Interesting update to bridge the gap between games. The geographic overviews have highlighted a number of interesting dynamics, looking forward to seeing the game get underway and seeing how Victoria II copes with this alternative history!
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I was a huge fan of this during the previous series, and always find your historical-narrative-writing superb! I almost forgot about this magnificent work during its long hiatus. I've always wanted to try one of these myself, but I'm not sure I'd have the patience, and I definitely wouldn't be able to resist tweaking the borders and stats between games.
If they're still up, would you mind posting links to the previous chapters of the saga?
If they're still up, would you mind posting links to the previous chapters of the saga?
There's the link to the EU3 part from the first post of this thread. (Click the word 'here') You'll find the CK2 part through there.
Also, the hell wait is finally over! Run to the streets, citizens, to proclaim the arrival of the Messiah!
Woot! The day is here at last!
(rooting for Leinster, Frankfurt, and Imperium Romanum)
(rooting for Leinster, Frankfurt, and Imperium Romanum)
COLONIAL WARS, 1836-1840
The Long Peace persisted only a few hours into the tumultuous year of 1836. Navarrans remembered that they had discovered the New World, but it was dominated by other Europeans. The time had come, the Renaixenca Catala faction in court had argued, to move boldly to expand their holdings in the vast land that should have been theirs. And on the first day of 1836, the King had agreed, and declared war on Leinster, in the hopes of capturing Ontario. Ontario had been the focal point of trade in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Valley for centuries, making it a rich prize, and Leinster was viewed as a weak nation that had been forced to flee Europe in fear of its enemies. Sibir and Austria—allies of Leinster and Navarra respectively—attempted an eleventh hour negotiation to halt the war, but succeeded only in avoiding entering it themselves. Navarra was aided by Genoa and Fez, but refused by their longtime allies in Austria.
It was only a single war, largely fought in the colonies, and objectively should not have threatened global affairs…and yet it did. For it validated the use of arms to achieve one’s political aims once more, and the year became a cavalcade of old grievances bubbling into warfare. By the year’s end, seventeen wars involving forty-eight nations would be declared.
Nor would Navarra’s war to ‘liberate’ Ontario be the only one to break out over colonial possessions. Only 12 days after the Navarran declaration, Berry decided to use force to press its claim for the English parts of the savannahs of the Chaco region in South America. Though England was a powerful nation, the Berrians thought they could prevail with the aid of their Bohemian allies who also had strong bases of operation in South America. England’s only significant ally, Castille, had little presence in the region. Berrt had also hoped for help from mighty Etruria, but the Etrurians did not wish to endanger their good relations and trade with the English.
Despite this disappointment, the Berrians were still shocked by Etruria’s treachery early that summer. The Etrurians had waited just long enough for Berry to commit its forces to South America, then declared war on Berry, seeking control of Illinois and its strategic position in the heart of the Mississippi Valley. Though Bohemia loyally joined its defense, facing two great powers at once was a stretch for the two nations.
Berry was not the only nation that faced multiple wars in the Americas. Emboldened by Navarra’s war on Leinster, the French laid claim to Leinster’s possessions in the St. Lawrence Valley later that summer. And thus, much of North America was engulfed in war by the fall of 1836.
Predictably, Berry and Bohemia struggled to defend against two great nations at once. Berry ceded Illinois to Etruria the following summer to focus on the war with England and Castille, but the English forced Bohemia out in the fall, and seized control of Bohemian Santiago in compensation. The Berrians were able to occupy much of Castille’s land in north America, but the Castillians had done the same to Berry’s possessions back on the continent, and the war continued to go poorly for them in South America.
In 1838, the Castillians backed out of the war because they had become involved in yet another war that had broken out in northern Europe. But by this time Berry had unwisely become involved in a European war as well, and was suffering from civil strife at home. In 1839, the English landed at the mouth of the Loire and besieged Berry’s capital. The defeated Berrians were forced to relinquish Rio Grande do Sul in return for peace.
Leinster also found itself overextended trying to fight two enemies at once. Although they were able to occupy much of Navarra’s land in the southern parts of North America, the battles proved more difficult in the St. Lawrence valley. When the French captured Leinster’s European holdings in Brittany and Ireland, Leinster agreed to give up Quebec in 1839. Once able to focus on Navarra alone, Leinster was more successful and the Navarrans agreed to peace without terms that winter.
Eastern North America in 1840:
Meanwhile, the Danes had declared war on Argentina, vowing to retake the coastal province of Bahia. Though Argentina was large in area, it was still sparsely populated, and had only been able to win its independence because of the Danish Revolution. Now, Denmark was able to bring its full power to bear on its former colony. Near the end of 1840, with the Danish threatening to try to retake Minas Gerais as well, the Argentinians ceded Bahia to Denmark. Though the conflicts of the 1830’s did not drastically redraw the map of the Americas, war had returned to the world, and the balance of power was shifting. Berry still held vast possessions in the New World, but appeared to be in trouble. And while Leinster still held the most valuable of its colonies in southern Ontario, its North American holdings were fragmented and difficult to defend.
South America in 1841:
The Long Peace persisted only a few hours into the tumultuous year of 1836. Navarrans remembered that they had discovered the New World, but it was dominated by other Europeans. The time had come, the Renaixenca Catala faction in court had argued, to move boldly to expand their holdings in the vast land that should have been theirs. And on the first day of 1836, the King had agreed, and declared war on Leinster, in the hopes of capturing Ontario. Ontario had been the focal point of trade in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Valley for centuries, making it a rich prize, and Leinster was viewed as a weak nation that had been forced to flee Europe in fear of its enemies. Sibir and Austria—allies of Leinster and Navarra respectively—attempted an eleventh hour negotiation to halt the war, but succeeded only in avoiding entering it themselves. Navarra was aided by Genoa and Fez, but refused by their longtime allies in Austria.
It was only a single war, largely fought in the colonies, and objectively should not have threatened global affairs…and yet it did. For it validated the use of arms to achieve one’s political aims once more, and the year became a cavalcade of old grievances bubbling into warfare. By the year’s end, seventeen wars involving forty-eight nations would be declared.
Nor would Navarra’s war to ‘liberate’ Ontario be the only one to break out over colonial possessions. Only 12 days after the Navarran declaration, Berry decided to use force to press its claim for the English parts of the savannahs of the Chaco region in South America. Though England was a powerful nation, the Berrians thought they could prevail with the aid of their Bohemian allies who also had strong bases of operation in South America. England’s only significant ally, Castille, had little presence in the region. Berrt had also hoped for help from mighty Etruria, but the Etrurians did not wish to endanger their good relations and trade with the English.
Despite this disappointment, the Berrians were still shocked by Etruria’s treachery early that summer. The Etrurians had waited just long enough for Berry to commit its forces to South America, then declared war on Berry, seeking control of Illinois and its strategic position in the heart of the Mississippi Valley. Though Bohemia loyally joined its defense, facing two great powers at once was a stretch for the two nations.
Berry was not the only nation that faced multiple wars in the Americas. Emboldened by Navarra’s war on Leinster, the French laid claim to Leinster’s possessions in the St. Lawrence Valley later that summer. And thus, much of North America was engulfed in war by the fall of 1836.
Predictably, Berry and Bohemia struggled to defend against two great nations at once. Berry ceded Illinois to Etruria the following summer to focus on the war with England and Castille, but the English forced Bohemia out in the fall, and seized control of Bohemian Santiago in compensation. The Berrians were able to occupy much of Castille’s land in north America, but the Castillians had done the same to Berry’s possessions back on the continent, and the war continued to go poorly for them in South America.
In 1838, the Castillians backed out of the war because they had become involved in yet another war that had broken out in northern Europe. But by this time Berry had unwisely become involved in a European war as well, and was suffering from civil strife at home. In 1839, the English landed at the mouth of the Loire and besieged Berry’s capital. The defeated Berrians were forced to relinquish Rio Grande do Sul in return for peace.
Leinster also found itself overextended trying to fight two enemies at once. Although they were able to occupy much of Navarra’s land in the southern parts of North America, the battles proved more difficult in the St. Lawrence valley. When the French captured Leinster’s European holdings in Brittany and Ireland, Leinster agreed to give up Quebec in 1839. Once able to focus on Navarra alone, Leinster was more successful and the Navarrans agreed to peace without terms that winter.
Eastern North America in 1840:
Meanwhile, the Danes had declared war on Argentina, vowing to retake the coastal province of Bahia. Though Argentina was large in area, it was still sparsely populated, and had only been able to win its independence because of the Danish Revolution. Now, Denmark was able to bring its full power to bear on its former colony. Near the end of 1840, with the Danish threatening to try to retake Minas Gerais as well, the Argentinians ceded Bahia to Denmark. Though the conflicts of the 1830’s did not drastically redraw the map of the Americas, war had returned to the world, and the balance of power was shifting. Berry still held vast possessions in the New World, but appeared to be in trouble. And while Leinster still held the most valuable of its colonies in southern Ontario, its North American holdings were fragmented and difficult to defend.
South America in 1841:
Wait... so Navarra declared war on the first day? Wow.
I hope that the wars actually clean up those hideous borders instead of making them even worse like in EU3...
I hope that the wars actually clean up those hideous borders instead of making them even worse like in EU3...
WAR IN THE EAST, 1836-1841
As it seems improbable that the Manchu could have had any knowledge of Navarra’s declaration of war on Leinster, it must be assumed that the renewal of hostilities in the East only one day later was a coincidence. But the reason for Manchu’s declaration of war on the much larger and more powerful Ming remains a matter of speculation. Perhaps the Manchu Emperor thought that after the long years of peace, their southern neighbor would be unprepared for war. Or maybe they had received assurances from their allies in the court of Wu that they would join them in this endeavor. Whatever their reasoning, the Manchu declared war on Ming for Northern Zhili, and Ming’s allies in Korea, Burma and Bastar declared their willingness to come to their defense.
It will never be known for sure whether the Wu Emperor would have joined in the attack on Ming, for he was preempted by Ming’s declaration of war upon him, again with the support of his allies. Six months later, taking advantage of Bastar moving much of its army into Tibet in preparation for an assault on Wu, Vijayanagar declared war on its longtime rival, engulfing the entire region in a huge war by summer.
By the end of the year, Manchu were already in serious trouble. Ming had fought defensively in the North, using only enough troops to tie up the Manchurians while the Koreans and Burmese captured Jirin Chuulgan, Qiqihar and Ninguta. Manchu had only one army left led by Tong Linge, and with 18,000 men he could not hope to fend off all their enemies. In the south, the situation was less clear. Vijayanagar’s ferocious attack had pulled most of Bastar’s armies away, and Ming and Wu were more evenly matched. Ming seemed to have the upper hand in the east, while Wu advanced in the west.
But when Bastar conceded Bastarian Orissa to Vijayanagar in the summer of 1837, their hands were again free to aid the war effort in China. By fall, Manchu had been forced to sign a humiliating peace that put them in their place, emphasizing their inferiority to the civilized Ming. Wu fought on alone for several months, but eventually ceded Southern Zhili to Ming, giving them control of most of the Yellow River valley.
China in 1840.
Surprisingly, the peace was broken in 1836 in the East Indies as well. With the three largest nations in the area—Malacca, Atjeh, and Majapahit—allied to one another, the region seemed one part of the world where war was unlikely to occur. Yet territorial disputes simmered beneath the surface of the alliance. Majapahit had long considered the eastern coast of Sumatra to be part of its rightful domain, and Malacca believed itself the natural ruler of the entire Malay Peninsula. Barely a month after war had broken out in China, Majapahit and Malacca decided to press their claims on their former ally.
The Atjehans were overmatched and soon found Sumatra suffering from a naval blockade while their lands in Malaya and Borneo were besieged by their enemies. Eventually, Majapahit landed an army in Sumatra as well, and early in 1839, the Atjehanese conceded their Malayan possessions to Malacca. Without Malaccan support, Atjeh was able to counterattack successfully enough to dash Majapahit’s territorial ambitions, though the treaty signed in 1841 made it clear that they had been cut down to size.
Southeast Asia in 1842
While peace was concluded between the two great powers on the Indian subcontinent in 1837, war broke out in the region again three years later. The small state of Bundelkhand had been carved out of Bastar sixty years before following a war with Vijayanagar, but Bastar had never relinquished claim to its lands. In 1840, the Bastarians declared war. Gakwar attempted to defend the tiny state, but their combined might was trivial compared to Bastar, and Bundelkhand was annexed after four months.
India in 1842:
The wars in the East of the 1830’s may not have resulted in large changes in territory, but the political landscape had shifted nonetheless. The alliance that had maintained the status quo in the islands had crumbled, while on the mainland, two grand alliances found themselves in an uneasy peace after Vijayanagar and Wu concluded an agreement. It seemed likely that any conflict arising would result in another war between Ming, Korea and Bastar on one side and Wu, Vijayanagar, and Manchu on the other. Whether this was a recipe for long-term stability or repeated, catastrophic warfare remained to be seen.
As it seems improbable that the Manchu could have had any knowledge of Navarra’s declaration of war on Leinster, it must be assumed that the renewal of hostilities in the East only one day later was a coincidence. But the reason for Manchu’s declaration of war on the much larger and more powerful Ming remains a matter of speculation. Perhaps the Manchu Emperor thought that after the long years of peace, their southern neighbor would be unprepared for war. Or maybe they had received assurances from their allies in the court of Wu that they would join them in this endeavor. Whatever their reasoning, the Manchu declared war on Ming for Northern Zhili, and Ming’s allies in Korea, Burma and Bastar declared their willingness to come to their defense.
It will never be known for sure whether the Wu Emperor would have joined in the attack on Ming, for he was preempted by Ming’s declaration of war upon him, again with the support of his allies. Six months later, taking advantage of Bastar moving much of its army into Tibet in preparation for an assault on Wu, Vijayanagar declared war on its longtime rival, engulfing the entire region in a huge war by summer.
By the end of the year, Manchu were already in serious trouble. Ming had fought defensively in the North, using only enough troops to tie up the Manchurians while the Koreans and Burmese captured Jirin Chuulgan, Qiqihar and Ninguta. Manchu had only one army left led by Tong Linge, and with 18,000 men he could not hope to fend off all their enemies. In the south, the situation was less clear. Vijayanagar’s ferocious attack had pulled most of Bastar’s armies away, and Ming and Wu were more evenly matched. Ming seemed to have the upper hand in the east, while Wu advanced in the west.
But when Bastar conceded Bastarian Orissa to Vijayanagar in the summer of 1837, their hands were again free to aid the war effort in China. By fall, Manchu had been forced to sign a humiliating peace that put them in their place, emphasizing their inferiority to the civilized Ming. Wu fought on alone for several months, but eventually ceded Southern Zhili to Ming, giving them control of most of the Yellow River valley.
China in 1840.
Surprisingly, the peace was broken in 1836 in the East Indies as well. With the three largest nations in the area—Malacca, Atjeh, and Majapahit—allied to one another, the region seemed one part of the world where war was unlikely to occur. Yet territorial disputes simmered beneath the surface of the alliance. Majapahit had long considered the eastern coast of Sumatra to be part of its rightful domain, and Malacca believed itself the natural ruler of the entire Malay Peninsula. Barely a month after war had broken out in China, Majapahit and Malacca decided to press their claims on their former ally.
The Atjehans were overmatched and soon found Sumatra suffering from a naval blockade while their lands in Malaya and Borneo were besieged by their enemies. Eventually, Majapahit landed an army in Sumatra as well, and early in 1839, the Atjehanese conceded their Malayan possessions to Malacca. Without Malaccan support, Atjeh was able to counterattack successfully enough to dash Majapahit’s territorial ambitions, though the treaty signed in 1841 made it clear that they had been cut down to size.
Southeast Asia in 1842
While peace was concluded between the two great powers on the Indian subcontinent in 1837, war broke out in the region again three years later. The small state of Bundelkhand had been carved out of Bastar sixty years before following a war with Vijayanagar, but Bastar had never relinquished claim to its lands. In 1840, the Bastarians declared war. Gakwar attempted to defend the tiny state, but their combined might was trivial compared to Bastar, and Bundelkhand was annexed after four months.
India in 1842:
The wars in the East of the 1830’s may not have resulted in large changes in territory, but the political landscape had shifted nonetheless. The alliance that had maintained the status quo in the islands had crumbled, while on the mainland, two grand alliances found themselves in an uneasy peace after Vijayanagar and Wu concluded an agreement. It seemed likely that any conflict arising would result in another war between Ming, Korea and Bastar on one side and Wu, Vijayanagar, and Manchu on the other. Whether this was a recipe for long-term stability or repeated, catastrophic warfare remained to be seen.
I love this AAR, but can we get a before and after pic for each of the theaters? I have no idea where Bundelkhand was before the war, so seeing the new borders of Bastar tells me nothing.
Just thought the same. It's kind of hard to figure out what changed sometimes. If I remember correctly, he did provide before/after pictures in the previous parts. Then again, the before pictures can be found on the second page, so maybe there's no need for them in this case
Perhaps a better way would be to highlight the changed borders somehow.
Bundelkhand was located directly to the east of where the 'ar' of Vijayanagar is on that map. The changes in Southeast Asia are equally hard to spot, with only the very tip of the Malayan territory turning from green to purple. I can't tell the difference between the before and after pictures of China.
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Looks like the AI has exited the long peace raring to go! 15 years of stability appear to be considered 15 years wasted, which bodes well for the AAR. I wonder whether we will see an initial flurry of action and then a calmer pace going forward? There are a good number of states who do not look particularly viable, in the medium term, so perhaps we will see a worldwide scramble as the strong divvy up the weak?
Come on Communist Frankfurt, come on Communist Frankfurt... I've been waiting for like a whole year. Glad to see this one back again!
I'm sorry that the lack of before/after shots has bothered people, but I felt that the before shots would simply be repostings of the maps on the first couple of pages. Honestly, not that much has changed, but I wanted to have these updates in the Americas and the Far East because that's where war broke out first and I felt the end of the Long Peace was a major historical event that I should document.
The next update will be a bit more substantive, though it's still going to be purely a "war" update. I will get to political and technological changes, but there's just so many wars to deal with these first few years. And to be honest, I'm still having a little trouble figuring out how to write a Victoria AAR, since the game is so abstract compared to the others.
The next update will be a bit more substantive, though it's still going to be purely a "war" update. I will get to political and technological changes, but there's just so many wars to deal with these first few years. And to be honest, I'm still having a little trouble figuring out how to write a Victoria AAR, since the game is so abstract compared to the others.