The War for Europe

If you have ever played on the world map for Civ2, you would know that Europe is a good territory, definantly. But its not that big to have a huge important war in, at least important to the WORLD. But in this case I would have to say that the game suprised me as I was thrust into a thousand year war over small plots of land in Europe.

I was the Spanish, and quickly I spread out into southern France and all of Italy, which means I quickly gained four cities under my thumb before comming into contact with the Greeks. Under Alexander the Greeks wanted war, so a war ensued, it was generally fought over a small strip of land containing the Alps and the forests above Italy. Since Mountains, Hills, and Forests are good on defense, no real offensive assaults were made. The war ended and Europe was at peace. After the war I sent out my men to explore Europe, I met the French, who boasted the most powerful army between the European nations in the game (Celtics, Greeks, Spanish<--ME, and themselves). My peace with the Greeks soon turned to an alliance and we drove the French from their home out to Russia, I now ruled over all of France, Germany, and Poland, as well as my old territory. The Greeks captured a couple of cities in the Ukraine, and the war ended. Peace was signed between all three of our nations, this is where war begins.

While the war was nothing in comparison to what would come, Europe was racked, we were drastically weakened, and had enemies to fend off, the French were busy fighting the Mongols and our combined Greek and Spanish troops were busy fighting the Zulus in Turkey. Plus our new Republics were not to suited for a major war. Trade ruled in Europe, who had the most money, the best developed land, and the most Naval forces, were all peices of the puzzle. A small force of Celts arrived in Norway, noone owned it so it wasn't anything to hollar about. It wasn't soon after that the Celts were looming in Poland and Germany, my territory, SPANISH territory. The Celts invaded Rhemis, now the French capital which was located in Russia, but not too far from Finland. Europe slept on this one though, we would all pay.......

I saw nothing of this and began trading with the Celts, to my suprise they had amassed a large force in Norway, soon Celtic Knights and Catapults were around Barcelona (in Poland). I signed an alliance with the French and I was at war with the Celts, almost right after that the Greeks signed an alliance with the Celts. They contacted me demanding Chivalry, I declined and our alliance was cancelled, then a Diplomat was sent into Valencia (Italy). They stole Chivalry! I declared war on the Greeks, the European nations were now at war, Celts-Greeks v. Spanish-French. The Celts invaded my city of Paris, they conquered it easily, as it was ill defended, the Greeks moved in on Valencia, but they fell to my catapults the French were having a tough time being battered by the Celts on one side and the Mongols on another, soon Barcelona fell to the Celts, the Greeks captured Orleans, I went to the Zulus, made an alliance and let them through my flanks in Turkey, we attacked Athens, but no no avail, it was well defended. I figured that Cordoba (in the Netherlands) stood alone, so I put more Pikemen there, meanwhile I established a heavey Flanking in southern France and Italy, I would not lose THAT territory. The Celts were hitting my Finnish territory (Saragossa) hard with Catapults and Legions, they failed against the Pikemen fortified there, thankfully.

I decided that my first offensive would be an assult on Rhemis, hopefully the French had troops there and they could take back the city, I sent a ship from Velncia all the way up to the English Channel only to meet a blockade of Celtic ships, so I landed them near Kells, which was where London would be if the English were around. The Zulus were not making much progress so I pulled my Turkish flank and attacked Athens myself, my Catapult proved impressive, but my Knights fell, the Greeks counteracted with a Chariot to destroy my Catapult. The French, it was reported, signed a cease-fire with the Mongols, and like planned the liberated Rhemis, I sent troops to Barcelona, that was not easily retaken, I got the Celts out, and got me back in only to fall to the Greeks. I decided to take Sparta away from them for their trechery, it was located on the Black Sea and served as an important port, it was also in the middle of the Greek empire and I though if I could seize Sparta I could cut the Greeks in two and divide and conquer. Sparta was a tougher target than I thought, and I had trouble getting troops there, the French gave a lot of aide in this assault and Sparta was now Spanish. I now moved back to Barcelona which was now completley severed from the Greek empire.

The Celts launched a campain in Finland against Saragoss, my men fell but I quickly got a settler in there to waste out the last Knight move and bought another Pikemen, I figured something had to be done to Caernerforn (Forgive me if I spelled this wrong), which was in Norway. Meanwhile the French recaptured some territory lost to the Greeks in the first war, but make no mistake the Greeks were crushing the French. The Mongols soon signed an alliance with the Greeks and were back at it again with the French. The Celts controlled northern France, and Norway, and were in a strong position to capture Cordoba, the French were on the run, they gained some territory from the Greeks but that would soon become Mongolian, the Greeks were not AS impressive with the Zulus attacking Athens, and the taking of Sparta, and I was fine, except my army itself was down the tubes, I could muster another, but it would take a while. This is when a cease-fire was signed between me and the Greeks.

I decided that since Paris was in the middle of my "German Part" and my "Spanish Part" it would have to be liberated from those heathen Celts. I moved my French flank up towards Paris and surrounded it, but all the same, I still didn't have an army to actually ATTACK the city. Meanwhile the French signed a cease-fire with the Celts. The Mongols invaded large numbers of French cities and the French were down to four cities. The Celts launched an assult on Cordoba nd weakened my forces there, Cordoba built a catapult and BOOM I attacked Paris, I killed a Pikemen, I was extatic, quickly I bought a Knight from Toledo, Paris would be mine. Meanwhile the Greeks were having problems with a new threat, the Persians, who as far as I knew were not at war with anyone, I thought if I could get them under my thumb, Athens could be mine. Athens was the jewel of Europe, and I needed it in my crown. I sent a force to talk to Xexes, but he would have nothing of my peace, they made short work of my Knight, and we were at war with Xerxes, Paris fell to the Spanish, but Saragoss was theirs, I lost my Finnish territory. So I invaded Kells, but to no avail, it was heavily defended, I did manage to take out a pikemen. News hit me hard, I was a staunch European supporter, I would defend even a European enemy against any non-European nation, it was my nature, but ATHENS HAD FALLEN TO THE PERSIANS!

to be continued....

By Tony Ruiz