STATS
The Norse Imperium/Lord of Elves
Constitutional Monarchy
Military:
Highest
Industrial and Resources:
High
Economics
Medium
Food and Health
Low
HIGHEST FOCUS - Military
HIGH FOCUS - Industrial and Resources
MEDIUM FOCUS - Economics
LOW FOCUS - Food and Health
DOMESTIC/POLITICAL POLICY
1. Infrastructure Expansion and Revitalization
Begin a large project to connect all the various urban, industrial and agricultural regions of import throughout the Imperium via highway and railway, specifically large, high-speed highways and railways to support civilian, industrial and military traffic and get it from point A to point B as quickly and efficiently as possible. The Norse Imperium needs functioning, modern transportation infrastructure, for the sake of the economy, for the sake of government, and for the sake of the people. Create a government agency, which will outsource the project to a private firm, which will put the project on the international market for investors and contractors. Investors and contractors will work with the firm, which will in turn work with the government department (Imperial Transportation Commission/etc). The Imperial Transportation Commission will necessarily have a controlling share in the firm responsible for the work, and will be provided with the money necessary to ensure that. The Imperial Transportation Commission will determine the course of highways and railways throughout the Imperium, their relative sizes, etc. Contracted work firms will be responsible for providing employees (and will be contractually obligated to do so), but in general we should additionally encourage the poor/unemployed to find work with these companies, so as to minimize unemployment, put more people into the workforce, and to get the project done. Formerly-unemployed or destitute workers will work for less, too.
2. Imperial Shipping Company
Similar to our transportation infrastructure initiative, create the Imperial Shipping Commission as a government-created contracted organization (Fannie Mae/Fannie Mac/etc) to do necessary international sea-lane commerce work. Meaning, working with the navy to keep sea-lanes clear, transport important government-related shipping throughout the sea-lanes, and do this government work with private funding rather than public, taking a burden off the taxpayer, and tying private investors inextricably to government interests. Fwahahaha!
3. Norse Africa Company and the Colonial Settlement Initiative
This is going to be something of a theme for this BT's orders. Create, as a private organization contracted to the government, the Norse Africa Company, and have it open its stock on the international market. Gather as much international investment as we can, and equip the Norse Africa Company with military advisers, and a core of several hundred of the Imperial Army's professional soldiers, as well as a considerable merchant, military and transport marine, (and of course the money from ourselves and hopefully from Norse and foreign investors) to procure their own soldiers, ships, and guns (etc). The goals of the Norse Africa Company are thus: to establish a Norse presence on the Dark Continent, specifically in the historically-Norse Gold Coast, and in Madagascar and Tanzania. It will be provided, as has been outlined, with government funding and support, as well as with the tools and qualities necessary to profit from a relationship with the international free market. The company will produce profits via the return of investment of its shareholders by the sale of the resources of the land it will administer on behalf of the Emperor's government (the Gold Coast, Madagascar, Tanzania, etc and their agricultural/industrial/resource produce) to companies in and outside of the Imperium. In addition to the forces provided by the government, the Norse Africa Company will be given a charter by the government allowing it to maintain a private military of mercenaries/employees. (It will also be granted a charter to administer and privately hold for the Emperor the lands it is assigned to colonize, but that goes without saying). The Norse Africa Company's actions towards African colonization will be detailed in MILITARY ORDERS and FOREIGN AFFAIRS/POLICY.
3A. Colonial Settlement Initiative
The poor and unemployed throughout the Imperium are going to be offered two possible methods of employment, and even home ownership, by His Majesty's government. The colonial settlement initiative encourages disenfranchised citizens of the Imperium to seek employment in the Norse Africa Company as laborers/soldiers, or to take advantage of homestead opportunities in Iceland, Greenland, or once they are established, Company-administered colonies in Africa. In poor/ghetto communities, push this heavily. When Company administration is established anywhere in Africa, a flood of immigrants should pour in, and assist in the expansion and militarization of the new colony. We're taking Africa back for Europe for the good of Africa!
MILITARY POLICY
1. A Great Army for a Great Power
Norse military might must match Norse ambition. Our ambassadors in other nations should discover as much as they can about potential competitors' armed forces, and our training programs and the specialization of our armed forces should match and counter that of any ostensible peers. Emphasis will be placed on mobile and mechanized infantry, the development of a modern air force, and a large and modern navy. Our goals in doing so are simple and straight-forward. Develop a professional and organized military that can operate at acceptable efficiency in any type of geographical, political or social environment, that is comparable to that of any other nation's. Mobile infantry should follow the pattern of light infantry, equipped with equally-light and portable but efficient arms, able to present a moving, adaptable enemy to our foes on the battlefield. Mechanized infantry should be given light, mobile transport via armored cars and the like, and will fill an essential role as convoy and supply-line defenders. I was going to go into exhaustive detail about the development of a modern military capable of various things, with respective strengths and fair, expected weaknesses, but you don't need to read all that, and my orders are long enough as it is. Ensure that the army, navy and airforce of the Imperium are feared.
MILITARY ORDERS
1. Seizure of the Gold Coast
Enact a seizure of the Gold Coast with our military and Norse Africa Company forces, with an armed flotilla off the coast of Senegambia, consisting of aircraft carriers and bomber aircraft, as well as a transport flotilla. Demand that Grand Senegambia cede the historic Gold Coast region to the Norse Imperium; if they refuse, then enact a bombing campaign to destroy coastal defenses, and invalidate urban warfare (fire bombing), clearing a beachhead for our forces. Land, and seize urban centers. Establish control over the Gold Coast region, and its urban centers. Offer Senegambia peace with our control over the Gold Coast. If they still refuse, then proceed to negotiate with political/cultural-tribal/social factions in Senegambia (see FOREIGN AFFAIRS/POLICY) and attempt to create a civil war. If successful, then use our new allies of convenience to establish small puppet regimes within the former Grand Senegambia. If unsuccessful, blitzkrieg Senegambia, fire bombing urban regions, using the highways and railways to move our soldiers quickly and using precision bombing to eliminate defenses along the highways, and seizing airfields to extend the range of our potential bombing campaigns. In such an event, do not stop until we control enough of Senegambia to force our terms on it, or until we are somehow forced out (if at all possible). Attempt to force the Senegambian military to meet us directly on the field, and use our air superiority to destroy their army in a pitched battle.
2. Seizure of Zanzibar
Mimic our actions in Senegambia here. Do what we can to force the East African Confederacy to cede Zanzibar and sections of their coastal lands to us. If it becomes necessary, destroy urban centers in fire bombing campaigns, and attempt to lure their forces out into a pitched battle where we can annihilate them. Attempt to create civil war if direct military action proves not as successful as we would hope, (etc) and if we come to the point where we control the majority of the country, functionally annex it and assemble a puppet government under the Norse Africa Company in the style of the British Raj.
3. Colonization of Madagascar, Brazzaville, Mozambique
Establish control over coastal regions in Madagascar, Mozambique and Brazzaville, and attempt to either influence tribal communities and city-states into our sphere, or annihilate them in bombing campaigns. Gain as much ground here as possible, without damaging arable land or any industrial centers, and get it under Company administration as soon as possible. This goes for all colonies, either seized from African minors or established via the creation of our own ports/infrastructure/etc, introduce a population of Norse laborers and citizens, either to uninhabited land, or to eventually replace the indigenous population with our own loyal citizens and cultural brothers.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS/POLICY
1. Encouraging Dissent in African Minors
In the event that we enter legitimate warfare with any African minor, disseminate agents of the Emperor and the Imperial Assembly, and get in contact with the leaders of political/cultural/social/etc minorities. Offer them limited levels of autonomy and self-governance under Company rule, higher and greater than what they are being granted by their current masters. Alternatively, offer them sovereignty as an Imperial Mandate (functional protectorate/etc). In exchange, we expect them to rise up and help overthrow the regime we are at war with.
2. Corporations and the Church Abroad
Provide industrial corporations with capital to buy controlling shares of similar private ventures in Norway, Finland and the Sapmi Republic. Attempt to maintain control over the Scandinavian economy, and the companies that make it up, as well as spread our cultural influence vis a vis the Church. Secure trade agreements with Norway, Finland and the Sapmi to the effect of lowered tariffs on goods shipped to and from Scandinavian countries, and raised tariffs on their foreign counterparts. Secure rights to the Norse Church in these countries, and use it as a cultural envoy, fostering Norse traditions and political/philosophical/etc thought. Try to get royal marriages with Norway/Finland, and generally move towards putting Scandinavia solidly within our sphere. In the off-chance that we do succeed to a large degree, and we can do so without major unrest, unify with Norway/Finland/Sapmi depending on the situation, and bring them into the Imperium. Otherwise, encourage international economic cooperation, cultural ties, and general friendship with our neighbors. Attempt to get a pan-Scandinavian military alliance, to ensure that we can rely on Scandinavian unity in warfare. Outside of Scandinavia, continue to push Church influence in the British Isles and in the Low Countries.
TL;DR
Colonize Brazzaville, Mozambique and Madagascar. Seize the sections of the Gold Coast that were historically Swedish/Danish from Senegambia with minimal fuss, or alternatively, fight them until they either surrender the Gold Coast to us or we are in a position to set up a puppet regime. Do the same with the East African Confederation, with the aim of taking coast land in Zanzibar/what-have-you, or again, just setting up a puppet government. Do all sorts of stuff with our economy and industry and tie up private interests with that of the government, and continue to push Scandinavian unity at home and Norse culture abroad. Keep colonizing Iceland and Greenland, and build highways and railroads.
I can't really articulate my response other than that this is why I argued from the start to have BT orders be PM. Somehow I missed Senegambia getting a player.
