Yet this will go onward the same: the Yamato Destiny

[Chris Taylor]

That was quite the election sweep, wasn't it?

So far everything is coming up roses; no real near-peer military challengers, still lots of open space in the Great Eastlands; and that ginormous population. (Do densely-populated, wrong-culture provinces drag down your tech research, like in EU3?) It's quiet—maybe too quiet.

Been thinking, you could manually set your stockpile to buy max (2000?) machine parts so that you have them whenever you need them in future and as the largest by far worldwide producer you will deny industrialization capacity to the rest of the world. Useful.

This is an cunning and evil plan, but it makes me chuckle.

[Dewirix]

Nice update. I do like the fact that you are so able to personalise everything that happens.

Thanks. Sometimes its easier to see a connection than others, but so far I haven't been tied in knots too much.

Been thinking, you could manually set your stockpile to buy max (2000?) machine parts so that you have them whenever you need them in future and as the largest by far worldwide producer you will deny industrialization capacity to the rest of the world. Useful.

I'll give it a go, but Japan's dominance will only last until someone gets the tech to produce machine parts. I'm not going to get that any time soon as I'm still culture teching, but the UK or France may well do.

Read through your EU3 AAR and now loving the Vicky2 conversion. A great style of play and writing. A little RP and a little play descriptive. Excellent as always. What plans for the future? Eat up some uncivs for natural resources and soldier pops or Civilized nations for literacy and industry? WC or will you continue to pace yourself so to move to HOI3 and still have a challenge?

Pacing myself is the plan. I don't think the Court Party would welcome launching a major war of aggression, but I can see them attempting to contain Russia, Austria or the UK. In fact, I might try intervening in a war now that I've got the army and navy to do so. As to HoI3, well, we'll just have to see.

You could call that a landslide.

Nice to hear that the Japanese troops in Europe are getting so strong.

Yeah, I'm still not particularly keen on the way politics is modelled in V2, but I suppose it is an accurate representation of how first past the post elections can distort results. As to Europe, I should think a mobilised Austria would have the edge in brigades, but I can bring in more from Japan if need be.

Good news in most spheres apart from the halt in industrial expansion, which is rather vexing. Not much that can be done about a lack of machine parts at this time though I'd imagine. The coverage of the election campaign was very good, pleasing that the Court faction has returned with such a strong majority but considering the many issues which cropped up during the campaign, they may find things rather more difficult a decade or two down the line. I'm glad that the European contingent of the Japanese army looks strong enough to handle most situations there now, barring war with numerous GPs.

Everything is looking rather promising. Well, apart from Britain continuing to expand.

I think I've missed the boat with not influencing Aragon up to Friendly (I've only just considered this), but if it's still possible I might give it a go in 1842 and launch a Status Quo war. The election campaigns are going to be odd as I'll be responding as if I was the governing party. This means at the moment I'm influencing POPs towards the conservatives, when from a gameplay and narrative viewpoint I'd actually quite like the liberals in power.

Trebizondian Cuba? WHAT?!

Trebizond's colonisation of the new world is one of my favourite things about the whole AAR. In test games I've seen them get beaten up by Colombia though, so they may not be there for too long.

That was quite the election sweep, wasn't it?

So far everything is coming up roses; no real near-peer military challengers, still lots of open space in the Great Eastlands; and that ginormous population. (Do densely-populated, wrong-culture provinces drag down your tech research, like in EU3?) It's quiet—maybe too quiet.

Yeah, I may have left Japan a bit too strong at the end of EU3. Wrong culture provinces don't make much of a difference (and in fact can be a boon with events that add research points), but densely-populated low literacy provinces are a bit of a drag. In the medium term I'd expect the UK and France to out-tech me, possibly Austria too, which should give them a technological advantage by the 1860s. I should be able to turn that around by the 1880s or 1890s, but until I get Machine Guns I'll be sceptical of my chances in fair fights. Of course, there's no reason I have to fight fair.

Oh, and before I forget (again), I'd like to remind everyone that it's the third round of the AARland Choice AwAARds 2011. You don't have to vote for this one, and the awards are a great way of finding out about new AARs across the whole of the Paradox community.

[Dewirix]

1841: Si vis pacem

[H]e for one was prepared to give a cordial sanction to the proposition now made as to the military force of this country; giving it, that was to say, in the firm conviction and reliance that the demand now made by the executive government did not exceed the exigencies of the case. At the same time, he should be exceedingly sorry to see any increase of the military force of this country which could afford a pretext, or any rational ground, for foreign powers to increase their military establishments also. He should be sorry, indeed, for us to set an example to other powers of an unnecessary amount of military force.

State opening and Emperor's speech

The Cabinet approached 1841 in an attitude of contentment that bordered on complacency. The tariff system had been endorsed by the electorate and had proved a great financial success. To that end, the Finance Minister was able to announce a further cut in tax levels; he did so to the cheers of Court-aligned deputies and sullen but subdued retorts from members of the opposition.



The consumption tax on the lower orders was to be reduced to 30 per cent: a level thought sufficient to provide a continued positive balance to the Budget, albeit at a vastly reduced rate. However, with government coffers containing nearly half a million pounds, the Cabinet were confident that this was enough to cover any shortfall.


Military readiness

The year also saw the Empire make good its losses in the Second Modenan war. Having reached the Ile de Bourbon in January, the transports had been allowed to make the long voyage to Morocco without an escort. The fast-sailing clippers could outpace the more heavily armed warships, making for a shorter voyage and less need for repairs when they arrived. In wartime such a move would have been too much of a risk to contemplate, but for now Japan was at peace.



The arrival of fresh regiments brought the Japanese garrison in Europe up to 57,000 men. Milan too had begun to recover its strength after the war and could add an extra 20,000 soldiers to any conflict. However, for now the Empire was content to maintain a watchful peace.

With the reinforcements came a new commander to replace General Suzuki, who had been recalled to the War Office to serve as Commander of the Army. The new man, General Nozu, had already acquired a reputation as a leader of men and was considered almost as fine a soldier as Suzuki.



Not easily pleased, General Nozu was famously abusive to staff officers who failed to live up to his high expectations. Ambassador Teramachi made it his business to keep contacts between the general and his Milanese counterparts to a minimum for fear of the effect Nozu's temper might have on the two countries' relations.

General Kuroki, the commander of the Army of Southern China also retired in 1841 and to say that his replacement raised a few eyebrows would be an understatement. Society gossip had it that General Arisugawa had once been confined to a lunatic asylum by his family, but regardless of the truth of that rumour there was no denying his single-minded approach to destroying the enemy.



The Interior Minister had questioned the decision to appoint General Arisugawa to the largest army Japan possessed, but the Minister of War had defended him as the best available candidate for the job. If the fact that the two men were personal friends was mentioned, it was certainly not recorded in the minutes of the meeting.

Japan's military position was further strengthened by the completion of eleven ships of the line. The new ships were the first addition to the navy for decades and made use of iron bracing to stiffen the hull and improve sailing characteristics. The new ships mounted 78 guns apiece, for the most part trusty 32-pounders, but they also carried four massive 68-pound carronades on the gundecks for close-quarters action.

More important even than the new ships, the upgrade of Japanese naval facilities which had begun five years ago was brought to completion. Japan now had a network of bases throughout the Pacific and Indian Oceans and the new dockyards of Sardinia allowed the European fleet to be repaired in situ.



With the army and navy in a better position than ever before, Japan could tackle future crises from a position of strength. Despite this, the feeling of most of the Cabinet was that it was reckless to seek war for its own sake. Japan would keep the peace, providing her rivals did the same.


Coalition building

If Japan was to remain the arbiter of European affairs, then the Empire needed allies. Relations with France remained excellent, but Charles VIII's ministers would not hear of an alliance that could bring them into conflict with Austria. The memories of the Franco-Russian war were still fresh in the French national consciousness and unless Japan would agree to helping the de la Tour's regain the territories lost in that conflict then no agreement was possible. While no friend of Russia's, the Cabinet believed that instability in Eastern Europe could further strengthen Austria's hand, and the Foreign Ministry was asked to look elsewhere for aid.

All the while, Japanese diplomats had been finalising the treaty of amity between the Empire and the newly-proclaimed Kingdom of Milan. Under the terms of the treaty Japan would gain priority access to Milanese products and both countries would enter into a defensive pact.



It was hoped that the agreement might also serve to restrain the ambitions of King Ascanio, although Duke Teramachi had written to the Foreign Minister warning that the treaty might encourage the monarch to indulge in yet greater aggression.

With the Milanese treaty concluded, diplomatic attention turned to the Duchy of Magdeburg, whose territory was bordered by Austrian possessions to the north and south. Gaining the support of Duke Ruprecht II would give Japan the possibility of a second front against Austria.



It was thought that an agreement would take more than two years to negotiate, but at present the situation was not considered urgent and the Foreign Minister was told to work towards securing a treaty as he saw fit.


Foreign affairs

Perhaps the most unexpected foreign policy development of the year was the news that Russia had established a foothold at the mouth of the Mashkai river and further east and west along the coast of Kalat.



Although the state of war between the remnants of the Timurid horde and the Russian Empire had been known to the Cabinet, it had been expected that the Russians would focus on gaining territory adjacent to their existing possessions. The appearance of the czar's forces on the edge of the Indian Ocean was an unpleasant surprise, and some of the more belligerent in the Diet muttered darkly about invoking the Higashiyama doctrine to expel the Europeans. Prime minister Ito dismissed this possibility for the present, but charged the Foreign Minister with closer supervision of Russian affairs.

In October the belligerence of King Zalahtinyan appeared to have finally overreached his country's modest resources as the overconfident monarch announced his intention to seize Yunnan from Qin.



The Minister of War reported that Qin could muster an army of over 60,000 troops, compared to Burma's standing army of 20,000. Relations between Japan and Qin were abysmal, largely due to the legacy of wars which had seen Qin reduced to small and divided state, and the Cabinet unanimously voted in favour of granting a subsidy to the Burmese for the duration of the war. Suggestions that Japan should intervene if King Zalahtinyan's venture looked doomed to failure were given consideration, but no definite conclusion was arrived at while the war was still in its opening phases.

In Europe the peace that had followed the end of the Austro-Bohemian war was shattered by revolution. In Italy, Modenan born adventurer Giuseppe Garibaldi had returned from exile in La Plata to raise the standard of Italian nationalism in Urbino.



Taking advantage of the weakness of the Holy Roman Empire, Garibaldi and six thousand 'Redshirts' overran the Duchy of Urbino, causing Duchess Lucrezia Visconti to flee Ancona for Rome. Duke Teramachi's eventual acquiescence to the Milanese treaty was in part driven by his concern to strengthen the new kingdom in the face of revolts from within. In Japan itself the Cabinet believed the ambassador was too pessimistic as to the rebel's chances, and in any case the Army of Italy would serve as the ultimate guarantor of order in the peninsula.

France too was not immune to the wave of revolution that had gripped Europe. Rebels in the northwest had seized control of several garrison towns, but the French government assured the Empire that they had the situation well in hand and turned down offers of assistance from Japanese troops.



In comparison to the ructions in Europe, the Cabinet could reassure themselves that their government had produced no such disturbances. True, isolated protests against Japanese rule persisted, but every state had its malcontents. So long as the Emperor reigned, surely no-one subject would take arms against him.


Domestic affairs

In part, the Cabinet's belief was borne out of their need for such sentiments to be true. The unemployment of previous years was showing no sign of abating, and the shortage of machine parts merely exacerbated the issue.



According to the Interior Minister, nearly 400,000 craftsmen were without work and these numbers were increasingly daily. As the Minister of War pointed out, there were two unemployed men for every Japanese soldier. True, the labouring classes were unarmed and uncoordinated, but should agent provocateurs take control the results could be devastating.

For this reason the Cabinet was forced to maintain employment levels no matter the cost. The election campaign had struck a heavy blow against canned food production, as the government had been forced to cancel contracts in an effort to improve soldiers’ food.



Now the Cabinet was faced with picking up the bill to keep these factories open, or face consigning tens of thousands more labourers to unemployment. Neither outcome was particularly palatable, but the government reasoned that it was best to limit the present crisis as far as possible and to put off a reckoning until the situation was better in hand.


End of Year

The beginning of 1842 saw the liberals make modest gains in the Diet. Ordinarily such an event would be of minor concern, but the Cabinet had been perturbed by the revolts in Europe and the possibility of similar unrest spreading to the discontented poor of the Empire was a remote but nightmarish possibility. Until 1842 the government's chief concerns had been the Restorationists and the Isolationists. Now it seemed that there was a much more insidious threat to the peace and order Japan had enjoyed.

[morningSIDEr]

Society gossip had it that General Arisugawa had once been confined to a lunatic asylum by his family, but regardless of the truth of that rumour there was no denying his single-minded approach to destroying the enemy.



The Interior Minister had questioned the decision to appoint General Arisugawa to the largest army Japan possessed, but the Minister of War had defended him as the best available candidate for the job.

I think you need some new officers! I do rather love the traits your generals and admirals are assigned in V2, some rather amusing ones and some brilliant combinations.

A very interesting update. Hopefully Milan does not abuse being added to Japan's sphere of influence, Burma certainly seems to have made the most of Japan's good will thus far. Russia's new acquistions could lead to future worries, but rather more important are the rebellions in parts of Europe. Hopefully the Japanese cabinet take note of them, the many unemployed workers within Japan at present is cause for concern and if they were to rebel, that would make things rather tricky to put it mildly.

At least the Japanese economy is currently robust enough to subsidise the unprofitable factories. I just hope the machine parts problem can be addressed soon, that seems to be what is really hindering Japan.

[Avindian]

I can't believe how tiny your liberal faction is in the upper house! Is this your intent, bad luck, or a combination of both?

[tamius23]

I can't believe how tiny your liberal faction is in the upper house! Is this your intent, bad luck, or a combination of both?

Have you got slavery in your country? I do, and I regularly get >50% liberal.

[Director]

The idea of Japan holding the balance of power in Europe would be ridiculous except for the fact that you hold China... and greater California! I predict that, should you be able to avoid a mass rebellion, you will find no-one who can seriously challenge you. Russia might be able to give you a fight, and Russia + England could be a nightmare come true.

It will be interesting to see who gets the naval technological innovations first. That fleet of ships-of-the-line and frigates won't be worth much against ironclads.

An interesting read, so far. I'll have to go look up the EU3 prequel.

[Blxz]

Stuck, sick at home this weekend. But no more updates to read... =(
Absolutely gripped on this AAR and looking forward, as always, to more.

[InnocentIII]

Great stuff. I enjoyed the predecessor, and I think your pace is just right. I enjoy the story explanation for game events, and I love your detailed worldwide perspective. Looking forward to another 94 years!

[Dewirix]

I think you need some new officers! I do rather love the traits your generals and admirals are assigned in V2, some rather amusing ones and some brilliant combinations.

Indeed. I rather like "Aggressive Madman", although some, such as "Deeply Religious/Immoral" make a little less sense.

A very interesting update. Hopefully Milan does not abuse being added to Japan's sphere of influence, Burma certainly seems to have made the most of Japan's good will thus far. Russia's new acquistions could lead to future worries, but rather more important are the rebellions in parts of Europe. Hopefully the Japanese cabinet take note of them, the many unemployed workers within Japan at present is cause for concern and if they were to rebel, that would make things rather tricky to put it mildly.

Only one letter separates Milan from Miran. Given that, how do you think they respond to being sphered? Burma's bitten off much more than it can chew without Japanese intervention, and since we're not formally allied this time they're really pushing it. Russia's probably near the line where I'd think about stepping in. I can see allowing them to take bits of Baluchistan, but Sindh and Madurai are mine and I'll defend them to the hilt.

This being V2 1.4, any rebellion will probably be quite late in the day. Not sure what I'll do with it as it's usually pretty trivial to put down rebellions (if tiresome), but it doesn't feel right to say "and then the Cabinet ordered the slaughter of thousands of subjects and life went on as normal".

I can't believe how tiny your liberal faction is in the upper house! Is this your intent, bad luck, or a combination of both?

To an extent it's a bit of both. I haven't changed any POP ideologies from vanilla and thus I've got a very high proportion of conservatives. My low literacy also means I'm not eligible for the Liberal Agitation event to fire, which I'd need to grow liberal support. I'm hoping industrialisation will shift the balance, but it'll be touch and go whether I can get a liberal UH before the socialists come along to block further political reforms.

Have you got slavery in your country? I do, and I regularly get >50% liberal.

Nope, no slavery, and not much general desire for reform. I'd quite like to see it though. A liberal-interventionist neo-Higashiyaman Japan would be fun to play.

The idea of Japan holding the balance of power in Europe would be ridiculous except for the fact that you hold China... and greater California! I predict that, should you be able to avoid a mass rebellion, you will find no-one who can seriously challenge you. Russia might be able to give you a fight, and Russia + England could be a nightmare come true.

It will be interesting to see who gets the naval technological innovations first. That fleet of ships-of-the-line and frigates won't be worth much against ironclads.

An interesting read, so far. I'll have to go look up the EU3 prequel.

I have to confess the detail I put in about the naval build up was heavily influence by having read A Special Providence. If anyone else wants more of the same, but done better, then I'd strongly suggest you look there.

The major problem I'm facing is having a big empire with low starting literacy and lots of competing research priorities. I've already goofed by going for the literacy improving tech before I got Ideological Thought as the plurality boosts of the latter should have been the top priority. As it is I'm not doing too badly and should be able to catch up by the 1870s/1880s at worst, but Japan's going to be behind the curve, especially compared to the UK at sea, where their naval tech school will really help them.

Stuck, sick at home this weekend. But no more updates to read... =(
Absolutely gripped on this AAR and looking forward, as always, to more.

Sorry to hear you've not been well. I've been in hospital every day since Tuesday, but fortunately for the best of reasons. I've had the screenshots for this latest update ready for the whole time, but only now have I had the time and inclination to write anything.

Great stuff. I enjoyed the predecessor, and I think your pace is just right. I enjoy the story explanation for game events, and I love your detailed worldwide perspective. Looking forward to another 94 years!

Thanks, I think the pace helps in some ways, although I find myself having to refer back constantly to make sure what I'm saying is consistent. Hope it's easier for your readers.

[Dewirix]

1842: Things fall apart

[I]t was a fact that this war was carried on on a principle utterly erroneous, because it was a war against the government of China, and not against the people. Had they made war on the nation the dispute would have been terminated long since.

State opening and Emperor's speech

The slow but steady rise of the liberal faction within the Diet was beginning to cause concern at Court. In Japanese history liberalism was associated with the Higashiyama-era: an age which had seen the Empire launch a series of bloody conflicts which profited it but little and imposed ever-greater responsibilities.

The Cabinet's strategy for fighting off a resurgence of liberalism was in essence the same as that which it had used to overcome the isolationist and restorationist challenges: low taxes at home and successful yet limited military actions abroad.



To this end the year's Budget saw further reductions in taxes, bringing the burden on the lower classes into line with that for the nobility. To reduce rates further might have had an even greater effect, but it was already getting to the point where the cost of collecting the tax was approaching its return to the exchequer.

To balance the budget the tariff was raised substantially to a nominal rate of 85% on all imports. However, due to a shortage of customs officers it was thought that merchants were only declaring about a fifth of the true value of their goods. Since many in the government had acquired a taste for expensive European imports the protests from local producers about widespread evasion of duties were listened to sympathetically, but for the most part ignored.


Muscular diplomacy

Internationally, the Cabinet first looked to the British-Aragonese war as a chance to win glory at the expense of a rival. The mere entry of Japan into the conflict might be enough to persuade the British to drop their claims, but although a diplomatic mission was dispatched to Barcelona with a view to arranging terms for a Japanese intervention it arrived only days before the exhausted Spanish nation conceded defeat.



Though thwarted, Japan had ventured and lost nothing but time and only suffered in that the victory had left Britain all the stronger. However, the Cabinet had been denied its war, and so turned their gaze to a target closer to home: Qin.

The Burmese-Qin war had progressed as badly for King Zalahtinyan as wiser heads had predicted from the outset. His armies had advanced confidently enough, but had been beaten back by sheer weight of numbers. Now much of northern Burma was under Qin control and the latter had announced that it would take Rangoon as reparations for Burmese aggression.



However much satisfaction the Cabinet took from seeing Burma’s overconfident king humbled, a Qin victory was much the worse outcome. The Army of Southern China was deployed to the Qin border in two formations, the second christened the Army of Anshun under the hard-charging cavalryman Kageaki Kodama.

Japan could not be seen to condone Burmese aggression and therefore officially the war would be fought on behalf of Tibet, whose tributary status had been exploited mercilessly by Qin to meet the costs of the war. The Japanese consul in Shangzhou conveyed the government's demands to Qin's ruling council, who predictably rejected them as a violation of sovereignty. On 2 August the Cabinet confirmed its intent to enforce its will by military means.

Qin forces in its northern enclave were no match for the 30,000 Imperial troops who had been positioned on the border with orders to advance and occupy the capital and surrounding areas. The army of Northeast China quickly brought to battle the 6,000-man garrison of Yenan and defeated them with little trouble.



However, the force guarding Shangzhou defied expectations and rather than defending the capital slipped through Japanese lines to attack the Empire itself. Aware that it faced impossible odds in a conventional battle, Qin's leaders tried to incite Japan's Chinese subject to revolt. Their small army's progress through eastern China saw it attack outposts of the Japanese 'occupiers', but for the most part they found a population unwilling to commit themselves to a such a palpably lost cause.

Despite Japan's rapid progress in the north, it was not enough to save Burma, or its King. With its army destroyed and Qin's forces overrunning the country the Burmese nobility forced Zalahtinyan to abdicate in favour of his son, the 23 year-old Handabayin, who had little choice but to accept the loss of Rangoon in exchange for preserving the Thet-Naung dynasty's throne. His father fled to exile in Lan Xang vowing to return, drive Qin from his country and punish the usurpers.



For the Cabinet, the problems Burma's defeat posed were more prosaic. The war had been started to prevent a Burmese defeat. With Burma lost, the ostensible aim of the conflict – freeing Tibet – now became the primary goal. Japanese troops would fight and die for a cause no-one in Kyoto cared overmuch about, but if the government were to save face then victory was essential.

Less than two weeks after Burma's surrender the war took another turn for the worse. General Araki's Army of Central China mutinied against its commanders at the Battle of Shunqing, delivering the Empire its most embarrassing defeat in living memory.



The first day of battle had been the now-familiar affair of disciplined Japanese regiments advancing against poorly equipped Qin troops, who either broke and ran or were driven off at bayonet point. However, once the Imperial army returned to its lines for the night pro-Chinese agitators – some from the Qin forces and others from within the ranks themselves – stirred up the local contingents with the result that they refused to fight on the next morning. Despite the urging of their officers the men stubbornly remained in their camps even as the Qin army began to advance to meet them.

Seeing no other alternative, General Araki ordered a general retreat, which against expectations was carried out in good order. The Army of Central China would play no more part in the Qin war. The formations involved were returned to barracks and on the orders of the War Office a savage series of courts martial were instated to try the ringleaders. In all, Japanese military justice claimed more lives than first day of battle had and all the regiments involved were dismissed and reconstituted in other parts of the Empire.

There can be no overstating how seriously the Cabinet took the threat of revolt amongst the Chinese troops who formed the bulk of the Imperial armies. Should they ever band together in force the results would be far bloodier than Shunqing.


Europe in crisis

Even as the Qin war dragged on, in Europe a much more threatening conflict was developing. Archduke Ferdinand III of Austria resurrected the long defunct title of King of the Germans. First used by the Pope in the eleventh century in an attempt to limit the pretensions of Henry IV, Ferdinand's adoption of the title was a challenge aimed at the Modenan emperor, Cesare Gonzaga.

Having been crowned in a solemn and wholly-fanciful ceremony at Augsburg on 9 September, Ferdinand began a tour of his new kingdom. His intent to visit his new subjects was resisted by Magdeburg, whose King, Ruprecht II von Hohenzollern, refused to recognise Ferdinand's title and angrily dismissed the suggestion that he should pay homage to his new liege. The example of Bohemia and Austria's power meant the other German states had acquiesced to the situation for now, and while Modena stated it would defend its vassal there were grave doubts about its ability to bring Ferdinand back into line: Magdeburg was alone and vulnerable.



Having seen its ultimatum to submit to the new king rejected, Austria declared war on 19 September. Japan responded by offering financial assistance to Magdeburg and dispatched diplomats with a view to arranging a possible Imperial intervention. No one in Japan took the idea of war with Austria lightly, but the Empire’s careful European diplomacy would come to nothing if Austria were allowed to expand unchecked.

Unfortunately for the Empire, Austrian diplomats were also having a busy autumn. If Modena could be neutralised then Ferdinand's troops could concentrate their efforts to the north. Modena's most obvious enemy was King Ascanio of Milan, who leapt at the chance to add yet more territory to his realm. His aggression was given a veneer of propriety by Ferdinand's proclamation that he was ceding Genoa to the d'Este family; a pronouncement that ignored the fact that the city was not his to give, nor was it even within the German territories he claimed to control.



On 7 December Milanese troops marched across the border with Modena to take possession of Genoa, an event Emperor Cesare described as "un giorno di infamia". In Japan, the Cabinet were placed in a quandry: supporting Milan would mean committing troops who would be needed for a war with Austria, but breaking the alliance would leave Imperial forces out of position and unable to open a second front.

The decision was taken to prosecute the war against Modena with all possible speed. A swift victory would allow the Army of Italy to be redeployed, and as it was likely to be some months before an alliance could be agreed with Magdeburg, Japan could defeat the Modenan field armies and leave Milan to prosecute the sieges.

As the European Fleet took up blockading positions along the Italian coast the Army of Italy advanced on Modena under its new commander, Nobuyoshi Oyama. Although temperamentally more suited to the defence, General Oyama's bold use of the allied superiority in cavalry and artillery forced the Modenese troops into a fight against very unfavourable odds.



By 23 December Modena had lost control of its capital. General Saletta fell back towards Parma, but Milanese and Imperial cavalry had already seized the bridges across the Enza, leaving the Modenese commander no choice but to surrender. With 33,000 Modenan soldiers captured or killed from a pre-war total of around twice that it looked possible that the fighting would soon be over and the Empire could turn its attentions northward.


Domestic affairs

The year saw the Diet pass the Export Licensing Act which aimed to address the critical shortage of machine parts by preventing any from leaving the country without the government's express permission. Surplus parts were to be bought by the state and stored for later use. While the Act had some effect, the simple matter was that Japan's demand for machine parts was such that in the first two months of operation only four consignments of parts had reached storage, although the Finance Ministry was relieved that the strain on the public purse would be manageable.

By March Japan had some 93 factories in operation throughout the Empire, some of which had been expanded two or three times beyond their original size. Were it not for the shortage of parts, this impressive figure might have been higher still.



Of greater concern to the Cabinet was the stubbornly low literacy rate. Of course it would take time for the new education system to produce results, but the gap between Japan and rivals such as Austria led to fears that the Empire could fall behind technologically. With so many demands on the government's resources it was hoped that the pace of improvement would quicken over the remainder of the decade.

In September the Cabinet's policy commission published the first comprehensive statement of the government's political thoughts and ambitions. In what has been described as a "proto-manifesto" the commission laid out the philosophical underpinnings of the Court's conservatism, and in so doing looked to cement the party's ascendancy in the Diet and the Imperial Council.



The statement committed the Court to the ideals of the Japanese constitution, although reference to the more radical ambitions of the Higashiyama era were omitted. It also attempted to define the obligations of the nobility - and of the Court as its natural representatives - to the lesser citizens and subjects of the Empire. The document has been described as one of the foundations of Japanese political thought, but in defining what it stood for the Court had inadvertently given its opponents a clearer conception of their own ideals.

In August the Empire began the task of establishing a new colony in the Great Eastlands to join together the existing territories from north to south. The result would see the formation of the maru, a great circle from the eastern plains to the western coast that Japan could populate at leisure.



Later in the year work would start on establishing a formal border with Mexico and Aragon. It was the Cabinet's hope that all the new territories would provide the Empire's burgeoning population with an alternative to life as an unemployed labourer. The Great Eastlands were vast and full of untapped potential and integrating them within the Empire would see it greatly strengthened.


End of year

The Court's formal publication of its beliefs failed to stop the slow but steady growth of liberal sentiment amongst Diet deputies. If anything it may slightly have encouraged the trend as so wide-ranging a document was bound to contain sentiments a man could find objectionable. Nevertheless, the Court still enjoyed the support of a comfortable majority, and the Cabinet hoped that 1843 would see success in Japan's wars pay dividends at home.

[loki100]

do like the 7 December reference - very appropriate. Seems as if your far flung empire is under some stress, especially in Europe where that Austria looks a real threat

[Malurous]

Great stuff. Can't wait for 1843 to see how some of the "cliffhangers" in there develop.

Protecting Magdeburg does seem key - it's not a good thing if Austria is the only decent power in the German region.

[InnocentIII]

Great update, I especially liked the explanations for the combat outcomes. It'll be interesting to see what come of the high tariffs. That's one thing I don't really understand.

[PrawnStar]

I've not been in the forum much recently so I missed this starting. Caught up now, enjoyed the EU3 bit so I'm sure I'll like this

[Blxz]

Nice update again. Am I the only one really hoping that a mega Austria/Germany forms? I can't wait to see you put under some real stress, although they will never be able to threaten the home islands it might be nice to see your influence in Europe being shouldered aside one day.

EDIT: Also, why were you in the hospital if I may ask? I can't think of any 'good' reasons apart from the wife having a baby or something.

[Malurous]

EDIT: Also, why were you in the hospital if I may ask? I can't think of any 'good' reasons apart from the wife having a baby or something.

Looking at Dewirix's information, "Location: The maternity ward" might be a subtle hint.

[morningSIDEr]

Cracking stuff. As you already stated Milan is happily abusing her position being within Japan's sphere of influence, her tiresome war with Modena could hinder your efforts to save Magdeburg. Which would certainly be vexing as Austria badly needs to be checked. I was very surprised by the Battle of Shunqing (although I doubt I was as surprised as you yourself!), an excellent explanation was given for this baffling reverse though. Hopefully your Chinese recruited forces remove any thought of mutiny for the future.

Getting your literacy rates up is going to be a considerable task due to your massive population. Which is likely the biggest danger I can see with regards to your military power; as it stands you can all too easily fall behind in the technology race. Although at least Ideological Thought will help with this. A pity colonisation remains such an important activity at present, promoting some clergy, or even clerks, could really help. Although as I type this I need to check once again your clergy and clerk numbers!

Oh and I sincerely hope everything is going well at the hospital.

[Matnjord]

But if you impede Austria"s growth, WHO will play the role of super-end-game-boss-of-doom when you will convert to HOI? WHO will need to be stricken down by the heroical japanese armies in a desperate conflict to preserve world peace? See, Austria's expantion is something you should support and encourage, so that us, the readers, can have a proper armaggedon style war in the end when they will ally with England and come crashing down on "poor little Milan" for the Genoese corridor! Of course I still need to figure out a way to explain and justify this to your population^^
Anyway, carry on my good man, this is definitly proving to be very enjoyable

[Dewirix]

do like the 7 December reference - very appropriate. Seems as if your far flung empire is under some stress, especially in Europe where that Austria looks a real threat

I couldn't resist.

Austria's problematic at the moment, but as their mobilisation pool increases it's going to be tough to handle them without committing huge forces to Europe, which I don't think is in keeping with purely local conflicts.

Great stuff. Can't wait for 1843 to see how some of the "cliffhangers" in there develop.

Protecting Magdeburg does seem key - it's not a good thing if Austria is the only decent power in the German region.

Indeed. Magdeburg are the alternative Prussia in this history. I love to help them form Germany, but we'll have to see about that. This war might leave them in bad shape even if they win.

Great update, I especially liked the explanations for the combat outcomes. It'll be interesting to see what come of the high tariffs. That's one thing I don't really understand.

I'm not too sure of the effect of the tariffs myself, but the Court Party are Protectionist, so it seems in character for them.

I've not been in the forum much recently so I missed this starting. Caught up now, enjoyed the EU3 bit so I'm sure I'll like this

Glad to have you along for the ride. I seem to recall you were extremely busy at work last I heard. Hope things have calmed down somewhat.

Nice update again. Am I the only one really hoping that a mega Austria/Germany forms? I can't wait to see you put under some real stress, although they will never be able to threaten the home islands it might be nice to see your influence in Europe being shouldered aside one day.

It's not just you, although I'd like to see a separate Austria and Germany form. Italy might be problematic, but hopefully Milan can become a GP under Japanese protection. As I said to loki, but the time we hit the 60s/70s/80s Austria's mobilisation pool will be so big there won't be much my small force can do to withstand it.

EDIT: Also, why were you in the hospital if I may ask? I can't think of any 'good' reasons apart from the wife having a baby or something.

Looking at Dewirix's information, "Location: The maternity ward" might be a subtle hint.

Malurous has it right. My wife gave birth to our first child last Tuesday at 4am and we only got discharged on Saturday (and had to pop back in today). I'm not getting a great deal of sleep, but other than that things are great.

Cracking stuff. As you already stated Milan is happily abusing her position being within Japan's sphere of influence, her tiresome war with Modena could hinder your efforts to save Magdeburg. Which would certainly be vexing as Austria badly needs to be checked. I was very surprised by the Battle of Shunqing (although I doubt I was as surprised as you yourself!), an excellent explanation was given for this baffling reverse though. Hopefully your Chinese recruited forces remove any thought of mutiny for the future.

This time Urbino aren't giving Modena military access, so the battles in the north are more decisive. Austria is a bit of a worry as they have local numerical superiority and almost as many brigades as me when they've mobilised and I haven't.

Shunqing was the result of having brigades that no longer had any soldier POPs to reinforce them. I've used them in the past and they've seemed OK, but in this case they made up the entire army and it seems that they're unable to fight. The entire formation just disintegrated after the battle was lost, despite what the screenshot may suggest.

Getting your literacy rates up is going to be a considerable task due to your massive population. Which is likely the biggest danger I can see with regards to your military power; as it stands you can all too easily fall behind in the technology race. Although at least Ideological Thought will help with this. A pity colonisation remains such an important activity at present, promoting some clergy, or even clerks, could really help. Although as I type this I need to check once again your clergy and clerk numbers!

Promoting clerks and clergy is problematic in itself as I have so many states it dilutes the impact. Having played a parallel game with Sindh I managed to take them to around 75% literacy by the turn of the century starting from a base of 6% and researching techs much more slowly at first, so it should eventually balance itself out.

Militarily it's a question of having to spread myself more thinly than I normally do. Generally I focus on army techs and backfill the navy later, but in this case the Empire is so spread out that I need the navy to bind everything together. Thus I'll probably ignore artillery and cavalry for a while and replace those lines with some naval research.

Oh and I sincerely hope everything is going well at the hospital.

As above, it's going brilliantly, although somewhat tiring.

But if you impede Austria"s growth, WHO will play the role of super-end-game-boss-of-doom when you will convert to HOI? WHO will need to be stricken down by the heroical japanese armies in a desperate conflict to preserve world peace? See, Austria's expantion is something you should support and encourage, so that us, the readers, can have a proper armaggedon style war in the end when they will ally with England and come crashing down on "poor little Milan" for the Genoese corridor! Of course I still need to figure out a way to explain and justify this to your population^^
Anyway, carry on my good man, this is definitly proving to be very enjoyable

You're certainly right in that I want to cultivate good enemies for later in the game (and for a possible conversion to HOI3, but let's not get ahead of ourselves). I'm hoping to encourage Germany to form, and possibly a Milan-dominated Italy too, although Modena's spread-out configuration makes me doubt whether that can happen.

The UK, Russia and especially France will be able to pose a serious threat, as to a lesser extent will Castille. The latter two I'm friendly with, the former two very much hostile towards.