Beautiful, my expectations are high from your California AAR, good luck. Also subbed.
Last edited:
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@gav1230: Thanks.
@Dyranum: Poor Lithuania. I'll just have to teach them all a lesson.
@Suirantes: Yes she does.
@MastahCheef117: I sure hope so.
@Mr. Santiago: Mind you, it might break. I don't have insurance and well... wouldn't want you to hit your head.
@Avindian: I'm thinking the same thing.
@wriener: Excellent. I hope I still have you.
@hoi2geek: We shall see. I've been having problems with the savegame.
@Jables: You shall see maps!
@CanadianCommie: Which is great for me.
@Sakura_F: Welcome aboard.
@NikoHoI3: I sure hope so.
@Commandante: If they can fight Russia, I'm going to try and ally them.
@ElFlaco: That would be good.
@MrQwerty: I've beaten them before.
@trekfan: Always good to follow one from the start.
@videonfan: Most excellent.
@gremlok: Eep. Don't kill me if I get some things wrong then. I am bound to.
@the_hdk: Same here.
@Heroicnoodles: I'll try.
@thequestion: Many thanks.
As the snow fell outside the King's Palace in Vilnius, King Mindaugus II pondered the future of his small country. He had recently received a report for 1839, showing that total production in the nation, to any sizable degree, was the selling and slaughter of cattle, and the raising of grains and wheats. For his country to survive, he felt it was needed, as a necessity, for the country to expand it's industrial production. With about 88% of the 1.6 million people living in the country working on farms or ranches, King Mindaugus II ordered that the national treasury begin to save up money for the creation of a government-run factory in Kaunas, which would focus on the distillation of liquor products. Although not heavy industry, it would none the less lift up the country from farming and ranching.
While Lithuania was situated along the Baltic Sea, with only a small coastline, it was still necessary to have defenses on the high seas. In signing in the law for the construction of a small frigate, the King also, in preparations to switch to an industrial economy, decided to allow State Controlled Trade Unions, in order to attempt to give citizens a fair say in what their working conditions were like. The rest of the year passed as the snow melted and the days got longer, until the leaves began to turn once again and snow graced the landscape. The world remained at peace, as the Winter of 1840-1841 passed. The King was graced with political stability and a willing population. Workers around the capitol city resumed their work of a railway in Vilnius, and announced in early August that it was finally complete. A feat worth celebrating, a railway that connect the capitol to a small city on the outskirts was inaugurated, allowing goods to flow to the capitol even quicker than before. Even as the Lithuanian treasury grew, it did not grow fast enough for the ambitious projects of it's forward-looking King. He dreamed of a railway stretching to the sea, bringing goods and facilitating traffic for this small country. As the summer closed, and the new year crept up upon them, the King dreamed of a gift for his little nation. Seeing articles in newspapers that were obviously written by the Government to censor people, the King, on January 1st 1842, declared that from here on forward, Lithuania shall practice Free Speech and Freedom of the Press, enshrining that no man or woman may be stopped from speaking their mind in the nation.
Commerce began to pick up in the nation, as somewhat better roads were laid down to the coastline. Although there was only one major city resting along the coast, smaller, less crowded, towns and villages began to pop up, showing the growth of the nation as a whole starting, and a more outward look by the population. In the middle of the summer of 1842, things were not looking good for the Lithuanian potato crop. A blight at struck them, killing many, and taking out a huge chuck of the food needed to feed a hungry populace. The Government took to time in trying to spare the people, and issued rations for all the farmers in the nation in a bid to try and make sure everyone got a meal on their plates. Death rates still soared from malnutrition, and thousands of people loaded on to boats and moved elsewhere, most to the New World
1. A new town situated along the coast of Lithuania.
When the winter came, and the year changed, the massive depopulation was watching as every month the nation lost about a thousand people. With Government Spending still high on trying to help the plight, the King offered a massive new piece of legislation that shocked the country. He ordered that the Grand Council of the Duchy of Lithuania no longer be simply appointed himself, but it be elected the aristocracy and the capitalists. Although this was a limited class, it spurned the desire for many Lithuanians to be grow and develop their country, which was quickly running away from an absolute monarchy like it was under the Russian Empire.
The election cycle organised quickly, with three major factions forming in the Grand Council. The largest, and the one that could currently claim to have the most sway, was the Royal Faction, which controlled 50% of the Grand Council. The few Russians and back-ward thinking Lithuanians banded together to form the Nationalist Faction, which held 9% of the sets. The final 41% were held by the Liberal Faction, a group of people that are increasingly looking to emulate the American Democracy over the seas. The King was slightly fearful of this faction, and was satisfied when in the fall of 1843 when roughly the same proportion of people were returned to the Grand Council, and the advice and governing they gave continued almost without any interruption.
After much time of purchasing resources and construction, the Lietuva, the nation's first naval vessel, was launched with great fanfare in the spring of 1844. A famous coastal priest, who had experience in the Russian Navy, was chosen as the Admiral of the Lithuanian Navy. Accepting the appointment in Palanga, Henrikas Bradziunas ascended to the office and was faced with a daunting task. He had little money to work with, but he had to create an entire naval office, and even create more ships in the future. A frigate is only something to help protect the coasts for a little bit. It was not any type of long-term plan, and it rested on Admiral Bradziunas to help bring Lithuania into the future.
2. The Lithuanian frigate Lietuva.
As 1844 melted away and 1845 arrived, the constant surplus in the budget, and the final reverse of the population drop, a railway from Palanga to Vilnius was ordered by the Grand Council and signed by the King. In the summer of that year, the first factory, a liquor distillery, was finally opened, and hundreds of people went to the factory to try and produce goods for the nation it self and to export to the world.
In the summer, the King ordered that the army should be expanded, and in the town of Pastovys, men volunteered to fight for Lithuania. They marched in cadence, and began their training, while the Government started to try and purchase the needed weapons and officers to lead these men into battle, should they be called upon. In a stunning surprise to the King, the Kingdom of Prussia, after crushing the Austrian Empire over control of Schleswig, formed the North German Confederation, and promptly offered an alliance to the Duchy, pledging support in military affairs between both nations. The King took no time to respond and promptly replied with an emphatic yes, asserting the North German Confederation future support in any war. Although their Army was small, the Lithuanians held a great spirit, and felt that they could provide much needed support in the future.
In the early summer, the Lithuanian railway expanded to Marijampole, fostering better growth and facilitating more trade. This showed the King's dream of linking the capital with the sea was close to coming true, as the rails extended further and further west. In keeping with his vision of a grander Lithuania, Admiral Bradziunas asked the King in the winter of 1846 to construct a new frigate for the navy. The King agreed, and in the early months of 1847, construction funds were allocated and the keel was laid in the Spring of 1847. However, news from across the ocean heralded that these ships might soon be vastly outdated due to steamers and commerce raiders, which could travel much faster than the old sailing ships. Nevertheless, Lithuania pressed forward with their ambitious programmes.
In August of 1847, news on the international scale brought unease to Lithuania. The Russian Empire to the East had mobilised their soldiers, and joined their American allies in fighting the British Empire, which had attempted to re-claim New England from the United States of America. Although Russia was allied with the United States, there was severe doubt that the Russian Empire would be shipping soldiers to the United States, the Home Islands, or the British colonies. Many thought that the Russian Empire was simply gearing up to invade Lithuania. To help improve the spirits of the nation, in mid October, the railroad reached the city of Siauliai, coming even closer to having access to the sea. The King ordered his old Map of Europe replaced and updated, as there had been some changes since his old one was created.
3. Map of Europe at the end of 1847.
When 1848 rolled around, and the dismal report from the factory came in, only about three hundred people were working inside the factory. The King ordered the government shift its focus from encourage more members of the clergy, and instead demanded that more people enter the factories. He felt that there were too many farmers and he would try and encourage his citizens into industrial work, simply because if he gets it started, it could continue to grow and develop. Three hundred people, however, was not the way to stimulate growth. The factory complex itself could house ten thousand people, as the King had thought thousands would flock from the fields to the factory.
The Government program would run until the end of the year, and attempt to try and bring at least a thousand more people into the factory, as right now maintenance costs far outspent the money that was gained. As it was running, more and more people decided to quit the farm and move to the city, and better than expected results appeared by the end of the year, with around two thousand people the King decided to simply keep it in place. It would be his last move as King of Lithuania, as for the rest of the year there were no new developments, and in the early days of September King Mindaugus II died in his sleep, leaving the throne up to his daughter, who accepted and took the name of Queen Jadvyga I of the Duchy of Lithuania. The first Queen in Lithuania's history, she was welcomed by the population, and in a tribute to her father, she inaugurated the Lithuanian Railroad by driving the last spike at the Palanga Railroad Station, linking the coast with the capital, the grand dream of her father.
4. Queen Jadvyga I of the Duchy of Lithuania.
The rest of the year was simply filled royal processions, and the Queen welcoming the new Frigate, Mindaugus II, into the Lithuanian Fleet. In a show of solidarity, the Kingdom of Denmark offered an alliance to the Duchy, which the Queen accepted. As the waning hours of 1849 swept past the Royal Palace, Queen Jadvyga looked forward, at the future, and felt that her father had put the nation on a solid starting block, and that it would be her job to stake Lithuania's place in the world.
Previous Update: 1830 - 1840: Rebirth of the Monarchy
Next Update: 1850 - 1860: Lithuania's Place in the World
@Dyranum: Poor Lithuania. I'll just have to teach them all a lesson.
@Suirantes: Yes she does.
@MastahCheef117: I sure hope so.
@Mr. Santiago: Mind you, it might break. I don't have insurance and well... wouldn't want you to hit your head.
@Avindian: I'm thinking the same thing.
@wriener: Excellent. I hope I still have you.
@hoi2geek: We shall see. I've been having problems with the savegame.
@Jables: You shall see maps!
@CanadianCommie: Which is great for me.
@Sakura_F: Welcome aboard.
@NikoHoI3: I sure hope so.
@Commandante: If they can fight Russia, I'm going to try and ally them.
@ElFlaco: That would be good.
@MrQwerty: I've beaten them before.
@trekfan: Always good to follow one from the start.
@videonfan: Most excellent.
@gremlok: Eep. Don't kill me if I get some things wrong then. I am bound to.
@the_hdk: Same here.
@Heroicnoodles: I'll try.
@thequestion: Many thanks.
1840 - 1850: The Trials and Tribulations of Statehood
As the snow fell outside the King's Palace in Vilnius, King Mindaugus II pondered the future of his small country. He had recently received a report for 1839, showing that total production in the nation, to any sizable degree, was the selling and slaughter of cattle, and the raising of grains and wheats. For his country to survive, he felt it was needed, as a necessity, for the country to expand it's industrial production. With about 88% of the 1.6 million people living in the country working on farms or ranches, King Mindaugus II ordered that the national treasury begin to save up money for the creation of a government-run factory in Kaunas, which would focus on the distillation of liquor products. Although not heavy industry, it would none the less lift up the country from farming and ranching.
While Lithuania was situated along the Baltic Sea, with only a small coastline, it was still necessary to have defenses on the high seas. In signing in the law for the construction of a small frigate, the King also, in preparations to switch to an industrial economy, decided to allow State Controlled Trade Unions, in order to attempt to give citizens a fair say in what their working conditions were like. The rest of the year passed as the snow melted and the days got longer, until the leaves began to turn once again and snow graced the landscape. The world remained at peace, as the Winter of 1840-1841 passed. The King was graced with political stability and a willing population. Workers around the capitol city resumed their work of a railway in Vilnius, and announced in early August that it was finally complete. A feat worth celebrating, a railway that connect the capitol to a small city on the outskirts was inaugurated, allowing goods to flow to the capitol even quicker than before. Even as the Lithuanian treasury grew, it did not grow fast enough for the ambitious projects of it's forward-looking King. He dreamed of a railway stretching to the sea, bringing goods and facilitating traffic for this small country. As the summer closed, and the new year crept up upon them, the King dreamed of a gift for his little nation. Seeing articles in newspapers that were obviously written by the Government to censor people, the King, on January 1st 1842, declared that from here on forward, Lithuania shall practice Free Speech and Freedom of the Press, enshrining that no man or woman may be stopped from speaking their mind in the nation.
Commerce began to pick up in the nation, as somewhat better roads were laid down to the coastline. Although there was only one major city resting along the coast, smaller, less crowded, towns and villages began to pop up, showing the growth of the nation as a whole starting, and a more outward look by the population. In the middle of the summer of 1842, things were not looking good for the Lithuanian potato crop. A blight at struck them, killing many, and taking out a huge chuck of the food needed to feed a hungry populace. The Government took to time in trying to spare the people, and issued rations for all the farmers in the nation in a bid to try and make sure everyone got a meal on their plates. Death rates still soared from malnutrition, and thousands of people loaded on to boats and moved elsewhere, most to the New World
1. A new town situated along the coast of Lithuania.
When the winter came, and the year changed, the massive depopulation was watching as every month the nation lost about a thousand people. With Government Spending still high on trying to help the plight, the King offered a massive new piece of legislation that shocked the country. He ordered that the Grand Council of the Duchy of Lithuania no longer be simply appointed himself, but it be elected the aristocracy and the capitalists. Although this was a limited class, it spurned the desire for many Lithuanians to be grow and develop their country, which was quickly running away from an absolute monarchy like it was under the Russian Empire.
The election cycle organised quickly, with three major factions forming in the Grand Council. The largest, and the one that could currently claim to have the most sway, was the Royal Faction, which controlled 50% of the Grand Council. The few Russians and back-ward thinking Lithuanians banded together to form the Nationalist Faction, which held 9% of the sets. The final 41% were held by the Liberal Faction, a group of people that are increasingly looking to emulate the American Democracy over the seas. The King was slightly fearful of this faction, and was satisfied when in the fall of 1843 when roughly the same proportion of people were returned to the Grand Council, and the advice and governing they gave continued almost without any interruption.
After much time of purchasing resources and construction, the Lietuva, the nation's first naval vessel, was launched with great fanfare in the spring of 1844. A famous coastal priest, who had experience in the Russian Navy, was chosen as the Admiral of the Lithuanian Navy. Accepting the appointment in Palanga, Henrikas Bradziunas ascended to the office and was faced with a daunting task. He had little money to work with, but he had to create an entire naval office, and even create more ships in the future. A frigate is only something to help protect the coasts for a little bit. It was not any type of long-term plan, and it rested on Admiral Bradziunas to help bring Lithuania into the future.
2. The Lithuanian frigate Lietuva.
As 1844 melted away and 1845 arrived, the constant surplus in the budget, and the final reverse of the population drop, a railway from Palanga to Vilnius was ordered by the Grand Council and signed by the King. In the summer of that year, the first factory, a liquor distillery, was finally opened, and hundreds of people went to the factory to try and produce goods for the nation it self and to export to the world.
In the summer, the King ordered that the army should be expanded, and in the town of Pastovys, men volunteered to fight for Lithuania. They marched in cadence, and began their training, while the Government started to try and purchase the needed weapons and officers to lead these men into battle, should they be called upon. In a stunning surprise to the King, the Kingdom of Prussia, after crushing the Austrian Empire over control of Schleswig, formed the North German Confederation, and promptly offered an alliance to the Duchy, pledging support in military affairs between both nations. The King took no time to respond and promptly replied with an emphatic yes, asserting the North German Confederation future support in any war. Although their Army was small, the Lithuanians held a great spirit, and felt that they could provide much needed support in the future.
In the early summer, the Lithuanian railway expanded to Marijampole, fostering better growth and facilitating more trade. This showed the King's dream of linking the capital with the sea was close to coming true, as the rails extended further and further west. In keeping with his vision of a grander Lithuania, Admiral Bradziunas asked the King in the winter of 1846 to construct a new frigate for the navy. The King agreed, and in the early months of 1847, construction funds were allocated and the keel was laid in the Spring of 1847. However, news from across the ocean heralded that these ships might soon be vastly outdated due to steamers and commerce raiders, which could travel much faster than the old sailing ships. Nevertheless, Lithuania pressed forward with their ambitious programmes.
In August of 1847, news on the international scale brought unease to Lithuania. The Russian Empire to the East had mobilised their soldiers, and joined their American allies in fighting the British Empire, which had attempted to re-claim New England from the United States of America. Although Russia was allied with the United States, there was severe doubt that the Russian Empire would be shipping soldiers to the United States, the Home Islands, or the British colonies. Many thought that the Russian Empire was simply gearing up to invade Lithuania. To help improve the spirits of the nation, in mid October, the railroad reached the city of Siauliai, coming even closer to having access to the sea. The King ordered his old Map of Europe replaced and updated, as there had been some changes since his old one was created.
3. Map of Europe at the end of 1847.
When 1848 rolled around, and the dismal report from the factory came in, only about three hundred people were working inside the factory. The King ordered the government shift its focus from encourage more members of the clergy, and instead demanded that more people enter the factories. He felt that there were too many farmers and he would try and encourage his citizens into industrial work, simply because if he gets it started, it could continue to grow and develop. Three hundred people, however, was not the way to stimulate growth. The factory complex itself could house ten thousand people, as the King had thought thousands would flock from the fields to the factory.
The Government program would run until the end of the year, and attempt to try and bring at least a thousand more people into the factory, as right now maintenance costs far outspent the money that was gained. As it was running, more and more people decided to quit the farm and move to the city, and better than expected results appeared by the end of the year, with around two thousand people the King decided to simply keep it in place. It would be his last move as King of Lithuania, as for the rest of the year there were no new developments, and in the early days of September King Mindaugus II died in his sleep, leaving the throne up to his daughter, who accepted and took the name of Queen Jadvyga I of the Duchy of Lithuania. The first Queen in Lithuania's history, she was welcomed by the population, and in a tribute to her father, she inaugurated the Lithuanian Railroad by driving the last spike at the Palanga Railroad Station, linking the coast with the capital, the grand dream of her father.
4. Queen Jadvyga I of the Duchy of Lithuania.
The rest of the year was simply filled royal processions, and the Queen welcoming the new Frigate, Mindaugus II, into the Lithuanian Fleet. In a show of solidarity, the Kingdom of Denmark offered an alliance to the Duchy, which the Queen accepted. As the waning hours of 1849 swept past the Royal Palace, Queen Jadvyga looked forward, at the future, and felt that her father had put the nation on a solid starting block, and that it would be her job to stake Lithuania's place in the world.
Previous Update: 1830 - 1840: Rebirth of the Monarchy
Next Update: 1850 - 1860: Lithuania's Place in the World
Ah yes, Liquor. Always a solid choice for one's first factory in V-2. :rofl:
Will be interesting to see how you continue, though with the NGF as your ally you've got quite a good position (that is, assuming that the French or Austrians don't meddle like they usually do).
Will be interesting to see how you continue, though with the NGF as your ally you've got quite a good position (that is, assuming that the French or Austrians don't meddle like they usually do).
Well, with the NGF goes the chances of expanding west for the time beeing, but at least you've won an ally. Great update.
Good job so far Fry, just one question. If it's the Duchy of Lithuania, wouldn't he be a Duke and his daughter then Duchess? Or am I mising something?
I will have an update up soon.
On a side note...
Vote for Empire of the Pacific! Or Rise of a Giant!
On a side note...
Vote for Empire of the Pacific! Or Rise of a Giant!
I am Lithuanian (At least my great-grandparents were) and I approve of this AAR. Subbed!
Your California AAR was just so awesome, so I have high expectations. I have one question though, will you be attempting to form Poland-Lithuania? I am not even sure if Lithuania can do that, but I think they can. Anyways, this looks pretty good so far. You have my wholehearted approval.