NES2 V - The Great Game.
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silver 2039
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The nobles sat in the meeting hall of the palace arguing with each other.
“He is a mere boy!” some of them shouted “Completely incapable of such an action. No if you ask me…” he said lowering his voice “It was his tutor Vasili that pulled it off. He is firmly under his thumb!”
Most of the nobles nodded in agreement. After all he was just sixteen how could he even have risen an army much less attacked the Kremlin itself?
However one of the nobles who was widely accepted to be a good judge of character said “No. I believe that everything he has done has been of his own doing. He is cold and calculating, a viper who has been biding his time to strike. We are fools not to have seen it before. I fear he will destroy us all.”
There was a silence after this pronouncement. At that point Alexius entered and walked up to the throne at the far end of the room and seated himself upon it. One of the nobles gathered up the courage to ask “Forgive me but is that not the throne of your father?”
Alexius looked coldly at the noble. “My father is dead”
The eyes of every noble in the room widened in horror. Alexius continued ignoring the tension in the room “It seems that the recent events were far too stressful for him. My father unfortunately succumbed to a heart attack early in the morning after complaining of chest pains. His death…. grieves me terribly and no doubt all of you. However before he died he signed his abdication turning over the throne to me. Also he made it clear in his will that I was to rule directly. Without a regent.” His eyes narrowed at a pair of nobles who looked furious about this and were on the verge of getting up.
Under his gaze they meekly sank back into their seats. “I have the document here of course, and it can be verified by anyone of you. There is no question about it. I am Tsar of All Muscovy now.”
The nobles scarcely dared to move or breathe much less question its authenticity.
“Now the business of the state must continue must it not? I have begun to initiate a series of reforms aimed at strengthening the Empire and radically changing the way our nation works for our benefit.”
The nobles winced at the words. They despised and feared change of any sort.
“First of all if we are to exist we need something to unite us. Something more than kings and ideals. Muscovy should be our king, we will subordinate ourselves to only one thing and that will be Muscovy and only to Muscovy. Muscovy, will be our god, our king and our very lives. And though each Muscovite, tries to enhance his own reputation, strives to be great in the eyes of his fellow Muscovites, in the long run it will all be done to enhance Muscovy, and Muscovy’s greatness. We will worship a place, not a man, not an ideal. Men come and go there terms on earth are fleeting, ideals shift and sway with every philosophical wind, But a place can be eternal as long as those who live in that place care for it and make it greater. I Tsar Alexius am a great Muscovite, but at the end of my life whatever I have done will have gone to swell the might and majesty of my place Muscovy. I am here today not on my own behalf or the behalf of any other man. I am here today on the behalf of my place Muscovy!”
One of the nobles spoke up “But a place Tsar Alexius is just a collection of objects! If it is a town, a collection of buildings, if it is a sanctuary a collection of churches. If it is a countryside, a collection of trees and rocks and fields. How can a place generate such feelings? Feelings of nobility? You would look at a collection of buildings and peoples and do all for the sake of them?
Alexius grasped the golden scepter next to the throne and extended it. “This is Muscovy,” he touched his forearm “This is Muscovy” He stood up to display his golden throne “This is Muscovy” He drew his sword “This is Muscovy”
And then he paused and looked into every pair of eyes and said, “I am Muscovy and so is any man who calls himself a Muscovite.”
He sat down again “We must reject the concept that any man is mightier than the place that bred him. No Muscovite man is greater than Muscovy. Muscovy is a place that breeds great men. But what they are, what they do is for her glory. Their contribution to her ongoing power. And I tell you that Muscovy will last as long as Muscovites hold Muscovy greater than a ideal or single man.”
Again the noble spoke up “But the Tsar is a manifestation of everything you say Tsar Alexius.”
I will have to watch that one though Alexius to himself he is rebellious.
“A Tsar cannot be” said Alexius “A Tsar is concerned first with himself, a Tsar believes he is closer to the gods than all other men. Some Tsars believe that they are gods. All personal. Tsars use their countries to fuel themselves. Muscovy will use Muscovites to fuel herself.”
“Now!” he said continuing quickly before the noble could question him further. Yes that man would certainly have to be removed. “These reforms shall ensure the strength and continuation of Muscovy. These reforms will be radical and greatly change our nation and how it works. I have called you here today to ask you weather you will agree to these reforms.” He stared gravely at each of them “Think well and carefully before you answer….” A hint of the threat was clear.
The nobles all paled visibly and slowly nodded in agreement.
Alexius grinned “Excellent!”
“He is a mere boy!” some of them shouted “Completely incapable of such an action. No if you ask me…” he said lowering his voice “It was his tutor Vasili that pulled it off. He is firmly under his thumb!”
Most of the nobles nodded in agreement. After all he was just sixteen how could he even have risen an army much less attacked the Kremlin itself?
However one of the nobles who was widely accepted to be a good judge of character said “No. I believe that everything he has done has been of his own doing. He is cold and calculating, a viper who has been biding his time to strike. We are fools not to have seen it before. I fear he will destroy us all.”
There was a silence after this pronouncement. At that point Alexius entered and walked up to the throne at the far end of the room and seated himself upon it. One of the nobles gathered up the courage to ask “Forgive me but is that not the throne of your father?”
Alexius looked coldly at the noble. “My father is dead”
The eyes of every noble in the room widened in horror. Alexius continued ignoring the tension in the room “It seems that the recent events were far too stressful for him. My father unfortunately succumbed to a heart attack early in the morning after complaining of chest pains. His death…. grieves me terribly and no doubt all of you. However before he died he signed his abdication turning over the throne to me. Also he made it clear in his will that I was to rule directly. Without a regent.” His eyes narrowed at a pair of nobles who looked furious about this and were on the verge of getting up.
Under his gaze they meekly sank back into their seats. “I have the document here of course, and it can be verified by anyone of you. There is no question about it. I am Tsar of All Muscovy now.”
The nobles scarcely dared to move or breathe much less question its authenticity.
“Now the business of the state must continue must it not? I have begun to initiate a series of reforms aimed at strengthening the Empire and radically changing the way our nation works for our benefit.”
The nobles winced at the words. They despised and feared change of any sort.
“First of all if we are to exist we need something to unite us. Something more than kings and ideals. Muscovy should be our king, we will subordinate ourselves to only one thing and that will be Muscovy and only to Muscovy. Muscovy, will be our god, our king and our very lives. And though each Muscovite, tries to enhance his own reputation, strives to be great in the eyes of his fellow Muscovites, in the long run it will all be done to enhance Muscovy, and Muscovy’s greatness. We will worship a place, not a man, not an ideal. Men come and go there terms on earth are fleeting, ideals shift and sway with every philosophical wind, But a place can be eternal as long as those who live in that place care for it and make it greater. I Tsar Alexius am a great Muscovite, but at the end of my life whatever I have done will have gone to swell the might and majesty of my place Muscovy. I am here today not on my own behalf or the behalf of any other man. I am here today on the behalf of my place Muscovy!”
One of the nobles spoke up “But a place Tsar Alexius is just a collection of objects! If it is a town, a collection of buildings, if it is a sanctuary a collection of churches. If it is a countryside, a collection of trees and rocks and fields. How can a place generate such feelings? Feelings of nobility? You would look at a collection of buildings and peoples and do all for the sake of them?
Alexius grasped the golden scepter next to the throne and extended it. “This is Muscovy,” he touched his forearm “This is Muscovy” He stood up to display his golden throne “This is Muscovy” He drew his sword “This is Muscovy”
And then he paused and looked into every pair of eyes and said, “I am Muscovy and so is any man who calls himself a Muscovite.”
He sat down again “We must reject the concept that any man is mightier than the place that bred him. No Muscovite man is greater than Muscovy. Muscovy is a place that breeds great men. But what they are, what they do is for her glory. Their contribution to her ongoing power. And I tell you that Muscovy will last as long as Muscovites hold Muscovy greater than a ideal or single man.”
Again the noble spoke up “But the Tsar is a manifestation of everything you say Tsar Alexius.”
I will have to watch that one though Alexius to himself he is rebellious.
“A Tsar cannot be” said Alexius “A Tsar is concerned first with himself, a Tsar believes he is closer to the gods than all other men. Some Tsars believe that they are gods. All personal. Tsars use their countries to fuel themselves. Muscovy will use Muscovites to fuel herself.”
“Now!” he said continuing quickly before the noble could question him further. Yes that man would certainly have to be removed. “These reforms shall ensure the strength and continuation of Muscovy. These reforms will be radical and greatly change our nation and how it works. I have called you here today to ask you weather you will agree to these reforms.” He stared gravely at each of them “Think well and carefully before you answer….” A hint of the threat was clear.
The nobles all paled visibly and slowly nodded in agreement.
Alexius grinned “Excellent!”
silver 2039
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@Iggy I'm going to blow one of your fortresses up I hope you don't mind
das
Regeneration In Process
Did you invest any money into the project?
As for the UU, no, you can't change that.
silver 2039
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Vasili bent down next to the Tsar and whispered, “He calls himself Orban, he says that he is from Turkmenistan”
Alexius raised his eyebrow “Turkmenistan? The same one that was crushed and conquered last year, the one with the famous Karamurad?”
“The same” replied Vasili
Alexius looked at the dark skinned man kneeling before him “Rise” he said
“I have heard from my advisors that you are a gun maker? Well we could always use people such as ourselves, but what makes you different from all the other gun makers here?”
Orban swallowed nervously “I can make any time of gun O Great Tsar. No matter how large or how small. If you desire I can cast guns that can reduce even the greatest fortification to rubble. The work require to make a gun I can carry out fully”
Alexius looked at him thoughtfully. “I think I will take you up on that”
In the great foundries of Moscow a flurry of work and activity was taking place. The center of attention was around a barrel-shaped mold twenty-seven feet long. The mold was of two widths: the front compartment for the cannonball had a diameter of thirty inches, with a smaller after chamber to take the powder. An enormous casting pit had to be excavated, and the fired clay core was placed in it with the muzzle facedown. An outer cylindrical clay casting was fashioned to fit over this and held in position, leaving space between the two-clay molds to receive the molten metal. The whole thing was packed tightly to support the enormous weight of the barrel. Two massive furnaces had to be specially constructed and reinforced with large stones sufficient to withstand temperature of 1,000 degrees centigrade. It was surrounded by a mountain of charcoal.
On the day the cannon was to be cast Alexius came in to observe along with Vasili and the Commander of the Army, General Pskov. The coal and wood was thrown into the furnace after having been heated for three days continuously by the founders who were wearing thick sleeves along their arms and a type of cap that covered their entire face with exception to their eyes. Orban attired in his protective felt dress opened the mouth of the furnace with an iron hook exclaiming “Allah! Allah!”
The molten metal began to flow slowly down the clay channel and into the mouth of the gun mold. Then the metal was left to fill and slowly cool. Once the metal was cold the barrel was laboriously extracted from the ground and hauled out by teams of oxen.
What finally emerged from Orban’s factory was a horrifying and extraordinary monster. The tube shone dully in the winter light. It was thirty-nine feet long. The barrel itself was walled with thirteen inches of solid metal to take the force of the blast. It had a diameter of thirty-three inches designed to accommodate a massive cannonball weighing over half a ton.
Alexius gazed in awe at the beast running his hand over the cold metal. “This I must try out”
******************************************************
The mighty gun was painstakingly hauled through the snow by a team of a hundred men. Behind them stood an overseer periodically lashing them with a razor whip. When one of the men tripped and fell he was crushed under the mighty wheels. “Leave him” said Alexius looking at the mangled body coldly.
The men dragging the Great Gun were not ordinary workmen or serfs, they were nobles. All the enemies who had opposed Tsar Alexius or those we wished to get rid of were now straining against the great bulk of the gun covered in filth, and cuts from the razor whip, the high and mighty nobles were now mere peasants. Alexius laughed cruelly “ Think twice before you oppose me”
The men strained and groaned. Alexius turned to the overseer “Make them go faster”
The overseer nodded and lashed out with the whip eliciting screams of pain as it sliced through their flesh.
“How strangely erotic” muttered Vasili who stood next to Alexius
Alexius frowned at him “I would rather have women”
“Er…yes of course” said Vasili
Finally after several hours a halt was ordered. Ahead of them was the great line of Turkish fortification. Alexius nodded to the gun crew to deploy the cannon.
The cannon was hauled into position and aimed at one of the Turkish fortresses. A team of workmen lugged a giant cannon ball into the mouth of the barrel and rolled it down to sit snugly in front of the gunpowder chamber. A lighted taper was put to the touchhole.
With a shattering roar that shook the earth and a cloud of smoke that hazed the sky, the mighty bullet was propelled forward for a mile before smashing into the Ottoman fortress. A massive cloud of dust and explosion indicated that the cannonball had struck true. When the smoke cleared all that remained of the Turkish fortress was a massive crater where the walls once stood and beyond that the keep had been reduced to rubble. Powdered stone floated through the air from the impact.
Alexius stare at it for some time in slack jawed disbelief. Finally finding his voice he turned to Orban “I declare you Grand Master of the Artillery” the man bowed in gratitude
Alexius turned his attention back to the devastated Turkish fortress. “I think this cannon deserves a name. We'll call it the Throathcutter."
Alexius raised his eyebrow “Turkmenistan? The same one that was crushed and conquered last year, the one with the famous Karamurad?”
“The same” replied Vasili
Alexius looked at the dark skinned man kneeling before him “Rise” he said
“I have heard from my advisors that you are a gun maker? Well we could always use people such as ourselves, but what makes you different from all the other gun makers here?”
Orban swallowed nervously “I can make any time of gun O Great Tsar. No matter how large or how small. If you desire I can cast guns that can reduce even the greatest fortification to rubble. The work require to make a gun I can carry out fully”
Alexius looked at him thoughtfully. “I think I will take you up on that”
In the great foundries of Moscow a flurry of work and activity was taking place. The center of attention was around a barrel-shaped mold twenty-seven feet long. The mold was of two widths: the front compartment for the cannonball had a diameter of thirty inches, with a smaller after chamber to take the powder. An enormous casting pit had to be excavated, and the fired clay core was placed in it with the muzzle facedown. An outer cylindrical clay casting was fashioned to fit over this and held in position, leaving space between the two-clay molds to receive the molten metal. The whole thing was packed tightly to support the enormous weight of the barrel. Two massive furnaces had to be specially constructed and reinforced with large stones sufficient to withstand temperature of 1,000 degrees centigrade. It was surrounded by a mountain of charcoal.
On the day the cannon was to be cast Alexius came in to observe along with Vasili and the Commander of the Army, General Pskov. The coal and wood was thrown into the furnace after having been heated for three days continuously by the founders who were wearing thick sleeves along their arms and a type of cap that covered their entire face with exception to their eyes. Orban attired in his protective felt dress opened the mouth of the furnace with an iron hook exclaiming “Allah! Allah!”
The molten metal began to flow slowly down the clay channel and into the mouth of the gun mold. Then the metal was left to fill and slowly cool. Once the metal was cold the barrel was laboriously extracted from the ground and hauled out by teams of oxen.
What finally emerged from Orban’s factory was a horrifying and extraordinary monster. The tube shone dully in the winter light. It was thirty-nine feet long. The barrel itself was walled with thirteen inches of solid metal to take the force of the blast. It had a diameter of thirty-three inches designed to accommodate a massive cannonball weighing over half a ton.
Alexius gazed in awe at the beast running his hand over the cold metal. “This I must try out”
******************************************************
The mighty gun was painstakingly hauled through the snow by a team of a hundred men. Behind them stood an overseer periodically lashing them with a razor whip. When one of the men tripped and fell he was crushed under the mighty wheels. “Leave him” said Alexius looking at the mangled body coldly.
The men dragging the Great Gun were not ordinary workmen or serfs, they were nobles. All the enemies who had opposed Tsar Alexius or those we wished to get rid of were now straining against the great bulk of the gun covered in filth, and cuts from the razor whip, the high and mighty nobles were now mere peasants. Alexius laughed cruelly “ Think twice before you oppose me”
The men strained and groaned. Alexius turned to the overseer “Make them go faster”
The overseer nodded and lashed out with the whip eliciting screams of pain as it sliced through their flesh.
“How strangely erotic” muttered Vasili who stood next to Alexius
Alexius frowned at him “I would rather have women”
“Er…yes of course” said Vasili
Finally after several hours a halt was ordered. Ahead of them was the great line of Turkish fortification. Alexius nodded to the gun crew to deploy the cannon.
The cannon was hauled into position and aimed at one of the Turkish fortresses. A team of workmen lugged a giant cannon ball into the mouth of the barrel and rolled it down to sit snugly in front of the gunpowder chamber. A lighted taper was put to the touchhole.
With a shattering roar that shook the earth and a cloud of smoke that hazed the sky, the mighty bullet was propelled forward for a mile before smashing into the Ottoman fortress. A massive cloud of dust and explosion indicated that the cannonball had struck true. When the smoke cleared all that remained of the Turkish fortress was a massive crater where the walls once stood and beyond that the keep had been reduced to rubble. Powdered stone floated through the air from the impact.
Alexius stare at it for some time in slack jawed disbelief. Finally finding his voice he turned to Orban “I declare you Grand Master of the Artillery” the man bowed in gratitude
Alexius turned his attention back to the devastated Turkish fortress. “I think this cannon deserves a name. We'll call it the Throathcutter."
Stormbringer
The Brick and The Rose
Kal'thzar said:
Letter from Lord Russell to Emperor Ferdinand-Philippe
Dear Sir,
Your latest letter has caused much concern here, at the Ministry. We are always glad to hear that You are, just like we are, committed to peace in South America in particular, and in all of the World in general. We welcome your condemnation of the agressive and imperialist actions of the Portugese, and hope that we can work together to stop such actions from becoming the norm in the World.
Your intervention into this affair, however, is most troblesome, and your insults towards the Federated Kindgsoms only serve to push our already strained relations further towards a breakdown. We are interested neither in whether you find our offer "appaling" or not, nor in your crude metaphors regarding Federate policy.
The situation is most clear to us. A country you are close to, Portugal, attacks our ally with the goal of conquest. We respond by giving Portugal an offer to cease hostilities and pay reparations, but they refuse. Now you take the side of Portugal, which is understandable from one point of view, since they are your friend, but it comes dangerously close to appearing to be supporting such actions as Portugal has taken. Your energy would be better spent convincing Portugal to accept the treaty proposed by the Federated Kingdoms, and in the future to keep Portugal in check, as to not allow this situation to happen again.
We must also remind you that we did have an agreement regarding this situation, and that you assured us you would not intervene in the crisis in any form. Such beligirent actions on your side prompt us to consider whether our former agreements are worth holding.
And lastly, as for your thinly veiled threats, we remind you that you have signed a non-aggression pact with us, unless of course you wish to break that agreement as easily as the other one, in which case I can assure you that the consequences would be most dangerous to the well-being of the French State.
I suggest that you stay out of the confrontations surrounding the Holy Roman Empire, and allow the Empire and its Allies to handle the situation.
Lord John Russell,
Federate Foreign Secretary
ThomAnder
Deity
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2004
- Messages
- 2,237
In reality, only a year has gone by. For Josef though, it felt like a lifetime. His life went through a series of highs and lows during that period, more so than any (former) serfs shouldve have in his entire life. At first, the situation had seemed desperate. Taxes were rising, prices of crops were falling, and his father fell ill during the harsh winter and was declared unfit to work the farm the following spring. Then the lightning bolt from the sky hit home. One day he was a serf about to collapse under the restraints placed on him, the next day he was a free man! Free, protected under the law, and no longer subjected to the unjust tax placed upon them by the landowners. Never really a faithful catholic before, that changed immediately. Its not often that your prayers are answered in such a right time. Or so he thought initially.
Yes, he was now a free man. He no longer has to pay the tax. Unfortunately though, it also meant he will lose the farm hes been working with over the last decade. Where will he find jobs now? It was true that the new industrial centers in the towns and cities offered employment. But Josef disregarded those immediately. He was needed at home, and he much rather work in the open field. Hell make much less money this way, but money isnt everything. For the landowners and nobles maybe, but not simple peasants like him. To be fair, the landowner whom he served under in the past wasnt a corrupt or greedy man. Neither was he the sympathetic type either. The result? Although Josef could still work on the farm, the wage he receives is much less than that of those in the factories. The agreement was that his wage depended on how much profit the farm could bring the landowner.
In a short while, however, a series of fortunate events happened to Josef again. According to the landowner, prices of grains and other agricultural goods have been on the rise, due to a number of factors. In response, the landowner rewarded him with a raise in his wage! Not a very big one, but it was better than nothing. When Josef went to the marketplace again, he found out what some of those factors were. For some reason, the switch in the number of grain producers to industrial producers made the price of grain rise. In the west, a war had broken out, leading to a temporary decline in grain production there, and an increased need by the civilian victims there. The scholars claim its the effect of supply and demand, which Josef have no clue about. To add icing on the cake, he also heard of the promised funds by the government to help reestablish the farming industry. He didnt know the exact details yet, but monetary help from the government in whatever form is always appreciated. It was an interesting year for Josef, one that will likely be the highlight of his life. Or so he hope anyway.
Yes, he was now a free man. He no longer has to pay the tax. Unfortunately though, it also meant he will lose the farm hes been working with over the last decade. Where will he find jobs now? It was true that the new industrial centers in the towns and cities offered employment. But Josef disregarded those immediately. He was needed at home, and he much rather work in the open field. Hell make much less money this way, but money isnt everything. For the landowners and nobles maybe, but not simple peasants like him. To be fair, the landowner whom he served under in the past wasnt a corrupt or greedy man. Neither was he the sympathetic type either. The result? Although Josef could still work on the farm, the wage he receives is much less than that of those in the factories. The agreement was that his wage depended on how much profit the farm could bring the landowner.
In a short while, however, a series of fortunate events happened to Josef again. According to the landowner, prices of grains and other agricultural goods have been on the rise, due to a number of factors. In response, the landowner rewarded him with a raise in his wage! Not a very big one, but it was better than nothing. When Josef went to the marketplace again, he found out what some of those factors were. For some reason, the switch in the number of grain producers to industrial producers made the price of grain rise. In the west, a war had broken out, leading to a temporary decline in grain production there, and an increased need by the civilian victims there. The scholars claim its the effect of supply and demand, which Josef have no clue about. To add icing on the cake, he also heard of the promised funds by the government to help reestablish the farming industry. He didnt know the exact details yet, but monetary help from the government in whatever form is always appreciated. It was an interesting year for Josef, one that will likely be the highlight of his life. Or so he hope anyway.
Harleqin
Hippo Power
Excerpt from "History of the Incan Empire, published 1931
Chapter 15. The industrial revolution.
After the brief war with the Portuguese empire the Incan nation found itself in a unique situation. For the first time in history a European nation failed to beat a smaller, technologically inferior nation and this caused a wave of pride amongst the Incan people. The Sapa-Inca of the time saw his popularity soar and decided to use this to his advantage by initiating massive changes in Peru. Old methods and techniques were abandoned for new methods and new factories started sprouting, first near Cuzco, later around the other major cities.
At that time there was major turbulence in the region (see chapter 16. Incan Unity) and the primary focus was on the military. Several hundred Portuguese rifles were seized during the fighting and soon a thorough study of those were conducted. They were clearly superior to the Incan muskets at the time. Not only were they faster to load, they also shot further and with higher accuracy. Soon after Incan weapons factories made the first prototypes of an Incan equivalent to these and after a few tests they soon managed to produce a weapon of equal quality, the Huanac-Mk1 rifle. This was a massive improvement as they could now fire their weapons regardless of the weather thanks to the percussion cap. Peru became the first nation outside of Europe to use this kind of firearm. The secret of making these had been jealously guarded by the European empires and had it not been for the Incan victory in the war no one can tell when they might have learned this secret. This discovery seriously boosted the firepower of the Incan troops and soon a full-scale production of them saw the Incan army equipped with these weapons.
This was not all that happened though in this period. Knowing that in this new age more workers, both skilled and unskilled, would be needed, the Sapa-Inca started a program that saw families with 5 or more children recieve support from the state. In some cases it was a new and bigger residence, in other cases it was food or clothes. All done to encourage families to get more children.
Also, to get more skilled workers and administrators the schools saw massive changes. It was made obligatory for all children aged 6-14 to attend school 2 days a week and at the ages of 12, 13 and 14 the children would be given a hard test examining their skills in areas as diverse as mathematics, spelling, leadership, military tactics and even farming. Those who passed this difficult test were sent to one of the newly built academies to be trained as either an administrator or army officer. To be chosen for this was an immense honour to both the child and the family of the child. Also, having a child chosen gave the family a gift from the Sapa-Inca further heightning the honour.
Finally, the nations network of roads and bridges were repaired and strenghtened to allow for the increased use they saw as ressources and finished goods were sent from one region to another.
All of this was changes on a scale unheard of until then, but the enourmous popularity of the Sapa-Inca allowed him to do this. One must wonder if this had been possible if not for the failed Portuguese attack.
From here the author starts looking into the different kinds of factories that was built and comes with a rather boring couples of pages full of statistics.
Chapter 15. The industrial revolution.
After the brief war with the Portuguese empire the Incan nation found itself in a unique situation. For the first time in history a European nation failed to beat a smaller, technologically inferior nation and this caused a wave of pride amongst the Incan people. The Sapa-Inca of the time saw his popularity soar and decided to use this to his advantage by initiating massive changes in Peru. Old methods and techniques were abandoned for new methods and new factories started sprouting, first near Cuzco, later around the other major cities.
At that time there was major turbulence in the region (see chapter 16. Incan Unity) and the primary focus was on the military. Several hundred Portuguese rifles were seized during the fighting and soon a thorough study of those were conducted. They were clearly superior to the Incan muskets at the time. Not only were they faster to load, they also shot further and with higher accuracy. Soon after Incan weapons factories made the first prototypes of an Incan equivalent to these and after a few tests they soon managed to produce a weapon of equal quality, the Huanac-Mk1 rifle. This was a massive improvement as they could now fire their weapons regardless of the weather thanks to the percussion cap. Peru became the first nation outside of Europe to use this kind of firearm. The secret of making these had been jealously guarded by the European empires and had it not been for the Incan victory in the war no one can tell when they might have learned this secret. This discovery seriously boosted the firepower of the Incan troops and soon a full-scale production of them saw the Incan army equipped with these weapons.
This was not all that happened though in this period. Knowing that in this new age more workers, both skilled and unskilled, would be needed, the Sapa-Inca started a program that saw families with 5 or more children recieve support from the state. In some cases it was a new and bigger residence, in other cases it was food or clothes. All done to encourage families to get more children.
Also, to get more skilled workers and administrators the schools saw massive changes. It was made obligatory for all children aged 6-14 to attend school 2 days a week and at the ages of 12, 13 and 14 the children would be given a hard test examining their skills in areas as diverse as mathematics, spelling, leadership, military tactics and even farming. Those who passed this difficult test were sent to one of the newly built academies to be trained as either an administrator or army officer. To be chosen for this was an immense honour to both the child and the family of the child. Also, having a child chosen gave the family a gift from the Sapa-Inca further heightning the honour.
Finally, the nations network of roads and bridges were repaired and strenghtened to allow for the increased use they saw as ressources and finished goods were sent from one region to another.
All of this was changes on a scale unheard of until then, but the enourmous popularity of the Sapa-Inca allowed him to do this. One must wonder if this had been possible if not for the failed Portuguese attack.
From here the author starts looking into the different kinds of factories that was built and comes with a rather boring couples of pages full of statistics.
Dear Sir
Your reply was received well In France. Although we viewed the French Proposal more as a compromise. Portugal was unwilling to bend to what many view here to be rather Harsh Conditions and with your rebuff to simply move to a decleration of war was most disturbing. Rather that there is some bending from both sides rather than bloodshed on their hands.
Our view was that the FK apart from using up paper had not been effected by the recent hostilities, and as such saw no reason for indemities to be paid or concessions made. The proposal for NAP's where made to prevent any further outbreak of hostilties with Portugal, feeling that a reduction in Navy size could seriously hinder Portugese efforts of defending itself against a Legitemite threat. However we are aware that the amount paid to the HRE or succesor is negotiable.
OOC: Ok stomry i'm dieing of wearyness here
I don't have time to respond with the political niceties. oh one thing the agreement thing? Well the issue i made a requirement for was never resolved in my eyes, and I didn't feel further discussionon it was going to get me anywhere. Oh and I think we have an alliance (France + Portugal) its just ain't listed but meh not required.
Stormbringer
The Brick and The Rose
OOC: even if the issue we talked about was not resolved, you sure do not want me to move in the opposite direction. As far as I understand Portugal/France are good friends but not allies.
MjM
Deity
We are in fact allies, I will dig it up.
EDIT: We have a pro-french policy, and they like that, we may have an alliance however. I will wait for das on this one.
EDIT: We have a pro-french policy, and they like that, we may have an alliance however. I will wait for das on this one.
MjM
Deity
Kal'thzar said:
It is the right way, France would not want the FK to absorb all of my colonies if it was just a 1v1, possibly even a base on Iberia and access to all my ports.
Stormbringer
The Brick and The Rose
OOC; Kal, get on msn
Stormbringer
The Brick and The Rose
Kal'thzar said:
Letter from Lord Russell to Emperor Ferdinand-Philippe
Dear Sir,
I am afraid I fail to understand your possition, perhaps you will explain it to me. Portugal beligerantly decalres war on the Holry Roman Empire, knowing full well that the Federated Kingdoms are an ally of the Empire. They do not even make a pretense or give a motive for their actions, they simply attack our allies when they are weak with the aim of grabbing land. Now, what should Portugal expect?
In my humble oppinion an all out war and an offer of an unconditional surrender is completely apropriate, but since we are civil people we come up with an offer to mitigate the gravity of the Portugese actions, and we offer it to them. Note, we did not ask for land, we did not ask submission, or anything of that sort. We simply wanted to make sure that a nation that have within two years distrubed the peace of South America twise be rendered in the future incapable of doing so again. We emphasize again that the offer we made to them was a sign of our good will, not something we were obligated to do.
The Portugese refused, without providing a counter-offer, and refusing to negotiate. In this case we, of course, stand by our allies, and will fight Portugal until a peace agreement is reached, which is the only apropriate action given our alliance with the Empire.
We have studied your proposal and do not believe it to be adequate, and have thus refused it. I do not understand at all why we have to be the side giving up some of our demands since the war is completely the fault of Portugal. If they do not wish to negotiate we will fight on the side of our allies.
Your views on what the peace treaty should include have also been taken into account, but we still see no reason to alter our position. Portugal is to blame for the situation, and Portugal will pay, that is our position and we will not waver from it.
Lord John Russell,
Federate Foreign Secretary
Grandmaster
Deity
[size=+1]The Coronation[/size]
The atmosphere in St. Stephen's Basilica was a glorious contradiction. The multitude assembled in and around the cathedral was at once joyous and solemn, eagerly awaiting a great moment of history with all the sobriety they could muster for the occasion. The exterior of the ancient basilica wore bullet-holes as badges of courage, proudly standing testament to the nation's struggle for independence. Its interior now stood witness to a momentous occasion, unseen in this country for hundreds of years.
The pews of the cathedral were packed tightly with the nobility of the realm. Counts, viscounts, barons, and dukes had come from all across the kingdom to witness their new Lord's coronation. Gentlemen of dignity had come from the Hungarian lands still within the Holy Roman and Ottoman Empires, too, playing at once the role of Magyar nobleman and foreign dignitary. Outside the basilica milled a mob of excited onlookers, peasants and city-folk alike, straining to get a glimpse of the proceedings beyond St. Stephen's' massive arch. Most pressed forward in comparative silence, fighting against their natrue to maintain the solemnity of the occasion; some of the more enthusiastic patriots among them shouted loudly the slogans of the Liberal revolution. Men praised Kossuth and the King-elect, and invoked the blessing of the Virgin up his Kingdom. When the chanting of the choir could be heard from inside the basilica, all other noise ceased; the ancient and holy ceremony -- the history-making ceremony which would forever define the new Hungary -- had begun.
The Archbishop of Budapest stood at the altar, hand outstretched in an invocation of praise. Incense hung heavy in the air, perfuming the cathedral and making the air thick and dark with smoke. The Prince emerged near the rear of the cathedral, resplendent of robes of purple and ermine, but advancing with bowed head, as a penitent. Behind him followed two attendants, each men of the cloth, the one bearing the Crown of St. Stephen, and the other St. Stephen's sword and sceptre.
The Prince reached the chancel, and knelt before his heavenly pastor. The Archbishop blessed him with the sign of the Cross, and the attendants split off to his right and left sides. The Prince completed his silent prayers -- doubtless to his patron, Denis, and to the Holy Virgin whose country he now adopted. The Archbishop raised his palms in prayer, and beckoned the Prince to rise onto one knee.
In a ceremony taken wholly from the bygone era of feudal Magyar kings, the Archbishop blessed the young King-elect and charged him to serve and protect the Kingdom and nation. The Prince was anointed with the holy oil, and his hands washed in the holy water to purify his soul for a virtuous reign. He was invested with the sceptre of St. Stephen, and charged to govern well; invested with St. Stephen's sword of state, and charged to fight for justice and in defense of the Hungarian people. Lastly, the Archbishop called the Prince to lift his eyes to God and raise his head to accept his Crown.
Solemnity could not hold in such an occasion. Outside the basilica, the peasants cheered rapturously as the Holy Crown was placed on the head of Lajos III, King of Hungary. The shepherd of Budapest once more crossed the King's forehead, and bid him rise. The new King turned to face the assembled nobility of his adopted nation. A new era in Hungarian history had begun.
OOC: My new King is Lajos III of Hungary, born Louis-Philippe de Bourbon, nephew of the Emperor of France. I'm going to write a biography and such tomorrow.
The atmosphere in St. Stephen's Basilica was a glorious contradiction. The multitude assembled in and around the cathedral was at once joyous and solemn, eagerly awaiting a great moment of history with all the sobriety they could muster for the occasion. The exterior of the ancient basilica wore bullet-holes as badges of courage, proudly standing testament to the nation's struggle for independence. Its interior now stood witness to a momentous occasion, unseen in this country for hundreds of years.
The pews of the cathedral were packed tightly with the nobility of the realm. Counts, viscounts, barons, and dukes had come from all across the kingdom to witness their new Lord's coronation. Gentlemen of dignity had come from the Hungarian lands still within the Holy Roman and Ottoman Empires, too, playing at once the role of Magyar nobleman and foreign dignitary. Outside the basilica milled a mob of excited onlookers, peasants and city-folk alike, straining to get a glimpse of the proceedings beyond St. Stephen's' massive arch. Most pressed forward in comparative silence, fighting against their natrue to maintain the solemnity of the occasion; some of the more enthusiastic patriots among them shouted loudly the slogans of the Liberal revolution. Men praised Kossuth and the King-elect, and invoked the blessing of the Virgin up his Kingdom. When the chanting of the choir could be heard from inside the basilica, all other noise ceased; the ancient and holy ceremony -- the history-making ceremony which would forever define the new Hungary -- had begun.
The Archbishop of Budapest stood at the altar, hand outstretched in an invocation of praise. Incense hung heavy in the air, perfuming the cathedral and making the air thick and dark with smoke. The Prince emerged near the rear of the cathedral, resplendent of robes of purple and ermine, but advancing with bowed head, as a penitent. Behind him followed two attendants, each men of the cloth, the one bearing the Crown of St. Stephen, and the other St. Stephen's sword and sceptre.
The Prince reached the chancel, and knelt before his heavenly pastor. The Archbishop blessed him with the sign of the Cross, and the attendants split off to his right and left sides. The Prince completed his silent prayers -- doubtless to his patron, Denis, and to the Holy Virgin whose country he now adopted. The Archbishop raised his palms in prayer, and beckoned the Prince to rise onto one knee.
In a ceremony taken wholly from the bygone era of feudal Magyar kings, the Archbishop blessed the young King-elect and charged him to serve and protect the Kingdom and nation. The Prince was anointed with the holy oil, and his hands washed in the holy water to purify his soul for a virtuous reign. He was invested with the sceptre of St. Stephen, and charged to govern well; invested with St. Stephen's sword of state, and charged to fight for justice and in defense of the Hungarian people. Lastly, the Archbishop called the Prince to lift his eyes to God and raise his head to accept his Crown.
Solemnity could not hold in such an occasion. Outside the basilica, the peasants cheered rapturously as the Holy Crown was placed on the head of Lajos III, King of Hungary. The shepherd of Budapest once more crossed the King's forehead, and bid him rise. The new King turned to face the assembled nobility of his adopted nation. A new era in Hungarian history had begun.
OOC: My new King is Lajos III of Hungary, born Louis-Philippe de Bourbon, nephew of the Emperor of France. I'm going to write a biography and such tomorrow.
das
Regeneration In Process
Toteone, and anybody else for that matter - not only is New Prussia taken, but blackheart already sent orders for it.
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
das, since the update last week was a bit late in coming, would you please extend the deadline 4 or 5 hours? Persia needs to send orders this turn. And I haven't finished them properly.
- Status
