Novum Romanum Imperium 2.0 -- a Vicky 2 AHD Conversion AAR

[EU3NOOB]

Avindian, in NRI 1.0 how did you change your government type to Empire at the beginning? Because Empire requires 30 provinces(unless you start as an Empire like Byzantium). Did you mod it or just switch to a Monarchy and just RP it? Just wondering.

-- EU3NOOB

[Sirce]

He mod it at the start that it was an Empire and kept it that way for the game.

[Avindian]

Avindian, in NRI 1.0 how did you change your government type to Empire at the beginning? Because Empire requires 30 provinces(unless you start as an Empire like Byzantium). Did you mod it or just switch to a Monarchy and just RP it? Just wondering.

-- EU3NOOB

He mod it at the start that it was an Empire and kept it that way for the game.

Sirce's dead on.

[scholar]

It looks like the Russians have finally became a Great Power.

It was inevitable, but far too soon.

[Avindian]

It looks like the Russians have finally became a Great Power.

It was inevitable, but far too soon.

I have the sinking feeling that adding them to my sphere was a bad idea.

[EU3NOOB]

i have the sinking feeling that adding them to my sphere was a bad idea.

kill the bear!

[Avindian]

kill the bear!

Maybe long term; that certainly won't happen any time soon (I've got too much domestic stuff to worry about).

I will have a new update soon; about 80% likely it'll be tonight, depending on other things. The images are edited, but the writing is often the hard part

[Avindian]

Chapter 4: A Roman Revolution?

13 August 1839, Regency Council chambers, Rome

Valerian, Regent for Emperor Constantine XII, carefully studied the faces of the men (and one woman) that surrounded him. The Roman Empire was surely in a time of crisis, perhaps one as great as the Civil War. The Regent had hoped, perhaps foolishly, that simply appointing the Provincares would be sufficient reform for the Jacobins to relent on their acts of terrorism. Unfortunately, he was gravely mistaken. The legions were harassed so badly that soldiers dare not travel alone. It drove Valerian to frustration. In his native land, such rebels would surely be crushed and crushed quickly. His brother, Tsar Peter III, had even helpfully offered the "services" of his army to help contain the Jacobin threat, yet Valerian did not dare accept.

As Regent, Valerian was functionally equivalent to the Emperor, apart from the right to declare war. However, Valerian had less popular support than any Regent before him. Very few Romans even knew who he was. Those that did alternately hated and feared him. The Jacobins had very shrewdly made him the public face of their campaigns to demand a republic. Katherine O'Connor, instead of bolstering his support, had ended up making it worst, as the Jacobin press painted him as a vile seducer who had taken their hero away. Kathleen was a living martyr, in effect. Because Charles had been far too strong an Emperor, Valerian's personal authority was almost negligible. As his gaze panned throughout the room, only three people had the courage to meet his gaze: the new Chancellor, Agrippa Germanicus; O'Connor herself; and Marshal Julius Contadino. Contadino was quickly sworn as Marshal the fateful night of his predecessor's death. He'd already made a very startling decision, naming Admiral Giovanni di Medici as his Chief of the General Staff, the first naval figure to hold the position. The Militares protested, but halfheartedly, as even the most pro-army partisan knew and respected the Admiral.

With nobody speaking, Valerian nodded slightly. "Since nobody is willing to open this session of the council, I shall. We will open with the budget. Chancellor?"

Although Agrippa looked confident, inwardly he was quivering. Agrippa's background was economics, and what had initially appeared a positive -- indeed, part of the reason the heavily capitalist-supported Provincares adopted him as their leader, as well as his charisma -- now looked a weakness. "Regent, the early numbers show a short term deficit.



"We have enough in the Imperial coffers to maintain this deficit indefinitely, if we must, but I would like to correct it. Would you be willing to consider a slight decrease in military expenditures?"

Before the Regent could answer, Julius Contadino slammed his fist on the table. "Are you mad? We have people near the edge of hysteria, and your solution is to make the army angry too? It's your own faction that's holding us back! A maximum 50% tax rate?! You've already capped military spending capped at 75%. How can we sustain our economy if we cannot get sufficient revenue?"

The Chancellor shrunk from the verbal assault, but only slightly. He turned the fire to his Minister of Industry and Science. "Publius, you told me that our policies would make our capitalists more efficient!"

Minister Publius Tullius Cicero shrugged. "Our pro-business policies have only been place for a couple of weeks. You cannot expect miracles, Agrippa. As new factories are built and old ones remodeled, we will improve productivity, but I have to have time." The room quickly broke down into a shouting match.

Valerian never raised his voice. He'd trained his entire life to keep the coolest, most even demeanor possible, but even he had his limits. "Enough! Who gives a damn about who is to blame? The question is, what do we do about it?"

"Raise taxes!"

"Cut army spending!"

"Grants to wealthy businessmen!"

"Give the people a voice."

The last comment was much quieter than the others, but it spoke with much more force and conviction. Everybody turned to Kathleen O'Connor. "Gentlemen, what our government lacks, more than anything, is credibility. I'm not sure we deserve any. Yes, our military remains strong, and until recently our economy was the envy of the world. But don't you find it odd that nobody outside this room has any say in our government? The Emperor's word is law, but we have no Emperor, and so to many, we have no law."

Marcus Porcius Cato Decimus, there only because of his position as the head of the Protectores, spoke up. "What of Constantine XII?"

Kathleen quietly laughed. "He is a two year old infant, Decimus, as is his brother. Nobody dies for an infant; they die for their country."

The Regent tilted his head. "So what do you propose, Kathleen?"

"Ending the single party stranglehold on the Senate. Not even the Provincares deserve absolute power within the Senate."

Everybody paused to consider her suggestion. Marshal Contadino stroked his beard and nodded thoughtfully. "That might work. One of the key Provincares demands has always been greater role in the choice of Senators, has it not?"

Agrippa nodded. "That's certainly true, Marshal. But how do we do this? How do we give the people the vote?"

Publius Tullius Cicero started laughing. "Oh. That would be perfect! Give the mob power over the Empire; that's a brilliant suggestion! You idiot liberals are all alike, you think holding hands and singing songs will fix everything. You can't run an Empire that way, Agrippa!"

Some, but not all, of the Councilors enjoyed a chuckle of their own, even Valerian. Kathleen looked disappointed; Agrippa looked angry. But Kathleen's nephew, Benjamin, was the only one genuinely smiling. "So we don't give the mob the right to vote. We give it to the most important people in the Empire."

Valerian scoffed. "Foreign Minister, the nobility are virtually extinct. They are only slightly more representative than we are."

Benjamin kept grinning. "What of the capitalists?"

Publius Tullius Cicero, catching on quickly, nodded vigorously, as did Agrippa Germanicus. The Marshal still looked puzzled. "I don't follow, Minister."

"We set high tax standards. Within each provincia, the wealthiest citizens form a council and elect one of their number to serve as Senator. The Regency Council still maintains all the executive power, but we force our most elite citizens to either support the government and turn their considerable resources against the Jacobins or be brushed aside."

The Regent began to smile himself. "An elegant solution, Benjamin. And I know the perfect person to serve as censor; your aunt. She will conduct the Imperial census, determine who is fit to serve by our standards, and draw up the lists by January of 1840."

Kathleen tried to object, claiming it wasn't what she meant, but she was drowned out in a series of cheers. The Council had decided: the Senate would be Appointed still, but by councils of the wealthiest citizens.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22 December 1839, office of the Chief of the General Staff, Florence

Ever since the so-called "Constitutional Convention", business had gone a little more smoothly. The new Senators were beginning to arrive in Rome for the 3 January 1840 session of the Senate. The government earned a lot of respect by striking down a conservative conspiracy to end even the limited government reforms imposed by the regency council.



Cato Street -- the street running in front of the Imperial Palace outside Rome -- became the symbol for the "old ways", the ways hated by much of the populace. In fact, the Regency Council won so much legitimacy by cracking down that they were able to neatly sidestep the discussion of greater safety standards for child labor.



However, the budget wasn't fixed. Admiral di Medici was forced to scuttle 60 wooden ships, and while the Admiral admitted that the new Commerce Raiders far surpassed the Men O'War and Frigates of the past, sometimes you just needed something to look after commerce. It hadn't even made an appreciable dent in the military's huge outlays, but an experimental reduction of the national stockpile to 30% met with so much resistance from the Militares that it was shelved before it came to a vote. Agrippa Germanicus and Publius Tullius Cicero had devised a simple way to improve the situation in the long term, by proposing legislation allowing the government to print money on an ad-hoc basis, but it would take some time to design and construct printing presses large enough for the amount of currency needed to end the deficit.



Admiral di Medici, from a merchant background, knew that without a steady flow of revenue, all of his plans for the army and navy were pointless. But he was still bothered that the navy and army had received virtually no funding for new technologies. Nobody presented a threat at the moment, as they would be against the two largest armies in Europe in Russia and Rome, but the political turmoil was bound to create some opportunism, and he wanted to be ready for anything. For the Admiral couldn't help thinking about one thing:

What if the people weren't satisfied with a bunch of rich guys telling them what to do?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
23 April 1840, Imperial Senate, Rome

The first group of new Senators arrived in Rome on 1 January 1840, with their hearts full of idealism and their minds full of new ideas. Their very first action was to pass a bill allowing greater freedom for Imperial factions to campaign for particular candidates.



Horrified at the new decision, the balance of power with the Senate shifted almost immediately; there were 21 Protectores, 46 Militares, and 33 Provincares. Given that, at one point, nearly 50 percent of the Senate was Provincares, that signaled a very loose tolerance for reform. Further reforms were actively blocked by the Militares. Chancellor Germanicus was frustrated, but not overwhelmingly so. With some shrewd public maneuvering, citing the generally reduced number of revolutionary incidents, particularly in Hispania, Agrippa snuck through the Empire's first balanced budget in a year.





Getting the Regent's support was the trick, for the Regent promised all Senators appointments for life by decree, a very popular decision. Agrippa found himself more and more comfortable in the Senate environment, and given his close working relationship with Publius Tullius Cicero, anything really important got passed every quickly. This resulted in a little resentment from Decimus and the Protectores, but that seemed perfectly harmless to Agrippa. They had 21 out of 100 seats, and it was easier for the Militares and Provincares to block anything that needed to be blocked. The truth was, nobody really liked Decimus personally, and most importantly, as profits began to rise for factories, most of the wealthiest capitalists deserted the Protectores. They'd never been very keen on government control of factory construction, and their newfound success only seemed to confirm that hypothesis.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 June 1840, Southampton, Britannia

The shareholders of Southampton Shipping, the largest shipyard for steamer convoys in the world, were a very diverse group, and the board of directors reflected that. Of the ten members, four were British, two were French, two were Spanish, one was Dutch, and one was American. The international group was unusual for two reasons: the first was the complete absence of any Italians. It wasn't technically illegal to open a factory without a Roman on the board of directors, but a number of prominent nobles were very alarmed. Even Southampton's Senator, Richard Cox, was politely but firmly denied a seat on the board. The second unusual thing about Southampton Shipping was their political orientation. Despite the business of supplying guns for the navy, every single one was a Provincares, and one was suspected of Jacobin ties. Their most notable director was Samuel Morse, who had retired from the Ministry of Science and Industry when the Minister refused to fund some more advanced medical treatments he'd wanted to pursue. Instead, Morse sold his patent to the board of Southampton Shipping and received a seat on the board and the title of Chairman.



With the new drugs, the board quietly funded a colonial expedition to the Pacific colonies of the Empire. Dubbing the largest "Australia" for its extreme southern position on the Earth, they intended to make their project a private concern.



Earlier than anybody else in the Empire, the board recognized the value of Australia as a stepping off point for further exploration of the Pacific as well as a potential naval base. Until a more detailed survey was done, the board was unsure what other riches might await, but they would have the advantage of legal ownership and possession of the colonial concern. Unlike the rest of the Empire, Australia (and the nearby chain of islands dubbed "New Zealand" by the Dutch member of the board) had no Senators. Southampton Shipping, as surreptitiously as possible, began purchasing tracts of land. Even their most pessimistic projections showed that Australia and New Zealand would be wholly owned by Southampton Shipping within five years. If the colonies were ever formally incorporated into the Empire, the board had formal title to all profits from any factories that might open.

In short, the board had the potential to be a nearly unstoppable juggernaut in Imperial politics, with a secure population base far away from Imperial politics, perhaps even their own private armies. The members were patriots -- all considered themselves loyal Romans, even the Jacobin -- but feared, more than anything, retrenchment by the Imperial government. The move to give all Senators lifetime appointments virtually assured some degree of reaction at some point. Without a counterbalance to the Senate, further reforms would never happen. None of them dreamed of challenging the Emperor's role as the true head of the Empire, but the Senate was very different. That was why Southampton Shipping also bankrolled one other organization. One of the French board members was an elderly man named Maximilien Robespierre. A former lawyer, Maximilien had always had dreams of revolution, but the integration of France into the Roman Empire not only stabilized his country's politics but even robbed Robespierre of any serious desire to overthrow the government. Still, contacts don't disappear overnight, and Robespierre had been very gently encouraging a "Suffrage Movement." Their demands were incredibly vague, but the nascent organization had radicalized with the Empire's decision to vote for "Gerrymandering", which they recognized as a corrupt practice immediately.

All Robespierre needed was time; his time would come sooner than anybody thought.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19 May 1841, Chancellor's office, Rome

So this is how an Empire dies. How could we not see this coming? Valerian muttered to himself as he awaited Chancellor Germanicus's return. Maso I would never have permitted an actual "Constitution"! Yet that was exactly what the Empire was discussing. In a purely intellectual way, Valerian was pleased to live in such exciting times, and he wondered how people would think of him when he was gone, how he would appear in the history books. However, in a practical way, Valerian knew the very future of the Roman Empire rested in the hands of the newest Roman institution: the Curia.

When the few open spots in the Senate were filled on 1 January, the balance of the Senate had shifted towards a more liberal axis. The largest faction was the Provincares, with 43 members, but even the Protectores managed a respectable 25 members. The Provincares/Militares coalition broke down over the question of the rising suffrage movement.



The suffragists -- 5.58 million Romans -- demanded a say for more Romans. They specifically wanted an end to the hateful practice of lifetime appointments for Senators. The very core of the suffragist movement were wealthy capitalists, many of whom resented their former friends and colleagues. Instead of a businessman's paradise, ad-hoc money printing only made the bureaucracy more efficient and thus able to regulate the economy and put unreasonable restraints on business. Even worse, an increasingly radical group within the Senate had mobilized research funding for a German intellectual named Karl Marx.



Marx made his living criticizing other German intellectuals; most Roman intellectuals thought this uproarious and harmless fun and wanted him to serve as kind of a "pet" philosopher. Marx was a bright man, recognized the tremendous financial opportunity and security such an arrangement would provide, and signed a contract immediately. What nobody knew -- except Valerian, who mistrusted everybody and studied very closely any intellectual -- was that Marx's concept of ideology was a dangerous one. The only thing preventing a serious Jacobin rebellion was a lack of organization; a clear cause would give them purpose, and some of Marx's mutterings about capitalism and religion would undoubtedly appeal to the Roman rebels.

That was a threat only in potential, at the moment. The real active threat had been the incredibly foolish law the Senate had passed, afraid of the suffragists. They authorized the creation of a new legislative body: the Curia.



The Curia's role was undefined, but the Curia made the move of ordering an actual honest-to-God Convention to "review" the Constitution passed by the Senate the year before. The Curia had 400 members to the Senate's 100, and would probably be the more powerful body when all was said and done. It remained the privilege of only wealthy men to vote, following the recommendations of Aristotle in his Politics, but Valerian feared the Suffragists weren't done. Even before the Curia was even created, the convention had already made an impact on foreign policy, forbidding the regent to prevent Japan from leaving the Imperial sphere mere months after it had been added.





Valerian cursed the day that French delegate brought that up -- what was his name? Max something? -- for it challenged one of the Emperor's two unassailable privileges, foreign and military policy. The convention was convinced it had the authority to make that stick, even with delegates like Benjamin O'Connor rejecting it out of hand. Valerian almost feared Max whoever more than Karl Marx, because Marx was a pure idealist; the Frenchman wanted to act. As Valerian contemplated his next moves, Agrippa burst into his office. Valerian stood. "What's their decision?"

Agrippa took a moment to catch his breath. "It's a lot better than it could have been. Here, take a look at my notes; you can read the final draft tomorrow, but here's the gist of what was discussed.

The Emperor -- keeps foreign policy, military policy. Still has wide decree powers, can override either the Curia or Senate.
Senate -- must approve any "Empire-wide" legislation not signed by the Emperor. Retains control of technical funding.
Curia -- runs Empire day-to-day. All economic policy is handled by the Curia; can also vote "no confidence" in any Minister, including the Chancellor. The Emperor maintains the formal right to ignore these recommendations, thankfully. Must approve all constitutional changes once initiated by Senate.

Valerian started to breath again. "That is good news, Agrippa. What about us, the Regency Council?"

Agrippa grimaced. "That's the part you won't like. The Regency Council is formally disbanded. As Regent, you hold executive authority, but all actions must be approved by the Senate or the Curia. They'll give you a free hand in foreign policy and military stuff, but you'll have a fight on domestic stuff."

Valerian sighed. "So what do we call our godforsaken new government?"

Agrippa looked at his notes again. "Prussian Constitutionalism. I'm not sure what a Prussia is; some German guy picked the name."



Valerian sat back down in his chair. "It sounds like something a German would come up with. When's the first election?"

Agrippa handed him a note.



"Sorry, Agrippa. You don't have much time to prepare."

"I don't. Still, it could be a whole lot worse, and if the only way they'll trust the government and stop meddling with things is to fire me, I can live with that."

Valerian grinned oddly. "So could I, Agrippa. So could I."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I feel I owe you guys a little explanation with Ad-Hoc Money Printing. I'd heard from somebody on the message boards that Adm. Efficiency reduced the cost of military stockpile goods. I regret to inform you that that is poppycock, as the British might say. It'll make bureaucrats better and increase the power of tariffs (if I ever use them, which hopefully I won't.) Next update will be early next week; keep your eyes peeled!

[loki100]

really enjoying the way you're fleshing out the in-game events with such a plausible narrative

your rebel and potential rebel problem looks scary, as does the financial situation, seems the real threat to the Empire is not external but internal

[varetta]

"Publius Tullius Cicero started laughing. "Oh. That would be perfect! Give the mob power over the Empire; that's a brilliant suggestion! You idiot liberals are all alike, you think holding hands and singing songs will fix everything. You can't run an Empire that way, Agrippa!"

[Avindian]

really enjoying the way you're fleshing out the in-game events with such a plausible narrative

your rebel and potential rebel problem looks scary, as does the financial situation, seems the real threat to the Empire is not external but internal

Part of this is really my fault. I didn't understand how movements worked yet. See, by passing Gerrymandering, the Suffragists got more radicalized (+45 to radicalism), and if that had reached 100... they all become Jacobins (they can technically join any rebellion, but the Jacobins are the closest fit).

"Publius Tullius Cicero started laughing. "Oh. That would be perfect! Give the mob power over the Empire; that's a brilliant suggestion! You idiot liberals are all alike, you think holding hands and singing songs will fix everything. You can't run an Empire that way, Agrippa!"

Glad you liked it

[EU3NOOB]

NO! Not Karl Marx! He's a freeloading scumbag! You'll never get rid of him! And don't give Robespierre a Guillotine!

[Avindian]

NO! Not Karl Marx! He's a freeloading scumbag! You'll never get rid of him! And don't give Robespierre a Guillotine!

Robespierre is hardly in a position to guillotine anybody I've not quite decided what I'm going to do with Marx yet.

One of the most fun parts of this AAR is that I know a good bit more about 19th and 20th century European history (thanks, preliminary exams!) than I do about pre-French Revolution Europe, so I can weave more alt-history in.

[Duke of Britain]

"Publius Tullius Cicero started laughing. "Oh. That would be perfect! Give the mob power over the Empire; that's a brilliant suggestion! You idiot liberals are all alike, you think holding hands and singing songs will fix everything. You can't run an Empire that way, Agrippa!"

Agreed, that was a good one

Also liked their comments on the name of the new govenrment...



Maybe getting rid of Marx would be good...

[Avindian]

Agreed, that was a good one

Also liked their comments on the name of the new govenrment...



Maybe getting rid of Marx would be good...

I don't know when I'll officially determine Marx's fate, but I'm glad you're enjoying it!

[CivandEUIII]

I don't know when I'll officially determine Marx's fate, but I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Let. Him. Live.
Or else I'll have a little talk with the Marxists amongst the govenrment *waves a pamphlet, threateningly*.

[Sakura_F]

The Japanese Dragon, indeed. Banzai!

Anyway, good show! ^J^

[Avindian]

Let. Him. Live.
Or else I'll have a little talk with the Marxists amongst the govenrment *waves a pamphlet, threateningly*.

Given that, in 1841, Karl Marx hadn't even published On the German Ideology yet, the only Marxists are people who like watching German philosophers getting taken down a peg. Which is all of us, isn't it?

The Japanese Dragon, indeed. Banzai!

Anyway, good show! ^J^

Thanks! In a practical sense, without sailing around Africa, I had no way to intervene, and I've never beaten Japan in a game of Vicky 2.

[Sakura_F]

even if Marx is killed in 1841, somebody's gonna create socialism and communism.

Also: I'M BRIAN AND SO'S MY WIFE. </MontyPython>

[Avindian]

even if Marx is killed in 1841, somebody's gonna create socialism and communism.

Also: I'M BRIAN AND SO'S MY WIFE. </MontyPython>

::nods sagely::