Iron and Blood 2 - Game Thread

Union of Kongola
Full Name: The Most Serene Union of the Viceroyalty of Angola and the Kingdom of the Kongo
Flag:

Color: For Irony's sake, Light version of Portuguese Dark Green
Capital: Angola
Gabon and Kongo are my other starting provinces
Description:
HISTORY

Portugal has long used the natives of Angola to capture slaves for them. With the support of early Abolitionists and Kings of the Kongo who refused to be enslaved further, a massive slave revolt overthrew the Governor of Angola and drove out the armies of Portugal. Under King Vuai Kagunda and the support of the new independent Angola, he united the Kongonese tribes and conquered Gabon into a united East African Empire.

Criminals are often still given the "Slave Penalty" and sold to Portuguese traders to replenish the growing plantations of Free Brazil. However, there are still much resistance to this.

POPULATION

A significant Portuguese population lives in Angola and have much influence in the government, but they are careful to avoid antagonizing their native allies (to the point that in 1795, they allowed whites to also suffer the "slave penalty"). The vast majority are native african.

RELIGION

Catholicism is strong in Angola, but so are native traditions as well as a growing "voodoo" cult. An Archbishop (probably) resides in Luanda.

CULTURE

The people of the Kongo are very anti-slavery, viewing it worse than death and using it as the worst penalty possible in their judicial system for items such as treason, murder, or cussing. The offenders, once found guilty, are broken and sold to Portuguese slave traders. The Portoguese (who call themselves Angolans and the natives the Kongonese) who lived in Angola practice standard, if considerably more open, Portuguese culture and Catholicism. The Kongonese are slowly being converted from their traditional religion, but most of them have reestablished their old village systems.

GOVERNMENT POLICIES

The King of the Kongo (and the Viceroy of Angola) is descended from the Kagunda Family. He speaks for all the Kongonese and can veto any proposed legislation by convincing just one member of the Cabinet. He is the commander in chief, admiral in command, and signs his name above anyone else from the Kongo. The current King is King Gabriel Kagunda.

There is a Parliament with delegates from all of Kongola. Generally, the Portoguese are overrepresented, although they keep their weak position in mind and usually listen to their consituants well. The head of the leading party is the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister and 2 chosen aids, and the Opposition leader and 1 of his aids form the Cabinet of Kongola. Four Cabinet members can force a veto, or the King and one other.


Factions:

There are many factions. I will group those with common goals together, then list the individual componets in a spoiler.

Nativists

The native Africans want to get even more rights to assure themselves of the freedom they fought for. They want to end or at least reduce the dominance of the Portuguese in the government and Catholicism in the countryside. Most of all, they prefer to establish friendly states nearby instead of annexing them.

Values: A stronger and fairer Parliament, Avoiding perils of Industrialism, preserve native culture and religion (vodoo), veto the "Slave Penalty", Isolationist


Imperialists

Imperialists are led mostly by the Angolan Portuguese. They want to expand the slave trade and industrialism, and expand all across Africa. Sympathetic to Portugal and the Catholic church, they also wish for a strong Imperial, and hopefully Angolan King and rid themselves of the Parliament

Values: A stronger, Angolan King, establish industrialism and wider use of the Slave Penalty, imperialistic, wishes for expansion of Catholicism, cautious in pushing their values


Socialists

They seek to end the slave penalty and the king, establishing a strong Parliament and especially a strong Prime Minister. They support no religion. They are imperialistic and seek expansion of Industrialism to expand the wealth of capital under government control.

Values: End of Slave Penalty, Strong Parliament, Atheistic, Imperialistic and Industrialistic
There are no splinter parties here, although the Socialists are rather weak and usually ally themselves with the Nativists, they are significantly different.

NOTICE FOR ALL NATIONS AS OF 1815

The Union of Kongola is open to all who wish to establish trade agreements and other effects. However, due to our strong Nativist-Socialist coalition controlling our government who would like to preserve domestic autonomy, it would be sadly impossible to pass any free trade agreements. Tariff-lowering, specific agreements, and merchant enclaves are accepted, however.

-King Gabriel Kagunda

Click to expand...

4 ICs into 2 factories in Nejd
1 IC into Army
Colonize Tabriz and Fars




A family of Hedjazi settlers shortly after arriving at their new lands in Tabriz

The year of 1815 brought along a great series of changes to the Portuguese government. With the end of Napoleon's great war in Europe, and the rise of the Industrial Revolution, Portugal began to return its focus back on itself and Brazil, rather than on France. After the war, most of armies it had were disbanded, in order to help it's weakened economy, their reason being that the ravaged countries of Europe had bigger problems to deal with. The former Ottoman countries in the Balkans were close to war*, but Portugal decided not to get involved in the conflict unless someone else made them.

The Industrial Revolution brought a new way to produce goods much faster and cheaper with factories, which originally was brought up in Britain, but soon found it's way across the world, including Portugal. They knew that other countries were building up industry, and so began to worry about other countries overtaking them in wealth. The Industrialists, the second most powerful faction in Portugal but still dwarfed by the Monarchists, used this idea in order to gain more followers, as well as pressure the Monarchists into pouring the economy into building factories. They agreed to build a small amount, but it didn't go much farther than there.

The Portuguese also invested into the arts, which included everything from building opera houses to commissioning paintings encouraging more people to become artists, architects, or other occupations that would improve the beauty of their nation to even spreading Portuguese values to places like Brazil. It was efforts like these that would help make Portugal once again be recognized as a great country in the civilized world, after its crushing defeats by it's rebellious colonies in the 18th century that brought Portugal to a mere shell of it's former precedence in world politics. The Radicals, a very weak faction even compared to the Industrialists, believed that cultural achievements weren't as important as military conquests, but their demands were almost completely ignored.

A more ignored improvement made by Portugal in the first years after the Napoleonic Wars was the investment into scientific progress. The Industrial Revolution had brought upon not only factories, but also new technological improvements, for example the steam engine, which created a very useful source of mechanical power that didn't require nearly as much human work. It began being used not only in factories, but also experimental designs in ships, which would be able to make water transportation faster and not relying on wind, as well as others. Portugal wanted to get in on this, and began funding scientists and engineers to discover more secrets nature held and applying them in new mechanisms to further the human race. However, this funding, while also being supported by the Industrialists and even some Monarchists, was very small compared to other investments, like that in factories and the arts.

All these improvements, however, were dimmed in most eyes by the colonization efforts in Free Brazil. The regions named Sao Paulo, Mato Grosso, and Grao-Para were the lands targeted by colonists, funded by Portugal, to integrate into the Portuguese Kingdom of Brazil, which had shrunk almost to nonexistence in the mid-18th century, if it weren't for the efforts of old Portuguese forces. Just before the Napoleonic Wars began, Portugal had attacked Free Brazil and forced the independent states to become puppets. However, skirmishes with France led to the fading away of these states once again, Portugal being too busy to take care of them. With the war over, however, Portugal once again returns to dominate them, but through different matters. They worry their past will cause problems, but the promise of new art, technologies and industry to help them grow will lure them in.

People think Portugal will change rapidly in the next 5 years, and more so even farther in the future. The Industrial Revolution is slowly making the Industrialist cause stronger and stronger all the time, and will only pick up steam (heh) as countries become more dependent on factories for their economy.

The Portuguese Empire

5 IC

2 IC - 1 Factory in Portugal

2 IC - Culture

1 IC - Science

Colonize Mato Grosso, Sao Paulo, and Grao-Para

* - OOC: I'm stating this in 1815, a bit before war actually occurred. Also we're staying neutral.

Istanbul - 1815 The Sultan, Yahya Cengiz, has convened with the newly elected Lower House, and the newly appointed Upper House, and decided on a plan of action for the next five years, one that will satiate demands from the most major factions in government.

The merchant faction, although weaker than the other two, was given the most attention during these government meetings due to the Sultan's pressing need for a stronger economy, which would allow more future spending. New factories were to be constructed in the province of Istanbul, these factories would of course mass produce goods to be sold by merchants in the great markets in Istanbul. The second major economic decision made was to accept a free-trade agreement with the Republic of Milan, a fellow Mediterranean nation. Free trade of course would allow unfettered access for merchants between our two nations, increasing both of our wealth greatly.

The military faction, being the second strongest, demanded an increase in the military in order to help protect the nation from the rebels. The Sultan, and the rest of government agreed on a plan to increase the military by one unit. This is a small increase, but the militarists agreed to this as long as military spending would increase after the next election in five years.

The strongest faction in government, the Ottoman nationalists, agreed with the increased military spending, but also demanded expansion into colonizing former Ottoman provinces. Although not as culturally influential as the Sultan hoped, he agreed to a plan to reinstate Transylvania into the Free City's territory.

Outside of forming new government policies for five years, the Free City was rather quiet event wise. People continued their lives as they did before, merchants sold goods in droves in the vast market places, the Free Army continued to march and drill, construction took place on new housing in the capital, as well as continued outfitting of new roads to Bucharest and Sofia, all was well in the Free City.

Orders (5IC)
-2 Factories in Istanbul (4IC)
-1 New army unit (1IC)
-Reinstate Independent Transylvania into the Free City (colonize Transylvania)
-Free Trade Agreement Signed with the Republic of Milan

Andre Massena and Jean Barber, the head of the two largest and politically powerful factions in the French circles of power, announced today the terms the two factions had agreed upon in order to ensure prosperity within France. But before you can understand the pact, you must know why the two leaders met in the first place.

Only a few months ago, France was accused of being part of a group called the 'Illuminati' by conspirators in Sweden. Contrary to the lies spread by Sweden, France was merely looking for security and stability regarding its position in Europe. But Andre Massena made the mistake of appointing a Jacobin to the ambassadorial post to this alliance that was supposed to give him there stability he so desired. This Jacobin defied orders by Andre Massena without Massena being aware and informed this alliance France would be in favor of imperialistic action on behalf of other members of the alliance to forcibly take or reclaim lands nearby to them.

When this was found out, a scandal ensued for the Jacobins. The ambassador was recalled and executed. The swedes and the rest of the alliance were informed of France's true aims, but by that point the CSA had heard word of the intended policies of the alliance and revealed them. France quickly distanced themselves. The Jacobins sustained severe loss of political capital and were sent into disarray as a result of this. They were seen as a political danger even though it is not sure if the Jacobin ambassador was acting under orders from the leader of the Jacobins or not.

Jean Barber, head of the Barber family, and Andre Massena then met to discuss these developments and what to do with the Jacobins. They eventually decided, and a long 3 weeks of intense negotiation, on a pact. They would together work within political circles to diminish the influence of the Jacobins and cause chaos for the faction. They also used this as an opportunity for political cooperation and a show of unity against the Jacobins which many now suspect of planning a coup against Andre Massena. The terms of the pact dictated that the Barbers would relent on the building of factories, allowing 4 major complexes to be sponsored by the government in the next 8 years, and supporting the takeovers of french and dutch lands over the same 8 year period.

In return, Andre Massena provided government funding to the Barbers to create a moderately sized force of Barbers skilled in the arts of combat in order to pursue a trio of objectives. The first was they would become responsible for the security of Massena himself. The second was that they would monitor Paris and the capital cities of surrounding French regions for any foreigners that are up to mischief in one way or another. The third is to develop a small group of extremely well trained marksmen and infiltrators for foreign infiltration during times of war or hostility from other nations, although Massena was careful to emphasize they would only be used in dire need for the last purpose.

In other news, there are discussions of expanding the north sea fishing fleet and building more ships of the line in the future in order to stay on top of things regarding military matters. These discussions come as the latest dresses designed in Paris have been exported to regions to the west.

5 total IC
2 IC to a factory complex near Paris.
1 IC to Espionage
2 IC to cultural points
'Colonize' the region in France that lies to the west and south of current French holdings. Bordeaux I believe.

Foreign Minister Eun Yi looked across the table at his Manchu counterpart, Hui Zhang. The older man looked harried, most likely from having to deal with the stresses of dealing with an aged emperor obsessed with maintaining a lost empire. But Jiaqing Emperor was long dead, and now his son, Daoguang, sat on the throne. The fact that Daoguang no longer styled himself as emperor of the Qing Dynasty meant that he might be more receptive to the offer Yi was about to present.

“As you are no doubt aware, the Khan of Mongolia has started to style himself as the new Yuan Emperor. This attempt to restore a long dead dynasty hints at the possibility that Chiang Khan will seek to subjugate the lands formerly held by the Yuan Dynasty through force of arms. Therefore, King Seung has decided to present the following offer to King Daoguang, in an effort to preserve both the Manchu and Korean people from destruction.

“The Kingdom of Manchuria will establish itself as a protected state under the guidance and rule of the Kingdom of Joseon. The Kingdom of Joseon shall handle all foreign affairs of the Kingdom of Manchuria, including but not limited to; declarations of war, foreign alliances, peace treaties, ect… Decisions made by the Kindom of Joseon is this regard will be considered binding to the Kingdom of Manchuria. The Kingdom of Manchuria shall also recognize all lands inhabited by Koreans nationals within Manchuria as sovereign territory of the Kingdom of Joseon, In exchange, the Kingdom of Joseon shall defend the Kingdom of Manchuria from all external and internal threats. In addition, Manchu merchants and scholars shall be giving free access to the markets and universities of the Kingdom of Joseon, and likewise, Korean merchants will hold the same advantages in Manchu markets and universities. In all other regards, the Kingdom of Manchuria shall retain its national sovereignty, without interference from the Kingdom of Joseon.”

After a few minutes of silence, the Manchu minister Hui Zhang finally spoke. “This is certainly an, interesting offer. When I heard that the Kingdom of Joseon wished to negotiate a treaty, I seriously expected much worse.”

“King Seung is a wise and just leader. While he remembers the past, he does not allow it to interfere with the present. A house must stand solid if it is to weather the harsh storm.”

“That is certainly a wise stance to hold.” Zhang sighed. “Hopefully, my lord shall agree with this wisdom.”



The Kingdom of Joseon

Orders:
-Colonize Manchuria
-Invest 4 2 IP into building 2 1 factory in Gyeongsang
-Invest 2 IP into science
-Invest 1 IC into culture (expansion of the Kyujanggak)

L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO: Edition I.

-

Second Italian Rennaisance?

In this the 1815th Year of Our Lord Jesus Christ the Holy See has initiated a number of programs to ensure the preservation and dissemination of cultural artifacts in the city of Rome. His Holiness has ordered repairs to a number of the most ancient churches in the city, and started an initiative to improve the quality of sacred music, hiring a number of the most renowned vocalists and composers from across Europe to run the choirs of the patriarchal basilicas and to teach in the various pontifical universities of Rome.

These cultural initiatives met with the approval of all the dominant factions in the Curia, with the ultramontanists noting the personal agency of Pope Pius VII in initiating this project and the Temporalists stating to this newspaper that they considered this cultural initiative of vital importance in extending the cultural influence of the papal states beyond its borders. The Scholastics however were the most enthusiastic, wholeheartedly endorsing His Holiness in his initiative noting that the improvement of churches and sacred music would be instrumental in improving the liturgy in the city, and be of great utility in imparting the Churches teaching to its faithful.

Immigration Increased

Overpopulation in Rome has led to a rush of immigration into the territories of Sardinia-Piedmont with papal settlements being established along the coast of Corsica, a formerly papal holding granted to Pope Stephen II by the Frankish King Pepin the Short. Settlements have also been established along the genoese coast close to the papal border and in the cities of Torino and Cagliari.

Reports from the region indicate that this immigration has caused relatively little trouble thanks to cultural similarity and historically amicable relations between the Holy See and the various authorities of the region. Indeed one priest from Cagliari, who asked to remain anonymous indicated that there was rising support in the region for secession into the Papal States with the faithful being particularly vocal for such inclusion, alongside the italian nationalists who see inclusion into the papal states as an integral stage towards the unification of the italian peninsula.

Roman initiative aids Economy, the Poor.

The leaders of the various Rione of Rome have come together, and with support from the cardinal secretary of state initiated an economic program to ensure the wellbeing of the poor in the city of Rome. This program, a food processing factory to prepare pre-packaged pasta is expected to have a broader economic influence across the peninsula, as the increased demand for Sicilian and Tuscan wheat leads to improved agricultural development in the provinces.

Diplomatic chill continues with Gaspari Paraguay

The situation in Paraguay continues to deteriorate with the government in that country continuing in its efforts to subjugate the Church to temporal authority. Cardinal Richelieu, former Archbishop of Paris, current Cardinal Secretary of State and notable temporalist indicated that this oppression was an example of why the Church required temporal sovereignty to ensure its independence. Notable Ultramontanists and Scholastics were not available for comment, merely repeating their absolute condemnation of the nationalisation of the local church in Paraguay and their support for the persecuted Church in Paraguay and for all who oppose the Tyrant Gaspar in separate written statements.

His Holiness has still not made a direct public statement, although new reports from his secretary indicate he finds the Gaspar regime "distasteful" and that he would be open to forging a closer relationship between the Papal States and Paraguay should there be regime change and a de-nationalisation of the local church and a renewed respect for ecclesiastical indpendence from the state in that region.

Vulgar Bosnian Diplomat sours Diplomatic Function

A minor bosnian diplomat has in a disgusting display of barbarism insulted Cardinal Richelieu by calling him a cheese eating surrender monkey in an inane attempt at making a light jest. The diplomat later recanted his statement after the Cardinal called the bosnian ambassador, by publically noting the historical military exploits of the french nation, including the conquests of Charlemagne and certain more chronologically recent exploits.

The Secretariat of State has indicated that there is no change in relations between Bosnia and the Holy See, with both states remaining on cordial terms. However Vatican watchers indicated that there remains a lingering distaste towards Bosnians amongst the curia in light of this incident, a distaste only excacerbated by rumours of bosnian attempts to colonise Catholic Slavonia.

New Wave of Evangelical missions

Concern from the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith and the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith at the increase in paganism in Africa and Scandinavia has led to an increase in evangelical activity in Africa and in Scandinavia for the good of souls.

Jesuit missionaries have been sent to both countries to spread the faith, to supplement local missions, and the jesuit institutions of Kongola have likewise, and at the behest of the Holy See, increased their evangelical activities to respond to the increasing influence of the occult, voodoo sects.

Bloody heathens.

bestrfcplayer said:

Can I still join?

Click to expand...

For the love of Luna, you had more than a month!

Look, fine, fill out the application (details in the Sign-Up thread). You don't post orders until next turn though.

Kongola Orders
5IC Income
2IC to Factory in Gabon
1IC to Science
1IC to Culture
1IC To Military
Begin colonization of Kasai
5 Armies to Conquer Nambia.


With the inauguration of King Gabriel Kagunda came into power a strong Nativist Alliance in coalition with a growing Socialist party, handily defeating the Imperialists after universal male suffrage was granted at the deathbed of King Vuai Kagunda. After the ascension of the Social Native coalition, new legislation came through the parliament, satisfying each of its constituting members.

For the small but influential Abolitionists the "Slave Penalty" was banned for misdemeanors despite firm opposition by the Imperialists and a splinter faction of Gabonese representatives. Money was spent to build new humane prisons and establishment of rehabilitation centers to replace the slave-prisons. This is thought by many as an investment in culture as slave stories begun being printed almost immediately.

The Gabonese ceased their resistance of the above measure with the construction of new universities in their province, staffed by a mixture of Vodoo-cultist shamans and Catholic Jesuits, bringing them together in debate. This exposure to the arts will hopefully give many a genius the opportunity to succeed.

To calm down the rest of the Imperialists a new brigade, the 4th Gabonese Muskets, was recruited. This also gave strong support for the Abolitionists and especially the Socialists, who immediately begun working their dialectical magic among the recruits.

Finally, a new factory was constructed in Gabon with support by the Gabonese, Vodoo cultists and the Socialists. Organizing the locals into communes around these new structures, the Socialists have gained many new members the past few months as they ensured the supply of food, medicine and goods from the mechanized plantations.

Kasai, meanwhile, sees the arrival of many immigrants and legates willing to join the natives there into the Union. The princes of Kasai debated among themselves while King Gabriel continuously offered to maintain their status with the acceptance of the union.

Over these times, the Socialists are gaining strength, as are the Imperialists. The Gabonese turned from the Nativist faction to the Socialist and supported the mechanized experiments as they played off the now-weakened Nativists and the Royally-sponsored Imperialists from each other.

King Vuai Kagunda would like to announce that Kivu, Kasai and Kagunda, whether they accept my offer of union or not, are under the protection of the Union of Kongola. The Congo people there shall be freed from the predations of Slavers and and from the fear of colonization by non-Congonese outsiders. Any discussion about this region would be gladly accepted in the Embassy or more private quarters.


Units in the Kongola Army
1st Angola Muskets: AKA The Royal Guard
2nd Angola Muskets
3rd Congonese Muskets
4th Gabonese Muskets
1st Congonese Lances: AKA The Royal Lancers
1st Congonese Rifles

Total: 4 Musket Brigades, 1 Rifle Brigade, 1 Lancer Brigade.

Also, I'll post a battle calculator sometime in the next few days.

4IC into factiories, 1 in Paraguay, 1 in Argentina
1IC into our glorious and unbeatable military
Brutaly Subjugate liberate Bolivia

People of Paraguay,
It is today that I proudly announce that the power of industry will no longer be exclusive to the European chain makers. For to long the colonialists have used the fires of the mighty forge for their own greedy desires, to subjugate people from Paraguay to India. But no more, No more! Factories will make more than just chains, and the machines themselves will see. We march for freedom and for revolution. The chain bringers and the wayward will fall, for now we to ride the metal dragon!

It is in factiories like this, the temples of our greatness, that victory shall be forged, for we shall have supirior weapons to the squabbling slavers. We will rally the people of the world, we will give the iron, and they will give the firey blood. The revolution, in my name and in the name of the glory of Paraguay will not falter, and soon, all people of the world will look to us as bringers of a new world order. And if the world must burn in blood for it to happen, so be it. We will march, and we will stand when all else falls. It is here that the power to break the chains will be forged, and the revolution will be made. Burn the coal, fule the furnuce, blaze the fire!

We are already marching. We come to save the wayward people of Bolivia from their weak rulers. That land could be so much more than it is, if not for the pacifism and weakness of the government. Bolivia will be first to join the Revolution. The world will be next. We will remove the ignorant and bring the light of fire to the darkend world. First we will save the ignorant and than we will strike the shadow on our shores. The church that leads us to be sheep, The darkenss in Brazil. They shall fall. We shall rule, as one. We March!!!!!!!
-Gaspar

To Bolivia: Sheep! Abandon your wayward shepherd. Join the light, or you will fall to the wolves of night!



OOC: Yes, I got bored of being nice and sane in all IOTs . Disclaimer: The views of the (actually real) dictator I am RPing have nothing to do with my RL views and are exclusivly for the purpose of this IOT.