News from the Far East
PORTUGUESE INDIA DISCONTENT. Goa, Portugal. The Portuguese have faced rising dissent and unrest in their Indian possessions as the apparent wealth of the British and Spanish princes continues to far outpace their own. The Indians in Portugal's colony have been less than enthusiastic about supporting the European regime, and the situation has only deteriorated. The result has been a growing resentment at all levels of Portugal's Indian society, and while no riots or open unrest has yet taken place, it is clearly on the horizon. Some are lobbying for either a new independent state, but most of the princes seem to be far more interested in the potential of trade or annexation with the Empire of Holy Spain or the United Kingdom of Great Britain. (-1 Stability)
GUERILLA WARFARE IN VIETNAM. Hanoi, United Kingdom of Great Britain. The outbreak of a global war with the Spanish Empire has given a number of discontent groups throughout the British Empire hope of success. This has resulted in increased guerilla activity in the British colony of Vietnam, which has been resisting the British rule fervently. To the disturbance of the British colonial government, there have even been reports of Ascendant agents and sympathizers throughout the northern part of the country. The claims that Europeans are demons and not truly human have been gaining some popularity among the more oppressed peoples of Vietnam, and there is definitely some evidence that the Ascendant cult has arrived here. Regardless, there has been an increase in attacks upon British patrols, as the interior destabilizes with the growth of British business exploitation. (-1 Infantry Brigade)
GUANGZHOU FACES MAJOR DEFECTIONS AND DESERTION. Guangzhou, Guangzhou. As the Ascendants push south and the European coalition collapses before it even became properly started, the hopes of Guangzhou's armies are greatly diminishing. Most of the forces of Guangzhou are less than loyal to begin with and have only assembled thanks to the massive funds provided by the British and other European governments. The tales of the Razing of Shanghai and the devastation of other cities by the Ascendants has become notorious, invoking much fear among the men of Guangzhou's armies. Furthermore, the no prisoner policies of the Ascendants and the torturous deaths they provide to any captured, have further sparked terror. On the other hand, the Ascendants offer lucrative options to those who join their cause, especially to veteran soldiers. This has led to even whole brigades simply disappearing in the night to join the Ascendant cause. In particular, one Guangzhou general has brought his whole army to the side of the Ascendants, converting to their bizarre pseudo-religious dogma.
DEATH OF THE KING OF VIETNAM. Saigon, United Kingdom of Great Britain. The British have ruled over Vietnam through the use of the local monarch who surrendered his armies to them in the first place. To this end, the king has been a fairly ineffectual leader for his people, spurring on further resistance to British rule and rebellions. This year, the old king has passed away, leaving a bit of a power vacuum in Vietnam which the British have been obligated to fill. With no living heirs, the old monarch has been replaced by a popular local aristocrat who has gained the support of the growing merchant classes in the cities. The result has been a stabilizing effect among those with money in Vietnam, as the British continue to consolidate their hold over the country. (+1 Stability)
WAR ESCALATES IN CHINA WITH EUROPEAN INTERVENTION. Taipei, United Kingdom of Great Britain. The war between the Ascendants and effectively the rest of China has at last escalated to include European powers after the disasters and atrocities committed by the Ascendants last year. On paper an impressive coalition was immediately assembled as Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, the Republic of the Netherlands, the Empire of Holy Spain, and even Poland all declared war upon the rising Chinese threat. The reality has proven a bit more hollow for the Europeans however, as the war continues to tilt in the favor of the Ascendants and the conflict between Spain and Britain shatters any hope of local European cooperation. The war has taken on a new degree of complexity and a special portion of the update has been dedicated to it, below this section.
JAPAN COMPLETES MILITARY MODERNIZATION. Kyoto, Japan. The Japanese emperor has overseen dramatic new reform in the training and equipment of its army, expanding the central control and creating a centralized apparatus for the government. While this has seen a loss of influence for the proponents of the older systems, most have agreed to follow the emperor on the new course of military development. The Japanese have adopted new European methods of warfare and continue to expand their knowledge and training in regards to the use of modern firearms. The new weapons and talent is of course being put to the test in Korea, as the Japanese seek to expand their empire and holdings beyond the Japanese islands.
JAPANESE-KOREAN WAR ERUPTS. Kagoshima, Japan. After several years of trade disputes and bickering, as well as Korean attacks upon Japanese merchants, war has at last erupted between the two nations. The Japanese have launched an invasion of Korea, seeking to force them to submit to the Japanese terms and possibly even Japan's direct rule. This is the first true war of Japanese imperialism beyond their islands, and they have sought to make sure that it goes successfully. The first experiment was the test of their new steamships in battle against the Koreans, which proved a major success, opening the waves to the invasion, and securing the island of Jeju. The Japanese succeeded in their initial invasion of the Korean Peninsula, defeating the local garrison and establishing their own foothold. The Japanese would face their greatest challenge as they went head to head with the Korean army, which outnumbered them nearly two to one. Regardless of the numbers, the Japanese used their superior firepower to decimate the Korean artillery and secure control of the field. They then shattered the Korean army and sent it routing to Seoul. This has given Japan effective control of southern Korea as the war moves onward
Casualty Lists
Japan: 5 Infantry Brigades, 1 Artillery Brigade 1 First Rate Warship (+2 Second Rate Warships as prizes)
Korea: 10 Infantry Brigades, 1 Cavalry Brigade, 4 Artillery Brigades, 4 Fifth Rate Warships, 3 Second Rate Warships
BURMA COMPLETES NAVAL DEVELOPMENT. Rangoon, Burma. The Burmese have made great strides to protect themselves from foreign invasion or influence this year as a program to develop their naval capacity yields results. Under guidance from British engineers and working around the clock to build their naval bases and shipyards, the Burmese Imperial Navy has at last been formed. As tensions mount with Siam and the threat of war rises, the government is pleased to see this program underway, as new, stronger warships are built. The hopes remain that the new Burmese navy will be able to repel any Siamese raids or attacks, particularly in conjunction with the new coastal fortifications that have been build over the past few years. Furthermore, the presence of a strong navy could do much to deter any would-be imperialist European nations, securing their shores from that threat as well.
TENSIONS MOUNT BETWEEN SIAM AND BURMA. Bangkok, Siam. The border between Siam and Burma, tenuous at the best of times, has once more become the scene of growing skirmishes and disputes. With the threat of European imperialism at least temporarily waylaid by the growing war and unrest across the world, the Siamese have begun pressuring Burma to cede various villages and towns along the border. The result has been an escalation of the skirmishes to near battles as both sides begin mustering their armies for war. Burma has continued to reject Siam's claims to their provinces, assembling their army and newly created navy in preparation for any invasion.
SPECIAL: War of the Ascendancy
THE ASCENDANTS' ADVANCE. Fujian, Ascendant's Kingdom of Holy China. The greatest battles of the war to date have occurred along the coast early in the year, as the Ascendant army sought to end the reign of the last emperor of China. Thanks to the defection of Guangzhou's army in the north, the main armies were concentrated on the Ascendant's campaign to take Guangzhou itself. For the first time in the war, some hope was had for the opponents of the Ascendants, as the first major battle in the year turned out as a victory for Guangzhou. For a time this kept them at bay, but as relentless as they've demonstrated themselves to be, the Ascendants attacked once more. This time, Guangzhou's line broke, and the Ascendants went on the march once more. At last the final European trade city, Hong Kong, was in sight of the Ascendants. With no local British garrison, the Guangzhou Emperor was pressured to defend the city himself. The Ascendants won yet again, forcing the Guangzhou forces to retreat to their capital, and submitting Hong Kong to the same treatment of all the other trade cities. Guangzhou itself at last came under siege as the ascendants made a push to end the false emperor once and for all. The city held, barely, against the advance, and at last the Ascendants were forced to halt, the last major battle before the arrival of the first European intervention. As before, the Ascendants have brutally slaughtered those deemed impure, seizing their wealth, and carving out rivers of blood through the countryside.
Casualty Lists
Ascendant's Kingdom of Holy China: 76 Infantry Brigades, 8 Cavalry Brigades, 18 Artillery Brigades, 430 Manpower
Guangzhou: 77 Infantry Brigades, 9 Cavalry Brigades, 18 Artillery Brigades
THE SIDESHOW BATTLES. Nanning, Guangzhou. The faction of Yunnan at last received much unwelcome attention from both the Ascendant's Kingdom and Guangzhou this year. Both factions have moved desperately to seize the wealth and resources of the territory to increase their effectiveness in the war against the other. Guangzhou was the first to do so, entering into battle with a larger Yunnan force. To many people's surprise Guangzhou won a major victory, shattering Yunnan's army and sending them running to the west. They managed to seize a substantial amount of territory, threatening Kunming itself. In the north the Ascendants fought a significantly smaller Islamic army, also winning a devastating army and shattering the Islamic force completely. Kunming soon found itself under threat of hosting a massive three way battle. The result was an Ascendant victory, as the forces of Guangzhou were driven off and the Islamic city was captured. In punishment for their heresy, the city was declared to be cleansed by the Ascendants and burned to the ground with its inhabitants. The Ascendants have secured the remnants of the area, and even gained a few forced converts from Yunnan's armies. As before, the region has been purified by the Ascendants, leading to hundreds of thousands of deaths in the conflict.
Casualty Lists
Ascendant's Kingdom of Holy China: 14 Infantry Brigades, 3 Cavalry Brigades, 2 Artillery Brigades, 210 Manpower
Guangzhou: 27 Infantry Brigades, 7 Cavalry Brigades, 7 Artillery Brigades
Tibet: 1 Infantry Brigade
Yunnan: 31 Infantry Brigades, 10 Cavalry Brigades, 14 Artillery Brigades
THE RAZING OF NEW BRITAIN. Harbin, Ascendant's Kingdom of Holy China. As they found greater and greater successes in the south against Yunnan and Guangzhou, the Ascendants sought to purify their borders in other ways. After careful surveying of the north, the British settlement in New Britain was found to be too much of a risk of tainting the northern Chinese. Therefore, a small force was put together to extinguish the British presence in the region. With only a miniscule local militia to protect the colony, the area was smashed and burned by the Chinese, eliminating the British influence. There were no survivors of the colony, which has been purged from the map by the vengeful and brutal Chinese forces.
THE EUROPEAN INTERVENTION. Guangzhou, Guangzhou. Though the eruption of war between Spain and the United Kingdom has eliminated the two largest members of any European coalition against China from relevance in the theater, a army has still been deployed to the region. A major expedition of Poles and Scandinavians arrived in Guangzhou late in the year to assist the emperor in lifting the siege of the capital. Though over a third of the Polish soldiers would die in transit to the Far East from disease, the army that arrived in China was still largely intact. The army quickly organized itself under Polish leadership and pushed on to relieve the Guangzhou capital from the Ascendant siege. The Europeans and Guangzhou had approximately equal numbers to the Ascendants and battle was soon engaged. The Ascendants fought with the ferocity and mania of fanatics, flinging themselves against the Polish and Scandinavian lines. The Europeans did what they could and inflicted heavy damage, but soon ran out of ammunition and were forced to retreat from the battlefield. The battle itself was a stalemate, badly mauling the Ascendants, but resulting in major loss for the Europeans as well.
Casualty Lists
Ascendant's Kingdom of Holy China: 20 Infantry Brigades, 1 Cavalry Brigade, 7 Artillery Brigades
Guangzhou: 9 Infantry Brigades, 2 Artillery Brigades
Poland: 6 Infantry Brigades, 2 Cavalry Brigades, 1 Artillery Brigade
Scandinavia: 3 Infantry Brigades
SPECIAL: War of the American Presidency
FIGHTING IN THE WEST. Louisville, United States of America. While the largest battles have been in the eastern part of the United States, this does not mean that the western states and territories have been neglected. Eager to gain more support throughout the territories and consolidate their control for a long war, the Scott government launched an offensive against Kentucky and Tennessee. The local state militias were less than cooperative for the defense, divided in their support for the various governments. The governors' cavalry forces were easily driven out of the state or destroyed, giving Scott full control south of the Ohio River. The fighting occurred later in the year, and some of the forces dedicated to the campaign had to be sent east, but those remaining were more than capable of taking and patrolling the new territories.
Casualty Lists
United States of America (Gubernatorial Faction): 1 Cavalry Brigade
United States of America (Scott Faction): 1 Cavalry Brigade
BATTLE OF CHINCOTEAGUE BAY. Dover, United States of America. The true War of the American Presidency began with the Battle of Chincoteague Bay, as the tensions which have been mounting for years erupted between the British and Spanish. With the approach of a Brazilian transport fleet towards New York City, the main Spanish navy moved to halt these troops and ships from arriving. To counter this move, the main British fleet assembled with the Brazilians and met the Spanish in a standoff. The result was a British attempt to force the Spanish blockade, bringing the combined fleets into battle. American ships from Norfolk also participated, striking the British and Brazilians from behind, and sinking or capturing a number of Brazilian transports. The result was a major battle of 307 warships, not including various transports and smaller support vessels, easily the largest naval battle in history since the ancient Battle of Salamis. After vicious fighting and naval combat, and with the skies themselves darkened by the haze of gunfire, the Spanish emerged victorious, smashing the new modern ships of the British and Brazilian navies. Some were even captured, bolstering Spain's fleet. The Brazilian transports were scattered or sunk, and a large number of Brazilian prisoners were taken, though some did manage to haphazardly return to Brazil. The overall result has been the full withdrawal of the British Royal Navy from the American coast, though no Spanish blockade has been fully instituted against the northeast, except a few raiding and scouting vessels.
Casualty Lists
Empire of Brazil: 4 Infantry Brigades, 2 Cavalry Brigades, 5
Norwich-class Warships, 4
Libertador-class Warships, 3 First Rate Warships
United Kingdom of Great Britain: 35 Second Rate Warships, 32
Monarch-class Warships, 11
Norwich-class Warships, 2 First Rate Warships
Empire of Holy Spain: 11
Neptuno-class Warships, 12
Toledo-class Warships, 34 Third Rate Warships, 15 Second Rate Warships, 2 First Rate Warships (+8 Second Rate Warships, +3
Norwich-class Warships from Captured Prizes)
United States of America (Scott Faction): 3
Washington-class Warships, 2
Libertador-class Warships (+2 First Rate Warships, +4 Second Rate Warships, +1
Norwich-class Warship from captured Prizes)
THE APPALACHIAN CAMPAIGN. Charleston, United States of America. The largest North American clashes of the War of the American Presidency took place in western Virginia, as the governors attempted to secure the "back door" to the Virginian heartlands. Scott's main army soon caught wind of the advance after the capture of Morgantown, as the invaders headed southwest towards the region's largest city and economic center. The main battle would be fought around Charleston, as Scott's army sought to prevent the governors from securing the region. The result was a very slim victory by the governors' army which forced Scott's armies to retreat across the Appalachians. However, the nature of the victory has managed to put some pressure on the armies of Scott, but they've been unable to do push much more forward due to losses sustained in the campaign so far.
Casualty Lists
United States of America (Gubernatorial Faction): 6 Infantry Brigades, 1 Cavalry Brigade, 1 Artillery Brigade
United States of America (Scott Faction): 5 Infantry Brigades, 1 Cavalry Brigade, 1 Artillery Brigade
THE EASTERN AMERICAN CAMPAIGN. Baltimore, United States of America. Despite the failure of the arrival of reinforcements from Brazil and the British defeat at the Battle of Chincoteague bay, the success of the Appalachian Campaign encouraged the governors' generals to push south along the Atlantic Coast. They hoped to secure Maryland from General Scott's influence and have met with some limited success. Moving slowly south, they were screened by superior cavalry forces, and the smaller army gave battle to the governors' force at the battle of Towson. The advance into Maryland was routed and badly mauled by the smaller army thanks to superiority in cavalry and artillery capacity, managing to secure a sound victory over the enemy. For now Maryland remains thoroughly under the control of President Scott and his most determined supporters.
Casualty Lists
United States of America (Gubernatorial Faction): 7 Infantry Brigades, 1 Artillery Brigade
United States of America (Scott Faction): 2 Infantry Brigades, 1 Cavalry Brigade
WAR ARRIVES IN INDIA. Devrukh, United Kingdom of Great Britain. Prior to the battles in the Indian Ocean and on the Indian subcontinent most of the war was restricted to the Western Hemisphere. This all changed when a British expedition to China was rerouted to take the war to Spain in India. The Spanish were well informed about the expedition, though they had been unaware of the size of the escorting British fleet. Assuming a smaller or equal force to their own Indian fleet, the Spanish moved to engage, hoping to stop the British from bringing their massive force to bear upon their possessions in India. The British met with disaster upon disaster, featuring incredibly bad luck, as the fleet was devastated by an unexpected typhoon before they met the Spanish in battle. A large number of escorting vessels were scattered, sunk or irreparably damaged in the resulting chaos. Many steam engines simply failed to function or broke in the confusion and the British fleet was ill-prepared for the fight to come. The Spanish, outnumbered and outgunned, still managed to force a stalemate upon the British, tearing them to pieces through highly skilled concentration of force and firepower. Regardless, the British took a heavy toll against the Spanish in the process, and still managed to get most of the army ashore, though a large number of brigades were lost in transit by disease or forced to return to Britain. The battles or battle themselves at sea were actually a stalemate, though the Spanish clearly overall came out ahead. Regardless of the problems at sea, the year turned out fairly well for the British on land, with the massive arrival of reinforcements. They heavily outnumber the local Spanish army and have quickly begun conquering swathes of India, hindered only by the lack of time remaining in the year.
Casualty Lists
Empire of Holy Spain: 1 Cavalry Brigade, 21 Second Rate Warships, 3 First Rate Warships, 1
Granada-class Warship, 2
Neptuno-class Warships (+1
Monarch-class Warship, +3
Norwich-class Warship from captured prizes)
United Kingdom of Great Britain: 10 Infantry Brigades, 3 Artillery Brigades, 12
Monarch-class Warships, 7
Norwich-class Warships, 4
Hermes-class Armed Transports
SPAIN ASSAULTS BRITISH AMERICAN POSSESSIONS. Havana, Empire of Holy Spain. As the War of the American Presidency enlarges, the Spanish have launched an offensive against British possessions in the Western Hemisphere. Most of the strongest British possessions were lost in the War of the Catholic League and the resulting aftermath, but they still continue to possess a sizeable presence in the West Indies and upon Newfoundland. With substantial and massive military assets throughout the Caribbean, and with no British forces of matter to oppose them, the Spanish have quickly forced the surrender of these islands and landed occupation forces in the north. The local garrisons, faced with overwhelming odds, have been forced to surrender, securing these islands for the Spanish. This move has effectively eliminated any British support or presence in the Western Hemisphere outside of the Falkland Islands, giving Spain a major strategic advantage for little cost.
Casualty Lists
United Kingdom of Great Britain: 2 Infantry Brigades
THE COMMERCE WAR. Plymouth, United Kingdom of Great Britain. While there have been two great naval battles in the course of the War of the American Presidency so far, the majority of naval fighting has been much smaller scale. With the outbreak of general war between the Empire of Holy Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain, the two sides' navies typically fight whenever they come in contact. This has included a number of smaller ship actions across the world, mostly along the major shipping and transportation lanes. This has been further escalated as both of the main American factions have begun commerce raiding of merchants shipping to their opponents. Very few ports of call are truly safe as the world's commerce faces immense challenge from the outbreak of this conflict.
Casualty Lists
Empire of Brazil: 2 Fourth Rate Warshps
United Kingdom of Great Britain: 6 Second Rate Warships
United States of America (Gubernatorial Faction): 1
Libertador-class Warship
Empire of Holy Spain: 3 Second Rate Warships, 1
Toledo-class Warship
United States of America (Scott Faction): 2
Libertador-class Warships
Financial Section
SPAIN MAKES MAJOR FINANCIAL STAKE IN JAPAN. Tokyo, Japan. New economic ties continue to be built between Europe and the Far East as Japan receives a massive loan and support from the Empire of Holy Spain. This has spurred further Spanish investment and influence into the islands of Japan, promising great reward and wealth in that growing industrial market. Spanish goods continue to be highly popular in the Asian country, though recently trade has begun surging with Sweden and the Republic of the Netherlands. The hopes are this new major loan from Spain will cement the Spanish economic position in the islands, regardless of the fate of the ongoing war with Britain.
POLAND AND NORMANDY SIGN ECONOMIC AGREEMENT. Danzig, Poland. The Normans have once more demonstrated their desire for Eastern European business by opening new trading relations with Poland. Despite past tensions created by Norman financial and economic support with Prussia, the Poles have looked past this history in the hopes of creating a profit. The Normans have also looked into this market, once more flooding their ports with grains and goods from the east. As before, this has had an overall negligible effect on both regions' economic strength, but the move is seen as further progress for the often jumpy Norman economy.
ECONOMIC FLUCTUATION REPORT. Madrid, Empire of Holy Spain.
Random Stat Changes and Fluctuations
Manpower Boom in Burma: +18 Manpower
Diplomatic Pouch
To:
Empire of Brazil
From: Argentina
The new government in Uruguay has been making outlandish claims that you may be responsible for the assassination of President Rosas as well as the recent atrocity in their nation. While we doubt their claims, we would like your assurance and government spending records to lay these serious claims to rest. We hope that our new policies of friendship will allow you do just that, allowing us to put this behind us and focus on the rising instability in Uruguay.
To:
United Kingdom of Great Britain
From: Portugal
We seek to reduce our colonial expenses and offer to sell you Timor and our holdings in New Zealand for 50 EP. What say you?
OOC
@Eltain: The amount of manpower you have is ALL eligible people, instituting conscription is solely in the form of the large amount of brigades you actually make. Allowing the conscription of blacks into the army would increase the manpower base, but it should be clear from the update of the potential consequences of such an action. Also a minor thing should be said: there's no Texas, only Florida. All of that territory was part of the former Spanish colony of Florida, which also refers to all the possessions, real or otherwise of Spanish North America.
@Terrence888: I don't usually thoroughly read orders until the time to construct an update's outline. To that end, expect answers to your questions to come at some point after the update is posted.
Das has been dropped from the NES due to inactivity. Persia is now open for play.
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