http://tspwiki.com/index.php?title=1449
Here are some one liners...
China's Great Wall and the Lost Emperor -- After a successful battle with the Mongols the Chinese Emperor is captured on his way home by a force of 5,000 Mongols. How does a force of 5,000 beat a force of 500,000? Carefully.
Say Hello to My Little Friend: Mons(ter) Meg -- Mons Meg is a bombard cannon that throw a quarter ton projectile. It is a gift by the Duke of Burgundy to King James the 2nd of Scotland.
The English Get Spanked By the French... Again -- King Henry the 6th of England is losing battles and land. He is going to lose France entirely and this will set up the conditions for the War of the Roses.
China's Great Wall and the Lost Emperor
The previous Chinese Emperor has spent a lot of treasure and manpower in building up the Border Wall (what we know as the Great Wall of China). Unfortunately any wall is a waste of bricks if it isn't part of a more comprehensive defense plan. The Mongols have mounted a three-prong attack and Emperor Zhengtong is leading his army to defend the wall. Before he leaves he appoints his brother as regent and sets out with his troops, following the border and risking his flank. He arrives in time to repel the attack, but on the way back, the Emperor repeats his risky move and comes too close to the border rather than lead his army over his own lands. (Armies can be destructive as they tramp through your garden.) A small army of 5,000 Mongols wipes out the Emperor's forces of 500,000 and takes him captive. His brother (the regent) ransoms him and holds him under house arrest for several years. Zhengtong will be given the title of "grand emperor" that will be quite grand but not really emperor. [1] [2] [3] [4]
My Take by Alex Shrugged
How can 5,000 Mongols destroy an army of 500,000 Chinese led by their Emperor? The most direct problem is that the Emperor is 22 years old with very little military experience. He strings out his forces parallel to the border allowing the Mongols to strike at any point and be devastating locally. Next, the position of commander-in-chief was abolished because it was a threat to the Emperor. Wars are run directly by the Emperor or troop movements are decided by committee from the Capital. (I am reminded of the Vietnam War when President Johnson was picking bombing targets from Washington, D.C..[5]) Finally, armies are supplied by local communities which means the army is often poorly supplied if not starving. The Chinese will be throwing up another line of walls. It will almost be the death of them... almost.[6]
How can 5,000 Mongols destroy an army of 500,000 Chinese led by their Emperor? The most direct problem is that the Emperor is 22 years old with very little military experience. He strings out his forces parallel to the border allowing the Mongols to strike at any point and be devastating locally. Next, the position of commander-in-chief was abolished because it was a threat to the Emperor. Wars are run directly by the Emperor or troop movements are decided by committee from the Capital. (I am reminded of the Vietnam War when President Johnson was picking bombing targets from Washington, D.C..[5]) Finally, armies are supplied by local communities which means the army is often poorly supplied if not starving. The Chinese will be throwing up another line of walls. It will almost be the death of them... almost.[6]
Say Hello to My Little Friend: Mons(ter) Meg
When is launching a quarter ton of stone through the air the most fun? Just about any time. What can make it more fun? Gun powder and Mons(ter) Meg. Phillip the Good, the Duke of Burgundy has this monster cannon (called a bombard) made for King James the 2nd of Scotland. It will fire a stone projectile of 550 pounds and will be used to break down defensive walls during a siege. It is so difficult to move that it will eventually lose it usefulness. Mons Meg will be used only for ceremonies until it bursts apart. In the modern day will be restored and returned to Edinburgh Castle. [7] [8]
My Take by Alex Shrugged
Gun powder is still very weak. The formula is not optimal and they aren't even corning the powder which is a very dangerous procedure but would increase the burn rate of the powder by several magnitudes. And the metal in these iron weapons are still poorly made and unreliable. These weapons are extremely heavy so moving them to where you need them becomes exceedingly difficult and expensive. That is why they became obsolete.
Gun powder is still very weak. The formula is not optimal and they aren't even corning the powder which is a very dangerous procedure but would increase the burn rate of the powder by several magnitudes. And the metal in these iron weapons are still poorly made and unreliable. These weapons are extremely heavy so moving them to where you need them becomes exceedingly difficult and expensive. That is why they became obsolete.
The English Get Spanked By the French... Again
Every since Joan of Arc was burned at the stake, the French army has been kicking the backside of the English. The City of Rouen surrendered to King Henry the 5th of England in 1419. It is also the place where Joan of Arc was judged and eventually burned at the stake in 1431. Now the city has been retaken by the French. King Henry the 6th has been a poor military leader when compared to his father or just about anyone else. He is going to lose France to the French forever. [9] [10]
My Take by Alex Shrugged
King Henry's wife, Margaret of Anjou, is the niece of the King Charles the 7th of France, her husband's main rival. As King Henry loses more and more battles (and land) the nobles of England will become restless and blame Margaret as sort of a fifth column or spy. She will become one of the main characters in the upcoming War of the Roses, a war over the Throne of England between the Lancasters and the Yorks. [11] [12] [13]
King Henry's wife, Margaret of Anjou, is the niece of the King Charles the 7th of France, her husband's main rival. As King Henry loses more and more battles (and land) the nobles of England will become restless and blame Margaret as sort of a fifth column or spy. She will become one of the main characters in the upcoming War of the Roses, a war over the Throne of England between the Lancasters and the Yorks. [11] [12] [13]
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