Note: This one covers 10 years due to how little happened in the first five years.
Chapter 6, Expansion
--- The private journals of Vlaho Nazor, Regent Ban of Croatia ---
Journal Entry 81, January 31st 1860
The nations capitalists actually got around to doing something this month. They have begun constructing a luxury clothes factory in Croatia state.
Journal Entry 82, March 31st 1860
This month we reached a point where we could recruit a fourth brigade. It is good news for our defenses in the future.
Journal Entry 83, September 31st 1860
I began the recruitment of the 4th brigade this month.
Journal Entry 83, December 31st 1860
Despite my advisors telling me it was unlikely Austria would agree, I requested access for our army from them and they have agreed! It is a welcome deal because now we can travel across their lands to reach other nations. However, they still don’t want an alliance.
Also the 4th brigade and the fort in Montenegro both came through this month.
Journal Entry 84, January 31st 1861
The railroad network connection between Zagreb, Pola, Fuile and Karlovac was completed this month. It opens up trade enormously.
Journal Entry 85, July 31st 1861
I am becoming more ambitious. I have commissioned the construction of railway lines connecting all of Dalmatia, starting in Montenegro and going through Kotor, Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar and Senj, coming to an end with a connection with Karlovac, which in turn connects them to Pola and Zagreb.
The fort in Pola was finished this month too.
Journal Entry 86, October 31st 1861
We can recruit two more brigades now and I’ve ordered it to be done so. Money is no longer a worry, so this is an easy decision.
Another issue that came to my attention today is the Serbian resistance-run bank in one of our provinces that the local government wants to nationalise. I told them to leave it alone as it’s not worth the trouble.
Journal Entry 86, January 31st 1861
Two new brigades joined our military today, catapulting us into the position of the 37th most powerful nation in the world (two positions up from where we were before); consider there are 119 nations at last census and we were only 65th most powerful nation in the world at our conception, it is a reasonable position.
The luxury clothes factory built by the capitalists was completed this month too.
Journal Entry 87, April 31st 1862
The Pan-Nationalists rebelled again this month. However they were swiftly suppressed.
Journal Entry 88, December 31st 1862
Austria cancelled our military access before it could be of us and refuses to give us it again. It is disheartening news.
Journal Entry 89, June 31st 1863
Research was completed on a new education program this month.
Basic chemistry principles are next.
Journal Entry 90, July 31st 1863
The railroad construction project was completed this month. It has opened up new trade and boosted our economic output quite a lot.
Journal Entry 91, December 31st 1863
We are able to recruit a 7th brigade now, and I’ve commissioned the training program to do so.
Journal Entry 92, January 31st 1864
Croatia’s scientists came up with a new technology this month. They tell me it will improve factory output.
We also regained military access from Austria this month.
Journal Entry 93, April 31st 1864
New brigade completed this month.
Journal Entry 94, August 31st 1864
A new technology was discovered this month; oligopoly structure, which increases factory productivity.
Journal Entry 95, January 31st 1865
We appeared to have fallen into Spain’s ‘sphere of influence’. Not sure what will come of this.
Austria again cancelled our military access; it is a strange thing for them to do, to be sure.
Journal Entry 96, March 31st 1865
I offered Spain an alliance this month; they refused point-blank.
Journal Entry 97, August 31st 1865
The principles of basic chemistry were completed this month and published; we can mow build fertilizer factories, which make materials which aid in the production of explosives.
Medicine is the next principle that Croatia’s scientists are working on.
Journal Entry 98, September 31st 1865
I have commissioned another railroad project; the four provinces currently without railroads are going to soon have them, as I have set construction crews to work on building railroad tracks in Varazdin, Osijek, Pozega and Bjelovar.
Meanwhile, I have commissioned a fort to be built in every province of Croatia except those that already have forts and those where railroads are in progress.
Journal Entry 99, March 31st 1866
We can now recruit an 8th brigade and are now doing so.
Journal Entry 100, June 31st 1866
We finished recruiting our 8th brigade only yesterday. However, despite this progress we are now dropping fast; we are only the 44th most powerful nation now.
Also, our national literacy has reached 19% despite continued falling literacy in Montenegro province and among the Serbian population.
Journal Entry 101, April 31st 1867
Croatia’s next big project is a major upgrade of the navy. Three new clippers, a Man of War and two new frigates have been commissioned in various ports across the nation.
It isn’t as costly as expected, and is doing only a tiny amount of damage to the treasury, money which will take only three months to recover; very little cost for so many new ships.
Journal Entry 102, July 31st 1867
The first of the new fleet was completed today, the first clipper.
Journal Entry 103, August 31st 1867
The rest of the clippers were completed today.
Journal Entry 104, November 31st 1867
Pan-Nationalists yet again rebelled this month, this time in Kotor. However, they are weaker than ever and were crushed swiftly.
Journal Entry 105, December 31st 1867
The two frigates were completed this month.
Journal Entry 106, April 30th 1868
I commissioned forts this month, to be built in each of the four provinces without them. This will mark the completion of my defence scheme.
Journal Entry 107, May 31st 1868
The Man of War was completed this month. The navy is now strong enough to stand up to most competition outside Great and Secondary powers, and can carry almost the entire nation’s army.
Journal Entry 108, August 31st 1868
German Pan-Nationalists, rebelling in Austria, crossed into our nation this week. However, they were crushed even quicker than the Yugoslavian Pan-Nationalists.
Journal Entry 109, January 31st 1869
Two more clippers have been commissioned this month, and my fort building scheme has been completed, with 7 new forts completed.
Journal Entry 109, February 29th 1869
Yet more German Pan-Nationalist’s entered our nation from Austria this month, but again they were crushed.
[
--- Croatian National Herald, March 26th 1869 ---
Heir Finally Assumes Position
The coronation of the now 20 year old King Jossip I of the Croats will take place tomorrow morning at twelve in the Zagreb Royal Palace, when Regent Ban of Croatia Vhalo Nazor resigns his position, and hands the leadership to the son of the deceased King Andrea Doria XXI.
Many rejoice at the news and the Regent Ban has proclaimed, as his last act of state that March 26th is to be evermore the national holiday of Coronation Day.
--- The private journals of Jossip I, King of the Croats, Duke of Zagreb and Prince of Melfi ---
Journal Entry 110, March 31st 1869
It is quite frightening assuming the throne with the legacy of my father and Vhalo behind me, great men who have built Croatia up out of the ashes.
The first thing I did was commission a world map, because I wish to be more expansionist than my predecessors and need to get a grip on world politics.
World map in 1869; click for near full-size.
Very little has happened; Prussia has squeezed down on Austria; the United Kingdom has taken a comparatively small chunk of China, annexed Tibet and acquired most of Burma; China has in turn acquired pieces of Kokand; the Netherlands has removed Crete from Egypt’s control; a fair bit of colonising has taken place in America; Spain has taken Morocco from Portugal and France has somehow acquired an enclave that consists of part of Belgium. In all, it is only a small change for near forty years.
Journal Entry 111, June 31st 1869
Medicine research was completed this month, to celebration among the scientific community. I feel their joy too, as this discovery opens up many new possibilities with its increase in the supply range.
Another group of people have been asked to work on the next research advancements, the nation’s admirals; Command principles for the navy are the next theory to be worked on.
Journal Entry 112, May 31st 1869
The clippers that the Ban commissioned were completed this month.
Journal Entry 113, July 31st 1869
Building up on this medicine technology, chemotherapy has become available to the military, giving them more chance of surviving in hostile foreign lands.
In addition, I have moved Croatia’s military into Austria to assist them in sieging undefended rebel controlled provinces.
Journal Entry 114, August 31st 1869
Two things happened this month; the Ottoman Empire requested military access in Croatia, which we granted them, and we finished sieging the rebel controlled Austrian province we were assisting Austria with, and returned our troops home.
Journal Entry 115, September 30th 1869
An extremely important advance in medicine was made this month; antiseptics were discovered, which my advisors tell me will boost population growth, lower the causalities for troops in foreign lands and assist military hospitals. It is very good news for a possible future invasion I am planning.
Journal Entry 116, October 31st 1869
Austria got itself into another war this month, this time with Prussia. Prussia has more troops, but Austria has the Ottoman Empire on its side. It will be a close war, unless the Ottoman’s decide not to actually do anything, then Austria will lose soundly.
However, more important events are taking place at home. I have loaded the Croatian army onto our navy, and it now sails for Modena, aiming for conquest.
Journal Entry 118, December 31st 1869
We are at war, with an inferior foe; just the way I like it. Modena has no chance of standing up to us, with a tiny military and no allies.
Journal Entry 119, January 31st 1870
Modena is defeated before it can even think of doing anything other than die.
Journal Entry 120, February 29th 1870
We have returned most of the Croatian military home, via Austria. What remains is only what is needed to complete the siege.
Journal Entry 121, April 31st 1870
Modena managed to raise a new, even smaller army this month. However, even with most of the army back in Croatia, they were crushed with literally no causalities dealt to Croatia.
Journal Entry 122, June 31st 1870
A new medical discovery was made this month; vaccination, which gives our troops have more chance of survival in hostile enemy lands.
Journal Entry 123, August 31st 1870
Modena rose up again in August, and was again crushed. Meanwhile the siege goes ahead full speed.
Journal Entry 123, September 31st 1870
At the beginning of this month, Modena was begging for white peace. By the end of it, they readily agreed to be conquered.
The war is finally over, and Modena has been annexed. Instantly we are able to recruit two new brigades, bringing the total up to 10 and jumping our nation to 39th most powerful.
Journal Entry 124, December 31st 1870
It is the last month of the decade, and a new movement has come to my attention.
I have decided to let it run its course, as it is harming no one and is actually a reasonably noble pursuit.