Global News Report
SPAIN LAUNCHES MASSIVE PORT MODERNIZATION CAMPAIGN. Seville, Empire of Holy Spain. After seeing the boons brought to other nations by similar modernization efforts, the Empire of Holy Spain has initiated a major empire-wide campaign to update the ports. This has included major trading cities and ports in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and the Far East. These new expansions are all modeled upon similar projects conducted in the Empire of Brazil and the United Kingdom. The Spanish have pledged that the effort will add steam engines, new warehouses, and of course modern docks and coaling stations for the convenience of all Spanish shipping. The project has a massive cost, as they strive to achieve a naval infrastructure on a larger scale unprecedented by any other nation.
SPANISH IMPERIAL MILITARY REFORM. Madrid, Empire of Holy Spain. The army of Spain has seen some dramatic change this year which has outraged the upper class of Spanish government and the officer corps. First among these has been the allowing of native residents of the colonies to actually serve as officers, which has been viewed as insane by the established military and upper class. Furthermore, military academies have been surveyed for construction in a number of far-flung ports and outposts undeserving of a military installation. So far only the academies in Madrid and Lima have been completed, though others have been announced and surveyed. Many officers in the army and navy fear this could give uppity notions to the natives of the colonies, destabilizing the empire as a whole. This has caused enormous tension in some of the colonies between the army and the locals, as well as at home, where the reform infringes upon the upper class' established spheres of government. (-1 Stability; -1 Stability in Morocco, -1 Stability in the Philippines, -1 Stability in Spanish India)
EMPIRE OF HOLY SPAIN LAUNCHES REWARDS SYSTEM. Madrid, Empire of Holy Spain. After viewing the economic and political successes of the Indexes created by the imperial governments in the British and Swedish Empires, the Spanish have followed up with a similar program. There have been a few notable differences, including some political reform within the overall structure of the imperial management system. This has included the development and finalization of provincial borders within all the colonies of the empire. Furthermore, the Spanish program rewards the top six and aids the lowest six, in contrast to the British and Swedish programs. The key difference though has been the inclusion of individuals of note, who are to be financially rewarded for major contributions to the Empire, whether philanthropist or in terms of invention and creativity. While this new program has proven popular at home, it has met with mixed results abroad. The older colonies support this change and have become thrilled with the development, while it has been met with outright hostility in India, as the princes view it as undermining their own authority they thought they could keep under Spanish rule. (+1 Stability in Peru, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico; -1 Stability in Spanish India)
News from Europe
REFORM INITIATED IN PORTUGAL. Lisbon, Portugal. Last year's electoral victory for the Party of Order in Portugal has opened the doors for new change in the workings of the national government. The elections were seen as a proper triumph of conservative ideals and to that end, the liberal cause has been greatly weakened. Elections have been pushed back to take place every three years, as two years was deemed insufficient for a modern state's government to undertake any significant endeavors. Further reform was made to voting rights, cutting down the amount of people able to be voted, measuring the weight of the vote upon wealth and land rights. This has been met with protests from the liberal elements of Portuguese society, though the involved dissidents have been arrested, the situation continues to become more tense in the streets of Lisbon. (-1 Stability)
BROTHERS OF ITALY STRIKE IN AUSTRIA. Trieste, Austria. The Brothers of Italy, despite their reverses in Venice during the Third Venetian War, have continued to maintain an active organization within Austria. The Italian population of Trieste and the surrounding region continues to make life difficult for the Austrian army. This time a major arsenal was destroyed by the Brothers, and looted for supplies, overwhelming the defending Austrian regiment. A pursuit into the mountains was also destroyed, giving evidence that the Brothers of Italy in Austria are far stronger than previously believed. The Austrian army has been deployed to the region to further maintain order and to hunt down any further groups of the Brothers of Italy that may exist in the region. (-1 Infantry Brigade)
NOBLES ATTEMPT REGIME CHANGE IN FLANDERS. Brussels, Flanders. The reforms to a new elected government in Flanders have been less than popular with the prior leaders of the aristocracy. This year, a group of dissatisfied noblemen attempted to force King Charles II to abdicate the throne in favor of a more pliant successor. They attempted to bluff a coup, attempting to convince the king that the army and people were against them. The king called their bluff and the nobles were unable to convince the military and authority to support them. The result was the immediate arrest and imprisonment of the reactionary nobles involved with the coup attempt. This has done much to eliminate reactionary concerns in Flanders, and to forestall any further unrest emanating from the upper classes. (+1 Stability)
MUSLIMS STRIKE VILLAGE IN GEORGIA. Tiflis, Georgia. Tensions have continued to mount between Azerbaijan and Georgia as a group of Islamic raiders attacked a Georgian village near the border. This is the latest in a series of growing conflicts between the two nations, even as the Roman Empire continues to attempt to defuse the situation. Once more both nations have mobilized their armies towards the border, as Georgia continues to demand compensation for the attack on the Georgian villagers. The Romans have warned against initiating any hostilities in the region, as the Georgians continue to attempt to force a new treaty between the two states. The Georgian king is still pressuring the Shah of Azerbaijan to pay compensation as the two sides seem to be once more approaching war.
LIBERALS DEMONSTRATE IN HANOVER. Hanover, Hanover. Years of prolonged trade and diplomatic relations with the Republic of the Netherlands and Denmark have continued to giving growing strength to the liberal movement in Hanover. The ideals and thoughts of the Dutch have infiltrated the growing middle class of Hanover, who have become increasing proponents of liberalism and republicanism. This year a series of protests throughout Hanover have led to growing dissent against the monarchy, despite King Charles Frederick's moderate sensibilities. They have called for immediate electoral reform and change to a government of the people like those in the Netherlands and Denmark. Concerned about the damage to national security that ceding to the protestors may create, especially with growing tensions with Paris-Burgundy, the king has so far denied any demands and called out the military to preserve order. (-1 Stability)
BROTHERS OF ITALY ACTIVE IN TUSCANY. Florence, Tuscany. Despite the end of the Third Venetian War, tensions still remain, threatening to destabilize the region once more. The nation of Tuscany continues to possess a considerable presence by the Brothers of Italy, who have been rallying the nation against what they call the "Hungarian occupation." The location of the Hungarian army within the borders of Tuscany since the end of the war has been a major creator of tensions within the region and continues to rally the Italians of Tuscany against Hungary and its allies. The Brothers of Italy have firmly portrayed Hungary as the true villain of the Italian people. To this end, a local Italian militia attacked and defeated a Hungarian brigade in battle in northern Tuscany. They have found increasing anger and resentment, particularly as the king of Tuscany continues to overlook crimes and misdeeds perpetrated by the Hungarian soldiers. (-1 Infantry Brigade for Hungary, -1 Stability for Tuscany)
PARIS-BURGUNDY ELECTIONS. Paris, Kingdoms of Paris-Burgundy. The Progressive Party of the Kingdoms of Paris-Burgundy has fallen apart as rivalries between conservatives and liberals greatly divide the authority of the nation. The liberals have begun demanding a reduction of military spending and the disbanding of the hated secret police, while the conservatives are pushing an agenda of French nationalist thought and military expansion. Under all these rivalries and bitter debates the moderate party governing the nation quickly collapsed. To the surprise of many, and with the backing and support of the king, the liberal Septembrist Party emerged victorious in elections, as the conservatives were even divided among themselves and unable to work together. The new liberal government has been heralded as a sign of coming reform, as many citizens anticipate them to be willing to dissolve the feared secret police and develop a new era for the government of the kingdom. (+1 Stability)
SWEDISH ELECTIONS. Stockholm, Sweden. Before the dramatic shifts which would ingrain 1846 as a momentous year for Scandinavia, the Swedes held their own elections for the Rikstag to constitute a new elected government. The Swedes have brought to bear a liberal government as the nation's Liberal Party trumps all comers. With their presence widely felt during the queen's negotiations with the Norwegians, the resulting government is just as much a result of this victory as it was the monarch's policies. The Swedish people were rallied to the liberals due to their support of the growing middle class as well as the calls for peaceful integration with the Norwegians. Furthermore, the short-lived secret police have been another source of fury, and the liberals have already kept their promise to disband that organization. (+1 Stability)
SPANISH MONARCHY FACES BUSINESS BACKLASH. Madrid, Empire of Holy Spain. The Spanish monarchy has begun entering into the sphere of industry and private business, outraging and devastating local entrepreneurs. The emperor has provided massive investment from the government's treasury into establishing new industry and production of various consumer goods. This has almost bankrupted a number of captains of industry overnight, as they were unable to compete with the government's resources. This has greatly diminished the support the emperor has had among big business, and angered a good portion of the middle class. They claim that while its reasonable for the monarchy to finance weapons production, consumer goods should be kept in the realm of business. (-1 Stability)
NORMANDY REFORMS INDUSTRIALIZATION DELEGATIONS AND ENTREPRENEURIAL ASSOCIATION. Rouen, Normandy. After the debacle of that the initial creation of the Industrialization Delegations Association inspired in Norman industry, the whole thing has been mostly scrapped and reformed. This has been instead altered to take into account two key ideas among the changed organization. The first has been a reforming and streamlining of the patent system in Normandy, allowing for Norman inventers to receive due credit for any of their ideas. The second key part of this series of reforms has been the introduction of lower tariffs, hoping to improve trade with other nations, further cementing the Norman position of accessibility to the interior of France.
DIVORCE STRAINS POLISH-SWEDISH RELATIONS. Danzig, Poland. Relationships have reached an all time low between the governments of Poland and Sweden as Queen Christina and her husband, the Crown Prince of Poland, Zygmunt, have gone through a fairly nasty divorce. The Prince has been emasculated in front of the global community as the Queen Christina forced the divorce upon him, sending him home to Krakow. The resulting debacle has been a major international embarrassment for Poland, and has symbolized a steep drop in respect and relations between the two nations. The resulting reforms in Sweden to a new government have further strained relations, putting to rest the last remnants of the Northern League.
MAJOR REFORM IN SCANDINAVIA MARRED BY HOSTILITIES. Stockholm, Scandinavia. The year began with hostilities as the Queen Christina II of Sweden visited Oslo to pay her respects to the Norwegian King Harold. The result was the abortive start of a Norwegian uprising, which nearly cost the queen and king their lives. The Swedish military was quick to respond, and the uprising in the Oslo area was crushed by brute force in a major battle, even as the Norwegian king appealed for calm. This was a poor start to what would emerge as the most dramatic reform in Scandinavian history. A whirlwind romance and political marriage between the Norwegian king and the Swedish king has led to a marriage very quickly had after the queen's divorce from the Crown Prince of Poland. The recognition of the nobility of the Norwegian's claims and the promise of full equality to Norwegians has led to the declaration of the United Empire of Scandinavia. The Norwegian has been proclaimed Emperor Harold I of the new legacy, and continues to possess his title of King of Norway. Meanwhile, the former queen of Sweden continues that title, along with becoming the new Empress of Scandinavia. The reform has seen this new nation develop, though it has created some new tensions in other parts of the European empire. (+1 Stability, -2 Infantry Brigades)
REVOLUTION STARTS CIVIL WAR IN HUNGARY. Budapest, Hungary. The crimes of the monarchy have not gone unnoticed by elements of the Hungarian army and navy. With many of the younger officers learning from British and Dutch influences about the glories of republicanism and liberalism, the disbanding of the secret police has led allowed the launching of a democratic military coup. The result has been extensive bloodshed as the older officers throw their support behind the monarchy. The navy, while the younger officers attempted munities to secure control, has still fallen under the control of the monarchist forces, and has brought home the loyal army from Tuscany to bolster their power. The monarchists have managed to secure control of much of the extended empire where the army has only seen benefits from the king's rule. Only in Budapest and the actually Hungarian areas have they won support for the republican cause. The Serbian king has also issued immediate and full support for the monarchy, providing his army at King Vladislaus III's disposal. (-9 Third Rate Warships, -2 Second Rate Warships, -5 Norwich-class Warships, -8 Virjheid-class Warships)
BRITTANY COMPLETES PORT EXPANSION. Brest, Brittany. After significant delays caused by reinvestment of funds to upkeep the military, the effort to upgrade and expand the port of Brest has at last been completed. The Breton government was pleased to showcase the development and King Henry III himself appeared in front of audiences, to give a speech upon the completion of the project. The port expansion is self-explanatory, allowing more and larger ships to use the harbor for shipping, including the latest and greatest steam vessels. The Bretons have also included new steam engine and attached facilities, as well as providing state of the art coaling stations for any size of steam ship, civilian or military. While the Bretons continue to struggle to compete with Normandy for commerce into the center of France, this has clearly put them ahead of their other neighbors in Poitou.
DENMARK COMPLETES PAVING EFFORTS. Copenhagen, Denmark. The Danish government and Parliament at last announced the completion of the paving of roads throughout the nation. This has included paved roads in Iceland and, to a much smaller extent, Greenland. This has done much to improve sanitation in the cities as well as the ease of transportation across the countryside. The project has also begun further consideration of a bridging project through the Danish islands, hoping to further ease connection and transportation in the area. The effort has done much to improve the rural areas, further making use of the little European territory that the Danes actually possess.
GEORGIA BEGINS NAVAL CONSTRUCTION. Tiflis, Georgia. The outbreak of civil war in Hungary offers new opportunity for nations along the Black Sea, and with Kiev scrapping a similar project, the door seems to be opened to Georgia. As the Romans continue to throw their weight around in the Caucuses' politics, the Georgians seek a way to retaliate should a war break out. This has come down to a major project to establish naval infrastructure for the young kingdom of Georgia. Hungarian specialists have been hired, as well as token representatives from Spain and Italy. The hope is that Georgia will be able to establish itself as a naval power on the Black Sea, enabling it to create and protect overseas trade as well as a counterbalance to Roman threats.
HANOVER COMPLETES INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT. Gottingen, Hanover. After consultation with Denmark and Brandenburg, Hanover has completed its part of the recent development of infrastructure. This has included new customs stations and border markers with both other of its neighboring nations, improving the efficiency of trade. Though Brandenburg has yet to complete its similar developments, Denmark's program also completed this year, further expanding the efficiency of the project. Similarly, the investment in this program has increased local commerce and trade, proving a boon to the entire region. Commerce has begun to swell once more, as Brandenburg's trade shifts more and more through the west.
KIEV ENDS NAVAL PROGRAM. Sevastopol, Kiev. The defeat in the Cossack War against Moscowy has had unfortunate implications for Kiev's prior naval ambitions. Though the nation had previously determined to create a naval presence on the Black Sea, the war has forced the monarchy to scuttle this program. The devastation of Kiev's ranks caused by the Moscovite invasion has forced them instead to dedicate resources to trying to match the sheer size and strength of Moscowy's force. Furthermore, Hungary's collapse into civil war has also reinforced the need for further army protection. Though the overseas commerce of Kiev may suffer due to this decision in the long run, the short run requires the creation of a larger army to assure the very survival of Kiev as a nation.
SARDINIAN RAILROAD ESTABLISHED. Cagliari, Sardinia. Emboldened by the success of the steam engine programs in the nation's ports, the Sardinians have consulted with British engineers to create a passenger and transport system overland. This will include several bridges and the grading of several hills in what has been termed the Grand Sardinian Royal Railroad Service. The monarchy has stood solidly behind this project, calling for every town on the island to be connected by railroad, providing safe and easy transportation along the island. Other nations and businesses have been observing the process, wondering if perhaps the time of the steam train has finally arrived. In the meantime, the Sardinians have laid significant track, but continue to work to develop trains and bridges to actually run the system. Furthermore, some glitches have appeared as they looked to create suitably placed coaling and water stations to prevent overheating among the train courses.
SWITZERLAND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT COMPLETED. Zurich, Switzerland. The Swiss have completed a several year project to develop the nation's infrastructure and road system across the nation. This has been the first truly federal project to be begun and completed since the current system of government was established. The effort went forward with surprising success and has completely revitalized and paved the former Swiss road network. The hope is that the new road system will allow Switzerland to not only improve trade relations with neighboring Savoy-Milan, but also allow it to respond more effectively to invasion. The Third Venetian War and the near crisis which erupted with Paris-Burgundy has caused Switzerland to realize it could very well become surrounded by enemies, and this new network is the only way for them to respond appropriately.