Joining the Imaginations campaign

Schloß Maximilian

In June last year I was chuffed when I was asked by Joe Fisher (no relation) whether I'd be interested in joining the Napoleonic-era-inspired imaginations campaign that he had recently commenced. This is the fourth such campaign that he has run and he has noted that "...I do think it my last". Never say never Joe!

This fact/thought just added to my feeling of 'specialness' to be asked, as an outsider and relative unknown, to join in the campaign of a long-standing group of friends/wargamers. Having double-checked with Joe, to ensure that I could fulfill the commitments, I was 'in'!

I was duly given control of the small Kingdom of Bayerische, a member state of the Empire.

Gridded map of Bayerische showing major towns, from Imaginations Campaign page

The campaign began in 1800 (2020) and takes place in 'real time', so that a day in our time is a day in the campaign. Hence, today is the 21st June 1803. I will am playing as a map player, so that any combats that my forces get involved in will be resolved on the table top by Joe and others.

Even with this limited role it has taken a while for me to get a sense of who is who, what is what and what the @#%$ is going on!

As I said in recent correspondence with Joe, I honestly, really do not know what is going on, but I see that as part of the fun. This is due partly to confusion on my part and, I think and hope, a bit of deliberate obfuscation by him. A contributing factor was also that I had not put sufficient effort into my ‘homework’ for the campaign—something that I corrected to some extent over the past weekend.

Joes is doing a marvellous job. He puts in loads of time and effort to keep it going, to make it an enjoyable and challenging campaign and, especially, one that is free-flowing, giving the players as much license as possible while keeping us to task.

Map of Bayerische's northern and eastern neighbours, also from Imaginations Campaign page

Map showing Bayerische's southern neighbour, likewise from Imaginations Campaign page

I'll turn over to Kurfürst Jacob I von Bayerische to provide some recent historical background.

Like Karl XII of Sweden, whose life I have studied in depth, the death last year of König Rolf II, my beloved Father, plunged me, ahead of expectation, into the role for which I had been prepared over the 28 years of my life so far. Fortunately my dear Father's illness was short and He died 'quietly and peacefully', as the history will record it—and was the veritable truth for He and his family around Him. He has been a crucial mentor to me and has afforded me the widest and deepest education that our small kingdom could provide.

My Father lead our country through a period of stability and progress, encouraging the new enlightenment enquiry and ideas, while holding firm to our one, true Catholic Faith. It was His belief and modus operandi that, as a small kingdom, Bayerische should keep to itself, maintain peaceful relations with neighbours, but not engage in any 'grand escapades', as he termed them. "Jacob, I am not an isolationist, but a realist," He told me on several occasions. This was so true.

He strongly held to Bayerische's position as a member of the Empire, but was not inclined to join in 'Imperial military ventures' as He put them. Therefore, in the spring of 1802, He went against the Electoral Council, refused to send troops to assist Konnigliche & Kaiserliche in the campaign against Dahara and even closed our borders to all foreign troop movement. This action added a distinct coolness to relations with Brunswick, Hanover and Hesse. König Rolf stressed to me that it was essential to ensure the primacy of Bayerische's national interest in all matters of diplomacy.

Yet He was far from being isolationist.

He instituted a ship building programme to develop our small fleet, establishing the colony of Gewürzinseln, a group of islands south of the equator renowned for the production of spices. This brought expanded trade and wealth to our nation and has lead to our new national dish, a spicy mutton stew, which goes down a treat with any of the beers for which we are famous. A dark, malty ale is a favourite of mine.

My Father's interest in modern enquiry and working to improve the wealth of our country and the knowledge of its citizens was never in such evidence as when, in April 1802, He founded our first university. I will ensure its completion and the development of a other centres of learning for the benefit of our brightest minds and of our nation. One of my first acts was to have Our Government look into other public works—expanded roads and a possible system to remove sewerage from our cities—that will continue the work begun by my Father. It seems that we have some knowledge to re-learn from the ancients.

After a period of national mourning, I have begun a campaign of outreach to our neighbours and fellow rulers of the nation states that comprise the Empire. This began, on 15th October 1802, with a festival to celebrate my coronation. This comprised a week-long series of balls, fêtes and plays to entertain the visiting rulers, as well as time for meetings of state with our esteemed guests. We were pleased to welcome Princes of Hesse and Nassau, the ambassador from the Empire's council, the Queen of Konigliche and the King of Orbajosa. It was a marvellous week of joyous celebration, show-casing Bayerische and honouring the enduring friendship of our realms and peoples.

I look forward to serving our country, to continuing on a path of stability and progress and to continued friendly relations with our neighbours and fellow members of the Empire.

Kurfürst Jacob I von Bayerische
Schloß Maximilian, Zwettei, 25th April 1803