Crown & Country Game Thread

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

We wish to iterate that we are committed to the goals of the League of Armed Neutrality and as such must decline the offer of a military alliance with the French Republic.  While we are willing to send envoys to discuss a loosening of trade regulations, our government has need of the customs revenue it gets.

Speaking of trade, we announce that we are sending an envoy to the court of the Son of Heaven, seeking to regularize the trade in Russian furs for Chinese tea that is going on so that it may be regulated and taxed.

The Russian Navy will continue with its convoying of neutral merchants against the depredations of belligerent powers and to that end we authorize the construction of an additional ten frigates for the Baltic Fleet, three for the Black Sea Fleet, and one each for the White Sea and Okhotsk Flotillas.

To ease the yolk placed upon the serfs, fathers may give their daughters in marriage to a serf on another estate, but must inform his landowner at least a month in advance, and unless the landowner gives his consent to have the marriage take place at another time, the marriage must take place between Epiphany and Clean Monday if they be Orthodox and between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday if they be Catholic. (OOC: In OTL, this reform didn't happen until 1812.)

To better defend the interests of the faithful against the Turks and Persians we announce our intent to end the civil war in Kartli-Kakheti between rival claimants for that throne by bringing the land under our rule as the Tsar of Georgia and to establish the Georgia Governorate there as the 40th Governorate of Russia. To that end, in addition to sending troops (mainly Cossacks and Hussars) to oversee the incorporation of Georgia into Holy Mother Russia, we also announce the formation of a Georgia Infantry Regiment to be recruited from the local populace and a Georgia Dragoon Regiment.

We call upon Great Britain to recognize the prerogatives of Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John concerning Malta.

Finally, concerning the riots in Warsaw, we have no knowledge of any efforts to instigate them originating from within our Empire.  We certainly have no interest in creating additional mischief in Europe that would distract us from the goal of restoring peace in Europe.

His Imperial Majesty
Alexander
by the grace of God, Emperor and Autocrat of all the Russias, of Moscow, Kiev, Vladimir, Novgorod, Tsar of Kazan, Tsar of Astrakhan, Tsar of Siberia, Tsar of Tauric Chersonesos, Tsar of Georgia, Lord of Pskov, and Grand Duke of Smolensk, Lithuania, Volhynia, and Podolia,and so forth, and so forth, and so forth."

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Are you looking for adventure!

Then consider working for the Russian-American Company!

From the scenic port of Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatacka Peninsula you'll set sail on a voyage of self-discovery as you work to gather otter furs and other trade goods in demand in Europe, Asia, India, and China.  Or perhaps you'd prefer to man one of the depot stations that serve both our trappers and trade with the natives. Unalaska, Kodiak, Fort Sankt Nikolai (OOC: Kenai), and Fort Arkhangela Mikhaila (OOC: Sitka) have been established as permanent posts and temporary ones are established each year where the fur can be most readily found.

The North Pacific awaits!

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I was thinking this was 1801 instead of 1800.  Please forget all mention I made of Georgia.  The situation there would not have yet escalated to the point of Russian annexation, which in real life happened early in 1801.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Headquarters, Russian Imperial Navy, Sankt-Peterburg


To Captain-Commodore Dmitry Senyavin

You are hereby promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral and placed in command of the newly established Mediterranean Flotilla.  Said flotilla is to consist of five ships of the line, ten frigates, five corvettes, and assorted support ships transferred from the Baltic Fleet as listed in the attached enclosure as well as those ships of the Black Sea Fleet currently in the Ionian Islands.  Said flotilla is to be subordinate to the Baltic Fleet. (While lines of communication from the Black Sea are more direct, they are dependent upon the continued good graces of the Ottoman Sultan which cannot be guaranteed.)

You are directed to take the ships of the Baltic Fleet that have been detached to your command and proceed forthwith to Malta, where it is expected that the British shall hand over control of the Island to you. Along with the ships under your direct command shall travel one corvette and two cutters which I have ordered transferred to the Military Hospitaller Order of the Knights of St. John.  Upon reaching Malta, they will no longer be under your direct command.The cutters will engage in the enforcement of customs and quarantine laws in Malta and the corvette shall sortie at the discretion of its captain on anti-piracy patrols.

Upon reaching Malta, your primary duty will be to oversee the defense of Malta and the Ionian Islands against any attempt to retake them by the French and their allies. Your secondary duty shall be the convoying of ships belonging to any nation that is a member of the League of Armed Neutrality. In doing so, you are authorized to provide support to and to coordinate with any ships of the Dano-Norwegian, Prussian, and Swedish Navies. As circumstances seem prudent to you, you are authorized to accept the placing of their ships in squadrons commanded by Russian offices and to place your ships in squadrons under the command of their officers. Your tertiary duty is to provide an interim military government of Malta and prepare a report outlining suggestions on the future governance of Malta.  The initial acceptance of the Maltese inhabitants of the French occupation indicates that simple restoration of the ancient regime is likely not desirable.

While we expect the British will withdraw upon your arrival, you will not compel any particular date for said withdrawal to be complete. Until further notice, you shall allow British ships to put in at Malta for the provisioning of food and water as well as any naval stores the British may have not yet evacuated from the island.

If the situation permits, you are directed to use your forces in a general suppression of pirates and privateers preying upon merchant shipping, whether they be European or Barbary.

(Other non-naval orders to come in a future post.)

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Imperial Russian Army

The rank of Legionnaire is hereby established in the Imperial Russian Army and the rank of Brigadier, eliminated four years ago by our father, Paul I, is reestablished. Both ranks are be of rank V in the table of ranks.

One legionnaire shall be appointed for each governorate of Russia and shall be in charge of an army legion to be named after that governorate. Existing infantry and cavalry regiments named after a governorate are hereby made part of that identically named legion.  The legion is not intended to be a campaign unit but rather a command structure which shall see to the provisioning of its constituent troops while they are while they are within their home governorate, and see to the recruiting of troops for both the named regiments and the national units of the Imperial Russian Army. Fortifications and garrison troops located in a governate shall not be under the command of any legion.

The rank of brigadier is intended to be a brevet rank given to colonels who are given command of brigades established in the campaign armies as needed.

Foreign Affairs
We shall dispatch envoys to the Ottoman Sultan concerning the disposition of the Ionian Islands, formerly a part of the Venetian Republic before its dissolution two years ago and taken from the French in our joint expedition of last year.  Given what happened in Preveza, turning them over to sole Ottoman control is not an option, but neither is returning them to the French.  We shall propose a local government that owes nominal allegiance to the Sultan, much as the Republic of Ragusa does, but which shall not incite the Greeks on the mainland, and which shall be under our protection. In short, a government akin to that of Andorra on the border of France and Spain.

Economic Affairs
To help alleviate problems of local shortages of food and material in some locales, we have begun to look at ways of improving and expanding our country's canals and waterways.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

(OOC: While we wait, my thoughts have turned to other matters, and since some of my fellow monarchs have touched upon religion in their posts, I thought I would do the same, but I shan't be as crazily liberal.)

Law for the Promulgation and Protection of the Christian Faith

1. The official state religion of the Russian Empire shall be the Russian Orthodox Church headed by the Metropolitan of Moscow. The ordinary service of the Russian Orthodox Church shall be conducted in Church Slavonic. Exceptional services may be conducted in Greek for the the comfort of visiting clergy and laity coming from other Orthodox lands who customarily use the Greek language in their service.

2. The Catholic Church shall be tolerated and regulated in accordance with a concordat to be negotiated with the Metropolitan of Rome, or if a concordat is not negotiated, as laid out in regulations to be promulgated at later date.

3. The Lutheran Church shall be tolerated and organized as the Imperial Lutheran Church. It shall consist of six subordinate churches in the governorates that currently have a Lutheran presence, the Lutheran Church of Vyborg, the Lutheran Church of Ingermanland (Sankt-Peterburg Governorate), the Lutheran Church of Estland, the Lutheran Church of Livonia, the Lutheran Church of Kurland, and the Lutheran Church of Lithuania (Vilna Governorate). Services may be conducted in the German language and in the case of the six subordinate churches, the Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian languages, and such other local languages they think proper. However, Lutheran services shall not be conducted in Church Slavonic or any of the Russian dialects (Great Russian, Little Russian, or White Russian).

4. The Mennonite Church shall be tolerated and organized as the Imperial Mennonite Church. It may coordinate the religious activities of the Mennonite colonies established in Novorossiysk and Saratov Governorates. Services may be conducted in the German language but not in Church Slavonic or any of the Russian dialects (Great Russian, Little Russian, or White Russian).

5. The state church and the tolerated churches shall be able to own property on which churches, monasteries, graveyards, and other religious institutions may be established or which have already been established.

6. Those professing to the Christian faith, but who hold no allegiance to the state church or a tolerated church may practice their faith, but they shall not be entitled to hold property corporately, nor may their leaders claim any benefit accruing under the laws of this empire to members of the clergy.

7. The Metropolitan of Moscow, subject to the veto of the Emperor, shall issue regulations for the collection as a tax of a tithe by all Christian subjects of this realm. If the subject is a member of a tolerated church the tithe shall be paid to the church they are a member of. If they are a member of the state church or of an untolerated church, the tithe shall go to the state church.

8. This law shall apply only to adherents of the Christian faith.  In due course, we shall issue laws applicable to those of other faiths resident in our lands.

Signed, this 17th day of May in first year of our reign,
Alexander I
Emperor and Autocrat of all the Russias, etc.
(OOC: In sections 3 and 4, Great Russian = Russian, Little Russian = Ukrainian, and White Russian = Belarussian. I can't use the term Ukrainian in the game, as that would be anachronistic. If the term were used at all in 1800, it would be referring to the Cossacks.)

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Law for the Regulation of the Buddhist Faith

1. The official state religion of the Russian Empire is the Russian Orthodox Church headed by the Metropolitan of Moscow.

2. Notwithstanding this, in recognition of the traditional Buddhist religion of the Kalmyk and Buryat subjects of the Empire, they shall be allowed to practice the Buddhist faith and corporately acquire land for the erection of their datsans.

3. Kalmyks and Buryats who follow the Buddhist religion shall register as such with the datsan of their choice.  Those who do not register with a datsan shall be considered to be Christian for the purposes of the law.

4. Buddhists shall pay four-thirds of the tithe they would owe as Christians, of which one-half shall be remitted to the state church and one-half to the datsan they are registered to.

Signed, this 20th day of May in first year of our reign,
Alexander I
Emperor and Autocrat of all the Russias, etc.
(OOC: The Kalmyks and Buryats are two of the three Russian minorities that are historically Buddhist.  The third, the Tuvans, is not under Russian rule in 1800.)

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Law for the Regulation of the Jewish Faith

1. The official state religion of the Russian Empire is the Russian Orthodox Church headed by the Metropolitan of Moscow.

2. Notwithstanding this, in recognition of the traditional Jewish religion of the Hebrew subjects of the Empire, they shall be allowed to practice the Hebrew faith and corporately acquire land for the erection of their synagogues. No synagogue shall be allowed to be established outside the area they are allowed according to the Edict of the 23rd of December of thirtieth year of the reign of Catharine II, as amended. No city shall have more than five synagogues and in any city in which there is more than five existing now, one shall be closed on the third Easter following the promulgation of this law, with an additional one closed each succeeding second Easter until the limit of five is reached.

3. Hebrews who follow the Jewish religion shall register as such with the synagogue of their choice.  Those who do not register with a synagogue shall be considered to be Christian for the purposes of the law. No synagogue may register more than one thousand adult males. For the purposes of this law, adult shall have the same meaning as in Jewish law, age thirteen or older.

4. Any synagogue which allows Hebrews to worship there without being registered. shall be subject to confiscation.

5. Jews shall pay five-thirds of the tithe they would owe as Christians, of which four-fifths shall be remitted to the state church and one-fifth to the synagogue they are registered to.

Signed, this 25th day of May in first year of our reign,
Alexander I
Emperor and Autocrat of all the Russias, etc.
(OOC: Yes I'm being oppressive.  I don't mind them becoming good Russian Christians, but having all those Jews in my lands is not desirable.  It would have been far better if my grandmother hadn't been convinced to partition the Commonwealth, as Russia had far fewer Jews before that, but it is too late to put that particular Humpty Dumpty back together again. Not that the Jews will be the only ones subjected to such tribulations.  The Poles won't have reason to like me either.)

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Law for the Regulation of the Islamic Faith

1. The official state religion of the Russian Empire is the Russian Orthodox Church headed by the Metropolitan of Moscow.

2. Notwithstanding this, in recognition of the traditional Islamic religion of the Circassian, Tatar and Kazakh subjects of the Empire, they shall be allowed to practice the Islamic faith and corporately acquire land for the erection of their mosques.

3. Circassians, Tatars and Kazakhs who follow the Islamic religion shall register as such with the mosque of their choice.  Those who do not register with a mosque shall be considered to be Christian for the purposes of the law.

4. Muslims shall pay four-thirds of the tithe they would owe as Christians, of which one-half shall be remitted to the state church and one-half to the mosque they are registered to.

Signed, this 29th day of May in first year of our reign,
Alexander I
Emperor and Autocrat of all the Russias, etc.
(OOC: In case you're wondering why the Buddhists and Muslims get off more easily than the Jews, it's simple. They're the primary inhabitants of the lands they live in and the Jews aren't.  I hope they will be encouraged by these laws to become good Orthodox Russians, but it's not worth starting a revolt to try and force the Buddhists or Muslims to convert.  I don't think there are any other significant religious groups in the country.  If there are, they aren't large enough to be a worry, so letting them pretend to be Christians who aren't part of the state or tolerated churches is fine with me.)

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

(OOC: Or it could be he has better things to occupy his time.  The Emperor's wife, Elizabeth Alexeievna, is currently expecting with his first child, so he has some free time.)

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I'm going to go ahead and get a head start on turn three, since unless we unexpectedly have war breaking out, this is going to be happening.)

Sankt-Peterburg, 15 July 1800

Alexander I:  I always knew he was going to be a large ship, but this large?  Whatever was my father thinking?

Admiral Pyotr Khanykov: Your Majesty...

Alexander I:  I'll tell you what he was thinking!  He wanted the biggest warship afloat, regardless of the cost.  130 guns!  Four gun decks!  More than enough crew to man two ordinary ships of the line or a whole squadron of frigates.  He is not a Blessing (Благодать) but a curse! <sigh>

Admiral Pyotr Khanykov: Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, you didn't call me here just to rant at me.

Alexander I: <chuckle>  It would be in keeping with the House of Oldenburg, but no I am a Russian and a Romanov first.  When it is time to launch that white elephant, put him in ordinary.  Unless we get involved in a naval war, he too big to be useful.  The only naval war it looks like we'd be getting into soon is with Sweden if young Gustav proves as reckless as his father was.  Given the way he insulted my sister, I would not consider it beyond the bounds of possibility, but if we do get into a war with Sweden, again he is too big for the shallow waters of the Baltic.  No, if there is to be a large naval war, it will be between Britain and France. They might have a use for such a large ship.  I'll have our diplomats sound them both out If they are willing to pay sufficiently, if only to keep the other from getting such a fine ship, they can have him.  If not, we keep him in ordinary as a reminder not to get too far ahead of ourselves.  Big ships are good, but not at the expense of little ships, and the navy does not have enough frigates and corvettes to do what I want of it.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

bump