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Naturally, I very much enjoy seeing Gladstone making an appearance in proceedings. Interfering in Cascadian affairs does seem something of a departure from his usual style, but it certainly makes for an interesting story. Interesting also to see the Hamilton-Gordons have appeared in the dominions already. It seems they're intent in making their mark, too.
 
Naturally, I very much enjoy seeing Gladstone making an appearance in proceedings. Interfering in Cascadian affairs does seem something of a departure from his usual style, but it certainly makes for an interesting story. Interesting also to see the Hamilton-Gordons have appeared in the dominions already. It seems they're intent in making their mark, too.

Well seeing he was leaving New Zeeland it seemed natural to me that he'd go to Cascadia and replace the much-longer reigning then historical Sir Musgrave. As for the departure from his usual style, I made a slight turn of writing, seeing a request from a friend combined from an illegal seizure of government by undesirables in a Crown Dominion. Plus it might reinforce his position in the House given the current Irish crisis plaguing him.

I'm glad you, our resident English scholar, approves though ^^.
 
I'm eager to see if Cascadia can overcome Yankee imperialism and acquire it's rightful territories in the Alaska panhandle and northern California.
Absolutely loving this and can't wait for more!
 
Chapter Thirteen: The Lost Year

1st of August, 1887:

By the year of Our Lord 1887, the political issues within the Dominion of Cascadia had died down and burnt out. Indeed those terms are most correct, as during the first year of the Davie Administration, there was much dying and burning to be had. The British Parliament, at the behest of an extraordinary plea by the Governor General, intervened in domestic politics a world away and replaced an elected official with an appointed one, however unstable the elected official's legitimacy was. The result was predictable to the few observers interested in the backwards colonial nation's politics, with a year of immense political and social instability.

The letter was announced to Parliament, with what would become the two defining reactions of the period, shock and then a stiff upper lip by the Conservative Government and enraged violence by the Socialist and Communist bloc. Member of Parliament Thurston Daniels, a noted populist from the Province of Washington, vowed revenge against the illegitimate corruption of Cascadian democracy by imperialist and reactionary politicians half a world away. The next day at sunrise a republican Yankee militia consisting of twelve thousand men rose in Washington, seeking to seize the state quickly from Cascadian administration and establish an independent republic free of British rule. This revolt, the first of many, was put down by the Cascadian militia with a surprising lack of force as rumours of a desire of the militia to return to the Americans underminding their popular hold as the multitude of ethnic enclaves began fighting back. However the government enforced their right to rule and marched a regiment of Cascadian regulars into Seattle to much fanfare, especially in the ethnic slums that dotted the city.

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The entrance of Cascadian regulars into Seattle, ending the Republican Revolt
However this was not the only rebellion, as over the course of the year dozens of militias, cells and anarchist groups declared war on the Cascadian State seeking to establish a worker's state, an anarchist state, a republican state, or to become American states all in turn. The Cascadian Militia, harried and underfunded, had immense amounts of money injected into it in order to allow the mass recruitment into the Armed Forces. Growing from forty eight thousand to one hundred and two thousand standing infantrymen, the Cascadian society experienced an extraordinary militarisation that would have economic effects within both the domestic and the private spheres for decades to come.

The largest individual revolt during the 1886-87 Rebellions was last major revolt of the period, which was named the Great Socialist Revolt. Occurring on the 15th of February, 1887, sixty six thousand socialists took arm, based primarily in British Columbia. Declaring Victor Berger the legitimate authority in Cascadia, they declared the People's Republic of Cascadia and launched an international campaign for recognition. This campaign was an unmitigated failure, as the monarchist and republican governments of the world blanched at the idea of legitimising socialism in any form. With military assistance from Britain in the form of four ironclads and nine old wooden frigates, the revolt (unlike many of the others) had to be crushed by a series of military battles.

The most brutal of these campaigns was the Vancouver Island campaign, where twenty four thousand socialists based in Victoria fought in a running battle with the Cascadian Militia. Starting in Victoria harbour, the city garrison (assisted by British and Cascadian marines) desperately fought off repeated assaults by the socialists in a desperate gambit to seize the provincial and national capital. Holding off the attacks and strengthened by reinforcements from the mainland, the bridgehead of Southern Victoria soon stabilised into a front and in turn began lose cohesiveness as the Socialists made a desperate retreat over the Malahat Mountains to make a last stand in the village of Duncan. Digging into the heights of Mount Tzouhalem to the West and heights of Mill Bay to the East, it seemed to many that the Socialists would be a thorn in the Cascadian's side for years to come, devolving into bandits feasting on colonists and the local native bands. However the Cowichan Tribes, on a promise of land, showed the Cascadian Militia a bay in which they can take the socialists from behind. Naming it Genoa Bay (after Captain Alexander Genoa), the Militia alongside the Cascadian Marines marched in behind the socialist's position during a false attack by the assisting British ironclad and routed the undisciplined rabble. Allowing some to retreat back to Mount Tzouhalem, the Cascadian Militia began a mass bombardment of the Mountain followed by an assault which led some eight thousand dead on each side.

Over the course of four months the socialists were uprooted or became low bandits no longer acting under any sort of centralised or disciplined rule. With hundred of thousands dead and millions of pounds spent on the war effort, the national catharsis came during the trial of former Prime Minister Victor L. Berger. In what was in fact a highly ceremonial kangaroo court, the state laid out a long and elaborate list of charges, ranging from public indecency to two hundred and thirty five thousand five hundred and twelve counts of murder in the second degree. After an record one minute deliberation, the jury declared Berger guilty on all counts. His hanging took place on 30th of July, 1887. This commonly marks the end of the Lost Year, where a generation of Cascadian youth died in a single year of fighting.

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The hanging of former Prime Minister Victor Berger
Domestically the government held together extremely well, due mostly to the quiet strength of the Prime Minister Davie and an early coalition both the National Democratic Party and the Cascadian Liberal Party to ensure a Unity Government over the course of the year. Declaring that even in this time of turmoil that the Cascadian government would not turn their backs on civil or political rights, Davie worked hard to bring peace to the nation. His efforts, as previously stated, were a failure and the violence continued unabated for the rest of the year due to socialist agitation. However none other then George Walkem came to the fore during the Unity Government, using his loud voice to speak across the nation and his position as Minister of Defense to organise what was essentially counter-insurgency methods throughout Cascadia. Becoming increasingly seen as the true power behind the Prime Minister, it was wondered by many what future Cascadia had, and if Davie would continue to lead it.
 
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Good to see a new update from Cascadia – even if all of the instability is somewhat troubling. In the aftermath of the turmoil, it will indeed be interesting to see how the nation emerges.

I'm looking forward to finding out in the next update.
 
Hurrah for another update!

The sheer number of people killed in the revolts is frightening, but fortunately Cascadia seems to still be standing. It's going to take a hell of a PM to hold her together through this mess.

As a side note, does the US or any other country have cores in the Oregon Country? Or did those republican rebels really never have a chance? :p
 
Hurrah for another update!

The sheer number of people killed in the revolts is frightening, but fortunately Cascadia seems to still be standing. It's going to take a hell of a PM to hold her together through this mess.

As a side note, does the US or any other country have cores in the Oregon Country? Or did those republican rebels really never have a chance? :p

I modded out the cores in the 60s. It was a Jacobin rebellion that I totes didn't relabel >>.
 
Chapter Fourteen: Slash-and-Burn Immigration

3rd of October, 1891:

The months and seasons after the Lost Year were among the most surprising in Cascadian history. For many, it was seen as a portent of greater peril, a sign of the end of times for Cascadia. A small run on food drove the price of canned food up beyond the buying point for all but the richest of citizens, as panicked civilians prepared for the worst.

However that was not to be.

With the dispersal of the Cascadian Militia to the various provinces and territories in preparation, some three to six thousand regulars in each region, the people felt confident in their government. Radical groups disbanded as interest fell and public opinion turned against citizens that wanted to raise arms again against the authorities. Even general political movements, long led by those dissatisfied with the various political and social state of Cascadia, put down their banners and put their noses to the grindstone. It seemed that after so many years of political problems, Cascadia had gone through it's growing pains and was becoming a real nation, with it's own distinct history and way of life.

This domestic success was most seen as immigration to the young dominion soared. Seen by many to be on the wrong side of the Rockies, it was difficult for poor immigrants to move from their homes in Europe to the new cities in the Provinces in Cascadia. They either had to take a long and sometimes dangerous boat ride through the Suez Canal and past the Far East to land in the ports of Vancouver or Seattle, or they had to take a ship to Canada or the USA and then take a train to the Cascadian border. Both of which were long and slow journeys. Even with this length, hundreds and thousands of immigrants arrived to the nation everyday.

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A Picture of a Canadian train loaded with immigrants to Cascadia; C. 1890.
The Davies Ministry, knowing the need for immigration in growing the nation into a regional power, began the highly successful campaign in which the Cascadian government would subsidise all trains travelling across the American and Canadian plains towards the Rockies. This is credited to much of the immigration from Eastern and Southern Europe, as increasing numbers from the Ukraine, Southern Italy, Romania, Hungary and Bosnia came to Cascadia to have a new lease on life. This in turn allowed the nation to grow dramatically during this time, surpassing both Canada and the United States in terms of shear number of immigrants. The population was estimated to be around two million people by 1891.

Historians in the modern era question why Cascadia, seemingly the most burdensome nation to immigrate to in the New World, became the most popular place in the world for immigrants to go to. The term "Slash-and-Burn Immigration", named after the agricultural technique, was quoted by Cascadian historian Andre d'Antico when it came to immigration during this period in 1998. This was termed due to the belief in many immigrants that the Lost Year had burned out the violent political buildup in the nation over the years, allowing real growth to occur. Much like the agricultural technique, a clearing to build on must be first cleared out by fire.

The peace and growth of these years allowed the Conservatives to sideline Walkem, with his finally being replaced as Minister of Defense in 1889 when it became clear that his radical views were no longer needed. In what was seen as a massive (if quiet) coup, the National Democratic Party removed Walkem as party leader in 1890. At the age of 55, Walkem retired from politics, becoming a municipal judge in 1891 and seemingly done with the newest generation of politicians.

This was not the only news during the years concerning former Prime Ministers of Cascadia. Andrew Elliot, the first Prime Minister of Cascadia, passed away due to a heart attack in his home in Victoria on the 9th of April, 1889. The first non-violent death of a Cascadian Prime Minister, his place in securing Cascadian dominionhood was honoured with a state funeral that was attended by the Governor General as well as delegates from Canada and the United States.

With all going well, election season took Cascadia by surprise. Set to occur on the 4th of October, it seemed that the these elections would be the most calm in years. The National Democrats, Conservatives and Cascadian Liberals all took ownership of the success of the nation over the years, while the Socialists languished under failing leadership and public distrust. These elections were up in the air, and it seemingly could fall anywhere in the four main political parties.

 
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Nice to see this back.

So what is your relationship with the British Empire at this point?

I'm back in their SoI and relations are at 200, so they're going quite well. Relations with Canada are low though, being at -3.

Alliance with the USA is holding though, so that's cool.
 
As others have said, it's great to see this being resurrected, Dadar! I always enjoyed reading about your experiments in the NNM and modding. :)

The sidelining of Walkem is rather bad news for the man, seeing as at 55 he should be in the prime of his political career – though one supposes that a clean slate every now and then is always good. I'll certainly be watching the upcoming election with great interest. Being the party to lead Cascadia into the belle époque is definitely a prize worth fighting over.
 
Chapter Fifteen: Trust Found and Trust Busted

12th of October, 1891:

The election of 1891 was seen by many as being arguably the calmest election thus far in the history of Cascadian general elections. There were no strikes, no mud marches, no suffragette leaflet campaigns, no calls for revolution, not even a measly flu epidemic. The only noted incident during the entire election was a march of veterans in front of the Capitol, supporting the outgoing Unity Government and their successes in Cascadia. It seemed the masses were jovial at not only utilising their right to vote, but also doing so without fear of present or future violent befalling them or their relatives as a result. It was truly a joyous occasion.

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An Anti-War Poster of Surrey MP Candidate Ed Morton; C. 1891.
One could even come to ignore the traditional political bickering between MPs that sought to control the vote in their constituency. Debates were held often across the country, as the various parties gathered to sway the voter towards voting for them. An interesting note was that even from early on, it was obvious that both the socialists and the communists seem to accept what many saw as their place in politics. The red spectrum failed to send any representation to many of the most important debates of the election, failed to do basic stumping, and failed to even field candidates in British Columbia, abandoning the province as a whole.

Between actual contenders, the race was tight. The favoured policies by far were those of the National Democrats, whose anti-military pose and spirit of "Free Business and Free Settling" was only tainted by the legacy of the militaristic and divisive Walkem. On top of this collective memory of a man screaming obscenities at a socialists, the split in the liberals had done nothing for the National Democrats. This split vote seemed to many to give the Tories a chance at securing a purely Conservative cabinet, with no need to cater to ideals of social gradualism (or Lord forbid Walkem's tactic of simply pandering to the masses with government money in the form of social "reform").

The defining moment of the entire election was the day before the actual election was slated to begin. On the 4th of October, the leaders of the three main parties arrived in Seattle to speak. Originally it was to be a debate between the new leader of the National Democrats, a Mr. Elisha Ferry1, and the longtime leader (though often overshadowed by other personalities within Cascadia) of the Cascadian Liberal Party, Mr. Francis Carter-Cotton2, only, discussing the place of Liberalism in Cascadia. Davie however heard about the debate at the last minute, and was incensed that his two main competitors would hold a debate without him.

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Mr. Carter-Cotton, Mr. Ferry and Mr. Davie, the main participants in the "Railroad Debate".
With the unexpected, and many knew unwelcome, entrance of Davie forced the subject of the debate to turn to more national issues. When the soapboxes were prepped and the party leaders ready, people sat down and expected to engage in a more traditional debate. At first this seemed to be true, as Carter-Cotton dryly addressed housing issues in immigrant areas, an excess of restriction on the export of Cascadian lumber and the ever present private American control of Cascadian railroad companies. Ferry then rebutted with ideals of centralising the entire Cascadian penal process, tax avoidance by counties across the country and agreed with Carter-Cotton on a need to deal with American control of Cascadian railroad companies. Davie in turn retorted that such desire to regulate Cascadian rail companies is a step away from socialism.

The three heated up concerning the position, with the crowds beginning to shout encouragement to one or the other. For the first time since the fall of the Whigs, the liberals of Cascadia stood united in a shared interest. Though seemingly dry in content, Fisher brought up the idea of trust busting for the first time in Cascadian politics. This seemed to strike a nerve with the crowd, as all they wanted was to a fair shake in Cascadia without big business to hold them down. This vigour helped spawn shared tours, containing both National Democrat and Liberal candidates.

With this excitement in the air, the election went on without a hitch. Some near two million eligible voters voted that year, in the largest election yet for the young nation. When the results came in, the results were divisive. Of the 80 seats in the House of Commons, 28 went to the Conservatives, 26 to the National Democrats and 24 to the Liberals while and independent from Portland picked up 1 and the communists 1 in the mining town of Spokane. This left the Conservatives with the ability to form a government with a plurality. This would not come to pass however, as a petition to Governor General Hamilton-Gordon by the liberals asked that the National Democrats and the Liberals be able to form a government with not only a majority of Parliament, but the faith of the people. This was granted, and as agreed Elisha Fisher became the fifth Prime Minister and first born originally in the United States of America.



1. Elisha P. Fisher was the former Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of Washington, 1872-1880. Originally solely interested in provincial politics, his fear at Walkem's desire to remove the NDP's anti-war policies led him to orchestrate the quiet coup that deposed the former Prime Minister.

2. Francis L. Carter-Cotton was a longtime MP for British Columbia, from 1875 onwards. Originally an idealistic young man, he has aged into a quiet academic, whom has stewarded the Liberals following the collapse of the Whigs and it's last members for over 20 years.
 
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Subbed...or is this dead again?
 
I didn't want to be "that user" that posts in a dead AAR. I saw the story from March, sure, but...you never know.

Also, this AAR makes me want to actually crack open VicII for the first time instead of just owning it.
 
I didn't want to be "that user" that posts in a dead AAR. I saw the story from March, sure, but...you never know.

Also, this AAR makes me want to actually crack open VicII for the first time instead of just owning it.

You inspired me, I'll update it now.
 
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