News from Africa and the Middle East
CORRUPTION OF THE ARMY OF OMAN. Muscat, Oman. The Omani army has shown some signs of deterioration over the course of the year, reflected in the lackluster attitude of its officers and soldiers. The Omanis have shown their armed forces to have an inherent corruption, and most of their leaders are prone to selfish acts of bribery and decadence. The end result of this failure of the apparatus has been a noticeable decline in the fighting capacity of the army. This has been mostly due to the attitude of the officers spreading quickly into the rank and file, many opportunistic individuals even selling army supplies to tribes or other individuals. The monarchy seems to have little interest in correcting the problem due to other concerns, further worsening the situation. (-1 Army Quality)
TRIBES RAID MISSIONS ON IVORY COAST. Gustavas, Sweden. Swedish Protestant missions on the Ivory Coast have faced growing problems in the course of the year, as they fall under attack by local tribes. Sparked apparently by a missionary's guard accidentally killing a tribal leader, the fighting has been vicious as the small missions are protected only by small contingents of Swedish soldiers. There seems to be no inherent organization to the attacks, simply rage and raiding resultant from this. Also, most of the fighting doesn't truly seem to be upon the missions themselves, but against supply wagons and travelers between the missions.
TRIBAL WARFARE IN GHANA. Cape Coast, United Kingdom of Great Britain. A dispute among tribes has led to a stalemated battle between the tribes of British Ghana. Though the British forts along the coast have typically turned a blind eye towards these matters, the fighting has grown more intense than typically known in these affairs. The local slave traders, though enthusiastic about the increasing supply of slaves available for sale from the local natives, have expressed concern for their merchants and outposts in the interior. They have begun to appeal to the local governor to allow for intervention by British troops to put things into order in certain parts of the interior of Ghana.
ASSASSINATION OF KING IN OMAN. Muscat, Oman. Said bin Sultan died this year, choking upon a poisoned meal, as his brother made a play for sole rule of the nation. As the lesser member in a co-ruling status, Salim bin Sultan chafed under his brother's leadership. Over the past ten years, he has spent time working on assembling support for a regime change, which at last went into motion. The former sultan died at his meal, while his brother soon came into power, with the support of the military and various other important figures. The merchant classes also support his rule, and gave him their economic support. With his rise to power, Salim has done well in eliminating opposition and riding the waves to sole power in Oman. (+1 Stability)
EMPEROR OF ABYSSINIA PASSES AWAY. Addis Ababa, Abyssinia. Emperor Gigar of Abyssinia died this year, dying of an unknown condition likely due to his advanced age. During his reign, Abyssinia has experienced constant warfare and the rise of banditry. He also managed to open Abyssinia more up to the world, welcoming in traders along the coast and constructing new port facilities to allow for the expanded trade. His brother has become Emperor Dori, and the new ruler of the nation, and is known to be a skilled fighter in his younger years, and has begun making plans for even more intense offensives against the bandits plaguing the nation.
ABYSSINIA COMPLETES PORT EXPANSIONS. Assad, Abyssinia. The construction of new facilities for the port of Assad at last came to an end this year, as the ports have been enlarged to accommodate the largest European merchant vessels. The local merchants and traders hope that the new port will allow improved commerce with the seafaring nations of Europe, and plans have even begun being made to allow for a emissary to be sent to Oman or the Mamlukes to encourage trade with them as well. The effort has met with little resistance except for the locals who were there before the expansion took place, resenting being forced off their land. Fortunately, most of them are rather pleased about the prosperity this has brought to their town, and dissent is fairly low among the rest.
ABYSSINIAN WAR ON BANDITS CONTINUES. Bekoji, Abyssinia. The Abyssinians continued their efforts to reign in the rise of bandit lords this year, as the military continues their attempts to control the southern lands. They have actually met with some reasonable success, and several of the more powerful bandit gangs have been defeated or destroyed and their leaders executed. This has been mainly due to the activities of an elite cavalry force which has swept through bandit controlled regions when they least expect it. The fighting continues, however, as some groups have managed to evade being corralled by the Abyssinian military, raiding and looting villages and even winning some victories against local garrisons.
SWEDEN NATIONALIZES SENEGAL. As the Swedish Senegal Company declared bankruptcy, the crown of Sweden has since nationalized the defunct company and assumed direct control of the Senegal colony. So far new national efforts to spur the economy continue to meet with failure, as the colony remains empty and devoid of immigrants. The appeal of Vinland and the Ivory Coast are too much for the arid colony, which faces constant drains upon the local budget. Some minor trading has picked up in the slave trade, but overall the market continues to be heavily dominated by supply from other European colonies.
MADAGASCAR REFUSES SWEDISH ENTRY. Antananarivo, Madagascar. After taking measures to investigate concerns among her subjects, Queen Ranavalona discovered much Swedish tampering and corruption among the tribes. Believing that the Swedes were attempting to subjugate her people through their not too subtle threats of force for territory, she has outright refused any Swedish trading vessels or entry onto the island. Warning against retaliation, the queen has begun searching out new allies to support her against Swedish invasion. Foreign observers very well believe that in her effects, she may well find refuge with the Empire of Holy Spain. Regardless of her hopes, the Swedes have done a fairly effective job of riling up dissent on Madagascar, though the most powerful tribes still back the queen over any other potential ruler. (-1 Stability)
ROMANS MILITARIZE MAMLUK BORDER. Trebizond, Roman Empire. The Roman army has begun overseeing the construction of numerous forts along the border with the Mamluk Caliphate. Modeled upon the fortifications of other nations being construction throughout Europe, the new forts are hoped to provide substantial new security for the Empire. The effort is likely to be incredibly expensive as Western engineers are hired to provide advice and blueprints for the new forts. Regardless, the army is in full favor of this program, fearing the power and skill of the Mamlukes in comparison to their own training and doctrines. Mamluk government officials have protested this effort, and have moved additional forces to the northern border in case this is a pretense for attack.
TUNIS BEGINS CONSTRUCTION AND TRADE REFORM. Tunis, Tunis. The Tunisian monarchy has begun establishing new ports, after seeing the success of trading in Sardinia due to the outbreak of the Second Venetian War. The hope has been to capitalize upon the increased trade among the neutral states along the Mediterranean Sea caused by the outbreak of the war. The new ports are said to be patterned after the designs currently used by the Sardinians in their own expansion efforts. They have made preparation to accept steam vessels as well as the largest among them. The Tunisians so far have not had much success with this, and thus have followed by lowering tariffs on imports and trade participating in the nation.
PERSIA CELEBRATES VICTORIES WITH MONUMENT. Tehran, Persia. To celebrate the Persian empire's victories over the Durrani Empire and the Khazak tribes, the nation's finest engineers have worked to create a new Obelisk of triumph in Tehran. Stated to be the largest such monument of its kind, the victories have led Persia to its greatest territorial height since the empire before Alexander's conquests. The construction has begun, though the engineers and builders have called for more funds to provide for this structure, which is said to be planned to tower over the whole of the city.
News from the Far East
JAPAN'S NAVY SHINES. Tokyo, Japan. The Japanese navy, as small and backward as it may be by European standards, has begun to show improved capabilities in minor regional fights with pirates and smugglers. Though their ships remain woefully obsolete and incapable of an open fight with most major powers, their officer corps have shown great promise. The new captains of the ships of the Japanese navy have proven to be exceptionally talented, and have inspired their crews to greater heights and ability. As temporary as this change may or may not be, it is clear to most that the Japanese fleet has entered a new age of competence and excellence. (+1 Navy Quality)
TRIBAL UNREST ON BORNEO. Balikpapan, Republic of the Netherlands. Missionaries on the Dutch island of Borneo have begun to report increasing numbers of tribal attacks upon Christian missions throughout the island. These attacks have occasionally been extending to various plantations and other installations, though most of the assaults have been upon unarmed missionaries. Various plantation owners and the missions themselves have appealed to the governor to release military forces to hunt down the tribes and their leaders, but they have so far remained hesitant about sending the army into the jungles. Some of the wealthier plantation owners have directly appealed to Amsterdam, hoping to forced the release of soldiers to end these worsening raids. (-1 Stability)
SMUGGLERS DISCOVERED IN JAPAN. Nagasaki, Japan. Japanese authorities in the trading city of Nagasaki have discovered a discomforting new trend among the people. Opium has begun showing up in large and cheap quantities, and the locals have become increasingly addicted to it. While the drug has not yet appeared outside of the trade port, it has appeared in great numbers and it is believed that Portuguese and other Europeans are responsible. The Japanese government has begun to isolate few European merchants allowed in Japan even further, refusing to allow any trade with the interior and monitoring European ships very closely. The local government has passed laws forbidding the use or possession of opium, and particularly its sale.
DISCONTENT IN THE MARATHA CONFEDERACY. Jaipur, Maratha Confederacy. While the government has had enormous success in recent years with the defeat of the Durrani Empire and the ousting of the Europeans, some have grown uneasy about the ramifications of the policies. With no war against the remaining Europeans in India materializing and the arrival of major European armies in the region, some rulers have become disillusioned with the policies of the government. The end of trade with the European powers has shut off a major stream of revenue in some of the cities and realms within the Confederacy, and the various leaders, led by Jaipur, have begun suggesting some sort of limited reopening. The loss of tax income has become noticeable and the regional lower monarchs have begun looking for new ways to increase their wealth and power in this time. (-1 Stability, -2 EP)
UNEASE AT EUROPEAN ATTENTIONS GROWS IN SIAM. Bangkok, Siam. The recent British invasion of Burma has led to some concern in the courts of Siam. The fear of Siam meeting a similar fate has led to calls for some limited trade reform and westernization in order to accommodate European merchants. The monarchy has been mostly opposed to these notions, preferring to remain in the old ways, and looking for a new opportunity with the outbreak of the Burmese civil war. Those calling for reform grew more and more persistent throughout the remainder of the year and continue to call for some sort of change. They continued to be opposed by the old guard, mostly consisting of anxious local merchants and leaders, afraid of being supplanted by European trade interests. (-1 Stability)
RIOTS OVER PRICES IN VIETNAMESE COASTAL CITIES. Da Nang, Vietnam. The Vietnamese have experienced several riots throughout the coastal cities of the nation, as prices begin to rise on nearly all goods. With the European merchants arriving and causing local prices to rise in proportion to their own, and the people have begun to be angered about this increase in cost of living. Unfortunately, when select merchants began buying up European goods and selling these to the rest of the populations, they artificially raised those prices as well. In response the population rose up against the merchants and the army was soon sent in to restore order and stop the looting. The army was mostly successful, but the nation continues to reel from the rising tensions in the nation. (-1 Stability)
NEW KHAN AMONG THE KHAZAKS. Khazak Khanate. Khan Gubaidolla has died this year after being killed by his rival Kennessary. Kennessary, having been far more successful in leading war against the Moscovites than Gubaidolla had been in the south against Persia, used his more motivated tribe to attack and eliminate Gubaidolla's. Having been proclaimed Khan himself, Kennessary has begun efforts to drive the Persians out of Khazak land, assembling a new army to do so. The Khazaks have put their faith in this new ruler, hoping to reverse the territorial misfortunes they have suffered in recent years. (+1 Stability)
BRITAIN AND SWEDEN INTERVENE IN BURMESE CIVIL WAR. Amarapura, Burma. The Burmese Civil War has continued unabated as the rebel prince attacked towards Amarapura in the hopes of capturing the king and ending the war. The king's army met them in open battle, and it soon became a battle of attrition. After the brutal slugging match came to an end, the king's forces retreated into their prepared fortifications around the city. After winning the battle, the prince began to lay siege, but was forced to withdraw after hearing of a major intervention by Europeans. Consisting of British and Swedish troops, a substantial army had landed at Yangon and begun marching upriver, leaving their ships protecting the harbor. With over three times as many soldiers and confident of victory, Therrawaddy's army marched south to meet the invaders. They met in battle not far north of Yangon, and the Europeans took up defensive positions with their fair superior firepower. Therrawaddy, realizing the difficulty and the relative strength in melee combat, attempted to enter into close combat. Though the superior firepower of the Europeans took a devastating toll upon his armies, the Burmese managed to advance to close quarters. The Europeans, especially the British, were ill-trained for such combat. The swords and warriors of the Burmese got among the enemy, and the artillery stopped firing, and eventually the stalwart defense turned into a rout. The British and Swedes were sent running back to their ships, abandoning their artillery, and fleeing back to India.
Casualty List
Burma (Therrawaddy Faction): 20 Infantry Brigades, 1 Cavalry Brigade, 2 Artillery Brigades
Burma (Bagiydaw faction): 8 Infantry Brigades
Sweden: 3 Infantry Brigades, 1 Artillery Brigade
United Kingdom of Great Britain: 5 Infantry Brigades, 2 Artillery Brigades
PERSIA SMASHES KHAZAK KHANATE. Shirvan, Persia. Throughout the year the Persians have done their best to consolidate their possessions in the Khazak Khanate, bribing the remaining tribes and establishing authority over the various villages and towns. The Khazaks, under their new khan, hoped to end the Persian occupation and began assembling their armies for a final confrontation. The Persian army managed to hear about the effort from a local tribal leader who even offer them guides and support in the upcoming battle. Persian cavalry managed to stop any significant raids by the Khazaks and ultimately the Persian army was able to ambush the enemy army into an open battle. The Khazaks were devastated by their enemies' superior artillery and fighting skills, and ultimately routed. The khan has since sent a message to Persia, recognizing their rule over the land. The Persians have since continued their efforts of consolidation, improving the state of their much larger empire.
Casualty List
Khazak Khanate: 6 Cavalry Brigades
Persia: 2 Infantry Brigades
Financial Section
ECONOMIC DISASTER EMERGES IN FRANCE. Nantes, Brittany. Brittany and its neighbors and trading partners have discovered this year that trade as reached a devastating low and revenues collected by the government are worse than ever before. Attributed to a growing global supply of previously locally produced goods and agriculture, the failure has spread across the nation of Brittany and then to its immediate neighbors. Fortunately due to the relative isolation of these nations from the bulk of the European trading networks, the downturn has been mostly regional, not effecting many nations beyond the area. Regardless, unemployment is on the rise in the area, as is emigration and unrest in Brittany. Economic changes:
Brittany: -5 EP
Normandy: -3 EP
Poitou: -3 EP
Dauphine: -3 EP
BANDITRY BREEDS ECONOMIC DOWNTURN IN ABYSSINIA. Addis Ababa. The activities of bandits over recent years have made it clear that doing business in Abyssinia is a risky proposition to most foreign merchants. Even locally, traders and farmers have found themselves put out of work by the rampaging bandits or by overzealous soldiers attempting to locate the said bandits. The result has been a continuing local and worsening economic situation, as the nation continues to be plagued by ongoing issues with the bandit lords. Foreign businesses continue to remain away from Abyssinia, believing that the local commerce is not sophisticated or protected enough to allow the safe sale and distribution of their goods and services. (-3 EP)
NORMANDY AND PRUSSIA OPEN NEW TRADE DOORS. Cherbourg, Normandy. Previously isolated from each other by miles of other kingdoms and nations, both Normandy and Prussia have begun looking for partners abroad to trade with. The nations have been scoping out various other markets, but fate ultimately led them to find each other. Though some claim that Prussia is only interested in the size of Normandy's ports, plying her merchants with new food and luxuries from Eastern Europe. Neither has truly been successful in independent trade of their own, but believe that this trade agreement could be the start of something truly special. (+2 EP for both nations)
EUROPEANS BLOCK TRADE WITH MARATHA CONFEDERACY. Calcutta, United Kingdom of Great Britain. The recent problems with the Maratha Confederacy have brought about new laws in the Indian territories of both the United Kingdom and Sweden. Both nations have forbidden local European merchants from engaging in any trade with the Maratha Confederacy, legally or illegally. This has proven to be a self-destructive move as the local colonies find themselves losing a major market for goods and trade. While the Confederacy has so far evaded much damage from the shutting down of trade, having expelled the European merchants, the British and Swedish merchants chafe and complain about this new legislation. (-15 EP for Swedish Indian, -25 EP for British India, -3 EP for Maratha Confederacy)
AUSTRIA MISSES EXPENSE PAYMENTS. Vienna, Austria. The Austrian monarchy, consumed with the need to provide arms and training for fresh forces to fight in the Second Venetian War, missed several key payments for the administration of national territories. This has led to an uneasy situation in Venice, where payoffs where expected and provided, as well as in Austrian Croatia. The move has also caused lending and other markets in Vienna to tremble and the economic situation to teeter a bit with the failure of the monarch to pay his bills. (-2 EP, -1 Stability)
PARISIAN CROWN BUYS INTO FRENCH MARKETPLACE. Paris, Paris. Under King Louis XII, the crown of Paris begun buying into one of the largest trading companies along the Seine River. Unfortunately the recent downturn throughout the area has made this a rather foolhardy enterprise and the company has been forced to trim sails in order to compete in Normandy. Various merchants and other members of the middle class have resented the crown's intrusion into the market, but few openly oppose it. Some members of the nobility have also stated that the crown's crass foray into commerce is quite improper for a head of state.
CHINA REDUCES TARIFF RESTRICTIONS. Ghangzhou, China. To the pleasure of many European businessmen, the Chinese have ended tariffs upon any imported goods besides opium. The lifting of these restrictions have spurred a new surplus of trade, though opium use has not seemed to decline, and in fact the situation has begun to worsen. People have begun to go to more and more desperate measures to acquire opium in China, and rumors state that the Europeans are still smuggling significant amounts in. Furthermore the end of the tariffs has angered local Chinese nobility, who see it as kowtowing to the foreign business interests. (-1 Stability, +10 EP for China, +15 EP for Spain, +10 EP for United Kingdom, +5 EP for Sweden, +5 EP for the Netherlands, +5 EP for the USA)
BRANDENBURG EMBARGOES AUSTRIA AND BAVARIA. Berlin, Brandenburg. The Austrians and Bavarians have been denounced by Brandenburg with their actions in the Second Venetian War and an embargo has been put into place. Brandenburg's military has been moved to the southern border, forbidding local traders from selling goods to Bavaria and accepting imports. This has proven devastating for Bavaria's trade and merchants who had previously relied upon routes through Brandenburg for their overseas exports and imports. Many have started shifting through to Venice for export and import, but the war has made this a more hazardous process as major armies fight not far away. (-10 EP for Bavaria, -5 EP for Brandenburg)
ECONOMIC FLUCTUATION REPORT. London, United Kingdom of Great Britain. The global economy continues to overall stagnate over the course of the year as follows:
Immigration and Population Movement
Austria:
-1 Manpower to United States of America
-1 Manpower to Venezuela
Brandenburg:
-1 Manpower to Empire of Brazil
Brittany:
-2 Manpower to United States of America
-1 Manpower to Venezuela
-1 Manpower to Empire of Brazil
Burgundy:
-1 Manpower to Venezuela
-1 Manpower to Empire of Brazil
Dauphine:
-1 Manpower to United States of America
Empire of Brazil:
+2 Manpower from Portugal
+1 Manpower from Brittany
+1 Manpower from Brandenburg
+1 Manpower from Burgundy
+1 Manpower from Kingdom of Two Sicilies
Empire of Holy Spain:
-1 Manpower to Venezuela
Kingdom of Two Sicilies:
-1 Manpower to United States of America
-1 Manpower to Venezuela
-1 Manpower to Empire of Brazil
Milan:
-1 Manpower to United States of America
Normandy:
-1 Manpower to United States of America
Novgorod:
-1 Manpower to Vinland (Sweden)
Paris:
-1 Manpower to United States of America
Portugal:
-2 Manpower to Empire of Brazil
United States of America:
+2 Manpower from Brittany
+1 Manpower from Dauphine
+1 Manpower from Austria
+1 Manpower from Kingdom of Two Sicilies
+1 Manpower from Milan
+1 Manpower from Normandy
+1 Manpower from Paris
Venezuela:
+1 Manpower from Brittany
+1 Manpower from Austria
+1 Manpower from Burgundy
+1 Manpower from Empire of Holy Spain
+1 Manpower from Kingdom of Two Sicilies
Diplomatic Pouch
To:
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Sweden
From: Savoy
We would be interested in purchasing any surplus Second or First Rate Warships that you may have available. We're willing to offer 3 EP for any Second Rate Warships and 4 EP for any First Rate.
To:
Empire of Brazil
From: Uruguay
We'd like to request that the Catholic Church in your nation dispatch some of its members to Montevideo to help us absolve and carry out other rites until the papacy can send replacements from Rome.
To:
Roman Empire
From: Hungary
We insist upon the liberation of our Catholic brethren in Serbia. Your oppression of our neighbors has gone on long enough and we are prepared to turn to advanced diplomatic measures to assure the freedom of our friends.
To:
Empire of Holy Spain, Empire of Brazil
From: Republic of New Granada
The Protestants have funded the war effort of our enemies, the Venezuelans. Even now they threaten to dismember our nation. We beg of you to aid our nation in these trouble times with funding to help us purchase and provide for our troops in the ongoing war.
To:
United Kingdom of Great Britain, United States of America, Sweden
From: United States of New Spain
Our war for independence is a just one, and we hope your nations will help us claim our lands and end Spanish tyranny.
To:
Austria
From: Bavaria
Considering our latest losses, we will not be sending any more soldiers to fight in the ongoing war, as we need to rebuild our defenses against foreign aggression. We still support you in your efforts to preserve your rightful control over Venice.
To:
Empire of Holy Spain
From: Madagascar
Due to recent belligerence from another power, we'd like to open up trade relations and a defensive pact with you. We hope to begin a new era with you as our allies.
OOC
@Adrogans: At this point in the NES, shifting in schooling methods is more of a cultural shift than a truly political one. It'll take significantly more time, money, and political effort to shift from one form to another. As for exploring natural resources, that would take as much time and money as you're willing to put into it. Also, the New Granadans have Spanish organization too.
@warman17: You possessed 85 for spending this turn, not 95. You have been appropriately punished.
@Yui108: I had to take a little liberty with your spending orders. Your units cost 2 EP each, so I figured that you meant 8 EP to build those infantry brigades. Also, I'm not sure if you were aware of this in your planning, but in case you weren't, the banked 8 EP went to paying off your domestic policies.
@Those concerned in Italy: Your external source of EP did not send the promised amounts. Therefore I have done what I could with your orders, and did not spend into deficit. Whatever orders came first were the ones which received priority when it comes to spending.
I should restate to all of you, if you want me to have a regularly continuing stat under domestic policies, let me know. I'll be more than happy to put that there.
The Mamluk Caliphate is now open due to Shadowbound's departure.
Jason the King has left the building. Chile is now open.
A minor change has been made to the rules. Naval vessels can be scrapped in exchange for a return of 25% of their EP of their cost. This can be multiplied by the scrapping of more than one vessel. I.e. four Fifth-Rate Warships can be scrapped for a return of 1 EP to your bank.
After careful consideration I have reduced the base cost of new Army Organizations to 20 EP +whatever your standard upgrade cost would be per unit.
@nuclear_kid: you only have old-fashioned sailing ships at the moment, no steamers to head up the river, especially that river.
I have been looking to add more rivers onto the map, as I have been noticing the absence of several key ones throughout the map. If anyone cares to help me with this and add new rivers to the map, I'd appreciate it if you'd help out.
World Map