I myself know you can make a lot of money through 'aggressive' trading. And if you have 3 months of peace (of which I know nothing about), I'm sure you can build some many fine armies. And I suppose it makes strategic sense to use these armies against a faction that has been at war since before you came here. An already hard pressed enemy is much better than a new, fighting fit army.
Well, you won your first victory, delight in it. I wish I could have been there, but I was at work:( But should I ever get out of the mire of crime and stupid little armies that attack me and weigh me down with 1,501 broken stones in EU, I'm sure I will enjoy fighting you too. I will, of course, probably get my ass kicked once again, but as long as there is good roster support on both sides I will not bitch.