Kentharu
Zebra Commander
remember, keep the spam down guys
NES2 VI - Last Semblance of Order.
- Thread starter das
- Start date
Swissempire
Poet Jester
Update Das... please
Disenfrancised
Beep Beep
Swissempire said:Update Das... please
Umm swiss its 2 in the morning for das now - I'm pretty sure he's asleep
and the update will be tomorrow.
Swissempire
Poet Jester
o......ummm....akward
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
Grrr... I waited the whole day for this...
The Qing Chinese Empire formally denounces all rebel leaders in China.
The Qing Chinese Empire formally denounces all rebel leaders in China.
das
Regeneration In Process
A thousand pardons - lots of internet problems lately, I only now managed to secure a decent connection. But things seem fine now, I will commence posting the update in 1 (one) minute.
conehead234
Braves on the Warpath
Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!
das
Regeneration In Process
Update 3 - Year 1743
Non-Military Events:
The schism in the Catholic church occurs officially, as the "Colonial Catholic Church", in the American colonies of European states, has grown more organized and elected a Pope of its own, Diego Ayala, or Urban IX, in Mexico City. In truth, however, it is not that grand an event, as the CCC lacks much influence outside of the Americas, and does not enjoy too much support even there, despite the present Roman Pope's unpopularity.
The French begin to properly colonize the western regions of their North American colonies, albeit rather slowly.
The Basque Resistance falls apart, both due to the futility of it all and due to the schism in the leadership, as Giorgio Magro loses control over much of the rebellion to popular leaders... who promptly renounced the Catholic church and demanded that all the Basques convert to Orthodox Christianity, discrediting themselves as well. THe rebellion fell apart and the remaining independence fighters gave up, apart from a few diehards that tried, unsuccesfully, to burn down the Spanish royal mint.
Spain (semi-)officialy becomes the new "sick man of Europe".
(see military events, see spotlight; note that this is both a domestic- and a military-related spotlight, hence me mentioning it in both sections)
War seems to be brewing in Scandinavia, as the Danish Prime Minister Lentz takes a hardline anti-Swedish stance, to the cheers of the Danish-Norwegian nationalists (+1 Confidence): he first restated the Danish claims towards the Swedish province of Skane, then begun a military build-up and claimed that Sweden is trying to root out the pro-Danish elements in Skane. Meanwhile, the Danes used their strategic position to sabotage Swedish maritime commerce outside of the Baltic Sea by raising outrageous taxes on all non-Danish and non-Russian ships passing through the Kattegat (-Goteborg economic center).
The Treaty of Constantinople, after many negotiations and near-wars, officially ends the Ottoman presence in Europe, but the Turkish people themselves are content that at least something was salvaged. The Spanish government gains some prestige from enforcing the Russian withdrawal from most of their gains (+1 Confidence); as for Russia, the people are quite unhappy at the way Tsargrad was abandoned (-1 Confidence). Anyway, the treaty itself limited Russian direct gains to the Danubean Principalities that were incorporated into the Union just as Lithuania was in its times and, at a later date, to Georgia whose clans agreed to acknowledge Russian supremacy; however, the new states of Serbia, Bulgaria and Armenia are quite pro-Russian as well, ruled by dynasties with some ties with the Rurikovichi of Russia. Also, some of Venice's gains are confirmed, while the Greek Rebels seem to be the biggest winners of all, having re-established the Byzantine Empire and retaken the city of Constantinople as a compromise (naturally, it became the Byzantine capital, causing some problems as the southern warlords and other local leaders suddenly lost much influence and the people became more alienated from the government, although this was compensated by the prestige gained from the rebirth of the Byzantines (-1 Culture)).
Stimulated by the export of slaves and other Subsaharan African goods, the Portuguese port city of "Banana" (many have petitioned for it to be renamed into something more... grand, or something) emerges as a significant center of commerce (+Banana economic center).
The new, Spanish-trained Chinese officer corps enters service (+1 Military Leadership).
An obscure South Chinese port of Xiang Gang has been, with the government's help, developed into a potential future trade center, though it will take some time, especially after some recent problems in South-East Asia.
The economical "bubble" that has been growing for quite a while now due to the investment into various South-East Asian companies, was burst, suddenly and violently, by a surprisingly-coordinated pirate attack against woefully-underdefended trade routes there (-1 French, Spanish, Portuguese Confidence). When these news reached Europe, lots of stocks lost value, and much of Western Europe, especially Spain (see spotlight) was plunged into an economical crisis, though it remains to be seen whether it will get even worse later on, or if the situation will improve (as a matter of fact, the economy already begun to recover in most of Western Europe, but that might be only temporary) (-1 Irish, Scottish, English, -2 French, Portuguese, Spanish Economy). It will also take a while for the Far Eastern commerce as a whole to recover (-Singapore economic center, -Saigon economic center, -Jakartra economic center, -Manila economic center)...
Military Events:
The Spaniards advance northwards across California, establishing a border with Columbia... and then crossing it (see spoiler).
Spain (semi-)officially becomes the new "sick man of Europe".
(see spotlight)
(1 division from Columbia to Spain, -1 Spanish Culture, Confidence)
(-Columbia as an independent state, -Sicilian Rebellion, -4 Spanish divisions)
The Most Serene Republic's strenghthening provoke the Most Sincere Fear in the Roman Pope and also among his allies, both the likely and official one - Spain - and the unlikely, unofficial ally that is the Krakow Union, which was also concerned by the Venetian rise (whereas the Spanish feared that the Venetians might try to challenge the Spanish predominance in the Mediterranean). The Grand Kanzler probably was also interested in attaining some Adriatic ports in the province of Illyria, an old Hungarian possession now ruled by the Venetians. The only thing needed was a casus belli, and these are always easy to find if you put your mind to it. Throughout the Papal and Holy League territories, a paper saying that the Venetians seeked to conquer all of Italy was circulated; separately, the Pope condemned the Venetian "imperialism" and "powermongering". This condemnation was joined by the Spaniards and the Krakowians a few days later; by then, hostilities already begun. Most Venetian forces were busy keeping order in Balkans, so the Papal forces that crossed the Po had the undivided attention of most Venetian forces still in Italy; the well-trained, well-positioned Venetians held the invaders at bay, until suddenly Venice itself was threatened by an overwhelmingly-strong Krakowian attack force, spearheaded by the enigmatic Guard of the Grand Chancellorship, of which it was only learned from this campaign that it is very good in all regards and is also quite ruthless. Anyway, the Venetian forces in Italy were crushed between the Krakowian hammer and the Papal anvil. Venice itself was shelled into submission, Doge Adriano Durantes, the man who claimed to be the personification of the Enlightenment, dying during the shelling from bullet wounds and lack of fresh air in the canal into which he was thrown by someone seconds before his death. Meanwhile, the Venetians in Bosnia, much more numerous and prepared, were also overran by the Krakowian "blitzkrieg", as it was called affectionately by the Krakowian press; the quite mobile Krakowian forces outmaneuvered their enemies, surrounded their strongpoints and crushed them one-by-one before a more coordinated defense was prepared at Split, and when it was ready it was way too late and the Karkowians won by their numbers and firepower. Finally, the Venetian commander in Albania has contacted the Byzantine Empire, and, in exchange for refuge for both him and his troops as well as the large sum of money prepared for the Venetian government if it agrees to sell Albania to the Byzantines, turned the province over without a fight and entered the Byzantine service, also helping train the local troops (4 divisions from Venice to Byzantium, +1 Byzantine Army Training). The fate of other Venetian lands is not entirely certain, though - Grand Kanzler von Dunkelheit allegedly proposed a division plan, but the Pope is yet to reply to it...
(-Venice as a nation, -2 Papal divisions, -3 Papal Zouave divisions, -4 Krakowian divisions, -1 Krakowian GotGC division)
A rather hasty rebellion against newly-installed pro-Russian government in the Union State of Romania is dealt with quickly and efficiently by the numerous Russian troops there. However, the leaders escape, and dissent simmers...
The Spaniards seem fated to have colonial incidents with other European powers in Africa; this time, the Spanish defenders came under attack from fanatical Irish volunteers sent to build a colonial empire in West Africa. As fate would have it, all the spots the Irish wanted were taken by the Spaniards, but the Irish volunteers and their officers all have sworn to conquer for Ireland, and, also encouraged by the past Portuguese example, attacked the Spaniards. The Spanish, however, were not about to lose to some petty Irishmen, and in both battles, at Nouakchott and at San-Pedro, the Irish were thoroughly beaten, despite charging on and on. Eventually, they tried to retreat, but local Spanish commanders, angry at the Irish and thinking that they were planning for a war, launched a naval attack that destroyed the Irish colonial fleet and forced the surrender of the entire colonial force. Back in Ireland, as if the clash with the still-powerful Spaniards was not bad enough, the defeat has caused the present government to fall, while the King and his pro-colonial advisors lost face (-1 Confidence).
(-7 Irish divisions, -2 Irish Special Forces units, -4 Irish squadrons, -3 Spanish divisions, -1 Spanish squadron)
Harried by the natives, the French Foreign Legionaires nonetheless make a few gains in Senegal, advancing towards Segu. Similarily they advance in the Gold and Ivory Coasts.
The Portuguese continue their own oft-advertised conquest of Africa. They advance up the Niger, commencing trade with Kanem-Bornu, subdue, through force and diplomacy, the Zambezi River, and secure the western bank of the Congo as well. All of this is not without price in manpower, both to the often fierce and bloodthirsty natives and the various diseases.
(-3 Portuguese divisions)
But the most important of Portuguese African campaigns this year is in the lands of the Zulus. Qwabe Zulu continued his resistance; his new cavalry conducted guerrila campaigns, while the core of his forces even destroyed one of the Portuguese divisions (admittedly, weakened by attrition) at Isandhlwana. But as Portuguese reinforcements arrived, near-parity was achieved in numbers, which did not sound promising for the backwards, ill-trained Zulus. Still, they fought on, and the Portuguese suffered further casualties to disease. At this point, the Portuguese (or, as some rumours say, German mercenaries), decided to use deceit; having selt false arm dealers to contact Qwabe in person, they succeeded in locating the leader of their enemies and some of his lieutenants. The Portuguese forces hurried there before Qwabe ould move elsewhere, and came just in time, killing him and some of his lieutenants; they, however, failed to get his son Mpande Zulu, who was with some troops further north since Isandhlwana. This Mpande took over the movement, although it once more had to limit itself to guerrila war, the Portuguese being too strong to defeat in open battle yet. Meanwhile, rumours spread that the Portuguese discovered the involvement of some foreign powers in the Zulu rebellion; not many details are known yet, though, and the Portguese are yet to make any official statement...
(-4 Portuguese divisions)
The war in the Middle East continued, despite the peace treaties that the Ottomans had signed with Russia-Lithuania-Romania... and with the Afghan Khanate, which changed its mind in the last second. While the Caliphal forces concerned themselves with consolidating territory, defeating tribal rebellions and raiding southeastern Turkey Proper, the newly-rearmed Ottoman army prepared and launched a two-pronged invasion of Syria. The Caliphals tried to get support from the Syrian tribes and to use them for guerrila action against the Turks, but did not get as much sympathy there as they had hoped for, while the Ottomans routed the quite inferior Egyptian armies, forcing them to retreat towards Palestine. However, the Ottomans had problems of their own - as mentioned before, the Afghans decided to fight on until the Ottoman Empire ceases to be, and routed the Ottoman forces sent to re-occupy the territories the Khan previously promised to surrender. The sudden re-opening of the eastern theatre has prevented the Ottomans from exploiting their victory and considerably damaged the eastern wing of their army. Stalemate set in, but only for a short while - the Ottomans have meanwhile blockaded the Egyptian coasts, despite a few problems with the paranoid Spanish naval command near Cyprus, and the Caliphals begun preparing to defend against seaborne attacks. To the surprise of the Alexandrians, the blockade ships suddenly disappeared one day; the surprise went away when the fleur de lis was sighted; the French have promised to send "peace-keepers", and according to rumours they even intended to assist the Caliphals directly, but the Ottomans ofcourse couldn't risk a confrontation with the mighty French fleet, so they let it through anyway. The governor of Alexandria personally came out to greet the Frenchmen... and was immediately arrested, as French soldiers - genuine French soldiers, as it was found out soon - stormed the city from inside, crushing all resistance with ease. They then were reinforced by the Ottomans, and the combined forces cut off most of the Caliphal army in Palestine from Egypt itself. Ibrahim raised all militias that he could find to defend Cairo, but it was too late; the city was captured, and Ibrahim himself died with a few die-hard supporters while his palace was being shelled. The Caliphate was based mostly on his leadership, and soon fell apart as the Ottoman offensive in Palestine resumed. After that, by a formal treaty, Tripolitania, most of Cyreneica and, oddly enough, the Sinai Peninsula were ceded by the Ottoman Empire to France. This was a great victory for Osman IV (+1 Confidence), but he still had to deal with the rather restless Egyptians (-1 Culture) and the rampaging Afghan hordes that by now were ready to strike out further against him.
(-Caliphal Rebels as a faction, -11 Ottoman divisions, -3 Ottoman irregular divisions, -1 Ottoman UU, -3 Afghan divisions, -1 French division)
The French colonization of the South Pacific resumes, with some gains being made in New Guinea and the Julien archipelago [1]. Expeditions further south did not bear much fruit due to the storms and piracy, though a few islands were claimed there as well.
(-2 French squadrons)
Random Events:
Sicilian rebels get some support and volunteers on the island itself and from abroad (+5 irregular divisions).
Risings against the Portuguese occupiers intensify among the Zulus (+5 irregular divisions), and Qwabe Zulu is being deified by his followers (+1 Confidence).
Osman IV, having somewhat recovered from his disease, set about to rebuild his empire, re-invigorating his people whose hopes were already down before that (+1 Confidence).
The capture, how ever temporary, of Tsargrad has inspired a rise of patriotic fervour in Russia-Lithuania (+1 Culture).
A general rise of Afghano-Persian nationalism takes place (+1 Culture).
A well-planned interview does much to strenghthen President Carl Gustaf Nordin's popularity in Sweden (+1 Confidence).
Plenty of volunteers join the Irish army, hoping to participate in the colonial efforts (+5 divisions).
A legal reform in Qing China takes place (+1 Confidence). Meanwhile, a new generation of administrators begins to emerge (+1 Civilian Leadership).
The Krakowian military leaders are drawing plans for a new war... and a new kind of a war (+1 Military Leadership).
The generally-succesful Spanish diplomacy this year eases the situation at home somewhat (+1 Confidence).
Corruption spreads amongst the Chinese officialdom (-1 Civilian Leadership).
Roads detiriorate in Russia, nothing new unfortunately (-1 Infrastructure)...
The war and the general chaos causes the quality of Venetian education to detiriorate as specialists are needed in more practical fields and as young men are often too preoccupied with other matters, such as military service or work (-1 Education).
Accidents (and sabotage, some mutter) delay the Augsburger industrialization, as do buerocratic problems (-1 project progress).
Storms damage the Brunswickian ports badly (-1 Infrastructure).
Ottoman Empire, having lost its European possessions, also lost much educated cadre and related buildings (academies, etc) that were and in most cases are there (-1 Education).
Ireland enters a limited economic crisis (more of a mild recession, really) (-1 Economy).
As the dissent keeps simmering, Spain is beginning to enter a revolutionary situation (-1 Confidence)...
Quality of living in Denmark-Norway slowly detiriorates (-1 Living Standards)...
As war continues and Afghan forces become more overstretched, the domestic situation in the Khanate detiriorates (-1 Living Standards).
As the Pope's popularity keeps sinking, much of the local intellectual elite moves elsewhere (-1 Education).
Krakowian roads are damaged by bad weather and undermaintenance (-1 Infrastructure).
Spotlight:
The Spanish Woes.
"The Sick Man of Europe is healed, long live the Sick Man!"
- Peter Hamilton, English essayist and historian. "Spanish Woes". Year 1744.
Something seems rotten in the Kingdom of Spain, or rather, seemed. Now everybody knows that something indeed is rotten there, that Spain has, for all of its colonial expansionism, economic strenghthening and imperial diplomacy, inherited the title of the Sick Man of Europe, now that the Ottomans, firstly, begun to recover, and, secondly and more significantly, got shoved out of Europe. Interestingly enough, the reforms of Olivares that had allowed Spain to recover after the Twenty Years War have much to do with its present woes, for in those days, the power of the nobility and the clergy was broken, to be replaced by the power of the royal buerocracy. Yet that buerocracy was, if anything, even less popular, and the people grew even more alienated from it. The reforms of Olivares also allowed a rise of Spanish bourgeois, a rise that continued towards the 18th century... and a rise that made the ever-numerous, ever-more-significant bourgeois to clamour for more power. All that caused tension, tension between the middle class and the government, tension that, for numerous reasons, did not explode into open rebellion, and instead were limited to a simmering dissent.
But in the 1730s, things begun to change with the rise of nationalism. In the ethnic minority regions of Spain Proper and in Italy, this meant a rise of separatism; among the Spaniards themselves, however, it meant an increase in unity, especially in the middle class. This unity was against not just the foreign powers, but also against the government, and the German-descended Habsburg dynasty. This was the rise of National-Liberalism in Spain.
However, its rise was a steady, slow process at first. The year of 1743, the year of Spanish Woes, was needed to catalyze it, preparing the scene for the potential downfall of the Spanish Empire, a most spectacular event to be sure, and a hauntingly likely one as well. Much like the Ottoman Empire to the east which also experienced countless woes in the 1740s, Spain was an overstretched, multiethnic empire. It ruled many lands all over the world... and in all those lands, there were problems, many of which became clear and available for all to see and exploit in 1743.
In chronological order, the first thing that went wrong for Spain that year was the "war" in Columbia. Back in December 21st 1742, Don Diego Belizan disappeared in mystirious circumstances (according to a conspiracy theory popularized by late 20th century Turkish writer Mehmed Koprulu, he fled to Turkey to hide from the loan repayment-seeking Spaniards, but really, its more likely that he was killed by one of his many enemies in the colony itself). The Spanish Crown immediately decided to turn Columbia into a part of the Vice-Royalty of New Spain, but before it coudl do that, a civil war started in the small country between the Spanish loyalists and the Columbian separatists led by Diego Belizan's son, Garcia Belizan. Long story cut short, the direct Spanish intervention in Columbia allowed the conquest and integration of the wayward province into the Spanish colonial empire, but not before a prolonged guerrila war. By the time all resistance was crushed, Spain already had new problems...
Before the main crisis begun, another local one took place in Sicily, where a rebel republican movement arose. Unfortunately for the rebels, they were not well-organized, and did not enjoy popular support. A pre-mature rising of a group of the rebels in Messina was put down by the Spanish armies, and the rest of the movement was hunted down with the assistance of the Sicilian Mafia. But this was an ominious sign of things to come, a sign of the rise of Italian nationalism.
The true Spanish Woes commenced as soon as news reached Seville of the South-East Asian disaster, during which surprisingly well-coordinated pirate attacks paralyzed the trade network and damaged the commerce very badly. The effects of this in Europe have been described elsewhere; in Spain, it was the same, only worse. Corruption scandals in the key Spanish banks took place in this already dire time, inreasing to the chaos and panic, as did the corruption itself. Although Spanish involvement in the Pacific trade was much smaller than that of other nations, this panic more than "compensated" it, as did, according to anti-government agitators at least, the protectionist policy. The economical damage itself was not all that bad, not really much worse than in other countries. But the political one was worse - the aforementioned agitators immediately seized on this latest case of "government bungling", and though the situation soon begun to improve, as elsewhere if not as quickly, this has caused a general rise of dissent. Local separatists, cheered on by Colonial Catholics, raised their heads in the American colonies. Only the large military presence prevented any large-scale National-Liberal risings in Spain Proper. A new rebellion begun in Sicily (to be immediately put down - it was even less organized and more spontaneous than the last one), and similar risings were attempted all over Italy, with the same result. Dissent grew, and though Spain by no means is predestined to go by the path of the Ottoman Empire, much less cease to exist altogether, in these times of trouble, the Woes might turn into a disaster.
NPC Diplo:
From: Irish Oireachtas
To: King Cameron I
We DEMAND that a settlement is reached with the Spaniards immediately, lest war escalate! And none of this colonial adventurism!
From: Swedish Riksdag
To: President Nordin
We must do something about the Danish near-agression!
From: Bulgaria, Armenia
To: The Union of Russia-Lithuania-Romania
We propose an alliance.
From: Arab Chieftains (in the lands they still hold)
To: Ottoman Empire
We request that you grant us independence, or at least autonomy. Otherwise, be warned that we will fight to the death!
OOC:
[1] OTL Bismarck Archipelago.
Sorry about any mistakes in advance. Point out any stat mistakes, and don't worry, I always notice your messages. Also sorry about poor quality, it was caused by multiple changes of plans, especially about the spotlight.
Moros, emu, ZanyPlebeian, Contempt - are any of you still in?
conehead234, as I already said, hot-air balloons are already in existance.
Non-Military Events:
The schism in the Catholic church occurs officially, as the "Colonial Catholic Church", in the American colonies of European states, has grown more organized and elected a Pope of its own, Diego Ayala, or Urban IX, in Mexico City. In truth, however, it is not that grand an event, as the CCC lacks much influence outside of the Americas, and does not enjoy too much support even there, despite the present Roman Pope's unpopularity.
The French begin to properly colonize the western regions of their North American colonies, albeit rather slowly.
The Basque Resistance falls apart, both due to the futility of it all and due to the schism in the leadership, as Giorgio Magro loses control over much of the rebellion to popular leaders... who promptly renounced the Catholic church and demanded that all the Basques convert to Orthodox Christianity, discrediting themselves as well. THe rebellion fell apart and the remaining independence fighters gave up, apart from a few diehards that tried, unsuccesfully, to burn down the Spanish royal mint.
Spain (semi-)officialy becomes the new "sick man of Europe".
(see military events, see spotlight; note that this is both a domestic- and a military-related spotlight, hence me mentioning it in both sections)
War seems to be brewing in Scandinavia, as the Danish Prime Minister Lentz takes a hardline anti-Swedish stance, to the cheers of the Danish-Norwegian nationalists (+1 Confidence): he first restated the Danish claims towards the Swedish province of Skane, then begun a military build-up and claimed that Sweden is trying to root out the pro-Danish elements in Skane. Meanwhile, the Danes used their strategic position to sabotage Swedish maritime commerce outside of the Baltic Sea by raising outrageous taxes on all non-Danish and non-Russian ships passing through the Kattegat (-Goteborg economic center).
The Treaty of Constantinople, after many negotiations and near-wars, officially ends the Ottoman presence in Europe, but the Turkish people themselves are content that at least something was salvaged. The Spanish government gains some prestige from enforcing the Russian withdrawal from most of their gains (+1 Confidence); as for Russia, the people are quite unhappy at the way Tsargrad was abandoned (-1 Confidence). Anyway, the treaty itself limited Russian direct gains to the Danubean Principalities that were incorporated into the Union just as Lithuania was in its times and, at a later date, to Georgia whose clans agreed to acknowledge Russian supremacy; however, the new states of Serbia, Bulgaria and Armenia are quite pro-Russian as well, ruled by dynasties with some ties with the Rurikovichi of Russia. Also, some of Venice's gains are confirmed, while the Greek Rebels seem to be the biggest winners of all, having re-established the Byzantine Empire and retaken the city of Constantinople as a compromise (naturally, it became the Byzantine capital, causing some problems as the southern warlords and other local leaders suddenly lost much influence and the people became more alienated from the government, although this was compensated by the prestige gained from the rebirth of the Byzantines (-1 Culture)).
Stimulated by the export of slaves and other Subsaharan African goods, the Portuguese port city of "Banana" (many have petitioned for it to be renamed into something more... grand, or something) emerges as a significant center of commerce (+Banana economic center).
The new, Spanish-trained Chinese officer corps enters service (+1 Military Leadership).
An obscure South Chinese port of Xiang Gang has been, with the government's help, developed into a potential future trade center, though it will take some time, especially after some recent problems in South-East Asia.
The economical "bubble" that has been growing for quite a while now due to the investment into various South-East Asian companies, was burst, suddenly and violently, by a surprisingly-coordinated pirate attack against woefully-underdefended trade routes there (-1 French, Spanish, Portuguese Confidence). When these news reached Europe, lots of stocks lost value, and much of Western Europe, especially Spain (see spotlight) was plunged into an economical crisis, though it remains to be seen whether it will get even worse later on, or if the situation will improve (as a matter of fact, the economy already begun to recover in most of Western Europe, but that might be only temporary) (-1 Irish, Scottish, English, -2 French, Portuguese, Spanish Economy). It will also take a while for the Far Eastern commerce as a whole to recover (-Singapore economic center, -Saigon economic center, -Jakartra economic center, -Manila economic center)...
Military Events:
The Spaniards advance northwards across California, establishing a border with Columbia... and then crossing it (see spoiler).
Spain (semi-)officially becomes the new "sick man of Europe".
(see spotlight)
(1 division from Columbia to Spain, -1 Spanish Culture, Confidence)
(-Columbia as an independent state, -Sicilian Rebellion, -4 Spanish divisions)
The Most Serene Republic's strenghthening provoke the Most Sincere Fear in the Roman Pope and also among his allies, both the likely and official one - Spain - and the unlikely, unofficial ally that is the Krakow Union, which was also concerned by the Venetian rise (whereas the Spanish feared that the Venetians might try to challenge the Spanish predominance in the Mediterranean). The Grand Kanzler probably was also interested in attaining some Adriatic ports in the province of Illyria, an old Hungarian possession now ruled by the Venetians. The only thing needed was a casus belli, and these are always easy to find if you put your mind to it. Throughout the Papal and Holy League territories, a paper saying that the Venetians seeked to conquer all of Italy was circulated; separately, the Pope condemned the Venetian "imperialism" and "powermongering". This condemnation was joined by the Spaniards and the Krakowians a few days later; by then, hostilities already begun. Most Venetian forces were busy keeping order in Balkans, so the Papal forces that crossed the Po had the undivided attention of most Venetian forces still in Italy; the well-trained, well-positioned Venetians held the invaders at bay, until suddenly Venice itself was threatened by an overwhelmingly-strong Krakowian attack force, spearheaded by the enigmatic Guard of the Grand Chancellorship, of which it was only learned from this campaign that it is very good in all regards and is also quite ruthless. Anyway, the Venetian forces in Italy were crushed between the Krakowian hammer and the Papal anvil. Venice itself was shelled into submission, Doge Adriano Durantes, the man who claimed to be the personification of the Enlightenment, dying during the shelling from bullet wounds and lack of fresh air in the canal into which he was thrown by someone seconds before his death. Meanwhile, the Venetians in Bosnia, much more numerous and prepared, were also overran by the Krakowian "blitzkrieg", as it was called affectionately by the Krakowian press; the quite mobile Krakowian forces outmaneuvered their enemies, surrounded their strongpoints and crushed them one-by-one before a more coordinated defense was prepared at Split, and when it was ready it was way too late and the Karkowians won by their numbers and firepower. Finally, the Venetian commander in Albania has contacted the Byzantine Empire, and, in exchange for refuge for both him and his troops as well as the large sum of money prepared for the Venetian government if it agrees to sell Albania to the Byzantines, turned the province over without a fight and entered the Byzantine service, also helping train the local troops (4 divisions from Venice to Byzantium, +1 Byzantine Army Training). The fate of other Venetian lands is not entirely certain, though - Grand Kanzler von Dunkelheit allegedly proposed a division plan, but the Pope is yet to reply to it...
(-Venice as a nation, -2 Papal divisions, -3 Papal Zouave divisions, -4 Krakowian divisions, -1 Krakowian GotGC division)
A rather hasty rebellion against newly-installed pro-Russian government in the Union State of Romania is dealt with quickly and efficiently by the numerous Russian troops there. However, the leaders escape, and dissent simmers...
The Spaniards seem fated to have colonial incidents with other European powers in Africa; this time, the Spanish defenders came under attack from fanatical Irish volunteers sent to build a colonial empire in West Africa. As fate would have it, all the spots the Irish wanted were taken by the Spaniards, but the Irish volunteers and their officers all have sworn to conquer for Ireland, and, also encouraged by the past Portuguese example, attacked the Spaniards. The Spanish, however, were not about to lose to some petty Irishmen, and in both battles, at Nouakchott and at San-Pedro, the Irish were thoroughly beaten, despite charging on and on. Eventually, they tried to retreat, but local Spanish commanders, angry at the Irish and thinking that they were planning for a war, launched a naval attack that destroyed the Irish colonial fleet and forced the surrender of the entire colonial force. Back in Ireland, as if the clash with the still-powerful Spaniards was not bad enough, the defeat has caused the present government to fall, while the King and his pro-colonial advisors lost face (-1 Confidence).
(-7 Irish divisions, -2 Irish Special Forces units, -4 Irish squadrons, -3 Spanish divisions, -1 Spanish squadron)
Harried by the natives, the French Foreign Legionaires nonetheless make a few gains in Senegal, advancing towards Segu. Similarily they advance in the Gold and Ivory Coasts.
The Portuguese continue their own oft-advertised conquest of Africa. They advance up the Niger, commencing trade with Kanem-Bornu, subdue, through force and diplomacy, the Zambezi River, and secure the western bank of the Congo as well. All of this is not without price in manpower, both to the often fierce and bloodthirsty natives and the various diseases.
(-3 Portuguese divisions)
But the most important of Portuguese African campaigns this year is in the lands of the Zulus. Qwabe Zulu continued his resistance; his new cavalry conducted guerrila campaigns, while the core of his forces even destroyed one of the Portuguese divisions (admittedly, weakened by attrition) at Isandhlwana. But as Portuguese reinforcements arrived, near-parity was achieved in numbers, which did not sound promising for the backwards, ill-trained Zulus. Still, they fought on, and the Portuguese suffered further casualties to disease. At this point, the Portuguese (or, as some rumours say, German mercenaries), decided to use deceit; having selt false arm dealers to contact Qwabe in person, they succeeded in locating the leader of their enemies and some of his lieutenants. The Portuguese forces hurried there before Qwabe ould move elsewhere, and came just in time, killing him and some of his lieutenants; they, however, failed to get his son Mpande Zulu, who was with some troops further north since Isandhlwana. This Mpande took over the movement, although it once more had to limit itself to guerrila war, the Portuguese being too strong to defeat in open battle yet. Meanwhile, rumours spread that the Portuguese discovered the involvement of some foreign powers in the Zulu rebellion; not many details are known yet, though, and the Portguese are yet to make any official statement...
(-4 Portuguese divisions)
The war in the Middle East continued, despite the peace treaties that the Ottomans had signed with Russia-Lithuania-Romania... and with the Afghan Khanate, which changed its mind in the last second. While the Caliphal forces concerned themselves with consolidating territory, defeating tribal rebellions and raiding southeastern Turkey Proper, the newly-rearmed Ottoman army prepared and launched a two-pronged invasion of Syria. The Caliphals tried to get support from the Syrian tribes and to use them for guerrila action against the Turks, but did not get as much sympathy there as they had hoped for, while the Ottomans routed the quite inferior Egyptian armies, forcing them to retreat towards Palestine. However, the Ottomans had problems of their own - as mentioned before, the Afghans decided to fight on until the Ottoman Empire ceases to be, and routed the Ottoman forces sent to re-occupy the territories the Khan previously promised to surrender. The sudden re-opening of the eastern theatre has prevented the Ottomans from exploiting their victory and considerably damaged the eastern wing of their army. Stalemate set in, but only for a short while - the Ottomans have meanwhile blockaded the Egyptian coasts, despite a few problems with the paranoid Spanish naval command near Cyprus, and the Caliphals begun preparing to defend against seaborne attacks. To the surprise of the Alexandrians, the blockade ships suddenly disappeared one day; the surprise went away when the fleur de lis was sighted; the French have promised to send "peace-keepers", and according to rumours they even intended to assist the Caliphals directly, but the Ottomans ofcourse couldn't risk a confrontation with the mighty French fleet, so they let it through anyway. The governor of Alexandria personally came out to greet the Frenchmen... and was immediately arrested, as French soldiers - genuine French soldiers, as it was found out soon - stormed the city from inside, crushing all resistance with ease. They then were reinforced by the Ottomans, and the combined forces cut off most of the Caliphal army in Palestine from Egypt itself. Ibrahim raised all militias that he could find to defend Cairo, but it was too late; the city was captured, and Ibrahim himself died with a few die-hard supporters while his palace was being shelled. The Caliphate was based mostly on his leadership, and soon fell apart as the Ottoman offensive in Palestine resumed. After that, by a formal treaty, Tripolitania, most of Cyreneica and, oddly enough, the Sinai Peninsula were ceded by the Ottoman Empire to France. This was a great victory for Osman IV (+1 Confidence), but he still had to deal with the rather restless Egyptians (-1 Culture) and the rampaging Afghan hordes that by now were ready to strike out further against him.
(-Caliphal Rebels as a faction, -11 Ottoman divisions, -3 Ottoman irregular divisions, -1 Ottoman UU, -3 Afghan divisions, -1 French division)
The French colonization of the South Pacific resumes, with some gains being made in New Guinea and the Julien archipelago [1]. Expeditions further south did not bear much fruit due to the storms and piracy, though a few islands were claimed there as well.
(-2 French squadrons)
Random Events:
Sicilian rebels get some support and volunteers on the island itself and from abroad (+5 irregular divisions).
Risings against the Portuguese occupiers intensify among the Zulus (+5 irregular divisions), and Qwabe Zulu is being deified by his followers (+1 Confidence).
Osman IV, having somewhat recovered from his disease, set about to rebuild his empire, re-invigorating his people whose hopes were already down before that (+1 Confidence).
The capture, how ever temporary, of Tsargrad has inspired a rise of patriotic fervour in Russia-Lithuania (+1 Culture).
A general rise of Afghano-Persian nationalism takes place (+1 Culture).
A well-planned interview does much to strenghthen President Carl Gustaf Nordin's popularity in Sweden (+1 Confidence).
Plenty of volunteers join the Irish army, hoping to participate in the colonial efforts (+5 divisions).
A legal reform in Qing China takes place (+1 Confidence). Meanwhile, a new generation of administrators begins to emerge (+1 Civilian Leadership).
The Krakowian military leaders are drawing plans for a new war... and a new kind of a war (+1 Military Leadership).
The generally-succesful Spanish diplomacy this year eases the situation at home somewhat (+1 Confidence).
Corruption spreads amongst the Chinese officialdom (-1 Civilian Leadership).
Roads detiriorate in Russia, nothing new unfortunately (-1 Infrastructure)...
The war and the general chaos causes the quality of Venetian education to detiriorate as specialists are needed in more practical fields and as young men are often too preoccupied with other matters, such as military service or work (-1 Education).
Accidents (and sabotage, some mutter) delay the Augsburger industrialization, as do buerocratic problems (-1 project progress).
Storms damage the Brunswickian ports badly (-1 Infrastructure).
Ottoman Empire, having lost its European possessions, also lost much educated cadre and related buildings (academies, etc) that were and in most cases are there (-1 Education).
Ireland enters a limited economic crisis (more of a mild recession, really) (-1 Economy).
As the dissent keeps simmering, Spain is beginning to enter a revolutionary situation (-1 Confidence)...
Quality of living in Denmark-Norway slowly detiriorates (-1 Living Standards)...
As war continues and Afghan forces become more overstretched, the domestic situation in the Khanate detiriorates (-1 Living Standards).
As the Pope's popularity keeps sinking, much of the local intellectual elite moves elsewhere (-1 Education).
Krakowian roads are damaged by bad weather and undermaintenance (-1 Infrastructure).
Spotlight:
The Spanish Woes.
"The Sick Man of Europe is healed, long live the Sick Man!"
- Peter Hamilton, English essayist and historian. "Spanish Woes". Year 1744.
Something seems rotten in the Kingdom of Spain, or rather, seemed. Now everybody knows that something indeed is rotten there, that Spain has, for all of its colonial expansionism, economic strenghthening and imperial diplomacy, inherited the title of the Sick Man of Europe, now that the Ottomans, firstly, begun to recover, and, secondly and more significantly, got shoved out of Europe. Interestingly enough, the reforms of Olivares that had allowed Spain to recover after the Twenty Years War have much to do with its present woes, for in those days, the power of the nobility and the clergy was broken, to be replaced by the power of the royal buerocracy. Yet that buerocracy was, if anything, even less popular, and the people grew even more alienated from it. The reforms of Olivares also allowed a rise of Spanish bourgeois, a rise that continued towards the 18th century... and a rise that made the ever-numerous, ever-more-significant bourgeois to clamour for more power. All that caused tension, tension between the middle class and the government, tension that, for numerous reasons, did not explode into open rebellion, and instead were limited to a simmering dissent.
But in the 1730s, things begun to change with the rise of nationalism. In the ethnic minority regions of Spain Proper and in Italy, this meant a rise of separatism; among the Spaniards themselves, however, it meant an increase in unity, especially in the middle class. This unity was against not just the foreign powers, but also against the government, and the German-descended Habsburg dynasty. This was the rise of National-Liberalism in Spain.
However, its rise was a steady, slow process at first. The year of 1743, the year of Spanish Woes, was needed to catalyze it, preparing the scene for the potential downfall of the Spanish Empire, a most spectacular event to be sure, and a hauntingly likely one as well. Much like the Ottoman Empire to the east which also experienced countless woes in the 1740s, Spain was an overstretched, multiethnic empire. It ruled many lands all over the world... and in all those lands, there were problems, many of which became clear and available for all to see and exploit in 1743.
In chronological order, the first thing that went wrong for Spain that year was the "war" in Columbia. Back in December 21st 1742, Don Diego Belizan disappeared in mystirious circumstances (according to a conspiracy theory popularized by late 20th century Turkish writer Mehmed Koprulu, he fled to Turkey to hide from the loan repayment-seeking Spaniards, but really, its more likely that he was killed by one of his many enemies in the colony itself). The Spanish Crown immediately decided to turn Columbia into a part of the Vice-Royalty of New Spain, but before it coudl do that, a civil war started in the small country between the Spanish loyalists and the Columbian separatists led by Diego Belizan's son, Garcia Belizan. Long story cut short, the direct Spanish intervention in Columbia allowed the conquest and integration of the wayward province into the Spanish colonial empire, but not before a prolonged guerrila war. By the time all resistance was crushed, Spain already had new problems...
Before the main crisis begun, another local one took place in Sicily, where a rebel republican movement arose. Unfortunately for the rebels, they were not well-organized, and did not enjoy popular support. A pre-mature rising of a group of the rebels in Messina was put down by the Spanish armies, and the rest of the movement was hunted down with the assistance of the Sicilian Mafia. But this was an ominious sign of things to come, a sign of the rise of Italian nationalism.
The true Spanish Woes commenced as soon as news reached Seville of the South-East Asian disaster, during which surprisingly well-coordinated pirate attacks paralyzed the trade network and damaged the commerce very badly. The effects of this in Europe have been described elsewhere; in Spain, it was the same, only worse. Corruption scandals in the key Spanish banks took place in this already dire time, inreasing to the chaos and panic, as did the corruption itself. Although Spanish involvement in the Pacific trade was much smaller than that of other nations, this panic more than "compensated" it, as did, according to anti-government agitators at least, the protectionist policy. The economical damage itself was not all that bad, not really much worse than in other countries. But the political one was worse - the aforementioned agitators immediately seized on this latest case of "government bungling", and though the situation soon begun to improve, as elsewhere if not as quickly, this has caused a general rise of dissent. Local separatists, cheered on by Colonial Catholics, raised their heads in the American colonies. Only the large military presence prevented any large-scale National-Liberal risings in Spain Proper. A new rebellion begun in Sicily (to be immediately put down - it was even less organized and more spontaneous than the last one), and similar risings were attempted all over Italy, with the same result. Dissent grew, and though Spain by no means is predestined to go by the path of the Ottoman Empire, much less cease to exist altogether, in these times of trouble, the Woes might turn into a disaster.
NPC Diplo:
From: Irish Oireachtas
To: King Cameron I
We DEMAND that a settlement is reached with the Spaniards immediately, lest war escalate! And none of this colonial adventurism!
From: Swedish Riksdag
To: President Nordin
We must do something about the Danish near-agression!
From: Bulgaria, Armenia
To: The Union of Russia-Lithuania-Romania
We propose an alliance.
From: Arab Chieftains (in the lands they still hold)
To: Ottoman Empire
We request that you grant us independence, or at least autonomy. Otherwise, be warned that we will fight to the death!
OOC:
[1] OTL Bismarck Archipelago.
Sorry about any mistakes in advance. Point out any stat mistakes, and don't worry, I always notice your messages. Also sorry about poor quality, it was caused by multiple changes of plans, especially about the spotlight.
Moros, emu, ZanyPlebeian, Contempt - are any of you still in?
conehead234, as I already said, hot-air balloons are already in existance.
das
Regeneration In Process
North King
blech
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2004
- Messages
- 18,165
That was bad timing, Mr. Tommy-Khan. Bad timing.
OOC: ZanyPleb was away on a trip. I'll bug him about the NES today.
OOC: ZanyPleb was away on a trip. I'll bug him about the NES today.
Kentharu
Zebra Commander
nice NK xcl xcl
Reno
The Studio Ghibli Fanatic
I'll be rejoining.
Disenfrancised
Beep Beep
Ireland picking a fight with Spain 
bit of a David verses Goliath there!
EDIT: Great Update!
bit of a David verses Goliath there!EDIT: Great Update!
tommy_toon
Emperor
I still have plenty of pieces to move, Mr. Arab-Oppresor. Plenty of pieces.North King said:
From Afghan
To Ottomans
Has it not become blatantly obvious that the Arab world does not wish to live under you any longer, that they wish to rule themselves independently rather than be ruled by you tyranically? We will support our Arab brothers in any ways possible until you no longer rule over them.
To France
Your desire is to do nothing more than destabilize our region and create a puppet government within the Ottomans. You choose to fight for freedom in the Balkans, why not in West Asia and Africa? The people have risen up against their rulers and appointed their own, yet you betray these leaders and enslave them! When the Turks are gone and Arabs are free to rule themselves, you will have no friends left within West Asia. Your betrayal of our brothers will be forever remembered, and shunned upon by all.
IceEye
Emperor
So is any european nation available? I claim Bulgaria and Armenia(whichever of them is available still).
Is any other european nation available`?
Is any other european nation available`?
Insane_Panda
Deity
Das, my economy should be at Richer.
I grew it this turn, to Economic powerhouse. That growth is cancelled, so -economy, leaving me at richest, then one more -economy leaves me ar Richer.
Awesome update though. Vive la France!
I grew it this turn, to Economic powerhouse. That growth is cancelled, so -economy, leaving me at richest, then one more -economy leaves me ar Richer.
Awesome update though. Vive la France!
Insane_Panda
Deity
Denmark will levy taxes on France, its ally, yet not do the same for Russia? This face-slap will leave much to be desired in our future relations....
