In the total war games it always bothered me that there was no diplomacy option to declare war, you had to attack. I thought countries warned each other.
Decanus
I thought countries warned when they were going to attack
In the total war games it always bothered me that there was no diplomacy option to declare war, you had to attack. I thought countries warned each other.
Re: I thought countries warned when they were going to attack
I don't think they did back then.
Centenarius
Re: I thought countries warned when they were going to attack
Indeed there were some official declarations of war back in the days, but most wars started by the greed of a more powerful nation over a weakened one
For example, they would raid some villages, even conquer a city, the weakend nation would usually hope for the best, and see if they didn't advance any further, but they could simply march on and attack them, so thats a war
But a dimplomat going and say "we're at war" wasn't common, they could send diplomats demanding something stupid, when in reality all they needed was a reason to attack them, and obviously the others would regret
There is far more in history about any fact the game might try to recreate, and it's impossible to make it all accurate..
A good game would be one that ur sure u can't conquer the world, that's realism. when a game is made like that, you can trust it can be realistic, but not so much fun
Re: I thought countries warned when they were going to attack
Did the Japanese Empire warn the USA in 1941?
Re: I thought countries warned when they were going to attack
Strangely enough, the US complimented Japan 'plucky little Japan' when they did the same thing to the Russians at Port Arthur in 1904.Originally Posted by Fakir
Back on topic.. emmisaries tended to have a short lifespan as a consequence of deliving such news, so why waste lives when your armies can do the declaration with their actions
Tribunus
Re: I thought countries warned when they were going to attack
The US took quite a few steps over the years to provoke a Japanese attack. On top of that, they intercepted Japanese messages and knew exactly when it would happen.
http://whatreallyhappened.com/WRHART...315/pearl.html
Did the US Empire warn Iraq or Afghanistan? Will it warn Iran? Or Pakistan? Or China?
Re: I thought countries warned when they were going to attack
Yes. Repeatedly over several years. They even invaded Iraq briefly as a warning that they were going to invade later.
The game development business is one of bottomless greed, pitiless cruelty, venal treachery, rampant competition, low politics and boundless personal ambition. New game series are rising, and others are starting their long slide into obscurity and defeat.
Centenarius
Re: I thought countries warned when they were going to attack
dont feed that idea, lets keep it game related, otherwise this will be a full "post war" here, each speaking in favor of the other...
Re: I thought countries warned when they were going to attack
Also, from a military standpoint, it is strategically idiotic to warn the enemy of an attack.
Libertus
Re: I thought countries warned when they were going to attack
Yeah, that's true. I think formal declaration of war started in later times, when nations thaught that fighting a war was somehow gentelmenlike.
Back in the medieval times, burning villages were an adequate way of declaring war.
Re: I thought countries warned when they were going to attack
"Dear Enemy,
I have decided that it is in the best interest of my nation and my ego to systematically attack your network of cities until I have conquered all the regions you currenty rule over. I have conferred with my military, and they have agreed. I did this now, so that I could give this warning. You have 5 years to plan a defense - or possible counter-attack - and train your armies accordingly.
Over these five years, I will have messengers deliver exact battle plans drawn out by my generals, giving the predicted dates for attacks on specific cities, the conditions for the attack, unit count, siege equipment, and other important information.
Yours Faithfully,
an Idiot
P.S. I'm sending an assassin to your high-dread General in Syracuse in exactly 4 years, so it would be a good idea for you to begin training spies."
Primicerius
Re: I thought countries warned when they were going to attack
"Honor dictates I inform you I intend to attack." - Enemy Chivalry General
"I'll be polishing my armor with your tabard soon" - Dread Gen.
If you click on them, they'll inform you that they hate you =p I love clicking on the dread generals in particular.
"My Kaiser has ordered your demise, and I'll make it happen." ^___^
Citizen
Re: I thought countries warned when they were going to attack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-KW0rRHsLM There are rules in napoleonic warfare, but since this is medieval warfare you should just launch as many pre-emptive strikes as possible- the enemy should expect an atttack at all times, because i certainly do when playing a total war game
Re: I thought countries warned when they were going to attack
Yup. I mean c'mon, just look at the options when you capture a settlement. Occupy... Sack? ... Exterminate!!??.
Re: I thought countries warned when they were going to attack
By the way, for all you new players: When you see a stack (big or small) of enemy soldiers near your border, it means they want to go to war with you. You shouldn't reinforce the area "just in case they do" - they will. One of three things will happen as soon as your reinforce that area: 1) They will send more forces, and attack you 2) They will bypass the reinforced settlement and go for an easier target. 3) They will see that they are likely to lose, and will leave your territory. In a few turns, they will return, and they will attack you.
Praepositus
Senator
Re: I thought countries warned when they were going to attack
The battering ram is a great knock for warning. Your troops are even polite enough to knock for several minutes before opening the gates, just so the enemy can properly prepare.
Patricius
Re: I thought countries warned when they were going to attack
On a bigger scale when talking about nations one never knows that a nation would be attacked by the other. Though it's not a total surprise and is activated already due to the recent happenings or relations between them.
On a small scale when say 2 men, a man with honor and bravery will challenge the other guy to fight on a certain day or time etc if they don't get along with each other or some other random factor...
Re: I thought countries warned when they were going to attack
"No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution."
Biarchus
Re: I thought countries warned when they were going to attack
This is a modern error many does when it comes to the concept of 'nations'.
During the medieval ages, a thing like a nation didn't exist. So knights, dukes, barons and other nobles where in a sense their own 'nations' and had their own 'foreign' policy that wasn't necessary the same as the sovereigns.
For example, the duke of Normandy Wilhelm the Bastard declared war against Harald Godwinson. Wilhelm was a vassal of the French king, but decided to wage war for the crown of England with or without the French kings help. Many wars during the medieval times where started because of dukes and knights that had their own motives for war. In the long run, the kings and sovereigns where forced into war when retaliation upon retaliation between the fiefs escalated. Sometimes, a war between nation could rise because a fief had sworn loyalty to two different monarchs.
During the later medieval times, most monarchs powers grew with laws that made dead fief owners land and properties go to the state instead of his heirs. With the protestant church, the sovereign could gain total control over the church´s riches and lands and therefore consolidated their powers. After the 15th century, the state (not nation) had more or less control of it's own foreign policy and the nobles where bound to the state in a way that they weren't during the 11th century.
So to answer the OP: no, it wasn't always customary to declare war against a fellow state due to small bickering feuds could escalate to full blown wars without consent or control from the sovereigns. Other war 'declarations' where in fact just a continuance of an earlier war (such as the battles during the hundred year war between England and France). The custom to declare war came with the establishment of foreign embassies that grew in concept during the 17th and 18th century.
And as a PS, the Japanese declared war against the US before Pearl Harbor. But the declaration was in Japanese or in code (can't remember ATM) so when the Americans finally had deciphered the message, the attack on Pearl Harbor had already started.
Nessun Maggior Dolores che Ricordarsi del Tempo Felice Nella Miseri
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