I dare say we've just seen the foundation for a Naval Arms race several years down the road, eh?
Bloody good update, Renss! Your wordsmithing is a wonder to behold!
Bloody good update, Renss! Your wordsmithing is a wonder to behold!
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Draco Rexus said:I dare say we've just seen the foundation for a Naval Arms race several years down the road, eh?
Bloody good update, Renss! Your wordsmithing is a wonder to behold!
very true, totally excellent ! ! but, i wonder if the cavalry (and other land units) might also be affected in the future...
From The Eagle Rising: The Story of Prussia's Arrival On the World Stage, pub. 1989 by Professor Reinicke Herz
Once peace was concluded with Great Britain, the main task of the Prussian Army was to put down the countless rebellions that had erupted during the war and which, in many cases, remained active revolts. Several corps of cavalry were the primary implements, and for months afterward they traveled to old and new hotspots like Cloppenburg, Gotha, Erfurt and Dresden.
Some of the rebellions were socialist in nature, some were Catholic southern Germans, taking advantage of the war, and others were driven by desperate war conditions – poor supply and high taxes. Prussia’s typical tax rates during the war were near 60 percent, the burden falling upon everybody, including the lowliest factory worker and peasant, who felt the weight mighty on his back. Things were not to improve quickly, as Prussia had built up another large war debt – in excess of one-half-billion thalers. In fact, Chancellor Roon was forced to implement an austerity plan soon after the peace which actually raised taxes from their levels during the war. The Army and Navy budgets were slashed, and those who languished in the demobilized military units far from active combat soon took on the appearance of a ruffian service.
In May of 1869, Prussia concluded a treaty of alliance with Russia, the only major European power with which Prussia had not fought over the past decade. It came only after Chancellor Roon was able to convince Kaiser Wilhelm and his staff that the sharing of military and industrial secrets with Prussia’s intimidating neighbor would benefit Prussia as much or more. This relaxing of security prompted a significant interchange of ideas and commodities between the two empires.
One area in which Russia aided Prussia was in improving her Navy, which had proved an embarrassment during the war, being unable to stand in combat against even an inferior force of Royal Navy ships. By August, the Imperial Navy had added four new-construction steam warships (laid down during the war) to bolster her power and provide commerce protection for Prussia’s only slightly reduced empire. In particular, the raiders were employed in opposing Islamic pirates in the Indian Ocean. Also, the IPN began building its first experimental fast torpedo boats and submarines, both of which offered great promise.
Around the world, while the Anglo-Prussian War raged, many things of note had occurred. Abraham Lincoln, and his Republican anti-slavery party, took power in the United States in the spring of 1869, following the 1868 elections. A month before the Anglo-Prussian peace, Egypt had made peace with the Ottomans in their war, ceding both Bayrut and Jerusalem to the Turks. In Germany, the British took advantage of the weakness of the decentralized North German Federation government by stationing troops there for a number of years after the war had come to an end. It is unclear the exact purpose of this arrangement, but the Prussian government came to suspect that the lurking presence was intended to gain intelligence and familiarity with the north German lands in preparation for a future war. Eventually, the British gave in to pressure and withdrew the troops.
In March of 1869, just before the conclusion of peace between the major powers, Louis Napoleon had made an unexpected return to France and, apparently with the assistance of Prussian allies and agents within France, had deposed the untrustworthy Marshal-President Bazaine and become the new leader (as Marshal-President this time, not Emperor). Under Napoleon’s leadership, France soon was prospering in the post-war environment.
Drawing upon advice in trading practices from the United States, Prussia’s business environment began to improve. Monetary and fiscal reforms were made, as well as changes to the currency. Prussia adopted a decimal monetary system, based on the ReichsMark, and adopted a silver standard to control inflation. Interest rates were lowered, and by the end of 1869, Prussia had already paid off the first 3 percent of her debt. Still, fully half of Prussia’s total government budget was assigned to service the remaining national debt.
Prussia was finally beginning to enjoy a short period of peace when two separate rumblings threatened to complicate things. To the north, in neighboring Denmark, socialists began to gain political power in ways that had remained unheard of elsewhere in the world. Kaiser Wilhelm insisted that these developments be kept under close scrutiny, as he had no desire for a socialist neighbor. Also, Russia – Prussia’s recent ally – began rattling sabers at the Ottomans over the religious rights of Christians in the Ottoman Balkans.
But, in the end, it was neither Denmark or the Balkans that brought Prussia into conflict once more. It was events in far-off America, to whose importance European governments and society were still only just beginning to awaken.
Once peace was concluded with Great Britain, the main task of the Prussian Army was to put down the countless rebellions that had erupted during the war and which, in many cases, remained active revolts. Several corps of cavalry were the primary implements, and for months afterward they traveled to old and new hotspots like Cloppenburg, Gotha, Erfurt and Dresden.
Some of the rebellions were socialist in nature, some were Catholic southern Germans, taking advantage of the war, and others were driven by desperate war conditions – poor supply and high taxes. Prussia’s typical tax rates during the war were near 60 percent, the burden falling upon everybody, including the lowliest factory worker and peasant, who felt the weight mighty on his back. Things were not to improve quickly, as Prussia had built up another large war debt – in excess of one-half-billion thalers. In fact, Chancellor Roon was forced to implement an austerity plan soon after the peace which actually raised taxes from their levels during the war. The Army and Navy budgets were slashed, and those who languished in the demobilized military units far from active combat soon took on the appearance of a ruffian service.
In May of 1869, Prussia concluded a treaty of alliance with Russia, the only major European power with which Prussia had not fought over the past decade. It came only after Chancellor Roon was able to convince Kaiser Wilhelm and his staff that the sharing of military and industrial secrets with Prussia’s intimidating neighbor would benefit Prussia as much or more. This relaxing of security prompted a significant interchange of ideas and commodities between the two empires.
One area in which Russia aided Prussia was in improving her Navy, which had proved an embarrassment during the war, being unable to stand in combat against even an inferior force of Royal Navy ships. By August, the Imperial Navy had added four new-construction steam warships (laid down during the war) to bolster her power and provide commerce protection for Prussia’s only slightly reduced empire. In particular, the raiders were employed in opposing Islamic pirates in the Indian Ocean. Also, the IPN began building its first experimental fast torpedo boats and submarines, both of which offered great promise.
Around the world, while the Anglo-Prussian War raged, many things of note had occurred. Abraham Lincoln, and his Republican anti-slavery party, took power in the United States in the spring of 1869, following the 1868 elections. A month before the Anglo-Prussian peace, Egypt had made peace with the Ottomans in their war, ceding both Bayrut and Jerusalem to the Turks. In Germany, the British took advantage of the weakness of the decentralized North German Federation government by stationing troops there for a number of years after the war had come to an end. It is unclear the exact purpose of this arrangement, but the Prussian government came to suspect that the lurking presence was intended to gain intelligence and familiarity with the north German lands in preparation for a future war. Eventually, the British gave in to pressure and withdrew the troops.
In March of 1869, just before the conclusion of peace between the major powers, Louis Napoleon had made an unexpected return to France and, apparently with the assistance of Prussian allies and agents within France, had deposed the untrustworthy Marshal-President Bazaine and become the new leader (as Marshal-President this time, not Emperor). Under Napoleon’s leadership, France soon was prospering in the post-war environment.
Drawing upon advice in trading practices from the United States, Prussia’s business environment began to improve. Monetary and fiscal reforms were made, as well as changes to the currency. Prussia adopted a decimal monetary system, based on the ReichsMark, and adopted a silver standard to control inflation. Interest rates were lowered, and by the end of 1869, Prussia had already paid off the first 3 percent of her debt. Still, fully half of Prussia’s total government budget was assigned to service the remaining national debt.
Prussia was finally beginning to enjoy a short period of peace when two separate rumblings threatened to complicate things. To the north, in neighboring Denmark, socialists began to gain political power in ways that had remained unheard of elsewhere in the world. Kaiser Wilhelm insisted that these developments be kept under close scrutiny, as he had no desire for a socialist neighbor. Also, Russia – Prussia’s recent ally – began rattling sabers at the Ottomans over the religious rights of Christians in the Ottoman Balkans.
But, in the end, it was neither Denmark or the Balkans that brought Prussia into conflict once more. It was events in far-off America, to whose importance European governments and society were still only just beginning to awaken.
*gets on knees and bows to the master*
Please, oh please tell me that you are planning to help the Confederates!
Please, oh please tell me that you are planning to help the Confederates!
Another war? And still with that debt load?
Methinks Chancellor Roon's head will implode shortly.
(Great update, as always!)
Methinks Chancellor Roon's head will implode shortly.
(Great update, as always!)
I need to echo what everybody else has been saying. Great update sir, very outstanding.
The end of the post however, begs the question: "What now, and why in North America?"
I can only waited with eager anticipation for your answer!
The end of the post however, begs the question: "What now, and why in North America?"
I can only waited with eager anticipation for your answer!
Well Renss, I finally got a chance to catch up here and even if you had to give some up to get out of war with GB, it was worth it. It had lasted way too long. By the way - did the Pacific possessions you gave up include your Chinese holdings?
And do you have any plans to try and bring the NGF into the greater Prussian reich?
Great writing throughout, both in the history sections and the more narrative ones with Victoria and all. Your representation of her was well done, especially her sense of loss after Albert died.
Now what do you have planned in the US? Should be interesting and I look forward to it!
And do you have any plans to try and bring the NGF into the greater Prussian reich?
Great writing throughout, both in the history sections and the more narrative ones with Victoria and all. Your representation of her was well done, especially her sense of loss after Albert died.
Now what do you have planned in the US? Should be interesting and I look forward to it!
Jack, thank you for reading and for your comments! Feel free to PM if you have questions, as you posed earlier.
BBBD, sorry to disappoint... the Confederacy never came to be in my timeline. Not sure how that is, or what the implications are for the US' future. Up to this point, the only wars the US had been in were against Mexico.
Corrado, thank you for your readership and comments! The debt load has been crushing, yes, and that will be the subject of some upcoming posts. And Chancellor Roon has a dragon by the tail! But his personality is such that I think he can handle it. He's a problem-solver, and I think is exactly what Prussia needs at this point.
Draco, I'll hope to soon have a post ready to introduce the American adventure and end your suspense. Sorry I can't do so now, for it would give too much away!
Coz, thank you very much for your kindness and insight! Always good to have you checking in. No, China was kept in the Prussian Empire, as was Samoa. It was only the small islands other than Samoa that were given up. A small price to pay, really, to buy off a really dogged opponent. The NGF naturally belongs... it only remains to find a way.
As for the scene with Victoria, thank you! I really had not contemplated a scene with the British monarch (I'd had one earlier, but she was in the background then), but it became the obvious way to tell the story at that point. I really enjoyed writing the scene where she was alone, and also introducing Gladstone. Strangely, I'd expected at the beginning that I'd have fun writing for Disraeli, if the opportunity arose... As it is, we may never see him. Gladstone isn't my favorite of the two, but I think he will be fun to write for, if we do get to see him again.
The scene with the kids was... different! I'd rather have had them older, since the subjects were more what you'd expect of 7-8 year olds. But in my experience, even the youngest of children can be quite precocious and well-spoken if raised in a certain way with certain expectations, and by my readings of history and biography I gather that alot of these royals, especially those who were in close line to the throne, were raised in that way. Historically, Wilhelm would have been older than the brothers Eddy and George. But those little Vicky quirks served to make them all more or less the same age. It may have interesting results!
Thank you all for your interest and comments! We've reached page 30 (! !), and it's still only 1870! That makes me appreciate those of you who've read all this even more! I'll try to get the next update ready soon, so as not to keep you waiting.
Rensslaer
BBBD, sorry to disappoint... the Confederacy never came to be in my timeline. Not sure how that is, or what the implications are for the US' future. Up to this point, the only wars the US had been in were against Mexico.
Corrado, thank you for your readership and comments! The debt load has been crushing, yes, and that will be the subject of some upcoming posts. And Chancellor Roon has a dragon by the tail! But his personality is such that I think he can handle it. He's a problem-solver, and I think is exactly what Prussia needs at this point.
Draco, I'll hope to soon have a post ready to introduce the American adventure and end your suspense. Sorry I can't do so now, for it would give too much away!
Coz, thank you very much for your kindness and insight! Always good to have you checking in. No, China was kept in the Prussian Empire, as was Samoa. It was only the small islands other than Samoa that were given up. A small price to pay, really, to buy off a really dogged opponent. The NGF naturally belongs... it only remains to find a way.
As for the scene with Victoria, thank you! I really had not contemplated a scene with the British monarch (I'd had one earlier, but she was in the background then), but it became the obvious way to tell the story at that point. I really enjoyed writing the scene where she was alone, and also introducing Gladstone. Strangely, I'd expected at the beginning that I'd have fun writing for Disraeli, if the opportunity arose... As it is, we may never see him. Gladstone isn't my favorite of the two, but I think he will be fun to write for, if we do get to see him again.
The scene with the kids was... different! I'd rather have had them older, since the subjects were more what you'd expect of 7-8 year olds. But in my experience, even the youngest of children can be quite precocious and well-spoken if raised in a certain way with certain expectations, and by my readings of history and biography I gather that alot of these royals, especially those who were in close line to the throne, were raised in that way. Historically, Wilhelm would have been older than the brothers Eddy and George. But those little Vicky quirks served to make them all more or less the same age. It may have interesting results!
Thank you all for your interest and comments! We've reached page 30 (!
!), and it's still only 1870! That makes me appreciate those of you who've read all this even more! I'll try to get the next update ready soon, so as not to keep you waiting.Rensslaer
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it does not make sense that the ACW would draw in a reluctant Prussia. so, what justification did the US have to DOW Prussia? or, was it Mexico?Rensslaer said:
excellent update ! ! !
From The Eagle Rising: The Story of Prussia's Arrival On the World Stage, pub. 1989 by Professor Reinicke Herz
For some time, both prior to the crowning of a Hohenzollern and since, the Spanish Empire had suffered from shortages of talent and revenue. The old aristocracy had remained in place, demanding honors and wealth but not yearning to contribute very much to the Empire. A shadow of its old self, Spain’s was clearly an empire in decline.
The decline was apparent not only in Spain itself, but in most of its colonies – Mauretania, the Philippines, Cuba and Puerto Rico… even in Corpus Christi. The one exception to this generalization was in California, where a cosmopolitan population of Mexicans, Spaniards and Yankees fueled a thriving trading economy in what was the most appealing climate in the empire apart from the Iberian Peninsula.
Both, the lucrative trade and the rapidly shifting population trends, led ambitious American settlers to prefer self-rule, entirely outside of Spanish control. When local Yankees raised a rebellion, joined in many cases by independent-minded Mexicans who disliked renewed rule by Europeans, it quickly gathered steam.
Spain was without sufficient local garrisons to control the revolt. Hohenzollern King Carlos Antonio appealed to his kin and ally, Kaiser Wilhelm, for assistance. Seeing a weakening of Spain’s empire as a weakening of the alliance, the Kaiser and Army Chief of Staff von Moltke ordered Admiral Detzler to carry a cavalry detachment of 3,000 men, under the command of Colonel Albert Schultheis, to the sun-baked western coast of America.
Schultheis landed on the California coast, near San Clemente, in late March of 1872. By September of that year, order had been completely restored, and the rebels brought to heel. The Yankee leaders of the revolt, as a gesture of goodwill, were exiled to the United States instead of having to face the firing squad.
Ahhhh, yes. it never rains in California.Rensslaer said:
excellent, just excellent. not to mention, it sure beats a long drawn out conflict...
Excellent I can imagine all those famous Prussian Holloywood stars now!
At least you can sell it to the US for mucho cash
At least you can sell it to the US for mucho cash
Actually, it reverted to control of the Spanish Empire...BBBD said:Excellent I can imagine all those famous Prussian Holloywood stars now!
At least you can sell it to the US for mucho cash
Until you mentioned this, I never really questioned it. But if I reconquered an independent country, even if it had been Spanish previously, I guess it's reasonable to expect I'd get to keep it... Not sure. It's theirs, in any case. ((shrugs))
And now for the return of one of our favorite characters....
Renss
Magister Joachim Longanecker, of the Imperial Society, who had become a minor scholar of some note in the three years since he left the Prussian service, sat in a canvas chair next to a similarly seated older man – a French curator of antiquities named Gerard Caraviez. They both leaned back lazily, puffing on tobacco pipes in the tepid evening air. The light on the Hellespont was dimming, and a small campfire burned nearby. Their vantage point overlooked the Dardanelles – the cliffs which watched over the drainage of the Black Sea into the Aegean, via the Sea of Marmara, and which had been the setting of monumental human struggles over millennia of both, recorded and legendary history. The colors at that hour were spectacular, and the two men experienced them through a haze of camp- and pipesmoke.
Around them were the telltales of an archaeological dig. Picks and shovels and brushes, along with dusty baubles and stoneworks that were what remained of an ancient civilization. Many of the Turkish workers had decamped to a party of their own, further down the slope. Nearby, Professor Heinrich Schliemann enjoyed his own pipe and his own view from beside his tent, surrounded also by the peculiar solitude that his eccentric personality demanded at times.
These scholars were all proud of themselves. They had just uncovered what they believed to be the western wall of the Ancient City of Troy. It wasn’t the first major discovery at the site which may have been the setting for Homer’s Iliad, but it was a significant one. More exciting work awaited the next day, and throughout the week. Longanecker, for his part, was glad that he had been able to share in the atmosphere of this place for even just a few months. He had learned volumes from the artifacts, and from his extended conversations with Schliemann.
“So how,” the French professor asked, “is it that you came to know the Professor so well? Wasn’t he in America for some time?”
“Well, yes. And I did see him at the University of Chicago, where he was visiting when I was there. But that was not our first meeting. Would you believe…?” He trailed off. “When I was a footloose youngster of 17, I disguised myself as a Spanish nobleman, and paid passage through much of Russia.”
Professor Caraviez blinked at Longanecker in puzzlement. “Mais… Wouldn’t it have been easier for you to travel as a Prussian? Or as a Detmolder? A culture you knew intimately.”
“Mais non! Because Germany borders Russia, they would have seen that as a threat. Whereas a Spaniard would have less reason to spy upon the Russians. I spoke Spanish fluently, having spent some time in Andalucia, and I had a friend of mine forge documents and a letter of introduction from his father, who was a Don.” Caraviez’ eyes had a propensity to bulge anyway, but they began to exceed themselves. “But I very nearly was caught! I had no idea, the degree to which they will interrogate visitors to Russia at every city and town! I have never before seen a more suspicious, distrustful people…. Or, I should say, government, for these were all agents of the Crown. The Russian people had their own paranoias, but for them it was less a concern that you were a spy against their government as it was that you might be a spy -for- their government!”
Caraviez was sitting amongst the ruins of Ancient Troy, yet the tale this young man related to him had pushed all of it out of his mind, for it was far less credible to him. Longanecker might as well have been speaking of Cyclops and Minotaur.
“In any case,” Joachim went on, “It was in Minsk that I met the Professor! He was a trade representative for several import-export businesses, and he took me into his home to talk of Spain! As it was – he is a Mecklenburger by birth, you know – he saw straight through all my best deceptions, and recognized the hint of a German accent beneath my Spanish. I tried to explain, but he would have none of it. He was about to throw me out of his house, when I apologized and explained who I was, and that I was traveling the world to learn about its cultures and history. He said he had done the very same, and instantly his anger turned to affection. We were kindred spirits, this older man and me.
“After we talked a long time, I told him that I wished to enter a university, and that I was hurrying to finish my travels before doing so. He said that he knew a professor – Ulbrecht, you know – who headed the Imperial Society at Gottingen, and that he would like to give me a letter of introduction so I could study with him!”
Caraviez was finding this tale of Longanecker’s early education fascinating, but they were interrupted by a Turkish runner, who handed the younger man a telegram. Upon tearing it open and examining its text, Longanecker frowned and pursed his lips in silent query. “Will wonders never cease!” He would have been angry if he weren’t so stunned by coincidence. “I have just received a telegram…” he trailed off. In the few years since he had contracted with Minister Rensselaer to become a confidential informant to the Prussian Crown, he had learned the criticality of discretion. Remarkably, the telegram instructed him to return to service in the Prussian cavalry, and assigned him to thereby reconnoiter and collect intelligence in the very same regions of Russia about which they had just spoken! “…I am being recalled to the Cavalry. They apparently have some urgent need for my knowledge of languages.”
As they parted, so Longanecker could get some sleep and depart in the morning, Caraviez thanked him for his companionship, and invited him to stop in at Paris when next he was there. Or even to stay as an adjunct at the Louvre, where he managed the collections for the Ancient Orient. They bade each other good travels.
Around them were the telltales of an archaeological dig. Picks and shovels and brushes, along with dusty baubles and stoneworks that were what remained of an ancient civilization. Many of the Turkish workers had decamped to a party of their own, further down the slope. Nearby, Professor Heinrich Schliemann enjoyed his own pipe and his own view from beside his tent, surrounded also by the peculiar solitude that his eccentric personality demanded at times.
These scholars were all proud of themselves. They had just uncovered what they believed to be the western wall of the Ancient City of Troy. It wasn’t the first major discovery at the site which may have been the setting for Homer’s Iliad, but it was a significant one. More exciting work awaited the next day, and throughout the week. Longanecker, for his part, was glad that he had been able to share in the atmosphere of this place for even just a few months. He had learned volumes from the artifacts, and from his extended conversations with Schliemann.
“So how,” the French professor asked, “is it that you came to know the Professor so well? Wasn’t he in America for some time?”
“Well, yes. And I did see him at the University of Chicago, where he was visiting when I was there. But that was not our first meeting. Would you believe…?” He trailed off. “When I was a footloose youngster of 17, I disguised myself as a Spanish nobleman, and paid passage through much of Russia.”
Professor Caraviez blinked at Longanecker in puzzlement. “Mais… Wouldn’t it have been easier for you to travel as a Prussian? Or as a Detmolder? A culture you knew intimately.”
“Mais non! Because Germany borders Russia, they would have seen that as a threat. Whereas a Spaniard would have less reason to spy upon the Russians. I spoke Spanish fluently, having spent some time in Andalucia, and I had a friend of mine forge documents and a letter of introduction from his father, who was a Don.” Caraviez’ eyes had a propensity to bulge anyway, but they began to exceed themselves. “But I very nearly was caught! I had no idea, the degree to which they will interrogate visitors to Russia at every city and town! I have never before seen a more suspicious, distrustful people…. Or, I should say, government, for these were all agents of the Crown. The Russian people had their own paranoias, but for them it was less a concern that you were a spy against their government as it was that you might be a spy -for- their government!”
Caraviez was sitting amongst the ruins of Ancient Troy, yet the tale this young man related to him had pushed all of it out of his mind, for it was far less credible to him. Longanecker might as well have been speaking of Cyclops and Minotaur.
“In any case,” Joachim went on, “It was in Minsk that I met the Professor! He was a trade representative for several import-export businesses, and he took me into his home to talk of Spain! As it was – he is a Mecklenburger by birth, you know – he saw straight through all my best deceptions, and recognized the hint of a German accent beneath my Spanish. I tried to explain, but he would have none of it. He was about to throw me out of his house, when I apologized and explained who I was, and that I was traveling the world to learn about its cultures and history. He said he had done the very same, and instantly his anger turned to affection. We were kindred spirits, this older man and me.
“After we talked a long time, I told him that I wished to enter a university, and that I was hurrying to finish my travels before doing so. He said that he knew a professor – Ulbrecht, you know – who headed the Imperial Society at Gottingen, and that he would like to give me a letter of introduction so I could study with him!”
Caraviez was finding this tale of Longanecker’s early education fascinating, but they were interrupted by a Turkish runner, who handed the younger man a telegram. Upon tearing it open and examining its text, Longanecker frowned and pursed his lips in silent query. “Will wonders never cease!” He would have been angry if he weren’t so stunned by coincidence. “I have just received a telegram…” he trailed off. In the few years since he had contracted with Minister Rensselaer to become a confidential informant to the Prussian Crown, he had learned the criticality of discretion. Remarkably, the telegram instructed him to return to service in the Prussian cavalry, and assigned him to thereby reconnoiter and collect intelligence in the very same regions of Russia about which they had just spoken! “…I am being recalled to the Cavalry. They apparently have some urgent need for my knowledge of languages.”
As they parted, so Longanecker could get some sleep and depart in the morning, Caraviez thanked him for his companionship, and invited him to stop in at Paris when next he was there. Or even to stay as an adjunct at the Louvre, where he managed the collections for the Ancient Orient. They bade each other good travels.
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Ah yes, dear Joachim Longanecker. If he's being brought back into the Service of the Kaiser for a foray into the Russian steppe, I do believe things are going to be getting interesting again, right quick!
Well, here I was going to say good for Longanecker in getting back to the pursuits that he loves, but it sounds as though the Russians have spoiled that. Either way, it's back to a fighting man's life for him.
And you were probably right to leave California alone. Might have been profitable, but so far away from Prussia. But then, so our your other Pacific holdings, mainly China. So then again...
And you were probably right to leave California alone. Might have been profitable, but so far away from Prussia. But then, so our your other Pacific holdings, mainly China. So then again...
Excellent, I pity the man is not allowed to pursue his true passion, but he must serve God and country.
How is the debt going? Will the coming years hold any war indemnities? Great way to pay off debt
How is the debt going? Will the coming years hold any war indemnities? Great way to pay off debt
Excerpt from a Letter by Kaiser Wilhelm I of Prussia to Tsar Alexander II of Russia
12 June, 1872
My Dearest Alex, it has been too long since we have seen each other. I am sorry to have to correspond with you under such unfortunate circumstances, but I am sure that in good time these disorders will be put to rest and you and I may once more enjoy a ride around your palaces in St. Petersburg.
My friend, I deeply regret that Prussia is not in a position to come to your assistance at this time by direct involvement in your civil war.
Many here are concerned that, should Prussia involve herself in what appears to be a second Crimean War, that we will again become bogged down for many years in a conflict we can ill afford. As you know, public opinion bears to an increasing degree on the decisions we must make as rulers. I would wish that it were not so. But I know for a fact that I can not convince the Reichstag or the Prussian people of the wisdom of such a move.
As you know, we have been dealing with persistent rebellions in Prussia as well. While we do have a handle on them, more or less, we are also suffering from the crushing debt load and public exhaustion owing to our recent war with, first, the French, Spanish and Piedmontese armies, and then only a few short years ago, the British Empire.
That said, it is my sincere wish to offer whatever assistance I can, short of outright war.
What I have determined to do, which it is my most fervent hope will be of sufficient use to you, is to conditionally relegate to your service the foremost military mind of the Prussian Empire, Feldmarschall Helmuth von Moltke, whom I know that you will recall with fondness and respect. At his command will be two of our most battle-hardened cavalry regiments, consisting of 7,000 veterans of several wars.
With this force, von Moltke will be attached to your western command in order to assist in the putting down of the several rebellions which I understand have occurred in the western, Polish-populated provinces of your Empire. I trust that this will give you a free hand, loosing much-needed Russian divisions, who can then devote their attentions to uprisings in your Ukrainian and Crimean provinces.
Excerpted Text From a Confidential Dispatch From Kanzler Albrecht von Roon to Feldmarschall Helmuth von Moltke
…Your assignment will be to assist the Russian authorities in restoring order to their western provinces, and the putting down of rebellions that have uprisen all across their countryside.
I will be attaching several accomplished or promising young officers to your command. Please do afford them this opportunity to learn the countryside of these lands. Personally, I am surprised that the Tsar has agreed to allow them to enter. The Russians have always jealously guarded their secrets, and assigned “watchers” to ensure no foreign traveler take any intelligence away, even should they be from allied countries such as ours!
It is surely a measure less of the trust between Tsar and Kaiser than of the Tsar’s desperation. The Crimeans would never have had such an opportunity for revolt if the Tsar had been able to exert control in his own lands…
((OOC)) p.s… I should here say that I did not intentionally cheat, though I think the result may have been the same. As I recall (this was some time ago), I dishonored the alliance, then thought better of it (as any ruler could reasonably do within the space of a day!) because the alliance with Russia had been so hard in coming in the first place. Having gone back a few days, I expected them to call on me to honor the alliance again, which they never did. I figured I’d help out, anyway. As you will see, later, it didn’t matter much. I got mine, in the end… ...and he got his!
12 June, 1872
My Dearest Alex, it has been too long since we have seen each other. I am sorry to have to correspond with you under such unfortunate circumstances, but I am sure that in good time these disorders will be put to rest and you and I may once more enjoy a ride around your palaces in St. Petersburg.
My friend, I deeply regret that Prussia is not in a position to come to your assistance at this time by direct involvement in your civil war.
Many here are concerned that, should Prussia involve herself in what appears to be a second Crimean War, that we will again become bogged down for many years in a conflict we can ill afford. As you know, public opinion bears to an increasing degree on the decisions we must make as rulers. I would wish that it were not so. But I know for a fact that I can not convince the Reichstag or the Prussian people of the wisdom of such a move.
As you know, we have been dealing with persistent rebellions in Prussia as well. While we do have a handle on them, more or less, we are also suffering from the crushing debt load and public exhaustion owing to our recent war with, first, the French, Spanish and Piedmontese armies, and then only a few short years ago, the British Empire.
That said, it is my sincere wish to offer whatever assistance I can, short of outright war.
What I have determined to do, which it is my most fervent hope will be of sufficient use to you, is to conditionally relegate to your service the foremost military mind of the Prussian Empire, Feldmarschall Helmuth von Moltke, whom I know that you will recall with fondness and respect. At his command will be two of our most battle-hardened cavalry regiments, consisting of 7,000 veterans of several wars.
With this force, von Moltke will be attached to your western command in order to assist in the putting down of the several rebellions which I understand have occurred in the western, Polish-populated provinces of your Empire. I trust that this will give you a free hand, loosing much-needed Russian divisions, who can then devote their attentions to uprisings in your Ukrainian and Crimean provinces.
Excerpted Text From a Confidential Dispatch From Kanzler Albrecht von Roon to Feldmarschall Helmuth von Moltke
…Your assignment will be to assist the Russian authorities in restoring order to their western provinces, and the putting down of rebellions that have uprisen all across their countryside.
I will be attaching several accomplished or promising young officers to your command. Please do afford them this opportunity to learn the countryside of these lands. Personally, I am surprised that the Tsar has agreed to allow them to enter. The Russians have always jealously guarded their secrets, and assigned “watchers” to ensure no foreign traveler take any intelligence away, even should they be from allied countries such as ours!
It is surely a measure less of the trust between Tsar and Kaiser than of the Tsar’s desperation. The Crimeans would never have had such an opportunity for revolt if the Tsar had been able to exert control in his own lands…
((OOC)) p.s… I should here say that I did not intentionally cheat, though I think the result may have been the same. As I recall (this was some time ago), I dishonored the alliance, then thought better of it (as any ruler could reasonably do within the space of a day!) because the alliance with Russia had been so hard in coming in the first place. Having gone back a few days, I expected them to call on me to honor the alliance again, which they never did. I figured I’d help out, anyway. As you will see, later, it didn’t matter much. I got mine, in the end…
...and he got his!
No I don't consider it cheating, I think the AI is very hard on alliances. In my games it gets to the point that no-one of the great powers have any allies, the whole time period they had many to keep the peace.
Besides the last thing you want is Poland rearing its head on your border.
How do things look for unification?
Besides the last thing you want is Poland rearing its head on your border.
How do things look for unification?