The Zenith of Power: Gameplay Thread

[Spamage]

The Zenith of Power: Concert of Europe Part IV
Turn 1: 1871

The World in 1871
(Made by Me)

Nations, Leaders, and Players

Kingdom of France: Queen Mother Charlotte von Hohenzollern (Windjammer)
Habsburg Monarchy: Emperor Charles VIII von Habsburg-Lothringen (Dereich)
Kingdom of Scandinavia: Queen Catherine II von Oldenburg (YPestis)
Russian Republic: President Aleksey Suvorin (KaiserDave)
Ottoman Empire: Sultan Murad V Osmanoğlu (Kingpoleon)
Divine Republic of Brazil: Archbishop-President Manuel Joaquim da Silveira (X)
Kingdom of Naples: King Charles VIII Bourbon (GoTfan)
Tokugawa Shogunate: Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu (iBizzBee)
United Kingdom of Louisiana: King Henry-Philippe Bourbon (DKrol)
Qajar Iran: Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (PSOL)
Kingdom of Quebec: King Henry II von Hohenzollern (Lumine)
Kingdom of Mexico: King Luis de Bourbon-Orleans (Hijodeagua)
United Provinces of New Holland: Stadtholder Pieter Mijer (Orwell)
Holy Republic of Colombia: Archbishop-President Vicente Arbeláez Gómez (Kuumo)
Confederation of New England: Chairman Henry Wilson (OBD)
Kingdom of the Netherlands: King William IV of Orange (Ishan)
Durrani Empire: Emir Abdul Samad Khan (AverageFoodEnthusiast)

Economic Standings

Kingdom of Scandinavia: Strong
Kingdom of France: Strong
Holy Republic of Colombia: Moderate-Strong
Ottoman Empire: Moderate-Strong
Divine Republic of Brazil: Moderate
Kingdom of Quebec: Moderate
Kingdom of Naples: Moderate
Kingdom of the Netherlands: Moderate
Russian Republic: Moderate
Qajar Iran: Moderate
United Province of New Holland: Moderate
Tokugawa Shogunate: Moderate
Confederation of New England: Moderate-Weak
Kingdom of Mexico: Moderate-Weak
Habsburg Monarchy: Moderate-Weak
United Kingdom of Louisiana: Moderate-Weak
Durrani Empire: Weak

Popularity

King Charles VIII Bourbon: Very High
King Henry II von Hohenzollern: High
King Luis de Bourbon: High
Archbishop-President Vicente Arbeláez Gómez: High
Queen Mother Charlotte von Hohenzollern: Moderate
Emperor Charles VIII von Habsburg-Lothringen: Moderate
Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu: Moderate
President Aleksey Suvorin: Moderate
Sultan Murad V Osmanoğlu: Moderate
Naser al-Din Shah Qajar: Moderate
King Henry-Philippe Bourbon: Moderate
Archbishop-President Manuel Joaquim da Silveira: Moderate
Queen Catherine II von Oldenburg: Moderate
Chairman Henry Wilson: Moderate
King William IV of Orange: Moderate
Emir Abdul Samad Khan: Moderate

Current Global Conflicts:
Chinese Civil War: Xing Dynasty vs. Chinese Republicans vs. Russian, Korean, Japanese, Scandinavian, Habsburg Expeditionary Forces (1867-)
Spanish Revolution: Spanish Republic vs. Royalist Spain (Peru) (1869-)
Tibetan Civil War: French-Backed Tibet vs. Xing-Backed Tibet (1870-)

Kingdom of France

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Queen Regent Charlotte, you find yourself at the head of one of the foremost powers on Earth. From Europe to India and Indonesia, the French flag flies supreme. In an increasingly complicated global situation people look to you for leadership. All sides of the political divide agree that the Splendid Isolation of Marie Fernandina will no longer do, and the realm must be more engaged in global affairs. Never again must France be consigned to the sidelines when a future Treaty of Breslau is signed. This will require lasting partnerships. Will you maintain your recent ties to Prussia and your fellow Hohenzollern cousins? How will the complicated relationship with Naples and Spain be handled? Further east, should Constantinople continue to be aided or is it time for a Franco-Iranian partnership?

-The situation in Padania was both complicated and embarrassing to your regency. While you have secured the approval of the local assembly, it is clear that there are probably many in that realm who wish to see you fail. Ranging from outright Italian nationalists to discontented liberals, this group probably has the support of the majority of the populace, but the conservative and reactionary factions outvoted them thanks to limited suffrage. Many Padanians have come to resent French influence over their lives, despite decades-long government policy aimed at forging a separate Padene identity. How will you respond to the recent embarrassment? Some urge conciliation, perhaps even naming Xavier to some significant post in Padania, and an end to the attempt to build a unique national identity. Others, particularly in the reactionary camp, have gone so far as to suggest Padania itself be dissolved and reabsorbed into France. You have the power to call new elections as well, though this could be risky.

-While France was one of the foremost colonial powers at the turn of the century, increasingly you are finding yourself in a competitive environment. Save for a few token ports in West Africa, French presence on that continent is severely lacking, undercutting claims to global prestige. Many in Paris would have you direct your energies towards a conquest of Algiers, that wretched former hive or piracy. The situation further east requires attention as well. Your Indian officials have ignited a civil war in Tibet over the succession of the next Dalai Lama and on the vast Indian subcontinent, the aggressive activity of some Catholic missionaries has caused angst. What are your proposed colonial policies?

Habsburg Monarchy

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Emperor Charles VIII, your vast multitude of nationalities and subjects looks to you for leadership in an increasingly hostile Europe. Rivalry with the militaristic Queen Regent Charlotte of France threatens the west. To the north, Prussia has flagrantly violated the Treaty of Breslau. The Ottomans, once allies, seem to have gained some hostility towards your realm. Naples has taken Tuscany, coercing your sister Maria Sophia into pledging fealty to the Bourbon King. Further east, Russia’s growing boldness threatens your staunch ally, King George of Poland. Still, Vienna’s strength should not be underestimated. With the Holy Roman Empire, extensive dynastic ties, and loose friendships with Scandinavia and Britain you wield a significant weight. More recently, Spain could provide an opening for detaching that realm from France. Will you seek to shake up the European order or operate in a defensive manner? How will the vast Habsburg Empire navigate these troubling times?

-To the surprise of many, your realm has become quite a significant colonial and mercantile power. Recent developments in China and Africa seem to be providing an opening to expanding that role. The Austrian Expeditionary Force has secured the area around Ningbo in an attempt to create some semblance of order, but there are many who believe that you could be kingmaker in the growing conflict. In Africa, Habsburg control of Madagascar, where the Merina monarchs have become subjects alongside thousands of others, you could have a base for further expansion. Will you enter the mainland and join the growing struggle for glory or should these potential distractions be ignored until your position elsewhere is more secure?

-Winning the Great Eastern War and then crushing the Kingdom of the Rhine were some of your father’s crowning achievements. They were also quite expensive. Initially Russian and Prussian reparations were to help alleviate the problem, but both governments have since refused to pay. This was not an issue at first, but the need to increase spending with the Panic of 1862 caused the debt to increase again. While you’ve managed a slight surplus since, the vast amount of debt, and the paramount importance of a strong military, has limited the government’s ability to fund economic projects over the past few decades and probably slowed economic growth. Some call on the government to declare bankruptcy and go through a few hard years as the debt is restructured or forgiven. Others believe taxes ought to be raised, though the Spanish Revolution shows what happens when an income tax is implemented against popular will, let alone the administrative headache of imposing a universal tax across so many dominions and constituent states. You could rattle the sabre against the Prussians and Russians in a bid to get them to pay up, but this would probably require a commitment to fighting should they refuse. How will you handle the vast interest payments taking a drag on the economy?

Kingdom of Scandinavia

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Queen Catherine II, you lead a significant power with global ambitions. Ever since the marriage of Frederick VI and Catherine I, Scandinavia has had a major role to play on the global stage. While success in the Great Eastern War left your realm expanded and would-be rivals chastened for a time, Prussia and Russia have each demonstrated some degree of resurgence. Now Scandinavia must chart a diplomatic course that keeps your subjects safe. There is no question that the British are your closest ally. At Court in Stockholm your mother (born Princess Elizabeth of Britain in 1821) and grandmother (born Princess Anne of Britain in 1797), represent the pro-British faction. They constantly urge you to seek ever-closer ties with their home. Your husband Archduke Frederick of Austria meanwhile is unabashedly pro-Austrian, reminding you of your realm’s success alongside the Habsburgs in the Great Eastern War. The liberally-social democratic civilian authorities led by Prime Minister Ditlev Gothard Monrad urge you to ignore these family ties if necessary and do what is best, even if it means jettisoning traditional friendships. Will you shake up the existing diplomatic order in Europe? Or should old friends be trusted over potential new partners?

-Scandinavia is undoubtedly a colonial power, and now finds new challengers increasingly entering its traditional spheres of influence. As Africa has begun to look much more enticing, your realm finds itself now one of many seeking to carve out spheres of influence. How will you react to the growing scramble for colonies and raw materials? Further afield, your colonial officials have intervened in the Chinese Civil War, not against either side, but as a means of creating zones of stability so trade can function semi-normally. Do you condone their actions? Should Scandinavia increase involvement in China, perhaps helping to pick a winner?

-Perhaps no matter has concerned the Court in Stockholm so much in recent years as the issue of the royal succession. Queen Catherine II, you were born the only surviving child of your parents’ 13 pregnancies. Recent theories in genetics point to your parent’s close relationship (double first cousins) as the likely cause of their fertility issues. While you married outside of the family, wedding the Habsburg Emperor’s son Frederick of Habsburg-Lorraine in 1856 on the condition that he convert, the marriage has been utterly childless. There has not even been a hint of pregnancy over the past 15 years. While many have prayed for a Swedish Miracle of Versailles, this has not occurred and most suspect you to be sterile. The nearest heir would on paper be your cousin 26-year-old William of Hesse-Darmstadt (child of the late Princess Alexandra of Scandinavia) but your grandfather King Gustav IV (opposed to the marriage and hating the Darmstadt’s for their cooperation with Prussia) forced Alexandra to renounce the throne for herself and her children. Your next nearest heir after William would be King Henry X of Britain, but this union is impossible for numerous obvious reasons. Some propose restoring the inheritance rights of the Hesse-Darmstadts at the risk of offending Britain. Others believe a younger brother or child of Henry would be a suitable claimant. Perhaps you should allow the people to choose any suitable foreigner or capable domestic leader? How will you handle the looming issue of succession as you begin to age?

Russian Republic

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-President Aleksey Suvorin, you come to power at a crucial point in Russian history. You represent a series of firsts for the young Russian Republic. You are the first non-noble leader history of Russia in centuries, the first person of a peasant background to assume leadership, and the first civilian to head the republic. Your predecessors were old military men, creating an established centrist authoritarian consensus. Now, with their deaths, the divided nation looks to you to provide a direction forward. Never before has there been so much discourse in Russia, almost every political belief imaginable seemingly represented by various factions. Extremists fight in the streets, brawls even erupting on the floor of the Duma as the left and the right demand power. The exile Grand Duke Ivan, grandson of the last Emperor, waits in Berlin with his Prussian cousins for his star to rise again. The Army, so embarrassed by defeat in the Great Eastern War and used to handling government, is watching your moves very carefully and must be minded. How will you approach domestic politics in your early years of power?

-Russia is somewhat isolated diplomatically, perhaps somewhat by design. Staying out of the Habsburg-French rivalry to the west has given your nation the time it needed to catch its breath, reform, and modernize. Your old alliance with Prussia seems unlikely to be restored unless you come down in favor of the monarchists. Diplomacy with Poland, Scandinavia, and the Ottomans, those thieves of Russian lands, would likewise be unpopular. While Japan has been a reliable partner in containing Korea and China, with the Chinese Civil War some are worried they are becoming too powerful. But still, some believe it would be best for Russia to find friends. Will you forge any new alliances? How will Russia navigate the complicated diplomatic waters of the global order?

-Thanks to your predecessor, Russia has entered the fray in the Chinese Civil War, at least nominally. The Manchurian Protectorate in the north has been occupied alongside Inner Mongolia. This comes alongside the establishment of your existing protectorate in Xinjiang and the annexation of Mongolia decades ago. As fighting rages to the south, some in Moscow believe that you should pick a side, making the eventual winner reliant on Russian goodwill. Others see bogging yourself down in China as an unnecessary distraction and a mistake on the part of President Menschikov, demands going as far as the evacuation of existing Russian gains. How will Russia address the Chinese crisis?

Ottoman Empire

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Sultan Murad V, the Ottoman state has been one of the premier powers in Europe for centuries. Since your ancestor Mehmed the Conqueror crushed the Byzantines and Suleiman the Magnificent besieged Vienna, Europe has been forced to contend with the designs of Constantinople. In the decades since the Great Eastern War, your government was focused on internal reform and sought to temper the ever-growing chorus of nationalism and religious extremism. Now, your realm has begun to look outwards once more. To the north, Russia has begun to become frightening once more and the Habsburgs can no longer be trusted, especially after they allowed the Persians to take Mesopotamia at your expense. Speaking of, there are always those who look at that province with longing, demanding you return it to the Ottoman fold. The foreign ministry has generally tended to lean towards France to counter the Habsburg threat, but no firm commitments have been made.  How will you navigate the diplomatic situation in Europe and the Near East?

-Ottoman policy in recent decades has been aimed at placating nationalists among the various Slavic groups in the Balkans. The establishment of the People’s Advisory Council in 1848 did help slow the demands for autonomy, but the passage of time has only served to make some nationalists bolder. There has been a spate of assassination attempts, some successful, but Slavic radical groups against your local officials. In Moldavia, Wallachia, and Ottoman Ruthenia, the locals have never truly accepted rule from Constantinople, and there are calls to restore the autonomous principalities of the past. Yet, it is feared this would precipitate a slide towards anarchy in the region. Meanwhile, in Turkey proper the growing urban classes have begun to seek a voice in government, even whispers of elections floating in the air. How will you handle these calls for devolution and participatory government? Should the Sultan’s authority remain absolute, or is it perhaps time to allow for some power-sharing?

-North Africa has long been nominally controlled by your predecessors. Now, as the whole continent comes under the gaze of the colonial powers, challenges are rising in that region. Naples has seized Tunis and either they or the French could soon threaten Algiers or Morocco. Further to the south, the Scandinavians, British, Prussians, and Brazilians have demonstrated great energy in establishing outposts. There are many Ottoman subjects who believe it would be best if you joined the growing colonial struggle, protecting innocent Muslims from being subjugated by Christian powers.  This could take many forms, ranging from colonization yourself to arming the various Muslim powers against their would-be oppressors. Some look towards Ethiopia longingly, seeing a potential target for expansion to demonstrate the continued vitality of Ottoman arms. What will Ottoman policy towards the growing competition in Africa look like?

[Spamage]

Divine Republic of Brazil

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Archbishop-President Manuel Joaquim da Silveira, your realm is at a crossroads. It seems that Brazil has three paths ahead of it, each leading to a very different future. The longer Catholic-Republicanism has been in power, the more variations to ideology have emerged. With the death of de Andrade, the second generation of leadership charted a far more moderate path, limiting the excesses of the first leader’s rule. In Brazil, there are numerous camps. Some want a return to the initial system, ignoring those who criticize the cruel methods and lackluster economic growth of that time period. Others believe that moderation and liberalization, a la Colombia, is the correct choice, though this opening could shatter the very system it is trying to save. Champions of the existing order believe that it has yielded tremendous growth and advancement, ignoring the fact that Church attendance is on the decline and immigration has failed to increase. How will you navigate the domestic situation in Brazil?

-Brazil’s old bloc of allies has weakened a bit, especially due to ideological differences between Colombia and Patagonia. While the Portuguese Crown remains an ironic, albeit loyal partner, few other powers have been willing to cooperate. Some believe that the idea of compromise with so many corrupt and satanic regimes should not even be entertained, arguing intervention in the Great Eastern War was a rare matter of necessity. This clique would have you strike out and spread republicanism once more, eyeing Peru greedily. The doves argue that such militarism is counter-productive and that Brazil needs reliable partners if it is to succeed in economic growth or colonial affairs? They point to the potential lucrative gains from the Panama Canal as evidence of the benefits of engagement with the wider world. The truth is probably somewhere between the two extremes, but that is for you to determine. What shape will Brazilian foreign policy take under your watch?

-The last decade in Brazilian Africa has been dominated by bush wars against Prussia and local inhabitants in the Kalahari and other territories north of the Cape Colony. While this has meant there is little love lost between yourself and Berlin, it has also provided your men with ample experience. As the Imperialists have begun to eye Africa with greed, some would have you beat them at the pass and expand into Africa yourself, saving both the souls and minds of the indigenous people from the evils of constitutional monarchism. With colonies in the Congo, Natal, and Namibia, you certainly have the ports to make something happen. What will you do?

Kingdom of Naples

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-King Charles VIII, there is tremendous optimism in the air. After decades, if not a century, of incremental progress, never before has Italian unification felt so close. When Grand Duchess Maria Sophia von Habsburg-Lothringen, your sister-in-law, consented to Neapolitan occupation at the urging of your younger brother in 1864, your soldiers were greeted with great fanfare in Florence. With the Spanish Revolution, Corsica and Sardinia seem ripe for the taking if you’re willing to risk war, potentially further bolstering your claims to represent the Italian people. Only Lombardy and Padania, those bastions of Austria and France, respectively, remain in the way of total success. What diplomatic moves will you take to ensure your growing influence receives the recognition it deserves?

-Naples, alongside Austria remains one of the few bastions of the old, enlightened absolutist order in Europe. Some wonder if the days of that order within your kingdom are numbered. With the establishment of a semi-democratic system in Padania, many wonder why similar electoral systems and representative bodies could not be established within the vast Neapolitan holdings. While the broader public has not yet made such demands, many distracted by the appeals to nationalism promulgated by your ministers, there is a growing movement within the universities calling for a liberalization of society, a constitution, and the right to vote. Will you open up society in the Kingdom of Naples? Or would this release forces far too damaging to the monarchy?

-Naples has governed the colony of Tunis for several decades now. With control of Tunisia, Malta, and Sicily, you have gained significant leverage over Europe proper, the ability to shut down trade in the Mediterranean should you so wish. Now the hawks at Court call on you to expand your colonial ventures, eyeing Algiers. Long a hotbed of piracy, that state has failed to keep up with the growing pace of change. Securing it would undoubtedly further cement Neapolitan glory, though there is the potential it could anger the Ottomans, who maintain long-term interests in the region. Still, given the growing competition for African land, Naples must seek to grow its holdings if it wants to have a true seat at the table.

Tokugawa Shogunate

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu, Japan has truly proven its greatness over the past few decades. It has taken a mere half century to go from an isolated, feudal system to a modern power at the center of a vast empire. This glorious patrimony must be defended at all costs and that may require forging alliances with various powers. Russia and Japan have cooperated for decades now, but recent intervention by that republic in Manchuria and Inner Mongolia has caused some to question the arrangement. France, despite its role in helping Japan’s early stages of opening, is likewise viewed with distrust, especially given their history of expansionism, most recently seen with the invasion of Mysore. Under no circumstances are the Koreans to be trusted. That leaves potential partnerships with the British, Scandinavians, and Habsburgs, but these powers too have their own extensive baggage. Some of those with longterm thinking believe that Louisiana, whose closest base is across the Pacific in San Francisco, would be a potential partner to cultivate. What will Japanese diplomacy look like in the coming years.

-Besides Korea, Japan has been one of the realms most involved in the Chinese Civil War thus far. Unlike the Koreans, you have been less vocal with your aims. Japan’s intervention in the First Chinese Civil War yielded gains in the Dalian Peninsula, among other areas. Will you pursue expansion? Certainly, there is also merit to aligning yourself with the Republicans, though it runs the risk of backfiring should their ideology seep into your own realm. The Xing too could become a new ally, especially if you are able to wean them from the influence of the Koreans. Even just providing weapons could prove crucial in turning the tide. What is to be done about the Chinese Civil War?

-Internally, Japan remains under the iron grip of the Shogunate, yet there are various opposition forces waiting in the wings. Opening has brought in new ideas about government into the realm. Western liberalism and constitutional monarchism have gained substantial followings among many of the economic elites who have profited from increased trade and industrialization. These groups call for limited reform, including the opening of some degree of suffrage, improved freedom of speech, and limits to the power of the shogun. These groups tend to turn to the emperor in their designs. Despite attempts to assert their role in the 1840s, the Emperors of Japan remain consigned to a ceremonial, semi-religious position well-outside of decision-making. Will you seek to compromise with the growing reformist movement? Or should the Shinsengumi be employed to weed out those who would undermine national unity at such a crucial point. How will you deal with the internal politics of the shogunate?

United Kingdom of Louisiana

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-King Henry-Philippe de Bourbon-Orleans, you govern one of the emerging powers in the world. While the embargo in regards to slavery produced some hard years, recently the Kingdom has seen a slight, tepid resurgence. On the global stage, you stand somewhat alone. Quebec seems to envy your growing territory on the Great Plains, Mexico envies your population, and Britain envies your control over their former colonies. Against all these hateful neighbors, it would be good to have a friend. New England could perhaps be cultivated into an alliance, but leaders there seem to have lingering distaste over your internal racial disputes. While cooperation with Brazil seems a bridge too far, recent developments in Colombia perhaps mean that nation could likewise become a future partner. What will your foreign policy look like?

-Your seizure of Cuba was probably an act of war against the Spanish Royalists, but they have been unable to respond, consigned to exile in distant Peru. Now a growing chorus demands the formal annexation of the Spanish half of the island, never mind the chilling precedent it could set. Your uncle, King Luis, has privately stated he will follow your lead with the lands he seized from Spain in Central America. Despite repeated offers on your part, the Bourbons in Lima refuse to sell their rights to the island. Will you annex the remainder of Cuba, bringing an end to four centuries of Spanish presence in the Caribbean, or should the current situation, when you are ‘protecting’ the rights of your distant cousin Henry V be maintained?

-Racial tensions remain a salient issue in your realm. It has been only 10 years since your government issued the Emancipation Act of 1860 and little was done for the freedman after they transitioned from enslaved to employees. Abuse remains rampant, voting rights practically nonexistant, and predjudicial laws stand on the books, banning interracial marriage and urging discrimination. Frustrated with the status quo, Frederick Douglass, a prominent Black leader, established Liberia, a series of settlements around the Great Salt Lake inhabited primarily by Afro-Lousianans. Despite intense initial opposition and a series of low-level conflicts, your father King Philippe in New Orleans finally caved and admitted it to the Kingdom over the intense objection of many English-speaking members of the National Assembly. How will you seek to bridge the racial divide that is plaguing your realm?

Qajar Iran

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, Iran has achieved great things under the watch of your predecessors. Mesopotamia has been taken from the Ottomans and restored to its natural union with Iran. The Kurds and Armenians have thrown off the shackles of Ottoman control as well, becoming loyal subjects to your government. Now, dark clouds seem to be on the horizon once more. The Ottomans have demonstrated growing assertiveness in recent years and many believe that they may soon attack. This calls for partnership with some other power. Russia, while the obvious choice, seems to be focused instead on East Asian and European affairs. France could be a potential friend, but that would mean dislodging them from their cooperation with the Sultan. The Habsburgs too could be partners, but they are far more distant from your realm, save for token trading ports at Queshm. Many still see Oman as traitors, given their actions in the past. What partnerships will you seek to forge to ensure that you are not left vulnerable to Turkish aggression?

-While the Armenians and Kurds have been fairly loyal to your regime, granting of those regions’ autonomy has only served to increase demands elsewhere and cause some internal ethnic tension. In particular, the Azeri in the north and Balochs in the south have grown more strident in their demands for self-government under your protection. Meanwhile most Persians, of course, resent any demands for further devolution and many would actually revoke the status of Armenia and Kurdistan, given the chance. They see privileged minorities being granted greater rights with lesser financial and political responsibilities (the Armenian and Kurdish regions have their own units in the army and determine their own taxation levels). How will you tackle this issue of feuding nationalities at a time when unity is required?

-Dagestan, that breakaway region of Russia, has grown increasingly nervous about its standing in the world following greater Russian military assertiveness. Last year, the local officials formally requested to join your empire as a constituent realm, similar to those of Armenia and Kurdistan. While this could greatly improve your situation in the Caucuses, all the while increasing the prestige of your glorious personage, there are some who fear that the Russian Republic could take this the wrong way. Still some note that Russia has allowed the region independence for thirty years, basically ceding it, even if its loss has never been recognized. As fellow Muslims, perhaps it would only be natural for them to become subjects. Will you take the Dagestani government up on its request? Or is it too risky of a proposition?

Kingdom of Quebec

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-King Henry II, your namesake King Henry I could never have imagined the realm his descendants would one day rule when he made that perilous voyage from Prussia to the New World in the 1790s. Eighty years on, Quebec is one of the foremost powers in North America and boasts a growing economy, politically engaged populace, and vast untapped resources. 1871 is the year of the next major election, where the composition of parliament will be determined. The race is close, and many expect that a slight sign from yourself either in favor of the right or left could help sway the outcome. On the right, the Conservative Union remains a broadly upper-class, Quebecois, pro-monarchist and expansionist movement. They lean towards protectionism, lowering the pace of immigration, want confrontation with Louisiana and Britain. The Whig Party is a broad coalition of business leaders, non-Catholics, and those in favor of free trade. They see partnership with Louisiana as essential, given the money to be made. In recent years the socialist Worker’s Party (heir to the defunct Labor Party) has achieved broad gains as well. Monarchs have gotten involved in Quebecois elections before, will you choose to do so also?

-Diplomatically, Quebec occupies a unique position. With vast holdings, your realm has the flexibility to be creative in your dealings with other nations. Your father Louis Henry was wily in seizing the Scandinavian outposts in the frigid north and expanding further westwards. Now, some look south, the cause of growing tensions with both Britain and Louisiana. While your government has tended to stay out of European conflicts, you do also possess close dynastic and economic ties with many nations there. Your daughter is the formidable Queen Regent Charlotte of France, your late mother was a Princess of Portugal, and your wife a daughter of the Duke of Hesse-Kassel. Quebecois ships frequent the ports of France, the Netherlands, and Prussia. New England could also prove to be a good ally to have. What do you make of the diplomatic situation?

-Despite initial promise, the industrial revolution in Quebec has been somewhat disappointing. Characterized by false starts and failed companies, mass production on a scale apace with New England, let alone on those of Europe, has thus far eluded the economy. While railways have been completed and cities look more modern than ever before, little of these goods have been produced in Quebec. Previous royal attempts to foster industry with broad grants in the 1850s and 1860s turned into public debacles and embarrassments, graft and corruption running rampant. Some urge you to try again, others believe this would only serve to distort the economy and create rampant speculation. How will you guarantee Quebec is not left behind in the increasingly crucial field of economic growth?

United Provinces of New Holland

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Stadtholder Pieter Mijer, the past decades were trying times for your young nation. Cast adrift with the collapse of the homeland, and beset by foreign enemies, New Holland only survived through stubborn determination and diplomatic craftiness. Now, 20 years later, your government has been globally recognized and thousands pour in annually from other regions of the globe. Still, if you are to survive, it is agreed in the States General of Willemstad that you ought to proceed carefully when it comes to diplomacy. France, Korea, Japan, and Britain could all be prospective partners, though many remember how eager they were to carve up your holdings in the 1840s.  How will you act, given your position?  Will you choose isolated neutrality, in the hopes of maintaining your independence, or is a proactive foreign policy the best way to succeed?

-There is no question that despite the republican trappings, your society is an unequal one. The population of New Holland (including Java) is roughly 9.5 million. 1.8 million are of Dutch or European descent (mostly in Australia), and allowed suffrage and property rights. The remaining 7.7 are Javans, unable to participate in the limited property-based elections, serve in the military, or have a voice in government. There are those that would open up the suffrage to include these groups, but the Dutch populace has been highly resistant to the idea, worried about being outvoted. Still, if you are to defend yourself, perhaps cooperation would be effective? Will you move to increase the rights of the indigenous population, or could this destabilize your nation at a time when unity is of paramount importance?

[Spamage]

Kingdom of Mexico

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-King Luis of Mexico, it has been 36 years since you were invited by the Mexican people to become their sovereign and 34 since the Spanish formally recognized your people's independence. Your reign has seen the birth of a new nation, one no longer tied to Spain and all of its issues. For decades you have governed as a near-absolute monarch, a role that has suited you well, with only a token National Assembly in Mexico City. Yet, increasingly, some believe it is time for that to change. There are vocal demands for a constitution and limits to royal power from urban liberals, these developments generally opposed by your established ministers as well as your conservative-minded heir Prince Ferdinand. Will you issue a new constitution or would caving to the demands of these malcontents only have a snowball effect on the stability of the realm?

-One issue never addressed in the Mexican Revolution has been the issue of land ownership. As most of the elite was in favor of ending Spanish control, and your eventual government was inherently conservative as a monarchy, the decades after the Revolution have seen the situation largely unchanged in Mexico. The Church and the Mexican nobility, including the family of your daughter-in-law, continue to hold vast estates throughout the Mexican countryside. This is not even to mention the extensive royal holdings. Needless to say, this has made the realm much less attractive to potential immigrants, Louisiana and Quebec both well on the way to passing your largely slow-growth population. Reformists would have you initiate a program of land reform, either through confiscation or compensation, to ease the inequality, an idea supported by most rural laborers. Still, this risks alienating the nobility, many of whom serve your government as generals and bureaucrats. Will you pursue land reform or ignore those critics?

-With the Spanish Revolution erupting in far-off Madrid, your government engaged in the unilateral seizure of Central America, joined by your nephew, the King of Louisiana's, seizure of Cuba. Now, the question remains what is to be done with this valuable territory, so long coveted by your government? Many would have you annex it outright, over the objections of your exiled cousin, the King of Spain. Others believe that granting the region local autonomy, perhaps as vassal realms, would be more appropriate, given the indigenous background of the population. Pacifists would have the lands either granted full independence or returned to Spain, worried of the prospect of escalation. How will you handle these newly-seized lands?

Holy Republic of Colombia

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Archbishop-President Vicente Arbeláez Gómez, Colombia looks to you for leadership in an ever-changing world. After decades of hardline Catholic-Republicanism, Colombia has begun to liberalize and open up. While this has resulted in tremendous growth and popularity, it has also led to new demands and calls for various reforms. As a unitary republic, many in Venezuela and the outlying provinces believe that some sort of devolution should be implemented. An increasingly vocal liberal faction calls for a total end to the Catholic Republican state and the reaction of a secular republic. Extremist Catholic Republicans meanwhile are waiting in the wings, hoping to undo the recent advances and restore a more hardline version of the ideology, like the systems found in Brazil and Patagonia. How will you approach domestic politics in the coming year?

-Diplomatically your liberalization has had some surprising implications. Brazil has seemed moderately annoyed by your drift away from authoritarianism, but it has made dealing with you far more attractive to the governments of Mexico, Louisiana, and now the Spanish Monarchy in exile. Will you continue to build new ties with these monarchist powers, at the risk of alienating Brazil, or should Colombia seek to restore its strong ties with fellow ideologues? Perhaps a neutral course is in order, Colombia charting its own path in order to guarantee flexibility?

Confederation of New England

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Chairman Henry Wilson, you lead the Confederation of New England, a small but efficient republic of 2.8 million inhabitants. New England won its independence with the aid of Quebec in the late 1700s, but later aligned itself with Britain to take Nova Scotia from an increasingly concerning Hohenzollern-led Montreal to the north. Your state has survived because of its craftiness in diplomacy, positioned as it is between the British Colonies and Quebec. Some believe that Louisiana could be a reliable partner, but aligning yourself with them does leave you exposed, as you share no border. As a new generation take the reins of power, will you shift the foreign policy?

-As with other American realms, the ever-present issue in New England is immigration. Industrialization in Boston, Providence, and other cities has demanded cheap factory labor. Yet, the New England labor force, dominated by established WASP families and farming smallholders, has been insufficient, driving up labor prices and causing some difficulties with economic growth. Generally, the Confederation has had a restrictive policy in regards to immigration and naturalization, though some believe that ought to be changed. Those born to noncitizens in New England are not granted citizenship upon birth and the process for naturalization is convoluted and time-consuming, requiring 12 years of residency. The Congress, in Boston, is bitterly divided and looks to you for a final decision. As an independent in an increasingly polarized region, your voice would probably sway a majority. The conservative Federalist Party believes that migration should remain limited, while the pro-business, liberal Centralist Party wants to allow more people to enter, perhaps even establishing birthright citizenship for those already present. Should New England loosen up its border?

Kingdom of the Netherlands

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-King William, there is no question that the Netherlands has had a rough go during the previous century. Several invasions by France and Prussia, internal revolutionary turmoil, and the seizure of the colonial empire have left you in a weakened but still determined. If the Dutch are to navigate this troubling environment it must be done carefully. Many believe that the first step towards recovery will be either taking back Groningen. Given to the Prussians during their invasion in the Great Eastern War, Scandinavia unilaterally seized it at the end of the war. Many believe it is time it was united with the rest of the Netherlands, though Stockholm has remained silent. Still, this would have to be done quite carefully. Perhaps finding a stronger partner to aid you: France, Prussia, or Austria could help in making your demands have more of an edge? What will Dutch diplomacy look like moving forward?

-Following the reorganization of the Netherlands in the 1840s, a foreign constitution was imposed. The military was removed from royal control and the Crown was sidelined into a largely diplomatic rule, most of domestic policy in the hands of the States General. With the election of 1868 however, a slew of conservative and monarchist parties seized a majority in the elections, bolstered my nationalist appeals to take back Groningen, and have proposed establishing a new constitution to remove the shame of a foreign-imposed one. Will you take them up on the offer and promulgate a new Dutch constitution? Or should the Netherlands keep the existing political order, for fear of irritating powerful neighbors?

Durrani Empire

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Emir Abdul Samad Khan, you lead the Durrani Empire, a realm that has seen many highs and lows over the past century. Once the terror of the Mughals and an active player in Iranian civil conflicts, for decades your power has been limited. The terrain of your realm has provided insulation from foreign invasion and could serve as a springboard for diplomatic intervention elsewhere, especially if other powers provide an opening. To the west, Iran sits potentially vulnerable should matters come to a head with the Ottomans and Russians. From a nationalist angle, intrigue against the Russians in Turkestan to the north could restore a Durrani presence to the region. Perhaps most importantly, to the east sits the vast holdings of the French Raj. Depending on your aims, the region could provide a massive pool of manpower in a quest to drive out the colonizers or be a staunch protector defending against those that would turn you into a protectorate. What is your foreign policy aims?

-As industrialism advances across the globe, some reformists believe that the Durrani Empire is being left behind. Your military relies on traditional Pashtun and Punjabi tribal loyalties, any sort of collective bureaucracy is scant to nonexistent, and trade is scarce. There is no shortage of western advisors, missionaries, and adventurers who have offered their services, but it remains to be seen whether they ought to be trusted. Furthermore, many stakeholders in the existing system question why change is necessary. To what degree will you encourage westernization? How will you balance the concerns of the conservatives and what areas will be your primary focus?

Armies and Locations
NOTE: "Max x% conscription" indicates the total percentage of men that are legally allowed to be mobilized under current law and determines the total size of divisions possible. It is based off of my population statistics. For example, "max 14% possible" means that when all of your divisions are raised, 14% of men in your state are enlisted in the army. This can be changed by law, but increases are often unpopular. Also note that higher rates of divisions raised can be taxing on the economy, especially over longer periods, as armies are expensive.

Kingdom of France
15 division Army of the North
15 division Army of the South
10 division Army of India
5 division Army of Ceylon
5 division Army of Sumatra
(50/395 divisions possible raised, max 14% conscription)

Habsburg Monarchy (Excluding HRE)
30 division Army of the Southern Frontier
10 division Army of Austria
15 division Army of Lombardy
10 division Army of Silesia
5 division Army of Madagascar
5 division Chinese Expeditionary Force
(75/300 divisions possible raised, max 14% conscription)

Kingdom of Scandinavia
10 division Army of Finland
10 division Army of Denmark
5  division Chinese Expeditionary Force
(25/110 divisions possible raised, max 14% conscription)

British Union
10 division Army of Tennessee
10 division Army of New York
5 division Army of Virginia
5 division Army of Ireland
5 division Home Guard
(35/145 divisions possible raised, max 4% conscription)

Russian Republic
20 division Army of St. Petersburg
20 division Army of Moscow
10 division Army of Mongolia
10 division Army of Kiev
7 division Army of Turkestan
4 division Army of Manchuria
4 division Army of Inner Mongolia
(75/325 divisions possible raised, max 10% conscription)

Ottoman Empire
15 division Army of Bosnia
12 division Army of Romania
10 division Army of Egypt
10 division Army of Crimea
5 division Army of Constantinople
(53/210 divisions possible raised, max 12% conscription)

Divine Republic of Brazil
5 division Army of Sao Paolo
5 division Army of Amazon
3 division Army of the Congo
2 division Army of Southern Africa
3 division Army of Bahia
(18/75 divisions possible raised, max 22% conscription)

Kingdom of Naples
10 division Army of Florence
10 division Army of Sicily
5 division Army of Rome
5 division Army of Tunis
(30/105 divisions possible raised, max 14% conscription)

Kingdom of Prussia
20 division Army of Hanover
20 division Army of the East
5 division Army of Berlin
5 division Army of South Africa
(50/130 divisions possible raised, max 14% conscription)

Tokugawa Shogunate
10 division Chinese Expeditionary Force
10 division Army of Niigata
10 division Executive Guard
7 division Army of Kyoto
5 division Army of the Philippines
3 division Army of New Guinea
(45/185 divisions possible raised, max 10% conscription)

United Kingdom of Louisiana
4 division Army of Texas
2 division Army of Charleston
2 division Army of California
2 division Army of Cuba
2 division Army of Des Moines
(12/55 divisions possible raised, max 14% conscription)

Joseon Korea
15 division Army of Beijing
15 division Army of Busan
10 division Army of Pyongyang
15 division Army of Taiyuan
10 division Army of Heze
10 division Army of Borneo
5 division Army of Malaya
(80/140 divisions possible raised, max 10% conscription)

Kingdom of Poland
10 division Army of Warsaw
10 division Army of Minsk
(20/60 divisions possible raised, max 16% conscription)

Qajar Iran
10 division Army of Baghdad
5 division Army of Baku
5 division Army of Baluchistan
5 division Army of Basra
(25/92 divisions possible raised, max 12% conscription)

Kingdom of Quebec
3 division Army of Vaudreuil
3 division Army of Montreal
4 division Army of New Brunswick
(10/45 divisions possible raised, max 14% conscription)

Kingdom of Mexico
4 division Royal Guard
5 division Army of the Yucatan
5 division Army of Guatemala
(14/58 divisions possible raised, max 15% conscription)

United Provinces of New Holland
3 division Army of Java
2 division Army of New Holland
(5/20 divisions possible raised, max 5% conscription)

Holy Republic of Colombia
3 division Army of Panama
3 division Army of Ecuador
3 division Army of Venezuela
(9/35 divisions possible raised, max 15% conscription)

Confederation of New England
4 division Army of Boston
(4/20 divisions possible raised, max 14% conscription)

Kingdom of Patagonia
3 division Army of Cordoba
3 division Army of Paraguay
(6/22 divisions possible raised, max 15% conscription)

Kingdom of Portugal
3 division Army of Lisbon
3 division Army of Porto
(6/25 divisions possible raised, max 14% conscription)

Kingdom of the Netherlands
5 division Army of Amsterdam
(5/24 divisions possible raised, max 14% conscription)

Spanish Republic
15 division Army of Catalonia
3 division Army of Sardinia
2 division Army of Corsica
5 division Army of Madrid
(25/67 divisions possible raised, max 8% conscription)

Kingdom of Spain (Peru)
10 division Army of Peru
10 division Army of Upper Peru
(20/30 divisions possible raised, max 20% conscription)

Durrani Empire
2 division Royal Guard
4 division Army of Karachi
2 division Army of Herat
(8/30 divisions possible raised, max 11% conscription)

[Spamage]

Royal Families of the World

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Royal family trees are included below for the various interbred royal families of Europe and the Americas. The current ruler (highlight in green) and their immediate children are included, but the tree details the ancestry of their current furthest living heir. For example, Charles VIII's grandson Archduke Charles is the primary person in the Austrian tree, but the Emperor himself and his immediate family are detailed. If you want a laugh, look at the Scandinavian Family Tree

House of Bourbon (France)
House of Bourbon-Orleans (Louisiana)
House of Bourbon-Orleans (Mexico)
House of Bourbon (Naples)
House of Habsburg-Lothringen (Habsburg Monarchy)
House of Hanover (Britain)
House of Oldenburg (Scandinavia)
House of Hohenzollern (Prussia)
House of Hohenzollern (Quebec)
House of Wettin (Poland)
House of Romanov (Russia)
House of Orange (Netherlands)

[Spamage]

The Treaty of Lima (1871)
A Treaty between the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Quebec,

1.) The signatories hereby recognize the need for a productive relationship between both nations, and the lack of justification for any aggression towards each other. Therefore, both signatories agree to the following:

2.) A ten-year non-aggression pact, renewable by mutual consent in 1881.

3.) The immediate sale and transfer of the Puerto Rico and Hawaii territories to the Kingdom of Quebec.

4.) The deployment of military advisors and supplies from Quebec to the Kingdom of Spain.

x Henry II, King of Quebec

x- Henry V, King of Spain

[Spamage]

A Statement from the Court in New Orleans

The Bourbon-Orleans-Bourbon Treaty of 1871

The United Kingdom of Louisiana and the Bourbon Family of Spain have agreed to the following terms:

The United Kingdom of Louisiana recognizes the Bourbon Royal Family’s right to govern Spain;

The United Kingdom of Louisiana and the Bourbon Royal Family agree to a mutual non-aggression pact and the United Kingdom of Louisiana promises to provide non-military supports to the Bourbon Royal Family in Peru from Catholic-Republicans aggression;

The United Kingdom of Louisiana promises to provide safety and shelter to the Bourbon Royal Family at their request in a time of danger; and

The United Kingdom of Louisiana shall transfer 20% of the proceeds for all sugar and rum exports from the Island of Cuba to the personal coffers of the Bourbon Royal Family for the next 50 years in exchange for full, perpetual, and unchallenged Louisianan rule over the Island of Cuba.

Signed with my hand and seal this day,
x Henry-Philippe de Bourbon-Orleans, King of the United Kingdom of Louisiana

X-King Henry V of Spain

[Spamage]

The North American Treaty (1871),
A Treaty between the United Kingdom of Louisiana, the Kingdom of Mexico, and the Kingdom of Quebec

1.) The signatories, which share a common heritage, history and aspirations towards the future, reiterate their belief in mutual cooperation as the best means to secure stability and prosperity across the North American continent. Therefore, they commit to the following:

2.) Full recognition of their present borders and territories.

3.) A defensive alliance pact, binding the three powers to war against any foreign aggressor, or to intervene against powers seeking to undermine the stability of any of the signatories, upon the written request from the power under threat.

4.) A long-term commitment to building a large-scale railway across the North American continent, linking the signatories together.

4 (a): The North American Rail Commission is hereby established to oversee this project and the subsequent network. Each signatory shall appoint one member of the Commission to represent their Kingdom and their interests. The Commission shall develop and implement a plan to connect the three capital cities, and each major center of population or industry, by 1880. Each signatory shall contribute 1/3 the cost of the project, raised through whatever means each signatory shall determine proper.

5.) Joint participation in a series of economic enterprises aimed at strengthening each nation’s internal market. Such enterprises will involve the use and exploitation of raw resources within Mexico, their refining and processing within Louisiana, and the exportation of different food products from Quebec.

Signed with my hand and seal this day,
x Henry-Philippe de Bourbon-Orleans, King of the United Kingdom of Louisiana

x Henry II, King of Quebec

X- Luis de Bourbon-Orleans, King of Mexico

[Spamage]

Lvov Agreement

The Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Scandinavia, and the Ottoman Empire, hereafter the signatories, agree to the following terms:

I. The signatories agree to a defensive alliance and commit to upholding the territorial integrity of each of the signatories in the face of outside aggression.
II. The signatories guarantee the inviolability of the Polish borders as they stand now and in the face of any effort, diplomatic or otherwise, to alter these borders.
III. The signatories agree to begin the construction of a Riga-Constantinople railway which shall pass through Polish territory and contribute to the economic development of Eastern Europe.

xCatherine II, Queen of Scandinavia

X- George, King of Poland

[Spamage]

General Act of the Stockholm Conference

In the name of God Almighty, His Majesty the King of France; His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, etc, and Apostolic King of Hungary; His Majesty the King of the the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Ireland and the Americas; Her Majesty the Queen of Scandinavia; His Majesty the King of Prussia; Archbishop-President of the Divine Republic of Brazil; and His Majesty the King of Portugal,

WISHING, in a spirit of good and mutual accord, to regulate the conditions most favourable to the development of trade and civilization in certain regions of Africa, and to assure to all nations the advantages of free navigation on the two chief rivers of Africa flowing into the Atlantic Ocean;

BEING DESIROUS, on the other hand, to obviate the misunderstanding and disputes which might in future arise from new acts of occupation (prises de possession) on the coast of Africa; and concerned, at the same time, as to the means of furthering the moral and material wellbeing of the native populations;

HAVE RESOLVED, on the invitation addressed to them by the Government of Scandinavia, in agreement with the Government of the Brazilian Republic, to meet for those purposes in Conference at Stockholm, have successively discussed and adopted the following disposition of claims and spheres of influence on the African continent:



AND HAVE AGREED, in the interests of lasting peace and with a desire to prevent conflict from afflicting the African continent, to undertake no actions, open or covert, diplomatic or military, which would undermine the spheres of influence and claims which are agreed to in this document.  

xCatherine II, Queen of Scandinavia

X-Henry X, King of Britain, Ireland, and America

X-Frederick IV, King of Prussia

[Spamage]

1871 Midturn Update

CIVIL WAR IN SPAIN!
Divided Republic Collapses in on Itself

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

The Spanish Revolution of 1869 was orchestrated by a broad cross-section of society, united in their disgust with King Ferdinand VII and frustrated with the stagnation of the realm. Conservatives, constitutional monarchists, liberal republicans, Catholic Republicans, anarchists, socialists, and nationalists had all supported removing the King. Yet, with the hated Ferdinand out of the way, there was little binding them all together. Constitutional monarchists and conservatives were frustrated by the declaration of a republic. Anarchists and socialists were disgusted with the lack of social reform. Nationalists, particularly in Catalonia and the Basque country, were alienated by the centralized form of the new republic. Still, under Juan Prim, the situation remained semi-stable, his government leading from the center. This would change in 1871.

Ramon Nouvilas, the general in charge of the Army of Catalonia was frustrated by his limited role in the new government. He was consigned to commanding armies on the periphery of the realm while true decisions were made in the capital. Succored by local Catholic Republicans, and hearing foreign guarantees of support, he seized the moment. Of Catalan heritage, he declared the secession of his region from the Republic on March 5th, 1871 and demanded the reorganization of Spain as a whole along Catholic Republican lines. Nouvilas proclaimed himself the Catalan President, a bold move. The Army of Catalonia was stunned, and likely would have toppled him themselves had the government of Juan Prim been simultaneously considering a cut to military benefits as a means of paying off the extensive debts the Republic had inherited from Ferdinand VII. Hearing promises of both mortal wages and eternal salvation, most backed their general. Nouvilas’ men rapidly seized Barcelona and the surrounding countryside, a pre-organized coup simultaneously toppling the municipal government in Valencia.

Yet, Barcelona was a diverse city, one neither accustomed nor entirely willing to embrace the radical doctrine of Catholic Republicanism. There were many ideologies common in the city, and they sought to end Nouvilas’ rule before it even began. On March 7th, street clashes began, socialist workers and anarchists erecting barricades in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter. The Bishop of Barcelona was tortured and executed, despite himself being a critic of Catholic-Republicanism. Fighting raged throughout the city until the 11th, when the Catholic Republican Army crushed the last pockets of rebel resistance. While the victory in the Battle of Barcelona brought the Catholic-Republican cause into control of Catalonia, it cost Nouvilas valuable time.

The original plan for Nouvilas had been to march straight into the capital and topple the Republic, but the delay in Barcelona, which he only left on March 15th, gave Juan Prim the time needed to raise men in the capital. Certainly, Catholic-Republicanism had its appeal in Spain, a realm where the Church was treated with great veneration, but there were also thousands opposed to the movement, having heard the lurid horror stories from Verri’s Sardinia or de Andrade’s Brazil. Veterans and other young men enlisted en masse, even boys as young as 13 being armed in some cities in an effort to avert the collapse of the Republic. Nouvilas found his movements slowed by the destruction of rail lines and bridges by partisans outside of Catalonia. Zaragoza declared itself for the liberal Republic on March 19th and hastily organized a defense of the city. In a preemptive move, any clergy not following the evacuation order of March 21st, demanding their relocation to Calatayud, were executed on sight. When Nouvilas arrived on March 23rd, he faced yet another hostile major city. Unwilling to leave enemies in the rear of his advance, the assault on Zaragoza took weeks, the city devastated by cannon fire and barricade fighting. Its famed cathedral perished in the flames. Even when the last blocks were seized on April 23rd, occasional outbursts of resistance and violence still erupted sporadically.

In the month since Nouvilas had declared the Catholic Republic, the central government organized the raising of as many divisions as possible. What the liberal republicans lacked in training, they made up for in quantity. A 20-division army, raised from Madrid and the surrounding cities as far afield as Toledo and Segovia, took position in Calatayud, cutting off any easy access to the capital. This is how the two armies stand as June approaches, eyeing each other warily.

Spain sits divided on itself, risings popping up in some areas, while others remain staunchly committed to Prim’s government. To the north, in old Castile, and far south, in Andalusian pockets, sporadic Catholic Republican uprisings occurred among those disgusted by the atrocities committed against the clergy in Barcelona and Zaragoza. A small series of protests in Seville in favor of Catholic-Republicanism were met with cannon fire, arrests, and summary executions. The Basque Country erupted into revolt once news of the risings in Barcelona had emerged, Pamplona and Bilbao falling to nationalist Catholic-Republican aligned forces. Madrid, meanwhile, has become the heart of the anti-Catholic Republican movement. Populated by an urban middle class, growing industrial base, the home of universities, government bureaucrats, old nobles, and even lacking a bishop of its own, the city made clear it stood fully behind Prim in a series of rallies at the Palacio Real in mid-March. Toledo, Salamanca, and Valladolid all likewise declared for the government. Spain stands divided, both politically and geographically as the two sides further consolidate their positions.

Internal strife was not to be Spain’s only issue. Pre-coordinated with Nouvilas’ assault was a sudden invasion by Portugal to the west, that country’s forces capturing the stunned garrisons of Badajoz and Alcantara off-guard. King John VII of Portugal, in the radical Catholic tradition of that realm’s monarchy, declared a quest by his realm to purge the Spanish realm of the “secular, satanic republic.” Hurriedly advancing on Madrid from the west, the Portuguese 3 divisions were repelled by the Army of Madrid led by Francisco Serrano on March 28th, 1871 at the Battle of Oropesa. With both Portugal and the Spanish liberals raising more men, it is clear the fighting here will continue. The west had been saved, but the war is not yet over.

With all of this chaos, thousands have taken flight across the Pyrenees into France, where Queen Charlotte’s government had tacitly arranged aid for these refugees. Many of the Spanish nobles that had not joined King Henry V in exile, frustrated by the lack of any viable monarchist movement, have moved to Paris, not wanting to fall victim to death by Catholic-Republican firing squad. Europeans can only look on with horror as Spain experiences its worst domestic turmoil since the War of the Spanish Succession more than two centuries ago.

Murder in French India Sparks Outrage, Protests
Portugal and France Embroiled in Diplomatic Tension

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

French control of India began in large part during the 1750s as the crumbling Mughal Empire faced internal dissent and the British peacefully evacuated their holdings in Bengal, declaring their intent to focus instead on Australia. In the ensuing decades colonial rule went largely unchallenged, the Indian people being given broad autonomy by the government in Paris. Local princes retained rule over vast territories, only generally surrendering their right to control diplomacy. This freedom gradually began to erode in the 1830s. After the crushing of the Shan rebellion in neighboring French Burma, and the extensive efforts made to convert that region (with some success, 35% of Burmese identifying as Catholic in the most recent census), Prince Xavier allowed missionary activity to proceed in India in 1848. Charlotte herself did nothing to oppose this, largely agreeing with the sentiment. This all passed with little notice in India and the wider world, as there had been Catholic attempts to convert India in the past under Portugal, but the events of April 1871 would spark a vocal movement.

In Bijapur, a city near the west coast of India, Francois Thenaillon was a Catholic priest operating in the city, part of the extensive institutional network required to convert the Raj. With such vast numbers of clergy needed, many French officials were not scrupulous with the ones chosen. Moving from Marseilles to India in 1868, he quickly was ordained and sent into the field. Thenaillon was a bit different from the typical clergyman, having only moved to India to escape his overly-controlling father in Marseilles who had ordered him into the Church. He treated the whole journey as an adventure, not some sort of spiritual calling. Not wholly committed to the principles of the priesthood, he quickly became enamored with a local Hindu woman, roughly his age, but married to a man in the city. She consistently spurned his advances. On February 21st, 1871 (Fat Tuesday) in an inebriated state, Thenaillon went to her house and murdered the woman’s husband, then killing the woman himself. Sobering up and realizing what he had done, he fled to the Portuguese outpost of Goa as a local firestorm erupted.

The story shocked all of India. It summarized the carelessness of colonial administration and the growing irritants in the Catholic missionaries. Many could relate to the sense of helplessness felt, especially as Thenaillon sat in foreign lands and was largely unpunished. Yet, it quickly escalated beyond the initial incident to a laundry-list of grievances relating to the French flooding the Indian market with their industrial goods, lack of free expression, limitations to internal movement, and hatred of the French colonial overlords. This is not to say Muslims and Hindus have united though, opposition to each other being given voice in some demonstrations as well.

Widespread riots and looting erupted in Bijapur in late February, led by the slain woman’s family. The Army of the Sacred Heart, an Indian-led Catholic organized by King Louis XVI in the 1780s to oversee Indian affairs, was brutal in its crackdown of protests. The slain woman's brother was one of those killed on March 6th, further compounding the rage and tragedy. There have been demonstrations as far afield as Hyderabad, Pune, and Mysore but, being met with similar responses (live rounds fired into some of the mobs), they largely dispersed by April. Although the initial storm has passed, some European observers have openly questioned whether French rule in India, long thought to be the cornerstone of European colonialism in Asia, is as stable as has long been assumed. The princes, meanwhile, have remained steadfastly loyal to Paris, while the north has likewise stayed quiet for the time being. Many administrators are confident that the worst is now over and do not want to agitate the situation further.

A diplomatic crisis has emerged at the center of this firestorm as well. Thenaillon fled to the safety of Goa, one of 10 Portuguese port cities remaining as pockets of non-French control in India (alongside one British one). French officials have made half-hearted attempts at pursuing his transfer back to French India, but the demonstrations have largely distracted their attention. As an intensely Radical Catholic realm, Portuguese officials are not eager for the optics of extraditing a Catholic Priest, especially one who has taken the sacrament of Reconciliation, for the murder of non-Christians. Thenaillon has claimed that he baptized the woman in private and that it was his rage over her apostasy back towards Hinduism that drove him to act (the murder of apostates is permitted within Portuguese holdings). In Goa and the other Portuguese holdings in India, where the locals have been converted long ago, there is little sympathy for the slain woman and her husband.

To some in France, it has been assumed a broad crackdown will now be needed to bring upstart locals back in line. Many also question why Portuguese and British ports are still allowed on the shores of the crown jewel of the French colonial empire. Both Charlotte and Xavier, meanwhile, have been castigated for their roles in allowing such a development to occur. Public opinion also demands that Thenaillon face punishment, though it is assumed the damage on that front has largely been done. All observers seem to have their eyes on Bijapur though, where it is hoped the movement has been suppressed, especially after several rounds of aggressive arrests and weeks of quiet. The main question, though, seems to be whether the French government will make any concessions to the movement or if it is best subdued by military might and quiet strength.

[Spamage]

Treaty of Lisbon

I. A diplomatic embassy will be established in Lisbon and Tehran

II. Duties and tariffs shall be lowered by 50% for trade between both states

X Nasser Shah Qajar

X- John VII, King of Portugal

Treaty of London

I. A diplomatic embassy will be established in London and Tehran

II. Duties and tariffs shall be lowered by 15%% for trade between both states

X Nasser Shah Qajar

X- King Henry X of Britain, Ireland, and the Americas

[Spamage]

1871 News of the World

SECOND GREAT EASTERN WAR ERUPTS
Russia Stands Alone Against Lvov Alliance

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

   Thirty years on from the Treaty of Breslau, Russia still remained determined to rise again. Disgusted with territorial constraints placed on his people, President Suvorin lashed out against the Ottoman Empire and Poland. Initial results have left much to be desired, the Russians slowed by a lack of sufficient mobilization in the face of allied resistance. Still, the Lvov Alliance (Scandinavia, Ottomans, and Poland) have been hampered by chaos in Warsaw and the Polish heartland, unable to effectively capitalize on Russian disorganization. In short, the first year of the conflict has been a muddled, confusing affair. As the war enters its second year two things remain clear: the result is uncertain and little has been resolved.

War in the South
   Peace in Eastern Europe would be shattered by a rapid Russian assault on Turkish holdings in Crimea on June 11th, 1871. Long desired by Russia, Marshal Dmitry Milyutin led the Army of Kiev on a surprise assault into Zaporizhia from the Russian frontier. This yielded substantial success, the Ottoman Army of Ukraine electing to siege Kiev instead of pursuing the invaders, as they crossed too far to the east. The Russians made a rapid advance south, besieging Sebastopol by the end of the summer and accomplishing several probing assaults across the Dnieper at Nikopol and Berislavl. Once more Russia holds the Crimea during wartime, but will they be able to keep it?
   The Ottomans, meanwhile, placed Kiev under siege, hoping to cause the Russian columns to reconsider their push south. As a frontier city for the better part of thirty years, the Russians had long ago build fortifications around the region. The local garrisons held out for the better part of 2 months in the face of continued Turkish bombardment, in part aided by the difficulty for the Ottomans of seizing the Dnieper. The arrival of the Polish-Scandinavian Army of Minsk in early September finally broke the resolve of the severely outnumbered defenders, who surrendered on September 3rd.
   Further to the south, the campaign in the Caucuses would be a cautious one, the two forces closely matched. A slow and deliberate Russian advance, paired with stiff Ottoman resistance, ensured that only slight territorial progress was made. As the two forces were evenly matched, neither side was willing to risk the whole theater on a decisive battle. There would be better news for President Suvorin further to the east in Dagestan. Despite an influx of foreign arms from an undetermined foreign source, that region proved unable to withstand the direct assault launched by the Russians early in the year. Derbent was captured on August 15th, the last remnants of the autonomous region fleeing into the mountains where they have launched a brutal, albeit limited, resistance to the return of Russian authority. In the Caucasian theater, with Dagestan being largely subdued and Russia mobilizing, there is a fear that the Ottomans could soon find themselves outmatched in the region, especially given the sympathy of the Georgians for the Russians.

Death of George I and the Twelve Days Rising
   King George of Poland pledged that his realm would honor the Lvov Alliance on June 17th when news reached him of the Russian attack on the Ottomans. He was assassinated just 4 days later. En route to one of the military headquarters in Warsaw to plan mobilization alongside the Prime Minister, his carriage was struck with three bombs. The first landed in front, wounding the coachman and horses, the second exploded beneath the carriage and shattered the glass, while the third landed directly in the lap of the King, who was killed instantly alongside the Prime Minister upon the explosion. A Catholic Republican organization, the extremist “Cross of Plater” (named for the Catholic-Republican heroine), took credit for the murder. The death of the King stunned the realm and paralyzed the Polish government, which had just entered into its first major war. Sovereigns as far afield as Henry V in Peru and the Emperor of Japan would condemn the brutal murder of the king.
   The chaos was exacerbated when Catholic Republican risings were attempted in Krakow, Warsaw, Kielce, Radom and Plock. The cities were filled with chaotic street fighting, the Catholics battling the police and military, erecting barricades in many areas. Most citizens, though, remained opposed to the insurrection and did not want to return to the horrific Catholic Republican past. Despite heavy damage to many cities, the last Catholic Republican holdouts in Krakow surrendered on July 3rd. Many look at Brazil, long a player in Polish politics, with suspicion and disgust for the death of the respected King George.
   The death of King George alongside the Prime Minister left the government wide open. After more than a decade of authoritarian control, none of the current ministers possessed great leadership qualities. With Queen Maria Theresa of Austria having died in 1869, and the royal heir King Sigismund IV only 4 years old, there was no clear regent. The powerbrokers descended into infighting at the time when they ought to have been organizing a military response to the growing conflagration to their east. Generals, nobles, politicians, and businessmen played an uneasy game of coalition-building for two valuable weeks in July. Some believed that Archduke Louis-Henry of Austria ought to assume the regency in the name of his nephew, but many remained wary of furthering foreign control over the government. Instead, the issue was punted. Bogusław Fryderyk Radziwiłł, a nephew to the slain liberal republican General Michał Gedeon Radziwiłł (killed during the First Great Eastern War), has been named temporary “Protector of the Realm” until a regent can officially be voted upon by the Sejm, though some remain wary he will shift the realm in a republican direction.

War in the North
   Events in Poland damaged morale among the Polish forces, delayed mobilization, and meant that many men were redirected to defend the Polish homeland against the threat of domestic upheaval instead of being sent to the frontlines as intended. This proved to be a saving grace for Russia and quite frustrating for Scandinavia, who found its ability to operate effectively somewhat hindered by the lack of Polish resolve. Still, Queen Catherine II’s forces would achieve several key goals in the opening months of the war.
   The primary Scandinavian objective at the start of the conflict was the capture of St. Petersburg. Though no longer the capital of the Russian Republic, it still was the second-largest city and home to many prestigious sites. An envelopment from the south and north was planned through the cooperation of the Army of Warsaw and the Army of Karelia. When the Army of Karelia made an assault on the city on July 17th, the Russians successfully repelled the attack. Repeated attempts by the Army of Karelia to goad the Army of St. Petersburg into further fighting were revealed as a ploy when word reached the Russians that the Polish-Scandinavian Army of Warsaw had crossed the frontier into Russia, aiming to cut off access to Moscow. They were delayed though, by Polish confusion, many soldiers more concerned by events in Warsaw than going on the offensive. Refusing to be encircled, the Army of St. Petersburg fled the city to Borovichi.
   For St. Petersburg proper, though, there would be little respite. Like Kiev, the city had been redesigned following the First Great Eastern War to withstand a siege. With its limited garrison and local guard, the people watched with unease as the Army of Karelia met with the Army of Warsaw and started the siege of St. Petersburg on August 4th. The Scandinavian navy, meanwhile, would take advantage of Russian confusion in the north to assault the Russian Baltic fleet at port, inflicting a crippling blow as the Russian ships had no where to run. The subsequent Scandinavian bombardment in mid-August would go a long way to bringing the city to heel. St. Petersburg surrendered on October 1st, as it became clear that no help would be coming from Moscow.
   A Russian incursion into Poland, launched in an attempt to conquer Minsk in July, found itself slightly outnumbered, 10 divisions to 13 (although it was expected that Poland would contribute 10 to this force, delays to mobilization caused by chaos in Poland meant that only 3 would be available). While the Russians would emerge victorious in the ensuing Battle of Vitebsk (the Polish proving themselves useless and translation errors between Swedish and Polish leading to confusion) the losses on the Russian side to achieve victory were so severe they would be unable to pursue any further actions along the Polish front for the remainder for the year. This meant that territorial gains in the region were minimal. The Scandinavians, meanwhile, regrouped and reestablished themselves in Borisov, just to the east of Minsk as winter set in. The locals, long suspected of resenting their Polish landlords, have remained reluctant to declare for Russia due to a perceived lack of success.
   Much happier news for Scandinavia would be seen in the performance of the Karelian Corps in the sparsely populated north. With little in the way of defenses, much territory was gained, as far as Tikhvin and Lake Bielo.

Spanish Civil War Expands
Growing Tensions Between Regional Powers As Liberals Weaken

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

   Many in Spain viewed the events of late 1871 as a battle for the soul of the nation. The Catholic Republicans were on the march, foreign powers launched direct intervention, and the fighting became ever more ferocious. The Spanish Civil War would not be the quick victory that many on either side had hoped for, instead likely evolving into a drawn-out affair. At the same time, a series of accidents and misunderstandings has ratcheted up the tensions between those involved in the conflict.

Franco-Neapolitan Intervention
   Seeing opportunity in the Spanish Civil War, the European Bourbons at last took action. Naples and France cooperated in a bid to seize outlying territories and ostensibly restore King Henry V to his throne. A joint Franco-Neapolitan landing at Ajaccio yielded the island of Corsica, the local Spanish force surrendering when it noticed how outnumbered it was. Naples, meanwhile also proceeded with a landing in Sardinia. Here the Spanish Army of Sardinia had joined the Catholic Republican cause, succored by offers of increased pay from Ramon Nouvilas. Their brutal methods upon switching sides were decried by the locals, who welcomed the Neapolitan forces with open arms. Cagliari surrendered without a shot, the Spanish forces fleeing into the hilly area in the island’s southeast. As the Sardinians celebrated, a wave of Italian nationalism sweeping the island, the threat of Catholic Republican raiding from the hills remains very real and has tied down the Neapolitan force.
   Naples would also conduct operations further afield. Palma and the Balearic Islands were easily captured in July, the bulk of Spanish forces having been diverted to the mainland. From Palma, an amphibious landing was able to seize Valencia from the local Catholic Republican government left by Nouvilas, though the surrounding territory all remains loyal to the liberal cause.

Battle of Gibraltar
   Simultaneously to the start of operations in Corsica, Queen Charlotte ordered the seizure of Gibraltar on the southern coast, hoping to gain access to the entrance of the Mediterranean. As 5 French divisions approached the coast though, they found themselves shelled by the defenders. An amphibious landing was attempted, but repeated efforts to move beyond the beaches were defeated by heavy artillery fire. The French returned in kind from their ships, hitting the local base. It was unclear to the French commanders who they were fighting, the latest intelligence indicating that the holding was largely undefended. After a final, third attempt at landing leaving several hundred dead or wounded, the French withdrew.
   Only in the following days would the terrible news emerge. In exchange for leasing Gibraltar, the Austrians had offered Prim’s government an expeditionary force, the agreement having been secret. The Austrians had been shelling the French attempts to land, thinking them to be either Brazilian or Catalonian soldiers attempting to seize their new base, just as the French had believed the liberals were the ones defending. In short, the French and Austrians had fought from a distance, not realizing who their true enemy was. News of the Battle of Gibraltar caused a wave of tensions to sweep Europe, hawks in Vienna and Paris calling on the other side to apologize and make right those that had either been killed in the respective Austrian or French bombardments.

Fall of Madrid and the Death of Prim
   After its embarrassing showing at the Battle of Oropesa earlier in the year, King John VII ordered a mass-mobilization and a second attempt made for the Liberal capital. Jose de Almeida (the King’s cousin and brother-in-law), a fanatical Catholic, was given direct command of a 22-division Army of Portugal. He launched a lightning attack on June 12th, aiming for the capital. With General Serrano relocated to Calatayud amid rumors of an assault from Zaragoza, the Army of Madrid was now led by General Manuel Pavía y Rodríguez de Alburquerque. The two sides clashed at the Battle of Talavera on June 18th, the much smaller Army of Madrid collapsing under heavy pressure. General Albuquerque retreated to the capital, arriving on June 20th, and prepared the city for a siege. Despite his best efforts, panic set in as the Portuguese force bore down on the city. Attempts by Juan Prim and the government to rally the people were futile, fears of reprisal at the hands of the Portuguese force leading many to flee. Before any effective defenses could be organized, Almeida ordered a Portuguese assault, the outskirts of the city’s defenses collapsing. On June 23rd the Portuguese stormed into the Palacio Real as the last blocks of opposition were forced into submission. As thousands fled the chaotic city, the Portuguese Army unleashed itself, despite ordered by their commanders for restraint. Madrid witnessed burning, looting, and outright anarchy for the better part of 2 days before Ramon Nouvilas and his men arrived in the city, horrified about what they witnessed. The Catalonians swiftly brought the Portuguese forces to heel, though it greatly increased the mistrust between the two allies. In that time, a meager 3 division force of the surviving liberal force fled across the Sierra de Guadarrama to Segovia. 
   Juan Prim shot himself rather than face torture at the hands of what he termed “a fanatical mob” the day Madrid fell, but most of his ministers were not so lucky. Once the Portuguese had established control over the city, a series of show-trials occurred. The remaining members of the cabinet were swiftly tried for their crimes against the Spanish people and brutally executed in front of the royal palace, one of the few buildings spared the worst of the city’s sack.

The New Liberal Cause
   Contemporaneously with the capture and sack of Madrid, fighting occurred further to the east. With his hold of Catalonia secure, and friendly risings occurring in the Basque Country, Catalan President Ramon Nouvilas consolidated his position outside of Zaragoza and reinforced his army in early summer. An additional 14 divisions were raised from those flocking to the Catholic Republican cause, giving him a 29-division strong force before he marched on Calatayud. General Francisco Serrano, who had led the Army of Madrid to victory against the Portuguese earlier in the year, had been relocated to Calatayud when it became clear a large assault would be coming from that direction. On June 21st-22nd, 1871, the two armies engaged in intense fighting, the city changing hands several times over the course of the 48 hours. While the liberals had better training and seemed to possess higher morale, the Catalonians had the numbers. By the afternoon of the second day of fighting, after heavy losses on both sides, Serrano fled southwest and then, hearing of the fate of Madrid and the arrival of Austrian soldiers, straight south. The remnants of his army relocated to Cuenca, before uniting with the Austrian expeditionary force at Ciudad Real.
   It was here that Serrano, with his reconstituted Austro-Spanish force declared himself the Second Spanish President on August 19th, seeking to rejuvenate the flagging liberal cause. He denounced the Sack of Madrid and called on the people to avenge the memory of Juan Prim. Indeed, the image of Portuguese foreigners seizing the capitol and executing the Spanish government left a bad taste in the mouths of many Spaniards.

The State of the War in January 1872
   By the end of 1871 the Catholic Extremists control the Spanish heartland, the Catalonian and Portuguese forces uniting at Madrid. The situation in the north remains fairly chaotic, regions declaring for both sides as neither faction contested the theater. The south, especially with Austrian aid, is now the new heart of the liberal movement. Cordoba, that historic city, has been named as the interim capitol, until “such a time as Madrid can be retaken” by Francisco Serrano. Spain sits in a highly fluid situation as the year comes to a close.
   Meanwhile, relations have deteriorated between the Portuguese and Catalonians/Brazilians, only to be exacerbated by events in India. Likewise, France and the Habsburg Monarchy have seen tensions enflamed by the events at Gibraltar. Naples and France too have begun to vocally contest the right over Corsica, the Neapolitans claiming for their pan-Italian cause, while the French point to the historical links between that island and Genoa, which sits in Padania.

[Spamage]

The War of the Triple Alliance
Beleaguered Spanish Monarchy Toppled in the Americas

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

   King Henry V had been dealt a poor hand. Fleeing his realm to save some scrap of power for the Royal Family, his exile to Peru had witnessed the forcible seizure of Spanish Central America and Cuba, the sale of Puerto Rico and Hawaii, and impotence in the face of chaos back in Spain that he otherwise could have taken advantage of. Instead, he found himself, and his Court, in distant Lima as the Catholic Republicans circled hungrily.
   The War of the Triple Alliance began on April 10th, 1871, with Brazil, Colombia, and Patagonia all declaring war on the Kingdom of Spain at once. While the King used his funds from his sale of his colonies to the north to enact total mobilization, and Quebecois military advisors were on the ground to provide aid, the onslaught came from both the north and south. 40 Brazilian and 9 Colombian divisions crossed from Ecuador into Peru. They met the entire Royalist force of 30 divisions (which had elected to abandon the south in a bid to hold the north) at the Battle of Moyobamba. King Henry led his men personally in a valiant defense, but they were repulsed from the city. Several Quebecois military advisors were captured by the Brazilians in the confusion, as the royalist remnants hurried back towards Lima.
   Arriving in the city, the Court arranged a hasty evacuation about the Spanish Navy (most of which had remained loyal to the King during the Spanish Revolution and had joined him in exile) but King Henry V insisted that he would fight, and possibly die, alongside his Peruvian subjects. As much as this fired up their spirits, most of his advisors and subjects wished for the King to be spared. In concert with the French, Louisianan, and Quebecois diplomatic corps (acting under prearranged orders) the King was abducted the night before the Court was set to depart and placed on the ships, which fled in short order. Henry V’s brother, Prince Charles of Spain, declared himself regent on July 10th, relocating the capital from the vulnerable Lima to Santiago. He vowed to protect his brother’s lands in a rapidly deteriorating situation. Lima fell to the Colombian-Brazilian force on July 28th, while the siege of La Plata (Sucre) was won by the Patagonians on August 7th, opening the way for their push north into Upper Peru.
   By the end of the year, though significant guerilla royalist resistance has emerged in remote areas and the regency maintains control over Chile, much of urban Peru has been seized. It seems the Spanish Empire, which has dominated the Western Hemisphere for four centuries, is on its last gasps. Barring external aid, it is likely that Prince Charles and the Regency Council will find themselves overwhelmed. Still, the determination of the resistance is not to be underestimated, especially given recent Quebecois tutelage. Many Peruvians are the children and grandchildren of those who had fled Catholic Republicanism in Colombia, Brazil, and Patagonia and their worst fears were realized as authoritarian occupation governments were set up in many cities and small towns after occupation. This guerilla fighting, not one of active engagement but instead passive resistance, could endure for quite some time, given the precedent of the Inca rebellion centuries ago.
   Henry V was enraged by his abduction, but there was little he could do, his wife and children having been in on the plot in a bid to spare his life. The king was faced with several options: fleeing across Cape Horn back towards Spain (ruled out due to the presence of the Brazilian fleet), exile in Louisiana (ruled out due to mistrust over the loss of Cuba), or exile in Quebec (decided on because of the aid provided by King Henry II’s government). Henry V and the remaining Spanish Royalist fleet docked at Roquefort (Seattle) in the Puget Sound, coming ashore in the Quebecois province of Vaudreuil. This would-be king now finds himself further from both home and power than ever, the prospect of a return to Spain seeming even more unlikely.

Thenaillon Affair Continued
Portuguese Outrage As France Seizes Indian Ports

   The French Government was eager to stabilize India in the wake of the Thenaillon Affair, enacting a bevy of reforms in a bid to stabilize that crown jewel of their colonial empire. Queen Charlotte issued the Poissy Decrees in the name of young Louis XX on May 7th. The right of Hindus and Muslims in India to practice their faith was reaffirmed, while Catholic missionaries were forbidden from operating in India itself, instead being forcibly relocated to Ceylon and Burma. The Indian Ministry was established in Paris, assuming direct responsibility over the region from the French East India Company. On a local level, a whole administrative and bureaucratic layer was established, incorporating many Indians into civil service. These reforms were met with slight praise or outright indifference by the local populace, but they did ease any sense of imminent rebellion. There was a rush of Indians looking to get ahead that did seek to join the civil service, so much so that local officials have been inundated with applications.
   The most dramatic development, though, would be a secret corollary to the Poissy Decrees that would not be publicly stated until June 15th: the immediate seizure of the remaining 10 Portuguese ports in India. On that morning, in coordination, French soldiers stormed into the Portuguese holdings. Only Goa, the first trading ports of Portugal on the subcontinent, resisted, being sieged until October 5th, when the Portuguese officials were forced to hand over the base. Just as Spain faded away in the New World after four centuries in 1871, so too has Portuguese influence in India at long last been stamped out.
   Thenaillon was captured when Goa fell, quickly being tried, convicted, and executed by French authorities as angry Indians looked on. One murder had brought about so much reform in so little time. As occupation was set up in the former Portuguese holdings, French officials would also allege that many damning documents pointing to Catholic-Republican plots to destabilize the region have been unearthed, though King John VII has challenged the veracity of these claims.
  Lisbon has viewed the seizure of their holdings as an act of war and economically threatening, calling on the various powers of the world to pressure France to give the ports back. Portuguese trade with India, while not as vital as it once was, remains important to the government and public opinion in Lisbon. As a longtime ally of Brazil, many look to see how da Silveira will respond to this clear assault on the sovereignty of one of his closest allies. Given the existing tensions between the Portuguese and Catalonians, there is the very real sense that Lisbon could pull out of the Spanish Civil War if its allies do not pursue its cause with sufficient zeal.

Scramble for Africa (and Asia?)
Colonial Empire Building Picks Up Pace

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Prussian Invasion of Morocco
   King Frederick IV wasted no time in making good on his claims in Morocco, his prize from the Stockholm Conference. While Sultan Muhammad IV announced that he rejected the terms and would fight, many in Fes believed that it would be years before Prussia would attack. They had not counted on the eagerness of Frederick IV to demonstrate his new military power. On April 30th the Prussian navy docked off the coast of Tangier, demanding the submission of the city and the kingdom. When this was refused, an extensive bombardment was conducted. 7 divisions of soldiers were landed a mile down shore and soon marched on the stunned city, capturing it the following day. The entire northern coast would fall within a month, June seeing Prussia strike out against Ceuta and Melilla, the Spanish holdings on the African coast. Prussian noble Otto von Bismarck was named as governor of the new “Moroccan Protectorate” based in Tangier and given overall command of the subjugation of the region.
   King Muhammad would not be idle, raising 60,000 men in an appeal to both religious fervor and duty. Despite high morale, the Moroccans were utterly crushed at the Battle of Mechra Bel Ksiri. The heir to the throne perished alongside thousands of horsemen in the face of Prussian gatling gun fire, tactics of the old world facing those of the new. While the Sultan has fled to Marrakesh, threatening continued resistance, the way to Fes now sits open for the Prussian soldiers. Even in the face of intense local resistance, the Prussians have managed to hold their gains, their experiences in the Bush Wars of the Kalahari against the Brazilians proving valuable. Thus, Morocco sits vulnerable, some now calling for the Sultan to seek some sort of compromise with Bismarck and Prussian colonial authorities.

Ottoman Algiers
   Refusing the egregious demands of the Stockholm Conference, Oman Dey, the leader of Algiers, decided to reinforce his ancient ties to Istanbul. Although Algiers had long ago been a part of the Ottoman Empire, the region had largely exercised independence since the late 1700s. Now, with the prospect of a French invasion, Omar Dey took up Murad V on his offer of vassalization in return for local autonomy and the provision of troops for the defense of the region. 6 Ottoman divisions arrived in Algiers in September, causing diplomatic scandal and outrage in Paris, but great rejoicing in Algeria, which wanted to avoid the fate of neighboring Morocco. It remains to be seen how this new obstacle will affect Franco-Ottoman relations.

Anglo-Sokoto War
   Britain, like Prussia, would not be distracted by events in Spain or Poland, instead focusing on establishing its holdings granted by the Stockholm Conference. Control over Western Africa would not be possible as long as the Sultan of Sokoto remained independent and powerful. Thus, London resolved to send 9 divisions up the Niger River, in a bid to topple him. Fighting proved to be intense, the locals resisting, raiding British supply lines, and refusing to engage in a direct battle. Though the British Expeditionary Force gained much of the southern banks of the Niger River, Sokoto stands defiant, as the Sultan musters his men far from the British invaders. It seems the Hausa will not yield and could prove to be a significant obstacle in London’s bid for West African mastery.
   As his realm has been invaded though, the Sultan of Sokoto has appealed to Ottoman Sultan Murad V, calling for arms and aid in his defense against the Christian invaders. Though the ability of the Ottomans to help may be limited, given the distance and logistical difficulties, many Muslim Africans in the region have been watching the response from Istanbul carefully, especially in light of events in Algiers.

Brazilian and Scandinavian Congo
  The remaining bulk of European colonialism in Africa would occur on the Congo River, as the Brazilians and Scandinavians seemed to be racing one another for the acquisition of territory along the river. Holding after holding were established throughout the year on opposite banks, as exasperated natives looked on in confusion. Yet, despite the growing rivalry, and fear it could erupt into localized conflict, both sides have cooperated when they have faced local resistance spanning both sides of the river.

Franco-Siamese Invasion of Dai Viet
   European colonialism would not be limited to Africa, though. Feeling secure with India after the Poissy Decrees, Queen Charlotte declared war on Dai Viet in June, having arranged an alliance with Siam beforehand. While this would be met with much nationalist chest-thumping at Versailles, the first few months would prove to be difficult. Emperor Tự Đức called his people to arms. With Koreans supplying the Vietnamese weapons, French landings at Saigon proved underwhelming. They were able to seize the city, but little else. Against the Siamese meanwhile, the Vietnamese won a crushing victory at the Battle of Phom Penh, repelling an invasion of their Cambodian vassal and launching strikes into Thailand. Further to the north, the eastern bank of the Mekong River has been seized, further humiliating the French ally for their surprise attack. Queen Charlotte has poisoned the French reputation in Vietnam, the debacle contrasting quite strongly to Prussian success in Morocco. Many pray that the next year will deal a turnaround in the conflict.

Chinese Civil War Continues

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

China
   The Chinese Civil War continued into its fourth year in 1871, foreign involvement continuing to grow. Li Hongzhang and the Republicans won a significant victory at Nanping, significantly weakening the Xing presence in the south. Yet, rather than seek to reconcile, the republican victory was following by brutal suppression of traditionalism in the recaptured cities and villages, forcing thousands to flee and further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in China. Many commentators have begun to echo Emperor Charles VIII’s call for a conference on the matter of China. The Joseon Emperor has offered Seoul but, recognizing the distance for most signatories, has also suggested a meeting in Scandinavia as a compromise.
   Indeed, many European observers have become alarmed at Li’s aggression at pursuing modernization, even if he is far more open to trade and dialogue with the outside world than the Renci Emperor. This was evident with his use of many Austrian weapons in the Battle of Nanping, many wondering how extensive Austrian aid has been to that faction.
   Fearing the prospect of being cut off from the sea, the Xing Court made regaining a coastal shore its primary objective in 1871. Korean aid, in the form of two columns of expeditionary forces granted in return for extensive trade concessions for the future smashed south, cutting off Japanese Shandong and leaving the Republican pocket in northern China surrounded.
   Thus, even though the situation on the ground remains highly fluid, and there are pockets of support for each faction all throughout the country, the geographical lines are starting to become clearer. It seems Li Hongzhang and the republicans command a greater strength in the south, while the midlands and the Northern China remain broadly sympathetic to the Xing.
   Of note over the course of the year was the growing Habsburg presence in China, repeated humanitarian missions and promises of aid coercing many local officials, on both sides of the civil war, to acquiesce to Habsburg occupation in return for protection, food, and even some gold. These moves have greatly increased the Austrian presence, perhaps to the extent of even causing envy among the Scandinavian and Japanese public. Still, the growth of European influence has not gone unnoticed, several close calls with aggressive republicans or Xing soldiers nearly turning into firefights, both sides resenting the loss of any territory in China, no matter how “temporary”.

Tibet
  The Civil War in Tibet would also not be completed in 1871, though the pro-French faction would make significant gains, the Xing withdrawing some of their aid to the Tibetans in order to pursue their push towards the sea. With France involved in colonial conflicts in Vietnam, intervening in the Spanish Civil War, and wary of revolt in India, Queen Charlotte elected to send weapons rather than men into the remote region. While an expected Durrani attack into Kashimir did not occur, leaving the pro-Xing faction in that region, victories in a series of skirmishes meant the supporters of the French-backed Dalai Lama have a clear path towards Lhasa. The northern, more remote regions, seem to have fallen in line for the most part.

Football Conference Meets in New Orleans
Events Overshadowed by Race Riots in Louisiana?

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

   People around the world looked forward to the Global Summit on Football held in New Orleans held in July. With war erupting in Europe and South America, not to mention continuing fighting in Asia, the cultural event proved to be a nice respite. Participants included representatives from Louisiana, Switzerland, Korea, Britain, Prussia, Quebec, Colombia, New England, the Netherlands, Naples, and Persia. Despite the humid heat, New Orleans put on its finest show, many locals seeing the Football Conference as marking that city’s transition to a world-class capitol. Delegates were dazzled by performances in from of St. Louis Cathedral and beignets served after dinners. They were less dazzled by the apparent racial tensions, despite the authorities clearly making an effort to conceal any shows of disunity.
   In addition to standardizing football rules, sizes of the field, type of ball, and positions on the team, the conference has also encouraged the organization of national leagues, large cities establishing teams to compete in regional competitions and tournaments. The Football Conference also voted to establish itself as the International Council of Football, committing to meeting every 5 years in a different country to provide updates, settle disputes, and work to raise awareness of the sport. In the meantime, the ICF has also invited other nations that did not participate to arrange their own football leagues, in the hope of expanding the sport.
   At the end of the second week of the conference though, the sterling image of Louisiana would be tarnished somewhat, as news arose of a series of race riots in New Marseilles. Despite attempts of the Louisianan government to integrate the city and use it as an example of racial progress, consistent discrimination on the part of Francophone whites against local Blacks and provocative actions led to an outpouring of anger. Over 3 days there was a brutal crackdown on the Black community after they began to strike over unequal wages. Frederick Douglass, who had been attending the Football Conference in passing as an observer, spoke of his fury over the oppressive system of government that Afro-Louisianans were forced to endure in the eastern states and the hypocrisy of King Henry-Philippe’s denunciation of colonialism, leaving the city early out of protests. Douglass’ speech clearly roused many delegates, mentions of the Football Conference’s outcoming almost always being accompanied in the foreign press by coverage of the race riots in New Marseilles.
   As communication and mass media have become more prominent, so too have growing pastimes and games, football seeming to be the most popular. The creation of leagues in New England and Louisiana is expected to herald the start of a growing wave of sports and athletics teams. Cynical observers note, of course, that sports seem to distract the public from what their leaders are truly up to. According to the growing field of “sports observers” the possibilities are rather endless, though many in older generations have expressed bewilderment at their children and grandchildren’s obsession with games. 

[Spamage]

The Zenith of Power: Concert of Europe Part IV
Turn 2: 1872

The World in 1872
(Made by Me)

Nations, Leaders, and Players

Kingdom of France: Queen Mother Charlotte von Hohenzollern (Windjammer)
Habsburg Monarchy: Emperor Charles VIII von Habsburg-Lothringen (Dereich)
Kingdom of Scandinavia: Queen Catherine II von Oldenburg (YPestis)
Russian Republic: President Aleksey Suvorin (KaiserDave)
Ottoman Empire: Sultan Murad V Osmanoğlu (Kingpoleon)
Divine Republic of Brazil: Archbishop-President Manuel Joaquim da Silveira (X)
Kingdom of Naples: King Charles VIII Bourbon (GoTfan)
Tokugawa Shogunate: Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu (iBizzBee)
United Kingdom of Louisiana: King Henry-Philippe Bourbon (DKrol)
Qajar Iran: Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (PSOL)
Kingdom of Quebec: King Henry II von Hohenzollern (Lumine)
Kingdom of Mexico: King Luis de Bourbon-Orleans (Hijodeagua)
United Provinces of New Holland: Stadtholder Pieter Mijer (Orwell)
Holy Republic of Colombia: Archbishop-President Vicente Arbeláez Gómez (Kuumo)
Confederation of New England: Chairman Henry Wilson (OBD)
Kingdom of the Netherlands: King William IV of Orange (Ishan)
Durrani Empire: Emir Abdul Samad Khan (AverageFoodEnthusiast)

Economic Standings

Kingdom of Scandinavia: Strong
Kingdom of France: Strong
Holy Republic of Colombia: Moderate-Strong
Ottoman Empire: Moderate-Strong
Divine Republic of Brazil: Moderate
Kingdom of Quebec: Moderate
Confederation of New England: Moderate
Kingdom of the Netherlands: Moderate
Qajar Iran: Moderate
United Province of New Holland: Moderate
Tokugawa Shogunate: Moderate
Russian Republic: Moderate-Weak
Kingdom of Naples: Moderate-Weak
Kingdom of Mexico: Moderate-Weak
Habsburg Monarchy: Moderate-Weak
United Kingdom of Louisiana: Moderate-Weak
Durrani Empire: Weak

Popularity

King Charles VIII Bourbon: Very High
King Luis de Bourbon: Very High
King Henry II von Hohenzollern: High
Archbishop-President Vicente Arbeláez Gómez: High
Queen Mother Charlotte von Hohenzollern: Moderate
Emperor Charles VIII von Habsburg-Lothringen: Moderate
Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu: Moderate
President Aleksey Suvorin: Moderate
Sultan Murad V Osmanoğlu: Moderate
Naser al-Din Shah Qajar: Moderate
King Henry-Philippe Bourbon: Moderate
Archbishop-President Manuel Joaquim da Silveira: Moderate
Queen Catherine II von Oldenburg: Moderate
Chairman Henry Wilson: Moderate
King William IV of Orange: Moderate
Emir Abdul Samad Khan: Moderate

Current Global Conflicts:
Second Great Eastern War: Russian Republic vs. Kingdom of Scandinavia, Kingdom of Poland, Ottoman Empire (1871-)
War of the Triple Alliance: Kingdom of Spain vs. Divine Republic of Brazil, Holy Republic of Colombia, Blessed Union of Patagonia (1871-)
Spanish Civil War: Kingdom of Portugal, Catholic-Republican Spain vs. Spanish Republic, Austrian Expeditionary Force vs. Neapolitan and French Expeditionary Forces (1871-)
Chinese Civil War: Xing Dynasty vs. Chinese Republicans vs. Russian, Korean, Japanese, Scandinavian, Habsburg Expeditionary Forces (1867-)
Tibetan Civil War: French-Backed Tibet vs. Xing-Backed Tibet (1870-)

Kingdom of France

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-The reintroduction of some of Prince Xavier’s reforms was met with surprise and delight by liberals. Between that, and your aid to the reactionary and conservative Spanish emigres, the strength of your regency has grown over the past year as a broad, public consensus (liberal, moderate, conservative) backs your leadership. Perhaps rumors of your impending political difficulties were overstated. Having such a broad coalition does mean that it could also prove to be fragile, but for the time being it has held. Yet, with the center-left, middle, and right largely falling in line behind your policies, the growing far-left movement has begun to take hold. Socialism and republicanism in France seemed to have been crushed for a generation following the Parisian Rising in the late 1830s, but a new cohort has come of age, disgusted with the ostentatiousness, decadence, and inequality in France. Your plans to remodel Paris into a more rational, sanitary fashion, have drawn opposition from the existing tenants of many neighborhoods who fear being pushed out. Furthermore, there are growing complaints over working conditions, the closeness of royal officials with businessmen, and the vast wealth disparity that remains in the realm. Local elections have shown a growing base of support for the socialists and with the national elections approaching in 1872, some wonder if the growing movement ought to be antagonized and snuffed out? Or should they be given a fair shake at the ballot box, even if it embarrasses your regency? How will the French government handle growing strains of leftist thoughts emerging throughout Paris?

-In the colonial situation, there are a wide range of issues that need to be addressed. The Ottoman landings in Algiers, claiming that realm that rightfully ought to be yours as a vassal, has shattered the growing goodwill that had existed between you two powers. Xavier, a known proponent of colonialism, has led a growing whisper campaign claiming that you are being outshined by your Prussian allies in neighboring Morocco and humiliated by a decrepit Turkish state. The ‘loyal’ opposition also points to the lack of progress or justification for the war in Vietnam, where you have turned an ambivalent regional power into a foe. French power and prestige must be preserved at any cost. How will you ensure this happens?

-Your intervention in the Spanish conflict has been deemed by many to have been underwhelming thus far. While your men aided in the landings at Corsica, they were joined by the Neapolitans and the island remains a source of diplomatic tension between you and your ostensible ally. The events at Gibraltar were an embarrassing debacle and there are those who would have you spill Habsburg blood in revenge for the death of those brave French soldiers lost there. Beyond these two moves, it was Naples who took the initiative in capturing most of Sardinia, Palma, and Valencia. Now there are many in Paris (including the growing community of Spanish noble emigres) who call on you to expand your role, proposing marching into Spain itself in order to purge it of the stain of Catholic Republicanism. With Henry V no longer distracted by events in Peru, perhaps he could be moved back to Paris from Louisiana and restored to his rightful place in Madrid? If not him, you always have the vast multitude of Bourbon relatives who would undoubtedly love to take a shot at governing Spain. How will you deal with Naples, the Gibraltar Debacle, and the escalating situation in Spain?

Habsburg Monarchy

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Your men have succeeded in establishing a Habsburg outpost in Eritrea, but the Ethiopians are neither blind, deaf, nor stupid. Word has reached them of the Stockholm Conference and the claims that your realm was given on them. Emperor Yohannes IV has demanded that your men leave the meager outpost within the year, threatening a preemptive attack should you no comply. Of course, while most view this as just cause to punish the upstart, others are wary of tying down more men in yet another theater, given your active interventions in Spain and China. Still, allowing such a realm to dictate Austrian foreign policy would be a humiliation. How will you respond to the Ethiopian demands?

-The death of King George of Poland has brought your four-year-old grandson Sigismund onto the Polish Throne. While initial attempts to name your son Archduke Louis-Henry as regent have stalled, there are still many in Vienna who call on you to protect the boy and get involved in Polish politics. Still, others in the diplomatic corps believe that the death of King George is the excuse you need at long last to cut off the Polish dead weight from your alliance, that realm showing its ineptitude at combat over the course of the war. With Radziwill acting as the Protector of the Realm, how will you handle the Polish situation, let alone the outbreak of the Second Great Eastern War? Will Austria maintain its focus inwards, or is it time to join the intriguing yet again, perhaps even on any side?

-It seems the east is not the only place where war has erupted, the Spanish Civil War drawing in numerous European powers. The Court was outraged by the French assault on Gibraltar and the public is furious, calling for a French apology and compensation to the slain soldiers’ families. Still, your men killed some French soldiers as well. What is to be done about this diplomatic spark at a moment when Europe sits on the brink? Further to the point, what will your involvement in the Spanish Civil War look like moving forward, now that Serrano governs out of Cordoba instead of Madrid?

Kingdom of Scandinavia

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Queen Catherine, the rumors were true. Russia has attacked once more, plunging eastern Europe into an uncertain future. With the Lvov Alliance, you do not stand alone however, and there have been significant gains achieved in the first year of fighting. St. Petersburg has fallen once more and the Russians have been held at bay in the rest of the north. Still, Poland totters on the edge of chaos and its soldiers cannot be trusted, given their consistently poor performance. How will you handle the situation moving forward?

-If there’s one area where your realm is outmatched by your foes, it is in manpower. Despite being able to raise up to 14% of your men to arms under the current law, the Russians still could theoretically triple your strength with a significantly smaller recruitable population. In light of this, the conservatives and reactionaries have proposed to raise the conscription age by 5 years, enact recruitment drives in outlying regions (Baltic States, German outposts, and Groningen), and bar the wealthy from buying their way out of service. Some are wary of potential blowback, but the Ministry of War has firmly backed the motion, acting against the public wishes of the Prime Minister. Will you make changes to conscription in light of the Russian War, or should the matter be revisited at the end of fighting?

-With your government’s investment in Scandinavian factories over the past year, some in Stockholm have broached the idea of implementing tariffs as a means of further improving the strength of your nascent industry. The socialists, members of the governing coalition, have put forward a protectionist bill that would significantly raise tariffs on imports. Prime Minister Monrad, a liberal at heart, has proven reluctant to even consider the bill and the debate risks bringing down the coalition. Many look to you for tacit leadership over this issue. While the raising of tariffs could boost employment and give your factories the breathing-room they need to be profitable, there are those that remain wary of potentially damaging relations with Britain and France. What shape will Scandinavian trade policy take over the coming year?

Russian Republic

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-President Suvorin, with the outbreak of the Second Great Eastern War, Russia finds itself surrounded on all sides by foes. Yet, individually they are all weaker than your military might, only together slightly outmatching the Russian Republic in manpower. With the muddled situation last year, many believe a more vigorous campaign is necessary for 1872. How will you prosecute the war? Furthermore, given the lack of allies, will you look further afield for partners to draw into the fight? Persia, France, and the Habsburg Monarchy could all have various reasons to turn on the Ottomans, even if they require a bit of convincing…

-The commission established to determine the feasibility of annexing Upper Manchuria has issued a response in the affirmative, arguing that there would be a great boon to Russia in acquiring so much territory for so little. Furthermore, officials have pointed to the European and Brazilian division of Africa as suitable present for the absorption of a semi-tribal Chinese vassal realm. Even so, both the Xing Dynasty and Chinese Republicans have reissued their statement that Manchuria is Chinese land refuse to recognize any annexation. Still, with a diplomatic conference on the Chinese issue approaching, perhaps it would be better to annex the land and ask for forgiveness rather than wait for permission. What will you do about the recommendations?

-With Russia at war the Baltic Sea, Black Sea, and even overland trade routes to the west have been shuttered. While your government has sufficient stockpiles for now, it is believed that you will need to establish clear trading routes with other powers to compensate for the losses and open up the Russian market to the broader world. The obvious candidates are Persia and Korea. This could also be achieved by establishing either coastal control or some sort of overland route connecting you with the neutral countries of central Europe. Or, perhaps you could attempt to create trade out of one of the small Pacific ports, bypassing the opposition of the European powers entirely and putting this new Trans-Siberian railway to good use. How will you ensure Russia remains engaged economically with the broader world?

Ottoman Empire

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Sultan Murad, war is upon you. The Russians have attacked on all of your shared borders, you two swapping lands in Kiev and Crimea. Now the war enters its second year and you must determine the strategy moving forward. There are fears that Persia or Austria could join the conflict, potentially expanding the frontlines and diverting pressure from the Russians. Likewise, many Turks and Arabs eye your Slavic subjects with suspicion, fears of risings in the Balkans ever-present if the Russians should get close. What is to be done to win the war and how will you counter growing paranoia within your borders over the numerous risks to your empire?

-The Stockholm Conference was an insult to the Ummah and ignored your historic role on the African continent. Many nationalists in Istanbul were even more incensed about the carving up of Africa than the long-expected Russian invasion. Even over your government’s vocal objections the British, Brazilians, Habsburgs, Scandinavians, and Prussians have all started to make good on their claims. Some have called for the treacherous colonizers to be punished indirectly, perhaps through higher toll rates at the Suez Canal (or even limiting their ability to use the canal entirely). Furthermore, there are those in your government who would send arms to Morocco and Sokoto, two Muslims powers resisting the Europeans. Sultan Murad, how will you respond to the continued European aggression to your south?

-War is expensive, and the mass mobilization of Ottoman resources is going to cost significant money. While the taxes and shipping fees on the Suez have provided a modest income for your government, it will not be sufficient to maintain your forces for long. This leaves you with several options. Your ministers would overhaul the tax system, rationalizing it and creating a Central Bank in Constantinople responsible for collection, regulation, and enforcement of currency. Still, this could alienate the local officials whose loyalty is more crucial now than ever. Others believe that foreign credit is the way forward. While Vienna and Paris have become premier banking cities, Stockholm too has provided easy credit to the Poles and, given their alliance, could perhaps be talked into low-interest loans. How will you solve the financial issues of the Ottoman state before they get out of hand?

Divine Republic of Brazil

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Archbishop-President Manuel Joaquim da Silveira, the Spanish colonizers are on the verge of defeat, their remnants in Peru and Chile no longer able to muster their old numbers. The King has fled and the region looks to be falling. That leaves a number of pressing issues for 1872. Will you continue to aggressively prosecute the war against the Spanish Royalists or leave it to your allies to finish, allowing you to put diplomatic pressure elsewhere? How should local passive (tax avoidance, disobedience) and active (taking up arms) resistance be dealt with? Furthermore, in the conquered territories, will they be annexed or should local Catholic Republican governments be established? There are numerous questions to be answered.

-The secret police of Brazil have uncovered a vast publishing network of forbidden texts (with critiques of your government and Catholic-Republicanism more generally) operating throughout the country. The network stretched from Sao Paolo to Rio and Bahia and over 60 people have been caught up in the Publisher’s Affair and arrested. Many see this as a signal that control over the hearts and minds of the populace may not be nearly as strong as assumed, as it is clear that this network had a broad range of customers who took advantage of past laxity. What is to be done with these traitors? While in the past they would have been executed in brutal fashion, with the world watching some have urged leniency, perhaps exile. Still, if the malcontents in the realm smell weakness, your fellow bishops fear they could lash out.

-The Portuguese have been enraged by the French seizure of their Indian holdings and have demanded your aid in providing diplomatic pressure against the French to return them. This comes at a moment when their aid could not be more crucial in dealing with the Spanish liberals and Bourbon royalists in Spain proper. Despite the distance, there are many who are wary of alienating France, especially when it is governed by such a warlike Queen Regent. How will you respond to the French annexations in India if at all? Or should Portugal learn to accept its subordinate position in the new world, the Braganzas no longer wielding the power they used to?

[Spamage]

Kingdom of Naples

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-The Constitutional Convention has convened in Naples and looks to your for guidance. Though a limited form of regionalism has been proposed (various regions in your realm being divided into provinces) and the colonial bureaucratic system established, there are broader questions that must be addressed by the Crown. How open should the suffrage be to the lower classes? How often will elections be held? Should a bicameral, unicameral, or tricameral system be established? What will be the purview of royal compared to ministerial responsibilities? What of noble or clerical privilege? There are so many new issues that have bubbled to the surface with this novel and growing public discourse. It is up to you to try and steer the conversation.

-An economic issue has come to the forefront of Neapolitan politics in late 1871: inflation. Prices all throughout the kingdom have spiked substantially in the past few months. While it was assumed this was all the result of wartime profiteering, some of your officials in the Treasury have discovered that a vast influx of forged Neapolitan currency has been supplied by some other power, most suspecting Paris or Vienna. The issue is messy, as most of the forged bills have entered circulation and are held by random individuals in the general public, ranging from both the extremely wealthy to beggars on the street. If it all were to be tracked down and destroyed, you could agitate those who see the money as legitimate and committed no crime. Yet, something must be done, before the currency is too destabilized. How will you handle the situation? Furthermore, given the laxity of currency oversight, should some sort of banking system backed by the government be established?

-Your gains in the Spanish Civil War have impressed many, the conquest of Sardinia and Corsica causing mass celebrations in Rome, people glad to finally see these regions wrested from Spanish control. Still, just weeks later the French would make it clear that they viewed Corsica as theirs, causing tensions to flare between your two governments. Likewise, your gains against the Catholic Republicans at Valencia were praised by the royalist cadre, but there seems to be little support on the Peninsula proper for a royalist cause. If Henry V or some other noble is to be hoisted onto the Spanish throne, it will require a greater commitment in the coming year. What will Neapolitan intervention in the Spanish Civil War look like moving forward?

Tokugawa Shogunate

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Inactivity in China has only further allowed the Koreans, Scandinavians, and Habsburgs to consolidate their gains. With a proposed conference on the horizon, there are some who believe a more forceful intervention in 1872 will help further your position at the negotiating table. Still, with no further involvement, that also means your military has continued to gain relative strength to the Koreans, who are stretched quite far. How will you handle the diplomatic situation in the coming year?

-The Grand Council has convened in Edo and awaits your proposed governmental reforms. Many expect it to mark a new era in Japanese history, some even hoping that the feudal past may be done away with at last. Still, with many interest groups, you must make sure that you do not alienate too many of the powers that be. What are your proposed governmental reforms and how do you want to shape Japanese government moving forward?

United Kingdom of Louisiana

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-1872 is an election year in Louisiana, the National Assembly being entirely up for replacement in the upcoming vote. Prime Minister Alexandre Mouton seems vulnerable. While the Football Conference reflected greatly on the Crown, the race riots in Marseilles tarnished the Prime Minister. Undoubtedly your actions will have a role in determining the outcome, no matter what they look like. The governing conservative coalition does seem currently to trail the liberals, the Anglophone conservatives even threatening to break away from any future coalitions with the Francophone conservatives if Liberia is granted the status of a third kingdom (see below). There are also whispers that the racial fighting in New Marseilles has resulted in tremendous growth of the Socialist movement among those who seek racial harmony, both Black and white. Though it is still early, and any tipping of the scales by the crown could have an effect. Will you get involved?

-Britain has not taken kindly to the growing friendship between yourself, Mexico, and Quebec, viewing their American holdings as the likely target of aggression. Although not stating it explicitly, Parliament approved a massive military funding budget in 1871, including provisions for the update of forts in the Americas, procurement of new weapons, and establishment of new officer training schools in New York and Virginia. London says these are mere acts of defense, pointing out that it is the last remaining transatlantic power and will not leave the American subjects to the same fate as the Peruvians and Chileans. Still, this move has not been well-received in Louisiana. Some have called for an embargo, perhaps even closing the Mississippi River to ships coming from the Ohio River, hampering the ability of farmers in the Midwest to ship their goods to the global market. Others call for a rapprochement with London as well, given the instability in South America and growing racial tensions at home. How will your government officially respond to the British buildup?

-The race riots in New Marseilles were an embarrassment to your government in front of the wider world, only further encouraging separatism and hardening race relations. Frederick Douglass has refused to engage with your officials until Liberia is granted status as a coequal third kingdom in Louisiana (alongside Columbia and Louisiana proper), a move that is strongly opposed by most Anglo-Louisianans. Others believe the admission of an inherently Afro-Louisianan state would be beneficial, perhaps easing the tensions somewhat and giving each major ethnic group in the realm a constituent kingdom to rally behind. Overall, if this Is too radical, many believe your government needs to do at least something to address the situation, fearful of another international boycott of your goods similar to the one that forced you to end slavery. What will you do in the aftermath of these racial tensions?

Qajar Iran

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

- Naser al-Din Shah, war has erupted to the north. Not only have the Dagestani been dealt a severe blow, but your old enemy the Ottomans stand against your old ally, Russia. Many in Tehran have noted the vast buildup of Ottoman soldiers on the border, and there are fears they may make a push to retake Mesopotamia. This leaves you with a dilemma. Antagonize the Ottomans alongside the Russians and you risk it all in the fortunes of war. Yet, should you wait, you could find yourself facing the Turkish menace on your own. With the east seemingly secured following your treaty with the Durrani, your options are relatively open. It will be up to you to determine the shape of Qajar foreign policy in the coming months.

-The end of last year witnessed a surprising upsurge of ethnic strife in Urmia. An Azeri mob, whipped into fury by a failure to grant them any sort of autonomy or concessions, stormed into the town and murdered dozens of Kurds, who in turn responded with raids against Azeri settlements north of Lake Urmia. Your officials were powerless as the violence continued for weeks, only gradually subsiding into low-level violence. Many Azeris complain that they were better treated under the Ottomans, stoking fears of fifth-columnists should military matters come to a head. Yet again, how will you deal with growing ethnic tensions on the periphery of your territories? Should the Azeris be punished, or would this only reopen the wound? The Kurds, meanwhile, themselves technically violated the law by crossing some of their soldiers outside of their territory. What is to be done?

-Your government is not necessarily doing the best financially, recent efforts to promote industrialization aside. Your Court has been criticized as extravagant, while the coffers have also been lightened by internal corruption and a weak, ineffective bureaucracy. Furthermore, the expansion of the government and creation of many ministries means that government expenditures will only be increasing. Still, many believe it is the extravagance of your court that invokes a sense of awe and support from the common people. Should taxes be raised? Or perhaps the number of men under arms could be decreased? There is also the prospect of reaching out to a foreign power to fund Iranian debt, a fairly common practice among other powers, as the recent Scandinavian-Polish deal demonstrated. What will you do to ensure your realm stays financially solvent?

Kingdom of Quebec

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-King Henry, the elections are results are in, signaling a triumph for the Conservative Union. In addition to the annexation of new territories, the right has been strengthened by the growth in British military spending directed against yourself and Louisiana. Indeed, a wave of hawks now occupy the office of Prime Minister and the various ministries. These men are out for blood, be it against the Catholic Republicans to the far south or the British closer to home. Yet, given the Crown has prerogative over foreign policy, their ambition is checked by your restraint. Still, they have approved an increase in military spending and are proposing an increase to the draft. How will you deal with the situation? Will you provide assent to their legislative proposals?

-The acquisition of Hawaii, Nova Scotia, and Puerto Rico has brought a wide variety of Spanish and English colonists into your realm, the new people making up roughly 10% of your overall population. Now there are questions as to whether the regions should be admitted as full provinces of the Kingdom, or relegated to territories until they are more properly integrated. In Puerto Rico, specifically, there is a dearth of spoken French and the locals seem to have greeted your arrival with indifference at best, intransigence at worst. Will you give these new subjects full rights as citizens? How will you ensure that they become loyal, and productive, members of Quebec?

-The arrival of the exiled Royalist Spanish fleet in Roquefort seems to present a tantalizing opportunity. There are many who see these vessels as serving as the core of the new Quebecois Pacific Fleet, though King Henry V (if he can be called that anymore) has steadfastly clung to ownership, arguing that they are his personal property. Seizing them could provide a boost to Quebec and ensure that your new Hawaiian territories are well-defended and it’s not really clear what else would become of the vessels if the deposed King never is restored in Madrid. Will you risk insulting your ostensible ally and guest for a tremendous increase in naval power, or is good relations with the Spanish royalist cause more imperative? Along these lines, what is to be done about Henry V in far-off Vaudreuil?

United Provinces of New Holland

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-The loosening up of some of the racial restrictions regarding voting and property was viewed highly positively by most members of the Javan upper classes. As more of the old Javan nobility and upper class acquire land, influence, and even suffrage, new questions are arising about whether or not to fully integrate public services, the courts, and society in general or if some degree of separation will still be necessary. A compromise has been put forward by some moderates, aiming to allow the wealthy and successful Javans to live alongside the Europeans, while the lower classes are kept separate from both groups. Clergy have begun to push for full integration and an end to any segregated conditions, such as the prohibition of Javan settlement in New Holland proper. On the right, there are those who resent the reforms of the last year and want you to move no further on the issue of race relations in Java. What will you do about the growing Javan middle and upper classes?

-Agents and merchants interacting with Korea have made it clear that the Joseon Dynasty seems to be preoccupied by the events in China and could be vulnerable to a counter strike in the regions they so unjustly stole from you. There is little in the way of manpower in the region, save for the 10-division force at Borneo. Local opinion is mixed. The Dutch were not beloved, but neither are the Koreans, who in an effort to drive up profits have greatly expanded the extraction industries on Borneo. Distance alone means that the outposts and islands could be seized before Seoul even realized what was going on, though alongside another power, France or Japan, you could even be stronger. Will take the risk of attacking the distracted Koreans?

Kingdom of Mexico

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Greetings King Luis. Your announcement of government reform has been met with widespread celebration, boosting your popularity. Planning for the Constitutional Convention next year continues apace. With the Crown Prince touring the nation, he has received a wide variety of opinions on what shape the new government should look like. The nobility, Church, and bourgeoise seem to favor a centralized government, limited franchise, and a bicameral national assembly with a strong upper house. Most of the rural poor, immigrants, and urban craftsmen would prefer more of a federalized system, broader participatory government, and a weaker, unitary national assembly. Given you and Prince Ferdinand will be chairing the convention, many look for you for cues. What shape of government will you support or propose? How will you manage these varying class interests in a way that ensures everyone feels they have a stake in the future of Mexico?

-Diplomatically, 1871 witnessed a severe weaking of the Spanish Royalists, the growth of Catholic Republicanism, and your good relations with the two Francophone powers in North America. Mexico seemingly sits secure, but many remain conscious that war could erupt at any moment, conscious of how quickly chaos descended upon Russia and Spain. Some have called for the construction of fortifications both to your north and south, to ward of any second-thoughts from all of your erstwhile friends, though there are some who fear this could be viewed as aggression. Hawks have also called for an increase in military spending, being joined in their chorus by the Spanish royalist refugees you invited into your realm over the past few months. How will you navigate this uncertain diplomatic and military situation?

-With the opening up of society and the planning of a constitution, there are questions over what degree of free discourse should be permitted in Mexico. Spies have revealed growing strains of Catholic-Republican nationalism in the Yucatan and Central America, while some newspapers in the capital have begun to openly call for a curb to royal powers or criticize your son’s conservatism. Will you censor those that go to far, either with inappropriate political beliefs or insults to the government, or should freedom of speech be encouraged. There are positives to either side. Opening up speech could drive potential dissenters out into the open and lead them to moderate, at the risk of destabilizing the regime. Censorship, meanwhile, encourages unity of opinion and thought, even if it is frowned on in some quarters. What will you do?

Holy Republic of Colombia

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-The various local leaders representing the regionalist and federalist factions have arrived in Bogota and begun debate. Even Ecuador, your puppet regime, has sent officials, perhaps debating absorption into your realm if the terms are agreeable. It seems that most of your bureaucrats, the urban populace, and the military are in favor of centralization, while the lower clergy, mayors, and rural population desire autonomy. The debate has also illuminated some deficiencies in the current government, including the lack of a codified legal code or constitution. What approach will you take to these matters of internal governance now that you have the nation’s ear. Should there be decentralization? Will you promulgate a constitution?

-Archbishop-President Vicente Arbeláez Gómez, the Spanish Royalist dogs are on their last legs as your soldiers have helped march the cause of righteousness forward. The future of the Peruvian territories, both those occupied by yourself and your two allies, must be decided at some point and there are many in Bogota who believe you should have a significant voice in the process. Annexation of the region to Brazil is opposed and, given your recent consideration of autonomy to Venezuela, some would have you instead absorb the region into the Holy Republic. Furthermore, with the royalists no longer threatening all of the Catholic Republican powers in the Americas, some have begun to grow wary of Brazil. What will your approach be in the seemingly late stages of the War of the Triple Alliance and your diplomatic relationship with Brazil and Patagonia more broadly?

[Spamage]

Confederation of New England

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-In light of your agreements with Quebec and Louisiana, the British government has approached you as well, offering favorable trade terms with the American Colonies in return for the lowering of tariffs between your two countries. While this is a tantalizing prospect, Boston being by far the most industrial city in the region, there are worries that it could be a ploy by London to make you dependent on them. Furthermore, with the British military buildup in the west, it is feared accepting the treaty could alienate your news friends in New Orleans and Montreal. What say you to the British?

-The handover of Nova Scotia has proven to be quite the bitter pill for many New Englanders, seeing it as making the sacrifices of those killed in the 1840s to have been in vain. Still, even though it was a heavy cost, some degree of friendship and trust with Quebec has been restored, crucial if you are to maintain your peoples’ independence. Along those lines, with the growing conflict worldwide, some have proposed increasing the conscription numbers in the Confederation, raising the age men would be eligible to serve and establishing a National Guard to ensure that able-bodied men are given military experience. While most established New Englanders are supportive, the recent immigrant population seems less keen, not eager to serve a realm where they only just arrived and have not set down roots. Will you loosen up the conscription requirements so more men are called to arms, should the worst come to pass? Or is it better to leave the armed forces as is and operate under your current resources moving forward?

Kingdom of the Netherlands

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Your conservative government has convened to discuss constitutional reforms as suggested. What changes will you propose for the governance of the Dutch state? How will the new government be structured and who will be allowed to vote? Furthermore, what is to be done about the neutrality clause that was imposed by the French following your previous defeat in the 1840s?

-The Dutch Navy and Army have fallen into severe decline over the past fifty years following defeat in war and loss of the colonies. The funds were redirected, greatly bolstering industrial growth, but some fear you may have gone too far. With the Spanish Civil War and Second Great Eastern War, Europe seems to be dangerous again. Some are calling for a remilitarization of Dutch society, including raising conscription and increasing military spending. The expansion of the Dutch navy would not be opposed either. While this could be prudent, it may mean cutting off funds for some social programs and decreasing industrial subsidies. Will you work to expand Dutch military capabilities?

Durrani Empire

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-The Xing have refused your demands to hand over Kashmir, your envoy not even being given an audience at Court in Xian. Needless to say, it was viewed as a significant insult and some worry without action you will be humiliated. Yet war with the Xing, even if they are far off, remains a daunting prospect. Will you make good on your threat?

-Some in Kabul see the instability in India over the past year as giving you a reason to act against the French, who have only reaffirmed their desire to subjugate independent Muslim states given their recent claims in Algiers. The militarist faction at Court would have you strike out before you are turned into yet another colony like Tibet, Algiers, and now Vietnam. Paris was reportedly upset when your proposed operations in Kashmir did not materialize and some question whether your recent treaties are worth the paper they were written on. Indeed, many believe that Queen Charlotte may be overstretched, though French manpower still probably dwarfs your forces. How will you respond to the unrest in India and the growing colonialism in your neighborhood?

Kingdom of France
17 division Army of the North
16 division Army of the South
10 division Army of India
7 division Army of Vietnam
5 division Spanish Expeditionary Force
5 division Army of Ceylon
5 division Army of Sumatra
(65/395 divisions possible raised, max 14% conscription)

Habsburg Monarchy (Excluding HRE)
25 division Army of the Southern Frontier
10 division Army of Austria
15 division Army of Lombardy
10 division Army of Silesia
8 division Spanish Expeditionary Force
5 division Army of Madagascar
7 division Chinese Expeditionary Force
(80/300 divisions possible raised, max 14% conscription)

Kingdom of Scandinavia
25 division Army of Finland
10 division Army of Denmark
10 division Army of St. Petersburg
10 division Army of Kiev
10 division Army of Central Poland
5 division Karelia Corps
5 division Chinese Expeditionary Force
(75/110 divisions possible raised, max 14% conscription)

British Union
20 division Army of Tennessee
20 division Army of New York
10 division Army of Michigan
5 division Army of Virginia
5 division Army of Ireland
5 division Home Guard
(65/145 divisions possible raised, max 4% conscription)

Russian Republic
25 division Army of St. Petersburg
5 division Army of the Caucuses
10 division Army of Vitebsk
10 division Army of Mongolia
25 division Army of Crimea
7 division Army of Turkestan
5 division Army of Dagestan
4 division Army of Manchuria
4 division Army of Inner Mongolia
(95/325 divisions possible raised, max 10% conscription)

Ottoman Empire
45 division Army of Kiev
55 division Army of the Persian Front
3 division Army of Constantinople
5 division Army of the Caucuses
3 division Army of Egypt
(62/210 divisions possible raised, max 12% conscription)

Divine Republic of Brazil
40 division Army of Peru
8 division Army of the Congo
2 division Army of Southern Africa
3 division Army of Bahia
(53/75 divisions possible raised, max 22% conscription)

Kingdom of Naples
10 division Army of Florence
10 division Army of Sicily
5 division Army of Rome
5 division Army of Tunis
(30/105 divisions possible raised, max 14% conscription)

Kingdom of Prussia
30 division Army of Hanover
30 division Army of the East
7 division Army of Morocco
5 division Army of Berlin
5 division Army of South Africa
(77/130 divisions possible raised, max 14% conscription)

Tokugawa Shogunate
10 division Chinese Expeditionary Force
10 division Army of Niigata
10 division Executive Guard
7 division Army of Kyoto
5 division Army of the Philippines
3 division Army of New Guinea
(45/185 divisions possible raised, max 10% conscription)

United Kingdom of Louisiana
4 division Army of Texas
2 division Army of Charleston
2 division Army of California
2 division Army of Cuba
2 division Army of Des Moines
(12/55 divisions possible raised, max 14% conscription)

Joseon Korea
15 division Chinese Expeditionary Force
15 division Army of Busan
10 division Army of Pyongyang
15 division Army of Taiyuan
10 division Army of Heze
10 division Army of Borneo
5 division Army of Malaya
(80/140 divisions possible raised, max 10% conscription)

Kingdom of Poland
15 division Army of St Petersburg
5 division Army of Central Poland
20 division Army of Kiev
(40/60 divisions possible raised, max 16% conscription)

Qajar Iran
15 division Army of Erzurum
7 division Army of Mashad
5 division Army of Gwadar
8 division Army of Homorzegan
10 division Army of Basra
1 division Imperial Guard
(46/92 divisions possible raised, max 12% conscription)

Kingdom of Quebec
3 division Army of Vaudreuil
3 division Army of Montreal
2 division Foreign Legion
4 division Army of New Brunswick
(12/47 divisions possible raised, max 14% conscription)

Kingdom of Mexico
4 division Royal Guard
5 division Army of the Yucatan
5 division Army of Guatemala
(14/58 divisions possible raised, max 15% conscription)

United Provinces of New Holland
2 division Army of Java
2 division Army of New Holland
(4/32 divisions possible raised, max 7% conscription)

Holy Republic of Colombia
6 division Army of Peru
3 division Army of Venezuela
(9/35 divisions possible raised, max 15% conscription)

Confederation of New England
4 division Army of Boston
(4/20 divisions possible raised, max 14% conscription)

Kingdom of Patagonia
3 division Army of Cordoba
3 division Army of Paraguay
(6/22 divisions possible raised, max 15% conscription)

Kingdom of Portugal
19 division Army of Madrid
3 division Army of Porto
(22/25 divisions possible raised, max 14% conscription)

Kingdom of the Netherlands
5 division Army of Amsterdam
(5/24 divisions possible raised, max 14% conscription)

Spanish Catholic Republic
29 division Army of Madrid
3 division Army of Sardinia
(32/32 divisions possible raised, max 8% conscription)

Spanish Liberal Republic
20 division Army of Cordoba
3 division Army of Segovia
(23/23 divisions possible raised, max 8% conscription)

Kingdom of Spain (Peru)
3 division Army of Chile
4 division Army of Upper Peru
(7/30 divisions possible raised, max 20% conscription)

Durrani Empire
2 division Royal Guard
4 division Army of Karachi
2 division Army of Herat
(8/30 divisions possible raised, max 11% conscription)

[Spamage]

His Majesty Henry II salutes the bravery of his namesake, His Majesty King Henry V of Spain, in his spirited defence against foreign intervention within his lands. He is pleased that the King and his family have been able to escape unharmed, and he has ensured that the Spanish Royal Family is recieved in Montréal as his guests of honor.

Following negotiations, we are pleased to announce the signing of the Roquefort Settlement, addressing the matter of the Spanish Royalist Fleet and ensuring aslyum and protection for the Spanish Royal Family and any refugees fleeing from the lands under their former and present control.

It is hereby ordered that the transfered Spanish ships, and the crews and officers who decide to remain in Quebecois service, will form part of the Quebecois Pacific Fleet, based in Roquefort.

The Roquefort Settlement (1872)
An Accord between the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Quebec,

1.) The Spanish Fleet currently based in the port of Roquerfort will hereby be transfered to the ownership of the Kingdom of Quebec.

2.) His Majesty Henry V, his family, and his government will be granted permanent asylum in the Kingdom of Québec.

3.) The Spanish Royal Family will receive an annual stipend from the Kingdom of Quebec, and will be given ownership of a palace and its grounds in Montréal as their personal property.

4.) His Majesty Henry V will be allowed to set up a court and government in exile in Montréal.

5.) The Kingdom of Quebec will open its frontiers to royalist refugees from Spain and South America, expediting the citizenship process for those who want to become citizens, and granting lands for them to settle.

6.) Spanish sailors who so wish it will be allowed into the Quebecois fleet, with their current rank guaranteed.

7.) Spanish soldiers and/or volunteers who so wish it will be allowed into the Quebec military or the Quebec Foreign Legion, with their current rank guaranteed.

8.) Crown Prince Henry of Spain (b. 1860) will be formally betrothed to Princess Theresa Maria of Quebec (b. 1864), daugther of Crown Prince Philip.

x Henry II, King of Quebec

X- Henry V, King of Spain

[Spamage]

The Treaty of Porto (1872)
A Treaty between the Holy Republic of Colombia and the Kingdom of Portugal

I. The signatories hereby confirm their military, economic, and religious alliance, and hereby commit to the following:

II. Respective diplomatic embassies will be opened in Lisbon and Bogotá.

III. The tariffs for trade between the two nations shall be lowered by 10%.

IV. A non-aggression pact between the signatories.

V. A defensive alliance pact, binding each nation to militarily support the other in the face of any unprovoked foreign attacks.

VI. The shipment of rations and supplies from the Holy Republic of Colombia to the Kingdom of Portugal to support the Portuguese military's efforts in the Spanish Civil War.

VII. The dispatchment of naval advisors from the Kingdom of Portugal to the Holy Republic of Colombia to assist in the modernization of the Colombian navy.

x Archbishop-President Vicente Arbeláez Gómez
X- King John VII of Portugal

The Treaty of Busan (1872)
A Treaty between the Holy Republic of Colombia and the Empire of Joseon

I. The signatories hereby confirm their desire for a peaceful and economically productive relationship, and hereby commit to the following:

II. Respective diplomatic embassies will be opened in Hanseong and Bogotá.

III. The tariffs for trade between the two nations shall be lowered by 12%.

IV. A Colombian consulate will be opened in Busan, and a Korean consulate will be opened in Guayaquil.

V. The Holy Republic of Colombia will prohibit Colombian missionaries from entering any city administered by the Empire of Joseon.

x Archbishop-President Vicente Arbeláez Gómez
X- Emperor Yi Ho

[Spamage]

Treaty of Brandenburg:

1) The Kingdom of Prussia and the Habsburg Monarchy reaffirm the recognition of each other's respective territories in Europe, Africa, and Asia resulting from the Treaty of Breslau and Stockholm Conference.

2) The Prussian Government reaffirms its recognition of the territorial integrity and autonomy of the Holy Roman Empire. No ambassadors will be sent to any of the lesser princes and all dealings with the Empire on behalf of Prussia will be conducted through the Emperor in Vienna. King Frederick IV pledges to not interfere with internal deliberations in the Reichstag.

3) The two signatories agree to a pact of non-aggression. Any termination of this pact will require notice of one year.

4) The Kingdom of Prussia and the Habsburg Monarchy jointly agree to recognizing the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Saxony.

5) In addition to full restoration of diplomatic relations, Prussia and the Habsburg Monarchy will work towards increased economic and mercantile cooperation moving forward.

6) Maria Louisa, Archduchess of Austria, will be wed to Crown Prince Frederick Louis of Prussia

x Charles von Habsburg-Lothringen

X-King Frederick IV of Prussia

[Spamage]

1872 Midturn Update

Neapolitan Vote: A New Era for An Old Kingdom
Attempt Made on the Life of King Charles!

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

   There was no question King Charles VIII’s decision to promulgate a constitution was widely popular with the people of Naples. Overnight, on paper at least, one of the few remaining autocratic states in Europe was transformed into an extremely limited constitutional monarchy. This would not be without repercussions, both within and outside the borders of Naples.
   In the short-term, King Charles was met with mobs of excited subjects as his reforms were implemented. Thousands of peasants drank toasts to the health of “Papa Carlo” as the institutions for elections and representative government were established. Socialists, liberals, and other reformists groups quickly found themselves pivoting to defend a King they had once so ruthlessly disparaged in private. The nobles, including the King’s own brothers, would be quite upset, as would the clergy. These groups saw Charles’ “surrender” as threatening their rights and natural role in government. In spite of growing instability in the Habsburg Monarchy to the north, the first elections were held on June 25th, 1872.
   The campaign in June was unexpectedly heated despite the popularity of the Crown. While the King had not loosened censorship laws, the overwhelming expression of public opinion and debate took on a life of its own and overwhelmed royal officials. This meant that there was largely novel free discourse heading into the vote. In this discourse, some speculated that there was a degree of outside agitation. Still, as the people went to the ballot box, both the realm and Europe looked on with bated breath.
   The results were widely surprising, stunning the entire continent. On the surface, the main story would be the level of division, the proportional system meaning almost every strain of ideology being represented in some form. Still little could overshadow that the “Brothers of Giufà” (named for a Sicilian folk-hero), an extremely radical semi-Catholic Republican faction, garnered the single largest share of votes with 24.1%. Their strength came from rural communities, many speculating that a bunch of uneducated peasants had their votes swayed by promises of land reform and loyalty to the Church. The Liberal “Progress Party” came in a distant second with 20.6%, most votes coming from Rome, Florence, and Naples proper. The Conservatives significantly underperformed at 18.3%, many who would have otherwise voted for the “Sicilian Union”, expressing their unease with the constitution by voting instead for the reactionary “Patrimonio” party, which took 12.5%. The Socialist “Worker’s Party” garnered 18.1% of the vote, centered in working-class districts in the various cities. Unideological Italian pan-nationalists took 4.6% of the vote, independents garnered 1.8% of the vote. The final seat standing in the Chamber of Deputies was:

Chamber of Deputies, 350 Seats (176 needed for majority)
Brothers of Giufà: 85 seats
Progress Party: 72 seats
Sicilian Union: 64 seats
Worker’s Party: 63 seats
Patrimonio: 44 seats
Pan-Nationalists: 16 seats
Independents: 6 seats

   While the election of the Chamber of Deputies shocked the realm, it was expected that the Senate would be far more conservative, perhaps balancing out the radical tilt of the government. Still, King Charles, so popular, is left with the unfortunate prospect of having to wade into partisan politics, as no bloc has a clear majority in the assembly. It will be up to the Crown to make a coalition out of the shattered election results and figure out who will form the government with what is expected to be an unstable majority.
   Naples would be shook when, shortly following the election, an effort was made on the King's life on June 30th. As he rode through Naples to applause, several shots rang out, striking King Charles in the back. Madness erupted, the royal carriage returning to the palace and alarm going up throughout the city. The assailant killed himself upon presumably completing his task, taking his secrets to the grave. After several tense days, King Charles VIII emerged from the worst danger. Although he lost the use of his right leg, forcing him into a wheelchair, he remained triumphant and his public return within the month was met with rejoicing, even the Brothers of Giufà praising the king and vowing to locate the true identity of his assailant.
   Finger-pointing has begun almost immediately. Some believe the King's brother Prince Alfonso, the Duke of Tuscany, may have been responsible, given his absolutist ideology. Others point to the French, who have proven to be an unreliable ally and have already been suspected of causing the runaway inflation. Of course, the success of the Catholic-Republican aligned faction also has some looking suspiciously towards Brazil or Spain. Could the assailant have had ties to radical leftist and anarchist groups, who had boycotted the election out of principle? What about anti-imperialists? Regardless, before the situation can be addressed, a government must be formed. Many now watch Naples to see what will happen next and how King Charles will handle the electoral result.

Bohemian Awakening?
Nationalist Movement Seizes Prague!

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

   The early 19th century had brought great changes of the Habsburg Monarchy. Territorially, the Emperor Francis II exchanged Polish Galicia for the return of Silesia to Bohemia. Economically, the explosion of coal-mining in Silesia brought great prosperity to the Crown of Bohemia and spurred the opening of factories in major urban centers such as Milan, Vienna, Prague, and Budapest. Demographically, thousands moved from the countryside into vastly expanded urban areas, their labor fueling tremendous economic growth and giving them the potential for a better life than their ancestors.
   Yet, there was one area of little change: the governance of the Empire. Ever since Emperor Maximilian III had embarked on the decentralization of the Habsburg Monarchy into its various constituent realms in the early 1800s, little other reform had been achieved. At the time the decentralization had been quite popular, especially with provincial nobles and elites who enjoyed the autonomy. Even the vast population of peasantry had remained loyal in the face of frequent Prussian invasions, Italian violence, the revolutions of the 1830s, and through the darkest days of the Great Eastern War. But the old system of government, one rooted in feudalism and traditionalism, papered over significant differences and growing issues.
   For starters, the population of the Habsburg Empire in 1872 was far different than a century prior. A much higher percentage lived in urban areas, was literate and educated, worked outside of agriculture, or enjoyed wealth that came from merit and not pedigree. These groups found the existing system inadequate if not outright insulting. Rather than being motivated sheerly out of loyalty to the emperor, these new classes thought in terms of ideology and nationality. Seeing parliamentarianism in France, Scandinavia, and Britain, some yearned for a similar system to be implemented throughout the realm, but little was changed and decade after decade passed. To most, any chance of reform seemed a remote possibility, the conservative consensus of monarchism, Catholicism, and traditionalism holding sway. What was missing was any sort of spark. That came in 1872. Downtrodden liberals and disgruntled nationalists finally found reforms they could rally behind.
   There is no question the promulgation of the Neapolitan Constitution of 1872 had wide-ranging effects outside of the borders of that kingdom. Whereas France, Scandinavia, and Britain already possessed a degree of constitutionalism, albeit ones of less participation, the Habsburg Monarchy seemed like a relic from another time entirely. Like Naples, there was very little suffrage within the realm, nobles still governing each of the constituent realms out of provincial assemblies and local diets. While autonomy had bought the Emperor time, the longer time went on, the more people became aware of significant inequities within the various constituent states. To those outside of the governing consensus, King Charles of Naples’ radical reforms on a previously autocratic realm proved that real change was possible, even if it required overlooking the growing instability in Naples. Socialists and liberals saw ideological opportunities in democracy, while some extreme nationalists believed that their people could finally have a voice in government.
   While Austria, Bavaria, and Lombardy were relatively ethnically homogenous, it would be cultural inequities within Hungary and Bohemia that would increasingly become the immediate source of tensions. Hungary, the largest of the Habsburg states, was an ancient realm. Although led by a Magyar and smaller Croat noble class, one which held most of the land and political influence, there were substantial Romanian, Serbian, and Slovak minorities excluded from any sort of power. These national minorities paid their taxes to noble landlords who could not speak their language, cared little for their customs, and did little to improve their lives. While this bred resentment, Bohemia would prove to be a far more acute situation.
   The Kingdom of Bohemia had long been a key cornerstone of the Habsburg Monarchy. That realm possessed a complicated history. Bohemia was the spark that ignited the Thirty Year’s War in 1618, the site of numerous battles in the War of the Austrian Succession, and often traded hands over the course of the many Austro-Prussian wars in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Since the defeat of the old Bohemian nobility at the Battle of the White Mountain, and the subsequent property redistribution shortly thereafter, this predominantly Czech state was governed by a German noble class. Of course, this had meant little in the 17th and 18th centuries. It was only in the 19th century that the siren song of nationalism would begin to challenge the existing order. While the Treaty of Breslau had restored the ancient borders of Bohemia with the annexation of the largely German Silesia, it also meant that state shifted from a predominantly Czech realm with a German minority, to one divided roughly evenly.
   Czech nationalism formed in opposition to continued German influence. German was the language of government, not Czech. German had been the language of the Prussian invaders who had thrice invaded Czech lands and murdered Czech civilians. German nobles governed the people. German was spoken in the universities. Emperor Charles spoke German. The landlords, bosses, and tax collector were German. Now, with Silesia, Germans may even have become the majority among Bohemian subjects. Many Czech leaders felt they were outnumbered in their homeland and that it was only a matter of time before German subsumed their culture entirely.
   Disturbances began at the University of Prague on June 5th, 1872 just a week after news arrived of the Neapolitan constitution and the reforms in that realm. A vast throng of idealistic Czech students protested on campus, demanding education in their native language and storming the library, burning dozens of priceless historical works in German out of principle.
   Local police were brought in to restore order but were especially ruthless, cracking skulls and killing several students in the chaos. Of course, the death of Czech students resonated in the city. Although Prague had once been dominated by Germans, the growing need for industrial labor had brought an influx of Czech-speakers from the countryside. Calls for justice for the slain students resulted in massive street protests. Workers went on strike as German businesses were damaged and looted. Attempts by the police to restore order were unsuccessful, so the Diet of Bohemia (led by the German nobility) panicked and fled the city for Breslau, where a crackdown was ordered.
   At this point the Czech demands had only increased. Not only ought education be bilingual, but the protestors demanded elected representatives, a constitution, and limited land reform. Although the groups professed their loyalty to Emperor Charles VIII, they expressed fears that the situation in their realm had been misrepresented to him and called on him to hear their call for freedom. An all-Czech city council was elected by universal male suffrage and quickly won the loyalty of the rest of the police force, which ceased to crack down on protests. Within Prague property redistribution has been ordered, tax incentives being given to Bohemian business-owners over their German counterparts. Unions have popped up in the industrial quarters as many owners fled with the prior government to Breslau.
   The success of the Czechs in Prague has destabilized Bohemia, with the various cities professing loyalty to either the German government in Breslau or the Czech government in Prague. Only Moravia experienced little upheaval and remained largely indifferent, many looking to see how Emperor Charles VIII responded. The Magyars in Hungary have called for a brutal crackdown, fearful of the spread of discontent, while most liberals within the various realms have called for the emperor to listen to the demands of his people. Small-scale protests in favor of representative government have popped up in Munich, Vienna, and Venice, but they remained largely peaceful and were easily dispersed. Still, it is certain that Charles’ response will carry great weight and could determine events in all corners of his realms.
   On the broader scale, many conservatives in the Habsburg Monarchy look with hatred south towards Naples, who has been blamed for the spread of public disorder. There have been calls to punish the Italians for the disorder they have caused. With so much upheaval on the periphery of the Empire, many note that the realm can ill-afford these domestic squabbles. Other realms, meanwhile, have begun to question whether the Habsburg Monarchy, the ever-stable cornerstone of the European order, may be somewhat of an illusion. Only Emperor Charles can determine whether or not this is true.

[Spamage]

1872 News of the World

PANIC OF 1872!
ECONOMIC CATASTROPHE THREATENS EUROPE, NORTH AMERICA

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

   The global economy of 1872 functioned more or less like a machine. Inputs and raw materials flowed into industrialized areas, which in turn spat out finished goods to be shipped all throughout the globe. Food, timber, metals, tobacco, rubber, and countless other necessities crisscrossed the planet. In short, the world functioned as the most interconnected economic system in history. Not only did this extend merely to trade, but also finance and communication. With the two wars erupting in the far east and west, this system was disrupted, the effects rapidly increasing in severity and the economic contagion spreading all throughout Europe and North America due to a variety of different reasons. Bankruptcy, unemployment, recession, and the usual cascade of effects have spiraled forward rapidly, threatening to undermine the entire social system and European consensus.
   There were four immediate causes to the economic catastrophe: the closing of the Mississippi River, the British Blockade of North America, clashes over the Suez, and the Prussian interdiction of Scandinavian transportation through the Mediterranean/around the Cape. These would cause a cascade of effects that would challenge even the most economically sound regimes on the Continent.
   Britain was the first to feel the major impact on its economy. The War in the Americas was not unexpected, the rapidity of its eruption was. With the fall of Memphis and the subsequent closure of the Mississippi River to trade, Midwestern farmers were unable to get their crops to market. Perfectly good grain and corn rotted in the fields of the Americas, farmhands sent to the frontlines and no feasible way of transporting it across the Atlantic Ocean. With its colonies under attack, and still possessing one of the preeminent fleets of the world, Britain responded to the assault on its territories by enacting a blockade of Louisianan, New Englanish, Quebecois, and Mexican shipping. While losses in the Caribbean threatened the effectiveness of such a proposal, London shamelessly seized the remaining Spanish royalist outposts in the Azores and Cape Verde Islands, using those as a base, in addition to Britain proper, to stop the flow of goods from North America.
   To the east, the effective closure of the Suez in late 1872, as a result of inconclusive fighting there, effectively halted the flow of goods from Asia to Europe and vice versa. As with the British blockade of North America, this effected all powers in Europe, not just the belligerents. On its own, it would have been alarming. Coupled with the events to the west, it proved a catastrophe.
   Firms in Britain and Scandinavia were forced into price hikes as materials got more expensive, then massive layoffs in the industrial areas. This was coupled in the increase in the price of food, American wheat not arriving as scheduled. Stock trading and the use of derivatives, innovative financial practices, exacerbated the crisis. As businesses in Britain and Scandinavia went bankrupt, investors saw their savings evaporating and sought to cash out. There were great feelings of unease. Thousands ran on banks, effectively overdrawing the banking reserves and causing hundreds of thousands to lose their savings. Thousands were driven into unemployment in Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Gothenburg, many desperate men enlisting as a means of making some sort of living.
   This crisis would expand further, into an overleveraged Europe. France, Naples, and the Habsburg Monarchy had all been quite liberal with their purses. Prussia, Russia and the Ottomans, ironically, would be the powers least affected, for the time being at least.
   As one of the financial capitals of the world, there was no way such severe economic disruption would not reach Paris. Stocks plummeted, investors hating the uncertainty of Suez and Transatlantic trade. France, in particular, had embarked on significant infrastructure spending in prior years. While this would perhaps have long-term benefits, in the short run it meant the government had been forced to take on debt. The closure of the Suez saw Paris cut off from one of its major markets. While the passage of Social Security legislation was initially popular, as workers saw money being taken out of their paychecks at the exact time incomes were decreasing, it become more polarizing. A rise in food prices was, thankfully, avoided due to French agriculture. Other inputs saw their prices increase, if they were available at all. Coffee and tea became even greater luxuries. Cotton became scarce, with both the American South and India blocked from the market. This meant that the famed French textile industry fell into bankruptcy, a few desperate companies pivoting to scratchy wool garments. Given the uncertain state of international trade, hundreds of companies ramped down production in a bid to cut costs. This meant thousands more were unemployed. Other French private businesses, which had looked to London for more competitive loans or investment, found their savings evaporated as banks across the Channel dived into chaos. This just further spiraled as the unemployment rate soared. Many of these disgruntled Frenchmen turned to the socialists or radical militarists for some sort of salvation, leading to their significant overperformances in the election. This electoral result, of course, set about a new round of panic as French stability suddenly seemed like less of a certainty.
   Although Vienna would manage to stave off bankruptcy, it would only be by the skin of its teeth. Disruptions in Bohemia, military operations, and the ensuing international financial crash all weighed on the economy. Thankfully, precious Silesian coal was able to be routed around the Czech nationalist areas via loyal Moravia. Food prices remained fairly stable due to the vast Hungarian and Ruthenian estates. With the Habsburgs not being a major mercantile power, and possessing its own banking system, the worst was avoided. Even so, many of the princes and minor knights in the Holy Roman Empire had engaged in lending with British and Scandinavian banks. Now, they found their debts unserviceable. Without the extended resources of the major powers, many of these small fiefdoms have seen their savings in Paris, London, and Stockholm under threat. They have naturally turned to Vienna, hoping the emperor can arrange some sort of bailout. If not, spending cuts could exacerbate tensions at home and leave Germany vulnerable to future unrest.
   The New World would not be spared. New Orleans, which had formerly served as the trading port of said grain, saw numerous businesses related to storage and transatlantic trade go bankrupt almost overnight, the crops from the other regions of the Kingdom insufficient to offset losses from the British colonies. Even had this been sufficient, the British blockade proved effective. Hundreds of families in New Orleans have been driven to poverty, their work in trade logistics proving obsolete with the onset of war. This is not to mention those producing cotton, indigo, and other cash crops that have dominated the Louisianan economy for several centuries. Most of those laid off were Black Louisianans, the issue of internal discrimination surfacing yet again and further exacerbating racial tension.
   Quebec and Mexico, likewise, would find themselves unable to trade except with the South Americans. Many questioned if jettisoning any residual loyalty to the exiled Spanish Bourbons in exchange for a grand bargain with the Catholic Republicans might not be a suitable way to evade the British blockade. Along with Louisiana, both of these states have seen the price of luxury and finished goods soar, just at the time when layoffs and unemployment have begun to rise.
   Brazil and Colombia have perhaps fared the best, their trade not reliant on the Suez and the British looking quite fondly on the Catholic Republican powers in that region. Persia had the position of receiving numerous loans from the European powers prior to the crisis, so found itself quite cash-rich at the dire moment. New Holland likewise would see minimal domestic economic issues, trade with Korea and Japan far dwarfing shipment to Europe. It was relatively easy for them to pivot with the effective closure of the Suez.
  

Spanish Civil War Continues, Tensions Arise in Catholic Alliance

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

   There would be no conclusion to the Spanish Civil War in 1872, events continuing deteriorate, even with disturbances in the rest of the world. Austria would double-down on its intervention, being joined by Naples, who had largely made an uneasy peace with the Spanish Republicans so they could beat their common enemy. Returning Valencia to the Liberal Republicans, the 10-division Neapolitan force advanced north, hoping to cut off the communications and supply lines between Madrid and Barcelona. They came face-to-face with the 19-division strong Portuguese Army. Despite the controversy surrounding the Sack of Madrid, and the latent hostility towards the Portuguese on the part of the Spanish Catholic Republicans, the Neapolitans were beaten back at the Battle of Alcaniz, forced in a hasty retreat back towards Valencia.
   The Portuguese were on their tail until General Jose de Almeida, the brother-in-law of King John VII and commander of the Portuguese Army, was slain by a Catholic Republican Spanish monk, who stabbed him to death while stammering about the Sack of Madrid. John VII, exasperated with the situation and perceived lack of gratuity from the Spanish who he was aiding, immediately order his men back to Portugal, leaving Valencia in liberal hands. Indeed, despite the urgings of the Brazilians, who hold out the ports in India as a boon, Lisbon has grown extremely frustrated with its state in the world. When the Austrian offensive later in the year suspiciously halted at the Portuguese border, many wondered if he had been up to some double-dealing…
   Further to the south, an all-out assault on Cordoba by the 29-division Spanish Catholic Republicans was beat back, due in large part to the arrival of more Austrian divisions, meaning the liberals were able to muster 32, aided by Habsburg logistics and fresh morale. Indeed, following a liberal republican victory at the Battle of Arroba, a broader Liberal-Austrian effort was made to secure the south. Most of the Catholic Republican gains south of the Tagus were retaken.
   Further to the north, the Catholic Republican cause would make great gains, the beleaguered liberal army in Segovia only serving to be a nuisance as the supporters of Ramon Nouvilas generally consolidated control. Still, given the lack of active engagement by either side in this theater, fighting has been relatively mild and there are real questions about the strength of Catholic Republican control.
   Overall, the war still hangs in the balance. If Portugal is truly disengaging from the conflict, then it would appear that the liberals would have a substantial chance of victory, given the continued presence of the Austrians and Neapolitans, in addition to the disorganized state of Nouvilas’ army in the aftermath of the Battle of Arroba. Even an offensive to retake Madrid seems feasible. Should the Portuguese reenter the conflict, however, it is likely that barring increased aid from Austria, France, or Naples, the Catholic Republican cause would likely triumph. In short, Lisbon has a key role and knows it. How the various powers succor King John VII could determine the future of Iberia.

Reactionary Coup in Japan
Tokugawa Yoshinobu Dead; Yoshiyori Installed in his Place

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

   The Call for a Grand Council of Daimyo was greeted with mixed reactions among the Japanese elite. There were many who were afraid that their power and status could be imperiled by such a development. The prospect of social and governmental reform, while perhaps necessary, was quite vague at the same time. In this uncertainty, paranoia took hold. What if the shogun was giving up power? What would happen to the samurai and other established classes? Would Japan really tear up its domestic system, one that had been preserved for centuries, on order to emulate the westerners? This would not do. With the Emperor sidelined into his ceremonial role, and constantly monitored, the growing conspiracy instead turned to Tokugawa Yoshiyori, a distant cousin of the ruling shogun, as an individual to rally behind.
   The emperor’s guards were murdered on the night of June 5th, and he was made to issue a decree calling for the arrest and execution of Tokugawa Yoshinobu. The edict smoothed the path to the shogun, many soldiers standing down when shown that the emperor had decreed their leader’s arrest. As word reached him of the deteriorating situation, and his lack of support, Yoshinobu felt he had no other choice than to take his own life. Seeking to preserve his honor, he committed seppuku in the presence of many of his most loyal followers.
   Yoshiyori has been proclaimed shogun in the place of his cousin, his first act being the suspension of the Grand Council of Daimyo. He then met the Emperor, perhaps in a sign that the sovereign will now enjoy more of a role in government, and has decreed that he will protect the Japanese system against the threat of foreign reforms to the social order.
   While the ruling class has been satisfied by the overthrow of Yoshinobu, there are many other Japanese subjects who were both shocked and angered by the move. Yoshinobu had perhaps been charting a course of better government and a more equitable society, something that now again seemed remote. If this popular discontent will amount to anything remains to be seen, but Japan clearly is not as internally united as had been previously suspected.
   Overall, the dispute within Japan, and the likelihood of temporary disengagement, gave the Koreans the opportunity to further expand their role in China, the likelihood of Japanese intervention now feeling remote for the time being.

War of the Triple Alliance

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

   The events in South America may have been largely overshadowed by occurrences elsewhere, but they proved to be no less significant. The Spanish Royalists may have been determined to hold off the Catholic Republicans, but they found themselves undersupplied, abandoned by the established powers, and facing a far more numerous enemy. Although Prince Charles, acting as regent, channeled his brother’s courage, it was all too much. The Colombians seized La Paz, eroding much of the resistance in Upper Peru as feeble attempts to defend Chile against a combined Brazilian-Patagonian invasion force were easily overwhelmed. Santiago itself was soon besieged by late summer, the royalists refusing several attempts by the Catholic Republicans to organize a surrender. “If they wish to destroy an Empire of four centuries, they will have to leave us corpses,” Charles reportedly told his men. It would take four weeks for the city to fall, a fierce bombardment levelling most residential areas prior to an all-out assault. The Battle of Santiago raged for hours, only ending when the La Moneda Palace was seized. Charles had been right, the royalists made the Catholic Republicans fight for every single block, even skirmishes within the Palace continuing until the very end. Unlike Juan Prim, Prince Charles refused to kill himself, daring the Brazilians to make him a royalist martyr, something they would prove quite happy to do.
   Prince Charles and the surviving generals of the Royalist Army were brutally executed in Santiago as part of a thanksgiving service held in the Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral. Many other royalist officials who had not fled alongside King Henry were executed with rat torture; the beasts being made to dig into their stomach in brutal fashion. Accused of bestiality with a jaguar in an attempt to bring about the birth of the anti-Christ, a charge that was met with a derisive laugh from the prince, before he was promptly executed, being fed to piranhas much to the horror of most onlookers. King Henry would declare his brother a true Christian and Spaniard, vowing that his death would be avenged. Courts across Europe have looked on with horror at the treatment of someone with royal blood, it being used in part as an excuse by the Mexican government to prevent the Catholic Republicans from standing in the first elections of that realm.
   While there are a few isolated pockets of continued indigenous and royalist resistance, the collapse of the government in Santiago and the victory of the Colombians in Upper Peru would take much of the oxygen out of the movement. With victory largely achieved, the three Catholic Republican powers shamelessly declared the formal partition of the former Viceroyalty of Peru. Colombia gained much of Peru proper, Brazil taking Upper Peru, and Chile being granted to the Patagonians. It appears a new era has dawned in South America as, given the disturbances elsewhere, no one stands able to challenge this remaking of the continent.

[Spamage]

A Year of Constitutions
Elections, Reforms, and Governments

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

   Many historians will likely call 1872 “The Year of Constitutions.” From Colombia to Mexico to Naples to the Netherlands, numerous regimes announced changes to the way their government would function and set about implementing said changes. These could come alongside elections held in France.

Mexico
   1872 also witnessed a new constitution in the Kingdom of Mexico, King Luis electing to change the course of Mexican history with his reforms. In a widely lauded move by the vast common classes, the Constitutional Charter of Mexico was proposed and ratified with overwhelming support. Though there are many nobles that still grumble about these reforms, using the excuse of war to propose halting further reform, it appears the vast majority of Mexicans are looking forward to the elections heading into the coming year. 1873 will undoubtedly be a time of great significance for the Mexican Kingdom.

The constitution is as follows:

The Constitutional Charter of Mexico.

National Assemblies:
Two assemblies shall be created here in Mexico City.

The lower assembly will contain 250 seats apportioned by population
-   (Districts will be designed by the Crown’s new census division every 15 years)
-   First past the post system
-   (The two French legal jurists will include a provision that tactfully bans Catholic Republicans)
-   There will be a maximum term of seven years, and the crown will have the ability to call new elections if it is necessary.


The upper assembly will be selected by appointment of the Crown.

The assemblies shall have control over the purse. And pass measures by a simple majority. Once they get a simple majority it will head to the crown who can sign off on the legislation. If the crown decides to not sign off on the legislation, then it will be sent back to be reworked or require a 3/4ths majority to overturn it.

Regional Assemblies

Each region will have a governor and a local assembly. The assembly will be selected by a vote of the people in the region. The governor shall be selected by the assembly, subject to the approval of the crown.

Local governors and assemblies will have control over regional taxes/infrastructure of the area.


The Crown’s Cabinet

There will be 8 Departments created:

Department of Defense
Department of Transportation
Department of Labor
Department of Coin
Department of Health
Department of Education
Department of State
Department of Arts and Sport

Each department will have a minister to oversee their respective department and will be appointed by the crown. The appointments will need to be approved with a simple majority by the upper assembly. The minister can be from within the assemblies (upper or lower) or from outside the national assembly all together. However, should the crown select someone from the royal family for a minister position, they must seek a 2/3 approval of the upper assembly.

The Crown

The crown shall have all rights dictated other places in the charter.

Will have control of foreign policy and serve as commander in chief of the military.

Colombia
   The Colombian Thaw, meaning the collapse of the old authoritarian system, was widely greeted with praise and jubilation. The Constitution of the Holy Republic, formally ratified in 1872, signaled and cemented the shift in Colombian domestic policy. Fears of a break with Brazil proved to be somewhat unfounded, as that government did little to halt the spread of democratic elections in Colombia. Most citizens looked forward with glee for the coming elections in 1874. Ecuador, satisfied by the reforms, likewise petition to join the Holy Republic, being formally admitted on November 6th, 1872.

Naples
   King Charles VIII would override the demands of the Catholic Republicans in Naples, instead forming a government with the conservatives and liberals acting as a majority, supported by the socialists on most votes. Broad concessions were granted in order to guarantee socialist support, including labor rights and improved working conditions. Although the new government is highly fragile, a united fear of the Catholic Republicans has meant that most of the three parties in government have proved a bit flexible on their ideological commitments. Even so, the Catholic Republicans remain waiting in the wings and have proved a disruptive influence in the political process.

Louisiana
   The government of Alexandre Mouton proved triumphant, the outbreak of war and initial Louisianan successes proving crucial in securing the passage of the Louisiana Charter of Freedoms, Government Reform, and Education Reform Act. Painting opponents as unpatriotic at a time of grave national peril, enough delegates were swayed to ensure that the King’s domestic agenda went fairly unchallenged. While the Black Louisianans were extremely disappointed that Liberia would not become a co-equal kingdom, the special status was enough to assuage most concerns for the time being. Despite racial tensions relating to the economic crisis, for the most part the worst seems to have passed.

Netherlands
   The Netherlands also would pursue constitutional reforms in 1872, electing to throw off the document imposed in the aftermath of the Second French Invasion in the 1840s, significant edits were made. The neutrality clause was abolished, just in time for the recapture of Groningen. Beyond that, the reforms were as follows:

All men who are educated and show extensive literacy in a test mandated by the state for all voters shall be able to vote and the system of government is as follows;

The King shall become the head of the state, being able to veto or approve legislation passed by Parliament and appoint Prime Ministers. To appease reformers should 4/5ths of the Parliament vote to remove the King, the King shall be removed and his heir is to become the next King. The Prime Minister shall become the King's envoy to the Parliament, ensuring that the King's voice can be represented in Parliament. Elections are to be held every two years and 150 MPs are to be elected using the system Thomas Hare created.

France
   The 1872 elections would prove to be somewhat of a debacle for the regency government of Queen Charlotte. Despite transparent attempts by the existing government to weigh the field in favor of the nonsocialists, including noncompeting clauses in some potentially swing districts, and an ambitious social security legislation proposed and implemented, the vote was overshadowed by the Panic of 1872. With thousands unemployed, and the global financial system in a state of free fall, many viewed the current system as inadequate. While republicanism remained outlawed, the royalist socialists campaigned on domestic reform including a social safety net, better unemployment benefits, wealth taxes, and an end to expensive foreign adventures. Normally this would have probably yielded middling results, amounting to no more than 15% of the vote, but this was not a normal election. Matters were not helped by the anti-establishment results of the election in Naples. As the votes were counted the unthinkable occurred: the socialists received the largest share. The results were as follows:

French Election Results:
Socialist Party: 31.7% (+19.4)
Conservatives: 29.3% (-18.9)
Reactionaries: 23.9% (+10.8 )
Liberals: 13.9% (-8.8 )
Independents: 2.2% (-2.5)

   First Naples and now France, the cornerstone of European stability, have had elections yielding wildly controversial outcomes. The surge of the reactionaries was likewise unexpected, some militaristic voters arguing that the government ought to take military action abroad, such as ending the American blockade and opening the Suez, in order to restore the situation at home. The next outcome will be controversial, as it is unclear who Queen Charlotte will invite to form a government. Many socialists argue that, as they are the largest party and enjoy the most popular support, they should be given control. Of course, the right-wing parties point to the fact that, combined, they enjoy a higher degree of support.

South Pole Reached
Brazilians Celebrate Scientific Achievement!

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

   As much of the world to the north descended into violence, anarchy, and disorder, Brazil would seek a different sort of glory. An expedition was launched to the south, seeking to discover the South Pole in a first for humanity. An expedition of 5 Brazilian men led by Henrique de Beaurepaire-Rohan landed in the Antarctic in late August 1872, embarking on a massive undertaking. With sled dogs, skis, canned food, and determination they raced south, hoping to make history. The journey actually proved to be relatively smooth, the summer of Antarctica providing ample daylight. Along the way numerous landmarks were named for de Andrade, da Silveira, Pietro Verri, and other Catholic Republican historical figures.
   On the 25th of December, 1872 Henrique de Beaurepaire-Rohan and his men reached the South Pole. They planted a cross adorned with the Brazilian flag, saying a prayer of thanksgiving for their good fortune and the great nation who had funded their expedition. Returning to the coast, they have been greeted with great rejoicing throughout Brazil. Even many of the global combatants have given Brazil grudging praise. There is little doubt that their accounts of their great southern saga will be retold for centuries to come.

Great Eastern War: 1872
Imperiled Ottoman Empire Besieged on All Sides

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

War in Ruthenia
   The Ottomans sought to attack the Russians before their reinforcements could properly be organized. While they did manage to initially push back the 25 divisions of the Army of Crimea at the Battle of Cherkasy, the Russians would spend the next few months mobilizing on a scale unseen before in European history. A whopping 120 divisions would be sent in a two-pronged attack on the region. Russia, a vast sea of manpower, has drawn upon its resources in a bid to end the Turkish threat once and for all. The 55 division Ottoman Army of Ukraine was defeated by the 70 division Russian force at the Battle of Kiev. The city changed hands once more, the Ottomans fracturing, most fleeing south towards Moldavia but with some remnants being left cut-off from Ottoman territory in Poland. This demoralized force was met with the second prong of the Russian attack at the Battle of Kinichev. They were routed here by the Russians, the Turkish soldiers fleeing to the perceived safety of the Danube. Attempts were made to slow the advance of the Russians through the destruction of infrastructure and supplies, enraging the locals but slowing down their advance. Still, by the end of the year, the Russians had made several crossings of the Danube as the Ottoman Balkan provinces looked increasingly endangered. The locals, not blind, took note.

Persian Betrayal
   Many in Istanbul had assumed that the Iranians would be pacified by their agreement with the Scandinavians to remain neutral in the Tehran Protocol. With Scandinavia’s exit from the war, and reentry on the side of the Ottomans however, many in Tehran saw the agreement as null. As the Turks relocated their men to the Caucasian Front, the Qajars struck. Private negotiations with the Sheikh of Ha’il saw that tribe join the Iranian efforts to destroy Ottoman influence in the Middle East. The banner of rebellion was raised, throwing the mess of Arabic tribes into internal conflict, the Saudis seeing the Ha’il bid for supremacy as a threat, their power-sharing agreement collapsing and the Wahhabi Arabians falling into internal conflict. Still, the presence of Iranian soldiers in Arabia would blunt an attempt by the Saudis to decapitate the sheikh’s government in Ha’il.
   Further north, an ambitious push into Syria occurred. Once more, as in the distant Roman and Byzantine past, Iranian soldiers would plunder the rich region of Syria. The Ottomans, focused on the war to the north, had left the region lightly defended. Although Antioch held out, the prestigious Islamic city of Damascus fell to Persian control, leaving Palestine surrounded by the Persians in Syria and the Scandinavians in Egypt.

Polish Happenings & Russo-Scandinavian Invasion
   Poland was shocked by the exit of Scandinavia from the war, seeing itself now as particularly vulnerable to the Russian menace. Withdrawing from St. Petersburg and Kiev, the Poles were determined to defend their homeland along the Russian front. 40 Polish divisions were joined by 20 Ottoman divisions, being arrayed against an enemy offensive consisting of 40 Russian divisions and 15 Scandinavians. Continued domestic unrest and news of the fall of Kiev contributed to low morale and Polish defeat at the Battle of Borisov. Minsk prepared for a siege as the Polish-Turkish force fled further west, to Novogrudok. With the fall of Minsk on September 20th, 1872, a Russian offensive further into Poland now appeared much more likely, causing alarm in Warsaw and leading to drastic action there.
   Named the “Protector the of the Realm,” Bogusław Fryderyk Radziwiłł spent the first half of 1872 consolidating his position rather than preparing adequate defenses. Determined that no Polish monarch should ever wield the power of King George I, a series of laws (dubbed the Reformation of 1872) were passed effectively restoring the original constitutional monarchy that had been agreed to in 1855. While many would critique the government for this distracted form of governing, no serious domestic challenges arose until the fall of Minsk. At that point a counter-coup was launched. Determined to end the internal squabbling in the face of the most serious threat restored Poland had ever faced, a cabal of generals and reactionaries arranged a mass mutiny in Warsaw. As the civilian populace looked on in confusion, Radziwill was arrested, Aleksander Wielopolski (a conservative and well-respected advisor of the late George I) was officially named as interim regent, and a formal call for Emperor Charles’ aid was issued. The Poles offered the title of formal regent to Archduke Louis-Henry of Austria in exchange for military defense against further Russian and Scandinavian incursions. While some in Vienna see this move as risky, wary of alienating the Russians and Scandinavians, the alternative may be having these two powers divide Poland and further increase their strength on the Continent.

War in the Caucuses and Unrest in Central Asia
   Happily, for Istanbul, despite numerous other crises in the Levant, Egypt, and the Balkans, the Caucuses would prove to be a rare bright spot in this treacherous year. Singificant Ottoman numbers had been dedicated to this region, determined to protect the Turkish heartland from any Russian threat in the east. A Persian stab at Kars was easily repelled by the 50 division strong Ottomans, inflicting significant casualties on the 17 division Qajar force. This was followed up by a 25-division assault by the Russians from the north, which was yet again easily repelled. In fact, the Ottomans were able to conduct offensive operations in Caucasia, finding excited locals in the form of the Circassians, the Russians being forced back to Azov. 20 further Turkish divisions plunged into Dagestan, undoing the work of the Russians and providing much needed aid to the resistance there. The remnants of the Russian Army of Dagestan have fled to Astrakhan.
   These victories for the Ottomans, in Circassia and Dagestan, were significant demonstrations of the power of the Turks in Central Asia and when the Sultan issued a call to arms for the Muslims in the region, many took note. The Russians were not loved. They had forced their language down the throats of the inhabitants of the region in return for suffrage. Many inhabitants of the steppe felt little loyalty to a government whose culture and religion they did not share. Still, memories of the suppression of the Turkic rebels in the 1830s remained. The Tatars and, across the Caspian, the Khivans raised the flag of resistance. Perhaps not as many peoples as had been hoped, but the presence of the primarily Buddhist Kalmuks, who favored Suvorin over the Sultan, helped stabilize the situation in Russia’s favor for the time being. With the Ottomans dominants in Caucasia, they are faced with what to do next, especially with the situation to the west so perilous.

Scandinavian Teachery
   Scandinavia overturned decades of cooperation with Istanbul in one fell swoop, with rapid surprise attacks on Ottoman positions in the Mediterranean, which had been left lightly defended due to the need to send men to the Russian fronts. A massive flotilla, one carrying 45 divisions of men and consisting of a good portion of the Scandinavian fleet, appeared on the coast of Alexandria in July 1872, launching a massive bombardment on the unsuspecting city and throwing the region into chaos. Scandinavian soldiers simultaneously were landed on the Nile Delta, swiftly capturing Alexandria and Cairo and pushing south down the river. The locals were stunned, any sort of organized resistance collapsing throughout Egypt proper as city after city fell. In truth, the Egyptian people perhaps cared little for the Sultan in far-off Istanbul, memories of their failed bid for independence in the 1830s lingering among the older generation.
   As they had done in Russia decades ago, the Scandinavians decided to give their occupation the veneer of legitimacy. They found their man in Ahmed Urabi, a local Egyptian commander who had extensive ties to the existing elite. Ambitious, but eager to shake off the rule of the Sultan, he was declared King Ahmed I in a hastily staged coronation ceremony in Cairo, combining Scandinavian, Islamic, and Egyptian themes. He vowed to see his land freed from the domination of the Turk, attempting to use nationalist sentiment and rally the people against the invaders. While Istanbul denounced the event as a farce, Scandinavia and Russia both duly recognized the new King.
   Scandinavia would make an even more ambitious move, seeking to seize the Suez Canal simultaneously with the invasion of Egypt. Yet, the Ottomans had learned from the Seven Power Intervention in 1835, several land forts having been erected with significant artillery. A preliminary bombardment and landing were repelled, as were attempts to blockade the canal from the Red Sea. After several days of heated fighting though, the western Fort Ibrahim on the canal surrendered, giving the Scandinavians the outpost they needed. Extensive artillery bombardments were then exchanged with Fort Mustafa (on the east bank) for several days, severely damaging the Suez Canal. The Ottoman garrison held firm though, meaning that the canal remained contested at the end of the year, intermittent fighting continuing.
   The third Scandinavian assault, one which passed with little incident, was the seizure of Cyprus. The local garrison, as in Egypt, had not suspected the treachery of the former ally, who quickly seized control. The Greeks proved supportive, but the Turkish populace seems a bit restive.
   With these three assaults, and the intervention in Poland, Stockholm has flipped the diplomatic arrangement in Europe. For more than a century now, the diplomatic balance in Europe has been considered Russo-Scandinavian tensions a certainty. With Queen Catherine and President Suvorin, however, this has been flipped on its head. How will the other powers of Europe respond to this rapidly evolving diplomatic situation.

[Spamage]

Ethnic Risings
   The cause of freedom, championed at various times by the Serbs and Greeks over the past century, was raised yet again. This time, perhaps for the first time ever, it seemed really feasible that the numerous ethnic groups of the Balkans would shed the four-century old Turkish yoke. With the Ottomans battered and the Habsburgs distracted, thousands rose, answering the call of the Orthodox Russians. Indeed, given that the risings crossed into the Habsburg lands, some fear they may have been answered with too much zeal.
   Belgrade was the first city to raise the flag of rebellion, the Serbians having never forgotten the Ottoman seizure of their homeland. Deserters from the military joined with disgruntled locals to overwhelm the garrison and declare the cause of Serbian freedom. Serbs to the south, and the north, answered the call. With the Habsburg Army of the Frontier redeployed to Bohemia, that border would prove particularly porous. The Romanians followed suit, risings in Transylvania, Moldavia, and Wallachia occurring ahead of the Russian advance. The Bulgarians attempted their own national liberation as Sofia but were brutally repressed, a sobering reminder that the Ottomans were not gone yet. Furthermore, these calls for liberation were met with opposition from the various Muslim groups in Bosnia and Bulgaria, who feared reprisal for their faith.
   The Greeks on Crete, hearing of the fall of Cyprus, likewise raised the flag of rebellion, brutally murdering any Turkish soldiers or civilians discovered in their wave of zeal. Scattered risings have erupted on the mainland, but they lack the enthusiasm demonstrated in the 1830s. Athens and Thessalonica still remain firmly in Turkish hands, the Greek rebels mostly controlling villages and regions in the hinterlands.

Prussian-Dutch Ultimatum
   There was no question Scandinavia had left itself vulnerable in its ambitious bid for control of the Eastern Mediterranean. Prussia, seeing disorder in the Habsburg Monarchy and the weakness of the remaining Scandinavian garrisons, decided to act. Having forged a secret alliance with the Dutch in early 1871, the two powers took advantage of Stockholm’s distracted state and launched a surprise seizure of Pomerania, Danzig, Bremen-Verden, and Groningen. The stunned garrisons were largely caught off-guard, no real casualties being reported. There were fears in Scandinavia that these gains would be coupled with an assault on Schleswig-Holstein, but instead an ultimatum was issued to the Swedes: recognize the return of these outposts to their rightful owners, or the advance would continue further.
   As a demonstration of strength, Prussia also used its newly secure position in Morocco to declare that it was closing the Mediterranean Sea and Cape Colony to Scandinavian shipping, both trade and military, effective immediately, bottling up the Scandinavian Army in the Mediterranean, unless Stockholm agreed to Berlin’s demands. Governor Otto von Bismarck demonstrated the determination of the Prussians by stationing significant artillery along the coast and continuing the construction of land forts to threaten any Scandinavian shipping. Stockholm need only concede their German and Dutch lands, King Frederick IV announced, and normal relations could resume.
   While analysts believe that the Scandinavian fleet could undoubtedly take out the Prussian ships guarding the straight of Gibraltar, the presence of land forts and artillery could overcome the naval disparity. Whatever the case, Europe has looked on with surprise at the boldness of the Prussian and Dutch monarchs. Many await the response of Vienna and Paris. France, Prussia’s nominal ally, was not even consulted about the move, while the Austrians have recently made nice with Berlin, all the while signing agreements with Scandinavia to honor the Treaty of Breslau. Without resolution, this could very well expand the Great Eastern War into an even larger conflict.

War and Crises in East Asia

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Chinese Civil War Continues
   There would be no decisive victory for either side of the Chinese Civil War in the first half of 1872. The arrival of Scandinavian aid and supplies would prevent the coastal Xing holdings in the south from collapsing, but an attempted republican offensive to the north was largely repelled by the Xing. Still, many have increasingly noted that the charisma of Li Hongzhang has meant that his men possess higher morale than their Xing foes. Indeed, the Renci Emperor has increasingly become seen as a remote figure who cares little for the plight of the average Chinese person, while Li has personally led charitable and aid efforts within the lands controlled by the Republicans. The difference in image could not be more striking. Xing power could continue to fray with the news out of Korea.
   At the same time as the fighting continued to rage, the Austrians would expand their areas of influence yet further, undeterred by condemnations from both of the combatants to cease destabilizing the situation by taking more Chinese land. The Republicans in particular have grown irate, their towns primarily being the ones seized by the Austrians, given their dominance along the coast.

A New Mandate?
   Seeing the instability within the Japanese government, and wary of various European powers involving themselves in Chinese affairs through directly arming the various factions, the Joseon Court determined at long last to show its hand. Emperor Yi Ho decreed in a memorandum dated September 1st, 1872 that he believed that his dynasty now held the Mandate of Heaven. In this document, while he would condemn the Europeans for taking advantage of China’s weakened state, he pledged to honor any gains they have made and wished to cooperate in restoring order to his Middle Kingdom, specifically referencing the Holy Roman Emperor as a near-equal. Korean soldiers working alongside the Xing turned on their erstwhile allies in preplanned moves throughout northern China, as the Army of Taiyuan crossed the Yellow River into the heart of China. Xian, residence of the Renci Emperor, has been put to siege, as thousands more pour south against the Republicans. The vast Chinese plain now sits vulnerable to Korean attack, the Xing and Republicans having so brutally savaged one another, that there is a realistic chance the Koreans could seize control. While Li Hongzhang has condemned the attack and vowed to fight back, this has not stopped him from taking advantage of the Xing disorder to make further gains in the west. The Chinese crisis, it appears, will continue into yet another year.

French Expeditions in Asia
   The French achieved victory in Tibet, the supporters of the false Dalai Lama being forced into submission with the capture of Lhasa. Further to the west, the Durrani would take Kashmir in the face of little resistance, the demoralized Tibetan force collapsing in the face of their determination. With Tibet now subdued, and the French-backed government taking control in Lhasa, two outstanding issues must be addressed: what the future territorial composition of Tibet will look like and how will the Chinese be made to recognize the region as lost? Many are curious if Queen Charlotte will allow the Durrani to keep their newly seized territory of Kashmir or if the erstwhile cooperation between Paris and Kabul will now be scrapped given the elimination of a common foe.
   The war in Vietnam would go better for France in 1872. Landings in the north caught the Vietnamese off-guard and allowed the French to open up a third front in the fighting. The Siamese would make little progress, being beaten back in their attempts to repel the Vietnamese invasion, while French reinforcements in the south would also ensure that a larger amount of territory was seized. Holding it could be another matter though, the Korean arms supplied to the Vietnamese helping some rural patches of resistance pop up, which have proven quite the nuisance to stomp out. Nonetheless, to most observers, it seems the situation in Vietnam is far more favorable to France than it once was and questions about Queen Charlotte’s military capabilities seem to have abated for the time being.

Second American War
Broad Coalition Assaults British Union, London Imposes Blockade

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

   Tensions had remained high in North America in the decades following Louisiana’s annexation of the former southern colonies, but 1872 would witness the first eruption of outright violence in North America since peace had been made thirty years ago. Britain would stand alone, the Francophone powers, Mexico, and New England uniting to challenge the last colonial empire in the Americas.
   Many in New Orleans, Montreal, and Boston would credit the British bellicose attitude in several diplomatic communiques as sufficient cause for a declaration of war. Fearing a further mobilization of London’s resources, and hoping to catch the British off-guard, a massive multi-front assault was conducted against the British holdings, forcing the American colonies into a defensive stance from the beginning.
   To the west, the Louisianan Army of Des Moines would cross the Mississippi and seize Memphis. The British were cautious, a move that would reward them later, and allowed the enemy to establish a significant zone of control on the eastern back of the river. To the north, 20 Quebecois divisions poured in from Michigan, challenging the 10-division strong Army of Michigan. The British were forced out of New Cornwall (OTL Wisconsin) and conducted a scattered retreat to the east, fleeing to Ohio as much of the Midwest changed hands.
   Further to the east, an attempt by the Army of Charleston to march towards Knoxville was easily repelled by the Army of Tennessee, the same force that had let the Louisianans capture Memphis. This has spread fear among some in the Louisianan ranks that the British had been informed in advance of the army’s plans. Could there still be some Anglophone sympathy for British rule lingering on in the American south? The repulse of the Louisianan army’s advance was accompanied by a limited counteroffensive, retaking a portion of North Carolina. Attempts to land the Mexican expeditionary force in Virginia, meanwhile, turned into a debacle, most of the units being killed or captured by the British, who refused to fall for any sort of ruse regarding the force being mercantile in nature.
   The greatest struggle of the war would occur in the fight for New York. Here, the British were quite confident, significantly outnumbering the 10 division Quebecois army to the north. Lured north by several feints on the part of Quebec, British general George Pomeroy Colley was confident and pressed the attack. It was at this moment New England joined the fray, crossing the border in the British rear and cutting off supply lines. At the Battle of Queensbury, the British were surprised by an ambush on the part of the Quebecois-New English Army. Forced back, and finding their potential path of retreat to the west blocked, they were forced into Albany, where a brutal siege has begun. The British have refused to yield the city, viewing it as vital for control of the Hudson, New York, and the middle colonies proper. The besieged city faces constant Quebecois and New English bombardment.
  Further afield, there would be numerous expeditions attempted against Britain’s many colonial outposts. Mexico entered the war with the seizure of Belize. Louisiana took Jamaica, though many of the mixed-race and African locals have proven particularly uncooperative. Bermuda too would be taken relatively easily. Though the arrival of the British navy has effectively stranded the Louisianan division on that island. Quebec meanwhile seized the British Antilles. Only the Bahamas remains as a secure British holding, and an extremely useful one at that, as Britain would employ these islands to effectively halt all trade coming out of the Gulf of Mexico.
   In the Americas, the response of most colonists would be outrage. After more than a century of standing against the Francophone powers, the Americans wanted nothing to do with them. Even in the Midwestern territories seized by the Quebecois and Louisianans local would hinder supply lines with their carts and wagons, feigning stupidity and ignorance, all the while sabotaging their own infrastructure. These “Bumpkin Bills” as the press in London have dubbed them, have been deemed patriots, while the invaders see them as a nuisance.
   In Britain, the economic crisis coupled with deliberate efforts at agitation by foreign agents, would severely change public opinion in many working-class areas. The British Labour Party was declared by a group of unemployed craftsmen in Manchester on November 5th, 1872, calling on the workers to unite against a class and economic system arrayed against them. Attempts at strikes were undermined by the poor working conditions, companies easily able to hire scabs from those desperately seeking work. Ireland too would witness an upswing in nationalist literature and opinion, many seeing the conflict in the Americas as not Ireland’s fight. In fact, the public in Dublin would be more focused on happenings in Prague than New York, seeing brotherhood with the Czech struggle for dignity.

The Collapse of Czech Nationalism

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

   The Habsburgs would respond to the Bohemian disturbances with both carrots and sticks. Token concessions were provided to the Bohemians, including the creation of Czech departments at the University of Prague, mild economic reforms, a national holiday, and the establishment of the Ministry of Petitions. While this did dampen the support of some for the rebellion, in particular after Emperor Charles personally denounced the revolutionary City Council of Prague, the Czech nationalists maintained their control of the city, even if disorder in the countryside abated.
   The result was somewhat of a tragedy. With the Army of Silesia and the Army of the Southern Frontier approaching, an air of panic took hold in the city. Rather than surrender though, the City Council went even more radical. The Emperor was denounced as a foreign prince, the Czechs declaring Prague a “Free City”. Barricades were established as a siege was expected but, in a sign of their numerical strength, the Habsburg commanders instead elected to conduct a direct assault. Fighting was brutal, hundreds of young idealistic Czech dreamers falling to the gunshots of the established regime. The City Council issued orders until the end, growing more radical as support evaporated. By the end of November the city of Prague was back firmly within Habsburg control, albeit significantly damaged. Many look now to the fate of the City Councillors, most of who survived the fighting, and what that could mean for other nationalist movements in the Empire, given the disorder spreading across the southern border from Serbia and Romania.

[Spamage]

The Zenith of Power: Concert of Europe Part IV
Turn 3: 1873

The World in 1873
(Made by Me)

Nations, Leaders, and Players

Kingdom of France: Queen Mother Charlotte von Hohenzollern (Windjammer)
Habsburg Monarchy: Emperor Charles VIII von Habsburg-Lothringen (Dereich)
Kingdom of Scandinavia: Queen Catherine II von Oldenburg (YPestis)
Russian Republic: President Aleksey Suvorin (KaiserDave)
British Union: King Henry X of Hanover (joshva)
Ottoman Empire: Sultan Murad V Osmanoğlu (Kingpoleon)
Kingdom of Naples: King Charles VIII Bourbon (GoTfan)
Kingdom of Prussia: King Frederick IV von Hohenzollern (X)
United Kingdom of Louisiana: King Henry-Philippe Bourbon (DKrol)
Qajar Iran: Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (PSOL)
Kingdom of Quebec: King Henry II von Hohenzollern (Lumine)
Kingdom of Mexico: King Luis de Bourbon-Orleans (Hijodeagua)
United Provinces of New Holland: Stadtholder Pieter Mijer (Orwell)
Holy Republic of Colombia: Archbishop-President Vicente Arbeláez Gómez (Kuumo)
Confederation of New England: Chairman Henry Wilson (OBD)
Kingdom of the Netherlands: King William IV of Orange (Ishan)
Durrani Empire: Emir Abdul Samad Khan (AverageFoodEnthusiast)

Economic Standings

Holy Republic of Colombia: Strong
Divine Republic of Brazil: Moderate-Strong
Qajar Iran: Moderate-Strong
United Province of New Holland: Moderate-Strong
Ottoman Empire: Moderate
Kingdom of the Netherlands: Moderate
Kingdom of Prussia: Moderate
Russian Republic: Moderate
Tokugawa Shogunate: Moderate
Kingdom of Naples: Moderate-Weak
Habsburg Monarchy: Moderate-Weak
Confederation of New England: Moderate-Weak
Kingdom of Quebec: Moderate-Weak
Kingdom of Mexico: Moderate-Weak
Kingdom of Scandinavia: Weak
British Union: Weak
Kingdom of France: Weak
United Kingdom of Louisiana: Weak
Durrani Empire: Weak

Popularity

King Charles VIII Bourbon: Very High
Archbishop-President Vicente Arbeláez Gómez: Very High
King Luis de Bourbon: Very High
King Henry II von Hohenzollern: High
Archbishop-President Manuel Joaquim da Silveira: High
Stadtholder Peter Mijer
King William IV of Orange: High
King Frederick IV von Hohenzollern: High
Naser al-Din Shah Qajar: High
President Aleksey Suvorin: High
King Henry X of Hanover: High
Queen Mother Charlotte von Hohenzollern: Moderate
Emperor Charles VIII von Habsburg-Lothringen: Moderate
Sultan Murad V Osmanoğlu: Moderate
King Henry-Philippe Bourbon: Moderate
Queen Catherine II von Oldenburg: Moderate
Chairman Henry Wilson: Moderate
Emir Abdul Samad Khan: Moderate

Current Global Conflicts:
Second Great Eastern War: Russian Republic, Kingdom of Scandinavia, Balkan Rebels vs. Kingdom of Poland, Ottoman Empire (1871-)
Prussian Invasion of Morocco: Kingdom of Prussia vs. Kingdom of Morocco (1871-)
Spanish Civil War: Catholic-Republican Spain vs. Spanish Republic, Austrian Expeditionary Force, Neapolitan Expeditionary Force (1871-)
Chinese Civil War: Xing Dynasty vs. Chinese Republicans vs. Russian, Korean, Japanese, Scandinavian, Habsburg Expeditionary Forces (1867-)
American War: British Union vs. United Kingdom of Louisiana, Kingdom of Quebec, Kingdom of Mexico, Confederation of New England (1872-)

Kingdom of France

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Queen Charlotte, the situation at home is evolving quite rapidly. The success of the socialists in last year’s elections has shaken the political establishment to its core, as your regime has been traditionally aligned with the conservatives and reactionaries. Now comes the complicated part, building a feasible coalition. The conservatives and reactionaries combined do in fact garner a majority, but their power is undermined by the slight socialist victory in the overall vote. Will you do the unthinkable and name a socialist as Prime Minister, someone from a party with only the thinnest veneer of loyalty to the Crown? Or should the popular result be ignored and the governing conservative-reactionary trend be continued? Perhaps there is room for further creativity in constructing a government. What is to be done?

-The diplomatic situation is quite dire. Yet again, France finds itself as an island of peace in a pool of bloodshed. Unlike in the past, though, the foreign situation is having severe effects on domestic politics. The closure of the Suez and British blockade have led to the domestic financial crisis. Spain continues to fight itself, thousands more refugees pouring across the Pyrenees, perhaps even overwhelming the hospitality of some southern French cities. To the east, Russia seems to be on the rise, threatening the centuries-old status-quo in the region. Prussia, your nominal ally, has taken advantage of the chaos to press their traditional claims. Vietnam still resists, even if the situation now looks more favorable than a year ago. Tibet has fallen. France clearly has a multitude of diplomatic situations to address.

-Economically, the situation is quite bleak. Stocks have crashed, numerous banks have dissolved and taken precious savings with them. Unemployment soars and domestic unease grows. The presence of Spanish refugees has not helped matters. As numerous other firms sit tottering on the edge of bankruptcy, there are calls for the government to intervene. Some believe that infrastructure projects should be halted, the funds being redirected into buying corporate debt, shares of public companies, or direct poor relief. Tariffs could me raised as a means of protecting the domestic industry from powers that have been less effected as well. How will you handle the domestic economic situation?

Habsburg Monarchy

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Europe is on fire. Prussia and the Netherlands have retaken their former lands on the Baltic and North Seas, while Scandinavia has intervened in Poland, a shocking betrayal. Your grandson’s government calls for aid. Chaos from the Balkans has spilled into your own lands, aided by the movement of the Army of the Southern Frontier. Russia beats up on the Ottomans, joined by Persia and the northerners. Yet, at the time when perhaps Vienna’s intervention would seem most necessary, the question of expenses and a deteriorating economy hangs in the air. How will you handle the spiraling diplomatic situation in eastern Europe?

-Those Czech radicals, symptoms of the nationalist infection within your realm, have been apprehended. These instigators are responsible for the atrocities in Prague and their meddling has greatly destabilized the internal stability of the Habsburg Monarchy. Conscious of this, as well as the fact that any remaining nationalist ideologues see these men as a source of inspiration, not of scorn, how will you deal with those apprehended? What will be done with the former Prague City Council? Is mercy warranted, as a means of showing the benevolence of the emperor, or should you adopt a hardline approach to prevent any copycats?

-The economic situation is dire. Unemployment has risen and, though it may not be on the level of other European realms, there are increased numbers of jobless all throughout the various constituent realms. On top of this, the numerous knights and minor princes of the Empire find themselves unable to recuperate loans floated and look to you for a bailout, a currently unfeasible prospect given the thin lines of Austrian credit at the moment. In order to prevent the situation from further deteriorating, some are calling for tariffs to be raised in order to protect the domestic economy, though this could have unintended consequences as well. It is said that idle hands are the devil’s plaything, so many are worried about what the vast unemployed could do if their situation grows too destitute. How will you ensure that the domestic economic situation is stabilized?

Kingdom of Scandinavia

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Queen Catherine, the situation in Scandinavia now appears quite uncertain. While many thought your intervention in the Ottoman Empire a stroke of genius, given the extreme success of your soldiers in Egypt and Cyprus, clearly it left you vulnerable. Now the Prussians and Dutch have retaken their former lands, a move that was met with applause by the nationalist delegates in the National Assembly, those representatives leaving your territory and resigning their seats. You are now faced with the embarrassing prospect of saving face and agreeing to Berlin and Amsterdam’s demands, or attempting to defend your territory against a much greater foe in terms of numerical superiority. While the trade of Danzig and Hamburg for Egypt might seem enticing, it would also perhaps damage national morale, given the relative proximity of the Baltic and North Sea outposts. Your men in the Mediterranean will still need direction as well, as the Ottomans now know of your betrayal. How will Scandinavia manage this perilous diplomatic situation?

-The economy has taken a drubbing and there are fears the situation could worsen. The closure of the Suez, Gibraltar, and North America has hit your realm particularly hard. Thousands have been left destitute at the same time your government has stretched its credit quite thin. Many question now why loans to Poland and Persia were deemed appropriate, especially given the Polish government has announced a refusal to pay given your intervention in their realm. Stocks have fallen precipitously and numerous banks have failed. What will you do to ensure that the economic situation stabilizes? Tariffs, bailouts, government spending?

-While your intervention in China helped to stabilize the Xing situation in the south, it has been overshadowed by the Korean bid to take total control. Given the instability, and the fact the Renci Emperor now sits besieged in Xian, some would have you switch to the Republicans, who may be the only hope of preventing the Koreans from taking this destabilized but valuable region. Even so, Li has shown little willingness to see more of China parceled out. Perhaps some sort of deal could be struck with the Koreans, given that they have shown a flexibility in conceding various ports? Some would have you abandon the region entirely, focusing instead on the Great Eastern War, but that could leave the Habsburgs with a potentially significant advantage over yourself. How is China to be dealt with?

British Union

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Greetings King Henry, sovereign of Great Britain, Ireland, the Americas, and Australia. The most pressing issue facing the British Union is the war. Those Francophone wretches, New England, and Mexico have united in an unholy alliance against yourself. While the war in the west and the north has been somewhat of a debacle thus far, Britain has achieved gains in North Carolina and enjoys mastery of the seas. The blockade means that reinforcement to the Americas should be relatively easy, not to mention the thousands of American men who are willing to protect their homeland from the invaders. Albany sits under siege. The enemy has seized parts of the Caribbean and Belize. How will you prosecute the war in 1873?

-The economy is in a state of malaise, caused by the disruption of supply lines in the east and the west. As with the rest of continental Europe, the ranks of unemployed have swelled. Banks, stock trading, and the financial system seem to be in a state of free fall. Some would have your government take an active hand in stopping this madness, perhaps through direct intervention in the economy or through changes to the tariff and trade policy. Meanwhile, socialists have seen the success of their brethren in France and formed the Labour Party, trying to speak to the unemployed and (often) unfranchised. The Irish have become restive, though outright hostility has been largely avoided. How will the economic situation be managed?

-Britain stands against its enemies in the Americas alone. Still, you are not without potential friends. Scandinavia, given the extensive ties and trading relations between your two realms, would be the first power to approach. While they are bogged down in the Second Great Eastern War, their islands in the Caribbean could be used as bases to help further cement British naval superiority. Others look to Brazil and the South American republics as another group of prospective allies, given their strength and ability to challenge the Americans in their backyard. On the continent France of the Habsburg Monarchy could also be approached, though many believe they are less relevant in the face of the immediate threat. Will you pursue closer diplomatic ties with any other powers? What will this look like?

Russian Republic

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-President Suvorin, the last year has seen your fortunes seemingly change in the blink of an eye. The homeland no longer seems threatened as your men pour into the Balkans, the potential toppling of the Ottoman Empire now no longer seeming like a fantasy. Balkan allies have rebelled, seeking to tear off the chains of Turkish oppression. While the situation in the Caucuses and Central Asia may be more dire, there is still a great deal of optimism about the coming year. Still, given Austria’s relationship to the Poles and traditional French backing of Istanbul, there are potential complications. What is to be done about the war in 1873?

-Russia has avoided the worst of the Panic of 1872, aided by the isolation imposed on it by the Treaty of Breslau. This puts your government in a prime position to be the savior of some of Europe’s ailing economies. Once mocked, Russian loans could be an attractive asset to foreign governments in dire need of financial backing. Indeed, the prospect of social upheaval to the west is unattractive to most Russians. While the obvious move would be to aid the Scandinavians in fixing their domestic economic situation, Russian credit could prove a valuable card to play in dealing with the French, British, and Austrians. How will you handle the relative economic stability of Russia at a time when many other regions are facing a substantial economic contraction?

-Your annexation of Manchuria may have been overshadowed in domestic news by the Second Great Eastern War, but the various combatants in the Chinese Civil War have taken note. Korea has expressed a willingness to negotiate the ceding of that territory in return for Russia’s recognition as the Emperor of China. Li Hongzhang, while not openly committing to allowing the move to stand, has pointed to the increasingly perilous situation for the Chinese faction. Pointing to the republican sympathies of both your government, he calls for Russian supplies and aid in his struggle for national liberation. Indeed, the presence of the French to China’s south has made many question whether or not it is time to back the Republicans. The Xing, rapidly deteriorating, have privately announced that they are willing to allow further Russian concessions if you come to their rescue, though the prospect of joining another war at such a dire time may be unattractive. What is to be done in China?

Ottoman Empire

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-The future of the Ottoman hangs in the balance, Sultan. The ungrateful Slavs and Greeks have risen. The perfidious Scandinavians have stabbed you in the back. The Persians have unjustly assaulted your eastern provinces. Most alarming, though, is the Russian advance into the Balkans. As they have reached the Danube, panic is increasing domestically. One consolation, though, is the strength of your men in Caucasia and on the Black Sea proper. 1873 could very well be one of the most important years in the empire’s history. How will you ensure that your realm emerges from this wretched situation?

-Your secret police in Istanbul have unearthed several plots on your life that were stopped in the cradle last year. The capital has increasingly become filled with fear and paranoia. In order to guarantee your safety, and keep the government in tact in the event Istanbul falls, some would have relocated to safer quarters in Anatolia. While this would probably reduce the likelihood of assassination, some fear it could be taken as a sign of defeatism. Undoubtedly, especially with so many disgruntled nationalists, there could be future strikes at your person. Will you choose to relocate or remain?

-Some have proposed that you use your title as Caliph to call for an all-out jihad against the invading Christian powers. While there have already been limited Islamic risings in Russia, an actual jihad could potentially cause them to grow. This would also endanger Scandinavian holdings in East Africa, where a sizeable Muslim population already exists. It is feared by others, though, that should none of these fellow Muslims answer your call, your religious position could be severely undermined. Even so, the prospect remains quite attractive. Will you call the faithful to war?

[Spamage]

Kingdom of Prussia

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-King Frederick IV, Prussia's bid for mastery in the north against the Scandinavians seems to have initially paid off, though it is also fraught with risks. The Scandinavians were caught utterly unprepared as Prussian soldiers reentered Danzig, Bremen, and Pomerania to thunderous applause. Now you and your Dutch ally must ensure that these gains are not imperiled. With the Habsburgs to the south posing a threat, not to mention your lack of consultation with your nominal French ally, Europe looks on with bated breath. Some would have you pursue a swift peace with Stockholm before the old powers can mobilize against you. Others believe that, as Stockholm as technically violated the Treaty of Breslau as well, the agreement between Vienna and them ought to be considered void. What will you do?

-Since your Coup of 1847, you have governed the nation with an iron fist, enacted reforms with the backing of a reformed military and compliant bureaucracy. Internal dissent has been crushed all in the name of youthful national renewal. That was almost twenty years ago however, and your youthful luster has faded with time. Some believe it is time to lessen the authoritarianism and return some semblance of civilian participation in government. Others believe that the meddling of the people, in particular the liberal middle classes, were what led to the disasters at the end of the Great Eastern War. Enabling them to have a voice again would undermine your achievements and tarnish the iron reputation your realm has forged since defeat. Will you maintain the new system or authoritarian absolutism, or is it time to ease up?

-Prussia has been largely undamaged by the economic chaos facing much of Europe. Your absolutist rule has meant a full treasury, your economic advisors have deliberately isolated your realm over the past few decades, and the boom of trade around the Cape with the closure of the Suez has given you great leverage. In short, there is alot of economic room to maneuver. You could potentially aid the various European economies, fraught with economic malaise, through bailouts or loans. Not only could this increase ownership of foreign entities, but it could also foster goodwill among foreign powers. Your son's in-laws in Vienna could use aid for the numerous bankrupt princes, as could distant kingdoms such as Naples, France, and Britain. How will you use your economic leverage?

Kingdom of Naples

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-While your men have secured the remainder of Sardinia, the events on mainland Iberia have been disappointing to say the least. There are many in the Neapolitan military establishment that would send more men to Iberia, viewing it as increasingly crucial that your government succeed with its goals there. While Iberia is of primary concern, many have taken note of the dire global situation. With the Second Great Eastern War continuing to expand, including the presence of Scandinavians on your doorstep, you have ample reasons to get involved on either side, should you choose to do so. There are also great fears of Austrian reprisal for the events there caused by your constitutionalism. How will Naples navigate the perilous diplomatic and military situation?

-While your governing coalition has managed to survive several months, it is quite unstable. The liberal-conservative-socialist alliance will require a good deal of herding if any sort of coherent domestic agenda is to move forward. The question is what policies ought to be pursued next. Most believe education, military funding, noble privilege, and the question of Tunis need to be formally addressed, but without compromise any of these issues could bring down the government. Some think this could be a good thing though, many at court believing a new round of elections could yield a different result. Clearly a nimble hand is necessary. Given your personal popularity, how will you handle the domestic political situation and agenda-setting?

-While the establishment of the Central Bank was a brilliant move, especially given the economic turmoil of 1872, the question now exists about how that institution will handle the growing economic crisis. Naples, like much of Europe, has not been spared from the economic unease. Although trade with the Americas is secondary, the closure of the Suez has indeed caused price disruptions and growing unemployment. Inflation has decreased somewhat, but unemployment is on the rise as firms are unable to conduct business. Should tariffs be raised? What about increasing government spending through bailouts or poor relief? The Catholic Republicans, staunch opponents of the banks, would have you expropriate the funds of the nobility and other elites, though this could prove unpopular with the established government.

United Kingdom of Louisiana

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-It is war! Those British imperialists have rattled the saber one too many times and now they must pay. Initial results in 1872 were promising, the conquest of Memphis, Jamaica, and Bermuda all being major victories. Still, losses in North Carolina have proven to be quite frustrating. Britain has the ability to call on numerous reinforcements, so future military operations should be given a great deal of thought. What will your military orders look like in the coming year?

-With the outbreak of war, and the extended racial tensions in the realm, there are questions about whether or not the Afro-Louisianans should be allowed to fight. Indeed, a part of that group’s discrimination has been a general barring from military service. There are many wary about giving a potentially separatist group arms and military training, but they could prove to be a valuable pool of support. There are also questions about whether or not they could prove to be partial to Britain, given that realm’s far more tolerant policies regarding race. Will you allow Afro-Louisianans to fight?

-No region has been hit harder by the British blockade than the American South. Valuable crops sit rotting in the fields while plantation houses go bankrupt. Indeed, if the war drags on quite long, there are fears this could prove more damaging than the anti-slavery boycott endured by your nation in the 1850s. Unemployment is already rising and the rate of immigration has cratered. How will you shore up the banking and financial system? Will your government increase its involvement in the market, even if this tends to go against the ruling orthodoxy? What will be done to ensure that this does not cascade into support for the socialists?

Qajar Iran

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Iran has bestirred itself, entering the Second Great Eastern War on the side of the Russo-Scandinavian alliance. Initial results have proven quite promising. There have been substantial gains in Syria and Arabia, your soldiers catching those foolish Turks unawares. As the conflict enters its third year, there are still outstanding issues. The Ottoman successes in Caucasia are alarming, but it is hoped the rugged terrain will prevent any sort of assault on Iran proper. The Levant lies open, as does the Anatolian heartland, should you choose to strike in either direction. What will Iranian military action look like in 1873?

-The acquisition of so much foreign capital was a wise move, especially given the disturbances within Egypt that have caused European economic chaos. While there’s lingering fears their governments might try to call in their loans early, for the time being the money is all yours. How is it to be spent? Infrastructure and railway projects have neared completion, connecting the various corners of your realm into an easy transport network. Some would invest in ports and naval improvement, while others believe the funds should be funneled further into the war. There are proposals for modern farming techniques and irrigation in Mesopotamia as well. How will this windfall be spent?

Kingdom of Quebec

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-War rages in the Americas. Your men have achieved their goals in New York and the Midwest, though there is always the prospect of the siege of Albany being broken. The British Antilles have fallen into line, though the gain seems somewhat hollow with the imposition of the blockade. As the war continues into its second year, what actions will your government take to guarantee victory?

-The blockade has sent the economy into a downward spiral. Though you have existing trade relations with Mexico, New England, and Louisiana, they have been more than offset by the loss of European materials and products from across the Atlantic. Any sort of Pacific pivot is unfeasible, given the lack of ports, the sheer distance to other trading hubs, and logistics. Thus, unemployment is on the rise and prices of some commodities have cratered, while finished products are skyrocketing in price. Price controls and rationing have been suggested, though this could alienate private businesses and lead to unintended consequences. There is the prospect of government intervention, but your recent purchase of Alaska now seems quite expensive given the current economic developments. How will the economy be stabilized?

-Resistance by the Americans in occupied regions has proven to be a headache. Of course, it comes in two forms: active and passive. There have been strong sabotage efforts in your controlled regions among those actively resisting your advance. Railways, bridges, and roads have all proven targets. Supply convoys have been assaulted and straggling Quebecois soldiers have been murdered. Passive resistance ranges from clogging the roadways with “accidents”, killing crops, and fleeing in the face of your soldiers. This hindrance has moved from a nuisance to something more serious. What is to be done about Americans that are resisting your advance?

United Provinces of New Holland

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Your government has been spared the worst of the economic crisis. To some extent, in fact, New Holland has benefitted from the closure of the Suez, goods being produced in Willemstad being sold at a premium to East Asian markets. While demand for your raw goods has decreased, this has been offset to some extent by increased industrial growth. The tying of the currency to gold was likewise lauded. Japan has broached the prospect of potential trade agreements and there are those who would like to increase economic interaction with British Australia. What will you do to ensure the continued success of your economy and to ensure the contagion of recession does not spread?

-The wave of immigration in 1872 was largely unprecedented, due in large part to the closure of North America to those seeking to flee the European maelstrom. Willemstad and other cities have been inundated, insufficient housing and infrastructure to deal with such an influx. Local established Dutch citizens look with scorn on the often impoverished and illiterate migrants and there has been an increase in nationalist fervor. The situation is increasingly becoming dire though, the growing slums being breeding grounds for disease and unemployment. There are calls for the government to handle the situation, perhaps through forced resettlement or the devotion of greater resources to the migrants. Still, where can they go? The outback is vast, but quite difficult to inhabit. Relocation to Java is possible, but it is uncertain how the locals would feel to have more foreigners established on the island.

Kingdom of Mexico

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Mexico’s involvement in the American War has been limited thus far, but the continued strife in the north has meant that it will likely be necessary to expand it in the coming year. The capture of Belize was greeted with great celebration, but some are concerned that there may be no further gains for your realm moving forward. With Louisiana and Quebec partitioning the British Caribbean, what is left for Mexico? Why should your people endure the harsh British blockade just to receive Belize? There are some in Mexico City who have openly floated a separate peace with London, though this undoubtedly could damage your relations with your cousins to the north. What will Mexico’s involvement in the military conflict look like in 1873?

-Few Mexican men may have been killed, but the economy is experiencing a contraction, just as many other global powers. For Mexico, a state that has seen great leaps forward in industrialization, modernization, and technological improvement, the loss of access to European markets has been particularly acute. Mining operations have ground to a halt as unemployment is exploding, some families being taken advantage of and selling themselves into debt peonage. There are numerous proposals on the table, including increased taxation, debt relief, subsidies, and foreign debt. These are naturally opposed by most liberals, who argue the government would hinder the free functioning of the economy and could get in the way of any recovery. Still, it could stave off social unrest. What do you think?

-Elections are around the corner and will occur in 1873. With the war and economy likely dominating the campaign, there are legitimate fears your government could end up with a similar result as occurred in France, socialists garnering the most votes. Given this will be the first government under the new constitution, some see such a prospect as intolerable, the nobility and capitalists foremost among them. Still, outright support for the conservatives or other mainstream parties could taint the government from the get-go. How will you manage the campaign of 1873?

Holy Republic of Colombia

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Your approval has soared, Archbishop-President. With the winding down of hostilities in South America, the promulgation of a constitution, and trade remaining open with Europe, Colombia is booming. Migration has begun to increase as many see settlement in your lands preferable to the instability of Europe. With war exploding to the north, there are some who wonder if Colombia ought to get involved, perhaps as the conduit for illicit North American trade or as a more active participant in hostilities. With elections coming in 1874, getting bogged down in a conflict or diplomatic dispute could be risky, but the situation in the Caribbean is at its most flexible in decades. Will you seize this potential opportunity? Or is the potential blowback too much?

-With the partition of the former Spanish colonies, Colombia has gained control over much of Peru proper. There is now the question of what will be done with these new regions. Will they be annexed outright or should a puppet Catholic-Republican regime be established? Unlike Brazil with Upper Peru, the recent reforms to your government may make integration into Colombia a far easier prospect, given your regime is less authoritarian. Still, it is a matter that must be addressed. What will be done?

Confederation of New England

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-New England has joined the war against the British. Decades ago, your men stood against London alongside Quebec in your struggle for freedom, today you stand together once more. Though your military may be small, it could be crucial in tilting the balance of the American theater. What will you do militarily in 1873? How will you protect your gains and ensure that your realm doesn’t become a future target for British aggression?

-As one of the industrial hubs in the Americas, Boston has been hit hard by the British blockade. Furthermore, the flow of immigrants across the Atlantic has stopped up. The New English economy is under significant strain. It will be up to the government to find a way out. While some propose full-on wartime mobilization, that does little about rising prices of consumer goods as well as materials. Perhaps subsidies could be provided to domestic industries or price controls could be implemented? Some think that the seizure of more British territory could provide enough spoils to offset any further ill-effects, though this would undoubtedly alienate the Americans being occupied. How are these shortages to be managed?

Kingdom of the Netherlands

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-The seizure of Groningen was a masterstroke, being met with cheering crowds and applause. Images of Queen Catherine of Scandinavia were torn down and replaced with your own likeness as the Dutch people proclaim that a century of national humiliation has now been ended. This could still be too premature. Scandinavia has made no concessions and, barring Prussian support, you lack any other allies on the Continent. How will you guarantee these amazing gains are held onto? Will you undertake any military operations in the coming year?

-Your popularity has soared and, with the constitutional revisions, it is time for elections once more. As the Dutch people go to vote, with suffrage at its highest levels in your nation’s histories, is there a type of government you tacitly favor? With the socialists, liberals, nationalists, reactionaries, and conservatives all competing, it is truly anyone’s race. Will you take a position in the upcoming elections or should the people be left to decide without leveraging your popularity?

Durrani Empire

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-The establishment of so many state-owned industries signaled great change within your realm, but certainly has excited foreign investors. Indeed, the inflow of capital to the Durrani Empire seemed all but assured prior to the closure of the Suez and Panic of 1872. With investors in those far off lands losing so much capital, the prospect of investment in your realm has all but evaporated. Action will be necessary to ensure that you have the funds you need to pursue these ambitious projects. Some believe the Iranians could be the partners you need in the region, given that realm has been unscathed by the financial disturbances. Russia too could prove to be a valuable partner. Or, perhaps courting foreign capital is unnecessary and the crown should merely print money to pay for these ambitious reforms? What will you do?

-The establishment of the University of Kabul was met with praise by the reformist factions within your domain. Still, there are those who see the admission of foreign staff as potentially inflammatory. Some would have you bar Christians from serving as educators as a means of ensuring Afghan youth are not corrupted by misguided foreign beliefs. This could alienate some of the established colonial powers, however. Will you ban Christian staff from the University of Kabul or should learning by conducted by all for all?