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Hi everyone, sorry for the longer then intended absence, but I didn't get time to play the weekend before last, so consequently the update schedule slipped.

Three of the great powers at war, and now Japan plans to join in! To what madness has our world descended?!

Though I'm still busy with another game, I've been meaning to ask if I can somehow obtain your starting save/mod, so I can try it out. I find Trebizond, in particular, absolutely fascinating in this alternative history.

There's a link to the files in the first post. Bear in mind that there're are still a few kinks to work through, but it should be OK. Glad to see someone else is a Trebizond fan.

One of the reasons I dumped my AAR was what you've got in a screenshot above -- the dozens and dozens of province events with ridiculously low MTTHs, and which seem to have so little an effect. They happen a lot in vanilla, true, but they seem more frequent in conversion AARs.

It's simply a result of being so big and having so many non-accepted culture POPs in the Empire. Not sure that they're having little effect. They're driving up militancy quite nicely.

Wow, Russia certainly has ended up on the wrong side of things. Let's see how they manage when Japan is added to their current list of enemies...

Russia has done very well for themselves. They beat France at the end of the EU3 game, which was quite a surprise to me. However, here they seem hell bent on attracting as many enemies as possible.

Love the maps and charts in the decade summary; they appeal to my inner statistician/hair-splitter. Poor Russia seems to have shot itself in one foot, while the other is about to step on a land mine.

I would be tempted to pummel Manchukuo as well, if only to remove that ugly gap (by the second "A" in Japan). Taking it would give Japanese China much prettier borders. (I realise not every player has that disease, but... well, I do.) Granted, it would be very inconvenient and somewhat dastardly in the eye of the diplomats.

Although you're roleplaying them very effectively, I have to say I can hardly wait until Kuroda and company get the boot. :D Nearly 66,000 souls emigrating per month ought to be sounding alarm bells to somebody.

I'm not really planning on taking great swathes of territory anywhere but North America, and even that's making me a little uneasy. There has to be some challenge to the game after all.

The emigration figures were from late in the month, but not the last day, so the true figure is likely even higher.

Almost 50,000 emigres to the UK per month is astounding. I would love to know what effect this is having on the British colonies. Any chance of a North America update (comparing the Great Eastlands to the other colonies) at some point?

I'll include an overview in a later update, but the westernmost British provinces seem to have majority Chinese populations. Given Japan's antipathy towards Britain and the Chinese opposition to the Empire it's really quite worrying.

Is there still a massive case of joblessness for your craftsmen or have you managed to fix that now? If not then its pretty easy to see what could be driving that emigration. The rest of it must be the pretty harsh policies of Kuroda-san.

Still, you don't want quitters and lay-abouts in your country. Its good news that they are leaving, more space for true patriots who want to work and be taxed for the good of the Japanese empire.

Joblessness is still a problem for craftsmen, but I don't think the RGOs are full yet. I certainly haven't researched any of the technologies that would shrink them. I think you're right about the militancy having an effect, but so does the higher consciousness level.

I don't mind the quitters leaving. It's coming back in British brigades that worries me.

The coming war with Russia promises to be a great read, I fail to see how they will be able to stand against their current foes. The level of emigration you are experiencing is truly extraordinary, I've little idea of how it could be curtailed though. Well, perhaps conquering the British Empire would remedy the situation!

Yeah, I pretty much agree with Chris's summary on Russia's current approach to foreign policy. Conquering Britain won't happen, but beating them down in a war is a distinct possibility, especially with the current Cabinet.

What was Kazakhstan before you converted it (Kazakh horde?), and why is it spelt wrong?

It was Kazakh. It's wrong because I have a terrible blindspot for spelling it, so no matter how I write it it always looks wrong to me.

Great update Dewirix! I especially love the establishment of subsidies for a grand alliance against Russia. The emigration is a touch worrying though, especially to Britain!

The Russian situation just fell into my lap. I was considering taking them down, then they declared war for more Asian territory, making them a greater threat. Then France joined in against them making it a great opportunity.

great update - this promises to be one epic war. Pity your populace are emigrating to the British though ... is it something you said?

More like something the Cabinet did, such as shooting protestors or knocking down their homes. Still, you can't make an omlette without brutal and systematic oppression.

Agreed. If I'm not mistaken though, Tuva is owned by Manchukuo and surrounded by Russian provinces. It would make sense to gain territories from Russia and gain a land border to Tuva first before annexing Manchukuo.

It's all just worthless steppe to me, useful only to deny it to Russia. Japan's policy to to create a ring of compliant buffer states between it and Russia to give advanced warning of any aggressive moves. Taking more territory would make that goal harder to achieve.

From a gameplay point of view, it's also cheaper to liberate a state to an unciv and then conquer it youself: 7 infamy as opposed to 10.

EDIT: Although that's only true in this case if Mongolia was a state, which it almost certainly wasn't. Still, an idea for the future though.
 
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1847: The Russian war

The Emperor of Russia's ambitious views had caused him for a long time past to hoard bullion— a fact which everybody knew, and which, with his despotic power, was rendered easy, as by that power he made his subjects carry on their trade with paper roubles, while he hoarded the gold. He would not, however, say that the transaction was not dictated by a fair and legitimate desire to invest his money advantageously; but it was possible that the Emperor had some vague ambitious view, by which he was prompted to think it would prove advantageous to him to have France, England, and Holland all in his debt.


State opening and Emperor's speech

War with Russia dominated the opening of the 1847 Diet. Throughout the previous year the Kuroda administration had worked to bring Japan's forces to a state of readiness: new brigades had been raised, forces moved into position and officer training improved. Now all that remained was the declaration of war itself.

budget1847.png


The 1847 Budget produced no surprises. Taxes and tariffs would be held at their existing levels in anticipation of the demands of war. With no general election on the horizon the Cabinet saw little reason to lower the tariff, despite growing protests from liberal deputies, who pointed out that the Treasury was sitting on reserves of over £2.5 million: this belonged to the people, not the state, they protested, asking by what right, or for what reason, the government had sequestered it. Their inquiries were ignored.

While the financial situation was unchanged, the looming war was having a marked effect on Imperial politics. The Court Party was still struggling to come to terms with its ejection from office in 1844, but its members had failed to reach a consensus on the reason for its defeat.

For some, the Loyalist's victory was proof that pro-war policies had only served to play into the hands of Kuroda and his allies. This wing sought an accommodation with the Isolationists, arguing that by combining their support the moderates would easily win the next election.


The opposing camp believed that this was an unwarranted abandonment of one of the Court's basic principles. Japan's international commitments necessitated a strong military, and the withdrawal from European affairs that the Isolationists would demand as the price for their support was too steep.


The war with Russia would finally shatter the Court Party, forcing its members to choose between supporting the conflict - and hence the Loyalists - or siding with the Isolationists in opposition. The rump of the party decided that its dislike for the Loyalists outweighed its distaste for isolationism.

warwithrussia.png



However, a sizeable minority of deputies refused to follow the leadership into the new alliance, preferring instead to cross the floor to the Loyalists. Prime minister Kuroda accepted them eagerly, stating that their support for the Empire at a time of need contrasted sharply with the self-serving cowardice of their former colleagues. The Court had ceased to exist as an independent party.



Trapping the bear

War was formally declared on 13 January 1847. Vladimir Zavalishin was summoned to the Foreign Ministry, where he was read a prepared statement denouncing Russian aggression and informed he was to be expelled from the Empire for the duration of the hostilities.


While Japan went to war alone, Russia responded by calling on its allies for aid. Of these, Magdeburg - still weary from its disastrous war with Austria - was forced to remain aloof. Bohemia initially honoured their alliance, but the decision was so unpopular that a palace coup ejected the Duke's pro-Russian ministers. They appealed to St Petersburg for support, with the result that Bohemia found itself simultaneously at war with Russia and Japan. Prussia and a handful of other Russian satellites followed their master to war, but their forces were tiny in comparison to those of the Powers.

The timing of the war was less than ideal. The Cabinet had initially wanted to wait for the spring, but the deteriorating situation to Japan's north argued for a swifter response. Castile's early offensive had provoked a strong Russian response under the competent Maxim Kolchak and 30,000 Russians.

eastfront.png


Although Castilian commander Mateo Aznar was a fine general in his own right, he was badly outnumbered and had no answer to the Russian light cavalry, which threatened to cut off his supply lines. The vast distances involved in fighting on the northern steppe meant that the only immediate assistance Japan could send was three brigades of Jurchen cavalry. It would take weeks for the bulk of the Empire's armies to reach Nerchinksk.

In Europe the front lines were more compact and the combination of friendly French territory, naval preponderance and the proximity of the Army of Italy all argued for an aggressive Japanese intervention. The fleet was dispatched to take up blockading positions in the Black Sea and the Baltic, while troops were shipped to Varna to resist the Russian armies pushing southwards.

balkanfront.png


In keeping with the new focus on the offensive, General Yasukata Enomoto wasted little time after bringing his troops ashore. The First European Corps was ordered to march on Shumen to engage the enemy forces attempting to subdue the border fortresses there.

Nerchinsk and Shumen were demonstrative of the different challenges the Empire faced in the war. The Balkan front was characterised by large engagements in which Japan's professional troops met a horde of soldier-serfs lightly supported by Cossacks and artillery. In the east, forces were sparser, but here Russia had concentrated professional infantry formations.

twinwins.png


The results spoke for themselves. In the Balkans, the Battle of Shumen eventually drew in the First and Second European Corps - a total of 48,000 men - opposed by nearly 60,000 Russians. The latter's poor training and discipline counted sharply against them: by the time Russia was forced out of Shumen it had suffered over 33,000 casualties compared to Japan's 6,800. The victory at Nerchinsk was much less convincing, with Japanese cavalry forces suffering over 50 per cent casualties. Despite this, the two victories meant that war had started well.

The first major reverse was the withdrawal of France from the hostilities. In the first four months of the Balkan campaign Japanese troops had encountered no French field armies and while there was some evidence of progress further west it was clear that they were not pursuing the war to their utmost.

franceout.png


The terms of the Franco-Russian truce obliged Paris to demilitarise the Balkan frontier for two years; a clause clearly aimed at forcing Japan to withdraw its troops. However, the de la Tour government gambled that Russia was in no mood to violate the truce and continued to allow General Enomoto to operate from his base at Varna.

More worryingly, June saw the collapse of Castilian resistance in Asia, leading to Madrid’s capitulation to Russian demands. Part of Japan's rationale for entering the war had been to prevent fresh Russian gains in Asia, and in that they had failed.

castileout.png


While the battle of Nerchinsk had been a victory for the allies, Castile had been left with only 351 men in fighting condition from the 12,000 who had begun the war. The Cortes was no longer willing to suffer such losses for a colonial possession that brought little gain.

The Cabinet now faced calls to expand the war and seek the return of Castile’s lost colonies. However, Kuroda was reluctant to reward an ally that had just abandoned the Empire and argued that Russia would gain little from a distant territory that could pose no threat to Japan.

Worse news was to come. Following the victory at Shumen Japanese forces in the Balkans - now comprising the entirety of the Army of Italy - had worked to capitalise on their advantage by destroying the remaining Russian formations in detail. Although they had largely succeeded in this, months of hard fighting had worn them down.

When the Second European Corps under General Kido marched against a retreating Russian force in Pleven they were surprised by a fresh Russian army released from the French front. Twenty-two Russian brigades, including regulars, were more than a match for Kido's worn out forces.

plevenloss.png


Although Enomoto was able to extricate himself from his pursuit of the enemy in Shumen and reinforce his beleaguered subordinate it quickly became clear that the Japanese position in Pleven was untenable. As he would later remark in his memoirs, Enomoto was faced with a choice between the path of Kuroda and the path of Oyama: of seeking victory at any cost, or of accepting the situation and preserving the bulk of his forces.

He chose the latter, using his light horse to screen the withdrawal of the heavier elements of his army as they pulled back into French territory. Criticism of his actions in Japan was surprisingly muted. The victor of Shumen was given the benefit of the doubt, although many deputies of the now-defunct Court Party used Enomoto's pragmatism as a means to settle old scores with their Loyalist rivals.

With Japan's Balkan campaign halted for the foreseeable future, it was left to the navy to keep up the pressure. In July the First European Fleet completed its long voyage around Europe and established a close blockade of the Russian capital.

seapower.png


Meanwhile, troops from the Army of Morocco were landed on the Crimean peninsula and began the difficult task of reducing the fortress of Sevastopol. In truth, General Enomoto saw little strategic advantage in capturing the city, but with his own troops out of action it was a means of drawing Russia's attention from the Asian front.

Japan was not the only one planning a distraction. Although it could never be proven, the Cabinet remained certain that Russia had a hand in a trade dispute between the Empire and the Ming that eventually reached boiling point. The Ming court promulgated an edict expelling all Japanese citizens from its territory, confiscating any property they might have and threatening imprisonment and corporal punishment for non-compliance.

mingwar.png


The cause united the Loyalists - who bridled at the insult to Japanese honour - with the liberals, shocked by the threat to private property. Although the Empire was already at war and no troops could readily be spared the Army of Southern China was moved north and as soon as it reached the border war was declared.

Fortunately, the Russian eastern theatre had seen little fighting and steady gains by Japanese armies, which had already reached the shores of Lake Baikal. The Battle of Kirensk, though a harder proposition than any in the Balkans campaign effectively broke the back of Russian resistance.

siberiaendgame.png


As Imperial forces brought more land under their control the general staff remained wary of the possibility of a renewed Russian onslaught. Distances were such that it would be hard to respond quickly to the appearance of an enemy army, and the defeat at Pleven was a reminder of what could happen in such circumstances.

In the Balkans General Enomoto had put his four months' respite to good use, returning his army to fighting fitness. Although wary of a repeat of the ambush his troops had suffered during their last invasion, Enomoto gambled that Russian forces were en route to the Crimea or Siberia leaving only a token force to guard the border.

The second Balkan offensive, late 1847
secondruse.png


In early November he crossed the border, striking along the Danube into Ruse. Taken by surprise, the Russian garrison fell back on Bucharest with Enomoto hot on their heels. Enomoto's victory there left the southern Balkans open to Japanese forces and his own reputation restored. The general had captured or incapacitated over 20,000 Russians for the loss of fewer than 4,000 of his own.

Perhaps the strangest incident of the war occurred far from the main fronts. In September came news that Prussia had landed an expeditionary force in the Great Eastlands. Although the little fleet had been spotted leaving Europe it had been thought that it was heading for Bourbon or one of the colonies of the western Pacific.

califront.png


Prussia's battered transports proved no match for the Great Eastland Fleet's ships of the line, but the two brigades of regulars they had carried were a trickier proposition. Although the Great Eastlands Division was led by the promising General Makino, the Prussian commander was widely regarded as a military genius, suffering only from the misfortune of serving a country too small for his talents.

Fortunately for all concerned, the showdown between Makino and von Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach was cut short by the end of the war.

warends.png


The news that Russia was willing to concede defeat surprised the Cabinet, who had expected the Tsar to continue the fight into 1848. Russia's armies still outnumbered Japan's and as yet only a fraction of its strength had been brought to bear. Kuroda weighed up the arguments for prolonging the conflict, but in the end decided that Japan had achieved its aims cheaply and reminded the world that it was not to be trifled with.


Domestic affairs

While the war dominated the Cabinet's time, the internal affairs of the Empire remained a cause for concern throughout 1847. The Interior Minister approached such problems in his usual direct manner.

tensions.png


Of particular worry to the Cabinet was the increasing involvement of aristocrats in inciting resistance to Japanese rule. While peasants could not be expected to understand the benefits the Empire had brought, the upper classes had not only prospered, but were also a vital part of local administration. Although some in the party blamed Russia for inciting trouble, others began to doubt the wisdom of such an inflammatory approach.

The year also saw the University of Kyoto's faculty of philosophy work itself into a frenzy over new trends in European thinking, although the net result was that the debate was in much the same place as it had started in.

techsh.png


More promising was that the reforms to officer training were continuing to improve the quality of the cadet corps, although some of the older generals - reflecting on the Neo-Kantian debate - argued that too much focus on the academic was not always beneficial.


End of year

The close of 1847 saw the Loyalists triumphant in their war with Russian and poised to win a fresh victory over Ming. However, although the shattering of the Court Party had brought them new supporters it had also strengthened their opponents.

yearend1847.png


All the while, the liberals continued their advance at the ballot box. The election of 1849 would prove extremely interesting.
 
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Only 1846? You certainly have a lot to write from a short time in-game (I started around the same time as you, and I'm in 1910.) :eek:

And is that the Chinese Republic I spy?
 
The election of 1848 would prove extremely interesting.
Indeed. The collapse of the Court Party might lead to a respectable Liberal showing for once, though I dare say it's far too early for an outright Liberal victory. I'd also like to see a map of Japanese/Manchurian Mongolia if possible.

And is that the Chinese Republic I spy?

I think that's just Ming.
 
An excellent update well worth the way! :)

That was one mammoth war against the Russians, with losses and victories everywhere!

Also, interesting news about the domestic sphere. I wonder when and if the Liberals will gain a big enough majority to win control?
 
It's amazing that such a large war could be tidied up so quickly, only in its first year; over by Christmas! :)
I'm looking forward to the next elections...
 
Very happy to see the update. You seem able to win wars so quickly. Less than a year for a country the size of russia. And already at 28% warscore....how do you do it?
 
The Prussians should be looking for support from all those disaffected Chinese emigres in the Great Eastlands.

Good update (as ever).
 
Good indeed to see an update!

Limited war is always good. If you know what you want, why waste any more time when you can get it? :D
 
A very detailed and entertaining update, as ever. Very good to see Russia put in her place so cheaply, I had feared the war would grind on for at least another few months yet. What is perhaps proving more worrisome than the war is the continued growth of internal militance. Have the rebel factions grown to a good size yet?

The death of the Court Party made for fascinating reading. The next election is promising to be a very interesting one.
 
Congratulations Dewirix, WritAAR of the week! You're going to have a very tough time picking someone as deserving!
 
Read the prequel AAR for this yesterday and all of this one today. I'm really enjoying it so far, despite the fact that you and I pursue vastly different strategies in V2 (I tend to get to my infamy limit really quickly taking over uncivs).
 
Hope the holidays treated you well, and I too have my fingers crossed for an update in the New Year. :D
 
Only 1846? You certainly have a lot to write from a short time in-game (I started around the same time as you, and I'm in 1910.) :eek:

Well, it's up to 1848 now, but you're up to 1928, so I guess you're winning.

that was one complex war - started well and then you got caught out a few times ... the Prussian invasion of California being downright wierd though. Like the way you've mixed the dynamics around the war with the impact on domestic politics.

The Prussians surprised me with that one. Overall the war went much, much better than expected, and I think we even had the beating of the Prussians, but then I realised the Russian's would settle and there wasn't much more I could ask for realistically. I'd have liked a humiliate, but 50 more warscore against Russia is a whole other war.

Indeed. The collapse of the Court Party might lead to a respectable Liberal showing for once, though I dare say it's far too early for an outright Liberal victory. I'd also like to see a map of Japanese/Manchurian Mongolia if possible.

There's a map in the coming update. The Liberals certainly do better, but the Loyalists are bewilderingly successful given their downright vicious approach to domestic unrest.

An excellent update well worth the way! :)

That was one mammoth war against the Russians, with losses and victories everywhere!

Also, interesting news about the domestic sphere. I wonder when and if the Liberals will gain a big enough majority to win control?

At present, it's going to take around 20 years to get a Liberal UH, which might easily be wrecked by the socialists. I'm not sure they'll ever win control of the Council (which is my version of the Lower House). Frustratingly, V2 doesn't allow for moderate Lib-Con coalitions, so we'll not be seeing Clegg-san and Cameron-san in this AAR.

It's amazing that such a large war could be tidied up so quickly, only in its first year; over by Christmas! :)
I'm looking forward to the next elections...

I was shocked to be done with it so quickly and took the peace when I could. We'd not really scratched the surface of Russian resistance, but from an RP perspective it seemed quite fitting. They've got other concerns and a very long supply chain back to their heartlands in the West, so they just cut their losses and turned around to deal with the Bohemian rebellion (sorry chaps).

Very happy to see the update. You seem able to win wars so quickly. Less than a year for a country the size of russia. And already at 28% warscore....how do you do it?

The warscore is mostly battles, although I had blockaded all the Black Sea and St Petersburg. Shumen was worth 6.1 warscore alone, while Pleven only lost me 0.6.

The Prussians should be looking for support from all those disaffected Chinese emigres in the Great Eastlands.

Good update (as ever).

Fortunately for me, the most disaffected emigres are much further east, including a sizeable Chinese diaspora in Havana. That sounds like it would be quite fun actually.

Good indeed to see an update!

Limited war is always good. If you know what you want, why waste any more time when you can get it? :D

That's pretty much my feelings. That and the fact that infamy gain from 'Free People' is too high for my tastes.

A very detailed and entertaining update, as ever. Very good to see Russia put in her place so cheaply, I had feared the war would grind on for at least another few months yet. What is perhaps proving more worrisome than the war is the continued growth of internal militance. Have the rebel factions grown to a good size yet?

The death of the Court Party made for fascinating reading. The next election is promising to be a very interesting one.

I haven't checked the rebel sizes for a while. Militancy is hovering around 2 at the moment, but there are portions of south-central China where it's up very high indeed. If there is a rising there I'd expect the Empire's political class to reconsider its strategies.

Great job so far! Truly enjoying the continuation of an already really good conquest! Nice!

Thanks. The V2 continuation is less conquest orientated, but there should still be a fair few major wars to come.

Congratulations Dewirix, WritAAR of the week! You're going to have a very tough time picking someone as deserving!

Thanks a million! I'm extremely honoured to have won this!

No christmas update? Busy times I guess. Merry christmas to you and hopefully the busy season can pass by soon. I still check back here daily.

Sorry, family Christmas was busy and more tiring than anything else. I've had the pictures edited up since last week, but only now have I got round to writing the update to go with them.

Read the prequel AAR for this yesterday and all of this one today. I'm really enjoying it so far, despite the fact that you and I pursue vastly different strategies in V2 (I tend to get to my infamy limit really quickly taking over uncivs).

It depends what situation you're in at the start of V2. As a minor nation, conquest and expansion is important to give you the heft to make it as a GP. In this game I started off in the top spot, so it's more about keeping what I've got.

Hope the holidays treated you well, and I too have my fingers crossed for an update in the New Year. :D

I had kept thinking, as long as Porta Atlanticum isn't updated I'm probably safe :).

Well, I no longer have that excuse, so here's an update.
 
1848: The long campaign

He could not understand why, when the people in every borough in the country were complaining of the corrupt practices that were carried on at the late election, the Government should come forward and throw their shield over the evildoers. The suspicion entertained by the people against the Government was not only very strong, but was becoming daily much more strong, and he would warn the Government that they must be prepared either to assist in effecting further social and political reforms, or give up the Government.


State opening and Emperor's speech

The victory against Russia had been swifter and more comprehensive than any but the most optimistic could have predicted. The Loyalists found themselves in the happy predicament of seeing vindicated the public confidence they had expressed, and lost no time in attacking their opponents as pessimists out of touch with the martial qualities that had made Japan great.

budget1848.png


Despite the Cabinet's outward contempt for its ideological enemies, the 1848 Budget slashed the tariff by a third. The Loyalists sought to capitalise on the disarray that accompanied the implosion of the Court party by wooing the rising class of industrialists, whose livelihoods were dependent upon imports. That such a move left the public finances in heavy deficit mattered little for the time being.

Although the Isolationists and the rump of the Court had merged to form the Patriotic Union, the results were not all that its proponents had hoped. While the new grouping commanded greater supporter than had either of its two constituents, the whole was decidedly less than the sum of its parts.

endofcourt.png


The greatest beneficiary from the dissolution of the Court were the Liberals, who almost doubled their support. Despite this, the Loyalists began 1848 with the backing of nearly half the electorate - a feat made easier by continued battlefield successes.

mingwarend.png


January saw the Army of Southern China complete the destruction of the Ming at the Battle of Lanzhou, where once again Japanese superiority in artillery proved decisive. An ill-advised attempt by the poorly led Ming troops to envelop the Imperial forces was shattered when General Arisugawa's men crashed through the thinly held centre. The victory sealed Ming's fate, and the subsequent peace vaulted the Loyalists' fortunes higher still.


Domestic affairs

While the Loyalists' policies were handsomely successful abroad, at home the familiar - and related - problems of unrest and unemployment continued to cause concern.

machparts.png


The government's industrial policy was still hampered by a critical shortage of machine parts. Japan produced more than four times the number of its next closest rival, but this was not even sufficient to keep up with existing demand; let alone to expand factories to accommodate the swelling ranks of labourers.

With factories unable to provide work to all who needed it, demonstrations and resistance to Japanese rule continued to grow in the Chinese provinces.

revolts1848.png


The most shocking incident of 1848 was the "Nanning Slaughter" - not for the loss of life, but for the collusion of the Cabinet. Having received word that Zhuang nobles were planning to rise up against Japanese rule, the Interior Ministry incited the local peasantry against them and stood by in the resulting massacre.

The Nanning Slaughter caused uproar in the Diet as deputies variously accused the Cabinet of being complicit in the killings or of having abdicated control to the mob. Regardless, the killings had proved a brutally efficient means of quelling separatist dissent.

Given the fierce reprisals that open opposition was met with, it is little surprise that many voted with their feet. In the first month of 1848 more than 85,000 fled abroad: an annual rate of over one million.

emigrantsone.png


Although the flood of emigrants was having only a minor impact on unemployment levels, it was profoundly changing the demographic nature of those parts of the Great Eastlands outside of direct Japanese control.

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The far eastern coasts of the continent had hitherto known little Japanese influence, but throughout the 1840s a steady stream of immigrants had formed sizeable communities. In some areas, such as British Ontario, Imperial minorities now outnumbered all other groups.

The Cabinet hoped that the tide could be stemmed by the closing of the Great Eastlands frontier. Britain and Castile were running out of new territories to settle, while Japan had laid claim to more of the interior than it could presently absorb.

colonisingc.png


Much of the unsettled territory was less hospitable than the eastern plains, comprising high mountains and harsh desert. It was partly in view of this that the Cabinet had broadened its attempts to introduce a modernised military medical service to encompass basic care for the wider population.

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The 1848 Health Boards Act obliged local communities to fund medical clinics offering education and preventative care. Although the services on offer varied widely and were generally primitive, the Act laid the foundations for a more comprehensive approach to public health.

Having strengthened the army to its satisfaction, the Cabinet now turned to the needs of the navy. Steam power had already begun to make inroads in commercial shipping and promised to revolutionise naval combat by eliminating the wind as a decisive factor in battle. While many in the navy were sceptical that steam propulsion would ever be practical on fighting ships, its supporters persuaded the War Office to fund the construction of a squadron of experimental vessels to test the concept.


Foreign affairs

Japan's victory over Russia had restored a buffer of friendly - or at least powerless - states on the Empire's northern border.

newnorth.png


With the end of any immediate threat to Imperial security, Japan's freedom of action was restored. The first effect this had on foreign policy was Cabinet's decision to support Trebizond in the war against its breakaway colony, Colombia.

trebwar.png


Although there was little love lost between Japan and Trebizond, the Cabinet believed that the principle of territorial integrity required that it oppose the separatists. Furthermore, it was hoped that this support could eventually lead to the creation of a powerful ally to counter British and Austrian influence in the region.

In June, the French government annexed Madagascar, giving the de la Tours a base on the south eastern coast of Africa.

madagascarv.png


Given Japan's longstanding co-operation with France and its existing naval presence in the area the news was welcomed by the majority of the Diet, although some Higashiyamaist diehards deplored the spread of European influence.


End of year

The majority of the year passed of peacefully as the Cabinet focused on its preparations for the election campaign of 1849. Buoyed by their opponents' failure to combine their full forces, the Cabinet was nevertheless disturbed by the relentless successes of the Liberals.

yearend1848.png


However, Kuroda was determined that the next six months of campaigning would result in yet another victory for the Loyalists.
 
About time! Hopefully the election results won't take another month!

I'm actually sort of surprised that Colombia revolted in Colombia, given that Venezuela revolted in Haiti.

'm not sure they'll ever win control of the Council (which is my version of the Lower House). Frustratingly, V2 doesn't allow for moderate Lib-Con coalitions, so we'll not be seeing Clegg-san and Cameron-san in this AAR.

You could always invent one, I mean, you already invented a lower house.