• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
I vote C, but I just don't want A. I guess Friesland and Burgundy will be giving cash to Italy to help the war against Iberia.

I think Burgundy should start claiming western France. Also, Silesia, Prussia, Mazonia, and maybe Lithuniania and Estonia should unite and become the Eastern German Republic, claiming land on the old HRE, some North Austria and Bavaria. This would be so cool in the future; this and Revolutionary Iberia, and Revolutionary Scandinavia. I don't know but I think you should unite some American countrie like for example Acadia and Manhattan.
 
Very good updates. I vote for A.
 
Voting C, and also plugging the united Germany idea, as well as the revolutionaries uniting (or at least forming an alliance with each other). It makes sense, for a bunch of states that revolted from one common nation to at least maintain military alliances, as together they could resist their previous ruler, and keep them from being reincorporated one by one.
 
Ivir Baggins: Some revolutionaries may not, but not all revolutionaries are that devoted. There's a significant enough force of pragmatists in Friesland that know when they're beaten to push the issue.
Duke of Awesome, morningSIDEr: Thanks!
dinofs: Blows, yes. But crushing? I think it was actually a victory in the long term, as the revolutionaries are now recognised as legitimate governments so they can't be overthrown as easily by other nations.
Aetherius: There aren't many royalists left at this point. Besides the purges of the aristocracy, its been a whole generation since the start of the revolution. The latest generation to come of age will have been taught about the glories of the revolution their whole life so they aren't likely to support the old ways. The republican values are firmly entrenched, and it'll take the arrival of another new system to really shake things up.
The Messenger: You'll see what Italy's up to soon enough, and be able to decide what the Frisian response is. On the others I'll address them individually.
-Burgundy will definitely be looking to unite France, especially to take back the land it lost this time around.
-Uniting the eastern minors like that seems very arbitrary (although that isn't exactly unknown in history), but simplifying the divisions in that area is definitely a good idea I'll think about.
-Rev. Iberia is unlikely at this point unfortunately, it all depends on how well Italy does. Rev. Scan has no chance, as the Scandanavians are now peaceful with each other, free from Frisian influence (apart from Denmark), and interested in seperate independence .
-There will be a chance to unite the American nations in the future.
Sqwerlpunk: United Germany is a good idea, in fact it was the basis for my plans for this section of the AAR before the revolution happened. It won't be happening right away anymore, but I'll keep my mind open to put it in later.

Anyway, after all that responding it turns out I don't have that much of an update to give. :eek:o Option A won, which might seem like the worst as it gives up Frisian land in Europe, but it does open up interesting options for interactions between Friesland, Burgundy and Britain in the future. Here is the map at the end of the Revolutionary Wars, Mid 1816.

1565vlt.jpg


Next proper update tomorrow or on Monday.
 
I've been following this since it's start, which more or less coincided to when I started playing Eu3. The beggining was awesome and opened me to many features and possibilities of the game.

Then, when you started steamrolling, I suddently lost some interest as it had came down to many AARs where the first years are really great and then it gets dull.

After that you came back with new style and changed from gameplay AAR to a more interesting (not that gameplay AARs are boring, but after the first years they lack the events to make it interesting) narrative style, and more focused on keeping the balance of power, so you turned what could be "another" world conquest AAR into a really fun experience for the readers, and for that I thank you.

Great AAR, keep going!

Some suggestions I'd like to see, and I'm not saying you aren't doing a great job because you are, but I feel these would add some more depth to the game:

Prussia:

I'd like to see a stronger prussia too, even ceding them some of your brandenburg provinces and those baltic nations, I feel right now you have too many of old german provinces.

Russia and tech in general:

I dunno what's russias tech level but it'd be nice having them only 3 or 4 behind on production and land tech. Maybe even add some tech levels to Iberians too if they are somewhat far.

Greater friesland:

Moving two towars quantity, seems like it's too big of an advantage atm. (I suppose you have max quality)

Although this AAR is not that focused on the game itself, I think these changes (or others you might come up with) might turn the game more interesting, because GF is really stron at the moment. With that said keep up the VERY good work!
 
Errante: I’m glad you like my AAR so much. Thanks! However, at this point there is no game. Everything that happens is planned out rather than played out, which is actually the main reason these updates take longer to make. Things like slider moves and tech levels aren’t necessary anymore, as I can just describe policies and technology myself. Besides that, you’re right about Prussia and the strength of Greater Friesland. I’ve decided to give all of my readers the chance to decide what happens in Germany in this update.

Chapter Five: Interlude

Aftermath

5fri201.jpg

Late 1816, Wallonia stands between Friesland and Burgundy

The British were able to push their demands above all others in the Dublin Treaty, and for their effort they were able to gain the release of the French-speaking lands under Frisian control. This were organised into the Kingdom of Wallonia ruled by a descendant of the old Dukes of Hainaut, whose family had fled to Britain following the Revolution. The kingdom could be divided into two main regions, the Wallonians in the east that either followed the Church of Burgundy or the Cult of Reason and the cosmopolitan French in the west that were majority Calvinist. Despite all efforts to eradicate religion by the Cult of Reason, this divide existed and would no doubt be a major sticking point in future running of the state. There was also a significant Frisian minority in Hainaut that already resented being separated from their homeland.

In the wider political picture the release of this particular region was a calculated move by Britain to split apart the two revolutionary allies. Besides the obvious physical separation, the two nation’s separate claims on the region would lead to inevitable conflict in the future. Legally, the land had been Frisian for a very long time and besides the Frisians in Hainaut there were a decent number of loyalists across the country who wanted it returned to Greater Friesland. On the other hand the region was far more culturally aligned with Burgundy and should they ever want to unite the larger French-speaking region they would have to bring this under their control to truly claim success.

5fri202.jpg

Late 1816, standoff in the colonies

Friesland and its old colonial possessions in North America had not exactly parted on the best of terms, and now the two sides stared at one another over the boundaries just waiting for an excuse to attack. Official word from the homeland was to let the Manhats, Acadians and Quebecois go about their business peacefully in accordance with the treaty Despite this, the colonial administration was eager to reclaim these lands for Friesland once again and similarly the colonials were very interested in liberating their brothers in Illinois and Florida. The whole region was a powder keg waiting to go off again, but with neither side willing to make the move and take the brunt of the blame for reopening this conflict the spark would have to come from an outside source.

Reconstruction

5fri203.jpg

October 1st 1816, the Army of Friesland parading through Johan’s Arch in Groningen

In spite of the losses that Friesland had taken in the war, it was still domestically declared a great victory. The Revolution had successfully proven it could handle itself in the world at large and the remaining monarchs had been given no choice but to acknowledge the republican governments that now stretched across most of Europe. A great parade was held in Groningen to demonstrate to the people that despite everything Friesland was still as powerful as ever and would be ready to deploy once again should anyone threaten the nation.

The reality wasn’t quite as optimistic. In order to repair the damage done by years of war and the severing of the trade routes, significant quantities of money had to be redirected from military finances to help fun reconstruction in areas. Half of the homeland armies were stood down from full strength to keep costs down and open up as many funds as possible for domestic use. Besides rebuilding projects, the money was funnelled into bailing out the Banks of Groningen and Amsterdam, which had suffered significant losses providing financing to trading companies that had gone bankrupt during the blockade. Slowly but surely the economy was being put back on track.

5fri204.jpg

Late 1816-Early 1817, new trade routes with South America

Central to the reconstruction of the economy was opening up new trade routes. Relations with the Antilles and the other free colonies were still far too frosty for trade to open up between them and the homeland, which meant that other sources of goods from the Americas would have to be found to sate the massive appetite that Europeans had for these valuable items. Trading partners were found in the independent states of South America; Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador and La Plata. Venezuela was still on good terms with Friesland despite no longer being under its direct control, while the others were eager to help the ones who fought against their former masters. Now that sugar, coffee and tobacco were once again freely entering Friesland things were finally returning to normal.

Russian Consolidation

5fri205.jpg

Mid 1817, Russia secures its border

The victory over Austria had seriously emboldened the Czar in his efforts to turn Russia into one of the modern era’s dominant powers. At the advice of his advisors, he chose to continue expansion into the east and secure the Siberian border before advancing anywhere else. In order to give breathing room for that, a significant portion of the Russian army was stationed on the western border after mopping up the semi-independent state of Ukraine. Lines of fortifications were constructed in the regions that were most likely to be avenues of Frisian or other Revolutionary attack, while assurances went out to the countries of Europe that this was a purely defensive measure. At least, for the moment it would be.

5fri206.jpg

Mid 1817, the Siberian Offensive

With nothing to worry about in the west, the Russians were free to advance eastwards. Apart from the British in eastern Siberia, the majority of the region was under the control of the remnants of the Khanates that had at one time ruled from China to the Black Sea. While they had done their best to keep up with the technological advancements of the westerners, they lacked both the economy and mindset to develop an army capable of using the technology to its fullest potential. The majority of the Altaic armies were made up of large numbers of horsemen armed with muskets and in some cases plain composite bows while they were supported by larger numbers of infantry that were armed with guns but still little better than feudal levies in discipline and morale. The modernised Russian army tore straight through them as the Siberian Offensive got underway and within a matter of months any real resistance to the invasion had ended. The conquered territories were incorporated directly into the Russian crown, but it would be a long time before complete pacification could be accomplished. In the meantime, Russian generals began to eagerly eye British Siberia and began to prepare for operations there. The Czar vetoed an immediate attack, but that was only because Britain was no longer tied down by a war in Europe. Inevitably the peace would have to break down and that would be when he would strike.

Conflict in Ireland

5fri207.jpg

1817, the two Irelands

For centuries, Ireland had been divided into two separate nations, each claiming to be the true Kingdom of Ireland. On the east coast and based in the city of Dublin was the officially recognised Kingdom of Ireland, or just Catholic Ireland. After winning their independence from Britain, they were quickly inducted into the British sphere of influence as they decided it would be easier to maintain a political rather than literal foothold on the Emerald Isle. Controlling the rest of the island was Leinster, or Calvinist Ireland, which claimed the Irish Crown by right of territory. They were backed in this claim by the only other Calvinist nation of note in Europe, Navarra. The whole conflict had been put on the backburner during the Revolutionary Wars, but following the Treaty of Dublin Calvinist Ireland began to make complaints that they should have been the mediators being the true rulers of Ireland. This opened up the whole political can of worms again and began a massive and long-running war of words between Britain and Navarra as they argued their cases and attempted to score political points against each other.

Cafarelli’s Aims

The peace in Europe even extended to the conflict between Italy and the Iberian kingdoms. With the peninsular and Italian islands completely under Italian control, the Iberians had withdrawn their fleet to defend their own shores and focused on rebuilding their own economies that had suffered during the Revolutionary Wars. The war became one in name only and General Cafarelli was more than willing to take advantage of that. His victory against Austria had made him one of the most popular men in the country, and steadily the members Italian Revolutionary Assembly fell into his political camp. As he gained allies and supporters, his rivals also attempted to consolidate their hold and keep him from gaining too much strength. The situation came to a head during the 1817 Assembly elections, where Cafarelli was elected as Consul in a total landslide.

5fri208.jpg

Mid 1817, executions in the aftermath of the Italian elections

Despite allegations of widespread voter fraud, Cafarelli’s rivals were in no position to argue against him. With the public at his back, he was free to do whatever he wanted now that he was in the highest position in the land and the very first thing he did was to declare his top rivals to be enemies of the republic and have them executed by the guillotine, which had been imported from Burgundy. With all dissenters removed he was more than able to push through every reform he intended to bring the country entirely under his control. The Assembly was replaced with a full Senate which was led by Cafarelli as Consul, and the country’s official name was changed to the Free Roman Republic. The intention was obvious, to model the new Italy after the Roman Republic of old and to bring the ancient concept through to the modern day. The supposed successors states to Rome, the Holy Roman Empire and the Byzantines, were as gone and as good as gone, so no one stood in the way of his declarations. While there was some condemnation from the other revolutionary nations for such obsession with the past, they were interested to see what would happen and so offered up nothing but words in opposition.

5fri209.jpg

Late 1817, the invasion of Greece begins

With the political fight out of the way, the military battles could begin. Breaking the unspoken ceasefire with Castille, the Italian armies were shipped en masse to Greece and engaged the local forces there. At the same time, Italian and Illyrian forces began invasions of the independent Balkan states to hit the region from the north. Greece was all that remained of the Castillian Empire that had once ruled almost the entirety of the Mediterranean, so conquering it would prove to the world that there was a new dominant power in this sea. But this was only the beginning over everything Cafarelli had planned for his empire.

Read more in the next chapter.

The Assembly of Friesland is not concerned with what Cafarelli is planning at the moment. If he can cripple Castille’s empire without overt aid from Friesland or the other revolutionaries, the downfall of Iberia could be accomplished without needing to waste a single Frisian life or violate the Dublin Treaty. There are still other domestic issues to be dealt with right now that take a higher precedence. The independent states of Central Germany are a relic of the past and will not be able to survive in this era. Something must be done with them, but there is significant division among members of the Assembly on what it is.

Option A: Absorb them all into Friesland. This might not be popular among German nationalist groups, but we’re already in possession of half of Germany so they shouldn’t be complaining.
Option B: Combine them plus our isolated German lands into the Central German Republic, under Frisian control.
Option C: Create the CGR, but also give them more parts of Germany we already hold. Prussia will gain North Austria and Memel as well. This won’t be popular with the radical Frisian patriot factions, as we’ve already lost a lot of land to Wallonia.
Option D: Combine the expanded Prussia and expanded CGR into a full Revolutionary Germany. This may prove risky as there is no guarantee of political control over such a large nation.

5fri210.jpg

German divisions:
-Red = CGR
-Blue = CGR Expanded
-Green = Prussia Expanded

There is also a minor foreign affairs concern to consider. Many in the Assembly are eager to get back into proper politics rather than just having an antagonistic relationship with the monarchies. The Ireland situation is the perfect chance to do this. We won’t have much of an effect on this particular outcome, but putting out our word on the matter could influence futures dealings.

Option 1: Side with Britain and Catholic Ireland.
Option 2: Side with Navarra and Calvinist Ireland.
Option 3: Who cares about them? They’re all monarchical scum so let them argue amongst themselves.
 
Options A and 2. Also, I see that you ended up using Revolutionary Rome after all. :D
 
I vote for Option A and 3, but I support all of the Options, because I'm more interested in the next part, (This is really addictive!!!!!! lol)

I'm predicting World War I will be between:
- Greater Friesland, Scandinavian Countries and maybe the South American Countries (unlikely) , and the Free Italian Republic and Illydia (unlikely) and Burgundy (unlikely);
- Great Britain, Britain, Wallonia, and Catholic Ireland, and maybe the other Iberian monarchies (unlikely) and also the Frisian Independent Colonies (unlikely);
- Austria, maybe with Burgundy (unlikely);
- Navarra and Calvinist Ireland and maybe the other Iberian monarchies (likely) and/or the Frisian Independent Colonies (unlikely);
- Russia;
- Free Italian Republic and Illydia (likely);
- the Frisian Independent Colonies and and maybe the South American Countries (likely);
- Burgundy (likely).

Each bold country is going to be (in my opinion) the Alliance leader. Note that the Frisian Independent Colonies are in bold because I don't know who will be the alliance leader. There is also a lot of "maybe"s since there is a lot to consider here. (This was big!!!!!!)

Can't wait to see the next Chapter!!!!!!!!!
 
Option C, for sure. Frisian "Patriots" can go suck on it, that's not Dutch land >:D (Plus powerful German allies = not getting blitzkrieged in a couple hundred years, eh? eh? ... too soon?)
And option 1.
 
A & 2
 
dinofs: :eek:o I completely forgot someone had mentioned Rev. Rome before I changed Rev. Italy to that on a whim. I suppose I should give credit for subconciously planting the idea in my head.
The Messenger: I think it's a little too early to speculate on WWI alliances. After all, in real life who would have thought the UK and France would team up in a major war after the Napoleonic Wars (and all the centuries of wars before that)?
Sqwerlpunk: The repurcussions of claiming dominance of Germany might be felt a lot sooner than the era of blitzkrieg. Such a large part of the country potentially seeking independence could prove to be fatal should Friesland enter troubled times in the coming century.

I'm sorry to say that there won't be an update for a little while. My laptop's power supply has broken so I'm writing this with literally less than an hour of battery time left before I have to shut down the computer and wait for the replacement part. The next update will be this weekend if I'm lucky with shipping, next week otherwise.
 
Looks like I was able to get the new power supply delivered a lot more quickly than I thought. I could have posted this update sooner, but I was playing my other campaigns as well as organising my ideas for my next AAR. Thanks for voting. A and 2 have been chosen, although the latter won’t have any payoff for a while.

Chapter Six: Imperialism

The Consolidation of Germany

6fri201.jpg

Late 1817, Central German duchies and republics annexed

While some support existed in the Assembly for the creation of an independent German state alongside Prussia, the majority believed that the region was rightfully Frisian. The Armies of Brunswick and Koln were deployed to ensure the transfer of power went smoothly and deal with any resistance. The Central Germans were divided between old Imperial Duchies that sought to keep their independence in hope of the Revolution being overturned, and republics already under Frisian domination. It was clear where the problem would lie as the old feudal ways were overturned once and for all. The republics surrendered easily and had their administrations incorporated into the Greater Frisian system, while resistance sprung up as the Dukes made their final stands against progress. There were also a few regiments of militia from Germans loyal to the old regimes along the southern border that attempted to bolster their comrade’s ranks. It didn’t work. The Dukes were tried and executed and their territories dismantled and handed out to local revolutionary sympathisers.

The Battle for Greece

6fri202.jpg

Late 1817, official annexation of minor Balkan powers

The Roman and Illyrian armies tore through the Balkans, wiping out Slavic, Greek and Iberian forces alike and violently seizing cities in the name of the Republic. Already, interim administrators were arriving in the newly conquered regions to fully incorporate them into the new empire. The last remnants claiming the title of Rome on the tip of the peninsula were conquered and the pretenders executed, while the Slavic nations officially became part of the Illyirian Republic. As this happened, Castille desperately positioned its forces to hold on to whatever it could and keep the way open for reinforcements to arrive. At the same time, forces were being scrambled in Iberia itself by both Castille and Aragon to launch their own counterattack.

6fri203.jpg

Late 1817-Early 1818, Castillian reinforcements arrive

Naval superiority in direct combat still remained on the side of Castille and Aragon and they had the advantage of fighting in friendly waters around Greece. With those two facts in hand it was a fairly simple matter to run the attempted blockade around Sicily and ship reinforcements en masse to the region. The biggest goal was to retake the tip of the peninsula and force the surrender of the Roman forces therein. Elsewhere, local forces would be able to hold up against the advances from the west and north by the combined Roman-Illyrian force. The Battle of Athens was the decisive turning point, as the approaching force of twelve thousand Romans was flanked outside the city by a force of twenty thousand Castillian and Aragonese troops and thrown back into Achaea.
In the north, the battle was stalemated as the tired revolutionary soldiers came up against fresh Castillian defenders. Luckily for them, the armies deployed here were far from the total strength that the united Italian peninsula could bring to bear. Further troops were already being shipped over from the homeland, and unlike the Iberians they could arrive in matter of weeks rather than months. If this conflict came to a war of attrition it was clear who could outlast the other.

Imperialism Abroad

6fri204.jpg

1818, Navarra, Aragon and Britain finish securing their hold on Africa

While Castille did the bulk of the fighting against Rome, the remaining monarchies were recovering from the Revolutionary Wars and taking advantage of the time to finishing cleaning up the natives of Africa and secure their own spheres of influence on the continent

6fri205.jpg

Mid 1818, Subjugation of Indian nations

Friesland was also taking part in the action, as they further expanded their grip on India. The local nations were already acknowledged to be in the Frisian sphere, but it was time to take one step further and deal with them completely. The Army of Flanders was still on station following the battles against Britain on the subcontinent and together with the Army of India and permission from the homeland they launched a campaign to subdue the Indians and force them to swear direct loyalty to the Republic. The administration was still wary of adding more overseas territory after the American Independence Wars, so friendly native republicans were installed in the assemblies that ruled these nations instead of simply annexing them to Frisian India.

6fri206.jpg

Late 1818, Castillian intervention in Chinese wars

Castille, despite focusing most of its efforts on Greece, was not willing to be left out. They had secured a hold on the southern coast of China as a result of taking advantage of the ongoing wars in the enormous country. While they were in no position to offer direct military aid to anyone, they were still more than willing to offer weapons and expertise to whoever was willing to pay. Once they were indebted to European countries and companies, the region would slip even further under Castillian control.

Crisis in Janus

6fri207.jpg

April 16th 1818, The Battle of Sugar, Janford

Britain’s continued colonial ambitions required significant funding and every part of their Empire was feeling the squeeze. Foremost among these was the South American colony of Janus. A set of cities run along the coast south of Brazil, Janus was named after the Roman God from whom January was derived. The biggest export of Janus was sugar grown on the many plantations in the region. In order to properly control this trade and make sure that the money flowed back to the homeland, the Janus Sugar Company was founded with a Royal Charter at the beginning of the 19th Century to monopolise the export of this resource. As the colonists were prohibited from trading with anyone besides the Company, it was able to purchase the sugar at a price far below the world average and then sell it on to other buyers at full price. The profits were split with the British government, supposedly as payment for protection but really as a reward for keeping the colonials trading solely with them.

Such an unjust arrangement could not exist, especially on top of all the other taxes levied against the people of Janus. This ultimately came to a head with the Battle of Sugar. Earlier that month, a group of plantation owners had been caught attempting to trade sugar with Frisian merchants coming up from La Plata. The whole stock had been seized and was waiting to leave on Company boats in the Janford harbour. Tensions finally spilled over and a group of Janian separatists stormed the boats and threw all the sugar overboard. Such a bold action sparked similar acts of defiance from other groups in the colony. Soon, the whole region was in open revolt and Janus declared independence.

6fri208.jpg

Mid-Late 1818, Brazil and Janus fight Britain and Portugal

Sensing a chance to increase its own power in South America, the Janians were approached by the Kingdom of Brazil for an alliance against Britain. Portugal similarly came to the aid of Britain as it was interested in dealing a blow to its former colony. Brazilian and Janian forces began to advance on the interior territories, while forces began to be shipped in from Europe to launch a counterattack. European hold on the Americas was continuing to slip.

Turkey’s Role

6fri209.jpg

Late 1818, Castillian forces withdraw from Greece

The ongoing war of attrition in Greece was unsustainable for Castille. It was only a matter of time before the continual supply of Roman reinforcements overwhelmed them completely. There was no choice but to withdraw from Greece completely or risk losing an enormous portion of the army. Using their continued naval advantage they began to ferry troops east, beyond neutral Turkey, to Castille’s holdings in Syria and Georgia. From there they could regroup and begin to coordinate a new set of plans. It would also help stretch the Roman supply lines further should they attempt to pursue and force them to engage the Castillian fleet directly if they attempted to invade from the sea. However, there was another option for the Romans.

6fri210.jpg

Early 1819, Turkish and Roman forces face off outside of Constantinople

The Free Republic of Turkey had been quietly incorporating the remnants of the Ottoman Empire and was already starting to assert itself over the other former Frisian protectorates in the Middle East. They weren’t about to bow down to Rome and let them do whatever they wanted with their territory, especially after seeing how the neutral Slavic nations had been invaded and annexed without provocation. The Turkish Army massed outside Constantinople and prepared to march into Greece should war break out. The Roman and Illyrian force did similarly, taking advantage of the Castillian territory in Anatolia to start ferrying troops across the Bosporus. This posturing had great potential to spiral out of control and attracted attention from all across Europe, especially Friesland. Had Rome’s Imperialism gone too far?

Read more in the next chapter.

The situation in Turkey is causing significant consternation amongst members of the Assembly. While we were relieved of all alliances and obligations with the Turks after the Revolutionary Wars, they are still on good terms with us and would be very strategically useful to have as friends in the region. Abandoning them would also not look good to other nations that we were forced to abandon our direct alliances with. On the other hand, Rome is also a valuable ally and in the bigger picture has a good chance of actually doing damage to our enemies. Ultimately it comes down to whether we want to give Rome a free hand to expand in the Middle East or not.

Option A: Declare war on Rome in defence of Turkey should they invade. We protect our friends.
Option B: Supply Turkey with financial and logistical support should Rome invade. We don’t want to attack our fellow revolutionaries directly.
Option C: Give Rome our permission to invade. Turkey is expendable in the big picture.
 
Just wanted to hop in and mention that I think you have an absolutely excellent AAR going on here about to end, Sybot! I have thus decided to give it my support for the ACA's 2010 (Round 2) in the EU3 History Book department.

Furthermore: Option B.
 
C, of course.