Chapter 24: Once you go Orthodox, you never go back
Author's note: Before we begin, I stop taking as many provinces after 1771. My rationale is that these provinces will never core, so I need to be much more selective. So starting next update, there may be fewer wars and/or wars with fewer conquests. This is by design. Let's get this update on the road!
September 1760: Hawran converts.
October 1760: Fars follows suit. We begin preparations to initiate a ... closer relationship with Moldavia. Since Moldavia will not peacefully become Russia's vassal (something about wanting to marry the daughter of our leader? Russian women are not political pawns!), perhaps some persuasion is necessary. Our alliance with Moldavia is severed.
November 1760: Although Moldavia has no true allies, many nations have stupidly tried to intervene in Russian affairs by guaranteeing Moldavia's independence. They shall pay dearly. WAR!!!!!
All of Moldavia's protectors intervene. Excellent! We'd hate to have a boring war
We call in Russian allies Switzerland, Transylvania, and Hungary.
December 1760: Some of Russia's less educated and enlightened individuals see a ball of fire flying through the sky and begin screaming like small girls. Attempts to convince them it is perfectly natural come to no avail, and panic destabilizes our nation. Russian scientists wonder how difficult it would be to block out the sun, to prevent this sort of thing in the future.
January 1761: Two battles in one day, both glorious victories for Russia.
April 1761: Dash-i-Lut converts.
May 1761: Al-Karak does the same. Croatia asks for White Peace -- since they've started occupying Hungary, I grant it, for Hungary's sake.
June 1761: More architectural development, more innovative. June is also the month of peaces. Since my infamy is so high, most of them just get converted to Orthodoxy, I force them to break whatever treaties I can, and maybe take some cash. Since more things are afoot in this update, as Sherlock Holmes might say, I've only included Moldavia's peace deal. Those being Orthodox-ed include Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, and Wallachia. Moldavia's fate:
Here's a sample peace deal for the rest, Wallachia, which includes a shot of how things are going in Bavaria, the sole active combatant remaining.
July 1761: Until now, I've been content to let Bavaria occupy Switzerland. Here is the first battle between Bavarian and Russian troops:
August 1761: Chelyushkin finishes what he started!
Note the army in Konstanz -- that is our next target.
September 1761: The hero of the Bavarian War strikes again --
October 1761: We go innovative on a slider move.
November 1761: Well, this is an interesting turn of events.
Looks like I'd better finish up with Bavaria, so I do.
That should help bury Bavaria on the way to obscurity.
January 1762: Sinai converts. I get a military access deal from Manchu -- they've got Korea split in two.
February 1762: Jinan converts. The war progresses well, as most of Korea north of the Manchu territories is occupied -- we are going south to finish the job.
April 1762: Some new medical regulations give us nearly a year of 10% higher population growth in Amdo.
June 1762: Wiradjuri cores. We add Xia to our SOI. The only thing Korea holds is that little island south of Mainland China.
July 1762: It burns me that I can't take land from Korea yet -- stupid infamy. Don't worry, they will soon be punished.
August 1762: Dayz Az Zor converts.
September 1762: Looks like Brazil lost the Gold Coast to Castille. Wait, Brazil? Gold Coast?!? Ngah?
I think this is new to DW (or I've never seen it before) -- Brazil forms from any large Portuguese colony. As it turns out, there is no major presence in South America for Portugal, so we get Brazil in Western Africa.
October 1762: Surat converts.
November 1762: Bihar, Aceh, and Shan DOW my good friend Deccan. I respond very forcefully.
March 1763: Bihari land is being occupied -- in the mean time, we get land 53. I immediately upgrade to Flying Batteries, but do not bother with the new cavalry units yet.
June 1763: Aceh makes the smart move and white peaces out.
July 1763: The first major battle between Russia and Bihar in this war goes rather poorly for Bihar.
August 1763: After our old Theologian dies, we hire a new 5* theologian.
October 1763: It's nasty territory and it's not very valuable. It also happens to be a new vassal of Russia. I give you the humbled Shan!
November 1763: Bihar has to give up territory to Deccan, who peaces out.
In case you think I've forgotten, here's our contest winners and their provinces!
February 1764: Now I'm done with Bihar. More independent countries, more Russian allies in India.
April 1764: A missionary complains about needing some help, so I send him a friend. Lazy bastard. None of the other missionaries whine and cry about how hard their jobs are!
July 1764: Another Scientific Revolution event -- we take a short term boost to trade tech.
October 1764: Bulgaria and Nis core. Great! Now convert to Orthodoxy, Nis.
August 1765: Some Indians in Jodhpur hop on a boat and sail to Guam.
January 1766: Here we see Quebec and Canada, reversed in position, but still both in Canada, which is nice.
March 1766: Gondwana breaks their alliance with Russia. Their loss.
July 1766: Lublin converts.
August 1766: I really want Cairo. Really bad. My goal here is to take Nile and see if they switch capitals.
Ethiopia, Najd, and Hedjaz all honor.
September 1766: Wallachia warns us. A corrupt governor in Tinglit?!? Here's a hundred ducats, people of Tinglit -- you saw and heard nothing.
October 1766: Diamentia converts, as does Ordos. The war with the Mamluks ends.
November 1766: Agricultural Revolution in Volhynia.
January 1767: For the first time, Russia takes a diplomat candidate (Boris Dezhnev) and gets... 7/3/5. Well, he's at least better at diplomacy than the last one...
February 1767: Poor Naples, you just got PUed by Morea. An OPM. And you have extensive overseas colonies.
May 1767: We exchange Military Drill for Esprit de Corps.
June 1767: Ooo, founding father in Kamikawa. I honestly don't care if we get new countries or what have you -- it'd be kind of neat if we did.
December 1767: Quebec is pretty awesome, apparently -- Hansa has to cough up cash to get peace.
January 1768: Tomsk gets the Agricultural Revolution.
April 1768: Gaza converts.
June 1768: Not to be outdone, Canada takes territory from Hansa.
April 1769: Mongol Khanate gets independence from Manchu! Soon, it will lose it to Russia.
November 1769: Manchu DOWs Korea. I can't miss this opportunity -- I follow suit with a DOW of my own a couple of days later. My former ally Xia joins with Korea.
And, to leave you on a cliffhanger, that's the end of the 1760s. Not sure if I'll get to this again for a while -- I will do my damnedest, but lots of RL stuff popping up for this week/weekend. At the very latest, I'll have something early next week.