NES2 VI - Last Semblance of Order.
- Thread starter das
- Start date
Disenfrancised
Beep Beep
das, do you want me to repost that story about setting up new states that was late for the last update?
Wubba360
Emperor
das did you get my orders?
Disenfrancised
Beep Beep
Did Thlayli quit or are the Xin Han going to make one more glorious stand as China's past is dashed on the wave of the future?
Also any guess as what the spotlight will be what with the end of the most recent great wars?
Also any guess as what the spotlight will be what with the end of the most recent great wars?
das
Regeneration In Process
Don't worry, I got Abyssinian and Byzantine orders, no need to repost anything Dis.
KrimzonStriker
Master of the Dawn
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2005
- Messages
- 1,933
das, did you get my PM? I haven't gotten a response...
das
Regeneration In Process
You didn't request any.
KrimzonStriker
Master of the Dawn
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2005
- Messages
- 1,933
Ahhh I was just asking if my suggestion was okay?
Symphony D.
Deity
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
Yes. I've resigned as the Xin Han, update considering, and have a new project.
das
Regeneration In Process
Possibly, but IMHO its a bit too farfetched for now.
Disenfrancised
Beep Beep
The Farow said:
Free nations in this NES are few and far between - better start a rebellion somewhere
...Also @das: What the heck are you doing up so late?
The city of berlin was no longer a sleepy little town, major construction had taken the year before and ever since it grew rapidly. The center of the city was around the mousoleum of the former Grand Chancellor. His tomb was surrounded and ketp by a military guard. It didnt used to be this way, but a few vandals (pro russian ofcourse) once tried to make their view shown in this place. The guard that kept an eye were more of a known prussian military tradition. The change of guard was vastly ceremonial and little kids usually would go and look when it happened.
The name GGR, or greater german republic was not entirely true, it was very unbalance and under critical stress. A true GGR would be the unification of territory that was french territory and this nation.
von Dunkelheit knew this, he knew that no marble building, nor personal science project would do. He had to do something drastic that would ensure loyalty to him and his administration. And unification was in his mind, but ofcourse it would mean war with the strongest power in the world the would think.
The other option was war with russia, a rather expected and popular option of trying to revive the Krakow union. But altough this was an expected truth and that he would most likely get aid from the french and other leviathan powers that were allies of france, he was not his father. He did not have the dream of a United States of Europe with rater liberal ideals. Frederick was not a reactionary, he was conservative. And so he looked at the tomb of this father, he had indeed died, along with all that he lived, but yet he was no an scential part of this nation and was unquestionable.
The name GGR, or greater german republic was not entirely true, it was very unbalance and under critical stress. A true GGR would be the unification of territory that was french territory and this nation.
von Dunkelheit knew this, he knew that no marble building, nor personal science project would do. He had to do something drastic that would ensure loyalty to him and his administration. And unification was in his mind, but ofcourse it would mean war with the strongest power in the world the would think.
The other option was war with russia, a rather expected and popular option of trying to revive the Krakow union. But altough this was an expected truth and that he would most likely get aid from the french and other leviathan powers that were allies of france, he was not his father. He did not have the dream of a United States of Europe with rater liberal ideals. Frederick was not a reactionary, he was conservative. And so he looked at the tomb of this father, he had indeed died, along with all that he lived, but yet he was no an scential part of this nation and was unquestionable.
das
Regeneration In Process
Update 10 - Year 1750
Non-Military Events:
The EUA gets competition in the western half of North America, as the Russian government concludes several treaties with the Aleut tribes and establishes coastal trade posts.
A general spurt of industrial growth - backed by state investment - continues in the EUA, particularily helping the development of Bogota (+Bogota economic center).
The Americano-Incan border is finally defined, the Americans, contrary to the initial Incan plan, taking Piura, but giving up the lands south of the Amazon River.
After the initial confusion ended, France withdrew from Dover, though getting a financial compensation. The English now finally control all of the British Isles, and King George II is much-applaused (+1 Confidence).
The second take on the French social reform is much more succesful, as is the accompanying propaganda campaign (+1 Living Standards, +1 Confidence).
In a pretty sudden development, Julien-Francois and the French government have resigned the protectorate over the Confederation of the Rhine; soon after, the Rheinsparlament - with apparent French encouragement - had approved the Anschluss Akt. In accord with this, the Rheinsparlament self-disbanded, and the Confederation of the Rhine became an equal part of the Greater German Republic (1 Economy from France to Germany). The French "protection" force quickly withdrew across the border. In France, this caused controversy - while most agreed with Julien-Francois' explanation that France needed a) a strong Germany to serve as a buffer state between it and Russia and b) not to overstretch itself, many disliked the surrender of the Confederation and/or distrusted the Germans. In GGR, quite predictably, there was nothing controversial about it, the only voices against coming from a few remaining Polish and Hungarian territories within GGR. Friedrich von Dunkelheit's unprecedented diplomatic victory gained overwhelming support (as did the stabilization and general improvement of the domestic situation) (+2 Confidence).
The now-famous German (partially internationalized) scientific project to find a cure for smallpox goes on, with foreign assistance, especially from EUA and Abyssinia (+1 project progress).
Krakow finally recovers, both as a city and as a commercial and industrial center (+Krakow economic center).
Yet another resurgence of Lithuanian nationalism takes place, though it is a limited one and is checked by the ongoing stream of Russian propaganda and partially-succesful discreditation of the nationalist leaders.
During yet another one of his many ill-advised visits to various obscure locales (specifically, to a small village outside of the city of Sennar), Negus Negusti Demeke Brehane pushed his luck way too far and was kidnapped by Sennarese sympathisers with surprising ease. He was executed soon after (-1 Abyssinian Confidence, Civilian Leadership).
A Russian protectorate was established in Sinkiang and Mongolia, though the Hanhua Emperor has not yet recognized this (the Shixia Emperor - see below - did).
General Chiang Kuo-fan and the other Nan leaders declare the Imperial Republic of the Chinese, Chiang Kuo-fan becoming the Shixia Emperor. His powers, however, are limited by the popularily-elected Grand Council. The Imperial Republic immediately extended claims to all of China Proper and to Tibet, and received recognition from the enemies of the Hanhua Emperor.
Japan officially annexed Korea, Manchuria and Taiwan - once more, without Hanhua's recognition, but with Shixia's. Russia also recognized this, despite last year's strife.
Military Events:
As American forces continue their northern expedition, they begin to clash ever more often with the Nez Perce Amerind tribes. Combined with the attrition, this grinds away at the American expeditionaries. Aside from that and the continued lack of colonists for the new northern lands, things are progressing well despite the emerging Russian competition.
(-1 American EU Cabaleria Core division)
The French finally commit some forces to North America, to fight whoever was behind the ever more numerous countryside attacks. Though they did at times skirmish with some Amerinds, it has not been established too clearly whether they were the ones behind this or not; however, the French did get involved in lots of confused border skirmishing with American forces, some of which for some peculiar reason had evidently failed to notice the Rio Grande and thus accidentally wound up in Texas. After a brief invasion panic on both sides of the river, things calmed down, but bad feelings remained, while Amerind (or rebel?) attacks - now switching eastwards - intensified to the dismay of the Parlement of Noveau Amsterdam.
(-1 American division, -1 French division)
Through diplomacy, intimidation and good honest simple slaughter, the Incans secure much of Charcas [1].
(-1 Incan division)
A new world-wide war begins.
(see spotlight)
(-1 Portuguese Civilian Leadership, Confidence, 1 Economy from Portugal to France, +5 Portuguese irregular divisions, +5 American irregular divisions)
(-Spain as an independent nation, -4 American divisions, -5 American EU Cabalerria Core divisions, -2 American irregular divisions, -11 French divisions, -12 French Foreign Legion corps, -15 French squadrons, -25 Portuguese divisions, -1 Portuguese irregular division, -18 Portuguese squadrons, -3 Papal divisions, -7 Ottoman divisions, -1 Ottoman UU, -3 Japanese divisions, -3 Japanese Ikkitousennonimusha divisions, -4 Japanese squadrons)
Kanem-Bornu's landgrabs continue.
(-2 Kanem-Bornu divisions)
Stunned by the death of their Emperor, burdened by artillery bought from the Portuguese and clearly not meant for the difficult African conditions and increasingly undersupplied due to overstrained logistics, the Abyssinians had no choice but to concede the initiative to Rajab, who, on the inertion of his initial rapid advance, continued to attack. A vanguard was sent out. At Halfa al Jadidah (far to the east from Sennar the city), it confronted an Abyssinian army, which after a little delay engaged the Sennarese (who had tried and failed to avoid battle, being pinned down against the 'Atbarah River). Though the vanguard was wiped out, the Abyssinians were distracted and bloodied by the combat, and the main force routed them utterly; soon, most of eastern Sennar was Rajab's. Abyssinians fared quite badly in the west of Sennar as well, having bumped into a sizeable Ottoman army there and being beaten back, though not fully crushed. In the center, however, they held and even advanced, and later thwarted a Sennarese flanking move. The war still hangs in the balance...
(-12 Sennarese divisions, -3 Sennarese Mounted Grenadier divisions, -1 Sennarese irregular division, -16 Abyssinian divisions, -3 Abyssinian Imperial Guard of the Shiba divisions, -3 Ottoman divisions)
The situation in China got more and more confusing, as conflicts between coalition members (see spotlight) begun, as France and Japan withdrew from much of China Proper, as the Mughal Empire resumed its offensives and as more and more revolts took place. Amongst the first of these revolts was a conspiracy of the remnants of the Qing court which, under the careless eyes of the otherwise-preoccupied Frenchmen, had succesfully prepared and launched rebellions in North China and Manchuria, just as the French forces begun to evacuate, causing much confusion and carnage. It eventually was put down separately by the Japanese and the Xin Han, the withdrawal of the former having allowed the latter to retake northern China Proper. The Hanhua Emperor decided to concentrate his efforts on the "Nan Chinese Rebels", who by then had already declared the Imperial Republic and begun to attack nearby pro-Xin Hua militias and garrisons. The Xin Han have begun evacuating troops from Burma to stop the Imperial Republican advance in Yunnan, but the infrastructure in the Indochinese country was still wretched, and the Mughal invasion made things even worse. The Mughals came in great number, and overwhelmed both the Chinese garrison and the local rebels that tried to resist. Similarily they took over Nepal and Bhutan, in spite of the difficult terrain and the fierce resistance of the Gurkhas. And to the north from Nepal, between the Russians and the Mughals, the Tibetians rose up as well. Meanwhile, back in China Proper, Xin Han forces defeated several local revolts, recaptured Chengdu from the Imperial Republicans who had briefly occupied it and beat back the enemy offensive towards Shanghai. Now the Hanhua Emperor launched a counter-attack, supported by those of his southern retainers that were not yet hunted down. At one point Xin Han troops have threatened the important port city of Fuzhou. It was there that they had an unpleasant surprise in the form of the Japanese expeditionary force, which first destroyed the Xin Han fleet that was trying to blockade the southern cities, and then landed a sizeable force that, combined with the Imperial Republicans and the Nan Chinese volunteers (+5 Imperial Republican irregular divisions), beat back the Xin Han. But later in the year, the Hanhua Emperor once more reminded everybody that he was not yet defeated, having retaken Chongqing and crossed the Yangtze river in the west, thus threatening to cut off the westernmost Imperial Republican army from the rest.
(-3 French Foreign Legion corps, -6 Mughal divisions, -1 Mughal Imperial Guard division, -5 Imperial Republican divisions, -3 Imperial Republican irregular divisions, -1 Imperial Republican irregular squadron, -4 Japanese divisions, -2 Japanese Ikkitousennonimusha divisions, -4 Japanese squadrons, -9 Xin Han divisions, -2 Xin Han Ma Bing divisions, -3 Xin Han irregular divisions, -9 Xin Han squadrons)
Random Events:
The EUA grows ever more organized and well-ran (+1 Civilian Leadership).
Byzantine archeology gets a boost as well (+1 Education). Patriotic feeling flourishes as well (+1 Culture).
The Chinese Imperial Republic is declared by the southern Chinese rebels (+1 Confidence).
The Abyssinian army gets even more volunteers for the "one final push" (+5 divisions).
Japan continues to fruitfully cooperate with the French officer corps (+1 Military Leadership).
Many of Julien-Francois' last year apostates have once more begun to deify him with this year's decisive action (+1 Confidence).
A limited brain-drain takes place in Germany (-1 Education).
In the war-torn parts of the EUA, reconstruction is very slow, and bad harvests make things even worse (-1 Living Standards).
Continued war damages the Sennarese economy further (-1 Economy).
A violent fire rampages through Nouvelle-Orleans; though the city is eventually rebuilt, the commerce has not yet recovered (-Nouvelle-Orleans economic center).
The Finnish roads become notoriously bad due to neglection and bad weather (-1 Infrastructure).
A military conspiracy is nipped in the bud in the Byzantine Empire, but the new General Staff is obviously hindered by it (-1 project progress).
Buerocratic mishaps hinder Pope Leo XII's reorganization efforts (-project progress).
Corruption grows as Spain stagnates (-1 Civilian Leadership).
Flooding damages the Danish infrastructure (-1 Infrastructure).
Anarchy and war-time devastation make life in all of Chinas even more difficult (-1 Xin Han, Imperial Republican Chinese Living Standards).
Spotlight:
Julien-Francois' New War.
"Just how many times a year can one man put the world on its head?"
- Unknown (possibly Ernest Daudet). mid-18th century.
...when the war was declared, the French government was clearly forced to improvise a casus belli, and, as usual with improvisations, it was rather unimpressive. The war was declared to "punish colonial opportunism", and then there were some mentions of atrocities and generally heavy-handed treatment of rebels, but the real causes of the war were even more obvious than usual, having not even been properly veiled. Julien-Francois throughout his reign struggled to forge a new world order, by destroying the old one and using the pieces of it as material. He destroyed and elevated empires as part of a plan of a thousand steps. Having destroyed Spain, Julien-Francois created a power vacuum immediately exploited by him, his allies, and, naturally, Portugal, a fellow great power, at times - an ally, at times - rival, and now, for the very first time - an open enemy. With French assistance, the EUA emerged, the Ottomans were salvaged and the Japanese Shogunate was modernized - now, they were to ascend even further, for in this step, at least, they were of importance for Julien-Francois. Just like Spain and its vast colonial empire were partitioned, so now Portugal awaited the same fate.
Indeed, awaited - the Portuguese were not completely unprepared, they have been waiting for a French attack. Only, they haven't prepared for it well enough. The only measure that actually bore fruit was the evacuation of the government to comparatively safe Brazil, just before the French invasion of Portugal Proper. There was some chaos and disorganization, but it was better than losing the government to the Frenchmen - that the Portuguese empire might have not withstood. As for Portugal Proper, as in China, the French had far superior firepower and numbers. The Portuguese, headed by the king personally (though most of the government indeed fled, the king chose to remain in Portugal itself, if only because the French had by then set up a good blockade), put up a brave defense but were brushed aside after a few hours of fighting, and the French forces occupied much of the country within a month. The king himself evidently took his life; his son Pedro III, of Cordoba (the one in La Plata, obviously) fame, took power in Rio de Janeiro.
He soon had an even greater headache than he had anticipated, but before we get to that, here's a mention of a medium-sized, but proud country that was overran along the way. To a thalassocratic power such as France, the sea was less of an impediment than a national border, but it wasn't much of an impediment neither if there was an urgent need to, say, establish an overland connection between newly-conquered Portugal and the main French territories. Julien-Francois declared that Spain has violated the Treaty of Paris for long enough, and that it can now go to the ash heap of history with the feeling of a job well-done. The French ivnaded from both Portugal and Aragon. Blah blah blah, heroic Spanish resistance, blah blah blah, superior French firepower, blah blah blah, bloodthirsty Basques raping looting and killing, blah blah blah, Gallicians, blah blah blah, Papal expeditionary corps, blah blah blah, vital battle at Madrid Spanish forces overran et cetera. You get the general idea - the French and their allies simply crushed Spain, though not without casualties. It was a model war of maneuver, btw - the Spanish were being constantly outflanked, and thus unable to make things really painful for the French. Anyway, the Iberian peninsula was divided between direct French control and French control through allies. A few guerrila risings were put down later into the year.
Portugal, unlike its fellow Iberian state, was not down yet. But things were heading in that direction. For instance, while the government was only beginning to be set up in Rio de Janeiro and the buerocracy was in a mess, everybody forgot about Chile. This was used by the EUA, the government of which declared that the Portuguese clearly want to take it all for themselves and, accordingly, declared war upon the Portuguese. Immediately, the Americans struck out from North Chile, and though the invasion of South Chile itself was an utter failure as the Portuguese had time to prepare defenses there, in northern La Plata the Americans made much ground, skirmishing with the local warlords, the Incans and the Portuguese at the same time. In the north of South America, there was much activity as well. Though far from all of the Portuguese Atlantic fleet was hunted down by the French yet, under French escort the Americans managed to land at Salvador unperturbed (until the landing itself, that is). At Salvador itself, they were met by one hell of a battle, and only French naval bombardment allowed the Americans to secure the city which was immediately besieged by militias raised from the countryside and the nearby regular troops. Though the Americans held on to it, no break-out attempts suceeded. Meanwhile, with the help of local Amerinds, American forces went down the Amazon, securing riverside ground along the way and finally taking Belem. Some more nearby territory was secured despite local resistance. Despite all, the Americans have not done as badly as they might have, and certainly succeeded in attracting Portuguese attention.
Bit-by-bit the Atlantic Portuguese fleet was being destroyed as the French established a blockade of Brazil.
Further east, the Ottomans joined into the fray. At the very start, their leadership showed noteworthy incompetence by trying to attack the Portuguese colonies in Arabia "northwards" without any ships. The troops were obviously quite confused, having succesfully outmaneuvered each other and themselves. But finally, the matter was cleared up, and despite both the Portuguese defense preparations and the hostility of the Arabic tribes, the Ottomans overwhelmed the Portuguese with sheer nubmers, in Yemen anyway. In Oman, things were more difficult as the Portuguese fought back all attacks on Muscat, though not elsewhere. In Africa, the Ottomans encountered no difficulties in reconquering Asmara. From there the Ottomans travelled by ship to the Horn of Africa, which they have secured. However, fear of the Portuguese fleet prevented the Ottomans from utilizing their own as well as they could have, and without that, their conquest of Portuguese East Africa was quite hopeless as it simply took them too long to get from city to city. Eventually, aside from the Horn of Africa they only captured Mogadishu - the attack on Mombassa failed miserably as the Portuguese garrison had lots of time to prepare, while the Ottomans were undersupplied, tired and attrition-wrecked. As the Portuguese fleet continued to reign free in the Indian Ocean, it seems that the war has stalemated here for good.
And further still to the east, in the Far East, the French, having withdrawn from China, attacked Singapore. Though the Portuguese naval forces there were more numerous than expected, the French fleet was even larger and it had triumphed in the naval battle at Sentosa (just off Singapore itself). The city was assaulted, and though the French casualties were heavy it was taken. Meanwhile, having defeated the last Malay rebels, the famous Portuguese general de Sousa fought back a hasty French overland offensive; he still had with him a pretty large, well-trained, well-fortified force that promised to be hard to root out.
Finally, Japan contributed to the war effort, assaulting Macao from the land and the sea and succeeding where Chiang Kuo-fan - from whose territory they had attacked, despite his neutrality - had failed. That victory wasn't even very costly, the Portuguese were stunned and overwhelmed. By contrast, an attack towards Sulawesi has not succeeded due to superior Portuguese numbers there; however, the Japanese commander managed to disengage without much loss, the Portuguese not being particularily keen to pursue at the moment. They were expecting a French attack.
Portugal was living out its last days as a great power... or was it?
NPC Diplo:
OOC:
If it shows, I was quite tired by the time I got to the spotlight. IMHO it could've been done better.
[1] Charcas=OTL Bolivia.
You cannot sacrifice and grow economy at the same time.
Rules changed, see "Size".
ALWAYS! POINT! OUT! HOW! MANY! DIVISIONS! AND/OR! SQUADRONS! YOU! HAVE! IN! ANY! AND! EVERY! SPOT!
I really do mean that, you know. Should I make it coloured and larger to make you people notice it?
Non-Military Events:
The EUA gets competition in the western half of North America, as the Russian government concludes several treaties with the Aleut tribes and establishes coastal trade posts.
A general spurt of industrial growth - backed by state investment - continues in the EUA, particularily helping the development of Bogota (+Bogota economic center).
The Americano-Incan border is finally defined, the Americans, contrary to the initial Incan plan, taking Piura, but giving up the lands south of the Amazon River.
After the initial confusion ended, France withdrew from Dover, though getting a financial compensation. The English now finally control all of the British Isles, and King George II is much-applaused (+1 Confidence).
The second take on the French social reform is much more succesful, as is the accompanying propaganda campaign (+1 Living Standards, +1 Confidence).
In a pretty sudden development, Julien-Francois and the French government have resigned the protectorate over the Confederation of the Rhine; soon after, the Rheinsparlament - with apparent French encouragement - had approved the Anschluss Akt. In accord with this, the Rheinsparlament self-disbanded, and the Confederation of the Rhine became an equal part of the Greater German Republic (1 Economy from France to Germany). The French "protection" force quickly withdrew across the border. In France, this caused controversy - while most agreed with Julien-Francois' explanation that France needed a) a strong Germany to serve as a buffer state between it and Russia and b) not to overstretch itself, many disliked the surrender of the Confederation and/or distrusted the Germans. In GGR, quite predictably, there was nothing controversial about it, the only voices against coming from a few remaining Polish and Hungarian territories within GGR. Friedrich von Dunkelheit's unprecedented diplomatic victory gained overwhelming support (as did the stabilization and general improvement of the domestic situation) (+2 Confidence).
The now-famous German (partially internationalized) scientific project to find a cure for smallpox goes on, with foreign assistance, especially from EUA and Abyssinia (+1 project progress).
Krakow finally recovers, both as a city and as a commercial and industrial center (+Krakow economic center).
Yet another resurgence of Lithuanian nationalism takes place, though it is a limited one and is checked by the ongoing stream of Russian propaganda and partially-succesful discreditation of the nationalist leaders.
During yet another one of his many ill-advised visits to various obscure locales (specifically, to a small village outside of the city of Sennar), Negus Negusti Demeke Brehane pushed his luck way too far and was kidnapped by Sennarese sympathisers with surprising ease. He was executed soon after (-1 Abyssinian Confidence, Civilian Leadership).
A Russian protectorate was established in Sinkiang and Mongolia, though the Hanhua Emperor has not yet recognized this (the Shixia Emperor - see below - did).
General Chiang Kuo-fan and the other Nan leaders declare the Imperial Republic of the Chinese, Chiang Kuo-fan becoming the Shixia Emperor. His powers, however, are limited by the popularily-elected Grand Council. The Imperial Republic immediately extended claims to all of China Proper and to Tibet, and received recognition from the enemies of the Hanhua Emperor.
Japan officially annexed Korea, Manchuria and Taiwan - once more, without Hanhua's recognition, but with Shixia's. Russia also recognized this, despite last year's strife.
Military Events:
As American forces continue their northern expedition, they begin to clash ever more often with the Nez Perce Amerind tribes. Combined with the attrition, this grinds away at the American expeditionaries. Aside from that and the continued lack of colonists for the new northern lands, things are progressing well despite the emerging Russian competition.
(-1 American EU Cabaleria Core division)
The French finally commit some forces to North America, to fight whoever was behind the ever more numerous countryside attacks. Though they did at times skirmish with some Amerinds, it has not been established too clearly whether they were the ones behind this or not; however, the French did get involved in lots of confused border skirmishing with American forces, some of which for some peculiar reason had evidently failed to notice the Rio Grande and thus accidentally wound up in Texas. After a brief invasion panic on both sides of the river, things calmed down, but bad feelings remained, while Amerind (or rebel?) attacks - now switching eastwards - intensified to the dismay of the Parlement of Noveau Amsterdam.
(-1 American division, -1 French division)
Through diplomacy, intimidation and good honest simple slaughter, the Incans secure much of Charcas [1].
(-1 Incan division)
A new world-wide war begins.
(see spotlight)
(-1 Portuguese Civilian Leadership, Confidence, 1 Economy from Portugal to France, +5 Portuguese irregular divisions, +5 American irregular divisions)
(-Spain as an independent nation, -4 American divisions, -5 American EU Cabalerria Core divisions, -2 American irregular divisions, -11 French divisions, -12 French Foreign Legion corps, -15 French squadrons, -25 Portuguese divisions, -1 Portuguese irregular division, -18 Portuguese squadrons, -3 Papal divisions, -7 Ottoman divisions, -1 Ottoman UU, -3 Japanese divisions, -3 Japanese Ikkitousennonimusha divisions, -4 Japanese squadrons)
Kanem-Bornu's landgrabs continue.
(-2 Kanem-Bornu divisions)
Stunned by the death of their Emperor, burdened by artillery bought from the Portuguese and clearly not meant for the difficult African conditions and increasingly undersupplied due to overstrained logistics, the Abyssinians had no choice but to concede the initiative to Rajab, who, on the inertion of his initial rapid advance, continued to attack. A vanguard was sent out. At Halfa al Jadidah (far to the east from Sennar the city), it confronted an Abyssinian army, which after a little delay engaged the Sennarese (who had tried and failed to avoid battle, being pinned down against the 'Atbarah River). Though the vanguard was wiped out, the Abyssinians were distracted and bloodied by the combat, and the main force routed them utterly; soon, most of eastern Sennar was Rajab's. Abyssinians fared quite badly in the west of Sennar as well, having bumped into a sizeable Ottoman army there and being beaten back, though not fully crushed. In the center, however, they held and even advanced, and later thwarted a Sennarese flanking move. The war still hangs in the balance...
(-12 Sennarese divisions, -3 Sennarese Mounted Grenadier divisions, -1 Sennarese irregular division, -16 Abyssinian divisions, -3 Abyssinian Imperial Guard of the Shiba divisions, -3 Ottoman divisions)
The situation in China got more and more confusing, as conflicts between coalition members (see spotlight) begun, as France and Japan withdrew from much of China Proper, as the Mughal Empire resumed its offensives and as more and more revolts took place. Amongst the first of these revolts was a conspiracy of the remnants of the Qing court which, under the careless eyes of the otherwise-preoccupied Frenchmen, had succesfully prepared and launched rebellions in North China and Manchuria, just as the French forces begun to evacuate, causing much confusion and carnage. It eventually was put down separately by the Japanese and the Xin Han, the withdrawal of the former having allowed the latter to retake northern China Proper. The Hanhua Emperor decided to concentrate his efforts on the "Nan Chinese Rebels", who by then had already declared the Imperial Republic and begun to attack nearby pro-Xin Hua militias and garrisons. The Xin Han have begun evacuating troops from Burma to stop the Imperial Republican advance in Yunnan, but the infrastructure in the Indochinese country was still wretched, and the Mughal invasion made things even worse. The Mughals came in great number, and overwhelmed both the Chinese garrison and the local rebels that tried to resist. Similarily they took over Nepal and Bhutan, in spite of the difficult terrain and the fierce resistance of the Gurkhas. And to the north from Nepal, between the Russians and the Mughals, the Tibetians rose up as well. Meanwhile, back in China Proper, Xin Han forces defeated several local revolts, recaptured Chengdu from the Imperial Republicans who had briefly occupied it and beat back the enemy offensive towards Shanghai. Now the Hanhua Emperor launched a counter-attack, supported by those of his southern retainers that were not yet hunted down. At one point Xin Han troops have threatened the important port city of Fuzhou. It was there that they had an unpleasant surprise in the form of the Japanese expeditionary force, which first destroyed the Xin Han fleet that was trying to blockade the southern cities, and then landed a sizeable force that, combined with the Imperial Republicans and the Nan Chinese volunteers (+5 Imperial Republican irregular divisions), beat back the Xin Han. But later in the year, the Hanhua Emperor once more reminded everybody that he was not yet defeated, having retaken Chongqing and crossed the Yangtze river in the west, thus threatening to cut off the westernmost Imperial Republican army from the rest.
(-3 French Foreign Legion corps, -6 Mughal divisions, -1 Mughal Imperial Guard division, -5 Imperial Republican divisions, -3 Imperial Republican irregular divisions, -1 Imperial Republican irregular squadron, -4 Japanese divisions, -2 Japanese Ikkitousennonimusha divisions, -4 Japanese squadrons, -9 Xin Han divisions, -2 Xin Han Ma Bing divisions, -3 Xin Han irregular divisions, -9 Xin Han squadrons)
Random Events:
The EUA grows ever more organized and well-ran (+1 Civilian Leadership).
Byzantine archeology gets a boost as well (+1 Education). Patriotic feeling flourishes as well (+1 Culture).
The Chinese Imperial Republic is declared by the southern Chinese rebels (+1 Confidence).
The Abyssinian army gets even more volunteers for the "one final push" (+5 divisions).
Japan continues to fruitfully cooperate with the French officer corps (+1 Military Leadership).
Many of Julien-Francois' last year apostates have once more begun to deify him with this year's decisive action (+1 Confidence).
A limited brain-drain takes place in Germany (-1 Education).
In the war-torn parts of the EUA, reconstruction is very slow, and bad harvests make things even worse (-1 Living Standards).
Continued war damages the Sennarese economy further (-1 Economy).
A violent fire rampages through Nouvelle-Orleans; though the city is eventually rebuilt, the commerce has not yet recovered (-Nouvelle-Orleans economic center).
The Finnish roads become notoriously bad due to neglection and bad weather (-1 Infrastructure).
A military conspiracy is nipped in the bud in the Byzantine Empire, but the new General Staff is obviously hindered by it (-1 project progress).
Buerocratic mishaps hinder Pope Leo XII's reorganization efforts (-project progress).
Corruption grows as Spain stagnates (-1 Civilian Leadership).
Flooding damages the Danish infrastructure (-1 Infrastructure).
Anarchy and war-time devastation make life in all of Chinas even more difficult (-1 Xin Han, Imperial Republican Chinese Living Standards).
Spotlight:
Julien-Francois' New War.
"Just how many times a year can one man put the world on its head?"
- Unknown (possibly Ernest Daudet). mid-18th century.
...when the war was declared, the French government was clearly forced to improvise a casus belli, and, as usual with improvisations, it was rather unimpressive. The war was declared to "punish colonial opportunism", and then there were some mentions of atrocities and generally heavy-handed treatment of rebels, but the real causes of the war were even more obvious than usual, having not even been properly veiled. Julien-Francois throughout his reign struggled to forge a new world order, by destroying the old one and using the pieces of it as material. He destroyed and elevated empires as part of a plan of a thousand steps. Having destroyed Spain, Julien-Francois created a power vacuum immediately exploited by him, his allies, and, naturally, Portugal, a fellow great power, at times - an ally, at times - rival, and now, for the very first time - an open enemy. With French assistance, the EUA emerged, the Ottomans were salvaged and the Japanese Shogunate was modernized - now, they were to ascend even further, for in this step, at least, they were of importance for Julien-Francois. Just like Spain and its vast colonial empire were partitioned, so now Portugal awaited the same fate.
Indeed, awaited - the Portuguese were not completely unprepared, they have been waiting for a French attack. Only, they haven't prepared for it well enough. The only measure that actually bore fruit was the evacuation of the government to comparatively safe Brazil, just before the French invasion of Portugal Proper. There was some chaos and disorganization, but it was better than losing the government to the Frenchmen - that the Portuguese empire might have not withstood. As for Portugal Proper, as in China, the French had far superior firepower and numbers. The Portuguese, headed by the king personally (though most of the government indeed fled, the king chose to remain in Portugal itself, if only because the French had by then set up a good blockade), put up a brave defense but were brushed aside after a few hours of fighting, and the French forces occupied much of the country within a month. The king himself evidently took his life; his son Pedro III, of Cordoba (the one in La Plata, obviously) fame, took power in Rio de Janeiro.
He soon had an even greater headache than he had anticipated, but before we get to that, here's a mention of a medium-sized, but proud country that was overran along the way. To a thalassocratic power such as France, the sea was less of an impediment than a national border, but it wasn't much of an impediment neither if there was an urgent need to, say, establish an overland connection between newly-conquered Portugal and the main French territories. Julien-Francois declared that Spain has violated the Treaty of Paris for long enough, and that it can now go to the ash heap of history with the feeling of a job well-done. The French ivnaded from both Portugal and Aragon. Blah blah blah, heroic Spanish resistance, blah blah blah, superior French firepower, blah blah blah, bloodthirsty Basques raping looting and killing, blah blah blah, Gallicians, blah blah blah, Papal expeditionary corps, blah blah blah, vital battle at Madrid Spanish forces overran et cetera. You get the general idea - the French and their allies simply crushed Spain, though not without casualties. It was a model war of maneuver, btw - the Spanish were being constantly outflanked, and thus unable to make things really painful for the French. Anyway, the Iberian peninsula was divided between direct French control and French control through allies. A few guerrila risings were put down later into the year.
Portugal, unlike its fellow Iberian state, was not down yet. But things were heading in that direction. For instance, while the government was only beginning to be set up in Rio de Janeiro and the buerocracy was in a mess, everybody forgot about Chile. This was used by the EUA, the government of which declared that the Portuguese clearly want to take it all for themselves and, accordingly, declared war upon the Portuguese. Immediately, the Americans struck out from North Chile, and though the invasion of South Chile itself was an utter failure as the Portuguese had time to prepare defenses there, in northern La Plata the Americans made much ground, skirmishing with the local warlords, the Incans and the Portuguese at the same time. In the north of South America, there was much activity as well. Though far from all of the Portuguese Atlantic fleet was hunted down by the French yet, under French escort the Americans managed to land at Salvador unperturbed (until the landing itself, that is). At Salvador itself, they were met by one hell of a battle, and only French naval bombardment allowed the Americans to secure the city which was immediately besieged by militias raised from the countryside and the nearby regular troops. Though the Americans held on to it, no break-out attempts suceeded. Meanwhile, with the help of local Amerinds, American forces went down the Amazon, securing riverside ground along the way and finally taking Belem. Some more nearby territory was secured despite local resistance. Despite all, the Americans have not done as badly as they might have, and certainly succeeded in attracting Portuguese attention.
Bit-by-bit the Atlantic Portuguese fleet was being destroyed as the French established a blockade of Brazil.
Further east, the Ottomans joined into the fray. At the very start, their leadership showed noteworthy incompetence by trying to attack the Portuguese colonies in Arabia "northwards" without any ships. The troops were obviously quite confused, having succesfully outmaneuvered each other and themselves. But finally, the matter was cleared up, and despite both the Portuguese defense preparations and the hostility of the Arabic tribes, the Ottomans overwhelmed the Portuguese with sheer nubmers, in Yemen anyway. In Oman, things were more difficult as the Portuguese fought back all attacks on Muscat, though not elsewhere. In Africa, the Ottomans encountered no difficulties in reconquering Asmara. From there the Ottomans travelled by ship to the Horn of Africa, which they have secured. However, fear of the Portuguese fleet prevented the Ottomans from utilizing their own as well as they could have, and without that, their conquest of Portuguese East Africa was quite hopeless as it simply took them too long to get from city to city. Eventually, aside from the Horn of Africa they only captured Mogadishu - the attack on Mombassa failed miserably as the Portuguese garrison had lots of time to prepare, while the Ottomans were undersupplied, tired and attrition-wrecked. As the Portuguese fleet continued to reign free in the Indian Ocean, it seems that the war has stalemated here for good.
And further still to the east, in the Far East, the French, having withdrawn from China, attacked Singapore. Though the Portuguese naval forces there were more numerous than expected, the French fleet was even larger and it had triumphed in the naval battle at Sentosa (just off Singapore itself). The city was assaulted, and though the French casualties were heavy it was taken. Meanwhile, having defeated the last Malay rebels, the famous Portuguese general de Sousa fought back a hasty French overland offensive; he still had with him a pretty large, well-trained, well-fortified force that promised to be hard to root out.
Finally, Japan contributed to the war effort, assaulting Macao from the land and the sea and succeeding where Chiang Kuo-fan - from whose territory they had attacked, despite his neutrality - had failed. That victory wasn't even very costly, the Portuguese were stunned and overwhelmed. By contrast, an attack towards Sulawesi has not succeeded due to superior Portuguese numbers there; however, the Japanese commander managed to disengage without much loss, the Portuguese not being particularily keen to pursue at the moment. They were expecting a French attack.
Portugal was living out its last days as a great power... or was it?
NPC Diplo:
OOC:
If it shows, I was quite tired by the time I got to the spotlight. IMHO it could've been done better.
[1] Charcas=OTL Bolivia.
You cannot sacrifice and grow economy at the same time.
Rules changed, see "Size".
ALWAYS! POINT! OUT! HOW! MANY! DIVISIONS! AND/OR! SQUADRONS! YOU! HAVE! IN! ANY! AND! EVERY! SPOT!
I really do mean that, you know. Should I make it coloured and larger to make you people notice it?
