The Joseon road to modernization: A Korea Vicky 2 AAR

[Uni Maximilian]

The Joseon road to modernization

A Korea Victoria II AAR

I have been waiting a Victoria II for 4 years and it is finally coming this friday. Because of this special event for the Paradox community and also for myself I've decided to try to write my first AAR of a PI game.
Since I've played almost all GPs and main powers in Vicky, I will not choose any of these countries for now, but I'm going to play an apparently little actor of the XIX century that I never tried on the previous game: I'm speaking of the Korean Kingdom.

Let's start then with the several objectives that this campaign will have:


I - Understanding the new mechanics
II- Civilize and Industrialize
III - Attack the former masters of the Qing Empire and conquer Manchuria, Taiwan and Hainan
IV - Defend the korean interests in Indochina (guess how...)
V - Expel the Dutch from Indonesia
VI - Expel the Spanish from the Philippines
VII - Find a modus vivendi with Japan. Maybe...



Such an ambitious agenda. Who knows if the ancient Joseon dynasty will succed in his own dream of glory and become a respected Great Power in the world. Only time will tell...



See you again tomorrow for the Introduction

[Pass_West]

Korea is in a very difficult location regardless of the year. China looming large next door, Japan scowling from across the sea. This should be interesting

[Kanaric]

korea is something that I will eventually try

[Uni Maximilian]

Introduction


XIX century, Far East.
The korean peninsula has been ruled by the Joseon dynasty for more than four centuries. In the first period of the Joseon rule, Korea has enjoyed an extraordinary era of social and cultural development where the kingdom saw the height of his glory. This was also thanks to kings like Sejong the Great who executed many important legal amendements and also introduced the hangul alphabet because he wanted the Korean people to have their own written language.



King Sejong the Great (1397-1450)

However every dynasty has a height and a decline, and this has happened to the Joseon as well. Near the end of the XVI century, the Japanese warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi has planned the conquest of the Ming Chinese Empire and chose Korea as a starting point to the plotted invasion. The Joseon were practically unprepared to face this new menace, so that great parts of the peninsula (including the capital Hanseong, the present-day Seoul) have been occupied for months. Despite of the initial tragedy the Korean people opposed a fierce resistance to the invaders thanks also to Chinese help.

Korean and Chinese troops attacking a Japanese fortress in Ulsan

The victories of the admiral Yi Sun-sin against the Japanese fleet were even more decisive, and this succes changed the course of the war. After a few years of battles and horrors on the Korean lands, the Japanese were finally forced to withdraw Korea, thus peace has returned among the three Far East Kingdoms.

Admiral Yi attacks the Japanese fleet

[Tommy4ever]

Nice little background. Like many people I know next to nothing about Korean history so this is interesting.

I'll try to follow this. Korea's in a tight spot but if you play your cards right diplomatically you'll do alright.

I'd try to either make freinds with the Japanese and hope they don't attack or snuggle up to Russia and China and hope they come to save you if the Japanese come. You've plenty of coal and iron so once you civilise industrialisation should be a breeze.

[Uni Maximilian]

However peace into the Joseon kingdom didn't last for long. During the first half of the XVII century Korea's former ally, the Ming dynasty, was suffering a serious crisis that has left the Chinese empire open to raids of the Jurchen people in the north.
The Jurchen-Manchu forces also planned an invasion in Korea, and after two attempts they succeeded to subdue the peninsula and making it a tributary state of the new established Qing dynasty in China.



Emperor Huang Taiji. (1592-1643), the first emperor of the Qing dynasty and one of the commanders during the Manchu invasion of Korea

After Ming's defeat the Qing dynasty not only occupied all chinese territories, but expanded the empire and made of China a true superpower of the Far East, respected even by the far western countries. The Korean kingdom, now a Manchu vassal, enjoyed this period of prosperity as well and the Joseon kings tried to led a new renaissance of the dynasty.
King Yeongjo for example worked very hard to compose the different political factions into the administrarion and promoted confucianization. The second half of the XVIII century saw the great wisdom of king Jeongjo, who not only established a royal library (Kyujanggak), but also enacted several social reforms which for example opened government positions to new social status, in order to recruit much more efficent officers.

King Jeongjo (1752-1800) and the Kyujanggak

[Uni Maximilian]

At the time of King Jeongjo's death the XIX century was about to begin. From the West came some strange rumors about a little general that was making a lot of trouble in the continent, but it was eventually defeated and expelled far away.
If the Joseon didn't care much about this fact, there was something else that deserved much more attention: the British presence in Asia.

King Heonjong (1827-1849), Joseon ruler at the time of the Great Campaign's beginning

Around seventy years before the incoronation of King Heonjong there was a war in the Indian lands that opposed some kind of British Company to the French and the Bengali people, and this ended with Bengal being annexed by the English. From then British merchants increased their power in India and consequently in Far East, especially in a dirty business like opium trade. The Qing empire became one of the main market of this plague and the Chinese government tried to counter the problem by negotiations and a ban of opium importation.

Chinese officers destroying opium stocks

Unfortunately the measures token by the capital proved to be ineffective and the Chinese people become more and more addicted to opium. Because of this the Qing empire not only has to face an internal situation growing unstable, but his vulnerability to the foreign smugglers erodes badly the international reputation of the Manchu dynasty.
A war between the two powers is possible, perhaps it is unavoidable at this point.
The Joseon are really worried of this situation. They know that their giant master has not to fear any foe. But someone in the court suggest that it is better to not understimate these British people. Someone else even says that this could be an opportunity for the Korean people, and that these western powers could be a potential ally to enfranchise the kingdom from China and start a new golden era for the Joseon dynasty.
But the balance of powers is still undecided. Only time will tell what awaits the Korean kingdom

See you again tomorrow for the beginning of this adventure.

[Tommy4ever]

Interesting history of Korea.

I'll enjoy watching you take your first steps in your first full game. It'll be tricky starting out as a small unciv like Korea. But you've got all the necessary ingredients to become a Great Power.

[Uni Maximilian]

My name is Hwang Jegong, I'm an offical of our beloved king's court, and even if I'm not that important in our country's administration I'm very proud to work for my master.
This is the second year of king Heonjong's reing, the winter seems not bad for now and the royal palace and the gardens are really beautiful when the snow covers them.

Our kingdom during the second year of King Heonjong's reing

The court is now controlled by the Conservative (the so-called 'Hermits') faction that is facing a serious crisis since the British have started to bully our Chinese masters. King Heonjong himself is starting to think of a different approach to this troubling situation. One friend of mine in the court once said that the overthrown of the Hermits could be a solution to a paralysis that can worsen our condition. I don't know what to do, but I will think it over...

The different factions of the court

[Uni Maximilian]

My friend was right. The British trade is ruining our economy and the isolationist policy of the Hermits is seriously emptying our coffers. The situation is so bad that they even took loans from everywhere abroad, a measure that not only contradicts their ideals but also risks to make us depend of other foreign powers, worsening our subjection. Many at the court begin to think that they are really unstable and that someone has to do something before it is too late.

The state of our economy and the loans token from abroad.

I think that the Hermits suspect our plans to overthrow them because the troops outside the court started to increase, as if they have to protect them. We have to hurry, the fate of our country depends on us. I'm worried but I know that this doesn't matter, this is more important that what I feel. It isn't important if I die or not, but We have to try something for the sake of our King, because he's just too young to change this by himself.
Well, it is better to go.




We did it! The guards actually weren't so eager to defend these old sclerotics and let us enter the court without problems (but I have also to say that they didn't know what we were about to do). The situation in the court has dramatically changed and a new era has just begun!



The new situation at the court

[tuore]

Maybe drop military spending?

[Uni Maximilian]

After our attack to the Hermits, our faction has become the most powerful one at the court, and our leaders asked to the young King to allow an important change in the country's politics. One week later and after some discussions with the King's ministers, a new government has been formed. Though the position of many members of our faction is not much different from the one of the Hermits, nevertheless we hope to convert them to the new course.



The new government of the kingdom

If inside the country we have achieved a great victory, outside the situation is worsening. Our Chinese masters are continuing to fight the opium plague by arresting hundreds of smugglers and by destroying tons of drug. However it seems that the measures token by the Qing court proved to be uneffective.

Chinese addicted to opium

Today when I've arrived to the court I heard that the day before it has arrived an emissary from Beijing who told our Prime minister that Lord Lin Zexu, the new Governor-General of Hunan and Hubei, has launched an anti-opium campaing and that the Chinese government will take every measure to counter this issue, even declaring war to every country suspected to help the British.
Just a few days after these news, we were informed by another emissary that the Qing Empire has declared war to Burma, because it was accused to offer refuge to the smugglers hunted by the Chinese fleet.

[Uni Maximilian]

The same emissary that informed us about the war had also a request made directly by the Emperor.
I knew the details only two days after the secret meeting between the emissary, the Prime Minister and the court. The Qing assigned a mission to our kingdom, in short the Chinese wanted to unite their forces with the Joseon King to fight the opium menace, and wanted us to put some pression to the Brunei and the Johore sultanates, because chinese spies have discovered that many local officials of both countries are colluded with the smugglers and that they are even corrupted by the British to allow the opium trade.
The prize of this would have been a part of the reparations given by the sultanates and obviousily the appreciation of the Emperor. After some discussion the Prime Minister accepted this task and decided to send a warning to Brunei. However the response was simply insulting.

Brunei and smugglers ships attacking our delegation

We had to give a tough response to this grave insult and we decided then to wage war against them immediately.



I ran to the port to look at our junks preparing to the battle. They sailed this afternoon and the Prime minister too was present. I also noticed some peasants looking at the ceremony, but they soon left. Perhaps they were just curious of the spectacle of our navy, they probably don't even know what is going on.





One of our ships sailing for battle

[Uni Maximilian]

Apparently the Johore sultanate didn't agree with the behaviour of its ally and decided to not intervene in the war. We sent a some thousands of men on the Brunei coast and they have disembarked without any opposition of the enemy.
Our quick reaction seems to have impressed some westerners because a month later the beginning of the war one morning our ports saw some unusual ships asking for access. A minister told me that these ships come from colonies of the Europeans, specifically from a country called Kingdom of Netherlands and another from the Russian Empire.
They asked of the Prime Minister and in the evening they finally entered the court. I don't know the details of the meeting, I've just heard something about a trade agreement and even some kind of collaboration, I'm not sure. However both the Prime Minister and the westerners looked quite satisfied of the gathering. The ships left the day after.



In the meanwhile the war was going well since the Brunei soldier just couldn't resist us. We engaged their main army at Bintuli where we had a crushing victory.



The government really seems to have surpassed the old Hermit sytle of politics, because at the end of the spring it was organized another meeting with a western power. This time a delegation of our Kingdom will return the visit made last winter by the westerners and I was involed in it as well.
I was sent with a delegation in Russia to pay homage to a Romanov prince and to discuss (not me of course because I don't know a word of Russian) some business. We arrived three months later and the meeting was a success. At our return the Prime minister himself saluted us.

[Enewald]

Looking good so far!
Maybe I must try some unciv nation also, would I get the game to work...

[Uni Maximilian]

This evening I've met a friend of mine that works at the treasury. It seems that our economy and trade have recovered a bit and that we are even repaying our loans.
I'm very glad to hear that.



During one of my usual hunt with my younger brother master two guards have come to ask me to come back immediately to the court.
Since they seemed both really worried I've asked to them what happened. So what we have been feared has finally happened: the British were so annoyed of the anti-opium campaign of the Qing that they decided to declare war to our master.



The Chinese court asked for our support, but we were already involved in Brunei and some British ships even approached the Brunei coast and Cheju island like they wanted to dissuade us to intervene.
We could only continue our fight against the sultanate and witness the war from outside. Despite the continuous defeats the Sultane refused any agreement or concession and our army had to occupy all the Brunei territories before a revolt has overthrown the Sultane and his intransigent goverment. Then a group of local officials asked to meet our generals and they requested for the Brunei people the protection of the Joseon king. They said that they too were unsatisfied of the smugglers that sometimes attack their villages and they also complained of a Sultane that was too much corruped by the British to give any response to the raids.

[Uni Maximilian]

Today it has arrived a Qing emissary. He loudly protested against our annexation of the Brunei Sultanate, because the Emperor wanted from Brunei only a public apology and some concession to the Qing. Our behaviour is instead just wrong and also something very offensive to our masters, and the Emperor himself was really disappointed of King Heonjong. We could of course expect some punishment in the future.
But the war wasn't going very well for our masters.



British troops capturing a Qing castle.

The British army proved to be superior of the Chinese troops and they won several battles without many losses. This led to the occupation of some forts in the south of the Empire, something that damaged seriously the prestige of the Emperor and the court that fall to pieces for the shame.
Finally after an imposing blockade of the Chinese ports by the British Navy, the Emperor had to accept their conditions.



Our masters were so shocked about their defeat to the so-called barbarians that they forgot to take any measure to our occupation of Brunei. For now they just accepted the situation and they said that the problem is just postponed. Well, good for us.
Just a month later the end of the Opium War, as many of us start to call our master's war, we had another meeting with the Russians, this time about military issues. Russia accepted to train some of our troops to make them more efficent and some months later we had our first infantry regiment.
Our good will attracted other westerners that wanted to give their help as well and maybe to sign some trade agreement too.



Our first infantry regiment and the coming of westerners to our Kingdom

[Uni Maximilian]

I'm worried. In the court there are bad voices about a plot from the surviving Hermits to overthrow us in order to give the Brunei's protectorate to the Qing's and to give a full support to them against the British and any western power, including the Russians.
This afternoon I saw our Prime Minister asking our generals to gathering some troops around the main cities, including the capital. So what is just a rumor may be a real threat.
I've cheated death! Last night the revolt has started and I was charged from the rebels in the street. Luckily some guards protected me and let me escape but when I came back to my home I was still trembling. I heard that many castles are sieged by the Hermit's troops, but the army is already marching to crush them.



The civil war lasted for three months, but in the end our army was victorious. Many Hermits were executed and the surviving ones escaped to China or Japan. We can sigh with relief.

With the Hermits out of the political game we can continue without incidents our contacts with the westerners. Our relation with Russia is getting better and better and the Tsar offered us another agreement on military training.

[Enewald]

That was the rebellion?

[tuore]

Looking good so far!
Maybe I must try some unciv nation also, would I get the game to work...

What is thy problem, my fellow Finn?
(Gelsinki?)