Map of Hesse Seewald in Central Germania Theatre of War

Hesse Seeewald in the central Germanian theatre of war.

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We are pleased to announce that our most righteous royal sovereign, King Georg Ludwig II, has commissioned a recent drawing of a map depicting the location of the Kingdom of Hesse Seewald in central Germania. The highly respected cartographer,  Jakob Birkenbeil & Sons, accepted the commission and has presented the map included with this report.

The Key Players in the Final Arguement of Kings

A perusal of the map highlights the Kingdom of Hesse Seewald in green, the vile Duchy of Saxony in red and the contested territory of the Grand Duchy of Altenburg in purple. Other countries of note include Prussia in blue, Bohemia in brown-orange and the latter's ally, the Bishopric of Wurzburg also in brown-orange.

Allies of Hesse Seewald include the Duchies of Hesse Kassel, Hanover and Brunswick and the Principality of Anhalt.

The Saxons can count on Bohemia and Wurzburg as committed allies with the Kingdom of Bavaria leaning in their direction.

The neutral lands include the duchies of Anspach, Bayreuth, Mecklinburg and Lippe. Poland, of course, is a failed state that aligns with whichever army happens to be passing through it (usually the Russians).

The Grand Duchy of Altenburg is a contested land with both Saxony and Hesse Seewald claiming its ownership. It is a long and complicated story that dates back to the 14th Century and it is one that will have to be told on another day.

Brief Potted History of the Region

The territories of Anhalt, Altenburg, Bayreuth, Coburg are the "Saxon Duchies" over which many a war has been fought by Hesse Seewald and Saxony. In the most recent round of this decades long struggle, the Saxons invaded Altenburg in 1740 thereby setting off the gunpowder for the War of the Saxon Duchies. In 1742, the Hesse Seewald army marched into Altenburg to "rescue" the Grand Duchy from the unhappy grip of Saxony. A brief war lasted until 1744 when both sides agreed to a truce called the Treaty of Naumburg,  that called for a withdrawal of both armies from Altenburg. A codicile of the treaty was Saxon recognition of Hesse Seewald's acquisition of the Duchy of Saxe Coburg in 1735.

The Saxons had a great deal of incentive to end the conflict on their western border, for in 1745 they would make the unwise decision to abandon their alliance with the King of Prussia and join the Austrians in the Second Silesian War (1744 - 1745). The Saxons were crushed by the Prussians at the battle of Hohenfriedberg in 1745 and ended the year with two more losses in December of that year at Hennersdorf and Kesselsdorf.

The demise of Saxon fortunes in 1745 swung the pendulum in Hesse Seewald's favor, which has used the peace to increase its influence over the politics of Altenburg. There are some who believe that Georg Ludwig should take advantage of the current weakness in the Saxon state and outright annex the Grand Duchy of Altenburg.

Ever mindful of the impact that another war could have in this part of central Germania, diplomats from both Berlin and Vienna have been doing there best to keep Hesse Seewald and Saxony from resuming hostilities.