Bohemian Empire: Part 13: 1590-1599: Denmark in Empire

So I have Expand Empire CB, which I can use to make countries join - and that gives me some free IA.

I got Moldova, Ferrara, Savoy, and Naxos. And while at it I made some of their allies release a bunch of OPMs like Corsica, Lucca, Parma, Donauworth, Bamberg.

I wanted to have a glorious fight against Spain for Naples cores on Sicily, but it turns out they expired, as Paradox split Neapolitan and Sicilian cultures. Those silly microcultures are seriously annoying.

Well, what else can I do? Turns out I can force Denmark to join the HRE. I didn't expect that. France which I recently allied was on their side, but everybody in Europe really hated Denmark, so I had a huge alliance on my side - all the while France was busy fighting Spain.

I made France and Pope release some minors, and got Denmark to join the Empire. A small problem is that they're heretics, but I'll get to it eventually. Not sure how, as Denmark -200 hates me, and even if they loved me they're enormous, but opportunities show up every now and then, and heretic penalty is per country, so they only cost me as much as Ulm would.

Than unfortunately only added mainland of Denmark, not Norway or Livonia, so if I force them to release Norway or Livonia, they'll leave the Empire. Quite annoying.

That costs 25% AE cost, the same as returning cores, so it wasn't quite free, but I managed to convince everyone to please not coalition me just yet.

After that war, I passed the 4th reform. It's going to be about 15 years between reforms by just ticking IA, so counting all other sources I'll be able to revoke about 1650-1670.

Once our 15 year truces expire, I plan to add about 5 more countries I recently released to the HRE, if they're still around. It would be great if I somehow managed to fragment France so much that what's left can be added, but I'm not sure if I can make it.

Playing as Austria, and having all those CBs by 1470s would be really powerful - this late they're just less amazing.

Oh and there's supposedly some way to make countries join peacefully, but I have no idea how that even works.

Danish War. Spain's separate war with France distracted their troops, so it wasn't too bad.

My navies were getting wrecked by pretty much everyone, and wargoal was on an island, so that was a bit awkward, but it somehow ended up working out fine.

Bohemian Empire: Part 12: 1575-1590: End of the Turk Menace

Third Swedish War of Independence erupted - it was Sweden, me, Muscovy, and Great Britain vs Denmark, France, and Pope.

Brits sunk Danish ships, so we had supremacy in the North, but French and Papal navies turned out to be stronger than mine in the Mediterranean.

Sweden decided to troll me, and gave my vassal Naples most of its cores from Pope, without any discount as this is wrong CB. This is of course total bullshit, core return should always be at AE discount, but EU4 CB system is just not smart enough to support that. And that's after I annexed what was left of Mantua. Together, that meant France and Spain both in coalition territory - fortunately France was already involved in Swedish Independence War, so we'd have a long truce.

I integrated Hungary, mostly to get proper control over Ragusa trade node, and that was another opinion hit with all HRE members.

Then I destroyed what was left of the Ottomans, and that was the last straw for the Mamluks, who broke our long alliance. I allied France instead, so if Spain coalitions me, they can get some French land maybe.

I passed 3rd reform, this time without any extra delays. That gave me Expand Empire CB which I can use to force minors into the HRE. Sounds like fun, except people say it's bugged.

Bohemian Empire: Part 11: 1563-1575: Finally Reforming HRE

So I read the files, and that Imperial Incident that makes junior PU partners join HRE, it doesn't happen for the emperor. It's baffling why, but that means Commonwealth won't autojoin, and so I'll need to pay mana to integrate them someday.

Anyway, I just noticed that Naples got severely beaten my the Pope, and have very little land left. Then I cleaned up Venice, and got some land from Aq Qoyunlu. Georgia emerged, so I diplovassalized them, and threaned war for one of their cores.

Naples separatists even occupied half of Papal States, and had army five times bigger than the Pope, but EU4 rebels mechanics are so pointless that never amounted to anything.

All that got me over diplo relations limit, so I integrated Stettin, and that made the whole HRE really angry at me. Fortunately there's nobody strong to back all those minors, so no coalition happened so far.

I attacked Ragusa, Ottomans respected their 1444's silly guarantee, so I broke their alliances with Muscovy and Tunis. Mamluks took full advantage of it and attacked them right away, taking half their land. Guarantees should expire after like 30 years, this is just silliness.

I was finally had IA to resume reforming HRE, but Muscovy dragged me into some pointless war with Nogai, so I wasted 24 IA before I was at peace and could press the button, basically half another reform. I hate AI allies.

I have no idea how I managed to keep alliances with Muscovy and Mamluks for so long.

Mamluk alliance hinges on me sending insults to Ming or Spain on a regular basis

Muscovy alliance on using diplomatic trickery to fight their allies without fighting Muscovy itself

Of all the great powers, Denmark/Sweden is really due for destruction. The Sweden want independence, and this time I can support it without it being too much hassle.