December World - game thread

[J.K. Stockholme]

From the Northern Union
To the World
CC CSA, Mexico, Centroamerica, Andes

After two years of discussion, we the free and independent American nations of the Union of North-America, the Confederacy, Mexico, Centroamerican Federation, and the United Andean Communes, proudly proclaim a new era of stability and co-operation in the Americas.

Monroe Declaration​

Since the turmoil of the Atlantic War the western hemisphere has been yet again the subject of attempts at European domination. European expansion to any portion of the Americas poses a threat to the peace and security of all American nations. Recalling the noble aims of the Monroe Doctrine that guaranteed all American nations freedom and independence from European colonization and domination for half a century, the undersigned parties hereby agree:

1. To reject and condemn all European territorial claims in the Americas beyond the borders of existing European colonies.

2. That military attacks in the Americas against independent American nations shall be treated as a threat to all undersigned parties.

3. To co-operate vigorously against European attempts to intervene in the domestic affairs of independent American nations.

4. To pursue the eventual independence of the entire western hemisphere from European rule.

5. That an international commission shall be arranged from time to time to issue statements on behalf of the undersigned parties by consensus.

6. That in light of the special circumstances of the Pacific Directory and Portugal-Brazil, they shall be be considered "American nations" for the purposes of this declaration, unless the undersigned parties choose to declare otherwise in a statement of the international commission.

Spoiler :

Northern Union:

Signed,
President of the Union of North-America

Confederacy:

Signed,
President Stone
Secretary of State Dickerson McDaniel

Andes:

Signed,

President DeLuna
International Secretary Carteras

Mexico:

Signed Porfirio Díaz, President of Mexico
Espiridion Hector Lobo, Secretariat of Foreign Affairs

Portugal-Brazil:

Portugal-Brazil affirms.

Gran Colombia and Centroamerican Federation:

Centroamerican Federation and Gran Colombia affirm their commitment to the Monroe Doctrine.

Pacific Directory:

Signed,
Chief Director Vice-Admiral Volya of the Pacific Directory

 

[thomas.berubeg]

From the Northern Union
To the World
CC CSA, Mexico, Centroamerica, Andes

After two years of discussion, we the free and independent American nations of the Union of North-America, the Confederacy, Mexico, Centroamerican Federation, and the United Andean Communes, proudly proclaim a new era of stability and co-operation in the Americas.

Monroe Declaration​

Since the turmoil of the Atlantic War the western hemisphere has been yet again the subject of attempts at European domination. European expansion to any portion of the Americas poses a threat to the peace and security of all American nations. Recalling the noble aims of the Monroe Doctrine that guaranteed all American nations freedom and independence from European colonization and domination for half a century, the undersigned parties hereby agree:

1. To reject and condemn all European territorial claims in the Americas beyond the borders of existing European colonies.

2. That military attacks in the Americas against independent American nations shall be treated as a threat to all undersigned parties.

3. To co-operate vigorously against European attempts to intervene in the domestic affairs of independent American nations.

4. To pursue the eventual independence of the entire western hemisphere from European rule.

5. That an international commission shall be arranged from time to time to issue statements on behalf of the undersigned parties by consensus.

6. That in light of the special circumstances of the Pacific Directory and Portugal-Brazil, they shall be be considered "American nations" for the purposes of this declaration, unless the undersigned parties choose to declare otherwise in a statement of the international commission.

Spoiler :

Signed,
President of the Union of North-America

Signed,
President Stone
Secretary of State Dickerson McDaniel

 

[Crezth]

The representative from Boerika congratulates the Union and the Confederacy on their new historic accord and applauds the efforts towards peace.

 

[Belgarion95]

From the Northern Union
To the World
CC CSA, Mexico, Centroamerica, Andes

After two years of discussion, we the free and independent American nations of the Union of North-America, the Confederacy, Mexico, Centroamerican Federation, and the United Andean Communes, proudly proclaim a new era of stability and co-operation in the Americas.

Monroe Declaration​

Since the turmoil of the Atlantic War the western hemisphere has been yet again the subject of attempts at European domination. European expansion to any portion of the Americas poses a threat to the peace and security of all American nations. Recalling the noble aims of the Monroe Doctrine that guaranteed all American nations freedom and independence from European colonization and domination for half a century, the undersigned parties hereby agree:

1. To reject and condemn all European territorial claims in the Americas beyond the borders of existing European colonies.

2. That military attacks in the Americas against independent American nations shall be treated as a threat to all undersigned parties.

3. To co-operate vigorously against European attempts to intervene in the domestic affairs of independent American nations.

4. To pursue the eventual independence of the entire western hemisphere from European rule.

5. That an international commission shall be arranged from time to time to issue statements on behalf of the undersigned parties by consensus.

6. That in light of the special circumstances of the Pacific Directory and Portugal-Brazil, they shall be be considered "American nations" for the purposes of this declaration, unless the undersigned parties choose to declare otherwise in a statement of the international commission.

Signed,

President DeLuna
International Secretary Carteras

 

[Seon]

NGF acknowledges the Monroe Declaration.

 

[Traveller76]

Signed Porfirio Díaz, President of Mexico
Espiridion Hector Lobo, Secretariat of Foreign Affairs

 

[tobiisagoodboy]

Italy acknowledges the Monreo Declaration

 

[Ahigin]

I'm publishing the update, so please don't post until I'm done.

 

[Ahigin]

Update 3: January 1, 1893 - June 30, 1893​

Global changes

Q1-Q2 1893:

So-called Plum Blossom Treaty was signed upon the end of the Taiping-Qing war between the Tokugawa Shogunate and the victorious Heavenly Kingdom, bringing both ambitious states to a detente. The Shogunate has returned all runaway Qing courtiers and the Imperial family itself back to China, and has also offered the Chinese a significant amount of the Edo Analytical Engine’s processing power in exchange for the depopulated, but resource-rich territories of Outer Manchuria east of the Wusuli river. (Tokugawa Shogunate: -100 IC, +13% Regional Influence in region Korea-Manchuria; Taiping Mandate: +100 IC, -13% Regional Influence in region Korea-Manchuria)


The Arabic Coast Ultimatum, issued to Portugal-Brazil in a rare unified move by the governments of the Sublime Porte, Khedivate of Egypt, and Sultanate of Maghreb, was met with acceptance by the Twin Crowns’ leadership. With no procrastination, barely established colonial authorities of the Pirate Coast were evacuated back to Portobrazilian Goa, and the Arabian territories adjacent to the Persian Gulf were given to the Sultanate of Oman, but Ottoman, Egyptian, and Maghrebi influence in these lands was evenly split. (Region Arabia: Oman gains +5% Regional Influence, Sublime Porte gains +5% Regional Influence, Egypt gains +5 Regional Influence, Maghreb gains +5% Regional Influence, Portugal-Brazil loses -20% Regional Influence)


Nations engaged in what is now known the Central-European War are mobilizing their economies and populations for war needs.

(Communard France adopts “Military mobilization (short term)” for no cost, adopts “Economic mobilization (short term)” for no cost)

(Austria-Bavaria adopts “Military mobilization (short term)” for no cost, adopts “Economic mobilization (short term)” for no cost)

(Hungary adopts “Military mobilization (short term)” for no cost, adopts “Economic mobilization (short term)” for no cost)

(Illyria adopts “Military mobilization (short term)” for no cost, adopts “Economic mobilization (short term)” for no cost)


(Romanian Domnate adopts “Military mobilization (short term)” for no cost, adopts “Economic mobilization (short term)” for no cost)


The Bakufu regime of Japan has shown itself a responsible borrower and returned its last year’s loan to the Central Bank of Great Britain. (Tokugawa Shogunate: -300 EC, British Royal Commonwealth: +300 EC)


The Sikh Empire compensated the directorial government of Russia for providing their nation’s expertise and industrial contractors for building a new analytical engine in Amritsar. (Sikh Empire: -150 EC; Directorial Russia: +150 EC)


Japanese industrialist daymos are growing in power, wealth, and prestige, expanding their economic assets on the wave of successful coal plant constructions. (Tokugawa Shogunate: +6 Enterprises (-85.2 HC, -18.6 IC, -180 EC, -136.2 MC))


As the Shogunate expands overseas and projects its economic power to the Americas, the power of the Dai-Nippon Teikoku Kaigun (Imperial Navy) has grown significantly, and Japanese admirals seem to be influencing Bakufu politics almost as much as daymo feudals and samurai-savants. (Tokugawa Shogunate adopts “Thalassocratic government” for -141.61 IC)


Japanese Jitsugyōka (industrialists) and Zaibatsu (corporations) are becoming increasingly powerful as the modernizing Shogunate is growing in its economic power projection, striking a deal after deal with the Imperial Navy’s lobby at the Shogun’s court. (Tokugawa Shogunate adopts “Corporatocratic government” for -496.83 HC)


The Oriental Renaissance keeps reverberating across Asia, this time revolutionizing Japanese heavy industry, energy production, and means of transportation. (Tokugawa Shogunate adopts “Direct electric current” for -10.5 EC, -9 MC, adopts “Dirigible airships” for -4.5 EC, -15 MC, adopts “Explosives in mining and demolition” for -4.5 EC, -9 MC, adopts “Gas lighting and shift work” for -6 HC, -1.5 IC, -3 EC, -9 MC, adopts “Gas turbine” for -7.5 EC, -12 MC, adopts “Internal combustion engine” for -9 EC, -7.5 MC, adopts “Ocean liners” for -15 MC, adopts “Steam turbine” for -7.5 EC, -6 MC)


Ascendance of “single daughters” as the driving factor of the Taiping economy is being felt across the country, with countless all-female manufacturing collectives being created all across the country, including the such business miracles as the Daughters’ Own Agricultural and Farm Tools, the Yangtze Machine Tools Commune, the First Daughter Needle Shop, the United Scissors Works, and the Eternal Hong Knife Shop. (Taiping Mandate: +6 Enterprises (-85.2 HC, -19.2 IC, -189 EC, -124.8 MC))


Improvements in the works of the Heavenly Engine, combined with growing trust between the Kings-Under-Heaven, have allowed the Taiping government to effectively establish central planning over its economy. (Taiping Mandate adopts “Planned Economy” for -82.93 IC, -1104.65 EC)


Chinese agricultural futures trade via the Pricing Board instituted by the Taiping government is creating a steady flow of cash for Chinese peasants, with some model communes starting to be able to afford purchasing Italian agricultural machinery. (Taiping Mandate: -60 EC, +10 MC; Italy: +60 EC, -10 MC)


Becoming a Taiping cadre or a farmer on the Pricing Board’s top suppliers list is turning into a great social opportunity for Chinese peasantry, creating major demographic and economic shifts throughout the Heavenly Kingdom. (Taiping Mandate converts 1100 HC and 259.36 EC into 72.66 MC)


A similar wave of innovations has hit the Indian subcontinent, arguably brought about by Russian engineers and programme encoders invited by the Maharaja to build a new analytical engine. (Sikh Empire adopts “Impressionism and decadent art” for -5.25 IC, adopts “Expressionism and avant-garde” for -7 IC, -1.75 MC, adopts “Realism and pragmatism” for -3.5 HC, -5.25 IC, adopts “Mass culture and popular art” for -17.5 HC, -3.5 IC, -1.75 EC, -1.75 MC, adopts “Bohemianism and counter-culture” for -10.5 IC, adopts “Investment banking and trust funds” for -3.5 HC, -3.5 IC, -5.25 EC, adopts “Corporate ethos” for -14 EC, adopts “Phenomenalism” for -7 IC, -1.75 EC, adopts “Psychoanalysis” fr -10.5 IC, -1.75 EC, adopts “Biologism and evolution theory” for -3.5 HC, -10.5 IC, -3.5 EC, adopts “Eugenics and racial science” -5.25 IC, -14 EC, adopts “Constitutionalism” for -3.5 HC, -3.5 IC, -1.75 EC, adopts “Investigative journalism” for -3.5 IC, -5.25 EC, adopts “Transnational crime and law” for -3.5 HC, -3.5 IC, -8.75 EC, adopts “Oligarchy and political corruption” for -5.25 IC, -12.25 EC, adopts “Cartels and economic crime” for -19.25 EC, adopts “Hydraulic power network” for -12.25 EC, -8.75 MC, adopts “Internal combustion engine” for -10.5 EC, -8.75 MC, adopts “Still engine” for -7 EC, -10.5 MC, adopts “Vaccination” for -1.75 IC, -15.75 EC, adopts “Refrigeration” for -14 EC, -5.25 MC, adopts “Interchangeable parts” for -1.75 IC, -3.5 EC, -8.75 MC, adopts “Geologic expeditions” for -3.5 IC, -1.75 EC, adopts “Water and land conservation” for -14 HC, -1.75 IC, -3.5 EC, -8.75 MC, adopts “Dreisines and velocipedes” for -24.5 HC, -1.75 EC, -1.75 MC, adopts “Bicycle-riding and ski infantry” for -47.5 HC, -19 EC, -4.75 MC, adopts “Field trenches” for -47.5 HC, -4.75 MC, adopts “Dispersed combat tactics” for -76 HC, -9.5 IC)


Confederate generals continue preparing for another defensive war, adopting deep defense as their primary operational doctrine in such scenario. (Confederate States of America adopts “Defense in depth” for -45.5 HC, -6.5 IC)


A series of bipartisan agreements between dominant political parties and state governors has allowed the President of the Confederate States of America significantly increase discretionary budgetary spendings, greatly expanding the nation’s police, Secret Service, diplomatic corps, and industrial procurement contracts. (Confederate States of America: +5 Missions, +5 Enterprises (-134 HC, -115.5 IC, -309 EC, -193.5 MC))


Confederate culture is blossoming, and Dixie artists and especially musicians are finding a surprising new market for their talents: Italy. Meanwhile, Italian industry is filling the gap existing in the Confederate economy between high demand and mediocre domestic supply of industrial materials and equipment. (Confederate States of America: -40 IC, +20 MC; Italy: +40 IC, -20 MC)


Another nation enamoured with Dixie academia and culture (and, apparently, Dixie work ethics) is Poland, one of the leading Central European industrial manufacturers and now a producer of large amounts of Confederate ammunition, furniture, and agricultural equipment. (Confederate States of America: -200 HC, -200 IC, +100 MC; Poland: +200 HC, 200 IC, -100 MC)


Meanwhile, thousands of French-speaking Creoles were allowed to leave the Caribbean region and migrate to France, escaping racially oppressive Confederate policies. Communard France was grateful of that gesture of goodwill and allowed well-doing Dixie farming and woodcutting businesses to purchase cheap agricultural equipment from Brittany. (Confederate States of America: -80 HC, +20 MC; Communard France: +80 HC, -20 MC)


Confederate Secret Service underwent a series of inter-departmental shifts that have effectively put its leadership above any senatorial commissions and enquiries, allowing the bureau freely act as a de-facto political police of the young nation. (Confederate States of America adopts “Political police” for -213.07 HC, -341.38 IC)


Following the world trend, the Confederacy initiated a conservative welfare initiative of building workhouses for poor whites and few freed blacks. (Confederate States of America adopts “Workhouses” for -85.34 IC, -129.05 EC)


The cultural and intellectual blossoming of New Orleans, Fort Lauderdale, and Savannah has opened the door for a series of laws and state-sponsored scholarships that effectively establish affordable tuition for capable students all across the CSA. (Confederate States of America adopts “University stipends” for -142.04 HC, -129.05 EC)


The Russian Pacific Directory has continued its wide economic and demographic exchange with nations of Europe. Large amounts of coal, iron, and whale oil made their way along the coast of Siberia to the markets of France and Italy, with a full two thirds of the shipment making their way to the French factories to feed their wartime industry while the remainder makes its way to the factories and homes of Italy. Meanwhile, hundreds of French pacifists, intellectual troublemakers, and scientists of various sorts, primarily biologists, geologists, and mathematicians, used this chance to make their way to the peace and natural bounty of scientific knowledge in the Pacific Directory. They were accompanied by a group of Italian engineers and surveyors looking to make their names, and fortunes, in the industrialization of the Pacific Directory and a group of Greek academics and statesmen disgusted by the criminal takeover of their homeland. In a sort of two-way exchange, low-level clerks and officers of the Qing army were “encouraged” to leave the Pacific region for Greece, as the Board of Officer-Directors seeked to discharge any possible tensions with their Taiping neighbors. Finally, large shipment of fine goods, carved ivory and the like, from the Directory earmarked for Russian museums traded for valuable computational time of the Saint-Petersburg analytical engine.

(Pacific Directory: +50 IC, -100 EC; Communard France: -50 IC, +100 EC)

(Pacific Directory: -48 EC, +8 MC; Italy: +48 EC, -8 MC)

(Pacific Directory: -13 HC, +4 IC; Greece: +13 HC, -4 IC)

(Pacific Directory: +14 IC, -28 EC; Directorial Russia: -14 IC, +28 EC)


In America, Pacific Directory’s Korpus Grazhdanskogo Prizyva (or Civil Conscription Corps) was put to work yet again in the lush forests of the Coast Range to work under the direction of the Iron Confederacy, lumbering trees and clearing the way for infrastructure between the Iron Confederacy and the Directory. Some of this lumber was brought back for use in the factories of the Pacific Directory along with several Iron Confederacy elders, intent on showing their customs and spread understanding in the Russian America. (Pacific Directory: -22 HC, +4 IC, +1 MC; Iron Confederacy: +22 HC, -4 IC, -1 MC)


The particular section of the Pacific Directory’s electoral law that dictates that registered ship owners qualify for election into the Board of Officer-Directors has resulted in a political lean that gave the Transpacific navy and merchant marine a significant weight in national decision-making. (Pacific Directory adopts “Thalassocratic government” for -11.25 IC)


While the navy has increased its influence in Transpacific political affairs, recent requirement of military rank for any person wishing to take public office has resulted in a paradoxically opposite development. With officer ranks being granted to countless artel leaders and business-owners, the officer corps is increasingly moving away from its tradition of military administration and is effectively turning into a single, dominant political party, albeit with some military participation. (Pacific Directory adopts “Particratic government” for -10.22 IC)


As part of the above shift towards maritime matters the Board of Directors begins taking a more direct role in the economy, giving tax incentives to artels which follow Directorial policy, namely spreading their business between both Kamchatka and Alaska and hiring inclusively, and putting pressure on those who refuse. (Pacific Directory adopts “Dirigist economy” for -15.34 IC)


As a result of the national reserve system which all property-owners were conscripted into, there is a substantial pool of people who are ostensibly part of the military but don’t actively do anything other than a day of training every month. Director Volya, in his push for greater understanding between the distinct culture and social groups of the North Pacific, made it mandatory for all military personnel, including the reservists, below the rank of Captain to work in the Civil Conscription Corps a set number of hours a month. This was done in large part to force mingling between the different social classes and races by putting them together on work teams. (Pacific Directory adopts “Corvee system” for -9.06 HC, -6.14 IC)


Russia’s unforeseen Golden Age is resulting in leaps and developments in virtually all aspects of society, culture, economy, and military, moving, as a North-German journalist has described it, “from sophisticated chaos to chaotic sophistication.” (Directorial Russia adopts “Expressionism and avant-garde” for -16 IC, -4 MC, adopts “Mass culture and popular art” for -40 HC, -8 IC, -4 EC, -4 MC, adopts “Excavators, bulldozers, and tractors” for -29.25 MC, adopts “Dirigible airships” for -9.75 EC, -32.5 MC, adopts “Army inter-branch cooperation” for -30 HC, -60 IC, -30 EC, adopts “Airship reconnaissance” for -30 IC, -60 MC, adopts “Professional oceanography” for -19.5 HC, -9.75 IC, adopts “Sea-lane interdiction” for -6.5 IC, -19.5 EC)


In the biggest centralization push since the formation of the Directorial Assembly, Russian active government has quietly announced formation of a political police force, known as the Committee of State Security (Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti, or shortly KGB). (Directorial Russia adopts “Political police” for -340.92 HC, -499.11 IC)

Russian financial sector is expanding, pumping more money the nation’s resource economy and industrial manufacturing sector as well. (Directorial Russia: +5 Enterprises (-59 HC, -97 IC, -142.5 EC, -36 MC))

President Porfirio Diaz of Mexico has converted a great deal of his political capital into permanent administrative and legislative gains for the Cientificos, essentially clearing the political landscape from any organized opposition. (Mexico adopts “Particratic government” for 99.78 IC)


Military services still remains one of the key requirements for any magistrate’s participation in the Mexican government, but federal administration stops being simply a gathering of officers pulling informal strings and levers of the state infrastructure. (Mexico removes “Military dictatorship” for -39.91 IC, -55.58 EC, -25 MC)


As tensions across South America (and especially in Gran Colombia and the Caribbean region) continue to grow, the United Communes of the Andes are expandingе the size of Ejercito Comunal. (Communes of the Andes: +2 Corps (-61.2 HC, -13.2 IC, -27 EC, -10.8 MC))


In parallel with the military expansion, a rearmament program has started across the Andes, with dozens of communal manufactures being issued people’s procurement orders for hand grenades and specialized means of transportation. (Communes of the Andes adopts “Hand grenades” for -5 EC, -15 MC, adopts “Dreadnaught wheels” for -17.5 MC, adopts “Bicycle-riding and ski infantry” for -25 HC, -10 EC, -2.5 MC)


Portugal-Brazil has continued its ideologically agnostic practice of trading with ochlocratic regimes of Europe and South America, exchanging its resources and currency for industrial supplies and mechanical tools of Italy and the Andes.

(Portugal-Brazil: -120 EC, +20 MC; Italy: +120 EC, -20 MC)

(Portugal-Brazil: -120 EC, +15 MC; Communes of the Andes: +120 EC, -15 MC)


Enchanted by the efficiency of the “despotic capitalism” of the Orient, Portobrazilian leadership chose to reform the relationship between the Twin Crowns and their aristocracy, informally making all power in the state to be dependent on economic success of noble houses and their dynastic closeness to the ruling family. (Portugal-Brazil adopts “Luuhcu oligarchy” for -114.78 HC, -160.16 IC)


Nobility-owned workhouses started to appear across the holdings of the Twin Crowns, mostly established as “for-profit charity” facilities. (Portugal-Brazil adopts “Workhouses” for -45.76 IC, -60.17 EC)


The Braganza dynasty continues expanding itse direct and indirect tools of spreading its enlightened rule across the globe, expanding its diplomatic corps, network of loyal noble entrepreneurs, and the size of the Imperial army. (Portugal-Brazil: +2 Missions, +2 Enterprises, +2 Corps (-54.2 HC, -29.9 IC, -73 EC, -38.9 MC))


President John Marshal Stone drank a bit too much Dahomei Julep during a formal reception of Portobrazilian diplomats and, in a grand display of Southern hospitality, promised to open multitude of Dixie cultural missions in Brazil and Portugal, as well as to allocate a good portion of the Atlanta analytical engine processing power to solving any engineering challenges Portugal-Brazil ever has with construction of the Panama Canal. (Confederate States of America: -200 IC; Portugal-Brazil: +200 IC)


Gran-Colombian state continues to rot alive, and its administration and law enforcement by now mostly exist on paper. (Gran Colombia: -1 Mission (-maintenance))


As the Italian Republic transitions to a more conventional state, it is also engaging in a major expansion program for its bureaucracy, intelligence, economic enterprise, and military capabilities. (Italy: +2 Missions, +1 Enterprise, +2 Corps (-102.2 HC, -41.9 IC, -125.6 EC, -90.9 MC))


The “fat years” for the people of Italy have continued, this time affecting the state of national education. Thousands of prospective students can now qualify for republican university stipends. (Italy adopts “University stipends” for -127.83 HC, -51.49 EC)


The “fat years” for the people of Italy have continued, this time affecting the state of national education. Thousands of prospective students can now qualify for republican university stipends. (Italy adopts “University stipends” for -127.83 HC, -51.49 EC)


While the Shadow Council of Rome established strict zones of influence between all major Italian mafioso clans (or “borgatas”), a strict code of conduct, known as Omertà, was given to all members of Italian criminal and semi-criminal hierarchy, supplied by so-called Ten Commandments aimed at integrating the Cosa Nostra into the Italian society and, specifically, the republican state apparatus. (Italy adopts “Rule of Law” for -255.66 HC, -25.74 EC)


German-speaking South-Tyrolian volunteers from Italy formed several international battalions that cross the border into Austria-Bavaria with a goal to fight for their northern comrades, with Italian government’s approval or disregard. (Italy: -25 HC, -5 MC; Austria-Bavaria: +25 HC, +5 MC)


With wars and tensions flaring up right across its borders, Switzerland is now investing into a joint security task force, combined with a financial monitoring service for its banking system. (Switzerland: +1 Mission (-12.2 HC, -18.8 IC, -28.1 EC, -6.6 MC))


Greece is experiencing shortages of working-age men and is trying to compensate for it with introduction of industrial machinery produced on Italian licenses. (Greece converts 2.46 MC into 20 HC)


Georgian army and navy consume too much of precious industrial capacities of the minor nation, prompting its Admiralty to retire and scrap the pride of its navy, the turret monitor Ochamchire, and compensate remaining ammunition shortages via outsourcing contracts to the Putilov corporation of Directorial Russia.

(Georgia removes “Turret ships” for no cost, removes “Monitors” for no cost)

(Georgia converts 88.19 EC into 8 MC)


The Caucasian Imamate’s warrior tradition and strict conscription laws mean that the nation is struggling to produce enough intellectual workers or even manual laborers to propel its economy forward, forcing the Imamat’s authorities “borrow” soldiers and equipment from standing army units and army forges for harvests, engineering, and seasonal work. (Caucasian Imamate converts 7.27 MC into 20 HC and 10 IC)


Great Britain is awash with cheap labor, but is experiencing shortages of industrial steel and cast-iron. In order to compensate for this weakness of the national industry, a major scrap metal drive was announced this winter and spring, helping to clear many industrial dumps and save on production costs for machinery and armaments. (British Royal Commonwealth converts 1500 HC into 81.9 MC)


Royal Hungarian Honvéd is aggressively expanding as the war in Europe threatens to last at least until Christmas. (Hungary: +8 Corps (-228.8 HC, -65.6 IC, -116 EC, -98.4 MC))


France, in its old Napoleonic tradition, is turning itself into a “nation at war,” greatly expanding its military economy, army, and navy. (Communard France: +5 Enterprises, +10 Corps, +3 Squadrons (-416.8 HC, -127.3 IC, -367.7 EC, -385.4 MC))


In a desperate bid for survival, the Confederation of Princes is drastically expanding the Landsturm and Landstreitkräfte, hoping to saturate both of the frontlines with troops by any cost. (Austria-Bavaria: +12 Corps (-360 HC, -103.2 IC, -178.8 EC, -171.6 MC))


Realizing the shortcomings of their corporate culture, national security, and armed forces compared to more dynamic regimes of France and North Germany, the Netherlands are chasing the progress. (Netherlands adopts “Corporate ethos” for -2 EC, adopts “Environmentalism” for -0.75 IC, -2 EC, adopts “Constitutionalism” for -0.5 HC, -0.5 IC, -0.25 EC, adopts “Cartels and economic crime” for -2.75 EC, adopts “Defense in depth” for -35 HC, -5 IC, adopts “Dispersed combat tactics” for -40 HC, -5 IC, adopts “Specialized troops” for -45 HC, -5 IC, -2.5 EC, adopts “Army inter-branch coordination” for -10 HC, -20 IC, -10 EC)


Spooked by the Communard aggression against a fellow monarchic nation, the King of Sardinia and Piedmont has authorized the expansion of the national military and industry. (Sardinia-Piedmont: +1 Enterprise, +2 Corps (-69.2 HC, -19.2 IC, -57.9 EC, -34.3 MC))


Self-inflicted diplomatic isolation makes the House of Savoy look for internal ways to convert its surplus of unqualified labor into technological expertise and revenue for the crown. (Sardinia-Piedmont converts 120 HC into 8.51 IC and 28.09 EC)


Liberal changes are sweeping through the Ottoman Empire as the Supreme Porte adopted more progressive ways of governing the nation. In an effort to separate lawmaking and law enforcement, police presence in the government was curtailed this year. Pains were taken not to defang or directly punish law enforcement officials, but those that had both positions in government and law enforcement were forced to relinquish one of their obligations. From this point on, legislators are expected to only make laws, and the police, to only enforce laws, and both parties are to be beholden to those laws themselves. (Sublime Porte removes “Police state” for -129.51 IC, -71.01 EC, -47.94 MC)


In another open display of progressivism, the Sublime Porte has set up a series of educational bars for any magistrate desiring to have a seat on the Grand Divan. All new officials of the Sublime Porte were requested to meet proper standards of technical know-how and scientific progressivism, although those currently in power were not punished or removed from their positions and allowed to brush up their skills or academic standing within a reasonable amount of time. This has impacted all levels of government, from the grand vizier himself down to the clerks. (Sublime Porte adopts “Technocratic government” for -780.67 HC)


The Mahdist State managed to attract a few hundred disaffected Sudanese bronze markers and use their expertise to produce few dozens obsolete muzzle-loaded cannons for their levy. (Mahdi State adopts “Field artillery” for -1 MC)


As North-German colonial troops push toward the borders of the Buganda kingdom, its king is happily selling his excess arms cache to neighboring tribes in exchange for their indentured workers and slave artists. (Baganda converts 1.22 MC into 10 HC and 1 IC)


The Toucouleur Empire is concerned over the British engineering efforts along its border and is afraid that Great Britain is preparing for a colonial conquest similar to the Portobrazilian attack on Sokoto and Gobir last year, prompting the Emir borrow from Maghrebi military expertise. (Toucouleur Empire adopts “Field artillery” for -1 MC, adopts “Horse artillery” for -0.5 EC, -1 MC, adops “Defense in depths” for -3.5 HC, -0.5 IC)


Tibetan military is struggling to catch up with its Punjabi protectors and supervisors, slowly modernizing its army to their standard. (Tibet adopts “Field artillery” for -1 MC, adopts “Light mortars and infantry support” for -1 EC, -1.25 MC, adopts “Defense in depths” for -3.5 HC, -0.5 IC)

Thousands of English settlers flee the Cape of Good Hope, some of them finding their way to the Chile-Patagonian Free State. Similar development is taking place in Great Britain, although the escapees are Irish, Welsh, and Scottish immigrants, dissatisfied by pro-English preferentialism and, of course, alcohol prohibition.

(Chile-Patagonia: +50 HC; Free Boer Republic: -50 HC)

(Chile-Patagonia: +20 HC; British Royal Commonwealth: -20 HC)


Delighted by the final resolution of the problem of Caribbean piracy, Haitian authorities were happy to hire migrant workers using its revenues from port duties earned on maintaining and harboring Mexican, North-German, and Italian warships. (Haiti converts 18.06 EC for 20 HC)


The Union of North America continues staying on the edge of technological progress, adopting the “Southron” technologies to stay on par with Confederate competitors. (Union of North America adopts “Dirigible airships” for -3.75 EC, -12.5 MC, adopts “Engine clacking” for -2.5 IC, -3.75 EC, -12.5 MC, adopts “Information economy” for -3.75 IC, -5 MC)


The North German Federation is a world-known center of knowledge and culture, but its booming economy is hungry for machinery and industrial goods to supply its needs, leading the Council of Savants to lucrative exchanges with its Central European neighbors and even ideological opponents from across the globe.
(North German Federation: -20 IC, +10 MC; Italy: +20 IC, -10 MC)

(North German Federation: -75 IC, +25 MC; Poland: +75 IC, -25 MC)

(North German Federation: -60 IC, +20 MC; Taiping Mandate: +60 IC, -20 MC)


Internally, North-German foundries and guilds are starting to provide various apprenticeship programs to manual laborers with middle school diplomas, temporarily boosting home production of industrial supplies. (North German Federation converts 183.15 HC into 10 MC)


Chaos in Central Europe has raised geopolitical awareness in North Germany and pulled previously autonomous federal territories together in a more centralized state entity, thus allowing the Council of Savants expend all branches of government, as well as its military capabilities. (North German Federation: +2 Missions, +2 Enterprises, +2 Corps, +1 Squadron (-123.4 HC, -88.1 IC, -181.4 EC, -139.3 MC))


Fears of Hungarian Royalist or French Communard aggression have helped the North German General Staff regain its influence in the affairs of the state, winning the Bundeswehr a permission to use budget funds for establishment of specialized battalions. (North German Federation adopts “Specialized troops” for -90 HC, -10 IC, -5 EC)


Newly elected President Schonberg of the Free Boer Republic, on behalf of the Liberal-Republican Coalition, tried to initiate an ill-guided and uninformed expansion of all branches of the state, but was quickly dissuaded by more pragmatic members of his cabinet. Having learned of shortages of industrial machinery in the country, he settled on more realistic bi-quarterly budget. (Free Boer Republic: +1 Mission, +1 Enterprise, +1 Corps, +1 Squadron (-70 HC, -41.6 IC, -92.4 EC, -74 MC))

 

[Ahigin]

Update 3: January 1, 1893 - June 30, 1893​

War update:
Central-European War: Austrian Campaign

Q1-Q2 1893: While the summit of European leaders in Brno was still ongoing, Austrobavarian and Hungarian mobilization were already in full swing, with the former one being slightly ahead of the opponent's, mostly thanks to much greater internal stability and more modern system of transportation. For a few days in mid-January, negotiations were held in the War Collegium of the Confederation of Princes regarding how the Confederation’s forces had to be split between its two fronts. In the end, the decentralized nature of the nation led to a simple conclusion: every prince’s birthright was as important as all others’, so the Archduke of Austria was going to be protected by an army of roughly an equal size to that fighting in Elsass-Lothringen. That quite naturally meant that forces defending against the Hungarian onslaught were going to be outnumbered two-to-one, a daring prospect even for defense in the mountains. Regardless, the Archduke took command of the Eastern Theater High Command, quickly establishing the campaign goal as defense of Wien, the capital of the Archduchy of Austria, at all cost, as well as slowing down expected Hungarian push through the Burgenland valley and Styran mountains. Hungarian plans, ironically, were almost entirely mirroring those of the Austrobavarians (perhaps, thanks to both armies sharing same history and often same military education): first a diversion in Burgenland, south of the Neusiedler Lake, then the main push on Wien. Conservatively, the Hungarians didn’t even plan to advance past Wien, seeing it as the grand prize and a negotiation prop in future peace talks. Finally, by January 23 the Brno summit came to an end, and the Austrian campaign started in full swing.

The symmetry of war planning naturally led to a violent field clash between large armies near Oberwart and Mattersburg, a campaign that became known simply as the the Two-Week Battle. It featured the highest per-day casualty rate in the entire campaign and virtually exhausted both of the fighting armies, despite the secondary nature of both of their operations. By late February, general Graf von Scheuchenstuel and his exhausted Armee III were forced to retreat into Styria, having played their part in the campaign in full accordance with the original plan. For his Hungarian counterpart, general Karol Nopcsa von Felső-Szilvás, the Two-Week Battle was a formal victory, which, nonetheless showcased the shortcomings of the Hungarian Honved army. While in tactical engagements both armies were comparable in tactics and equipment (with the Austrobavarians being perhaps specifically good in defensive or counter-offensive actions), offensive operational mobility and logistics of the Hungarian corps was seriously lacking. Historically trained and armed for defensive campaigns, soldiers and officers of the Crown of St. Stephen lacked the means to truly exploit their battlefield success even in these early open-field battles.

The latter weakness of the Hungarian military would fully be seen in later stages of the campaign. Offensives in Styria and especially east of Wien consistently saw a greater casualty rate on the Austrobavarian side, mostly thanks to the Hungarian artillery vastly outnumbering their opponents’, but on the ground advances were being measured in little towns, then in villages, and, finally, by early May, in kilometers or even meters. In fact, concentration of troops in the theater of war became such that consistent front lines of trenches and improvised defenses started to form, making any breakthrough harder to achieve. Several successful offensives were still had by the Hungarians in Hartberg-Furstenfeld (in eastern Styria) in March 1893, Bruck an der Leitha in early April, and Garsendorf (in Upper Austria, late May 1893), but the Austrobavarians stopped the breakthroughs with aggressive and costly counterattacks that exhausted their reserves, but helped them buy time to plug any frontline gaps. While generals on both sides wrestle with this battlefield condition, suburbs of Wien are becoming a stage of one of the bloodiest and longest battles in modern history. (South Germany: Hungary gains +4.99% Regional Influence, Austria-Bavaria loses -4.99% Regional Influence, -0.51% Regional Growth Fluctuation, Hungary losses: -82.68 HC, -23.71 IC, -41.92 EC, -35.56 MC, Austria-Bavaria losses: -120.29 HC, -34.48 IC, -59.74 EC, -57.34 MC)

Battle of Wien
Q1-Q2 1893: The focal point of the Austrian campaign for both sides, Wien is one of the key industrial and cultural centers of Europe. Besides its material and strategic value, it also is highly important for the Austrobavarian morale, symbolizing their resolve and sacrifice. General Hermann Kövess von Kövessháza of the Hungarian High Command insists on taking Wien at all cost, prompting a series of violent assaults that has bled Austrobavarian forward defenses white and have finally pushed to the city’s very outskirts. Artillery duels have already turned many districts of one of the most beautiful cities of Europe into ruins, and some shells are already raining on the Schönbrunn Palace, where young Archduke Otto and his staff defiantly hold their planning sessions.

Central-European War: Illyrian Campaign
Q1-Q2 1893: Illyria from the very beginning was viewed as the secondary theater of war by the Hungarian High Command. Seeing no value in wasting precious resources on fighting the Croats and Slovenes, the Hungarians let the Romanian Domnus’ Own Army handle war in the Balkans. In a sense, the Illyrian campaign was destined to become a less technologically advanced copy of the Austrian one: outnumbered and seriously lacking soldiers to man all required battlefield duties, the Illyrians nonetheless had significant tactical and especially operational superiority over “Europe’s last levy,” as an Ottoman military observer described Romanian brigades. Series of hard-fought clashes took place east of the Sava and Drava rivers, resembling in their tactics and scale late Napoleonic battles rather than modern military operations, leading to largely insignificant territorial gains on both sides to no real long-lasting effect. Eventually, a few Croat-populated Slavonian villages in Hungarian proper were even taken by Croat hussar wings, causing no real threat to the Hungarian flank, but scoring an important moral victory for the Illyrians. (Balkans: -0.4% Regional Growth Fluctuation, Romanian Domante losses: -10.47 HC, -1.91 IC, -5.23 EC, -1.14 MC, Illyria losses: -9.63 HC, -2.33 IC, -4.33 EC, -1.39 MC)


Central-European War: Elsass-Lothringen Campaign
Q1-Q2 1893: Unlike its unlikely eastern ally, Communard France had no disturbance in its rear and no problems mobilizing its troops for war, meaning that when the French declaration of war reached Munich, the forward battalions were already waiting for a signal to cross the border into Elsass. Their high-level plan of attack was an ambitious three-stage push first across the Franche-Comte region toward the Mosel river, followed by a breakthrough in South Elsass, and then a sweeping offensive east through the Grand Ried and north through Lorraine via Metz. The key assumptions that made that plan possible were that the Austrobavarians would have to dedicate the lion’s share of their forces to garrisoning their eastern frontier against the Hungarians, and that the French would be able to use their vast superiority in numbers and materiel to push through the Belfour bottleneck into the Grand Ried plain. While the assumption of superiority in numbers and equipment was correct, the French military planners became victims of their own national bias, assuming that protection of Wien would draw almost all resources of the Confederacy, as opposed to its western frontier. In reality, most of Bavarian and all of the the Rheinland’s corps were mobilized to man the west, lowering French superiority down to two-to-one. However, the main weakness of the French plan, as the campaign later showed, was its concentration on use of rivers as defensive lines and simultaneous disregard of elevation and forestation for that purpose.

The course of the campaign showcased that. General Charles Ferrot’s titanic push from the Vosges mountains through Franche-Comte plain to Belfort and Charmes was a resounding success, crushing through outnumbered Austrobavarian Armee IV and Armee X at Mirecourt and Faucogney in late January-late February in the biggest series of open field battles of the human history so far. In this battles, the Austrobavarians suffered unproportionally high losses and barely escaped east ahead of the French tsunami. That produced a wave of enthusiasm in France, with objectives of the first campaign stage being reached ahead of time. Further push past Mosel, however, proved to be a harder task, since the river was guarded by an obsolete, but operational flotilla of Austrobavarian monitors and floating batteries, locking the entire French left flank and the center in a fruitless struggle to cross it under Austrobavarian fire (lack of pontoon bridging equipment or alligator boats meant crossing attempts had to be done via simple boats or drafts). Just as it was planned, the French went ahead to surpass the Mosel completely via Belfort rushing majority of their army into the Jura Mountains and the Sungdau Hills. That was where the flaws of the original plan started to show. The area was ill-suited for supporting the logistics for such a large body of attacking troops, and defending forested slopes and valleys of the Jura and Southern Vosges became a much easier task for the Austrobavarian shutzen than field battles of France-Comte were. The remainder of the April-June campaign turned into an endless sequence of small-scale attacks that slowly, ridge by ridge, pushed the Austrobavarians out of the Juras. A brief hope of breaking through in another part of the front was had on May 19-28, when the IIe Armee under general Émile Fayolle managed to achieve a sudden success in Lorraine, but that success was also contained when the French troops reached the Saar and bogged down in the same sort of fighting that now draws all attention of French military planners to the Jurassic Forest. By late June, that bulge was liquidated in a series of Austrobavarian counterattacks, by which moment all focus on both sides was tied to the southernmost stretch of the frontline. (South Germany: Communard France gains +10.63% Regional Influence, Austria-Bavaria loses -10.63% Regional Influence, -1.06% Regional Growth Fluctuation, Communard France losses: -129.38 HC, -34.96 IC, -59.06 EC, -54.64 MC, Austria-Bavaria losses: -134.16 HC, -38.46 IC, -66.63 EC, -63.95 MC)

Battle of the Jurassic Forest
Q1-Q2 1893: French reliance on critical superiority in numbers in the critical spot of the frontline was a great tool at their tactical and operational disposal since the Napoleonic wars. In the Franche-Comte campaign, too, it served them well - up until the “blue coat tsunami” hit the slopes of the Jura mountains. With their northern flank being protected by a river the French struggle to cross, and the southern flank pushing into the Swiss border, the Austrobavarians have made sure the Communards had to pay dearly for every patch of burned, desolated copse they take. French seemingly unlimited reserves have helped them to push rather far west through the area, but at this point their forest bulge is open to the concentrated fire of the Austrobavarian artillery, and their rear is crammed with supply wagons being pulled through dirt roads and mountain trails. It is likely that the Battle of the Forest, as it is known in both nations, will decide if a significant breakthrough into Elsass could be achieved.


Tokugawa Conquest of Korea
Q1-Q2 1893: The de-facto armistice between the Tokugawa Shogunate and Korean Donghak rebels always felt like a temporary one, and Japanese declaration of war on January 3, 1893 was surprising for many regional players, but not for the Donghak rebels. However, due to a lack of centralized leadership, no joint strategy was put forward by the Donghak leaders, meaning that various peasant militias and “noble thieves” gangs controlling various cities and rural areas of the country were preparing to fight the invaders on their own, with little coordination with their comrades. Japanese leadership, on the other hand, put a lot of effort into planning the operation, which was divided into two stages: occupation of the Korean peninsula by the naval infantry and regular land troops and the following mop-up action. Perhaps, hoping to underline their superior position in the government, the navy obviously tried to sideline the army since the very early planning stages of the operation, insisting that every major push into the heart of Korean territory should be done by army columns only alongside with gunboat river flotillas. That could be somewhat justified by superior training and equipment received by Shogunate marines compared to regular troops, but as soon as the operation commenced, only two of these rivers (the Nakdong and the Namhan) were found to be navigable along a significant length of their basin. Another thorn in the side of the Japanese navy turned out to be the geopolitical response to the declaration of war. Taiping China, North German Federation, and Portugal-Brazil expressed their condemnation of the imperialist attack on Korea and instructed their fleets to limit Japanese naval access to the Yellow Sea. These directives were issued too late to allow any significant preparations to take place, and out of all three navies, only the Taiping one managed to scramble its forces for an open sea posturing action, not directly engaging the Tokugawa fleet, but shadowing it at all times and thus tying some Japanese ships to patrolling sea lines at all times. All in all, these factors let the Tokugawa army get back its initiative from the navy and start the operation in late January. As soon as the first pushes toward Pyongyang and Hanseong were made, it became clear that most of the Donghak forces were simply willing to vanish into the countryside and launch a partisan campaign from the hills. Poor logistics and hostile terrain made pursuit an exhausting business, but whenever Japanese “white bear” and “red bear” line regiments could make contact with Donghak forces, the latter ones were usually easily routed. The sieges of Pyongyang and Hanseong became the only exceptions to that rule, and military reports attribute the majority of both countries’ losses in the campaign to these two prolonged clashes. By the end of May, all key population centers and agricultural areas on the Korean peninsula were firmly controlled by the Shogunate, and only forested hills in here and there hid surviving Nokrimdang bands that now harass Japanese outposts, but present no unified front to the triumphant invaders. (Korea-Manchuria: Tokugawa Shogunate gains +35% Regional Influence, Donghak Korea loses -35% Regional Influence, Donghak Korea is annexed, -3.5% Regional Growth Fluctuation, Tokugawa Shogunate losses: -7.1 HC, -2.57 IC, -4.3 EC, -3.94 MC, Donghak Korea losses: -65.71 HC, -13.24 IC, -31.2 EC, -9.69 MC)

 

[Ahigin]

Update 3: January 1, 1893 - June 30, 1893​

Central Russia

Spoiler :

Fast-growing, populous region with powerful agriculture and developing manufacturing industry.

Guns, cookies, and social democracy

Spoiler :

1892: The city of Tula is the capital of Russian armaments industry and the seat of the Demidovs family cartel that owns the lion’s share of it. Besides manufacture of materiel, that prosperous and ancient city is also famed for its production of samovars (tea-making devices) and pryaniks (Russian gingerbread cookies). To nobody’s surprise, that employment-friendly environment has recently become the center of well-educated, well-paid, and well-organized labor. One Ivan Saveliev, a medical orderly of social-democratic views, has recently organized study circles among literate workers. This study group is growing in respect and influence and is starting to attract revered following all across the country, with some workers’ groups trying to imitate Saveliev’s circles with various degrees of success. Law enforcement officers so far haven’t complained about that development and even were pleased to declare the circles a positive thing for the local communities. At the same time, some corporate lobbyists are feeling threatened by the well-paid and educated leaders of their own workforce, hoping to nip that trend in the bud, before it’s led to some labor reforms.

Classless People

Spoiler :

1890: Education boom and popularization of engine computing, meanwhile, is creating a surplus of well-educated clerks, engineers, and college graduates who fail to find jobs in the new market dominated by clockwork automata and difference engines. While some of them turn to social utopias in their search for answers, others turn to engine clacking and illegal information brokerage for foul-playing industrial conglomerates. Known as raznochintsy (“class-less people”), they become a creative, but dangerously misguided Russian underclass.

Q1-Q2 1893: Booming Russian corporations started a powerful recruitment drive of the raznochintsy intellectuals, seeing them as great employees for the cutthroat, high-stakes work environment in Russian financial and computational sectors. This created a huge job growth all around the country, especially in its core regions with big Jewish population that is overcoming decades of disenfranchisement and is becoming more and more economically active. (Regional quest completed with full success, region Central Russia gains +20 IC, +10 EC, +1.25% Regional Growth Fluctuation, Northern Russia gains +1% Regional Growth Fluctuation, North Black Sea Region gains +0.75% Regional Growth Fluctuation, Ukraine gains +0.5% Regional Growth Fluctuation, Volga-Don Region gains +0.25% Regional Growth Fluctuation, Directorial Russia losses: -3.74 HC, -0.83 IC, -9 EC, -6.88 MC)


Golden Ring
Q1-Q2 1893: The so-called Golden Ring of Russia is formed by eighteen ancient Russian cities northeast of Moscow, which played an important role in the formation, reunification, and growth of the Russian nation in the 12-18th centuries and which have preserved most of their architectural landmarks untouched by either wars or the progress. In recent years, Russian economic growth has spurred a debate as to how the nation could make use of this agglomeration. Some members of the Directorial Assembly propose to make these cities tourist destinations and cultural centers of new Russia, which would require significant improvement of infrastructure, law enforcement, and ecologic regulations in some of them. Meanwhile, industrial lobbyists say that kremlins, monasteries, and onion-domed cathedrals could never generate the wealth that could be produced through hard work and toil, suggesting to turn the Golden Ring into an industrial heart of the nation, it’s own Rhine-Ruhr. Some more extravagant proposals include even turning these lands into a settlement area for displaced Serbs, but that suggestion was mostly laughed at during the most recent Directorial session.

The Idiot

Spoiler :

1892: A domestic crime with significant repercussions is shaking the Russian political scene. Two heirs to politically influential houses were found near a body a dead woman in a room of a wealthy condominium in the city of Pavlovsk. Both were in the poorest condition of mind and provided little help for the local law enforcement in establishing the full picture of events. One of the suspects, one Prince Myshkin, is a kind, but emotionally unstable epileptic, and also a descendant of a still powerful landowning dynasty with ties to the isolationist Bure-Smirnov political lobby. The other one is Parfyon Rogozhin, a rough-cut, larger-than-life figure known for despicable drinking habits and terrifying wroth, is a heir to a prominent merchant clan directly supporting the Secretary and the ruling Russobalt-Putilov corporate coalition. The first one seems to have descended to complete imbecillia, while the latter one is suffering from a bad case of delirium tremens. While the criminal case goes along, the representation of the crime in press could be used to either support the Secretary and his coalition, or to undermine them, somewhat compensating for the defeat that the federalists have suffered as the result of the recent lobbying transparency campaign.

Vezdekhod chassis and all-terrain vehicles

Spoiler :

1891: A series of curious tests of mechanized automotives took place in the Butovo proving grounds. Peculiar machines were seen to be making their way through hills, forests, and bogs in front of a directorial commission, all prototypes featuring a chassis for land vehicles based on a wide single “caterpillar” track running under the vehicle’s bottom. While the design seems to be having a good potential, it’s also rumored that the project for its development and improvement is underfunded and lacking proper support from major Russian automotive corporations, resulting in an incredibly slow progress. It appears that persuading more enterprises to invest into the Vezdekhod chassis could speed up the development drastically. (Technology quest progress: 1.52%, Directorial Russia losses: -4.15 HC, -0.93 IC, -9.81 EC, -7.48 MC)

1892: Big businesses have finally expressed interest in the radically new project of an off-road chassis, hoping to tap into the demand for all-terrain vehicles for the Russian countryside, infamous for the poor quality of its dirt roads. As investments poured in, the Vezdekhod project grew rejuvenated and produced first fully functional prototypes, although work still continues on working out existing defects. (Technology quest progress: 40.1%, Directorial Russia losses: -3.79 HC, -0.85 IC, -8.95 EC, -6.83 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: Corporate interest in the new all-terrain vehicles (and as a result, the scope of industrial investments) grew exponentially, reaching its climax this year. By June 28, the first big contract for Vezdekhod tractor and wagon production was signed with Yakovlev-Freze Automotors, meaning the sturdy new vehicles are going to be mass-produced and available in Russia. (Technology quest completed, Directorial Russia adopts “Vezdekhod chassis and all-terrain vehicles” for no additional cost, Directorial Russia losses: -3.38 HC, -0.75 IC, -8.15 EC, -6.22 MC)

Northern Russia

Spoiler :

Booming cultural center with well-established fur industry and access to foreign markets.

Where the sea doesn’t freeze

Spoiler :

1892: Growth of the White Sea commerce and commodity turnover with Scandinavia has created a high demand for modern port facilities that are accessible year-round. The problem is most of the White Sea coast is covered by ice throughout winter months, making the existing ports of Arkhangelsk. Severodvinsk, and Kem useless for that purpose. A project exists of expanding the little fishing town of Kola located on the northern tip of the Kola peninsula that doesn’t freeze in winter, but that project would also require construction of a Transkarelian railway, connecting the port to the Russian heartland via a stable land route. The Admiralty has also expressed its interest in the affair, arguing that not only the merchant marine, but also the Russian fleet could benefit from a year-round access to the Arctic Ocean.

Q1-Q2 1893: Russian (primarily Siberian and especially Pomor) corporations invested heavily into the Kola port infrastructure and a railway to connect the new year-round export gateway to Saint-Petersburg. The port construction was completed with record speed, months ahead of contractual obligations, and only a few sections of the Transkarelian Railway are still pending to be delivered. (Regional quest progress: 96.43%, Directorial Russia losses: -1.6 HC, -0.36 IC, -3.86 EC, -2.95 MC)


The New Land

Spoiler :

1892: The Arctic archipelago of Novaya Zemlya (lit. “New Land”) was known to Novgorodian seal hunters since the 11th century, but it wasn’t until the Age of Discoveries that that territory became seriously claimed by major powers in the region, ranging from England to the Netherlands to Norway. In order to claim that territory for Russia, a group of Nenets polar deer herders was resettled on the archipelago in the 1870, and for the time being that Arctic territory was forgotten. Very recently, however, it all changed, because a geologic expedition sponsored by a newly rich Pomor merchant family has discovered large deposits of copper, lead, and zinc on the southern island. Now it appears that money may start to flow to this hostile, frozen lands, the Nenets villagers are the ones to benefit from the accommodation and guidance they could give to anyone resourceful enough to make Novaya Zemlya a mining island.

The Nose

Spoiler :

1890: A bizarre occurrence took place in Saint-Petersburg and was covered in most of local yellow press. A mediocre official was discovered in a barber shop in the most disturbed state of mind and with mutilated face. He was insisting that his nose had turned into a real person, walked away from him, and even started a career in Republican administration. While the man’s nose was indeed missing with few signs of a surgery, his story is agreed to be ludicrous. The poor gent is believed to either be either an addict of a synthetic North-German narcotic that recently has flooded the port city’s black market, or, maybe, a victim of a mysterious illegal surgery experiment. Either way, the story’s got a lot of visibility among voters and can be easily spun one way or another.

Volga-Don Region

Spoiler :

Fast-growing and populous infrastructure hub of Russia, with well-developed riverine transport, strong agriculture, and up-and-coming industrial sector.

Volga, Volga

Spoiler :

1890: Volga Tatars, Chuvash, and Bashkirs have recently benefitted from the policy of religious and economic tolerance introduced by the Directorial Assembly in the late 1850s. However, all three groups and local political lobbies representing them have been clashing over economic and territorial disputes along the Volga river. The Bashkir families enjoy a lot of influence in the Directorial cavalry and are primary horse producers for military and farming. The Tatars dominate oil production and have recently started bringing a lot of heavy industry to the city of Kazan. The Chuvash lobby is the weakest one, representing agriculture and honey production. Recently, a lot of Directorial Assembly members have received advances from either of the three groups in exchange for federal lobbying.

1892: In an effort to gradually put down the old quarrels, intercommunal mediation courts were established with impartial judges presiding over them. This endeavor started producing great results, although, not surprisingly for anyone, old grudges die slowly. One way or another, it seems like Russia’s attempt to establish peace between all of its ethnic diasporas instead of choosing only one to uplift (as the old Tsarist regime used to do) is working quite well. (Regional quest progress: 44%, Directorial Russia losses: -1.94 HC, -3.27 IC, -5.10 EC, -1.26 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: Directorial auditors have continued to provide mediation in solving economic, territorial, and legal disputes between the ethno-financial cartels along the Volga River valley. It seems like at this point Russia’s non-zero sum game solution is set to dissolve the problem in a safe, diplomatic way that will provide only limited value for the nation in the short term, but will definitely have very positive long-term implications for the multiethnic state. (Regional quest progress: 72.93%, Directorial Russia losses: -2.59 HC, -4.5 IC, -6.8 EC, -1.68 MC)


Grass on the other side

Spoiler :

1890: The Don and Terek Cossacks were one of the rural groups that has benefited the most from gradual mechanization of agriculture (tax loopholes in exchange for military service were a great driver in this social group’s success). However, recently a number of clashes took place between the Cossacks and Chechen horse herders along the Terek river, mostly caused by fights over valuable grassland. It’s hard to pinpoint who started the vendetta, but at this point tensions are running high between Directorial Russia and the Caucasian Imamate, which, in turn, is receiving some support from the Sublime Porte.

1891: Russian army was dispatched to guard the Terek border and support local Cossack militia in pushing back any transgressions by Chechen herders. Several low-intensity skirmishes did take places, but not much progress was achieved at solving the problem, since now Cossacks are feeling more emboldened to cross the river and shepherd their cattle on its southern bank. (Regional quest progress: 2.5%, Directorial Russia losses: -3.75 HC, -1.02 IC, -1.83 EC, -1.61 MC)

1892: In an attempt to ease the tensions, Russia’s ambassadors reached out directly to the council of Chechen teips (clans), requesting their cooperation in terms of containing trespassing and border violations. The Chechen response was firm, but generally seen as cooperative, since at least some limited pressure was put on near-border communities to prevent further escalation of tensions. While the attempts to enforce strict border regime through concentration of troops had limited efficiency, this year was seen in a positive light, and chances are that the problem may eventually be resolved in a year or two. (Regional quest progress: 59.64%, Directorial Russia losses: -3.75 HC, -1.02 IC, -1.83 EC, -1.61 MC)

Volga Germans

Spoiler :

1892: In the 18th century, a number of Romanov monarchs of German descent (including Catherine the Great herself) encouraged German settlers from Bavaria, Baden, and the Rheinland to immigrate to Russia and settle along the Volga River in an area around the city of Saratov. Now that the problems of the Astrakhani Jewish community (and, by association, of other Jewish shtetls across Russia) have been solved, eyes of the many have turned to the communities of the Wolgadeutsche that draw critique from some circles for preferring to make business with North German and even African Dutch investors instead of Russian businessmen. Defenders of that practice, however, point out that it does help bring a lot of money to the region from all across Europe - money that would otherwise be spent somewhere in Germany. Other than that, the Volga German community is rather well-integrated into the Russian society, and the matter of its assimilation may require a soft and measured approach.

 

[Ahigin]

Update 3: January 1, 1893 - June 30, 1893​

Ukraine

Spoiler :

Fast-developing breadbasket of Eastern Europe with a big labor market.

Draining the swamp

Spoiler :

1892: Expansive Pripyat Marshes lie in the Polesian Lowland, taking up vast tracts of land and standing on the way of any infrastructure project with a potential to connect Russia with Europe. Several projects have been proposed aimed at finally making some use of that inhospitable land. The most ambitious, but most practical project suggests that gradual drainage could help Russia reconquer a lot of arable land. The All-Russian Geographic Society, meanwhile, proposes turning Pripyat Marshes into the first Russian “national park,” a place where wild nature is preserved in its primordial state. That project, they argue, would increase Russia’s prestige in the world and, besides attracting tourists, would also make Russia a destination for many natural scientists. Finally, a few dark minds suggest that, now that Siberia is a formally a separate nation, the marshes could be used as a universal exile location for unwanted types capable of penal servitude. That, of course, would require some basic penal colony infrastructure to be built, and the government would have to come up with criteria for the types of crimes that could qualify for that stereotypically Russian kind of punishment.

Hetman and his mace

Spoiler :

1890: The Ukrainian Hetmanate is at the crossroads. A state based on a compromise between urban bourgeoisie and Ukrainian Cossack military, it’s struggling to establish itself as a solid nation with its own geopolitical course. Hetman Oleksander Barvinsky himself is in favor of building a state lead by military staff, similar to Poland or the Sublime Porte. The Rada (the Parliament), on the other hand, consists of Galitsian and Volynian Catholic urban bourgeoisie, and therefore opposes him and argues for an enlightened, modernized monarchy similar to Hungary or Austria-Bavaria. Scientific elites and intelligentsia from Kyiv and the Levoberezhye (the left bank of the Dnieper) region argue that the young nation’s ties with Russia should be exploited more. Whichever way the nation turns, it’s certain major powers will plan an active role in establishing its course.

Peasant-mania

Spoiler :

1891: Ukrainian national revival is a newly found phenomenon that is sweeping through the Hetmanate and Malorossian provinces of Directorial Russia. One of the key features of this artistic and social movement of local intelligentsia is fascination with Ukrainian peasantry, or Chlopomania (lit. “Peasant-mania”). City painters and poets, journalists and writers travel all the way to the countryside to breathe in the serene spirit of hromadas (Ukrainian village communities). While some find the intellectuals’ fascination with romanticized peasantry dangerous or pervert, others think it could help establish closer ties between the city and the village across the entire region.

North Black Sea Region

Spoiler :

Fast-developing gateway to Black Sea trade and an export hub of Russian and Ukrainian agricultural goods.

Seamen left behind

Spoiler :

1890: The city of Aqyar, previously known as Sevastopol, used to be the main military base of the Russian Black Sea fleet before the Ottoman takeover of Crimea in the late 1850s. Since then, it’s become a key base for the Sublime Porte’s naval capabilities in the Black Sea. Local authorities, however, are growing concerned over the presence of a big (albeit aging) Russian community in the city. Many Russian seamen and their families never relocated to the mainland and now, as some Turkish secret agents argue, could serve as a pro-Russian spy nets overlooking one of the key military harbors of the Porte.

Loyalty and representation

Spoiler :

1890: Ever since then-Imperial Russia was pushed back out of Crimea, the Turkish authorities have been providing significant support to the local population of Crimean Tatars. This year, however, local Mejlis (the Assembly of Elders) has surprisingly voted for Crimean independence or significant autonomy (although even the hottest heads support an alliance with the Sublime Porte). It seems like the Crimean Tatars feel underrepresented in the Grand Divan, as no visiers or pashas of Crimean descent are there to lobby the proud people’s interests. What’s worse, the Crimean Tatars have not produced a magistrate or officer high-ranking enough to be quickly promoted to hold a seat in the Grand Divan. For now, the tensions stay pretty low, but the situation may escalate in upcoming years.

Odessa stories

Spoiler :

1890: The port city of Odessa has been enjoying a status of the main Russian Black Sea port ever since the loss of Sevastopol, with most of Russian agricultural supplies being exported through it. A majority Jewish city, Odessa is quickly growing into an unlikely cultural jewel of Eastern Europe, a center of unusual new music, writing, theater, and art. On the other hand, its libertarian culture and the grow-rich-overnight economy is turning it into a den of corruption, gambling, and illegal information brokerage. Jewish, Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, Greek, Turkish, and Gipsy gangs fight for their clandestine control over the booming beautiful city, and the violence is quickly spinning out of control.

Q1-Q2 1893: Despite their hands-off approach to most of state governance aspects, Directorial Russian authorities have been consistently displaying their dedication to strict principles of law and order. This year, the dispatched national police, combined with investigative teams of the newly formed Komitet Gosudarstvenoy Bezopasnosti (Committee of State Security) to address the issues of organized crime and embezzlement in the city of Odessa. KGB detectives earned a good name among their less sophisticated colleagues at that, cracking down upon the Jewish mob led by the infamous Venyamin “Benya” Krik, nicknamed Korol (the King). After Benya Krik’s lightning ascent and horrid end, several other gangs stepped into the power vacuum created by the collapse of the King’s criminal empire. Still, experts think that the dark days of Odessa may be closer to their end than it appears if one were to read local periodicals. (Regional quest progress: 66.07%, Directorial Russia losses: -1.03 HC, -1.8 IC, -2.72 EC, -0.67 MC)


Maskirovka and military camouflage
Q1-Q2 1893: The Russian Directorial Army has announced a drastic and unusual change in uniforms for its entire cadre, aligning that change to an unusual new field exercise that took place in April in Zaporozhye and near Taganrog. To a disappointment of many old-school generals (postcard buyers, especially ladies) Russian soldiers are going to be now dressed in drab, soil-color uniforms with blot-like designs on them, providing better concealment for soldiers on the battlefield. This change was also supported by a variety of methods of military masking and deception, practiced in the war games and now trained in officer schools and military camps. (Technology quest completed, Directorial Russia adopts “Maskirovka and military camouflage” for no additional cost, Directorial Russia losses: -0.78 HC, -1.35 IC, -2.04 EC, -0.5 MC)

Scandinavia

Spoiler :

Fast-developing center of European education and science, hitting above its weight in economic sector.


Path for the lion

Spoiler :

1890: Swedish Riksdag (the Parliament) grows increasingly uncomfortable with how much the nations spends on its needless pretense at Scandinavian domination. Instead, the deputies would rather see it develop a more vibrant economy akin to the bustling market of the North German Federation. Current king Oscar II is more supportive of a strong, yet old-fashioned monarchy, which is supported by his close dynastic ties with princes of Austria-Bavaria. His primary successor Prince Carl, however, is an energetic military man who views the British Commonwealth as a stronger, dynamic alternative to the venerable Swedish regime. The political struggle stays rather contained, but presents a temptation to major powers to intervene.

1891: A strong anti-war campaign with clear anti-British undertone has started in Swedish press, arguing for a quick change of course in economy and foreign policy and generally sympathising with the interests of Central European and particularly North-German capital. This has forced Swedish secret police open a costly investigation into the funding of these publications. (Regional quest progress: -28.48%, ??? losses: -4.03 HC, -7.3 IC, -10.72 EC, -3.16 MC, Sweden losses: -3.48 HC, -4.09 IC, -6.45 EC, -0.59 MC)

Meanwhile, Great Britain itself has continued posturing as the main ally of Crown Prince Carl himself, openly supporting his faction at the court and wooing the prince himself to their side, thus somewhat diminishing (but not cancelling out) the effect the anti-British press campaign had on the Swedish public opinion. (Regional quest progress: 7.69%, British Royal Commonwealth losses: -2.11 HC, -2.68 IC, -4.50 EC, -1.46 MC)

1892: Just like in Denmark-Norway, the British efforts to influence regional politics came to a sharp stop, leaving observers and foreign informants guessing if there was any behind-the-scene agreement between them and the new regional powerhouse, the North-German Federation. The latter one put little effort into hiding its involvement into the lobbying campaign that seeked to tarnish the image of the British Lord-Protector and his government in the eyes of the Swedish royal family and its supporters. Even though the Royal Gendarmerie attempted to limit foreign involvement into the business of the Swedish royalty and Swedish politics in general, little could be done to stop the well-orchestrated and well-funded North-German political action. It appears that Sweden stands barely a year away from falling into the North-German geopolitical effort, just like Denmark-Norway did this year. (Regional quest progress: 87%, North German Federation losses: -3.45 HC, -6.27 IC, -9.2 EC, -2.72 MC, Sweden losses: -5.56 HC, -6.55 IC, -10.31 EC, -0.94 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: To the North-German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, winter-spring of 1893 looked like the time to finally bring Sweden into the Federation’s sphere of influence once and for all. North-German diplomatic and propaganda campaign across Sweden continued at a normal pace, and it looked like the expectations were going to be met. Until on May 7 the NGF’s leading ambassador made a gaffe in an interview to a Stockholm newspaper, hailing North-German Federal government’s recent support of Prussian aristocratic militarism, apparently forgetting that the main selling point of the entire pro-North-German campaign in press was that the Federation was a peaceful, economics-minded soft power in the region, as opposed to British stratocrats. This, of course, disappointed Swedish liberals and failed to attract Swedish jingoists, who were still displeased with the Federation’s last year propaganda. Using that chance, Swedish press and pro-stratocratic factions in the royalty threw all they could against the liberals, but all they achieved was delaying what seems to be inevitable. (Regional quest progress: 98.57%, North German Federation losses: -1.65 HC, -3.37 IC, -4.41 EC, -1.23 MC, Sweden losses: -7.49 HC, -8.81 IC, -13.88 EC, -1.27 MC)


Baltoscandia!

Spoiler :

1890: A new academic movement is being spearheaded by a group of social-utopist agitators in Helsinki and Turku. They argue for creation of a transnational state of Baltoscandia, including the territories of Finland, Sweden, Baltic Duchies, Prussia, and Danish islands. As a pan-Scandinavian entity, they say, such union would prevent any future wars between Baltic nations and would help them act more independently on the world stage. Some of these sentiments were positively accepted by disillusioned workers and frustrated students who view themselves as hostages in the prolonged stand-off between Sweden and its neighbours. Conservatives, however, call such ideas traitorous to the spirit of national unity, and reactionaries also point out at the destruction of the social hierarchy such transformation would bring. As dreamy as that fringe idea is, it keeps shaping social debate among Scandinavian intellectuals.

1891: Social-utopists and social-communards across all Finland and the Baltic Duchies were actively engaged in Pan-Baltoscandian agitation, probably funded by some foreign source. It seems like the public discourse is progressing rather quickly, and the topic’s ideological base is shifting to the left. (Regional quest progress: 32.21%, ??? losses: -0.91 HC, -1.41 IC, -2.07 EC, -0.67 MC)

At the same time, Russian Foreign Ministry was not interested in letting go of cordial relationship with Finland in favor of allowing a creation of a new Baltoscandian nation which elites it would be unable to control. Therefore, the Russians chose to encourage the opposite trend, lobbying for survival of an independent Finnish national identity (under a Russian wing, of course). To demonstrate the benefits of staying a sovereign, but pro-Russian nation, they invited Finnish delegates to Moscow to demonstrate the venerable “Ilya Muromets” analytical engine, hinting that should the new calculating machine be built in Saint-Petersburg, parts of its processing power could be offered to Russian Baltic allies. This sort of persuasion, combined with lavish banquets, went a long way to tie Finnish political elites to Russia, although the political situation around the proposed national unification of Baltoscandian nations is still fluid. (Regional quest progress: -50.86%, -0.36 HC, -0.61 IC, -0.95 EC, -0.23 MC)

The land where grass is greener

Spoiler :

1892: As British Canada is becoming an increasingly hostile place for anyone not completely siding with the British military rule, hundreds of families try to escape it for more welcoming lands. While more left-leaning people find refuge in the Union of North America, those opposed to the “populist hydra” head for the Danish colony of Greenland. A harsh land with limited self-rule, Greenland is having an ambivalent impact from that influx of English-speaking immigrants. On the one hand, this provides the Landstings (local twin parliament) with the demographic resources to continue exploring, settling, and developing the large icy island. On the other hand, given the current pace of migration, Kalaallisut-speaking locals are about to be outnumbered by the Canadian newcomers unfamiliar with the Greenlandic way of life, which greatly disturbs the colony’s stability and economy. Whether this wave of immigration will become a blessing of a curse for Greenland remains to be seen.

 

[Ahigin]

Update 3: January 1, 1893 - June 30, 1893​

Ireland-Scotland

Spoiler :

Slowly-developing, ethnically divided backwaters of the British Isle.

Our day will come!

Spoiler :

1890: The Irish rabble is at it again! Reports of Irish nationalist terror attacks against the Protectorate’s officers and administrators are widespread all across the island. Partially in the expectation of disloyalty, Irish youth has been excluded from conscription, and now it seems that an ever greater percentage of the Irish population is becoming virtually “invisible” for British economy and civil life. The course of action against this resurgent threat is yet to be determined.

1891: An unknown foreign power started agitating Irish nationalists and push them to more radical leftist ideas. Luckily for the British authorities, foreign agents failed to support the underground movement with anything but ideological literature and pamphlets, but even that little intervention seems to have aggravated the problem to a degree, making it harder for the British authorities to control the region. (Regional quest progress: -12.29%, ??? losses: -1.37 HC, -2.11 IC, -3.11 EC, -1 MC)

1892: Leftist agitation in Ireland quickly raised a red flag for the British counterintelligence, so several independent counter-espionage and anti-insurgency teams were deployed to Ireland, along with several newly trained Kingsmen (mostly, green novices). There, they put a good fight not only to the foreign agents (who were suspected to be of French origin, although no distinct proof emerged), but also to the numerous Irish nationalist cells, who were this time armed by their continental sponsors. By the end of the year, Ireland was deeply engulfed in the flames of this clandestine war, which British Intelligence seemed to be slowly turning to their favor. (Regional quest progress: 15.9%, British Royal Commonwealth: -3.17 HC, -4.88 IC, -7.21 EC, -2.32 MC, ??? losses: -2.11 HC, -3.26 IC, -4.8 EC, -1.55 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: British agents continue uprooting Irish nationalist and leftist terrorism slowly and methodically, at every step facing countering efforts by same continental dark forces. At this rate of engagement, the issue seems to be frozen in a costly stalemate. (Regional quest progress: 17.57%, British Royal Commonwealth losses: -5.93 HC, -7.54 IC, -12.66 EC, -4.11 MC, ??? losses: -6.3? HC, -9.7? IC, -14.4? EC, -4.6? MC)

Double O

Spoiler :

1890: A decorated spy of the Secret Ward of the Royal Protectorate residing in his family estate near Edinburgh keeps bringing troubles to the local community. Besides being a heavy drinker and an avid womanizer, the man is infamous for engaging in needlessly risky escapades and at least on two occasions was a target of violent ambushes set against him by mysterious enemies of the Queen and Her Protector. Despite their loyalty to Mother Britannia, the locals are appalled by the amount of harm this servant of the Crown has brought to the earldom. What’s worse, this particular case appears to be just one episode among the countless occasions when such unruly activities involving state agents took place all across Britain. Most experts say it alienates both gentry and commoners, and greatly hurts local economies, especially in usually quiet areas, such as Scotland and Wales.

1892: In order to distract the “loose cannon” agent from damaging civilian property, he (and his colleagues of similar habits) were put back to the service of the Crown, this time in the role of instructors for the new generation of special, even deadlier agents. Of course, having instructors of that kind led to a series of “uncalled incidents” in training locations, but the Protectorate Ward was happy to pay for such kind of damage, as long as Double O’s trainees could outmatch any foreign competitor in the field. On the negative side, this solution did little to compensate British citizens for the damage they suffered from the retired agents’ adventures, which didn’t help their sense of loyalty to the Lord-Protector at all. (Regional quest progress: 45.86%, British Royal Commonwealth losses: -1.42 HC, -1.81 IC, -3.04 EC, -0.99 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: The Secret Ward continued working on the thankless job of cleaning up after its unruly agent(s). Awards were offered to those who had suffered from their misadventures, which did shut some mouths, but also created a scandal when a lady who Double O promised to marry (and who claims to carry a child of his) made a public stance that, thanks to local censors, didn’t gain any traction in the national press. All in all, the incident is considered a result of bad luck, and the task keeps dragging on, slowly but surely. (Regional quest progress: 62.29%, British Royal Commonwealth losses: -1.11 HC, -1.41 IC, -2.36 EC, -0.77 MC)


The Old Ones

Spoiler :

1890: A series of mysterious sightings has been reported around the Loch-Ness lake in Scotland. It all started when villagers and fishers began telling stories of a big monster surfacing amid the lake, something that reporters were quick to denounce as drunken gibberish. But later this year a trustworthy magistrate transferred to the region from Sussex reported to the authorities that some sort of a shadowy cabal of cultists regularly gathers at the lake shore at night. If he were to be believed, the cultists worship an ancient entity known as the Old One, and talk of upcoming events of utterly apocalyptic nature. Sadly, nothing has been heard of the vigilant official ever since, and the entire region has been full of worrisome rumors ever since.

1892: Agents of the Secret Ward were sent to investigate the bizarre reports from the Loch-Ness lake. While the locals proved to be suspiciously tight-lipped about any sect activity, one finding has been made so far. A young assistant detective tried to chase a stray dog that stole his hat and accidentally came across a hidden little dock with an improvised wharf in an abandoned location on the lake shore. As it turned out, a Portuguese inventor of a submergible device for deep water salvage named “bathysphere,” disappointed about his home nation not wishing to invest any money into his project, chose to settle here, far from the smirks of other academics and bureaucrats. Chances are high that it was his deep water boat that people saw in the middle of the lake, mistaking it for a giant lake monster. That, however, doesn’t explain any rumours about delusional sectants who believe in strange old gods. (Regional quest progress: 8.14%, British Royal Commonwealth losses: -1.74 HC, -2.21 IC, -3.72 EC, -1.21 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: With the mystery of the “lake monster” being solved (at least, in the minds of more informed and rational experts), the Secret Ward has continued digging into the questions that surround the Cult of the Old Ones and associated disappearances of people. What the agents have managed to discern by now is that some part of the cult revolves around monetary “sacrifices” to a man known as the Starchild, who claims semi-divine descent and who grants his congregation members some sort of godly blessing in a form of white powdery “mana.” That secret man also seems to claim ownership of a highly valuable cryptic journal he calls Necronomicon and forbids even his closest trustees to read or even open. (Regional quest progress: 38.71%, British Royal Commonwealth losses: -1.9 HC, -2.41 IC, -4.05 EC, -1.32 MC)

England-Wales

Spoiler :

Fast-developing, populous heart of the British Empire, famous for astounding level of scientific activity and education, combined with rich labor market and strong urban and rural economies.

Return of the Great Stink

Spoiler :

1890: The Great Stink of 1858 is back to London again! This time, it’s caused not as much by the pollution of the Thames river (although this keeps being a recurring problem), but by the booming industries of the London sprawl combined with aggressive expansion of London Underground trains system and above-ground Gurney steam carriage transportation. Whoever could afford it, have left the city for country houses, but vast majority of the population remains in the suffocating megapolis. With it, the smog has brought unprecedented level of health issues and crime, especially in the working class neighborhoods by the Thames. Most importantly, the London crisis is merely the most noticeable of such events. “The Stinks” have been known to happen on and off in major industrial cities of England for the past decade. Perhaps, it’s time to do something?

Long live the Queen!

Spoiler :

1890: Now that the threat of a populist revolution seems to have withdrawn, the Queen and her closest relatives no longer feel that they need the iron-grip “protection” offered by the Lord-Protector himself. Their position is shared by landed gentry that would rather have returned to the time before Lord Wellington altogether. On the other hand, British bankers and industrialists have benefitted greatly from the protectionist (no pun intended) policies of the current stratocratic administration. And as for the officer corps, it is split between their loyalty to the Queen and their appreciation of the power and privileges they enjoy under the Protectorate’s militarist practices. Meanwhile, the working class and the peasantry keeps growing ever more alienated from all three of the groups. And the colonies? Nobody even asks them.

London calling

Spoiler :

1890: As cheap labor from the British colonies arrives to the British Isles for the wages unthinkable in their homelands, the heart of the Royal Commonwealth starts facing a true problem with a severe surplus of work-eligible men and, as a result of it, unemployment. Workhouses and steep increase in the size of the army and navy were designed to mitigate these issues, but the country is still dealing with huge masses of unemployed men who don’t even get to participate in the “shadow economy,” because of how effectively the Secret Ward has been cracking up on underworld activities. As of today, it looks like a crisis waiting to happen.

Britain first!

Spoiler :

1892: The Atlantic War was first a blessing and then a curse for the British economy. In the first few years, it helped to boost local heavy industry on the wave of army and navy contracts, but in its wake it left demographic devastation and significant wear and tear of equipment and infrastructure. Looking to regain industrial leadership in Europe in the face of North-German and Russian economic resurgence, the Economic Ward has issued directives and financial incentives and subsidies for companies and private industry to manufacture goods in Britain, as opposed to importing or outsourcing overseas. (Regional quest progress: 56.95%, British Royal Commonwealth losses: -2.25 HC, -0.59 IC, -6.04 EC, -5.06 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: In a brilliant display of central economic stimulus, the Industrial Ward has announced its completion of the industrialization and modernization campaign across England and Wales. Not only did it help the Albion to catch up with rapidly developing parts of Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, but it also increased the Economic Ward’s control of its local manufacture, limiting the flow of capital and production overseas to Mexico and Gran Paraguay. (Regional quest completed with full success, region England-Wales gains -10 HC, +35 MC, Regional Growth Fluctuation +1.75%, Regional Growth Trend +0.25%, British Royal Commonwealth gains +2% Regional Influence, Mexico loses -1% Regional Influence, Gran Paraguay loses -1% Regional Influence, British Royal Commonwealth losses: -2.41 HC, -0.63 IC, -6.44 EC, -5.4 MC)


We don’t want to fight, but by Jingo if we do

Spoiler :

1892: After the Atlantic War and subsequent national crisis, it seemed like it would be a long time before British public would be acceptive of thoughts of another war again. However, the last year’s Sao Tome Incident near the Zaire coast, combined with ethnic purges of English settlers in the Cape, has reversed that pacifist trend. Atlantic War veterans that yesterday were praying in churches for eternal peace under the sun, now march in London singing “By Jingo” and decrying the “sinkers of the Challenger and rapists of Capetown.” The stratocratic nation of British authority makes the Lord-Protector formally immune for any, even most passionate, display of public demand, but it seems to be harder than ever to dissuade the nation from yet another foreign entanglement.

Q1-Q2 1893: The Boer campaign against the British shipping around the Cape of Good Hope stirred even more trouble in the Albion’s politics, shifting popular mood further to the right. The Second Lower Canada and Second Red River Rebellions didn’t help the case, as more and more hawkish demagogues demand that the Lord-Protector actually does what he volunteered for and “protects” the Royal Commonwealth and its current and former subjects from Celtic and Canadian lawlessness, most importantly, from the perfidy of the Boers. Drastic actions may be required to display British actions as just the right type of response to all of the threats the nation is facing across the globe, and effective retaliation could please a lot of “hawks” and help the Lord-Protector regain popular support. (Regional quest progress: -30%)


Kingsmen and license-to-kill agents

Spoiler :

1891: A series of attire shops for gentlemen, named Kingsman, started to appear across Britain, visited by the most fine-looking dandies of Old Lady England. The business doesn’t seem to be booming, with the stores being visited mostly by the same people over and over again (not always in their best disposition or physical health), but the venture, nonetheless, persists. Some strange rumors swirl around the nature of these mystery visitors, with some saying these are a new breed of special agents of Her Majesty and Her Lord-Protector, specialized in unique, high-importance missions that justify significant collateral damage. (Technology quest progress: 7.83%, British Royal Commonwealth losses: -2.6 HC, -3.31 IC, -5.56 EC, -1.8 MC)

1892: Training of enough new license-to-kill agents to fill all critical espionage roles across the globe has proven to be a tough task, partially because of the high mortality rate at, apparently, highly volatile and dangerous “examination process.” Royal supervisors of the program point out that a true progress at creating such a unique type of special agents is achievable only through a more concerted state effort at finding prospective candidates and outfitting them to match their unique set of skills.(Technology quest progress: 14.55%, British Royal Commonwealth losses: -2.85 HC, -3.62 IC, -6.08 EC, -1.97 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: Besieged on all fronts, the British government has finally recognized the crucial importance of having an edge over the Crown’s and Protectorate’s enemies in the field of espionage. Huge progress was made this year over the “Kingsmen” program, and if the investments remain the same, experts predict that license-to-kill agents will be able to serve the Queen and Her Protector before the end of this year. (Technology quest progress: 68.02%, British Royal Commonwealth losses: -3.01 HC, -3.82 IC, -6.42 EC, -2.08 MC)


Blowlamp brazing and soldering

Spoiler :

1892: Many in the British Industry Ward recognize that the Commonwealth, while still a powerful industrial nation, is starting to fall behind in terms of technology and economic output, when compared to some more dynamic nations. As a mean to combat it, a series of research projects has been initiated, concentrated on creation of fuel-burning tools for applying flame and heat to various types of metalworking, useful in construction and engineering. (Technology quest progress: 26.75%, British Royal Commonwealth losses: -2.1 HC, -0.55 IC, -5.64 EC, -4.73 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: The Industry Ward continues heavily concentrating its resources on improving tools and methods of brazing and soldering, hoping to finish this industry-critical project by Christmas. (Technology quest progress: 90.21%, British Royal Commonwealth losses: -1.05 HC, -0.28 IC, -2.82 EC, -2.36 MC)

Low Countries

Spoiler :

Fast-developing region with moderately strong economy.

Overseas ambitions

Spoiler :

1890: Thanks to the British support, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands has been enjoying a period of resurgence of its colonial ambitions. However, recently it has become obvious to everyone but Director-Admiral Willem Jan Derx that the Kingdom’s resources are overstretched, while its home provinces are suffering from a prolonged economic and demographic stagnation. While North Germany and France are preparing to make the Netherlands their economic playground, the Kingdom’s British “protectors” are looking increasingly incapable to help the country’s continental economy grow. It seems like a brutal struggle for de-facto economic control over the region is brewing.

Leaking dams

Spoiler :

1890: The idea of reconquering land from the sea through construction of dams was always a popular one in the Netherlands. Recently, however, several of such dams, mostly the older ones, have started leaking, plagued by years of neglect brought by redirection of most of the nation’s limited resources to supporting its colonial empire. So desperate is the Kingdom’s Ministry of the Interior that an open tender is offered to pretty much any enterprise that could assist the Netherlands in preventing a catastrophe and, if everything goes well, reconquering more land from the sea.

1891: North-German enterprises stepped in to provide some repairs and extensions to the levies systems in Friesland, hoping to gain a foothold in the region. Simultaneously, French “engineering commissions” tried to offer their services to the Dutch, hoping to outcompete the Germans thanks to their state support and centralized planning. That, in turn, prompted the Commerce Ward of Great Britain to concentrate its economic efforts on countering Communard creeping economic expansion. This three-way competition resulted in a series of hotly disputed tenders and lobbying wars, followed by an ugly rat race toward completion of the project won by each side. Out of all sides, the North-Germans seem to be the most successful, both thanks to their superb engineering expertise and an attractive, market-friendly approach to competition. Either way, while the three major powers compete, the problem solving is progressing at a slower speed than it could if some agreement was reached by all parties. (Regional quest progress: 21.29%, North German Federation losses: -2.06 HC, -0.46 IC, -4.93 EC, -4.56 MC, British Royal Commonwealth: -1.82 HC, -0.48 IC, -4.87 EC, -4.08 MC, Communard France losses: -9.67 HC, -2.34 IC, -26.2 EC, -24.1 MC)

1892: Through some back channels, the Communard leadership learned about negotiations that took place between Great Britain and North Germany, looking for an economic “ceasefire” over competition in the Netherlands. That made the French falsely assume that British and North-German companies would not attempt to do business in the Low Countries. The Communards chose to use that assumed vacuum to become the main contractors for the Dutch dam fixing project, thus gaining a strong economic foothold in otherwise ideologically hostile region. North-German competition was indeed gone, but British companies still put a good fight over each tender and contract, stealing some of them for themselves. Enjoying quite a lot of support from the Dutch political lobby, the Brits were, however, outmatched both in technology and materiel, so the war for the economic domination of the Dutch dam infrastructure continues with unlikely French superiority. (Regional quest progress: 63.21%, British Royal Commonwealth losses: -4.09 HC, -1.07 IC, -10.95 EC, -9.18 MC, Communard France losses: -2.76 HC, -0.67 IC, -7.48 EC, -6.88 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: With both North Germany and Great Britain concentrating on expanding their own industries at home, French construction commissions were the only ones left to work on dam construction in the Netherlands. Most of French industrial capacities were also dedicated to war efforts, but even the remaining commissions were expected to get significantly ahead of their British and North-German competitors. However, to many people’s disappointment, Dutch quality control engineers found a big variety of defects in French construction, an alarmingly high rate of them serious enough to cause the collapse of entire segments of the dam system. French contractors at first dismissed these defects, then tried to downplay their severity, but eventually were forced to recognize them under contractual obligations and promised to re-do most of the work and punish all culprits. Dutch nationalists and royalists hurried to decry foul play on the French part, claiming that the defects were acts of Communard sabotage, but cooler heads eventually prevailed. Some small progress was achieved since then, but mostly the season was considered a lost opportunity for French economic expansion. (Regional quest progress: 64.64%, Communard France losses: -1.11 HC, -0.27 IC, -3 EC, -2.76 MC)


The Belgian question

Spoiler :

1890: In the 1830s, the Belgian Revolution was put down by the British and French royal regimes that were spooked by the partial success of the Russian Decembrist Uprising. Since then, the lands of Flanders and Wallonia have recovered their economic significance for the Kingdom, but never truly grew to like the royal Dutch authorities. Nowadays, the idea of one day joining the North-German Federation as its semi-autonomous region is becoming increasingly popular among the Flemish, while the Walloons seem to be swayed by French Communard propaganda. Decisive actions are needed before the Belgian Revolution repeats itself.

1891: Radical leftist teachings started to dominate the Belgian nationalist discourse, acting as a catalysis for the Pan-Belgian national identity that is being increasingly shared by both the Flemish and Walloon extremists. The Dutch political police was quick to react to this opportunity to prove themselves to the crown, engaging foreign agents in a war of arrests and assassinations, in which, however, their technical and organizational backwardness was exposed. Either way, the Belgian question is a long way from being solved. (Regional quest progress: -0.76%, Netherlands losses: -1.57 HC, -2.45 IC, -3.70 EC, -0.39 MC, ??? losses: -2.1 HC, -3.24 IC, -4.78 EC, -1.54 MC)

1892: Foreign agitation and even some low-scale smuggling of weapons continued this year, especially in Walloon-populated areas. However, both the Dutch Royal police and the foreign espionage network seemed to be locked in a stalemate, incapable to achieve a significant advance either in destabilization of Wallonia or in uprooting any separatism. (Regional quest progress: 0.86%, ??? losses: -1.5 HC, -2.31 IC, -3.41 EC, -1.1 MC, Netherlands losses: -1.18 HC, -1.84 IC, -2.77 EC, -0.29 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: Nationalist agitation has continued among the Walloons, although it took a drastic turn from their Belgian identity toward the French one. This and the general intensification of foreign propaganda has made the first qualitative change in the Belgian Question, because the Royal Dutch secret police found itself outsmarted and outnumbered in its attempts to contain the that development. A small consolation for the Dutch, though, was the fact that the agitators’ emphasis on French Walloon identity pushed Flemish nationalists into the Dutch camp. (Regional quest progress: 28.67%, Netherlands losses: -3.14 HC, -4.9 IC, -7.39 EC, -0.77 MC, ??? losses: -0.9? HC, -1.3? IC, -2.0? EC, -0.6? MC)

 

[Ahigin]

Update 3: January 1, 1893 - June 30, 1893​

Baltia-Prussia

Spoiler :

Fast-developing, lightly populated and quiet region with highly literate population, acting as a connecting hub between the Russian and German markets.


Lithuanian national awakening

Spoiler :

1892: Lithuania is not only the most populous of the Baltic Duchies, but also the one with the most prominent history. Throughout the last century and a half, however, it was somewhat reduced in its national self-awareness, partially caused by the fact that the political and academic life of the Grand Duchy was almost entirely monopolized by members of the German and Russian diasporas. Now, it seems, the Lithuanian national spirit is being resurrected, as seen in art and political publications. One part of the movement views the United Baltic Duchies as an artificially created pan-national entity that should agree to Lithuanian leadership if it wishes to achieve true unity and greatness. More radical and militant student groups, instead, romanticize Lithuanian past as a one-time Eastern-European powerhouse and the leader of the Rzech Pospolita, arguing that Lithuania should abandon the Baltic Duchies and seek to align itself to proud and ferociously independent Poland. Finally, a minority group is seeking simple independence, ideally as a neutral confederative republic akin to Switzerland.

Legend of the Bear-slayer

Spoiler :

1892: An artistic and literary movement known as the “Young Latvians” is drawing attention of European critics for their bold interpretations of Latvian national folklore and mythology. Particularly notable among them is an epic poem “Lāčplēsis,” dedicated to the life and deeds of a Medieval Latvian folk hero. Re-interpreted as an avant-guarde opera, contemporary ballet, and a revolutionary kinotropic clack-animation film, the Legend of the Bear-slayer is a visionary depiction of the future of arts, a mass culture phenomenon driven by bold interpretations of the classics and popular demand for highly technological special effects. Now it gives a chance to any interested powers to adopt to this new wave of popular art and research it on the Latvian example.

Prussian spirit

Spoiler :

1890: Prussian military aristocracy was never in much of a favor of the German Revolution of 1848. Even though the federalist regime created by liberal revolutionaries in the 1850s had kept almost all privileges of Prussian aristocracy, a good deal of contempt still exists among the old guard and their descendants. Some propose using the legal framework of the Federal Constitution to achieve independence for the Duchy of Prussia, while others argue that the technocratic regime of North Germany is not bad by itself, but simply needs to adopt a greater military guidance. Meanwhile, some paramilitary groups form around the idea that a more aggressive, terrorist tactics should be used to destabilized the aberration of nation that the Federation is, hopefully bringing reactionary forces to the barricades in an attempt of a belated revanche.

1891: North-German secret police surveilled existing officer conspiracies and tried to keep a neutral, waiting stance in terms of handling aristocratic discontent. (Regional quest progress: 34.86%, North German Federation losses: -1.28 HC, -2.33 IC, -3.42 EC, -1.01 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: Paradoxically, the Franco-Hungarian aggression against Austria-Bavaria became a blessing for the Federal relations with the Prussian military aristocracy. Having put emphasis on their wholehearted support of Pan-German solidarity, North-German intelligence and military recruiters found yesterday’s troublemakers readily joining their ranks. With that recruitment drive, Prussian junkers brought with them decades of military and investigative experience, as well as a strong sense of Germanic pride to the Federal forces. This move also helped to tie many members of old Prussian and Baltic German nobility with the Federation, sidelining their Austrobavarian, Transbaltic, and Russian sympathies. (Regional quest completed with full success, region Baltia-Prussia gains +10 HC, +5 IC, North German Federation gains +1.75 Regional Influence, Austria-Bavaria loses -0.03% Regional Influence, United Baltic Duchies loses -0.97% Regional Influence, Directorial Russia loses -0.75% Regional Influence, North German Federation losses: -1.04 HC, -2.11 IC, -2.76 EC, -0.77 MC)


Polish corridor
Q1-Q2 1893: Polish-North German relations have been tense for decades, owing mostly to the North-German control of the territory of Pomerelia and the city of Danzig (Gdansk) containing a large Polish and small Kashubian minorities. To surprise of the many, Hungarian adventurism in Eastern and Central Europe somewhat changed that geopolitical trend, helping the Polish state trust German Federal politicians more. Now, a cautious question was brought up to the Council of Savants’ deliberation. If the so-called “Polish corridor” cannot be simply passed along to the Polish national state, at least the Council could provide Pomerelia with a certain degree of municipal autonomy, thus allowing greater Polish economic penetration into the region without any formal change of borders. That would ease Poland’s access to world markets via the Vistula River and the port of Danzig (formally, still fully in North-German hands). In response, Polish leadership would be delighted to establish much closer diplomatic, economic, and even military ties with the Federation, hopefully ending the old rivalry. On the negative side, such a move on the part of the Council of Savants could anger Prussian aristocrats, whose favor it has just won and who continue seeing Pomerelia as Marienwerder, an integral part of West Prussia.

Poland-Czechia

Spoiler :

Fast-developing region with big labor market, booming culture, rich agriculture, and formidable industrial capacity.

Poland is not yet lost!

Spoiler :

1890: Ever since regaining its independence in the 1830s, Polish political elites and the general population has been extremely paranoid about the prospects of losing it yet again. Russia, even in its much more democratic form, is still being viewed as a potential threat, especially by the older generation. The North German Federation still holds lands with significant Polish minority. Finally, Hungary is increasingly viewed as a dangerous and arrogant regional rival. In this atmosphere, a West-Slavic nationalist organization called “Sokoly” (lit. “the Falcons”), formally centered around a culture of physical athleticism, has started to breed clubs all across Poland, Czechia, and Slovakia. They advocate a creation of a Pan-Slavic European state similar to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, dissolution of the corrupt and ever-deadlocked Polish Sejm (the Parliament), state censorship in favor of promotion of stricter “Slavic national ideals,” as well as “a stronger hand” of military administration in the affairs of the state. Sokoly are quickly becoming an influential force in Poland, Moravia, and Northern komitats of Hungary.

Q1-Q2 1893: West Slavic nationalism experienced a sudden rise in Hungarian komitats with large Slovak minorities. Terrorist attacks, propaganda campaigns, and blackmailing cases against royal officials have become widespread and daily. Hungarian State Protection Department dispatched significant forces to counter this trend, clearly inspired by foreign influence, and to a degree the fire of Sokoly resistance could be contained if not put down. Yet, Hungarian agents again found themselves outmatched by better equipped and diversely trained foreign agents, which reflected on the losses they suffered. (Regional quest progress: 38.86%, Hungary losses: -13.39 HC, -17.74 IC, -27.68 EC, -5.25 MC, ??? losses: -4.5? HC, -7.9? IC, -11.9? EC, -2.9? MC)


O tempora, o mores!

Spoiler :

1890: The Margraviate of Moravia is a quiet, prosperous nation, which economy is heavily dependent on tourism and manufacture of luxury items, such as crystal glassware. This year, however, a series of scandals occurred in the resort town of Ostrava, when a French cinema director and his wife (known in certain circles as an exotic dancer from Dutch West-Indies) settled down there for a living. Presence of an avid Parisian social-revolutionary would be shocking enough, but the outrageous lifestyle of the sinful couple quickly became public and sent Moravian newspaper audience reeling. A series of explicit performances followed up by drunken orgies have taken place in Ostrava, and a petition has been signed to expel the paramour couple from Moravia for public indiscretion. However, no laws have been broken so far, and a rash action could create a precedent hurtful to the fragile local economy. After all, as some are willing to admit, “everyone knows” that most of gentlemen arrive to Moravia not just for sanatorium springs, but also to have an affair away from the family. Why should our income suffer because of one Frenchman who doesn’t bother to hide it?

The Golem of Prag

Spoiler :

1890: Ever since German-majority parts of Bohemia joined the North-German Federation, the Jewish community of Prag has blossomed economically and become a major center of scientific learning, mostly thanks to generous investments of the Loeb family and their banking empire. This year, the Loebs have announced a plan to start construction of the first privately owned analytical engine. Named “Golem,” the giant calculating machine will be primarily offering computing services to Hebrew-owned businesses across the world, regardless of their country of origin. Currently, nothing in the North-German law prevents the Loebs from using their equipment the way they see fit, but many Federal deputies have expressed their concerns that “Golem” may easily become an tool of competition or even wrongdoing against the Federation in the hands of its geopolitical rivals.

1891: The Council of Savants expressed their support of the Loeb family and took pride in this first private effort to build an analytical engine. The federal government provided help with employment of engineering assistants, maintenance workers, and programme encoders, for unknown gains. (Regional quest progress: 29.14%, North German Federation losses: -1.71 HC, -3.1 IC, -4.55 EC, -1.34 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: The Council of Savants continued supporting the Loeb family at their enterprise, both with funds and industrial expertise, all the way until the first privately owned analytical engine was completed and open for business. In exchange, North-German authorities gained a lot of respect and influence in Jewish diasporas all around the world, drawing benefits both from their economic weight and their conversance. (Regional quest completed with full success, region Poland-Czechia gains +5 IC, Regional Growth Fluctuation +0.75%, Poland-Czechia: North German Federation gains +1% Regional Influence, Poland loses -0.25% Regional Influence, Moravia loses -0.25% Regional Influence, Hungary loses -0.25% Regional Influence, South France: North German Federation gains +0.5% Regional Influence, Communard France loses -0.25% Regional Influence, Italy loses -0.25% Regional Influence, Near East: North German Federation gains +2% Regional Influence, Sublime Porte loses -2% Regional Influence, Arabia: North German Federation gains +0.5% Regional Influence, Oman loses -0.5% Regional Influence, North Africa: North German Federation gains +0.5% Regional Influence, Maghreb loses -0.25% Regional Influence, British Royal Commonwealth loses -0.25% Regional Influence, Volga-Don Region: North German Federation gains +0.5% Regional Influence, Directorial Russia loses -0.5% Regional Influence, North Black Sea Region: North German Federation gains +0.5% Regional Influence, Directorial Russia loses -0.25% Regional Influence, Sublime Porte loses -0.25% Regional Influence, Ukraine: North-German Federation gains +0.75% Regional Influence, Directorial Russia loses -0.25% Regional Influence, Ukrainian Hetmanate loses -0.25% Regional Influence, Hungary loses -0.25% Regional Influence, South India: North German Federation gains +1% Regional Influence, British Royal Commonwealth loses -1% Regional Influence, New England: North German Federation gains +1% Regional Influence, Union of North America loses -0.5% Regional Influence, Italy loses -0.25% Regional Influence, Communard France loses -0.25% Regional Influence, Great Lakes Region: North German Federation gains +0.5% Regional Influence, Union of North America loses -0.5% Regional Influence, North German Federation losses: -1.78 HC, -1.91 IC, -4.54 EC, -2.71 MC)

Third Mining Clamour
Q1-Q2 1893: The German word “Berggeschrey” means “mining clamour” and is analogous to the American English idiom “gold rush.” Throughout the history of Middle Ages and Renaissance, two major “mining clamours” occurred, both of them centered around silver mining in the Ore Mountains that surround the region of Bohmen (Bohemia). Very recently, ore extraction in these forest-covered areas was dropping in profitability, with deeper and more complex underground water management systems being required to keep excavation going. However, in recent years a series of geological discoveries was made, indicating presence of large gold, silver, iron, and urannite ore deposits at reasonable depths. The latter type of ore, also known as “pitchblende,” is mostly a peculiar scientific novelty, containing chemical element Uranium known for its ability to glow in darkness, a mostly harmless phenomenon discovered by chemists. One way or another, it seems like another Berggeschrey is coming to the Ore Mountains.

Danube Region

Spoiler :

Fast-developing trade hub of Central Europe with formidable labor market, strong agriculture, and blossoming culture.


Q1-Q2 1893: The war against Austria-Bavaria closed the Middle and Lower Danubia for Austrobavarian capital. Luckily for Hungarian economy, the losses suffered from closure and liquidation of the Austrobavarian assets was negated and even overcompensated by a large economic stimulus provided by the Hungarian Ministries of Industry and Armaments. (+0.52% Regional Growth Fluctuation, Hungary gains +2.2% Regional Influence, Austria-Bavaria loses -2.2% Regional Influence, Hungary losses: -3.18 HC, -4.22 IC, -6.58 EC, -1.25 MC)

Brain leak

Spoiler :

1890: Artistic and scientific intelligentsia of German origin is leaving Hungary faster than the country is producing its own clercs, engineers, educated officers, artists, and scientists. Despite the Habsburg compromise of 1849, current Palatine-King Istvan I of the House of Habsburg seems to have failed to retain the respect and confidence of old Austrian intellectual elites residing in Hungary. A great deal of contempt toward German-speakers still exists among the population, pushing “the brains of the nation” away to places that welcome either their culture or their knowledge. It remains to be seen what can remedy the situation.

1892: In an attempt to keep the South German intellectual elite from leaving Hungary, scientific regulations have been eased, leading to a series of quite progressive, but also ethically questionable scientific experiments being performed in the country. Beyond that point, however, the deregulation was not the strongest approach, since it didn’t address the problems of non-scientific thinkers and, in general, didn’t improve the treatment of German-speakers across the nation. One way or another, at this rate the problem is likely to resolve itself in the upcoming years, and the question is whether or not Hungarian nation would benefit from it. (Regional quest progress: 48%, Hungary losses: -1.58 HC, -0.33 IC, -3.81 EC, -2.66 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: German-speaking Hungarian citizens were, in their majority, horrified by the actions of Palatine-King Istvan I, escaping into Illyria, Austria-Bavaria, and at times even into the Ottoman Empire during the early days of the ultimatum and while the inconclusive Congress of Brno dragged on. When the first shots got fired and the way west got blocked, the nature of South-German resistance radically changed and became much more desperate. Partisan squads and urban terrorist cells started forming throughout the country with the assistance of an unknown foreign power. Hungarian Államvédelmi Osztály (State Protection Department) was vigilant and responded to that insurgency in force, starting a high-scale spy hunt and counter-terrorism crackdown across the nation. That so-called “War Within” proved to be a costly one for the Hungarian authorities, since their opponents, it seemed, were better equipped, more motivated, and, in some instances, just too nihilistic in their destructive drive. By June 1893, some semblance of order still existed in the lands of St. Stephan, but the casualty rate for the Hungarian law enforcement and counter-espionage agencies was staggering. (Regional quest progress: 4.4%, Hungary losses: -17.28 HC, -22.9 IC, -35.71 EC, -6.77 MC, ??? losses: -5.9? HC, -12.1? IC, -15.8? EC, -4.4? MC)

Dreams of Yugoslavia

Spoiler :

1892: After the dissolution of the Austrian Empire, the province of Slavonia was divided between Illyria and Hungary, with Hungarian Slavonia witnessing a major influx of Hungarian settlers. Displacement of Vojvodian Serbs, however, broke that short-living demographic parity between Slavonian Hungarians and South Slavs. For now, local Croats mistrust the Serbian refugees, as a result of a long history of ethnic tensions between Balkan Catholics (Croats) and Orthodox Christians (Serbs). But observers from the Hungarian secret police are afraid that this division is just temporary. They warn that a new, Pan-Slavic sentiment is growing among Southern Slavs, who view Hungarians, South Germans, and Turks as their universal oppressors, as proven by the bloodshed of the 19th century, and especially the last three decades.

Q1-Q2 1893: Motivating Croatian and Serbian conscripts from Slavonia to fight a war against their brethren in Illyria was a hard task by itself. To make matters worse, it appears that someone is helping to rebuild South Slavic unification movement again, abandoning too Serbo-centric and now barely alive Black Hand and forming a new Serbo-Croatian organization known as Chetniks. The Chetniks, trained and supplied by their shadow sponsors, have started a campaign of terror and sabotage against Hungarian officials and even commoners. To make matters worse, some officers report that Pan-Yugoslavian agitation takes place in some army units, meaning the Chetniks have penetrated them as well. Hungarian counter-intelligence has done a lot to contain this potentially explosive movement, but loss rate has been very high among their agents. (Regional quest progress: -7.14%, Hungary losses: -5.58 HC, -7.39 IC, -11.53 EC, -2.19 MC, ??? losses: -3.?? HC, -5.2? IC, -7.9? EC, -1.9? MC)

Doctrine of the Holy Crown
Q1-Q2 1893: According to a popular belief, king Stephen I during his coronation held up the crown to offer it to Virgin Mary, sealing his divine right to the lands of Hungary. In the 17th century, that legend was expanded with a concept of personified crown: the Hungarian royal title now had will and character of its own, staying above any mortal monarch. Now it’s this so-called “Doctrine of the Holy Crown” is being referenced in Hungarian pro-war propaganda, with which the monarchy is trying to motivate its dumbfounded subjects to fight its neighbor and ideological ally, the Princely Confederation of Austria, Bavaria, and the Rheinlands. However, the new propaganda bureau did little to expand on the old tradition or to bring the multitude of conflicting views existing in the kingdom to some common denominator, leading to a well-funded, but unimaginative propaganda campaign that may take quite a while to fully persuade the nation that the war is truly necessary. (Regional quest progress: 13.81%, Hungary losses: -4.9 HC, -6.49 IC, -10.12 EC, -1.92 MC)

Tanatourism

Spoiler :

1891: If the recent story of “vampire hunters” has left any trace in anyone’s imagination outside of European spy agencies, it’d be tourists. Captivated by the dark mysteriousness of Eastern European gothic, many rich travellers choose to abandon trips to distant sunny islands and boring sanatorium springs, and instead head for the dark castles of Hungarian and Romanian Transylvania. Local villagers are shocked to see such a flocking of well-heeled sightseers in their lands, and it’s now up to the local authorities to build a tourism industry that would accommodate the so called “grief tourists” and help the region prosper off of that.

Ironclad landships and armored personnel carriers

Spoiler :

1891: A strange new machine was observed in the fields near Szekesfehervar often used by the Hungarian army to practice military drills. The machine resembles a protected, steam-propelled off-road vehicle capable of transporting a military unit, with portholes providing a view of the battlefield to the riflemen inside. It’s rumored that several state-sponsored construction bureaus are actively working on this new revolutionary machine, although the project is too far from completion to guess its true battlefield efficiency. (Technology quest progress: 18.57%, Hungary losses: -1.50 HC, -0.32 IC, -3.61 EC, -2.52 MC)

1892: Recognizing the complexity of the new project, the Hungarian Armaments Ministry concentrated a bigger effort around developing and field-testing a military-grade prototype matching the requirements of the Ministry of Defence. While some defects and issues still have to be ironed out, all observers agree that in just another year Hungary may become the first nation to introduce this revolutionary warmachine to their army. (Technology quest progress: 77.29%, Hungary losses: -3.51 HC, -0.74 IC, -8.47 EC, -5.92 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: An unusual problem arose this year for the ambitious “ironclad landship” project. In the nation mostly relying on South-German intellectuals to fill roles in its scientific and engineering elite, the idea of fighting against a South-German nation became a huge detractor to scientific progress and a big risk factor. The fears of the officers tasked with ensuring the project’s security became real this spring, when a series of sabotage actions took place, ruining important documentation and damaging several late prototypes. The saboteurs, mostly German-speaking engineers, were eventually found and captured, but it was clear that they were assisted by a power with access to a sophisticated array of tools and methods. (Technology quest progress: -13.24%, Hungary losses: -5.18 HC, -6.87 IC, -10.71 EC, -2.03 MC, ??? loses: -1.3? HC, -2.7? IC, -3.5? EC, -0.9? MC)

All of that sabotage, however, couldn’t stop the entire might of the Hungarian industry from refining the early prototypes into preparing the revolutionary machine for mass production. By summer 1893, factories in Budapest and Sopron were already churning out these new machines that were then delivered to the frontlines by train before being assigned to army units as soldiers marveled at the lumbering mechanical monsters. (Technology quest completed, Hungary adopts “Ironclad landships” for no additional cost, Hungary losses: -3.16 HC, -0.67 IC, -7.62 EC, -5.33 MC)

Balkans

Spoiler :

Slowly-growing region with once-formidable culture and education, now suffering from recent war and intercommunal conflicts.

Italian job

Spoiler :

1890: Illyrian authorities have been long suspecting that a ring of Italian spies existed in its Adriatic shore, a theory based on a rapid spread of ochlocratic and social-revolutionary ideas among local seamen and workers. In an attempt to bust smugglers of forbidden political literature, the Illyrian Gendarmerie initiated an all-country night raid around port facilities and warehouses. To their excitement, several Italian boats were indeed captured, but instead of banned books they were loaded with rare sorts of alcohol, tobacco, and factory-made clothing. It appears that the gendarmes have discovered “just” a criminal operation by the the Italian mafia, and resolution of this touchy situation is up to interested great powers.

An eye for an eye

Spoiler :

1890: Albanian traditions of vendetta are turning Western vilayets (provinces) of the Sublime Porte into a truly dangerous place to live or travel through. As Albanian village communes spread throughout most of Turkey-held Balkans (mostly filling in the vacuum created by the displacement of the Bulgars and the Serbs, who were the leaders of the anti-Ottoman Great Balkan War), so does the culture of vengefulness, honor killings, and intercommunal warfare. While usually not aimed at non-Albanians, these lawless acts make administration, law enforcement, and infrastructure development increasingly hard for any newly-assigned magistrates. To make matters worse, they alienate other Balkan peoples and demonstrate the weakness of the High Porte’s authority in the region.

Q1-Q2 1893: The Sublime Porte’s focus has so far been concentrated in the Near East, Arabia, Anatolia - everywhere, but on the Balkans. As a result, Albanian clan wars continue growing more and more violent, and a powerful underclass of semi-tribal warlords and strongmen with connections to Albanian road bandits has developed all across the devastated region. Meanwhile, Turkish population is starting to see Anatolia as a more welcoming and better developed land, and Southern Slavs, having suffered so much in the recent decades from Ottoman and Hungarian persecution, are starting to leave their homelands for Russia and the Americas. (Regional quest progress: -25%)


Little envelope for an island

Spoiler :

1891: The scope of the Italian underworld takeover of the failing Greece state is just becoming to be known. It appears that after the demise of all major “shipping barons,” who de-facto controlled Greek economy, in the heat of Italian pirate hunt has put mafia viceroys in charge of the vast majority of local businesses. The Greek state is becoming increasingly corrupt, and tax evasion in exchange for a bribe (known as fakelaki, or “little envelope”) becomes widespread. It’s especially noticeable in the islands of the Aegean sea, where all businesses depend on Italian consiglieri in one form or another. For the Italian government it opens an opportunity to gradually push for a transfer of Greek islands under Italian jurisdiction.

 

[Ahigin]

Update 3: January 1, 1893 - June 30, 1893​

Italia

Spoiler :

Booming region with great labor capacity reflecting on vibrant agriculture, formidable industry, and prosperous trade with limited number of partners.


Q1-Q2 1893: Swiss businesses were most pleased to see market-friendly policies and economic expansion plans drawn by Sardinia-Piedmont and the Italian Republic, and they readily invested into a series of projects across the peninsula. (+0.59% Regional Growth Fluctuation, Switzerland gains +0.98% Regional Influence, Communard France loses -0.98% Regional Influence, Switzerland losses: -3.25 HC, -0.65 IC, -6.53 EC, -4.4 MC)

Opium for the masses

Spoiler :

1890: The relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and the young Italian Republic is a complicated one. The Roman Revolution and the subsequent Unification movement never were openly atheist, reflecting the mood of then largely agrarian nation. However, as old power structures and hierarchies have been dissolved, so were the economic and political privileges of the Church. Right now, the clergy and those Italians who have remained loyal to it (mostly, uneducated rural underclass) are clearly not contributing their share of civil responsibility to the Republic. Upcoming years will show what solution (if any) that problem will have.

Paradoxes of unity

Spoiler :

1890: The Unification of Italy has generated a lot of nationalist ardor three decades ago, but now that the excitement has died down people of Italy are discovering that it’s not always easy to find a common tongue with fellow co-citizens, sometimes quite literally. North Italians have a trouble understanding southern dialects, often resulting in legal and economic disputes and even differences in interpretation of laws. Meanwhile, Piedmontese citizens of the only sub-national state of the peninsula that chose not to join the populist revolution of the 1860s feel quite comfortable talking to their neighbors from Lombardy or Venetia. This is quickly turning into an awkward (some say “dangerous”) love-hate triangle, and Italian authorities are yet to resolve it.

1891: Some low-key agitation was taking place in North Italy among order-loving conservatives, as well as some clergy and old regime aristocracy (mostly landless and ruined by now). No serious destabilizing efforts were discovered, though, and the source of agitation is unknown. Either way, it makes true unification of Italy slightly harder when trust in the national government is low. (Regional quest progress: -1.9%, ??? losses: -1.28 HC, -1.76 IC, -2.76 EC, -0.54 MC)

1892: Even though the timid conservative agitation in North Italy ceased this year, the Republican authorities (and especially their mafia patrons) took the threat very seriously and chose to resolve it in a blunt way, more popular among criminal strongmen than legal government officials. A series of threats, kidnappings, arsons, and even extrajudicial killings took place across the Po river valley, ensuring that those who oppose the mafia rule over Italy (and Italian unity in its current from) stay quiet and scared, at least for now. (Regional quest progress: 9.33%, Italy losses: -2.49 HC, -4.06 IC, -6.62 EC, -1.86 MC)

Cosa nostra

Spoiler :

1890: Despite the fact that Rome and its anti-clerical rebellion of 1848 were the beginning of the long and hectic process of Italian Unification, everyone in Italy now agrees that the populist takeover was spearheaded by the roving bands of unbridled swaggers known in Sicily as “mafiusu.” These bands thugs and extortionists have since then evolved into strictly organized clans that de-facto control all key levers of the Italian Republic. The informal nature of their grip on power has proven beneficial in solving some problems of the young state, but now the nation has to deal with the opposite side of kleptocracy. Major rifts seem to appear between mafia families, some of them caused by greed for money and territory, and some brought along by something as insignificant as a drunken brawl between two gangs in a tavern. Without addressing these issues, the Italian Republic may find itself in a peril.

1892: Italian mafioso clans started to acknowledge the problem of disunity between them, but no concrete steps were undertaken beyond simply preparing for a major inter-familia conference in Palermo and outfitting the location with everything needed to safeguard it from any espionage action from third powers. (Regional quest progress: 10.86%, Italy losses: -1.31 HC, -2.14 IC, -3.48 EC, -0.98 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: In April 1893, the city of Rome became the host of a technically secret event that, however, was of such gravity, size, and national importance that it was virtually impossible to not let some of its details become known to the public through a word of mouth. Informally known as the Shadow Council of Rome, it was a grand gathering of all North-Italian borgatas, Sicilian cosche, and other minor clans from all around the country. Behind closed doors, the nation was divided into 6 spheres of influence, dominated by most prominent clans, while other smaller gangs were politely, but firmly persuaded to swear allegiance to their regional godfathers or, if they wished to legalize their business, invest into the national economy. The council was a resounding success, helping the Mafia keep their hands on all major levers of the state, while also regulating its underworld activities to keep regular civilians happy and content. Besides, it helped limit French influence on Italian politics and economy through a greater involvement of “gone-clean” mafioso in national affairs and businesses. (Regional quest completed with full success, region Italy gains +10 IC, +15 EC, +5 MC, Regional Growth Fluctuation +1%, Regional Growth Trend +0.25%, Italy gains +3% Regional Influence, Communard France loses -3% Regional Influence, Italy losses: -1.71 HC, -2.98 IC, -4.58 EC, -1.42 MC)


Camorra doesn’t die
Q1-Q2 1893: Unlike Sicilian mafia, Campanian Camorra is rather cross with the Shadow Council’s conclusions. While mafia clans are pyramidal and strictly hierarchical, Neapolitanian and Calabrian ‘ndrina gangs are horizontal, highly competitive, and decentralized, so the administrative compromise of Rome made little sense to them. While many ‘ndrinas simply refused to abandon their street turf (thus becoming, as a Turkish journalist nicknamed them, “criminals among criminals”), others chose to unite into a loosely-knit syndicate known as ‘Ndrangheta, dominating southern businesses and especially influential among populist politicians. So far, any attempts to bring the Camorra to the knee have failed rather bloodily.


Draining the Pontine Marshes
Q1-Q2 1893: Looking to expand arable lands available to the Italian nation, its Ministry of Home Development has embarked on an ambitious project to drain the Pontine Marshes of the Lazio region. The approach to the project was cautious, but rather coherent and well-thought-through, as several geologic expeditions have explored the area and the soil in a search for the optimal mapping of drainage canals, while workers’ camps have been set up in preparation for the actual construction, and necessary medications and vaccines were distributed among laborers. (Regional quest progress: 50.5%, Italy losses: -1.69 HC, -0.38 IC, -4.18 EC, -3.65 MC)


All roads lead to supply depots

Spoiler :

1892: In a move that startled all regional players, including Switzerland, Austria-Bavaria, and Illyria, Italian forces have started preparing a wide system of military-reserve railroads and supply depots all across North Italy, from the Po river valley to Venetia. The purpose of this military construction effort hasn’t been disclosed by the Italian high command, but army experts of the neighboring nations are afraid that this is a sign of preparation to an offensive war. (Regional quest progress: 73.21%, Italy losses: -2.53 HC, -0.52 IC, -1.26 EC, -1.03 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: The Italian government did a lot to quiet down Austrobavarian diplomatic opposition to their military logistical improvement of North-Italian infrastructure, signing a non-aggression agreement with the Confederation of Princes in early March. When the great war in the north flared up, the Italian senior staff was already reporting that the full scope of their improvement project had been met through well-organized and dedicated labor of Italian military engineers. (Regional Quest completed with success, region Italia gains +20% Logistic Limit, Italy losses: -2.1 HC, -0.52 IC, -0.97 EC, -0.8 MC)

Trentino fortress

Spoiler :

1892: As another reflection of suspicious military preparations performed by Italian land forces in Northern Italy, engineer battalions have started modernizing and expanding the Trentino fortress in the Trentino-Alto Adige region, supporting it with a network of smaller forts and defensive lines. Austrobavarian military attache in Rome has already forwarded a formal request to the Republican Senate, inquiring for an explanation of this sudden fortification effort, combined with logistical preparations for what seems to be a planned offensive campaign in the region. (Regional quest progress: 83.57%, Italy losses: -2.53 HC, -0.52 IC, -1.26 EC, -1.03 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: To surprise of the many, Central Europe became a scene of a major conflict this year. For the Italian high command, however, these events became a source of a significant growth of public trust, the Italian public stopped seeing the modernization of the Trentino fortress as a waste of national funds and instead started to view it as a prophetic action that must surely protect Italian lands for Hungarian military opportunism, should the war in Central Europe escalate. Once the improvement of Trentino forts was completed, it became a source of major national pride. (Regional quest completed with success, troops defending in region Italia +1 CR for defending against enemies attacking from region South Germany, Italy losses: -1.05 HC, -0.26 IC, -0.48 EC, -0.4 MC)


Machine pistols

Spoiler :

1891: North-Italian urban armourers associated with powerful mafioso families have received major funds and technical support from the Italian government and are rumored to be working on new types of automatic handguns of entirely new design. So far, lack of involvement of giants of Italian industry has prevented this endeavor from moving as fast as it could. (Technology quest progress: 5.36%, Italy losses: -1.85 HC, -0.38 IC, -4.42 EC, -3.76 MC)

1892: In an attempt to speed up the project, the Italian Armaments Commission directed the construction bureau engaged in the project to treat precision and rate of fire as secondary priorities for the new design, while concentrating on creating a simple and reliable prototype. The problem with that order, however, was that simplicity and reliability required just as much design innovation, meaning the project continued progressing at roughly the same pace as before. Until more construction bureaus and enterprises get engaged in the process, it’s unlikely that the pace of research significantly changes. (Technology quest progress: 14.52%, Italy losses: -2.37 HC, -0.48 IC, -5.65 EC, -4.81 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: After two years of extremely slow progress, the Italian government tried to motivate its engineers with a message of patriotic duty, which, predictably, had little effect on the development of reliable machine pistols. What did save the project, however, was allocation of significant resources to the construction bureaus, and first combat-ready prototypes of these handguns have already been field-tested this spring. Now, Italian factories need to be prepared to mass produce its new weapons of war. (Technology quest progress: 88.67%, Italy losses: -3.07 HC, -0.7 IC, -7.6 EC, -6.63 MC)


Field hospital system
Q1-Q2 1893: Recognizing the colossal human cost of modern warfare, Italian military thinkers and logisticians have proposed several different systems of small mobile medical units that temporarily take care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent hospital facilities. A few of these theoretic proposals were put together into a well thought out roadmap for integrating field hospitals into divisional order of battle. With any luck, in a year Italy may find itself in possession of the best military medical units in the world. (Technology quest progress: 40.29%, Italy losses: -1.34 HC, -2.34 IC, -3.6 EC, -1.12 MC)


Crossing the T
Q1-Q2 1893: While the bulk of the Sardinian navy was busy protecting the nation’s communications with Africa, one naval squadron participated in a naval drill near the shore of Sardinia, practicing a battle tactic in which a line of turret warships crosses in front of a line of enemy ships, allowing the crossing line to bring all their turret guns to bear while receiving fire from only the forward guns of the enemy. The first results were promising, but significantly more practice will be required before all captains and fleet commanders familiarize themselves with the maneuver and its coordination. (Technology quest progress: 13.57%, Sardinia-Piedmont losses: -2.13 HC, -1.35 IC, -3.21 EC, -5.48 MC)

North Germany

Spoiler :

Fast-developing supernova of European economy, with unrivaled levels of prosperity, industrial ingenuity, and education.

Music of the jilted generation

Spoiler :

1890: The success of the North-German Ostafrika colony is reflected in the labor market. Thousands of Maasai, Luo, and Zaramo natives are arriving to the nation’s bustling ports by sea and find their way to the labor market in industrial centers of the Federation. This has brought along a strange cultural phenomenon. Low-key musical performances that feature a combination of African drums, industrial equipment used as musical instruments, tribal dance, and recitative, dark lyrics are taking place in workers’ clubs and gatherings across the Ruhr region. Somehow, this musical aberration nicknamed by locals as “industrielle musik” has found its way to the hearts of the white working class youth and is spreading across the country like a plague. What’s worse, this folkish counter-culture has become a breeding ground for social-revolutionary agitators and anarchists of all kinds. Only time will tell what effect it will take upon the Federation and the continent as a whole.

War of Patents

Spoiler :

1890: Under the supervision of the technocratic council, labelled in European press as “the Council of Savants,” the North-German Federation has become a beacon of progress and a magnet for aspiring inventors from all over the world. In fact, prestige of intellect has become so big in the middle-class culture that it’s seen as almost obligatory for any mildly ambitious young man (and sometimes even a woman!) to have a scientific publication or a patent, regardless of its practical value. This culture of aggressive intellectual aspiration has brought about a social phenomenon nicknamed by Germans as der Patentkrieg (“War of Patents”). Many bright minds of the nation are already pointing out to the counterproductive nature of blind ambition in science, especially since majority of these so called “vulgar savants” are nothing but phonies.

1892: Instead of instituting scientific censorship, the Council of Savants chose a more positive approach to combing through the backlog of patents and academic papers of various usability. A state-sponsored committee of scientific societies complete with a publishing company was set up in Berlin in order to filter out the chaff within the German Patentkrieg and highlight truly exceptional and revolutionary ideas and inventions. Regularly scheduled fairs in various large cities were hosted by the Federation in order for inventors and researchers to showcase their research and inventions to the public, allowing independent observers, potential investors, and journalists to witness both failures and successes. Magazines are starting to be compiled each year by the committee to highlight the most exceptional of the researches and inventions and published for the intellectuals of Germany. At this pace, it seems like North Germany is well on its way toward what many nickname “the Second German Renaissance.” (Regional quest progress: 91.93%, North German Federation losses: -1.52 HC, -2.76 IC, -4.06 EC, -1.20 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: State-sponsored peer reviews and established publishing houses dedicated to topics of popular mechanics and science have continued to turn North Germany into the center of European scientific Renaissance. This year, a bit of a militarist twist was added to the major trend by the Council of Savants, as war fever continues sweeping through Central Europe. (Regional quest completed with success, region North Germany gains +15 IC, +5 MC, Regional Growth Fluctuation +0.5%, North German Federation losses: -1.04 HC, -2.11 IC, -2.76 EC, -0.77 MC)

Cisrheinian Commune
Q1-Q2 1893: Communard invasion of Austrobavarian Rheinlands is causing a wave of social-revolutionary sympathizers to make their voices heard throughout Europe again. These voices are especially loud in the North German Federation, which Constitution protects their right of free speech and of political activism. The radical leftists, united into the Spartacus League, promote the idea of creating a pro-French Cisrheinian Commune in the most industrially developed regions of West Germany, drawing analogies from the French Revolutionary period, when a similar radical-liberal Cisrheinian Republic was formed by the victorious French. For now, this agitation is somewhat muted by the early wave of Pan-German solidarity, but nobody knows for sure what dangerous fruit may grow from these seeds of discontent.


Guns and butter

Spoiler :

1890: Growing international ambitions of the North-German Federation are facing an obstacle: its state-of-the-art military consumes more heavy industry products than the country can now produce. Partially, this problem can be mediated through import, but many people on the “Council of Savants” are suggesting that some tax breaks are provided to small local manufacturers that work on military procurement orders. Yes, it could hurt state revenue, but it could also boost local heavy industry. And experts say that should the Federal government fail to act, other major powers may as well steal contracts with small German businesses for themselves.

1891: North-German federal government put some limited stimulus into improving small-times manufacturing of army and naval supplies, but the effort invested seems to be overwhelmed by the scope of the problem, given the sheer size of North-German home economy. (Regional quest progress: 12.79%, North German Federation losses: -2.53 HC, -0.57 IC, -6.05 EC, -5.59 MC)

1892: A series of federal grants has been provided for innovative small and medium businesses all across North Germany, and several state-wide program were established to assist small-time manufacturers with modernization and mechanization of their production. These efforts largely helped to turn the economic situation around, and experts predict that the upcoming year would most likely see the final transformation of North-German industry and economic structure. (Regional quest progress: 96.26%, North German Federation losses: -1.99 HC, -3.61 IC, -5.3 EC, -1.57 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: North-German industrial investments into small and medium manufacturing businesses have brought fruits this year, as such small enterprises were more than willing to benefit from armament and machinery sales to the Princely Confederation. The share of heavy and armament industries have grown across the region, and North-German guildsmen gradually shift to doing business with fellow Germans instead of foreign investors from distant South Africa. (Regional quest completed with success, region North Germany gains +30 MC, Regional Growth Fluctuation +1.25%, North German Federation gains +1% Regional Influence, Austria-Bavaria gains +1% Regional Influence, Free Boer Republic loses -2% Regional Influence, North German Federation losses: -2.84 HC, -0.66 IC, -6.98 EC, -6.28 MC)


Free church
Q1-Q2 1893: Decades of economic, political, and cultural liberalism are starting to transform North-German religious landscape. More and more German Protestants choose to leave the embrace of the Evangelical Church of Germany and instead associate themselves with various small congregations that stress their separation from any government influence (or influence on government), support secularism, and denounce dogmatism of large church organizations (ranging from prominent giants like the Russian Orthodox Church or the Roman Catholic Church to more shadowy international unions, such as the New England-based Fabian Society). These “free churches” also support economic entrepreneurship, cultural freedom, and plurality of opinions, making many traditionalist thinkers question if “free churches” are churches at all. In North-German politics, “free churches” are being seen mostly as a decentralizing factor, although many deputies on the Council of Savants see it as a positive thing and a true manifestation of its Constitution’s ideals.


Telescopic sights, scharfschutzen, and modern sniping
Q1-Q2 1893: Introduction of the Hoffman telescopic sight to North-German armaments production has opened a way for the Bundeswehr to spearhead the development a new type of sharpshooting, going beyond merely improving rifle precision, but using modern optical gear, camouflage, and specialized tactics and techniques for precise targeting of enemy soldiers with long-range small arms, usually specialized or modified rifles. (Technological quest completed with success, North German Federation adopts “Telescopic sights, scharfschutzen, and modern sniping” for no additional cost, North German Federation losses: -4.55 HC, -1.78 IC, -2.46 EC, -2.14 MC)

 

[Ahigin]

Update 3: January 1, 1893 - June 30, 1893​

South Germany

Spoiler :

Fast-developing, populous melting pot of German regional cultures with powerful industries and vibrant agriculture.


The Last Knight

Spoiler :

1890: Karl Dietrich, the Count of Sigmaringen, is known across Europe as “the last knight king.” Obsessed with Arthurian epics and Medieval romanticism, the young aristocrat is known to live in a majestic castle built for him by an emigre French architect, and he is known to uphold annual jousting tournaments in which he participates as a humble “green knight.” That fairytale life of his, however, seems to be not as whitewashed as appears on the surface. A series of police reports from local villagers have surfaced, suggesting that the count has taken upon an ancient habit of demanding the right of the first night with local brides. To make matters worse, the sole groom who denied him that “right” has recently disappeared. It’s clear that story clearly doesn’t reflect well on the state of the Princely Union of Austria, Bavaria, and the Rhineland. At the same time, Count Karl Dietrich is well-known and well-connected, and any leak from the investigation may cause just as much damage to the Princely Union as banal non-interference.

Artists and engineers

Spoiler :

1890: Austria-Bavaria is rightfully known as the center of fine arts and humanitarian studies of Europe and the entire world. However, that cultural surge seems to have failed to translate into any significant scientific breakthrough. While fast to borrow from their northern neighbors, Austrobavarians are still trailing behind in the size and output of their economy and heavy industry. While some reactionary thinkers approve of it, because they see booming industry as a welcoming sign of social-revolutionary and populist thought, others are not as supportive of that state of things. Military staff, in particular, suggests that measures should be taken to improve the nation’s industrial output, despite of any associated risks.

Q1-Q2 1893: Even though the government of the North German Federation reserved to not join any any hostilities that flared up this year, North-German businesses still chose to ride on the wave of Pan-German solidarity and assist their southern neighbors at bringing their economy up to wartime speed. Dozens of small and medium branch factories of major North-German munitions producers, steelmakers, and other industrial companies started opening across Bavaria, Austria, and the Rheinland in late winter 1893, employing Austrobavarian workers and, what’s critical, training local engineers to work with North-German machinery. This push toward engineering education and standardization of equipment across both Germanies was of particular importance, as it created a lot of mutual trust between the two nations and greatly improved Austrobavarian industrial independence. By mid summer 1893, North-German corporations effectively replaced Hungarian manufacturing investments in the South-German economy, and even some Portobrazilian entrepreneurial aristocrats were forced to sell their businesses in Carinthia, unable to compete with this avalanche of North-German capital. (Regional quest completed with full success, region South Germany gains +10 IC, +5 EC, +25 MC, +1.75% Regional Growth Fluctuation, North German Federation gains +8% Regional Influence, Hungary loses -5% Regional Influence, Portugal-Brazil loses -5% Regional Influence, North German Federation losses: -1.84 HC, -1.55 IC, -4.65 EC, -3.15 MC)


Free shooters
Q1-Q2 1893: To no one’s surprise, the French Communard declaration of war to Austria-Bavaria was followed by a big uptick in Communard and French nationalist agitation across the land. The latter one was of not much success, since most of Francophone citizens of Elsaß-Lothringen were avid anti-Communards or reactionary or, less often, liberal views, and their sympathy for the Motherland was counterbalanced by their antipathy to its ruling regime. Nevertheless, the agitation started giving its results when first cells and rural bands of so-called francs-tireurs (“free shooters”) started to commit acts of terror and sabotage in the Austrobavarian rear. To that, Austrobavarian secret police responded in force, starting a major counter-insurgency operation mirroring the rebel hunt that took place in Hungary at the same time. Despite successfully containing the damage done by the franc-tireurs to the Princely Confederation, the secret police has suffered significant losses and is very slowly losing its control over the situation. (Regional quest progress: 21.86%, Austria-Bavaria losses: -10.81 HC, -21 IC, -27.86 EC, -6.34 MC, Communard France losses: -8.06 HC, -12.43 IC, -18.35 EC, -5.91 MC)

The Final Problem

Spoiler :

1890: A mysterious sequence of deaths has put Switzerland in the international spotlight. Two British gentlemen visiting Reichenbach Falls as tourists are believed to be killed as a result of a brutal duel that involved no weapons but bare hands. One of them was known in certain London circles as a private detective, and his surviving friend, a doctor, insists that the deceased gentleman was trying to escape England for the fear of assassination. His nemesis (and the second victim of the duel) is much less well-known, although it’s known that he’s had an academic record in Great Britain as a professor of mathematics. A publication by a local investigative journalist, however, suggests that the detective was in possession of some ciphered papers compromising the British Protectorate Ward, while “the professor” was on service of the British Commonwealth as a spy and acted upon secret orders of the Lord-Protector himself. If so, that murder may well translate into a serious diplomatic incident, especially depending on what happens now to the doctor friend of the dissident detective.

Q1-Q2 1893: The British Secret Ward never officially responded to the enquiries made by the Swiss police and even failed to acknowledge the problem’s existence (at least, in its external communication and press releases). This has meant that the investigation is expected to continue this year progressing at a steady pace, not helped by the British intelligence, but not hindered by it either. At this point, it seems like another year or two of inactivity by the Royal Commonwealth may cost the nation dearly not only in terms of its prestige, but also in financial losses, as several leads seem to be pointing at shady bank accounts that may be used by British spies across the world for their expenses.


Mobile gun shields
Q1-Q2 1893: Austrobavarian military command and the Princely Collegium of Armaments are desperately looking for ways to protect their outnumbered forces against the Franco-Hungarian onslaught. This spring, they reached out to the inventor of so-called mobile gun shields, whose personnel protection designs were previously rejected by the Hungarian military. Now, Austrobavarian troops are often observed using bulletproof armored screens that can be carried, rolled, or statically installed for protection of infantry on the battlefield. (Technology quest completed, Austria-Bavaria adopts “Mobile gun shields” for no additional cost, Austria-Bavaria losses: -1.31 HC, -0.26 IC, -2.83 EC, -2.43 MC)

North France

Spoiler :

Booming center of progressive art and sciences, with quickly recovering, expansive urban and rural economies.

Fruits of equality

Spoiler :

1890: The Paris Commune and the subsequent Grand Revolution did release an enormous wave of popular enthusiasm and productive capability. What it failed to make, though, was to increase the standards of living of an average French citizen. While the distributive system of collective ownership has saved countless lives of proletarians and unemployed, it also has sucked the few objects of wealth that average French citizens did have. It may be wise to find a way to console those who have contributed to the national revival so much only to gain so little.

1891: The Communard government felt that asking the public opinion was the key to solving the issue, and assigned part of its state apparatus to a series of public opinion studies regarding the wants and the wishes of the people. The results, predictably, were very complicated, ranging from some that were incredibly straightforward (and thus, predictably, horribly uninformed) to some that were fairly reasonable, but not very popular among the badly educated masses. Now that the massives of data are gathered, it’s up to the Commune of Communes to decide how to turn it into policies. Some factions in the council lobby for the simple solutions understandable by the masses, while others argue for a less purist approach to social equality, but a lot of gradient opinions exist between these two extremes. (Regional quest progress: 12.28%, Communard France losses: -1.37 HC, -2.11 IC, -3.11 EC, -1 MC)

1892: In an effort to please everyone, the Commune of communes has attempted to perform a piecemeal Welfare and Entitlement reform across the nation, implementing some of the popularly proposed measures of rewarding workers in the equality-based economy. While that reform saw rather low-key reception due to its lukewarm, generic nature, the Commune of communes did hide a bold experiment into the reform package. Three “experimental regional communes” were created in Brittany, Burgundy, and Aquitaine, provided with enough autonomy to implement more radical or one-sided decisions regarding the Welfare and Entitlement reform. While auditing commissions still supervise administrative loyalty and ideological purity of these new semi-federal entities, the experiment seems to be rather well-received by the regions. (Regional quest progress: 46.71%, Communard France losses: -2.37 HC, -3.65 IC, -5.39 EC, -1.74 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: As the nation started a new revolutionary war, a significant part of its resources was pulled into other, more critical tasks, leaving regional experiments with self-rule and welfare schemes undermanned and underfunded. Some small progress was still achieved at monitoring progress of various welfare and entitlement solutions, but on high level the regional communes were mostly busy with unrelated administrative tasks, enjoying the lack of central supervision and becoming trampolines for provincial deputies’ careers. (Regional quest progress: 48.24%, Communard France losses: -2.68 HC, -4.14 IC, -6.11 EC, -1.97 MC)


Senile Delecluze

Spoiler :

1890: The grand analytical engine of Paris (originally named “Napoleon,” but recently renamed “Delecluze,” after the leader of the Communard Revolution) is malfunctioning. While most of the functions of the colossal machine still run smoothly, it seems like some of the output cards contain garbage data or presentation errors. Technical commissions have concluded that no major maintenance gaps have been observed, and all critical testing has passed. The only suspicion left is that some engine clacker has managed to run a ruinous punchcard programme that contaminated the central analytical block with a trailing error function that now runs indefinitely, occasionally impacting unrelated programmes. The conundrum is not the easy one. Some argue that security of the Commune’s engines (be they simple difference machines or giant analytical monsters) has been compromised, and perpetrators have to be found before any technical solutions are applied. Others argue that it may be a good time to retire venerable “Delecluze” altogether and build a newer engine instead. Some fringe group of ideological renegades even suggests that there’s nothing shameful in outsourcing some less sensitive programmes to foreign analytical engines for a reasonable pay, although that option comes with a series of security risks, still.

1891: A number of high-profile programme encoders and scheme engineers that used to work on the “Delecluze” analytical engine have disappeared from Paris, along with their families, some of them being seen in towns near the Franco-Iberian border. Past that point, their path cannot be traced. French investigators trying to get to the bottom of that mystery became aware of foreign spies helping the scientists escape, but a series of failed arrests and steam carriage chases resulted in a series of tragic deaths for little gain. Meanwhile, the Commune of Communes has appointed a commission tasked with constructing a new, more modern analytical engine instead of the venerable “Delecluse.” So far, it appears that the damage done to French centralized computing systems by the spies has thrown the nation back at least a full year, and the problem is deteriorating. (Regional quest progress: -57.7%, ??? losses: -3.1 HC, -4.93 IC, -7.26 EC, -2.3 MC, Communard France losses: -4.13 HC, -6.93 IC, -11.01 EC, -3.84 MC)

1892: Disturbed by the disappearance of some of its leading cyberneticists last year, the French government put a lot of effort into investigating the events as a top-priority counter-espionage case. Formal requests were dispatched to the Iberian police, but the latter proved to be just as cooperative as it was disorganized and uninformed. Meanwhile, the internal investigation pointed out at a motley cabal of people (who by now have already left France, of course) of rather diverse political views and with a plethora of foreign citizenships, mostly of other Central and Northern European countries. Despite the fact that the actual culprit hasn’t been found, the Extraordinary Investigative Commission has identified the security gaps and resulting breaches that had caused “Delecluze” to disfunction, and now it is only a matter of time and investment of engineering efforts before the mighty analytical engine is back to its top performance. (Regional quest progress: 15%, Communard France losses: -1.58 HC, -2.43 IC, -3.59 EC, -1.16 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: The Extraordinary Investigative Commission has continued its two-pronged effort to fix the technical issues experienced by France’s oldest analytical engine and to investigate any newly introduced defects and their causes. At this point it seems unlikely that any saboteurs could be found, since the foreign spy network has been lying low for the past year and a half, but at the very least it did help find and fix a big number of old (possibly, unrelated) issues with “Delecluze,” suggesting that at this rate the engine will be fully operational and working at top processing speed by the end of the year. (Regional quest progress: 85.79%, Communard France losses: -1.88 HC, -2.1 IC, -4.54 EC, -2.46 MC)

The Red Pole

Spoiler :

1892: While the grand investigation of the “Delecluze” sabotage was being performed in Paris, a separate Cybernetic Commission was tasked with construction of a new analytical engine to eventually replace the venerable old machine or at least to act as its alternative in case another sabotage takes place. The industrialized neighborhood of Jevel located in the 15th arrondissement of Paris was chosen to host the great new engine named “Jaroslaw,” after the notorious “Red Pole” Jaroslaw Dombrowski, a Polish nationalist of radical leftist views who fought on the French side as a volunteer during the Atlantic War and then later became the leader of the Communard National Guard during the Paris Commune. Even though it appears that the “Delecluse” analytical engine is going to survive the sabotage after all, the construction of “Jaroslaw” was almost finished by late December, and it’s likely that France will soon have two grand calculating machines at its disposal at this rate. (Regional quest progress: 98.29%, Communard France losses: -0.86 HC, -0.21 IC, -2.33 EC, -2.15 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: While the “old man” “Delecluze” is being fixed, its “younger brother” “Jaroslaw” has been completed and declared fully operational, bringing industry to Jevel arrondissement and improving France’s scientific and engineering capabilities. (Regional quest completed with success, region North France gains +15 IC, Regional Growth Fluctuation +0.50%, Communard France losses: -0.86 HC, -0.21 IC, -2.33 EC, -2.15 MC)

Purity spiral

Spoiler :

1890: Revolutionary spirit is great, but sometimes enthusiasm spills over the edge in France. In the first days and months of the Commune, a lot of well-off people were forced by raging mobs to give up their luxury in favor of the community, but since then the public fervor seems to have subsided. This year, however, sees a resurgence of the same pattern. What’s ironic, some of the victims of crowd racketeering and lynching were not old regime sympathizers, but political leaders of the young state who were seen as living too opulent a lifestyle compared to their fellow compatriots. With a heavy heart, the Commune’s authorities have to look into this new issue before their geopolitical rivals have used it against them.

Languages of the Commune
Q1-Q2 1893: The region of Picardy in the far north of France is known not only for its sugar beet agriculture introduced and promoted by Napoleon to combat French dependence on sugar imports, but also for the wide use by locals of Picard language, known simply as chtimi. Similar to Cosmopolitan French, Picard language is the first of the regional dialects that has recently been introduced to local school and university programs, run by Picardian communes of various levels. This development is rather new for France, since the nation has seen a significant drop in regionalism since the times of Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and is considered to be very unitarian by contemporary European standards. Now, some members of the Commune of Communes are afraid the Picardian grassroot experiment is the first step toward reversing that unifying trend, while their opponents suggest that what unifies all Communards should be not the language they speak, but the ideas they believe in.


Agit-trains and agit-boats

Spoiler :

1892: In an attempt to improve the public morale and unite the nation even closer around the Communard ideals, the French government has introduced so-called agit-trains and agit-boats to its infrastructure and traffick. These are mobile propaganda centers touring around the country, outfitted with on-board printing press, government complaint office, printed political leaflets and pamphlets, library books, and a mobile cinema. The pilot project aiming to bring the “only true ideology” to the train stations and landing stages of French towns and villages was received with curiosity and enthusiasm by the commoners, but now a lot more investment of administrative effort and equipment would be needed to make that innovation nation-spread. (Technology quest progress: 18.93%, Communard France losses: -1.58 HC, -2.43 IC, -3.59 EC, -1.16 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: With the national focus centered on the war with Austria-Bavaria, only limited resources could be dedicated to pushing the extravagant propaganda project forward, reflecting on humble progress. (Technology quest progress: 22.64%, Communard France losses: -2.53 HC, -3.89 IC, -5.75 EC, -1.85 MC)


Land torpedoes
Q1-Q2 1893: In a bold feat of modern engineering, France is rumored to be working on new ways to deliver bomb loads of explosives to targets hidden from direct sight of artillery or even its plunging fire. Fields of Anjou became the testing grounds for electrically-powered, unmanned land vehicles, nicknamed by the French “land torpedoes,” remotely controlled via air pressure cable and carrying major demolition charges for destruction of enemy defenses. (Technology quest progress: 27.05%, Communard France losses: -1.6 HC, -0.39 IC, -4.33 EC, -3.99 MC)

South France

Spoiler :

Booming center of Eastern Mediterranean trade and industry, with well-developed countryside.


Uninvited friends

Spoiler :

1890: Social-utopists, social-revolutionaries, communards, marxists, anarchists, and even random pariahs of capitalist society of all sorts come to the French Mediterranean ports in thousands, attracted to the flame of the Revolution. Alas, not all of them prove to be law-abiding types, and even those who don’t cause trouble often end up enjoying life of leisure subsidized by hard-working French citizens. This is causing plenty of issues in the Azure Coast already, and the problems threaten to spill into the heartland soon.

Where the world comes to rest

Spoiler :

1890: French Occitania and the Rivera once used to be known as one of the best tourist destination in continental Europe. The Revolution, however, made travel to France a much less welcoming experience for all but the most enthusiastic populists and socialists. However, many leaders of local popular communes suggest resurrecting tourism in Cote d’Azure, although it’d clearly required some change in attitude to foreigners (something that locals would be willing to do, given it improved their communes’ economic standing). Purists in the Communard party have angrily rejected this offer, although many political leaders suggest turning the region into a sanatory trip destination for outstanding workers and heroes of labor. More flexible experts think that tourists from other left-leaning countries would also be beneficial for resurrection of the Rivera tourism. One way or another, the opportunity is there for the taking.

Free love

Spoiler :

1890: The change of French public morals after the Grand Revolution is remarkable. As fruits of labor start being redistributed among commune members across the country, some more radical communes have started suggesting redistribution of family responsibilities, including love making. In such free-love communes, anyone can sleep with anyone, given consent, and some corvee-like annual duty is required from every man or woman in terms of sexual pleasures. One result of that practice was quite predictable: a rise of venereal diseases. To combat with that woe, free-love communes have made it much harder for outsiders to become members, which brought the other, less expected, side effect. Free-love communes, as rare as they are, are quickly turning into a sort of elitist closed clubs, membership in which is desired by many, but hard to achieve. Ideologically, this is starting to turn into something quite opposite to the idea of equality and inclusion that sits at the foundation of the Communard worldview.

 

[Ahigin]

Update 3: January 1, 1893 - June 30, 1893​

Iberia

Spoiler :

Fast-developing, but socially unstable region with dynamic, strong labor market and expanding economic capacity.


Newborn republic

Spoiler :

1890: The Iberian Revolution is young, and the state it’s produced is trying to define itself as a nation. The years of semi-feudal Carlist rule under a branch of the Bourbon dynasty had eroded the Spanish Crown’s subjects’ sense of national unity briefly merged during the Peninsular War. Now a question stands as to what attitude to ethnic policies the new republican government will take. Social-liberals argue for copying the North-German constitution in regards to local self-rule. Social-anarchists want to take that idea to the next level by turning the nation into a confederation of semi-independent communes. French-influenced communards argue that communes are indeed the way forward, but they should be united into a more unitarian Greater Commune akin to the French one. Meanwhile, social-populists think that the maquis, heroic bands of brigands-cum-do-gooders, should become the gears of the new state, similar to Italian mafioso, which would resolve the ethnic question all by itself. What can be said for sure, the final decision will most certainly be influenced by some great powers.

1891: Pro-monarchist agitators, probably funded by an unknown third country, were extensively promoting return of the Bourbon monarchy with less conservative lean. Despite proper funding, these words were not received well at all, even in the circles of remaining Iberian market conservatives, who viewed the old Bourbon dynasty and its policies as the ultimate reason the country was in such dire straights now. As for the remaining political circles, they vehemently opposed that agitation, and many agents of the Bourbon-supporting foreign power were arrested and executed by the inexperienced, but energetic Iberian secret police. Experts say that all dedicated reactionaries and Carlists by now are either dead or have emigrated to Portugal, so the only way to sway Iberia back to monarchism would be to expose its population to a triple amount of Carlist propaganda and prepare for a long uphill battle for their hearts. Meanwhile, pro-Communard agitation openly sponsored by the neighboring France received little attention among Spaniards, perhaps due to the fact that it took the French quite a while to set up their print publications. (Regional quest progress: -2.29%, ??? losses: -2.55 HC, -3.43 IC, -5.49 EC, -1.05 MC, Iberian Republic losses: -1.12 HC, -1.89 IC, -2.69 EC, -0.33 MC, Communard France losses: -0.82 HC, -1.27 IC, -1.87 EC, -0.60 MC)

1892: Last year’s ideological struggle between Spanish Communards and monarchists has temporarily died down (perhaps, thanks to the loss of foreign funding), but the political vacuum was filled by a resurgence of liberal, regionalist thought across all Spanish Iberia. Academic lecturers and working class demagogues across the country opened a political campaign that depicted the Communard ideology as a hyper-centralist twin brother of Carlist monarchism, with its desire to “unite and equate” ethnically unique regions of Spain into a uniform state with little to no regional and municipal political independence. While not entirely true, these statements were well-received by Spanish urbanites (despite the efforts by the Iberian counterintelligence to get to the bottom of the foreign funding liberal speakers kept on receiving), and it seems like liberal federalization is becoming a new political trend across the peninsula. (Regional quest progress: -56.62%, ??? losses: -3.88 HC, -7.02 IC, -10.31 EC, -3.04 MC, Iberian Republic losses: -3.27 HC, -5.55 IC, -7.9 EC, -0.96 MC)

Prodigal sons of Asturias

Spoiler :

1892: During the heyday of the Spanish colonial empire, the entrepreneurs that made their fortune in the Spanish Americas and chose to return to Europe with all of their capital were known as Indianos. Today the Spanish Empire no longer exists, but the Iberian Revolution has given rise to the sentiment of hope and Asturian ethnic pride. As the economy of the region started to blossom under the stream of Italian investments, a growing number of moderate liberals and even conservatives that previously chose to abandon the country are now returning to Asturia, happy to invest into their homeland. These “new Indianos” coming from Brazil, Mexico, Gran Colombia, and Gran Paraguay, are happy to establish new businesses all across the region, but some ideological purists (and just envious paupers) point out at the “modernista” villas of the returning Indianos as an example of their corruption, opulence, and exploitation of the working folk.

Empty fields of Old Castile
Q1-Q2 1893: Unlike the booming Asturias, the region of Leon and Castille, and especially Castilla la Vieja (so called “Old Castille”), is still suffering from withdrawal of capital that followed the Iberian Revolution. With most of farmsteads and plantations being left uncultivated since the landowning nobility left them for the New World or Portugal, Spanish farmers had few resources at hand to make use of all of the land they suddenly inherited. That was where the Italians stepped in! Capitalizing on scientific and industrial advancements of their “fat years,” Italian companies brought both capital and expertise of mechanized agriculture to Old Castile, creating booming agricultural enterprises and liberally employing local workers for good wages. Despite a few offsets, mostly from rural Communards who tried to stage a few boycotts of this “capitalist exploitation masked as a gift,” the program was very well-received, and with any luck it’s going to be completed in the upcoming months. (Regional quest progress: 92%, Italy losses: -1.38 HC, -0.31 IC, -3.42 EC, -2.98 MC)


To Portugal and beyond!

Spoiler :

1890: Since the first days of the Iberian Revolution, Spanish aristocracy, landed gentry, and some members of bourgeoisie have been trying to find refuge in neighboring Portugal which monarchic regime seems to be standing quite strong. At the same time, a number of Portuguese noble families have started moving their assets from the continent to Brazil, fearing the proximity of European ochlocratic regimes. That, in turn, means the Porto-Brazilian Imperial Crown is losing a great deal of economic power in the region, while, surprisingly, having a chance to gain in manpower as a number of Spanish refugees have already formed into several anti-populist battalions known as falanges. Whichever solution to this problem the Emperor chooses, it is likely to shape the region for years to come.

1892: In an effort to improve military readiness across continental Portugal and the Algarves, Portobrazilian army started working on integrating the Spanish Carlist falanges into its military structure, trying to mimic the paramilitary organizations developed in Mexico. Despite the enthusiasm (most of the Spanish emigres are unemployed and are happy to be armed, fed, and given some purpose), the progress has been slow, mostly because Portugal-Brazil is still new to the lessons that the army of Mexico has learned by heart. Still, the prospects of this initiative are looking good. (Regional quest progress: 37.43%, Portugal-Brazil losses: -1.29 HC, -0.4 IC, -0.68 EC, -0.48 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: Organization of Carlist falanges militias has continued throughout the season at even quicker pace, and military advisers think that Portugal should be a good source of manpower and officers for the Twin Crowns’ military once that effort comes to fruition. In, perhaps, a bit of a naive attempt to go beyond that utilitarian move, the Portobrazilian general in charge of the militia draft attempted to create militia settlements with vibrant economy and culture. Needless to say, the only thing vibrant about these “grunt villages,” as the locals called them, was the color of militiamen’s feathered Carlist berets. (Regional quest progress: 87.79%, Portugal-Brazil losses: -0.99 HC, -0.31 IC, -0.51 EC, -0.37 MC)

Nile Region

Spoiler :

Booming region centered around the Nile river delta, with still average intellectual, economic, and labor capacity, but potential to connect European, African, and Asian trade.


Q1-Q2 1893: The Khedivate has re-activated its efforts to increase its influence over the region, this time using its growing economic prowess to transform some frontier semi-nomadic communities on the edge of the Egyptian Desert into functional agricultural communities and important infrastructure hubs for further push into Africa. (+1.29 Regional Growth Fluctuation, Egypt gains +2.15% Regional Influence, uncolonized loses -2.15% Regional Influence, Egypt losses: -2.87 HC, -0.76 IC, -7.03 EC, -4.96 MC)

Death and taxes, and infidels

Spoiler :

1890: The Ummahist movement dominating the politics of still formally monarchist Khedivate of Egypt is taking pride in building a socially progressive and relatively egalitarian society based on the dogmas of the Quran. One of the natural consequences of that political alignment, however, is the jizya tax applied to all dhimmis, or non-Muslims. In Egypt, it means that the Jewish and Coptic communities that traditionally contribute quite a lot to the nation’s science, banking, and art, are being relatively disenfranchised. Reintegrating these minorities into the fabric of the Ummah could provide a great boon to the development of the region.

1891: The Khedivate has tried to move away from the ancient, straightforward definition of jizya as an “infidelity tax” toward a more flexible approach of “extra contribution” required from non-Muslims toward commonly shared social and economic goal. That effort, predictably, suffered from extreme vagueness of definitions and no literal rules that could be directly implemented and enforced. A very small number of non-Muslims volunteered to perform some meaningful contributions to the state, while the vast majority either emulated some useless social activity in order to escape the extra taxation or opted in to continue to pay the old, predictable jizya tax. Unless the approach is changed (or unless significant resources are dedicated to addressing this issue the current way), solving this confusion may take many years. (Regional quest progress: 2.45%, Egypt losses: -1.29 HC, -1.13 IC, -3.04 EC, -1.35 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: It took a year for the Egyptian authorities to take a step back and rethink its previous attempt to address the jizya tax. The new solution the government came up with turned out much more functional and streamlined. State agencies were instructed to forward the revenue gained through jizya taxation toward municipal projects benefitting those very communities that have paid it, which was relatively easy to do in the communitarian society of Ummahist Egypt. Some of the more radical Muslim activists were displeased by that “preferentialism,” but independent mullahs had to agree that the new practice was unusual, but perfectly legal within the scope of Islamic law. While more years (or a bigger concentration of efforts) may be required to make the new practice widespread and common, it seems to be working quite well, helping to reimburse more disenfranchised communities across the nation without hurting everyone else. (Regional quest progress: 35.48%, Egypt losses: -2.99 HC, -4.39 IC, -7.05 EC, -1.29 MC)


A viceroy without a king

Spoiler :

1890: For over twenty five years the Khedive (lit. “viceroy” in Turkish) has been de-facto independent from the Sublime Porte. However, the title remains to be seen as an obvious sign of the relative geopolitical immaturity of the Egyptian state. Many political experts in the Ummah suggest that the state should reform both its formal facade and its foreign policy to match what they consider Egypt’s true role in the world. Mullahs that represent rural areas of the region think that Egypt should act as the leader of the Arabic Muslim world by resembling the idyllic view of the true-believers society. Military and naval elites stand on more practical grounds of war-driven colonial expansion. Finally, rare westernizers, primarily among the Hebrew and Coptic communities, think that Egypt should use its natural geographic position to be a trading hub between prosperous Europe and quickly developing Asia, staying neutral in major political games.

1891: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and state press of the Khedivate of Egypt were tasked with starting to establish a new, independent course for the nation, contrary to the Ottoman domination of the Arabic world and at the same time clearly aimed at African colonial expansion. However, this effort turned into a series of overly general statements and geopolitical truisms, charging absolutely no one among the Egyptian public with enthusiasm. If anything, to many it looks like the Khedivate’s resurgence is turning into a sudden stagnation. That strongly contrasted with the enthusiasm brought to the Egyptian public discourse by pro-French Communard newspapers, cultural missions, as well as “legation communes” and “foreign development commissions.” They were instructed to support Egyptian Ummahism and the Khedivate administrative hierarchy, while simultaneously promoting a positive image of ochlocratic regimes, thus drawing Egypt into the Mediterranean ochlocratic camp. A combination of propaganda and economic investments, this effort proved to be very successful, starting to pull conventional Ummahism farther left ideologically. (Regional quest progress: 55.57%, Egypt losses: -1.11 HC, -1.62 IC, -2.55 EC, -0.49 MC, Communard France losses: -1.67 HC, -1.35 IC, -4.2 EC, -2.87 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: Just like with the jizya tax reform, it took the Khedive and his advisors a year to re-evaluate the nation’s geopolitical alignment and mission. The new vision for Egypt they came up with and presented to the public via a series of publications, diplomatic assignments, and education programs was much more attractive than the old one. Egypt was depicted as a nation entitled by its very geographic position to be a connecting link between European, African, and Oriental economies, a middleman in every deal and a friendly, shrewd economic player on the world market. The Suez Canal, built by Bourbon France before the Atlantic War and inherited by Egypt after the Communard Revolution and the French Imperial collapse, played a big role in that new vision, being in specifically high demand due to the economic boom in the Orient and insecurity of shipping going around the Cape of Good Hope. This geopolitical realignment effort, however, had to face a lot of resistance from Communard France which still held a lot of influence among more radical Ummahists and Egyptian communal guilds. The war of ideas was non-violent, taking place mostly on periodicals’ pages and in cabinets of various ministries and offices, but right now it seems like the Khedive’s vision is winning, gradually pushing Egypt out of the ochlocratic orbit. (Regional quest progress: 67.71%, Egypt losses: -1.82 HC, -2.66 IC, -4.28 EC, -0.79 MC, Communard France losses: -2.45 HC, -3.77 IC, -5.57 EC, -1.8 MC)


Egyptian archeology

Spoiler :

1890: Embalmed corpses of people and animals known to locals as mumiya have been being found all across the region (and especially in its driest outback areas) for centuries. Usually, they have been used to fuel bonfires and furnaces - of course, after the burials were robbed of all valuables. Nowadays, however, many archeology experts across the world (including the Khedive’s advisors) are proposing treating these findings with special care and consideration. They suggest that these ancient burials not only present a great value to the world of science, but also are worth of a great deal of prestige and money.

1891: A series of expeditions sponsored by the Khedive has been dispatched to different remote regions of the Egyptian Desert and Upper Nile valley, aimed to research and preserve the region's long history. It appears that these expeditions have so far discovered only a small part of Egyptian artifacts, but so far the findings are impressive and promising. (Regional quest progress: 31.07%, Egypt losses: -0.52 HC, -0.76 IC, -1.19 EC, -0.23 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: The Khedivate’s efforts to research Egypt’s past and preserve its history have paid off this year. A multitude of ancient tombs and artifacts was discovered, and ancient texts now await deciphering. Patrols and site security forces dispatched by the Nile Archaeological Committee, have brought tomb raiding and illegal artifact trade to nil, and by now Egypt is the sole owner and beneficiary of all of the prestigious findings that have made it the capital of world archeology. (Regional quest completed with success, region Nile Region gains +10 IC, +10 EC, Regional Growth Fluctuation +0.5%, Egypt losses: -0.7 HC, -1.03 IC, -1.66 EC, -0.3 MC)

Protectors of the White Monastery
Q1-Q2 1893: The Senussi are a group of clans, united into a political-religious tariqa (Islamic Sufi order), controlling the outback of the Western Egyptian and Libyan Deserts and projecting their power upon other Bedouin tribes from their theocratic capital of Zawiya Bayda (“White Monastery”). Formed in the middle of the 19th century around the notion of loss of purity and spirituality in contemporary Islam, the Senussi are the core opposition to any colonial expansion into non-coastal Libya, rejecting suzerainty of even Muslim rulers of Egypt and Maghreb over them. Now it’s up to any interested power to decide how to make use of the proud Senussi devotees or how to move them out of the colonizers’ way.

Inox steel
Q1-Q2 1893: Egyptian metalworks have announced that they are working on developing a new type of stainless steel notable for its corrosion resistance and that could be eventually be used for food handling and cutlery among many other applications. Previously rejected as a scientific investment proposition by the Sublime Porte, this project has had a rough start in Al-Kahira foundries, with first batches of the new metal not meeting the announced standard either in quality or in cost of production, thus turning away some investors. The Khedive’s advisors, however, point out that it’s time for him to exercise his extraordinary powers as a guide and steward of the Egyptian Ummah and divert more enterprises to this promising project, as well as modernize the way Egyptian businesses function. (Regional quest progress: -3.14%, Egypt losses: -3.55 HC, -0.93 IC, -8.68 EC, -6.13 MC)

North Africa

Spoiler :

Fast-developing gateway to Sub-saharan Africa with big Islamic cultural and educational centers, but uneven economic development and mediocre population density.


Q1-Q2 1893: The Sultan of Maghreb continues exercising his status of the defender of faith and gatherer of Mauri lands to project his nation’s reach into Mauretania and the Algerian desert. (Maghreb gains +5.58% Regional Influence, uncolonized loses -5.58% Regional Influence, Maghreb losses: -2.09 HC, -3.04 IC, -4.72 EC, -0.73 MC)


Tunisian Italians

Spoiler :

1892: Italian expatriate diasporas, trade posts, and even colonies of Genoise and Pisan settlers have existed in Tunisia for centuries, but it wasn’t until now that their demographic and economic weight have become a matter of discussion in the Maghrebi society. Tunisian Italians (most of them of Jewish heritage) are not very numerous, but posses a very strong sense of community and cultural independence. They do not oppose the power of the Maghrebi sultan, but demand their traditions of semi-independence to be respected. And the Sultan has few other options, since the Tunisian Italians traditionally dominate regional commerce, being so influential that Italian language has become the lingua franca of South-Eastern Mediterranean. However, recent trade war with Portugal-Brazil and fears of Italian corrupt-economic expansion have pushed a lot of Maghrebi hardliners to demand a more strict, if not entirely nationalistic approach to the “Italian Peril” from the Sultan.

Lords of the desert

Spoiler :

1890: The expansion of Moroccan authority into the territories previously controlled by the French Empire took place right around the time of the collapse of the French colonial administration in the end of the Atlantic War. That action helped build a new Maghreb national entity and generated a lot of enthusiasm along the coastline. However, the outback remains rather indifferent and sometimes even hostile toward the Sultan’s authority. Reactionary warlords of various nomadic Tuareg tribes don’t see any benefits of the rapid modernization the country is undergoing, and they prefer to use their knowledge of Transsaharan caravan routes to act as middlemen, guides, and supply providers in the light of Maghrebi colonial ambitions.

Unwanted masters

Spoiler :

1890: Maghrebi takeover of French colonies along the coast of the Senegal River after the Atlantic War was applauded at the sultan’s court as the proof that the resurgent sultanate can compete with pesky Europeans at their games of imperialism. Now, however, the young nation is seeing what British poet Kipling has called the “white man’s burden.” Ungrateful natives, surprisingly, don’t quite accept “the gift of civilization” from their masters. Moreover, a series of popular riots and attacks on outposts suggest that conquest of Senegal might have been only the beginning of a long struggle with unknown losses waiting ahead.

 

[Ahigin]

Update 3: January 1, 1893 - June 30, 1893​

Sudan-Ethiopia-Somalia

Spoiler :

Stagnant, relatively populous region, suffering from low socio-economic development and semi-absent infrastructure..

Fanatics and prophets

Spoiler :

1890: Egyptian Sudan is still recovering from a rebellion of Mahdist fanatics, who tried to overthrow Khedivate’s authorities in the 1880s, but were since then pushed out into “uncivilized” lands of West Sudan. Still led by by their legendary leader, fakir (or holy man) Muhammad Ahmad ibn as Sayyid Abd Allah, the Mahdiyah (Mahdist regime) is starting to spread its ideology among local tribes, gathering resources for their return to the Nile river basin. A series of attacks on outposts and frontier villages of Sudanese Arabs have taken place, and Khedivate authorities are afraid that some cells of Islamist radicals are still lying dormant in Egyptian Sudan, waiting for a Mahdist intrusion to start wrecking havoc among loyalists.

1891: The Egyptian Khedivate threw its secret police, military intelligence service, and the army into suppressing the growing threat of Mahdi insurgency in Egypt-controlled Sudan. The secret police action was rather effective at discovering and arresting a number of radical preachers and terrorist cells, but the army failed to produce the results that were expected from it. This was mostly because the central government never made up its mind to formally declare war on the Mahdist State in Western Sudan, so Egyptian generals were confined to anti-insurgency warfare and border skirmishes against Mahdist groups trying to infiltrate Egyptian Sudan. Some success was achieved on that front, but the Mahdist cause is still alive. (Regional quest progress: 21.02%, Egypt losses: -2.82 HC, -1.12 IC, -2.04 EC, -0.99 MC)

Legacy of the Era of Princes

Spoiler :

1890: When Sunni emir of Harar, Ahmad III ibn Abu Bakr, became the Emperor of Abyssinia at the twilight of Zemene Mesafint (or “Era of Princes”), it was viewed as a great victory for Egyptian diplomacy. For the first time in centuries, a friendly Muslim dynasty controlled the rich, populous region south of the Khedivate. However, now it seems like the victory has brought troubles with it. Muslims are a minority in Egypt, and the current emperor 'Abd Allah II ibn 'Ali 'Abd ash-Shakur is deeply unpopular among his subjects, and a noble rebellion is brewing in Abyssinia. Some advisors recommend the Khedive to support the Emperor with troops directly, while others think that such a blunt move would only infuriate Monophysite Ethiopians and Egyptian Coptic diaspora. For now, a range of solutions may be devised, but the clock is ticking, and the situation may explode any moment.

1891: Egypt chose to extend its influence over Abyssinia through the sheer presence of amassed armed forces near its borders and in its waters. While the fleet’s maneuvers did little impress the largely landlocked nation, the army did dissuade a lot of northern Miaphisite warlords from voicing their opposition to Emperor Ahmad III. This did not solve the issue in its entirety, but helped at limiting its scope. (Regional quest progress: 24.17%, Egypt losses: -2.95 HC, -0.88 IC, -1.8 EC, -1.45 MC)

Loyalty of the Slaver King

Spoiler :

1891: The success of Egyptian colonization of Somalia has opened up the gates for colonization of the Great Rift Valley. While the north of this wilderness (all the way to Sudan) is controlled by the defiant Mahdi state, the south is an amalgam of tribes bound together through a web of caravan routes that belong to the infamous “Slaver King” Al-Zubayr Rahma Mansur. Despite the nickname, that enigmatic trader has built his fortune on ivory trade and controls his network via trade posts known as zaribas. It appears that the Slaver King is open for negotiations with foreign powers over his allegiance, but at the same time he is extremely ambitious. Whoever wins his loyalty is likely to become not just the owner of the Great Rift Valley and Sudd, but also the controller of its flourishing trade.

Greater Mali

Spoiler :

Stagnant region with complex ethnic composition and once rich, but now semi-abandoned mining industry.

No two slavers are same

Spoiler :

1890: British and Dutch colonial slavery practices, surprisingly, generate plenty of tension between these rather homogeneous administrations. Dutch interior colonial territories are badly patrolled, so runaway slaves from British West Africa (at least, those who fail to make their way to Liberia or the Toucouleur Caliphate) often find shelter in Dutch Ghana. Despite formally agreeing to return British “runaway property” back to their owners, Dutch colonial gendarmes are rarely paid well enough to risk their lives in raids on runaway hideouts. In Amsterdam, British demands of action are very unpopular (most common response being, “Don’t you tell us what to do!”), while the General-Governor of Ghana is afraid that these holdouts are becoming melting pots of African social-revolutionaries, where tribal divisions (so beneficial for outnumbered white colonists) are being eroded and a new pan-Malian culture is forming.

Freed and enraged

Spoiler :

1890: The state of Liberia was an idealistic (or, as some say, misguided) attempt to establish a democratic nation of freed states, organized by the Union of North America after the brutal Atlantic War. However, it seems like the scars of slavery and warfare are preventing new citizens of Liberia from living according to the ideals of racial tolerance, as it was intended. In fact, two dozen ship crew members were lynched in Monrovia this year during racial riots sparked by a bar brawl. Whites from the North-American Union and allied nations are mostly tolerated (not without some contempt, though), but for other foreign nationals of fair skin color a visit to Liberia may be a risky enterprise.

Weapons of the Jihad

Spoiler :

1890: The Toucouleur Empire is struggling to prepare itself for its seemingly inevitable confrontation with the British. For that, they need modern weapons, and some advisers cautiously suggest that Emir Saidou should create his own manufacturing capacities for a prolonged war. The only currently available source of these dangerous innovations is through Trans-saharan trade with the Maghrebi Sultanate, but it’s possible other major powers would try to use this opportunity in the future. Now, it is time to decide what the Massina people could offer to their future weapons importers. Access to local rich salt and gold deposits is the most obvious offer, but who knows what else could attract foreigners’ greedy stares.

1891: Looking to dissuade any close cooperation between the Toucouleur Empire and Maghreb arms traders, British colonial authorities went on to dispatch significant army resources just to posture next to the Anglo-Toucouleur borders. This move didn’t succeed at cooling down Massina zealotry; if anything, the calls for allying to any Muslim nation that could spare the Toucouleur from British conquest only became louder at the Emir’s court. (Regional quest progress: -4.82%, British Royal Commonwealth losses: -2.87 HC, -0.97 IC, -1.62 EC, -1.57 MC)

Massina border forts

Spoiler :

1892: Seeing that last year’s concentration of troops near the Toucouleur border only made the Emir’s advisors more agitated, the colonial high command chose instead to concentrate on building a series of static fortification across the region, protecting major colonial centers and creating infrastructure for a defensive war. Based on the most optimistic assumptions, British army engineers need just about three more months to finish their construction. (Regional quest progress: 90.71%, British Royal Commonwealth losses: -2.18 HC, -0.73 IC, -1.23 EC, -1.19 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: While Great Britain seems to be besieged on all sides by a multitude of its foes, at least one region was proud to report its readiness for war and its confidence in its security. Massina border forts along the Toucouleur border have been completed by the British engineering corps this March, providing the Commonwealth’s troops in that region with better logistics and protection against any misguided Jihad. (Regional quest completed with success, British troops defending in region Greater Mali gain +1 CR for defending against enemies attacking from same region or from North Africa, British Royal Commonwealth losses: -1.55 HC, -0.52 IC, -0.88 EC, -0.85 MC)

Niger Region

Spoiler :

Troubled, desolated by war, and religiously divided region with unexplored resource potential, but wide opportunities for agricultural development and big population.


White Aethiopians to rule them all!
Q1-Q2 1893: Devastation of Hausan nobility of the Sokoto Caliphate in the Portobrazilian conquest of 1892 has left a deep demographic and sociopolitical scar in the region. With old feudal power structures being in tatters, Portobrazilian colonial administration is trying its best to find local collaborators who would like to act as an administrative interlayer between the natives and their white-skinned overlords. For the slavery-dominated Portobrazilian society, this search ultimately comes to the matter of skin color, and that has become an unexpected bliss for Fulbe people living in the far north and west of the region. Described in some sources as Leucaethiopians (lit. “White Aethiopians”), the Fulbe people have a light-dark skin color which Portobrazilians, perhaps impolitely, like to compare to the color of hot chocolate. Some voices, including the colonial general-governor, propose elevating the Fulbe to the position of tribal or even feudal dominance in the region, letting them oversee other ethnicities and absorb their discontent, if it arises.

Hunger Games

Spoiler :

1890: Rice cultures have been consistently failing all across the region in the past three years, mostly due to a sequence of droughts. In Sokoto, local princes were encouraged by the Caliph to share some of their surplus supply of food with hungry peasants (at the coast of debt slavery for many of them), but in the Gobir Confederacy there is no authority centralized enough to stop the galloping inflation and famine resulted from the fact that local nobles and trade guilds hoard their rice and sell it for tenfold of its price. How this crisis develops may either weaken Gobir or help another power get a mercantile bridgehead in the region.

1892: Dissolution of the Confederacy changed little in the economic situation across the region. The authorities may now speak a different language, but the merchant class is still the main hoarder of wealth across the region, and the commoners continue to suffer.

Q1-Q2 1893: Portugal-Brazil, to a surprise of many observers, showed itself a benevolent overlord. Rice and grain were imported from Brazil to be distributed among the poor, which hasn’t solved the crisis yet, but at least proved to be a good display of intent. Attempts to purchase provision from the merchant class for prices only slightly above the market price, however, didn’t play out as well. Knowing full well that the entire region cannot survive solely on Brazilian grain and rice imports (at least, at the current level of economic investment from the Twin Crowns), the merchants prefered to hold onto their goods and keep prices speculatively high, although some lowering of prices did take place thanks to a growing supply. (Regional quest progress: 21.71%, Portugal-Brazil losses: -2.51 HC, -0.69 IC, -7.16 EC, -5.41 MC)


Past glory

Spoiler :

1890: The Yoruba nation of Oyo once controlled most of the Nigerian coast. Soon after the French colonial demise the Portobrazilians stepped into the resulting vacuum mostly thanks to their promises of relative independence to the Oyo king Adeyemi I. Now, however, it seems like the promised independence was mostly cosmetic and found its reflection in titles and ceremonies rather than in any meaningful decisions. That’s making Dahomey Yoruba people increasingly upset by the Porto-Brazilian colonial rule.

Q1-Q2 1893: Portobrazilian general-governor has recognized that if the Twin Crowns wanted to keep control of the Niger region, they’d have to establish functional relationship with the Oyo king, whose territories along the coast hold the key to the colony’s prosperity and logistics. Negotiations have started on providing Adayemi I with greater degree of independence within the limits of the original protection agreement that binds him to collaborate with colonial authorities. At the same time, the Portobrazilians were careful not to anger their own home aristocracy that could be dismayed at the notion that some “savage king” could be considered their equal. (Regional quest progress: 36.29%, Portugal-Brazil losses: -0.56 HC, -0.75 IC, -1.2 EC, -0.23 MC)

 

[Ahigin]

Update 3: January 1, 1893 - June 30, 1893​

Central Africa

Spoiler :

Stagnant backwaters of Africa with little to no exposure to the world, but unknown deposits of natural resources.

Q1-Q2 1893: North-German military has started a series of colonial expeditions west of the lake Nalubaale, also known as the Victoria Lake (or Victoriasee, for North-Germans). The expeditions were wisely chosen to be relatively small-scale, helping to prevent any serious supply issues in that wild region. By summer 1893, first Azari squads came into contact with spearbearing border guards of the mysterious kingdom of Baganda. (North German Federation gains +13.52% Regional Influence, North German Federation losses: -1.52 HC, -0.59 IC, -0.82 EC, -0.71 MC)

The Dark Continent

Spoiler :

1890: Maghrebi access to Transsaharan caravan routes and Egyptian use of the Nile river past the Cataracts means that these two nations naturally have colonial ambitions in the Central-African region. Neither of the nations has any military presence in the vast region yet, but some low-key incidents have already started to take place. For instance, this year a massacre took place along the caravan route near the Chad lake. It is believed that a pro-Maghrebi Tuareg merchant ordered his guards to slaughter a Ummahist mullah and his seven students from Alexandria. Details of the incident are hazy, and it’s unclear if the tragedy was sparked by socially progressive views of the Egyptian missionaries or greed of the Tuareg merchant (whose loyalty to the Sultan of Maghreb is as questionable). What can be said for sure, the heart of the Dark Continent is going to become a stage for such “incidents” moving forward.

The source of the Nile

Spoiler :

1890: Search for the source of the Nile river is quickly becoming a matter of prestige and principle for explorers from many countries, inspired by a series of speculative articles published in several popular scientific magazines this year. Geographic societies from many countries are asking their governments to sponsor and equip expeditions to the Heart of Africa, hoping to become the first ones to discover the fabled source of the great river.

1891: The North German Federation outfitted an expedition to find the source of the Nile, but the expedition suffered from a series of poor planning and unrealistic expectations. The attempt to navigate the river all the way from the delta faced vehement Egyptian protest, and the few non-military ships that were allowed to navigate the river couldn’t pass even the first cataract. The army was equally unable to deal with overwhelming logistical issues. Only a small (non-military) part of the expedition was somewhat successful, but the progress so far is horrifically low. (Regional quest progress: 21.52%, North German Federation losses: -2.96 HC, -2.72 IC, -4.36 EC, -3 MC)

Unarmed, but dangerous

Spoiler :

1890: Out of all polities existing beyond the reach of “civilized” nations, the tribal kingdom of Baganda seems to be the most organized and populous. That isolation, however, proves to be a blessing and a curse. Its current king, Danieri Basammula-Ekkere Mwanga II Mukasa, is an avid anti-Christian and a paranoid military modernizer, but he is struggling to find a way to supply his army with modern weapons. Some great nations may like it that way, but for others it may open a chance to establish some presence in this remote region of the world.

Congo-Gabon Region

Spoiler :

Stagnant population center of Africa, with complex ethnic composition and unexplored resource potential.


Q1-Q2 1893: Confederate colonial army presence was significantly increased in Gabon. While the formal order was to keep peace between local African slave raiders and Confederate traders, no peacemaking effort proved to be necessary, since the tensions didn’t transition into anything violent, with both sides needing each other for their business. Left with nothing better to do to earn himself a promotion, the commander of the Army of Gabon chose to push the colonial border deeper inland, venturing farther into the depth of the continent and subduing local Kuba tribesmen. (Confederate States of America gains 12.67% Regional Influence, uncolonized gains -12.67% Regional Influence, Confederate States of America losses: -3.04 HC, -0.98 IC, -1.59 EC, -1.6 MC)

Pigmy raids

Spoiler :

1890: Strange tribes of extremely short people, called the Pigmy, live in the depths of the continent. While not very valuable as work slaves, these Pigmy make great and very loyal house servants for their owners, being quite valuable on slave markets across the world. But before selling them, these precious slaves need to be captured, and Confederate slave traders tend to hire local Bantu tribes to do that job for them. This is quickly deteriorating into a strange sort of colonial dynamic, in which Bantu middlemen are growing almost as rich as Confederate American colonizers (and indispensable, to boot).

The Heart of Darkness

Spoiler :

1890: The colony of Zaire was an unexpected “gift” that the Kingdom of Sardinia and Piedmont received in the wake of the Atlantic War. Now, however, it seems that the gift was more of a burden for the dynamic, but overstretched nation. Sardinian colonial authorities are suffering from low funding and bad communication with the mainland, and the colony is quickly gaining a reputation of a lawless land, perpetually stuck in the state of intercommunal warfare.

1891: A military colonial garrison force was dispatched by Sardinia-Piedmont to keep the amalgam of Congolese communities away from tribal warfare through regular patrolling and policing. The order issued to the troops to treat locals as humane as possible did little to limit cruelty of the operation, since the barbaric nature of local tribal warfare quickly led to several policing actions turning into needless bloodshed. All in all, this only further destabilized the region, and observers note that in order to put it under control again Sardinia-Piedmont would have to either send in more troops, or address the problems in a completely different plane, through either diplomatic, social, or economic means. (Regional quest progress: -3.36%, Sardinia-Piedmont losses: -2.34 HC, -0.67 IC, -1.20 EC, -0.59 MC)

1892: In an attempt to repair the damage done to the trust between Congolese tribal communities and Sardinian colonial authorities, royal representatives were sent to regional chiefs as ambassadors of free will. Supporting their soft words were the bayonets of Piedmontese colonial army, which numbers were expanded to put down any display of mass discontent. Observers state that the vast region is still a long way from complete loyalty and relative prosperity, but this season saw the first positive development in years. (Regional quest progress: 5%, Sardinia-Piedmont losses: -5.44 HC, -2.53 IC, -4.25 EC, -1.52 MC)

While all of these efforts were undertaken on the land, the sea surprisingly became an arena of a dramatic showdown. Throughout most of the winter, spring, and summer, Sardinian merchant marine was being attacked in a brutal manner by suspiciously well-equipped pirates that, also suspiciously, mostly steered away from Portobrazilian and Confederate American shipping. Closer to September, it became fairly clear that the government of the Free Boer Republic either sanctioned this barbaric action in a bid to bully Sardinians into giving up on Zaire, or, maybe, they conveniently turned a blind eye on the actions of their jingoistic Admiral Blankaert and his Atlantic Squadron. Unknown to Blankaert, the Admiralty Ward of the British Royal Commonwealth assigned a good part of the British high seas fleet to protect British merchant marine in the surprisingly chaotic waters of the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Since a reasonable fraction British shipping naturally was directed to Sardinian port of Brazzavilla, it eventually drew the fleet under Admiral Hornby to investigate the reports of the attacks. The first accidental contact between screening ships of the Royal Navy and and Admiral Blakaert’s commerce raiders took place 200 miles east of the Sao Tome island. As the Boer raiders first took the silhouettes on the horisont for patrolling Sardinian warships, they happily opened indirect shellfire that took the first British casualty of the engagement, protected cruiser HMS “Challenger.” It wasn’t until more ships were spotted that Admiral Blankaert realized the full scope of the danger his fleet was in. Soon, his squadron, still executing an about maneuver, fell under concentrated British fire, from which they couldn’t easily disengage. Soon the incident turned into a full-scale naval battle, unwanted by both commanders, but driven by its own internal logic. Nevertheless, within 2 hours, cooler heads on both sides put an end to the exchange of high-explosive shells, leaving their nations’ diplomats to deal with the consequences. No matter what the implications of the Sao Tome Engagement would be, the battle that rendered almost the entirety of the Boer squadron barely staying afloat, not counting several gunboats that went to the bottom of the sea, also turned out to be giant morale boost for Sardinian colonial authorities in Zaire, making them feel confident that their new gained ally is fully on their side. (Regional quest progress: 48.71%, British Royal Commonwealth losses: -3.57 HC, -2.36 IC, -5.11 EC, -8.56 MC, Free Boer Republic losses: -6.79 HC, -4.51 IC, -9.13 EC, -15.26 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: After the last year’s disruption of its sea lanes, the Sardinian administration made sure to dedicate significant resources of its navy to protecting its communications with the colony of Zaire. The naval action was expected to be just a supporting task for the administrative and economic efforts planned in the heart of the colony, but the energy and resourcefulness of Ligurian-born admiral Marquess Marcello Amero D'Aste-Stella essentially made him the start of the entire operation, as he quickly became the informal head of the colony. Port facilities and riverine infrastructure were expanded, new workshops and mines were built across Sardinian Zaire, and old grudges between most of the tribes have been settled. This not only brought an unusual level of relative prosperity and peace to this previously struggling colony, but also pushed the remainders of the Boer influence out of the region. (Regional quest completed with full success, region Congo-Gabon gains +5 IC, +10 EC, +10 MC, +1.5% Regional Growth Fluctuation, Sardinia-Piedmont gains +5% Regional Influence, Free Boer Republic loses -5% Regional Influence, Sardinia-Piedmont losses: -1.77 HC, -1.13 IC, -3.09 EC, -1.82 MC)

Latin Belt

Spoiler :

1890: Porto-Brazilian colonial authorities in Angola are lobbying a project of a railroad that would connect the city of Benguela on the Atlantic coast to Lourenco Marques, the capital of Porto-Brazilian Mocambique. That so called “Latin Belt” would have to face the problem of practically non-existent infrastructure in the African inland. In addition, the Free Boer Republic is vehemently protesting such a project, seeing it as a Porto-Brazilian attempt to block Boer advancement into the depth of the continent.

1891: While Portugal-Brazil’s available civil engineering resources were thrown into the construction of the Panama Canal, its army was tasked with securing the lands adjacent to the future planned route of the Latin Belt railroad. For now, the decision was made to keep the Latin Belt just a poorly patrolled rural road with garrisoned roadblocks every few miles. However, even that humble plan went horribly wrong when dispersed Portobrazilian colonial platoons started suffering from ambushes by local tribes, who used complete lack of effective logistics on Portobrazilian side to their advantage. Military observers say that the local resistance doesn’t scare them by itself, but they are afraid that complete absence of infrastructure means that even army engineers have a trouble supplying the troops so far from home colonies. They request proper civilian engineers to support the effort, and some additional troops to guard them. (Regional quest progress: -9.29%, Portugal-Brazil losses: -4.08 HC, -1.15 IC, -1.89 EC, -1.37 MC)

West Angolan Trading Company

Spoiler :

1891: The new trade agreement and alliance between the Free Boer Republic and Portugal-Brazil has created a new need for a trading company that could facilitate the high volume of future trades in the area. Such company was established this year by Boer state-affiliated businesses and is now in the process of bringing its operations up to speed. (Regional quest progress: 61.14%, Free Boer Republic losses: -0.70 HC, -0.18 IC, -1.79 EC, -1.53 MC)

The smell of burning bridges (Angola)

Spoiler :

1892: While half of the Portobrazilian army was busy fighting Gobir and Sokoto, a series of hectic raids and suspicious insurgencies took place in Angola, near the Boer-Portobrazilian border. The Boer newspapers almost unanimously depicted the events as a Boer attempt to “investigate the attacks on the Boer settlers by local tribesmen.” However, no such attacks were known to the Portobrazilian press or even the Twin Crowns’ counter-espionage agency, so the raids into the Portobrazilian territory across the poorly marked colonial border raised plenty of suspicion and dealt a good deal of damage to the colony. It seems even more suspicious that practically no damage was done by the “local tribesmen” to the Boer-owned West Angolan Trading Company. One way or another, if the border warfare continues this way, the colony could be completely destabilized.

Q1-Q2 1893: Just like in Mocambique, cross-border raids have stopped in Angola this year, as the Portobrazilian army was redeployed from Nigeria in order to restore order. As slow as the progress is, it seems to be much better than in Mocambique, possibly thanks to the fact that patrolling efforts started in early February thanks to much shorter redeployment time. (Regional quest progress: 20.57%, Portugal-Brazil losses: -2.31 HC, -0.71 IC, -0.18 EC, -0.86 MC)

East Africa

Spoiler :

Stagnant conduit between Asian and African markets with a long, but decaying tradition of maritime trade.


The End of the Merina monarchy

Spoiler :

1890: The authority of the Malagasy Merina monarchy is at its all-times low, now that the Boers conquered its obedience through a series of ad-hoc, badly outfitted expeditions. Instead of turning on the colonizers, the Malagasy people are joining the spreading tribal conflict in the depth of the island. For now, the Boers were happy to see the natives fight each other, but some experts express caution over this development, afraid that eventually one successful warlord could arise as an unquestioned leader of the anti-colonial movement.

The gatherer of wealth

Spoiler :

1891: North-German takeover of Zanzibari economy, combined with an impressive display of naval force, has pushed this Omani colony to the brink of economic crisis. While the spice trade still lives on, it seems like slave markets are drying empty, and local merchant elites are growing ever more anti-German, frustrated with Omani sultan’s inability to put a stop to this takeover. The leader among them is infamous Tippu Tip, nicknamed “the gatherer together of wealth” by the locals. This spice trader and slave-master is rumored to lead a cabal of East-African traders who want to pursue the dual goal of getting rid of North-German dominance and establishing a free, independent Zanzibari state.

1892: In contrast with the previous year’s blunt display of force, the North-German colonial administration chose to address Zanzibari discontent by eroding the economic platform that made Tippu TIp’s faction so powerful. Various German-sponsored business ventures were established in Omani Zanzibar, supporting spice cultivation and greater mechanization of labor. While not as awe-inspiring as the earlier gunboat diplomacy attempt, this move did help the Ostafrika Trade Company grow roots in the Zanzibar coast and somewhat blunt the anti-German rhetoric.(Regional quest progress: 32.04%, North German Federation losses: -1.56 HC, -0.35 IC, -3.72 EC, -3.45 MC)

Pride of the Hehe

Spoiler :

1892: Inland caravan routes belonging to the tribes that recognize North-German colonial authorities keep being ambushed and looted by fearsome warriors of the reclusive Hehe tribe. Backward pastoralists that just recently got introduced to modern rifles, the Hehe are a small, but very warlike young tribal kingdom placed within the borders of North-German Tanganyika. They seem to be content with North-German dominion over their region (happy with buying North-German weapons and kitchen tools), but the Hehe don’t seem to comprehend that attacking other pro-German tribes is just not something European authorities normally tolerate. It remains to be seen how the Ostafrikan authorities are going to establish peace in their lands (and if they are going to do that at all).

The smell of burning bridges (Mocambique)

Spoiler :

1892: Mirroring the events in Angola, a series of low-key border raids and skirmishes took places in Portobrazilian Mocambique, mostly described by the Boer press as border crossing attempts by the “anarchic Anglos.” However, when Portuguese-owned plantations were taken over by the raiders, their population was mostly taken in captivity or murdered, with the exception of Portuguese “gentlefolks,” who were “merely” exiled. It is these survivors that helped identify the attackers as Afrikaans-speakers obeying their officers’ orders and not some desperate Englishmen. Now the biggest question of all is what the Twin Crown is planning to do about these suspicious events before their colonial authority collapses. (Regional quest progress: 63.71%, Free Boer Republic losses: -3.74 HC, -1.04 IC, -1.66 EC, -1.18 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: Portobrazilian troops were dispatched to try and contain the damage to intercommunal trust done last year by Afrikaan raiders, whoever they were. While the Portobrazilians encountered no South-African opposition to their policing effort, fixing the damage proved to be a harder task than delivering it (especially when done by the army alone). Yet, despite the ongoing chaos along the frontier, life is slowly coming back to normalcy. (Regional quest progress: 41.29%, Portugal-Brazil losses: -2.97 HC, -0.92 IC, -1.52 EC, -1.1 MC)

 

[Ahigin]

Update 3: January 1, 1893 - June 30, 1893​

South Africa

Spoiler :

Fast-developing, dynamic, quickly modernizing immigration hub with weak agriculture, but strong natural resource industry and manufacture.


Q1-Q2 1893: Displeased at the slow pace of its armed forces’ advance into Bechuanalandt, the FBR’s leadership dispatched a true army to force its reach into the Zambezi region. After several easy victories against the Bechuana natives, the Boer troops were unexpectedly checked in the battle of Lolsane riverbed on May 13-18, when an advancing army column was lured into a trap by some of its Griqua scouts, cut off from supplies, and swarmed by a joint force of anti-Boer Oorlam Griqua marksmen, assisted by a large Bechuana levy. Even though the battle was just a small episode in colonization of South Africa, Portobrazilian and British press depicted it as an unlikely triumph of honorable underdogs over an arrogant foe. Regardless of the battle, Boer generals predict that once the resistance of well-armed anti-Boer frontier communities is broken, their advance into Eastern Angola should proceed much easier. (Free Boer Republic gains +3.25% Regional Influence, uncolonized loses -3.25% Regional Influence, Free Boer Republic losses: -10.84 HC, -3.02 IC, -4.8 EC, -3.43 MC)


Children of Man

Spoiler :

1890: In the Free Boer Republic, not everyone is equally free. In fact, one’s skin color usually defines whether or not a particular human being is likely to be treated as a fellow citizen or as someone’s property. The only exception from this rule are the Griqua, children of mixed heritage that have developed into an militant underclass that is proud of its superiority to native slaves, but are also too freedom-loving to accept the arrogance of the white Afrikaners. Recently, more and more Griqua have been escaping the core lands of the Republic and settling on its frontier, forcing local tribes to migrate and claiming the land for themselves. It seems like the Griqua could be used as a colonization tool by the Boers, but these people would despise being forced to obey to the old unspoken laws of the Afrikaner society.

1891: Just like in the years prior to this one, Griquas were again used as a natural tool of expanding the Afrikaan cultural reach through a combination of emigration to the frontier and straightforward squatting in the lands that used to belong to someone else. Only this time, this mixed race was encouraged to resettle not northward, toward frontiers, but return back to the south instead, taking homes and property from English settlers in the Cape. So far, this agitation hasn’t been very successful, since the Griqua are freedom-loving frontiersmen in their hearts, and are looking to distance themselves from the white Boers, not settle themselves in the heart of the Boer territories. Either way, a small trickle of Griqua settlers has started to arrive to Kaapstadt, although at this rate it’d take many years to resettle English territories with the returning Griqua. (Regional quest progress: 3.89%, Free Boer Republic losses: -1.56 HC, -2.53 IC, -3.52 EC, -0.86 MC)

Uitlander gangs

Spoiler :

1892: The displacement of English settlers left thousands of alienated and disenfranchised families with little to no means to support themselves, threatened in the south and lacking the funds to leave the country for another land. These misfits are popularly known as uitlanders (lit. “foreigners,” now mostly used to indicate undesirable aliens, as opposed to relatively privileged immigrants from Germany or Russia). Left with no other choice, they either try to perform their own trek northward, to loosely regulated colonial frontiers, or simply stay to roam the countryside. Drawn by need and resentment to the “cursed Afrikaners,” many of them united into violent gangs that attack white farmers’ homesteads (almost universally indicating Boer ownership) for revenge and loot. Regular Boer troops were dispatched to comb through the land and round down all English rovers with no regard for age and gender, assigning them to special “refugee” camps. That effort was largely ineffective, suffering both from the lack of investigative, anti-insurgency experience among the Afrikaner troops, as well as the relative novelty of the internment camp idea, which might require more research before all logistical complications of keeping together large concentrations of insurgency-prone civilians could be resolved. Meanwhile, the Republic’s cities are more or less well-patrolled, but the countryside is turning into a dangerous territory indeed. (Regional quest progress: 4.57%, Free Boer Republic: -4.11 HC, -1.15 IC, -1.82 EC, -1.3 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: Seeing that its predecessors’ attempts to exterminate uitlander gangs with the help of the army were just leading to another cycle of violence, the newly elected Boer cabinet chose to mix the firm anti-insurgency action with “opening a pressure valve” on the English migration. While the army continued its crackdown on the English resistance fighters in the heartland, the northern frontiers were opened for uitlander trakking and in the south the remaining refugees were allowed to leave for Brazil. As a side effect of this action, northern frontiers in Bechuanalandt seem to be accumulating a lot of virulently anti-Boer uitlander communities, slowing down colonization of that region. However, on the positive side, the heartland regions of the Republic are slowly starting to become safe again. (Regional quest progress: 55.14%, Free Boer Republic: -1.81 HC, -0.46 IC, -4.67 EC, -3.98 MC)

Orange, yellow, and red

Spoiler :

1890: Gold mines were discovered in the vicinity of the Orange river, leading to a huge rush of labor migrants to the area near the city of Johannesburg. Mining communities, however, have a reputation for lawlessness and crime, especially considering the fact that some laborers try their best to steal some of the precious metal for themselves. Multiracial criminal gangs have already formed to prey on these misguided souls, while the neighboring city has seen an unprecedented growth of gambling industry and other types of vice that prosperous miners seek while being on leave from their excruciating work.

1891: Boer businesses have presented their case in the Republican Parliament, stating that most of the local vice was not an issue, but a feature that inevitably accompanies hard-working, adventurous men that all true Boer miners are. Even more so, local mine owners went a long way to accommodate their workers’ taste for some of the less moral entertainments, thus helping to not only attract even more workers (often of very questionable background), but also diversified local economy, with casinos and whorehouses springing up to life virtually overnight. Meanwhile, military police was assembled to provide protection against racketeering practices, a task they did in the only heavy-handed way an army can do things. Observers state that by now Jo’burg is one step away from becoming the biggest entertainment hub in the world, should the Boer government finish what it’s started. (Regional quest progress: 95.64%, Free Boer Republic losses: -2.06 HC, -0.56 IC, -2.1 EC, -1.7 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: Boer investments into the entertainment industry centered in its “mining belt” continued through the first half of the year and eventually succeed at bringing about the upsurge in legalized (and, of course, monetized) vice. The “gold towns” continued to boom, becoming magnets for unqualified, but adventurous laborers from all across the world, while Johannesburg and its casinos are now known for their opulence and glamor. This “get-rich-overnight” and “easy-come-easy-go” culture has created a powerful economic boom in continental Boerika, although it did persuade some less adventurous types (especially from among scientific and cultural intelligentsia) to leave the African nation for some more stable and quiet places. (Regional quest completed with mixed results, region South Africa gains -5 HC, -5 IC, 35 EC, 5 MC, Regional Growth Fluctuation +2.25%, Free Boer Republic losses: -1.81 HC, -0.46 IC, -4.67 EC, -3.98 MC)


Plunging shellfire

Spoiler :

1891: While most of the Boer fleet was busy patrolling the waters around the Cape, protecting local merchant marine traffic from a threat that never materialized, at least one naval squadron was busy with firing drills. It seems like the Boers are practicing a new type of shellfire technique, designed to penetrate an enemy ship's thinner deck armor rather than firing directly at a warship's heavily-armored side. So far, the progress has been slow, but steady, and observing officers are confident the advancement would be much quicker once a bigger share of the Boer navy practices the new technique. (Technology quest progress: 20.54%, Free Boer Republic losses: -2.25 HC, -1.49 IC, -3.02 EC, -5.05 MC)

1892: With most of the Boer navy being busy supporting the Republic’s dashing colonial adventures, one squadron stayed patrolling the waters around the Cape and practicing the same artillery drill that someday could hopefully help the Afrikaners avenge their Sao Tome losses to the Brits. (Technology quest progress: 44.04%, Free Boer Republic losses: -2.86 HC, -1.9 IC, -3.85 EC, -6.43 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: While the vast majority of the Boer navy is fully engaged in a wide array of dashing operations across two oceans, some of its officers and artillerists stayed back to continue their plunging shellfire drills. (Technology quest progress: 58.75%, Free Boer Republic losses: -2.05 HC, -1.36 IC, -2.75 EC, -4.6 MC)


Human trafficking

Spoiler :

1892: With all of the inhumane developments in and around Kaapstadt, thousands of people of all races, gender, and age are finding themselves in captivity and treated as valuables. This level of treatment and exploitation of human beings is unusual even compared to the standards of institutionalized slavery and serfdom, and the “Free” Boer Republic seems to be accepting it as just another tool of national empowerment. It appears that the Afrikaner state at this point sanctions the development of trade of humans (and, perhaps, methods of combatting it), most commonly for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or other forms of exploitation for the trafficker or others. (Technology quest progress: 20.64%, Free Boer Republic losses: -1.84 HC, -2.99 IC, -4.17 EC, -1.02 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: The East Asian Spice Trading Company continues reinventing methods and pushing boundaries of human trafficking, to the horror of most of the civilized world. (Technology quest progress: 31.89%, Free Boer Republic losses: -2.12 HC, -3.45 IC, -4.81 EC, -1.18 MC)


Hydrometallurgy
Q1-Q2 1893: The mining boom around Johannesburg is creating a big demand for more effective ways of processing metal ores. Hoping to tap on that demand, an ambitious Boer company has started a line of research of methods of extractive metallurgy that use aqueous chemistry for the recovery of metals from ores, concentrates, and recycled or residual materials. Now the inventors hope to gain enough of publicity to attract more significant investments that could carry the research forward. (Regional quest progress: 7.43%, Free Boer Republic losses: -1.12 HC, -0.28 IC, -2.87 EC, -2.45 MC)


The icy continent

Spoiler :

1892: More as a statement of ambition and a prestige project, the Boer state has outfitted an exploratory expedition to the Southern Pole, where the icy continent of Antarctica was reached, and a primitive summer base was founded by the lucky adventurers. Unfortunately, the Republican navy, tasked with supplying the expedition, found itself not up to the task, and only the tenacity of the few survivors (as well as their readiness to make meals out of their less brawny comrades) helped the tiny oceanside colony survive its first summer. However, by October, when the resupply ships managed to break through the sea of ice, even these “heroic pioneers” had perished, making many members of the Republican press question the purpose of the entire misadventure. (Regional quest progress: -2.17%, Free Boer Republic losses: -2.77 HC, -2.93 IC, -4.76 EC, -4.31 MC)

Q1-Q2 1893: Boer failure to set up a lasting base on the Antarctic coast didn’t dissuade the energetic Portobrazilian navy from taking its own try at conquering the icy continent. The Twin Crowns’ expedition started from the Ilhas Malvinas (also known to the British as the Falkland Islands), but failed to even penetrate through the icy waters to the white shore. Several ships were lost, squashed between icebergs, and the remainders of the expedition returned with little to show for it. (Regional quest progress: -6.17%, Portugal-Brazil losses: -3.18 HC, -2.03 IC, -4.17 EC, -7.26 MC)


The sailors of Boerika
Q1-Q2 1893: The Free Boer Republic is displaying a greater lean toward naval, often overseas project, and it’s creating a strain on its naval capacities. Not only are South African ports (except Kaapstadt) lacking modern facilities to accommodate this naval focus, but even the Boer culture itself is making it hard to find good sailors, dockworkers, and captains that are not of English descent. Now much of this might change, since the Republic is creating a major naval recruitment drive, combined with modernization of some of its naval capacities. (Regional quest progress: 34.00%, Free Boer Republic losses: -0.98 HC, -0.25 IC, -2.51 EC, -2.14 MC)

No Brits in our waters
Q1-Q2 1893: Last year’s confrontation between the Boer and British fleets at Sao Tome left mixed feelings in Boerika. On the one hand, Boer marine adventures in the Central Atlantic were firmly checked. On the other hand, most of the Boer jingoists were left with a sense of impunity for their fleet’s brash actions. This has led to another cycle of escalation of tensions in the first half of 1893, when Boer several marine agencies and trade companies started offering privateering contracts, with bounty being offered specifically for the cargo “confiscated” from British ships circumventing the Cape of Good Hope (a common thing among British traders trying to escape high canal duties enforced on them by the Egyptian authorities). However, unlike with the Confederate action in the Caribbean region, the recruitment drive was largely unsuccessful, mostly because it targeted a specific nation with a powerful navy, and very few people wished to risk being blasted by the main caliber of a royal dreadnought. This failure, in turn, let the task of intercepting British commercial shipping to the Free Republican Navy itself. (Regional quest progress: -2.64%, Free Boer Republic losses: -1.56 HC, -2.53 IC, -3.52 EC, -0.86 MC)

In the absence of any meaningful privateering support and with Boer naval capacity spread thinly around the globe, the enforcement of the ban of English naval commerce around the Cape of Good Hope was down to a notorious Admiral Blankaert and his “Sao Tome veterans.” This time, Blankaert hoped to take advantage of his short lines of communications and close proximity of his bases. That did play out to his advantage, but Admiral Hornby, Blankaert’s nemesis of Sao Tome, rightfully predicted threats to the British shipping in the Atlantic and had his patrolling fleet significantly expanded. When attacks on the British merchant marine were reported in the South Atlantic, British ships were immediately dispatched in several squadrons. The resulted Cape of Good Hope campaign had no major engagements comparable to the Sao Tome incident of last year but saw instead a steady stream of small engagements between single ships or groups of vessels. Despite it, the bitterness had grown on both sides since the last year’s Zaire campaign, and losses were reported to be high, with several commerce raiders and old-fashioned ironclads being sunk on both sides and hundreds of sailors dead or missing. All in all, the British navy prevailed, especially when it came to its ability to take strategic advantage of its narrow combat victories. The Cape of Good Hope campaign is ongoing, but politicians and journalists on both sides are calling for a formal declaration of war on the enemy. Commerce shipping, meanwhile, is shrinking all around the region, with even neutral captains choosing to steer clear of the dangerous waters. (Regional quest progress: -43.5%, Free Boer Republic losses: -8.88 HC, -5.9 IC, -11.93 EC, -19.96 MC, British Royal Commonwealth losses: -5.8 HC, -3.83 IC, -8.3 EC, -13.9 MC)

Greater Caucasus

Spoiler :

Stagnant, divided region, rich with natural resources.

Pontic smugglers

Spoiler :

1890: Abkhazian boatmen have been chased to the port of Sukhumi by a Turkish patrol gunboat. Blamed for smuggling wine to and from Crimea (perhaps, rightfully), they hoped to find a cover in the city after abandoning their boat. After ignoring all calls for restraint, the Turkish gunboat entered Georgian waters and opened fire on the moored boat, miraculously not causing any damage to the city (and the boat itself). While no physical damage was done, newspapers on both sides have raised hell over the incident.

Riches of the Caucasus

Spoiler :

1890: Imam Mushthaid of the Caucasian Imamate has been approached by the elders of 12 influential Chechen and Ingush teips (clans), with complaints over his increased diplomatic dependency on the Sublime Porte in his attempts to not succumb to Russia (the Turks, they argue, are mainstream Sunni at best (or secularists at worst), not Wahabbi true believers). Meanwhile, the amalgam of Dagestani tribes, having grown rich on the Caspian Sea trade, is supportive of greater ties with Russian Astrakhani Tatars and Jews, hoping to benefit from Russian capital the same way the Khan of Khiva did. Now the religious tribal Imamate seems to be torn between two major players in the region.

Great Armenia, Greater Armenia

Spoiler :

1890: Armenians have applauded gradual secularization of the post-Ottoman state of the Sublime Porte, but they’re growing agitated seeing oppression of their brothers and sisters in the Caucasian Imamate. Several pashas of Armenian descent lobby for applying diplomatic pressure on the Imam to change the position of Armenian communities in the Caucasian Wahhabi state. This, however, is not an easy political fight, especially since Georgia and Russia are both happy to use the plight of Caucasian Armenians (fellow Orthodox Christians, albeit of Armenian Apostolic branch) in their diplomatic games and business expansion.

Arabia

Spoiler :

Slowly-developing, underpopulated region with rudimentary, primitive economy, but unexplored natural resource deposits.


The sea and the desert

Spoiler :

1890: The Sultanate of Oman is built on a compromise between sea-faring, urban Ibadi communities of the Indian Ocean shore and desert-roaming Bedouin nomads of the Arabian desert. The sultan’s recent attempts to modernize the nation with the help of foreign investments were well-received in the cities, but Berber tribal warlords despise the changes this brings to their lifestyle. The divide is growing, and it remains to be seen how long Oman will be able to preserve its unity.

False Sharifs

Spoiler :

1892: Recent improvement of the Hejazi infrastructure has boosted pro-Turkish sentiments in Arabia, helping to spread modernity across the region. However, as the new ways come to replace the old, a series of cultural and value splits have resurfaced, crystallized in the argument over who should claim the title of the Sharif of Mecca and Medina, the traditional steward of the Holy Cities. For centuries, the title was held by the Hashemite clan, which recently has grown decadent on Ottoman gifts and privileges (and, naturally, completely loyal to the Turks). More fundamentalist-minded Arabs propose that the traditionalist House of Saud should keep the Holy Cities under their watch, having their streets patrolled by Wahhabi religious police to eradicate even the slightest signs of vice, opulence, or western influence (these people also tend to express a quiet desire to see Hejaz and Nejd completely free of the Turkish influence. Meanwhile, some progressivists argue, that the position of the Sharif of Mecca should be completely abandoned as a tribute to a meaningless tradition, because the authorities of the Grand Divan have proven to be much better stewards of the Holy Cities than any of the formal figureheads of the Hashemites or Sauds could ever claim to be.

Pearls of the Pirate Coast

Spoiler :

1892: Back in the 17th century, a Portuguese expedition by Afonso de Albuquerque has already tried to colonize the Persian Gulf coast of the Arabian peninsula, attracted by it’s pearl trade. With the demise of the Portuguese colonial empire, the British came to dominate the Gulf trade, but they, in turn, struggled with the pirates sponsored by the Al Qasimi family ruling two out of six local sheikhdoms. Now that the Portuguese are back, this time claiming complete colonial ownership of the Pirate Coast (as this region is still known in the English-speaking world), they are, too, forced to deal with the Qawasim pirates that impede local pearl trade. What makes these pirates so hard to eradicate is that they often find refuge deeper in the desert (where Portobrazilian marines cannot pursue them), sometimes protected by the territorial laws of the Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah sheikhdoms.