance and trade rights in order to prevent them from trying anything funny with that army they got in West Prussia next to Berlin! After this, I'm sure the Swedes will have no choice but to capitulate for peace (unless you just wish to end their existence as a nation by taking out their last region at that point.)

I highly recommend this plan, sir! Of course, this is ONLY after you use this momentum to push Austria to sue for peace after taking Vienna and/or Silesia.

2) Gift Hannover to Poland

Gifting Hannover to Poland would be smart since they are your ally, and this will allow you to resume trade with Poland which has since been revoked because of Austrian interference with trade routes on land. We must help Poland out so that they can continue their fight against Austria. We cannot let Austria or Prussia get any stronger than they have thus far!

3) Gift Hannover to Westphalia

While this may be rather based on my end, gifting Hannover to Westphalia and offering to help them fight the Dutch in exchange for trade and alliance — if you haven't already — would be beneficial, as Westphalia would become a buffer state between you and Sweden, and Sweden is not at conflict with Westphalia and we have powerful allies, so it is less likely for them to attack Hannover. Not only this, but Westphalia, being a German state who has had no dealings with them previously, would perhaps be an easier pill to swallow rather than one that has been their enemy for years.

Regardless of whom you'll give Hannover to, this will allow you to send forces through (since you have military access from your alliance with them) the region to get to Amsterdam and take it, since the Austrians are hesitant in attacking you and it'll take time for them to regroup and attack you again, allowing you to pressure the Dutch to sue for peace. You can then either gift this region to Westphalia or Denmark as compensation for their hard-fought wars against the Dutch, or gift the region to Spain in exchange for trade and an alliance that would hopefully make your enemies hesitate to attack you again.

However, if we wish to keep Amsterdam for ourselves, I would suggest that, in preparation for any future revolts, destroy the school there and replace it with a... hotel house, was it? Something that will make them happier. Or a church that will promote Catholicism, since the Dutch are Protestant. And I also suggest, sir, that you go to the tax policy documents and have the government lower the taxes for both classes to the lowest possible point. While I know that this would probably receive great opposition, as it will hit our economy in the short term, I feel that we must bite the bullet. Amsterdam will give us more income, at least, on top of giving us the most prosperous port city in perhaps all of Europe! In the long term, though, it shall make it easier for our occupation forces to control the Dutch population and will quicken the time needed to do so, allowing your forces to leave sooner than usual while being able to leave without having to worry about any revolts. Hopefully.

Also, since you'll have taken their capital, I'm sure that after a time, the other Dutch colonies of Ceylon in India and Curacao and Dutch Guyana in the Americas might possibly and eventually rebel and become independent, allowing the possible opportunity to take them over when we finally get some breathing room to sail over to those places. (Just so you know, the other Dutch territories will be just as wealthy with their spices, gems, tea, and gold/silver mines, so claiming them will help our economy greatly.) Essentially, take the capital and watch the other territories fall to ruin. Divide and conquer!

After that, destroy the coffeehouse (or whatever) building in the Berlin region and replace it with a school since it seems like the Prussian people have finally accepted Saxon occupation. This way, you'll be able to double your research for military technologies and theories.

And since Amsterdam has an admiralty building, perhaps we could enlist the help of those Dutch instructors to train up some regiments of marines, since the other nations have trained their own, it seems. Hmm... our very own Saxon Marines! Won't that be a sight for weary eyes! Now we just need Westphalia to train some of their own, and then the world shall be put to rights! Haha!

So, in summary, my proposal has multiple parts, and is as follows:

(1) Hand Hannover to either Denmark or Westphalia in exchange for trade rights and alliance (if you haven't gotten them already). Doing so will have them be a buffer for us against the Swedes.

(2) Send the 2nd Saxon Army (hopefully with a general) either to (A) march to Prague to aid the Main Army against Austrian assaults, or (B) to aid Westphalia against the Dutch and capture Amsterdam and sue the Dutch for peace.

— (A) If the first option, then save the Capture of Amsterdam for after you see the Austrian Campaign to its finality!

— (B) If the second option, then capture Amsterdam, destroy the school and replace it with a commonhouse or church, and lower the taxes in the "Policies" section. After that, sue the Dutch for peace. If they still refuse to accept peace, then stay in Amsterdam until their colonies capitulate (turn rebel). So basically wait until a message arrives with the news of the United Provinces ceasing to exist as a nation!

— (C) If you wish to not keep Amsterdam, then give it to either Westphalia or Spain in exchange for an alliance and trade rights (if you haven't already), and send your forces back to Saxon lands for replenishment and preparation for your next campaign.

(3) Regardless of whether you picked the first or second option, destroy the Austrians completely. That way, your borders will be safe and any reason for other nations to be at war against you on account of their alliance with Austria will no longer be legitimate for them to continue, since Austria will no longer exist.

(4) Construct a barracks so that it'll open the next batch of military research. The reason for this is so that we can research the "Fire By Rank" training drills as soon as we're able! Since most countries don't get this tech for a good long while, if you are able to research this, you'll be *LIGHT YEARS* ahead of your enemies and you'll be able to defend better against them! They'll be able to give a faster and heavier rate of fire than your enemies will be able to unleash, which equals fewer casualties for you and heavier casualties for your enemies! This will help you against enemies who have greater numbers than you do while saving more of your men. So please find us an instructor who can teach us "Fire By Rank"!

I have heard rumors that there is a Prussian instructor who knows this of this drill, and has become disenchanted with the current affairs of the Prussian army as half of Prussia's forces have now become overly dependent on marines, mercenaries, and militia (or the "Three Forbidden 'M's of the Army," as he coined it), with only half of it composing of cavalry and line infantry, with some artillery units. I believe his name is Hershel von Babenberg? I'm sure your Intelligence Officer will know about this than I will.

(5) In Berlin, raise up a new army — the 3rd Saxon Army — little-by-little, as the months go by during the Austrian/Dutch Campaigns. This is to ensure that neither Sweden nor Russia/Prussia attacks your backside whilst you are engaged elsewhere in your campaigns against the Austrians and Dutch. This will also ensure that any invaders from the north or east will end up attacking a fresh and prepared army rather than an army exhausted and depleted from their campaigns. Ensure that you choose a competent officer to command it, along with ten regiments of infantry, four regiments of horse, and 2-4 units of artillery. Hopefully howitzers, or 12lb cannons if you're not able to gain howitzers when the time comes.

(6) After the Austrian Wars have concluded, and your forces have replenished, send your legions upon Scandinavia to help Denmark reclaim it from Sweden! Blitzkrieg all the way, sir! Don't give them time to react! Build three sloops. Once they're built, send one to scout out Norway, and another towards Stockholm and Finland, to figure out the enemy's strength. (Keep your spies in Central/Eastern Europe!) Be sure to relay orders to the captains to sail back to port to prevent Sweden's navy from intercepting them!

(7) Once reconnaissance has been done, gather your three armies near Berlin, then put each army in one sloop and sail them to Copenhagen, Norway, and Stockholm so that they can besiege those cities all at once. (Even better if Denmark's forces fight with you if you gave them Hannover!) Conquer them and then gift them to Denmark in exchange for Iceland, which will become a great base for you to build up army and navy units unharassed by other nations since nobody wants Iceland. There you can build ships and sail them to trade nodes, and any regiments you train up there can be sent to claim any Dutch and Pirate Islands in the Americas (on top of any rebel territories that may be there), as well as the Dutch island of Ceylon in India. If you can claim these territories, you will perhaps be able to build up these regions unharassed by other countries as well.

(8) Once you hand Scandinavia over to Denmark — unless, of course, you wish to keep those territories for yourself — you may either pressure Sweden to sue for peace. Or, if it fails, destroy them completely!

(9) Once your war with Sweden has concluded, all armies may return home to Saxony to replenish and rest, and we may focus on Saxony's infrastructure and economy. You may also build up a navy to increase your profit from the trade nodes, and maybe conquer some more territories in other lands. As I've said, the Americas make for a ripe target. However, I would suggest the North African entities such as Morocco and those territories belonging to the Barbary States, which will end their raids on your trade routes. Other nations will also view us warmly should you take them out.

(10) Perhaps give any Austrian territories you've conquered, aside from Prague and perhaps even Vienna, to Poland, so that they can stay in the conflict and also be a buffer for you against any potential enemies. While this may be unfavorable economically, you can always make up for it by capturing other territories and getting trade nodes. And this will prevent you from becoming overextended, spreading yourself thin, and risking you to be next to potential enemies such as the Ottoman Empire, Spain, Italian States, or others. As I've previously stated, focusing on the Americas and North Africa would be best as Saxony does not have the resources nor the manpower to take on the major powers.

— (A) I would also suggest building a powerful navy when the kingdom has the funds and the economy improves so that you can afford it. We'll need it to protect ourselves against the predatory eyes of other nations whom have large navies.

As for Prussia, I don't think we should worry about them. At this point in time, they'll probably end up getting absorbed by Russia and Poland, eventually. With Berlin and West Prussia taken from them, they're struggling both economically and martially. And they only have East Prussia and Lithuania (the latter which they took from Poland) left. I doubt Prussia will be able to attack us at all for a long while, if ever, since Russia and Poland aren't giving them any breathing room to move.

And that, my lord, is my proposal as to our operations concerning the current situation we now find ourselves in. Should anything change, I shall adapt this plan accordingly! I await your response to this operation plan, sir! Please feel free to change it according to your discretion, as you've been on the field in this front far longer than I.

Concerning the 2nd Saxon Army, I have heard that it's currently without a general and instead is led by a colonel. While admirable, I would suggest promoting him to the rank of general for the sake of his troops. An army not properly led by a general will only lead to failure in the end. Considering 1/3 of this force consists of Landwehr Militia units, they will fight better and harder if led by a general versus a lesser officer. I'm sure it's also affecting the replenishment of depleted regiments as well. So I would humbly suggest, my lord, to promote the good colonel to the rank of Sergeant-General. This will be essential to your war against Austria! Though only after we replenish our forces.

On another note, concerning the suspicious lack of funds when financial documents say otherwise — and with Saxony free from Polish obligations — I can only come to the conclusion that, if Poland isn't ripping us off from trade, it is most likely due to enemies raiding on our trade routes. Do not forget that, besides pirates, ships from nations at war with us are expected to attack any trade ships that either bear our flag or are carrying shipments for Saxony. So if our funds are half of what they should be, it is most likely due to our trade routes getting raided. This makes it even more imperative that we end these wars as soon as possible and eventually build up our navy!

Speaking of overseas trade, I suggest not focusing on such things until we at least end conflicts with at least one or two nations. However, if getting funds is so essential, then I would advise you to command the construction of a fleet of three sloops per available trade node. The more ships that are together on a trade node, the less likely it is to get attacked by pirates/enemy ships. (So if you wish to claim a trade node, please make sure that the fleet is no less than 3 ships.) Also, brigs would be better since they're bigger and will help give you more wealth. Though I know that they're a bit more expensive than sloops. So stick to sloops for now. Though I would advise you to save every gold piece you've got for improving your economy, repairing your infrastructure, and training new regiments, and rebuilding existing and depleted ones.

As I have stated earlier, I would humbly suggest, sir, that, if you haven't already, we try to ally with Westphalia, Denmark, Russia, and perhaps even Spain if we're able. We need allies to help stay other nations from attacking us wantonly. I know for certain that Westphalia, foremost, along with Denmark and Wurttemberg, wishes to be Saxony's ally. We smaller nations must stick together in order to prevent the bigger ones from throwing their weight around and consume us for their gain and our detriment.

Please pardon the rather long letter, which has now become all but three pages deep. Since I have just been given this new position, I've had to binge-read every document and report on hand (while in a carriage traveling to Prague from Berlin and Dresden, no less!) in order to gauge the current situation and give you accurate advice and ideas/suggestions. Certainly doesn't help that there is much happening and many enemies to defeat with a short timetable!

Please use me and my knowledge and experience to the fullest according to your discretion, sir! It would be of great honor for me to aid our great ally, and, thus, my country as well, and honor my Liege as well, through my service.

As I am now in Prague as I am writing this to you, I shall take a rest to recover from the long journey. By the morrow, I shall make haste to the Army Headquarters and join you at the next meeting to discuss the army's current situation as your military attaché, officially.

I look forward to working with you, Field Marshal! Auf Wiedersehen!

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Your faithful servant,

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Clemens Bachmann, Major

Military Attaché to the General Staff; Army of the Kingdom of Saxony

Formerly an Executive Officer of the 4th Life Guard Dragoons Regiment; Westphalian Royal Guard; Royal Army of Westphalia.