No Iron, One Lion, Maybe Zion

**Enewald** · 23-09-2010 18:26

You accidentally London?

**Ivir Baggins** · 23-09-2010 19:29

Ethiopiaball can into Upper Sudan?

**Tommy4ever** · 23-09-2010 19:34

Originally Posted by Ivir Baggins

Ethiopiaball can into Upper Sudan?

Wash you mouth out with soap!

**Vesimir** · 23-09-2010 20:04

Originally Posted by Tommy4ever

Wash you mouth out with soap!

Keyboard, you mean.

Also, I like how even though you've taken half of Sudan, you still look like Ethiopia, and not like so weird artificial state.

**garudamon11** · 23-09-2010 20:46

Ethiopia will can into space ?

**Strategic Fail** · 23-09-2010 23:39

Good going, hopefully you can put some real hurt on Egypt and take a much larger slice of their cake than what you have in the first to conflicts.

Hope Rhodes is nice!

**Athalcor** · 23-09-2010 23:49

Bob Marley arrived?

**Alexspeed** · 23-09-2010 23:59

I foresee more sand colored in Ethiopian blue soon

**Boris ze Spider** · 24-09-2010 00:55

The Empire Strikes Back

**Strategic Fail** · 24-09-2010 01:05

Originally Posted by Alexspeed

I foresee more sand

mmmmm sand, wasnt it like one of the largest traded commodities of the 19th century?

haha in your face Eqypt, we shall be rulers of all your vast wealth of sand!

**Communitarian!** · 24-09-2010 01:10

Hey, sand is valuable in the glass-making business. Let's build huge glass factories all over Ethiopia!

Also, my guess is that you cross the Aden strait and establish a protectorate over Yemen. Ya know, just to spice things up.

**Dewirix** · 24-09-2010 09:50

Originally Posted by aldriq

No prices to those who guess what comes next...

You have an unprecedent wave of industrialisation and all your soldiers leave the army to become craftsmen?

I don't think I've seen such a happy middle class. You're obviously paying your clergy and teachers too much!

**Alfredian** · 24-09-2010 15:27

I'm sure its another clash with Egypt, but I want it to be the invasion of Yemen or Zanzibar.

**gabor** · 26-09-2010 16:34

I'd've expected Egipt to be a harder nut to crack. (The Mameluks in EU definitely are.

)
Hasn't the rebel problem been righted in a patch?

**Athalcor** · 26-09-2010 16:38

Originally Posted by gabor

I'd've expected Egipt to be a harder nut to crack. (The Mameluks in EU definitely are.

)
Hasn't the rebel problem been righted in a patch?

The patch is not out yet. Soon it will. but it is not savegame compatible...

**Tanzhang (譚張)** · 28-09-2010 17:12

Great work so far! The snappy title intrigued me, but I hope you don't take the "No Iron" part as seriously as the "Maybe Zion" part...

**aldriq** · 29-09-2010 18:38

Tommy4ever - No Polish space invaders yet, but who knows, later in the game...

Enewald - No way, London is my friend (or at least I want it to be).

Ivir Baggins, garudamon11 -

can and will into space! And maybe lionz

Vesimir - That is about to change...

Strategic Fail - Thanks! Rhodes is great... amazing people, beaches and history. And wine!

Athalcor - This AAR is strictly no time-traveling

Boris ze Spider - Of course!

Communitarian! - Yemen is on the agenda, for later.

Dewirix - If they are happy simply with money, I'm happy to oblige.

Alfredian - Zanzibar was quickly snatched by the Portuguese I'm afraid...

gabor - I know, I'm starting to see 1.1 as a V2 vaccine, a weaker version of the real, mean thing that will come eventually in 1.2 or 1.3

Tanzhang (譚張) - Thanks and welcome! I don't have any iron province yet, but I'm sure that'll change.

**aldriq** · 29-09-2010 19:16

4
Any colour as long as it's blue

What comes next is of course war with Egypt. With the Ottoman sphere of influence gone I can DoW safely. My goal is the state of Halaib, the land next to my northern border and the Red Sea, again at the cost of 10 infamy points (sadly I've lost the temporary CB I got earlier in a border dispute).

This time you can see I was a bit overconfident - I only left 18,000 men to defend Massawa against the main Egyptian army, sending the rest of my brigades to start sieges in Sudanese provinces. The error could have been costly, as you can see I won narrowly and with more casualties. I imagine that any defensive bonus gained by tech and the help of the fort was pretty much neutralised by the Egyptians bringing some artillery...

But the important thing is that I won, those 17,000 men was the only resistance Egypt showed. By mid 1855 I've taken all of Sudan from Egyptian hands. If you notice Egypt has a new flag, I presume they must have changed government type (forced by rebels?) Not that the new government is much more effective than the previous one… well, apart from building artillery…

In August Egypt gives up and hands me another nice set of provinces. Some of them produce cotton, which makes a change from the sandalwood and cattle.

In 1857 research of Private Banks is completed. A little boost to tax efficiency but nothing else since I can't build factories until I westernise. Next tech in line (and last one required for westernisation) is Publishing Industry. Also in the picture a quick look to the 8 great powers in 1857… this will change quite a bit in the next decade.

In January 1858 the upper house finally reaches a liberal majority, which gives me the first opportunity to enact reforms. I go for Outlaw Slavery, given that I have some scope for unhappy pops, and it fits with the mood of modernisation of the country. I'd like think of this emperor as someone who fashions himself as an enlightened despot. Although the proportion of people in favour of slavery is initially higher than that of those against, it drops steadily in the coming years. More people free to become soldiers...

The following year I get another liberal majority and I decide to give the vote to land owners. In a different game I might have tried to keep the absolute monarchy for longer, but since I'm learning I guess I'll get more stuff going on with elections. And again, this emperor is so self-confident that probably he thinks no-one would ever vote for any party other than the royal faction…

And for now he is right, the royal faction wins comfortably the first Ethiopian elections in August 1859. In all the pre-election debate events I went with the cautious option of 5% for the time being, to minimise any radical population swing without fully knowing the consequences. I don't enact any further reforms in the following years either.

In 1860 the last tech needed for westernisation is completed (Publishing Industry), so I switch to a military technology: Military Staff System, which allows to form cavalry units. Any self-respecting emperor of this age needs a cavalry, even if it's to keep artisans busy crafting luxury regalia uniforms and saddles… This one is ready in 1863, the following research goes to The Command Principle.

And as a sign of my fledgeling power, in 1862 I receive my first alliance offer, from Sokoto… yes, our mighty, landlocked African brothers… Oh well, why not? I keep improving relations with the Ottomans and the UK, and they keep pretty much ignoring me as usual.

With all the techs required for westernisation accomplished, I only need two more things to take the big step: prestige and military power. The way to acquire them: war! Prestige is easy enough to get in small wars, but my military score is low and I've had a bad series of quick leader deaths, so I'm going to need a lot of soldier population and man-o-wars to reach 50 points; I need a much bigger piece of Egypt this time. With the election of 1864 out of the way…

**Enewald** · 29-09-2010 19:31

Let no man enslave an other man, everyone is a slave of the government.

**Tommy4ever** · 29-09-2010 19:45

Are all the techs you are researching actually required for westernising?

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