Grognot
Posts: 409
Joined: 12/7/2007 Status: offline
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If memory serves, you should be able to offer them an informal peace (separate from checking the box that indicates whether you'll accept an offered informal peace). It doesn't let you select -any- peace terms, but on the other hand you'd also be able to smack them down again even within the next 18 months if need be. I suspect that one reason for the prohibition is to prevent certain arguably abusive tactics (even if they're probably edge cases...). Example -- Turkey is on the offensive in Austria, but not doing particularly well. There are no Austrian troops on Turkish soil, because he's still busy smacking down annoying feudal corps starving in Austrian provincial capitals, and because he needs to guard against France and even Prussia. Russia has massed troops in Odessa. It's the diplomatic phase. Russia is not yet at war with Turkey, but it's expected to happen immediately. Well, it would otherwise be legal for Turkey to conditional-surrender to Austria with the purpose of ceding Besserabia, and thus blocking the overland route (unless Russia DoWs Austria next turn, or DoWs them both, or Austria treacherously grants access to Russia. And if Russia and Austria had lately reached a formal peace and Russia -couldn't- DoW Austria, well...). From Austria's POV... well, they might want more or different Turkish territory, but they probably also don't want to see Russia gaining more PP through smacking Turkish feudals, and it gets the Turkish feudals out of Austrian territory for at least 18 months. The above might not seem abusive or irrational, other than a blocking move perhaps being considered a provocation from a Russian perspective... But what if it's Jan. 1805, there's no Austrian-Turkish pre-game DoW, Turkey set up near Egypt, and Russia set up near Turkey? It would otherwise be legal for Turkey to talk with Austria, and arrange for an instant "war" in which Austria DoWs Turkey, and receives an immediate conditional-surrender with Besserabia attached. This rule, however, would mean that since the peace step occurs after all war declarations and Turkey would be at war with -both- Russia and Austria, Turkey can't sue only one for peace unless that one's invasion has actually started.
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