Concert of Europe: Gameplay Thread

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xKingAdolfFredrick

[YPestis25]

Kingdom of Sweden
January 1756

Economy
-The Crown will continue the agrarian reforms laid out earlier in the century. These include the division of communal village land into plots held by individual farmers. The ultimate aim of this is to increase the productivity of our agriculture and to increase the general welfare of Swedish peasants.
-In tandem with these reforms, the crown will ensure that new construction on these plots will be tax free to encourage the development of these lands.
-The Crown will also be taking a comprehensive review of select estates’ land to ensure that their is a minimal amount arable farmland which is fallow.

Military
-The Crown will attempt to hire several former Prussian military officers to begin the reform of the Swedish army onto the Prussian model. These will be in the mold of the later Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben.
-The Crown will begin a small scale expansion of the Swedish navy to include: -3 Ships of the Line, -3 Frigates, and a general expansion of the Swedish trade fleet.

Government
-The Crown will begin to tacitly support the Royalists in the Riksdag, working to shore up King Adolf Fredrick’s popularity to ensure that Royalist influence continues to grow.
-Give tacit support to Thure Rudbeck as Lantmarksalk of the Riksdag to weaken the Hats' position in the government, and generally support Cap members of the Riksdag where it is impossible for a Royalist position or member of the Riksdag to prevail.
-The Crown will also undertake comprehensive tax reform, working to root out corruption and ensure that taxes are properly collected.

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From His Royal Majesty, Adolf Fredrick, King of Sweden:

My court has been presented with dangerous and provocative information regarding Prussian warmongering and ambition on our own borders. Prussia's clear violation of the good faith of diplomatic negotiations is so brazen and contemptible that I will be forced to withdraw my support for the planned summit in Hanover that had been discussed. And, while I will not be releasing Prussia's actions to the public at this time, let it be known that they are a nation not to be trusted.

Best,
Adolf Fredrick, King of Sweden

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From His Royal Majesty, Adolf Fredrick, King of Sweden,

Prussia's pretensions to be the threatened nation in this matter are laughable at best and insulting at worst, and for Berlin to make demands of compensation for an accusation which they are providing no proof of is only further insult. It is now clear the my brother-in-law desires everything but peace in Europe.

With regards,
Adolf Fredrick, King of Sweden

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From His Majesty, Adolf Fredrick, King of Sweden:

Seeing my allies threatened, and having my name trampled through the dirt, hereby declares war on the Kingdom of Great Britain, the Kingdom of Prussia, the Dutch Republic, and the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway. The Kingdom of Sweden is prepared to meet any foe on the battlefield who dares threaten our sovereignty, or that of our allies.

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Adolf Fredrick Addresses the Riksdag

My fellow Swedes and Scandinavians, we stand at a crossroads in our history. The perfidious forces of Prussia, Great Britain, and perhaps most of all Denmark threaten to steal our very independence away from us! The powers aligned against us and our allies in Austria, France and Russia seem to know no bonds to their ambition. They sought to, and succeeded in widening this war to include the Ottoman Empire, dragging into the conflict perhaps the one universal enemy of Europe to aid them. Besides this Prussia has perhaps committed the most egregious offense of all, falsifying and fabricating diplomatic documents to suit their own means, and have sought to spread their deceit in European courts from Madrid and Warsaw, to here in Stockholm itself.

Let me be very clear, this is a war for our survival. The whole fate of Europe now hangs in the balance and should we falter Sweden and the whole North will enter into another age of Danish domination. In fact, just a short while ago, I received word that Denmark was demanding more influence in our court in exchange for peace! The presumption of Copenhagen and this so called “King” Frederick to make such demands when Christiana and much of Norway is occupied is beyond the pale, and shows the true nature of Danish demands, for they will not rest until all of Sweden is given to them on a silver platter.

I also speak to our cousins in Norway and Denmark. Do you wish to stand under the yoke of a power that would rather spend its time defending a distant Holland a patrolling the Baltic than actually safeguarding its own citizens? I would think not. I will be directing my generals in Norway to ensure that the rights of the Norwegians and Danes there are not trampled upon, but protected and that local laws remain in place. Sweden will continue to govern as it alway has. Whether in Christinia or Stockholm those living under the protection of the Crown will be treated justly and mercifully.

I did not want this war, but now the stakes are simply too high to not throw our whole national effort into ensuring victory. Sweden was a great power, and can be again. Already our armies have proven that they are capable of standing toe to toe with our adversaries, and with honor and Swedish bravery at our backs, there is nothing that can stand before us.


-The speech will be distributed by pamphlet and newspaper across Sweden and occupied Norway.

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Statement from Stockholm Palace

His Majesty Adolf Fredrick is deeply saddened to hear of the deaths of both Empress Elizabeth and Maria Theresa. Their deaths are a reminder that the costs of this war are not limited only to lowborn. His Majesty hopes and prays that peace is around the corner and that this wretched war can come to an end.

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His Majesty King Frederick II of Prussia is pleased to announce that after some negotiations undertaken with the Kingdom of Sweden a separate peace between Sweden and the Anglo-Prussian-Ottoman-Danish Alliance is to be concluded, putting an end to one of the most noteworthy theaters of the current war and hopefully signaling a new age of peace and cooperating between our alliance and Sweden:

Treaty of Christiana

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x His Majesty King Frederick II, King of Prussia

x Adolf Fredrick, King of Sweden

[YPestis25]

His Majesty King Frederick II of Prussia is pleased to announce that after some negotiations undertaken with the Kingdom of Sweden a separate peace between Sweden and the Anglo-Prussian-Ottoman-Danish Alliance is to be concluded, putting an end to one of the most noteworthy theaters of the current war and hopefully signaling a new age of peace and cooperating between our alliance and Sweden:

Treaty of Christiana

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x His Majesty King Frederick II, King of Prussia

x Adolf Fredrick, King of Sweden

Still not sure I ever was formally at war with Adolf Fredrick, but since my coutry is mentioned here...

Better safe than sorry. Rest assured Stockholm harbors no ill will to either you Sultan, or your people.

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Statement from Stockholm Palace

His Majesty King Adolf Fredrick of Sweden is pleased to announce that Stockholm will be extending official recognition of Peter III as Emperor of All Russia. It is high time the regressive rule of the Regent Catherine comes to an end and the people of Russia can live under an enlightened and just monarch.

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Statement from Stockholm Palace

The Polish actions in Stockholm are unacceptable and a clear violation of Swedish sovereignty. Clearly Poland, not content to sow chaos, discord and death within their own lands now seek to spread it across the breadth of Europe. The Cap conspirators were subject to a fair trial and were awaiting sentencing, and their removal ensures that justice can never be done for those killed and injured in the Stockholm Coup. Rest assured to the powers of Europe, the Kingdom of Sweden will not stand for this provocation.

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Decrees from Stockholm Palace

His Majesty Adolf Fredrick would like to congratulate the brave Swedish soldiers on their conquest of St. Petersburg. For the first time in over 30 years, the Swedish flag flies south of the Neva. However, much work remains to be done, but surely Swedish valor will win the day.

At home King Fredrick would like to express his support for the completion of the land reforms implemented by the former government in the Riksdag. While the King recognizes the frustrations of those who lost land, the effectiveness of these reforms cannot be overstated, and the increase in arable land within Sweden played a large part in the economic stabilization of the realm. However, King Fredrick is a merciful monarch, and is thus willing to compensate those who lost land in the reforms with  new holdings in the new lands acquired once the glorious war in Russia  is concluded.

His Majesty has also chosen to support the implementation of a new program to spur the construction of a series of  workshops in Sweden's major seaside towns and cities. These workshops will help furnish the creation of a new Swedish navy, which will allow the protection of new lands across the Baltic. This new naval program will also require the expansion of existing dockyards throughout Sweden, and thus His Majesty has authorized this expansion primarily in Stockholm, Gotland, and Malmo.

The King recognizes that these are hard times for the Kingdom of Sweden, but hard times breed great men, and Sweden has always risen to meet a challenge. God Save the Riksdag! God Save the King! God Save Sweden!

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Venice hereby offers to mediate discussions between Sweden and Russia. The Danes may join as well, if they so wish.

The Kingdom of Sweden would look favorably upon Venetian mediation, should the Regent Catherine agrees.

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Statement from Stockholm Palace

In light of the continuing escalation of conflicts across Europe and the globe, His Majesty, King Adolf Fredrick, is hereby calling for opening of a conference to be hosted at a neutral site to ensure that the true threat which faces all of us, revolutionary fervor in the guise of the Polish state, can be dealt with and that the conflicts which plague our continent can finally be resolved equitably and justly. His Majesty would look favorably upon the recommendation of appropriate locations for this conference, and for those nations who are willing to attend to declare so now.

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ADOLF FREDRICK ADDRESSES THE RIKSDAG

Gentlemen, Swedes, Finns, Scandinavians, we stand at a demarcation in our history. The mad Usurper Catherine has rejected any overtures for peace, and will not stop until the whole world is supplicant to her and her sham court. Even as we speak Catherine and her allies, the perfidious Austrians, plot to put all of Scandinavia in bondage. It up to us, and us alone, to halt Catherine and her aggression.

Will we let our brothers in Finland fall to the tyranny and cruelty of Catherine? No! We will rise up to meet this challenge, and the Russians will break upon our armies like water on rock. While our men defend it, Finland will not fall, and the rights of the Finns will not be put under the whim of a crazed ruler seated in Moscow. It is clear how Catherine treats her subjects. One must look no further than the Cossacks who rose up against impossible odds, against her misrule to understand the fate that would await us under Catherine's rule.

And to our Finnish brothers, I now speak to you. I understand your concerns, and your desires for more autonomy, and I am willing to work towards an agreement which will ensure that blood between the Finns and the Swedes is not spilt. Following the conclusion of this war, I will begin taking steps to raise Finland to equal status to Sweden, with its own empowered Riksdag in Helsenki to govern local education and infrastructure.

I conclude then with this, never before has our very existence been threatened by a foreign power. We must put aside our differences and our disputes. Hat, Cap, Swede, Finn, it matters not, for we are all faced with the same fate if we do not stop Catherine. Let us rise up to meet the challenge, and restore ourselves to the ranks of the great powers of Europe!

*This speech will be distributed throughout Sweden, Finland, and Karelia.

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Statement from Stockholm Palace

We are certainly saddened by the Kingdom of Prussia's declaration, but it should come as no surprise to the honest and good thinking people of Sweden and Europe. After all, it appears that Prussia has weaseled its way into every major European conflict, and always they profess to be on the side of truth and justice. Regardless, the Prussian declaration only hardens our resolve, and commits us more firmly to the difficult road ahead.

God Save the King!

[YPestis25]

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x Catherine, Regent for Emperor Paul

xAdolf Fredrick, King of Sweden

[YPestis25]

We find it unnecessary to dignify the statement from Stockholm Palace with a detailed response, other than to point out His Majesty the King of Sweden has no moral standing after betraying and murdering thousands of Danish and Petrine soldiers who had fought beside his men as allies for months, and particularly given his repeated shifts in alliances.

Quite the moral standing which Prussia has after the timely deaths of Maria Theresa and little Ivan. Clearly King Fredrick has forgotten about his past conduct.

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ADOLF FREDRIK ADDRESSES THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Representatives, Swedes, Finns, Norwegians, and Danes, we stand at a time of national crisis. I have come before this body and its predecessor numerous times and stated much of the same, but it truly does appear that the our position grows more precarious by the day, with former allies and formerly loyal citizens turning against their nation.

In the east the Prussians have appointed a Hohenzollern puppet to take control of Finland. Let me ask the Finns. Do you truly believe that a Prussian puppet state will give you the representation that you desire? I certainly do not, and I am not willing to the let Hohenzollerns assert hegemony over a single inch of Scandinavian soil. Already, I am willing to sit what Finnish representatives can make it to Stockholm to join the National Assembly. The citizens of Finland have two choices, Hohenzollern despotism, or Scandinavian representation.

The Riksdag rebels also continue to threaten the unity of the Kingdom of Sweden during this crucial time. Truly, I recognize their complaints, but has this new National Assembly and Constitutional Committee not addressed those complaints? I would dare say that they have, but when I attempted to open negotiations they demanded my abdication! This shrinking rebellion full of radical Hats is increasingly out of touch with the rest of Swedish public opinion and will be quickly crushed. I implore those rebels still bearing arms to surrender now, and a full pardon willl be offered.

Finally, the treachery of the Spain will not stand. The Spanish “King’s” Statement makes as little sense as his double crossing us. This ruler has stated that Stockholm misled him into believing that Prussia and Great Britain were planning an attack, a statement we dispute. However, if that was the case, how could he have possibly trusted Great Britain and Prussia of all nations to be truthful in this matter? These nations either took part or were complicit in the murder of heads of state, the fabrication of diplomatic documents, and arguably the root cause of the chaos which now covers the continent. Rest assured, this betrayal only strengthens our resolve.

In conclusion, Sweden will not be cowed by the weight of our hurdles, but will instead overcome them and bring further greatness to our nation!

[YPestis25]

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x George the Third, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, and so forth

xAdolf Fredrick, King of Sweden

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Treaty of Madrid
-The Kingdom of Spain and the Russian Empire, Kingdom of Sweden and Archduchy of Austria hereby agree to a status quo antebellum.
-The Spanish forces in Norway will be allowed to leave Norway without interference or harm.

xAdolf Fredrick, King of Sweden
(Pending approval from the National Assembly)